Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

By the time they had everything ready, it was almost noon. They had originally planned to have lunch with Changyun, but since Changyun had already eaten, the family bought some sesame seed cakes and meat buns in town and ate them on their way home. Xia Yu put the leftovers into her spatial storage so they could take them out whenever they wanted, and they would still be as hot as if they had just come out of the oven.

Back home, Zhang Youtie drove the oxcart into the yard and unloaded it. He quickly grabbed a shovel and went to work, only to find his grandfather, his two older brothers, and his nephew Changsheng there as well.

"Dad, what brings you here?" Zhang Youtie asked with some concern, noticing his father's arms were greasy from the sun.

"There's no work in the fields today, so I thought I'd bring these guys over to help out. The sooner the pond is dug, the less you'll have to pay a day's wages," Old Master Zhang whispered to Zhang Youtie.

"Go back now, or you'll get uncomfortable from the sun."

"What are you afraid of? I'm taking it easy. I'll rest when I get tired. Don't say anything, just keep digging."

"Then you and my brother can stay here for dinner tonight. I'll have his mother cook for you."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Just because I'm helping out with some work doesn't mean I have to eat your food. Even though you have some money now, you still need to be frugal. Changyun is going to school now, and there are many expenses involved. Don't be so stingy."

"Okay, I understand," Zhang Youtie replied in a muffled voice. Thinking that his father didn't want to eat here anymore, he decided to bring some of the braised offal from home back to his father later, as a way to add a dish to the old house's dining table.

They worked until sunset, when it was getting dark, before the workers dispersed and went home. Old Master Zhang and the others went to Zhang Youtie's courtyard first to fetch some water to wash their hands and faces before heading back.

When Liu saw that everyone had arrived, she was thinking about what other dishes to add later, but they were about to leave after washing up.

"Father, eldest brother and second brother, please eat here. The food will be ready soon," Madam Liu said, inviting them to stay.

"No, we've got dinner ready at home. You all eat, we're going back now." With that, Grandpa Zhang turned to leave.

"Oh, Father, we made some braised offal at home last night. Please wait a moment, I'll go get some." Seeing that he was determined to leave, Liu thought of the braised offal. This was something she had thought of with Zhang Youtie, who had originally planned to mention it as well.

"I always felt like I forgot to tell you something, and it only reminded me when you brought it up," Old Master Zhang suddenly said, slapping his forehead.

"Didn't you give the recipe for the braising sauce to your eldest and second sisters-in-law? They went to buy pork offal this morning and are braising it at home now. After you've eaten, if you're free, come over to the old house and help taste it to see how it tastes?"

"My eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law have already started working? That's great! We'll head over in a bit." Liu was very happy for her two sisters-in-law when she heard the old man say that, as it proved that he didn't object to them making money in this way.

"Okay, you guys eat, we're going home now." After saying that, he took his son and grandson home.

Liu and Xia Yu served stir-fried spicy and sour cabbage and stir-fried garlic sprouts with eggs. The main dish was freshly steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water, and the soup was mung bean porridge. Zhang Youtie praised the mung bean porridge with added sugar, saying he wanted to drink it again tomorrow.

When Xia Yu came home today, she felt like someone had entered her kitchen. She was the last one to leave the kitchen that day, and she felt some things were out of place, but after searching everywhere, nothing was missing. She wondered if she had misremembered, but decided not to mention it. She just thought about buying a lock next time she went to town. Although it was strange for a farming family to have a lock in their kitchen, she was worried that now that her family had money, some people might be jealous and try to cause trouble.

After the meal, Liu left the task of washing the pots and dishes to Zhang Youtie, and then took her daughter back to the old house.

Upon entering the courtyard of the old house, they found that they had just finished eating, and Chunyu was teaching her aunt how to wash dishes.

Hearing the noise at the gate, Chunyu looked up and saw Liu Shi bringing Xiayu in.

"Third Aunt, Xiaxia, you're here? My mother and Second Aunt are making braised offal in the kitchen. Come on over."

Qinghe, who was standing next to her, glanced up, snorted, and then lowered her head to continue washing the dishes.

