Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 39 Roasted Chestnuts!

The imperial court gave us 100 shi (a unit of dry measure), which sounds like a lot, and we had quite a lot of it at home.

More than 10,000 catties of millet, which would be worth three strings of cash if sold.

That's a hundred shi (a unit of dry measure)!
Zhang Jinhe had previously said that a piece of Shu brocade was worth about one hundred strings of cash.

This disparity is alarming.

Life is indeed quite difficult for ordinary people.

The price of grain cannot be too high, otherwise it will be the farmers who suffer.

Even if they sold everything, they still wouldn't be able to buy Zhang Jinhe's food. The family had no other food; millet was their staple food, so they had to leave enough for the three Zhang siblings.

The selling price is three coins per dou, while the buying price might be five coins.

We can only sell some cloth, otherwise it won't be enough.

Xiao Ran still couldn't distinguish between silk and satin, so he could only ask Zhang Jinhe.

When they arrived at Zhang Dalang's house, none of the three siblings were home; they had gone to make clothes.

The finest silks and satins were all placed in a room for Xiao Ran.

"I don't have enough money for the millet, and I can't sell it all. Jinniang, please check how much these are worth!"

Zhang Jinhe's Shu brocade is definitely out of the question; it's too expensive.

"This is Luo, a bolt of cloth that costs about eight hundred coins at the market. The imperial court's quality is better, I'll buy it for nine hundred. What do you think, young master?"

"Okay!" Xiao Ran didn't understand, and Zhang Jinhe wouldn't try to trick Xiao Ran now.

They definitely need to make a profit, but it will be within a reasonable range; they can't be too greedy.

Zhang Jinhe isn't stupid. She knows that if she messes with Xiao Ran this time, he will definitely ignore her in the future.

"Sell four bolts, that's 3600 coins, plus some millet."

In the end, they managed to scrape together 4440 coins and pay back all of Zhang Jinhe's money.

Xiao Ran gave Zhang Jinhe some pastries as payment for the interest.

Who will lend you money in the future if you don't repay the exact amount you borrow without making a promise to settle the debt immediately?

They may not say it, but they remember it in their hearts.

Zhang Jinhe had the things returned; she wasn't in a hurry to leave.

Zhang Erya and her brother are back too. Once the measurements are taken and the style is decided, there's no need to wait.

"Young master, elder sister!" Zhang Erya called out.

"Mm," Xiao Ran nodded.

“Now that the young master has land, the land should be divided up in the next couple of days, and the eldest son will be busy.” Zhang Jinhe meant that he no longer needed to go to her house to do chores.

Xiao Ran owns a lot of land, which Zhang Dalang can't handle.

"Big Brother, how much can we plant ourselves?" Xiao Ran had no idea.

Zhang Dalang was a little excited. "Two hundred mu is no problem."

"Then we'll contract out the rest." We can't just leave it undeveloped.

Xiao Ran said.

"How about this, young man, you can contract it out to me. My family has contracted quite a lot, and it will be split 50/50 after the autumn harvest. What do you think, young man?"

The landlord provided the land, the tenants provided the seeds, farm tools, and labor, and the grain was divided 50/50.

"Okay, that would be perfect."

"I'll talk to Mr. Weng in a bit. Once the land is divided, we'll sign the agreement." Even though we're neighbors, we need to have everything we need to avoid any conflicts.

"Are many people finding themselves with more free time this season?"

Zhang Jinhe nodded. "The autumn harvest is over, now it's time to plow the fields, which is hard work."

The implication is that while the men still have work to do, the other women have nothing to do but take care of household chores.

"Is there a blacksmith shop in Erniang Village?" Xiao Ran asked.

“Young man, there aren’t any in our village, only in Xinhe Village, not far from Wang Lizheng’s house.” Zhang Erya knew this.

The blacksmith shop mainly made farm tools, similar to the carpentry shop.

Farm tools require both blacksmiths and carpenters; neither can be missing.

"Does the blacksmith shop have large iron pots?" Xiao Ran continued to ask.

“I’m not quite sure about that.” Zhang Erya glanced at Zhang Jinhe beside her.

"Yes, I saw it before. What does the young master need a big iron pot for?"

"Jinniang, how big is the iron pot?"

Zhang Jinhe gestured, "There are big ones and small ones."

"Big Brother, run this errand for me." Suddenly remembering that Zhang Dalang couldn't leave the village, she thought, "Never mind, I'll go myself in a bit. Let's set up a cowshed over there!"

"Great!" Zhang Dalang was filled with enthusiasm at the thought of soon having ten cows.

Zhang Jinhe's family didn't even have ten cows.

Zhang Jinhe's family has contracted land, so they naturally need more cattle. When they're not in use, they can rent them out to their neighbors in the village.

When it's time to plow the fields, oxen are practically never idle.

"I need to go to the blacksmith's shop to buy a plowshare later, and I'll just bring the iron pot with me while I'm at it," Zhang Jinhe said.

