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

Chapter 49 Improve the Meals!

They ate quite quickly.

There are no people who chew their food slowly and carefully.

It seems that you don't need to chew millet rice slowly.

"Alright, let's get started!" Wang Shen shouted, and the group returned to the ravine.

Zhang Erya, Zhang Jinhe, and the others didn't rush back. They washed all the pots, pans, and dishes by the pool and took them back with them.

"Jinniang, there are no chestnuts in the village. Let's go to Xinhe Village and see. We don't need to go around. We can just go to Uncle Wang's house."

Upon hearing Xiao Ran's words, Zhang Jinhe looked towards the ravine, realizing that this was Xiao Ran's promise to Wang Shen.

"Okay, there aren't many left in the village, and the rest are too small." We had been choosing the larger ones before.

"I still need to sell some fabric, otherwise I won't have enough money to build a house."

“If it’s not a large quantity, I can take it here. But if it’s a large quantity, I’ll have to send it to Chang’an to sell,” Zhang Jinhe said.

"Hmm, we'll see."

Xiao Ran didn't participate in building the house; he just watched.

We still need to roast chestnuts.

"Why do we have to deliver it in two separate trips?" Xiao Ran suddenly realized that this would mean incurring an extra shipping fee.

Zhang Jinhe looked at Xiao Ran and was taken aback. "At first, I thought it was something you arranged on your own, so I didn't ask."

Zhang Erya and Zhang Dalang wouldn't ask any more questions; whatever Xiao Ran said was law.

"The first time we didn't know how well it was selling. The second time, Uncle Zhang said it was very popular and asked us to send more. We got used to it after that, once in the morning and once in the afternoon." Xiao Ran shook his head. "I was so confused! I only realized it now."

Zhang Jinhe laughed too, "Then from now on, send ten bushels in the morning and bring the money back the next day."

"Yes, that's how it should be." Xiao Ran nodded.

In the afternoon, Zhang Jialin delivered sesame cakes to Zhang Erya's house.

They refused to accept money, saying it was just something they did on the way.

Xiao Ran gave him five flatbreads.

The two-coin note is indeed twice the size of the one-coin note.

A flatbread cost two coins, and millet cost three coins a bushel. Wheat and millet were priced similarly, so the middlemen made a lot of money.

"Second Aunt, when we eat later, each of us will have a flatbread. We'll have it for breakfast and dinner."

The two aunts who were helping with the work were startled and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Okay!" Zhang Erya was also shocked, but she didn't say anything more.

The meals provided for working were always millet rice, but if you were stingy, you'd get millet porridge.

Zhang Erya had never seen anyone eat sesame flatbread before.

"Building houses is tiring, you need to eat well to have the energy to work." Xiao Ran picked up a piece and took a bite.

Zhang Jinhe, who was standing next to her, picked up a piece of food, broke it in half, and gave it to San Niang. He then ate some himself.

Xiao Ran's actions were not unexpected; they were within expectations.

Around 4 PM, the group delivered the food to the pond.

After eating, I can still work for a while.

The atmosphere in the valley was wonderful; everyone was chatting and laughing.

Although it was noisy, it didn't affect the speed.

"Let's eat!" Wang Shen shouted, leading a group of people out of the ravine.

Evening meals are similar to morning meals, and both are pleasing to the eye.

After serving the millet rice, the two aunties picked up the steamer baskets, lifted the cloth covering them, and began to distribute the flatbreads.

"Huh?" Wang Shen was taken aback when the first one was given to him.

"Forget it, let's not make exceptions. Everyone can eat the same thing." Wang Shen waved his hand, knowing that making exceptions would easily cause resentment and discontent among others.

"Wang Lizheng, everyone has one," Auntie San said with a smile.

Wang Shen took the flatbread and took a bite. The quality of this flatbread was excellent, just like the ones he ate in Chang'an.

Others reacted in much the same way.

It's true that they want others to be well-fed and have the energy to work, and it's also true that they want to win people's hearts and motivate others to speed up their work.

Xiao Ran ate a flatbread and took San Niang to explore the mountain valley.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya followed.

The ravine has been completely transformed.

"The sun will set for a while, so let's hurry up and eat," Wang Shen called out.

The others also sped up.

After putting down their bowls and chopsticks, they gradually returned to the mountain valley.

“Nephew, at this pace, the foundation will be ready soon. There are a few stonemasons in Kaolao Village and some in Xinhe Village. Should we call them over?” Wang Shen asked Xiao Ran.

"If there's a suitable candidate, Uncle, just call him over. The treatment will be the same."

"Okay!" Wang Shen also wanted to call some people from his village to help with the work.

Nothing special, the pay is good!
Many people are currently idle.

The carpenter and stonemason were paid 25 coins a day, and they also needed to hire an oxcart to haul the stones.

A bullock cart costs 30 coins a day, 15 coins for a person and 15 coins for the cart.

Beef is highly sought after in this era.

Xiao Ran has oxen, but no oxcarts. He feels he needs to buy a few oxcarts, as they might come in handy.

Once the foundation is ready, some people will have to move stones.