"Oh, I'll go to the main room to say a few words to your grandparents and then I'll be right back," Liu said to Chunyu with a smile.

Old Master Zhang and Madam Liu, who were in the main room, also heard their voices.

"Your wife is here. Don't say anything that might annoy her, do you hear me?" Old Master Zhang whispered to his wife, afraid that if his daughter-in-law did something that displeased her, she would start making a scene.

"I won't say anything anymore. I'll just become mute." Liu was very dissatisfied with the old man's words. If her daughters-in-law always did what she wanted, would she make a fuss?

However, he still shut up when Liu lifted the curtain and sat obediently on the edge of the kang.

"Father, Mother, I came to see what braised offal my sister-in-law and the others made," Liu said with a smile to her parents.

Xia Yu quickly greeted "Grandpa and Grandma" as well.

"Alright, Xiaxia's here too! Go ahead, check if there's anything wrong with the taste, and teach them a thing or two," Grandpa Zhang said kindly to Madam Liu.

Having received his words, Liu led Xia Yu out again and went straight into the kitchen.

"Oh, you've finally arrived! Come and try it, I feel like the taste is a little off." When Wang saw them come in, she quickly pulled Xia Yu to taste the food.

Xia Yu first scooped some of the braising liquid into her mouth and tasted it, then picked up a piece of large intestine with her chopsticks and savored it carefully.

"Auntie, I think there's not enough spices." She then looked at the braising liquid in the pot.

"This should be enough for two doses, right?"

"Yes, I'm thinking of making a lot more, firstly so I can sell it, and secondly so my family can have a treat."

"Auntie, Second Auntie, the amount of seasoning in the recipe I gave you last time was about eight to twelve catties of meat. If you use more meat, you should increase the amount of braising spices accordingly." After saying that, he scooped up some braising liquid and tasted it.

"Auntie, give me the seasonings."

Wang quickly opened several paper packets and placed them in front of Xia Yu. Xia Yu grabbed a few of each type based on her own feeling and threw them directly into the pot.

"Let it braise for a while longer with the lid on, and then taste it later. Also, if the braising liquid gets too low during the braising process, when adding water, you must add freshly boiled water, never cold water, remember that?"

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it,” Wang and Li nodded earnestly.

"You don't have to throw away this braising liquid after you finish using it. You can use it again next time, but you can't let any raw water come into contact with it. It's best to boil the braising liquid on the fire for a while every day. This way, you can keep the braising liquid from spoiling for a long time."

"That's great! I was just telling your second aunt that we can't finish this braising liquid. It's full of good stuff, and it would be a shame to throw it away." Wang had actually been talking to Li about this. She felt bad just thinking about how she had put so much good stuff in it and then had to throw it away.

Another half hour passed, and Xia Yu scooped some more braising liquid from the pot to taste herself. "Hmm, it's about right now. Auntie, Second Auntie, you should try some too."

Upon hearing her words, Wang and Li quickly scooped out some with spoons and tasted it. "Hmm, that's the taste. It would be even better if it were a bit saltier," Li said after tasting it.

"Yes, you can add some more salt, but not too much, since soaking it overnight will make it more flavorful."

"Sister-in-law, when are you planning to sell this? Have you decided where to sell it?"

"I've thought it through. There's a place about two miles north of our town. I don't know what they're building there. I heard a lot of officials have come and are measuring land there every day. They say they'll be hiring after the wheat harvest. We'll go there to sell our produce then. We'll try it out in town tomorrow. There are also some people coming and going at the small dock. Anyway, let's try it out first. If it doesn't work out, we can eat it ourselves. We'll have a place to take care of it."

"Huh, are some officials here planning to build a garden?" Xia Yu asked疑惑地.

"Yes, we overheard people talking about it when we went to town to buy pig offal today. They said the daily wage is thirty coins, which is quite a lot. After the wheat harvest, we'll have your uncles find some work, and they'll make a good amount of money each month."

The group chatted for a while longer before Liu took Xia Yu back. On the way back, Xia Yu kept thinking about what she had overheard. Something seemed amiss; they hadn't heard of any high-ranking officials here, so who would build a garden here?