"Then I'll trouble you, Jinniang. How much is the largest iron pot?"

"I haven't bought it before, and I didn't ask before. It should be around fifty or sixty coins!" Zhang Jinhe wasn't sure either.

A bushel of millet costs only thirty coins; this stuff isn't cheap.

"Second Madam, get Jinniang some money."

"No need, not for now. We'll talk about it after we buy it. We don't know the exact price right now." Zhang Jinhe wasn't afraid that Xiao Ran would renege on the debt; he trusted Xiao Ran.

"That!"

Winter is almost here, and there's not much to do, so I might try something else.

"Second Aunt, do you have plenty of persimmons and chestnuts at home?"

"There are two bushels of persimmons and about one bushel of chestnuts. What's wrong, young master?" These were the ones the three siblings had picked when they went to the mountains.

You can just pick chestnuts off the ground.

"Take them all out and wash them clean."

"Okay!" Although she didn't know what Xiao Ran was planning, Zhang Erya quickly went to prepare.

I used to think that persimmon cakes existed in this era, but it turns out that's not the case.

In this era, persimmon cakes were dried in the sun, becoming dried fruit, so that they could be preserved until the following year.

You need to soak it in water to soften it before eating.

This is completely different from the persimmon cakes that Xiao Ran knew.

It doesn't sound appetizing.

So Xiao Ran wanted to try and see if he could make persimmon cakes, since every household in the village should have persimmons.

We can acquire some to do.

Now that he was here, Xiao Ran wanted to do something.

The people in this village seem nice, probably because we share the same ancestry.

It's quite humane.

Soon Zhang Erya brought out the persimmons and chestnuts.

Normally, if you want to save them for the following year, the persimmons would definitely need to be dried.

However, Zhang Erya and her siblings showed no intention of showing it off, clearly indicating that they did not plan to store it for next year, and it should also be part of their food supply.

There wasn't enough millet to eat, so we had to make do with these; it was better than having nothing to eat at all.

"Second Aunt, wash the chestnuts and the persimmons. After washing the persimmons, peel them."

"it is good!"

Hearing that she had something to do, Third Sister stopped watching over Little Black.

I ran over to help carry things.

The pot for roasting chestnuts will probably have to wait a while.

Xiao Ran needed to prepare other things first; roasted chestnuts required sand and gravel.

The house has no shortage of baskets, all kinds of sizes.

Xiao Ran picked out a suitable one, "Third Sister, let's go to the river."

"Okay!" Third Sister put the things down.

"Second Aunt, where nearby can I find small pebbles by the river?" Xiao Ran gestured, indicating that they were about the size of soybeans.

“Young master, there are plenty of them to the northeast, at the river stalls over there.” Zhang Erya pointed in a direction. “Okay, Second Aunt, Jinniang should be here soon. Give her the money and some pastries. We can’t let her come for nothing; she doesn’t owe us anything.”

"Okay, I remember."

Xiao Ran does seem to have usurped the family's position; he's now in charge of many things at home.

At first, Xiao Ran also paid attention to see how Zhang Dalang and Zhang Erya would react to his behavior.

It's clear that the brother and sister don't object to Xiao Ran taking the lead in everything at home.

On the one hand, Zhang Dalang and Zhang Erya were both quite young, and on the other hand, after their "cheap father" passed away, the family lost its backbone.

Xiao Ran's appearance filled this void.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, Xiao Ran proved through his actions that he could lead the family to a better future.

Whether they are related by blood or not is not important. What matters is that Xiao Ran did not treat them, the siblings, as outsiders.

That's enough. It's really not easy to survive in this era.

It's quite difficult to have enough to eat and live a good life.

Xiao Ran, holding San Niang's hand with one hand and carrying a basket in the other, led Xiao Hei out of the courtyard.

Following Xiao Ran's instructions, Zhang Erya began to carefully wash the chestnuts and tomatoes.

Zhang Dalang chose a suitable spot nearby and prepared to build a cowshed.

The cowshed can't be too small, after all, it houses ten cows.

There are reasons why Chang'an was able to become the capital of the Tang Dynasty and develop into a metropolis with a population of one million.

The classic layout of "eight rivers surrounding Chang'an" played an indispensable role in this success.

These rivers are not only abundant in water but also evenly distributed, providing a natural water source guarantee for the capital.

Xiao Ran led San Niang and Gouzi to the riverbank and discovered that fishing was also possible there.

If you can't fish at the previous pond, this is a good alternative.

This is Kaolao Village, and I'm also from Kaolao Village, so fishing here is perfectly reasonable.

Xiao Ran squatted down and picked up a small pebble. "Third Sister, I need one like this, smaller, and it has to be this kind. This one is out of the question."

Choose quartz sand or granite fragments, and avoid limestone and sand containing mica.

To prevent limestone from decomposing into calcium carbonate when roasting chestnuts.

Sand and gravel containing mica have a low melting point and are easily melted.

