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墨書 Inktalez
"Uncle, could you help me dig out the Lotus Root from that pond over there?"
She had been craving the Lotus Root for a long time, and now was the perfect opportunity to make good use of Shen Muhan.
"Lotus Root?"
Following her gaze, Shen Muhan raised an eyebrow. The name was quite peculiar, but there was only one pond over there, wasn't that just a lotus flower?
Moreover, it only bloomed once in the summer; after the flowers wilted, they would produce lotus seeds, which were quite good for medicinal purposes.
"Yes, yes! There must be mudfish and eel in there too."
Xia Muxin's eyes sparkled as she nodded repeatedly. This pond hadn't been cleaned for many years, so there would definitely be surprises.
Because the mud was deep, most people wouldn't dare to go in.
"Are you going out?"
Seeing her change into cloth shoes and walk towards the wooden tub, she began to fill a Bamboo Basket with Apple Snails. Shen Muhan raised an eyebrow and stepped forward to take the Bamboo Basket from her hands. He glanced at her feet for a moment before looking back at her.
Seeing his deep gaze, Xia Muxin flashed a flattering smile.
"Look, my foot is all better now. I can move freely and feel stronger than before. If I keep staying like this, I'm going to get moldy! Besides, it's not even heavy labor; Ming Peng or Ming Yi can just drive the cart."
"Alright, I'll go with you!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin deflated slightly, pouting reluctantly as she agreed with a soft "mm." Then she gestured for him to take the Apple Snails to the riverbank.
During this time, it had mostly been Ming Yi and Ming Peng gathering Apple Snails, so there were quite a few. With the Bamboo Basket filled up like this, they could probably fill about five baskets. As for the lobsters, Xia Muxin had dug a small pit in the yard to raise them.
Ming Yi and Ming Peng came to help as well, each carrying two baskets directly to the riverbank. Xia Muxin followed behind them. Although they changed the water for the Apple Snails every day, the space was still too small. Xia Muxin instructed them to place the baskets in the river water and then shake them gently before lifting them out again. She herself went home first to start a fire and boil some water.
The snail meat was reserved by Su Yan-Chu, and it wasn't cheap. The price was fifty taels of silver per pound for the meat alone. However, Xia Muxin had to teach Uncle Bingzi one or two methods for stir-frying the snail meat, which she was more than happy to do.
She boiled a large pot of water, while Shen Muhan and Ming Yi took care of all the heavy lifting. By the end, even Ming Peng had taken over stoking the fire by the stove.
The snail meat didn't need to be cooked thoroughly; once the water boiled, it only needed a few minutes before it could be scooped out. The real hassle was extracting the meat from the shells.
In the end, Aunt Xia and her husband, Xia Tieshu, Songzi, and Shen Muhan all helped out. It took them half an hour to finish extracting the meat. Xia Muxin weighed it and estimated it to be no less than three pounds. Thinking about the crisp white banknotes, her smile widened.
Seeing Ming Yi using a dustpan to collect the empty shells, Xia Muxin quickly called out, "Brother Ming Yi, don't throw those away! Just put them in the stove to burn. Once they turn to ash, they'll make the best fertilizer."
After saying that, Xia Muxin brought over a clean oil bowl and filled it with the washed snail meat, even adding a small jar into it.
After a while, Ming Yi gave Shen Muhan a thumbs up; he was impressed by this meticulous planning.
Shen Muhan raised an eyebrow in pride, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he wandered behind Xia Muxin.
Since there were no firewood sales this time, Summer Forest did not follow them. Ming Yi and Ming Peng were called by Shen Muhan to dig lotus roots, leaving only Shen Muhan and Xia Muxin to go to town.
"What's wrong? Not afraid of running into familiar faces at the tavern this time?"
Inside the carriage, Xia Muxin lifted the curtain and looked at Shen Muhan leisurely driving the cart. She asked with a hint of annoyance.
Shen Muhan turned to glance at her but then chuckled as he playfully tapped her nose before focusing back on driving.
Feeling bored, Xia Muxin sat back inside the carriage and casually picked up a book to flip through.
During this time, Shen Muhan turned back and noticed she was engrossed in her reading. He furrowed his brow in confusion but decided not to disturb her enjoyment.
Upon arriving in town, Xia Muxin hurried straight to Fortune and Longevity Restaurant because Su Yan-Chu had not only reserved snail meat but also a jar of wine-pickled fish. Xia Muxin didn’t give him any discounts; she charged by weight since they had already agreed on a price beforehand. Confident in her calculations, she rounded it off to twelve pounds.
The twelve pounds of silver she had was less than two hundred taels, but at the Fortune and Longevity Restaurant, even a small dish would cost several taels, so he was guaranteed to make a profit.