In this era, people worked from sunrise to sunset, and the day's work ended when the sun went down.

I started packing my things, getting ready to go home.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya arrived with Kaiyuan Tongbao coins and began paying the day's wages.

Although we're all from the same village, it's not a problem to give them all together a few days later.

Xiao Ran knew that, from ancient times to the present, no one wanted to be owed wages.

No matter how much you talk about it, nothing beats the tangible and reassuring feeling of actually having money in your hands.

Just consider it a good mood to go home after a long day.

The next day will bring more anticipation and motivation.

Zhang Jinhe kept the books, and Zhang Erya was in charge of distributing the money.

They were naturally happy to receive the money. "Young master, eldest brother, let's go back now!"

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Xiao Ran responded to the crowd, most of whom he didn't know and didn't know how to address.

Zhang Dalang gave an awkward, silly laugh, wanting to say something but not knowing how to start.

Xiao Ran also noticed that many people actually had sesame seed cakes in their hands.

It's definitely not because they couldn't finish it; they probably kept it on purpose to take it back with them.

Eating millet all day long, occasionally having some refined grains is considered a way to improve our diet.

Many people didn't bring their tools back; they left them in the ravines.

Wang Shen was the same.

Wang Shen also had an oxcart, so when he needed it, his wages became 45 coins.

The others left one after another, and in the end, only Xiao Ran, Zhang Jinhe, and a few others remained by the pool.

"Let's go home!" Xiao Ran pulled San Niang up.

"Let's go home!" Third Sister said, still holding a sesame seed cake in her hand.

Xiao Ran thought that sesame seed cakes were actually tastier than corn cakes.

"We'll need to get up early tomorrow to prepare ten catties of chestnuts," Xiao Ran said.

"The chestnuts are all prepared; we can start roasting them tomorrow morning," Zhang Jinhe said. "No need to start too early; just do it the same way as before."

Zhang Dalang pushed the deer cart, while Zhang Erya held a cat in her arms.

The cat spends most of the day at Zhang Erya's house.

Judging from this, it seems he can stay at home and keep Third Sister company.

After Zhang Jinhe left, Xiao Ran went to check on the persimmons.

It's much shriveled than before, and you can see the frost on the persimmons.

I feel like this will work out.

"The cat can stay; Third Sister can take it and go back."

"Young master, what would Coco eat?" Third Sister hurriedly asked Xiao Ran, worried that the cat was hungry.

"I won't eat it today, I'll bring it tomorrow morning."

"Okay!" Third Sister gently stroked the cat, saying that she could sleep with it tonight.

Xiao Ran took Xiao Hei back to the ravine. The cave was well-sealed and no one had touched it.

Although he didn't keep a constant eye on it, Xiao Ran instructed Zhang Dalang to watch over it and not let anyone else touch it.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems like I haven't done anything, but I still feel quite tired.

In the morning, Xiao Ran not only brought milk and bread for everyone, but also cat food and a small dried fish.

"Young master, what is this?" Zhang Erya asked, looking at the cat food.

"This is cat food, specially made for cats, not suitable for humans," Xiao Ran instructed.

Otherwise, Xiao Ran was afraid that Third Sister would be curious and try it.

Xiao Ran brought quite a lot, so that Third Sister can feed her every day.

Since the advent of sugar-roasted chestnuts, Zhang Jialin has been busy.

It's like finding a day-paid job in disguise, and it's quite stable.

"Sixth Brother, bring back some flatbread, just like yesterday." Xiao Ran handed over the money. "This is for your travel expenses. You'll only be making this one trip from now on. This is for the flatbread; small amounts are fine."

"Alright!" Zhang Jialin took the money, got on the oxcart, and drove away.

It feels quite comfortable; at least I don't have to walk myself.

As soon as the sun rose above the horizon, a group of people gathered in front of Zhang Erya's house.

"How come there are so many more than yesterday?" Xiao Ran, who was inside the room, was surprised.

“I counted, and all of them who have arrived so far are from Kaolao Village, there are thirty-five of them,” Zhang Jinhe said with a smile.

"How many households are there in Kaolao Village?" Xiao Ran asked casually.

"Thirty-four households, excluding my family and the young master's family, that makes thirty-two households."

Xiao Ran and the Zhang siblings are family, at least for now.

In other words, at least two out of three companies came!
"That's good, more people means faster work." Xiao Ran seemed quite happy about it.

“The young master is well-off, so naturally everyone wants to come here.” Zhang Jinhe wasn’t surprised; this was normal.

Wang Shen also brought ten people, but these were either carpenters, stonemasons, or people with oxcarts.

Not counting Xiao Ran, Zhang Dalang, Zhang Jinhe, and the others, there were 45 people working today, plus two aunties helping with cooking, making a total of 47 people.

"Second Aunt, prepare plenty of food today, don't skimp on it," Xiao Ran reminded her.

"Alright, young master, I'll remember that."

With the arrival of foreman Wang Shen, the group of people also went to the pond.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya didn't go with them; they needed to hurry and prepare breakfast.

Li Shimin's carriage slowly left the palace, this time with Princess Yuzhang on board.

