Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

This surprised Steward Ding. He had brought quite a few people with him today, more than twenty in total. He hadn't expected Zhang Youtie's family to be able to prepare food for so many people. However, he figured it would just be some coarse grain buns and pickled vegetable porridge, which shouldn't cost much, so he agreed and told the servant to inform everyone to eat before setting off.

Chunyu and her two younger sisters first brought out the cold dishes and wine: garlic-flavored pork belly, braised pork intestines, a platter of pork liver and tripe, cold eggplant salad, smashed cucumber, and fried peanuts. Each of the six cold dishes was generously filled, showing that this family was honest and hardworking. Old Master Zhang, the village chief, and the Zhang brothers sat with Steward Ding in the main room.

Over there, Liu, along with her three daughters-in-law and two grandsons, carried three buckets filled with stew into the yard. A large basin held various bowls, some brought from the old house and others borrowed from the village head. On the other side, two tall stacks of fried dough cakes sat in a basket.

After the servant gathered everyone together, they lined up to get their food. First, they went to get bowls, then to Wang's place for vegetables, and finally to Liu's place for two fried cakes.

"Brothers, you've all worked hard today. The food is simple, made at home, so please don't mind. The food isn't great, but it's all you can eat. Please help yourselves." Zhang Youtie greeted everyone in the courtyard politely.

Actually, the people in line hadn't expected to get anything good to eat, since the fact that this family was willing to prepare food for them was already a pleasant surprise.

"Wow, such big slices of meat, and so much of it!" exclaimed the first person to go and get their food.

"What? There's meat too!"

"I estimate not much, maybe just a few slices in a pot of vegetables."

"Yeah, that's true. There are so many of us, I wonder who'll be lucky enough to get a slice of meat."

"Be grateful that we have food to eat. This family is honest; otherwise, we would all have gone home hungry."

Hearing the exclamations of the people in front about the large slices of meat, a buzz of discussion began to ripple through the crowd behind.

However, as more and more people got their food, the people at the back started to get restless. They could see that everyone's bowl had a lot of meat, thick slices of meat, and fried tofu. Moreover, one of the fried dough sticks was made of pure white flour, and although the other one contained some cornmeal, it was still mostly made of white flour.

After the cart drivers finished preparing the food, they returned to their respective oxcarts to eat, while the dozen or so men who had been working squatted outside Xia Yu's family's courtyard, chatting in small groups.

However, everyone felt that this family was honest, and their food was delicious, even the fried dough sticks were soft. Some families who were not well-off wished they could take the food from their bowls back with them so their children could have a treat. After serving the food to everyone, Madam Liu invited Steward Ding's servant to the kitchen. She took out some of the dishes from the main table and put them separately on two plates, piled up in heaps, clearly reserved for him. There was also an extra bowl of stewed vegetables with lots of meat.

"Thank you, ma'am, and thank you so much, ladies, for your hospitality." The servant was definitely a smart man; after thanking them gratefully, he didn't stand on ceremony and quickly started eating with his chopsticks and the flatbread.

There were still plenty of vegetables and bread in the bucket outside. If people weren't full, they could get more. Liu had arranged for Changsheng to stand guard there and help serve food to anyone who came over.

Neither Steward Ding nor the village chief had ever eaten braised offal before. At first, they didn't recognize the dishes on the table. After Zhang Youtie introduced them, the two of them were a bit confused and hesitant to pick up their chopsticks.

Seeing their hesitation, Zhang Youtie took the lead, picking up a piece of braised pork intestine with his chopsticks, dipping it in the garlic sauce beside it, and then eating it in one bite. Watching his expression of enjoyment, Steward Ding finally couldn't resist his curiosity and followed suit, picking up a piece and eating it as well. Then he picked up the pig's stomach and liver next to him. He ate several more pieces before finally putting down his chopsticks and praising them.

"Wow, I never knew that something so foul-smelling could be made so delicious!"

"Hmm, I think this pig liver is really delicious. The ones my family used to make always had a bit of a bitter taste, but this one is great. Even with my weak teeth, I can chew it." After tasting the braised pig offal, the village chief really liked the pig liver. It's understandable, since he's older than Grandpa Zhang and his teeth aren't as strong as a young person's. Pig stomach and braised intestines are a bit of a struggle for him.

The group ate and chatted, creating a lively atmosphere. Manager Ding, who was taking watermelons back to the county town after the meal, dared not drink alcohol. He frankly stated that there would be many more opportunities to interact in the future, and there would always be chances to drink. He also had errands to run today and was worried that drinking would cause him to miss them. Seeing that he wasn't just being polite, Zhang Youtie put away the wine jug and simply ate and chatted with him.

Seeing that they hadn't been drinking, Liu and Xia Yu brought out the hot dishes as well: a braised fish, stir-fried eggs with chives, twice-cooked pork, and a stew, which made up four hot dishes. The ten dishes filled the small table completely.

While everyone was eating, Xia Yu boiled a large pot of mung bean water in the kitchen so that everyone could drink it to quench their thirst after the meal. In the main room, freshly cut watermelon was served. The village chief arrived late and missed the first watermelon Xia Yu cut, but now he was overjoyed to eat such a sweet and juicy watermelon, and finally understood what all those watermelons brought to the village by oxcarts were all about.

After the meal, Xia Yu's family saw Steward Ding off right out of the village. Of course, they left a few watermelons from Xia Yu's family on Steward Ding's cart as a thank-you gift. They watched as the dozen or so oxcarts departed in a grand procession. Zhang Youtie and Liu Shi were surrounded by a large crowd, and even Old Master Zhang and Liu Shi were surrounded by people today. Everyone in the village knew that the third son of the Zhang family had become rich and was now doing business with the Shen family, the richest family in Ming'an County. Looking at their entourage today, the village hadn't been this lively in years.

The crowd surrounded Zhang Youtie and his family, accompanying them all the way home and reluctant to leave. They all wanted to get on their good side, hoping to get some watermelon seeds to plant their own. Of course, some also asked to borrow money; some said they needed money to repair their houses, others said they needed money for their children's weddings. However, Zhang Youtie pretended not to hear any of these requests. Some of the more sensible ones kept quiet, while others, oblivious to Zhang Youtie's lack of response, kept asking, and only left sheepishly after several unanswered questions.

Finally, the village chief spoke up, and the crowd gradually dispersed. Just as the village chief was about to leave, Zhang Youtie stopped him and invited him into the house, saying he had something he wanted the village chief to help with.