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“I was just worried about not having anything to fry eggs with. This is like finding a pillow when you’re sleepy! I need to thank Second Uncle properly.” Ye Caiping said.
She cracked all twelve eggs into a large bowl, making Yan Fang gasp in amazement.
By the time all the ingredients were prepared, Yan Fang had finished rendering the lard.
Looking at the full pot of lard, Yan Fang and Wei Shi were beaming with delight. This large jar of oil would last them for half a year!
Ye Daquan kept peeking in, his eyes practically glued to the pot.
The oil residue (Cracklings), freshly scooped from the pan, smelled heavenly. Just the sound told you how crispy it was.
From 10 jin of fatty pork, 8 jin of oil and a small basin of oil residue (Cracklings) were produced.
Ye Caiping filled three coarse porcelain bowls with oil residue (Cracklings): “Yinhua.”
“Yes.” Ye Yinhua, who had been sniffing the aroma at the door, rushed in excitedly.
“You and Jin’er go together, don’t forget to send some to Village Head, Second Uncle and Dr. Zhao. Just say I sold some herbs yesterday and got a few taels of silver, bought some meat, and want them to try it. I’m going to start a small business with the remaining money, and I’ll pay back what I owe them in a month.”
After buying spices and food, she had a little over five taels left, which she needed to keep as capital for her stall. She could only delay paying them back for a bit longer.
“Wait, Caiping, that money was borrowed by us, how can you ask to repay it?” Yan Fang exclaimed.
Ye Caiping was a little exasperated. This family spoiled their daughter to the point of ruin, no wonder Du Shi was causing trouble.
If she hadn’t come here, this family would have fallen apart!
Ye Caiping said, “Although the money was borrowed by Father and Mother, it was forced upon them by me. I remember very clearly, in order to get that good-for-nothing Li Zhiyuan the money for his exam, I sold all the livestock from my mother’s family and took away most of the family’s grain. I emptied your coffers money, and even… uh!”
Before she could finish, Yan Fang had covered her mouth: “Shh! Shh!”
Ye Caiping pulled her hand away and continued to pound her chest: “I wasn’t satisfied, I forced you to borrow money from the village head and Second Uncle, and the two taels I owe Dr. Zhao are also my own debt.”
Yan Fang was about to faint from anger.
Although everyone in the family knew about these things, bringing them up again would only stir up the resentment of the elder branch!
As expected, Du Shi and Ye Jin’yin, who were waiting outside the kitchen for meat, turned black in the face and went back to their room.
“Mother, I will repay what I owe myself.” Ye Caiping looked at her resolutely.
Yan Fang was stunned, then her nose twitched. Her daughter had really changed!
“You child, why are you so honest! Fine, fine, do whatever you want.”
“Anyway, if her daughter can’t repay the debt, she will sell herself to repay it for her daughter.”
Ye Caiping handed three bowls of pork crackling to Ye Jin’er and Yinhua: “Go!”
Daquan, Erquan and Ye Peng, who were huddled outside the kitchen, saw the two of them carrying the pork crackling out, their mouths watering.
…
Ye Lizheng (Village Head), Ye Ershu and Doctor Zhao were all kind people, otherwise they wouldn’t have lent money to Ye Caiping’s family during the disaster.
Now they learned that the family had earned some money, but they didn’t repay a single penny, instead they bought meat to feast on, which made them feel a little uncomfortable.
Especially Doctor Zhao, he was simply fuming.
Unexpectedly, he turned around and saw Ye Jin’er and Yinhua carrying a bowl of pork crackling in.
“Hello, Doctor Zhao, this is my from little Aunt who asked me to deliver it.” Ye Yinhua spoke first.
Ye Jin’er was still unfamiliar with the villagers and was a little shy:
“My mother was lucky, she found some herbs on the mountain and sold them for a few taels of silver. She bought some meat for you, Doctor Zhao, to try. She’s going to save the rest of the money to start a small business and will repay your debt in a month.”
Doctor Zhao looked at the full bowl of pork crackling and his face softened considerably.
Thinking about how reliable Ye Caiping had been in her work lately, and that she had given a deadline for repayment, his mood eased a bit, and he smiled as he accepted:
“Alright, I’m not in a hurry for the money, but I’m a little tight on copper coins lately. In a month, I’ll wait for you.”
Ye Jin’er thanked him repeatedly.
Doctor Zhao poured the pork crackling into a plate and returned the bowl to them.
The two sisters then went to the Village head’s house and Ye Ershu’s (second Uncle Ye’s) house.
Both families were delighted to receive the fragrant pork crackling, their mouths almost reaching their ears.
…
In the kitchen, Ye Caiping was happily stir-frying vegetables.
A large spoonful of oil sizzled into the pan, making Yan Fang’s heart bleed.
Goodness, that single spoonful was enough for their whole family for five or six days!
Soon, the dishes were ready one after another.
Stir-fried pork liver with green peppers, scrambled eggs with chives, pork ribs stewed with radish, salted vegetables stir-fried with garlic chives, and stir-fried napa cabbage.
All the dishes were divided in half, placed on two plates, and ten dishes filled the table.