"Okay!" Third Sister agreed, picking up a few that were about the same size. "Young Master, will these be alright?"

"Yes, this is it."

Third Sister squatted down and searched very seriously, finding it quite amusing.

Not long after, Zhang Jinhe appeared at Zhang Erya's door carrying a large iron pot.

"Second mother!"

"Sister!" Zhang Erya stood up and wiped the water off her hands.

Zhang Jinhe took the iron pot out into the courtyard and put it down. "Where are the young master and Third Sister?"

"They went to the riverbank." Zhang Erya asked, "Sister, how much does the iron pot cost?"

"Sixty-three coins, that's the largest amount in the blacksmith's shop."

"Okay!" Zhang Erya ran back into the house. She knew where the remaining money had been.

While counting the money, they also took some pastries.

If you offer more money, Zhang Jinhe definitely won't accept it, and the relationship will become strained.

But the food they gave was different.

"Sister, count them."

"No problem at all." Zhang Jinhe took the money and put it into the bag.

"Sister, have something to eat. Your young master should be back soon."

"Okay!" Zhang Jinhe took the pastries; these were the best ones and very delicious.

She squatted down and looked at the chestnuts and persimmons. "Second Aunt, what are you doing?"

"I don't know either. The young master told me to wash it and peel the persimmons later."

Zhang Jinhe couldn't guess, so he was very interested.

Pick up a knife and help shave.

Xiao Ran had picked up almost all the fish by the river. He put them in a basket, washed them clean, and took them back.

"Third Sister, let's go!"

"Okay!" The little girl ran to Xiao Ran's side and took his hand.

The inaction of her "cheap father" left the little girl feeling insecure and lacking in fatherly love. Xiao Ran, on the other hand, provided her with that security, making her increasingly dependent on him.

Whenever the little girl is happy, she walks with a bouncy, skipping gait.

"Jinniang, Second Sister"

"Young master, I brought the pot. Do you think it's alright?" Zhang Jinhe pointed to it. "If the size isn't right, we can exchange it."

Xiao Ran leaned closer, "This is pretty good."

You could try making roasted chestnuts.

Xiao Ran casually gathered some stones and built a makeshift stove in the yard.

Zhang Erya dried the stones that Xiao Ran had picked up.

The weather is nice today, and the chestnuts have been washed and dried.

Zhang Jinhe helped to make a slit in the chestnut, otherwise it would explode everywhere later.

Third Sister knew they needed to start a fire, so without Xiao Ran telling her, she ran off to find dry grass to start one.

Zhang Dalang, who was setting up a cowshed nearby, didn't know what Xiao Ran was doing, so he also helped by bringing over some firewood.

Xiao Ran didn't say anything, and the three siblings didn't ask either; they just helped silently.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya both noticed when Xiao Ran took out his lighter.

Xiao Ran lit the fire and started stir-frying the small pebbles he had prepared in the pot.

The group looked completely bewildered.

"I saw the local people in the Western Regions do this before, and it tasted quite delicious. This is my first time trying it myself, and I don't know if it will work."

Stack up some buffs first, to avoid the embarrassment of a mishap.

There was no other sugar at home, so Xiao Ran could only use the white sugar from his own box.

You can buy maltose later, which is a type of maltose.

Rock sugar, also known as brown sugar, is too expensive and produced in small quantities, so it is only supplied to the nobility. Ordinary people can forget about it. The same goes for honey.

Unless you raise bees yourself.
Feeling that the temperature was about right, Xiao Ran looked at the chestnuts he had prepared.

Zhang Erya handed the basket to Xiao Ran.

Previously, chestnuts were either eaten raw or boiled. They could also be roasted in a fire, but the skin had to be broken first, otherwise they would easily burn you when fried.

"It smells sweet," Zhang Jinhe sniffed.

"This is called sugar-roasted chestnuts!"

It was almost done when Xiao Ran finally revealed the name.

Seeing that Xiao Ran was struggling, Zhang Jinhe said, "Young master, I'll take your place."

"it is good!"

Zhang Jinhe also knew that he had to keep stirring to ensure even heating and avoid some parts burning while others remained undercooked.

"Second Aunt, bring me a sieve."

"it is good!"

Since there was no metal strainer available, a bamboo sieve had to be used as a makeshift solution.

If it tastes good, I'll make it often in the future, and I'll have to go to the blacksmith to order one.

Xiao Ran sifted out all the chestnuts and put them in a basket.

Once it cooled down, Xiao Ran picked one up and tasted it. It was pretty much the same as the others, and he was quite satisfied.

"Try them all and see how they taste. Big Brother, time for chestnuts," Xiao Ran called out.

"Okay!" Zhang Dalang put down his things and came over.

"This is sweet, it's delicious." Third Sister squinted her eyes.

"This is really good. It should be able to sell in Chang'an City." Zhang Jinhe nodded in satisfaction.

"Jinniang, would you be interested in cooperating?"

(End of this chapter)