Princess Yuzhang, having heard about what had happened before, also wanted to come out and see.

Li Shimin didn't really make much difference whether he brought three daughters or four, so he agreed.

Zhang Anan drove the chariot, while Li Shimin rode in front on horseback.

Although he was planning to go fishing, Li Shimin didn't bring his fishing rod.

The group stopped at the Duke of Ji's residence.

Upon seeing the carriage, the servants dared not delay and immediately went to find the steward, Qin Tai.

Qin Tai emerged from the side gate and was startled to see Zhang Anan driving the carriage. He was even more surprised to find Li Shimin dressed in plain clothes beside him.

Both of them were important figures to Qin Tai.

"Your Majesty," Qin Tai said to the servants, "quickly open the gate and inform Ah Lang that His Majesty has arrived."

Li Shimin heard this too, and waved his hand, "No need for such trouble. Just tell Shubao he's going fishing, and I'll wait for him here."

Fishing is a morning activity, and Li Shimin didn't want to waste time.

Qin Qiong didn't dare to delay and immediately took the fishing rod and fish basket given to him by Xiao Ran and went out.

Fearing he might not run into Xiao Ran, he brought a jar of earthworms.

Qin Qiong led his horse out, and Cheng Yaojin had just arrived.

"Haha, just right! Let's go fishing!" Li Shimin shouted.

"It's your Majesty!"

Cheng Yaojin brought three fishing rods with him as backups.

"Uncle Bao, let me see him."

Qin Qiong quickly handed the fishing rod to Li Shimin, "It's Your Majesty!"

"Oh, this is good stuff, this is good stuff." Li Shimin's eyes burned with desire.

"Brother Qin, how did you get Xiao Ran?" Actually, Cheng Yaojin knew that this was a question asked on Li Shimin's behalf, a way of speaking on his behalf.

"My dear nephew took a fancy to that pond and the mountain next to it. After inquiring around, he found out it belonged to me and came to Chang'an City to buy it from me. I didn't expect it to be an acquaintance. I didn't ask for money, and my dear nephew gave me a fishing rod instead. Hahaha!" Qin Qiong felt that the most worthwhile business he had done in recent years was buying this pond.

"I'm so envious! That pool and mountain aren't worth much money!" Cheng Yaojin said this from the bottom of his heart.

"You old rascal!" Li Shimin exclaimed, clearly delighted with it.

The princesses inside the carriage also heard the conversation outside and were quite excited.

He usually just wanders around Chang'an City and doesn't have many opportunities to leave the city.

Li Shimin's outings were also made up of excuses, ostensibly to inspect the people's conditions.

We can't stay too long; we have to go back around noon.

If you want to go fishing, you have to find an excuse, otherwise Wei Zheng and the other censors will start criticizing you.

They can easily find any excuse that he was indulging in frivolous pursuits and then stand on the moral high ground to criticize Emperor Li Shimin.

Seeing that Qin Qiong was in good spirits, Li Shimin jokingly asked, "Shubao, your injuries are almost healed. Can you help me relieve my worries?"

Qin Qiong respectfully replied, "I am saddled with the emperor's bounty and must serve him faithfully. My body is meant to serve Your Majesty, and even in death I will repay your kindness."

"But the arrow from the Mira River damaged its foundation. Now it's difficult to even draw a bow with a stone's length. I'm afraid it will be difficult for it to even hold His Majesty's whip and stirrups."

"Your Majesty is exceptionally wise and sagacious, and the entire court is filled with people from the Qilin Pavilion. Why would you need an old soldier like me who is halfway to the grave?"

"All I can do for Your Majesty now is to catch a few carp from the Wei River so that the Imperial Kitchen can prepare a side dish for Your Majesty's wine!"

"Hahaha! You old man!" Li Shimin was joking, but Qin Qiong's flattery pleased him greatly.

Cheng Yaojin, standing beside him, laughed and said, "Brother Qin, back in Jiexiu City, you said, 'If I don't meet a wise ruler in this life, I'd rather die an old man in the fields!' His Majesty is wise and mighty, and you are at the prime of your life to strive for success. How can you slack off!"

Qin Qiong waved his hand, "Go away, go away, don't try to sow discord between me and His Majesty."

Many of the members of the Lingyan Pavilion received their titles during the Zhenguan era, while Qin Qiong was one of the few who received his title during the Wude era.

In the third year of the Wude era, Qin Qiong followed Li Shimin in defeating Song Jingang. For his meritorious service, Qin Qiong was awarded the title of Shangzhuguo, becoming an important general in the Tang army at that time.

The title of Shangzhuguo was the highest rank in the Tang Dynasty's system of meritorious officials. Although it did not have any actual authority, it symbolized extremely high honor and status.

[PS: Records indicate that the ban on catching and eating carp dates back to the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, but it was likely permitted during the Zhenguan era. In January 731, Emperor Xuanzong issued an order "banning the catching of carp." According to the regulations, anyone who caught a carp must release it, and anyone selling carp in the market would be punished with sixty strokes of the cane! If it was explicitly prohibited before, it wouldn't have been reiterated!]

(End of this chapter)