When Su Yan-Chu saw Xia Muxin following Shen Muhan with empty hands, he was taken aback. However, when he noticed that Shen Muhan's hands were full—one holding a jar and the other carrying a basket—he was left speechless in astonishment.
"Here you go, Boss Su. I've brought everything you asked for."
Xia Muxin didn't pay attention to Su Yan-Chu's stunned expression; her eyes sparkled like crescent moons as she cheerfully spoke to him.
"Ah... okay, okay!"
After a moment, Su Yan-Chu finally reacted. Seeing Shen Muhan's affectionate gaze, he lowered his eyes in disappointment. He realized he should have acted first; how could he not know that Shen Muhan had such a preference?
It turned out that it wasn't that he disliked women; he simply hadn't met the one he liked yet.
Su Yan-Chu readily accepted the bill, and Xia Muxin took the Bamboo Basket from Shen Muhan's hands, saying:
"Uncle, I'm going to teach Uncle Bingzi how to cook. Do you want to come along?"
"I'll just wait for you here!"
Shen Muhan gave Su Yan-Chu a meaningful glance before smiling lightly.
Xia Muxin also exchanged a knowing look with the two of them before leaving with the Bamboo Basket in hand.
As soon as Xia Muxin walked away, Su Yan-Chu eagerly pulled Shen Muhan to his resting place and stammered:
"You... you... won't really come, will you?"
The image of Second Sister's pitiful face flashed through his mind, making Su Yan-Chu feel a pang of guilt. More accurately, he probably had ulterior motives.
"Do you think I'm just playing around?"
Shen Muhan's face was terrifyingly grim as he fixed his gaze on Su Yan-Chu, who was holding his hand. Following his line of sight, Su Yan-Chu quickly released his grip as if he had touched a hot iron, and only then did Shen Muhan's frown begin to ease.
"What should I do if Second Sister throws a fit and threatens to hang herself?"
Second Sister was the precious gem of the family, cherished even more than him, their biological son.
"Just dig a hole. If she dies, bury her; if not, let her be."
Shen Muhan spoke without mercy, his words cutting deep. Even Su Xiuning, who had grown up with him, received the same treatment. This was why people referred to them as cold-blooded brothers.
Su Yan-Chu's expression darkened; continuing this topic would only make him look foolish and invite trouble.
He wanted to inquire about Xia Muxin but as soon as he opened his mouth, Shen Muhan shot him a glare. Reluctantly, he decided to keep quiet.
Xia Muxin had taught Uncle Bingzi two methods for stir-frying snail meat: one was spicy chopped chili snails, for which she had brought her own chili paste, and the other was Ginger-flavored Snails. These were simple home-cooked recipes. Uncle Bingzi, the head chef of Handrail Building, found these easy to grasp after just one demonstration. However, he became lost in thought while staring at her jar of chopped chili.
"This is for you all, but I need to take this jar back; it cost money!"
Xia Muxin waved the small jar in her palm while calculating carefully.
In fact, she had spotted this small jar in Dayao Village. The elderly owner had seen her buy all their fava beans and gifted her a jar of pickled vegetables, pleading with her to take it. Unable to refuse, Xia Muxin had weighed out five extra pounds of fava beans when she purchased them; this was all she could offer him.
"You girl are so clever! If you want jars, there are plenty here. Come on, Uncle Bingzi will take you; take as many as you can carry."
They had everything here except for a lack of jars. After all, those dining at Fushou Tower were all wealthy patrons. High-end liquor was often served in these small jars with clear pricing.
If you had money, you could drink; if not, you settled for the ordinary.
He happened to have developed a habit of collecting these beautiful jars whenever he saw them and even asked the owner for a storage room specifically for them.
When Xia Muxin saw so many uniquely shaped and exquisitely crafted jars, her eyes sparkled with excitement as she exclaimed:
“Uncle Bingzi, can I have all these Jars? Next time, I promise to bring you a surprise. Otherwise, I can buy them back at a low price, but I will still need your help to keep them for me in the future.”
As soon as he heard the word "surprise," Uncle Bingzi became excited. The surprises from this Girl were truly something special. He waved his hand and said,
“Don’t be polite with Uncle Bingzi. If you want them, take them all.”
“Wow... Thank you, Uncle Bingzi!”
Xia Muxin smiled and rushed forward to hug Uncle Bingzi, expressing her gratitude with joy.
Uncle Bingzi was a family man, but he was momentarily stunned by Xia Muxin's sudden embrace.
After a while, he cleared his throat and said,
“Well... Miss Muxin, you are a young lady yet to be married. Sometimes, you don’t need to be too enthusiastic; it might give outsiders something to laugh about. A girl’s reputation is more important than her life!”
“......”
Xia Muxin was left speechless; this one grateful hug could really spark a scandal.
- End of Chapter -
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