In Ye Caiping’s eyes, they were just ordinary home-cooked meals, but for the Ye family, they were more than enough.
You know, since Ye Caiping married, almost all the money in the Ye family was given to her. For fourteen years, they had been eating gruel and vegetables, even during the New Year and festivals, they only ate a few pieces of pork.
Then, Yan Fang served each person a bowl of white rice. The Ye family members stared at the dishes on the table, their eyes not blinking.
Although Du Shi and Ye Jinhua were still angry with Ye Caiping, they wouldn’t be so stubborn as to not eat. They had to eat two bowls to vent their anger.
“We haven’t eaten this well even during the New Year,” Ye Peng’s saliva almost dripped onto the dishes.
“It smells so good,” Ye Daquan kept sniffing, “It’s even more fragrant than the meat we used to eat.”
“How could it not be fragrant, we used a lot of oil,” Yan Fang complained with a smile.
Old Man Ye knew that this kind of extravagance and waste was not good, but he had always indulged his daughter. The key was that this money was earned by her, so he couldn’t say anything.
The aroma filled his nostrils, and Old Man Ye’s appetite was also aroused, “Let’s eat!”
“The white rice is so delicious.” Ye Yinhua took a small bite of rice, her face filled with emotion. She had never eaten white rice in her life.
Ye Caiping felt a little sorry for her, “Eat some meat, it’s even better.” She said, picking up a piece of garlic chives and giving it to her.
The Ye family members ate the dishes on the table, feeling like they were in a fairyland, their mouths filled with the taste of happiness.
“This pork liver, Mother used to make it too, but it was always fishy and tough. How did you make it so delicious, little sister-in-law? It’s even better than the garlic chives!” Ye Peng absolutely loved the crispy and slightly tender texture.
Ye Caiping said, “Your grandmother said, we used a lot of oil and seasoning, even if you cooked the sole of a shoe, it would taste good.”
As soon as she said that, everyone laughed.
In the end, all the dishes on the table, even the soup, were finished.
Everyone ate until their bellies were round, filled with a sense of happiness.
Ye Caiping noticed that only Ye Yong and Ye Xuan ate very little, their minds elsewhere, each with their own worries.
Ye Caiping lowered her eyes.
They were all implicated by her. When she made money, she would compensate them immediately.
“Caiping, you have to keep the remaining few taels, you can’t spend them recklessly anymore, you need to save them for your dowry.” Yan Fang said to Ye Caiping.
Ye Caiping put down her chopsticks, “I plan to use the remaining money to start a small business.”
“What?” Yan Fang was stunned.
Earlier in the kitchen, when Ye Caiping asked Jin’er and Yinhua to deliver the pork oil residue (Cracklings), she said that she would keep the rest for business. She originally thought it was an excuse! Was her daughter serious?
“What kind of business?” Old Man Ye asked.
“Set up a stall in town to sell breakfast, and see if I can make some money. In a couple of days, I’ll make some for you all to try.”
Yan Fang disapproved, “It’s so hard to save a few taels of silver, how can you…”
“Mother, I’ve already decided!” Ye Caiping’s face turned serious.
Yan Fang swallowed the words she was about to say, she really couldn’t bear to scold her daughter.
Ye Daquan chided, “Mother, it’s just a few taels of silver, just treat it as little sister buying flowers to wear.”
Yan Fang sighed, well, this money was an unexpected surprise anyway; how she arranged it was fine.
Old Man Ye remained silent. Regardless of whether his daughter’s small business succeeded or not, he was pleased; at least his daughter had truly improved.
Du Shi picked her teeth, “This money is yours, do whatever you want. But if your small business loses money, or if you don’t have enough money later, the family won’t be filling it in.”
Ye Caiping said, “Sister-in-law, rest assured, I’ll take full responsibility for the profits and losses.”
Yan Fang glared at Du Shi, “Anyway, it won’t use the family’s money. But if she makes money, it’s all her dowry, you shouldn’t covet it either.”
Du Shi clicked her tongue, “Rest assured, whoever covets it is a dog.”
Regardless of whether her younger sister-in-law could make money or not, even if she did, trying to get money from her younger sister-in-law would be impossible.
Ye Caiping lowered her eyes and sipped her tea, the corners of her lips slightly upturned.
It was truly a stroke of luck. Du Shi’s outburst had formally separated her finances.
The Ye family hadn’t divided their property yet, so any money earned had to be pooled together.
Now that it was said this way, the money she earned from her business was her own. In the future, when she moved out, both the money and the recipes would be hers.
Although the original owner had many ties to this family, and she was willing to repay and help them, what was rightfully hers, she must hold onto.
Note:
Characters
Other Characters:
Heigou – Ate poisonous roots
Heigou’s mother
Doctor Zhao
Zhao Facai – Neighbor
Village Head Ye- Sometime Ye Lizheng (Lizheng is a title that refers to Village Head/Chief)
Ye Bajin – Village Head’s Son
Fubao – Village Head’s Grandson
Tie Niu and Zhuzi – two women who helped Caiping
Ye Bajin – Son of Ye Lijeng
Places:
Qinghe Village: FL’s Village
Li Family Village
Great Zhou Dynasty