Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 208: Wearing flowers and climbing the mountain to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival, givin

Zheng Sanniang was overjoyed. She felt much more at ease now that she had work to do.

She said hurriedly: "What's the trouble? I'm eager to do more for the girl."

"Bring the fabric here. In less than two days, I can make a beautiful new dress for Miss Yutao."

Shen Yu smiled and instructed: "I will ask Yu Tao to bring the fabric over later, and you can help her measure the size."

"There's no need to rush to finish it in two days. You still have to take good care of Xiao Zhuzi first. You'll have a long time to spend at my house."

After giving the instructions, Shen Yu felt relieved and left the house to greet customers at the shop in front.

At this time Zhou Dalang also came back, and there was not much going on in the shop.

Shen Yu called Yutao over and whispered a few words. The little girl's eyes lit up and she flew back to the backyard with a smile on her face like a little bird.

There are obviously fewer customers today. Because of the experience of the last Ghost Festival, Shen knows that during festivals, as long as the matter is not too urgent, people will put down what they are doing and celebrate the festival seriously.

The ancients celebrated festivals in a much more grand way than we do today.

Perhaps because people’s lives are dull on weekdays, they pay special attention to festivals big and small.

From time to time, there were pedestrians in twos and threes on the street, with big flowers in their hair and small bamboo baskets of food in their hands. They walked by in bright clothes and clean shoes, and the festive atmosphere was very strong.

After finishing the breakfast process, the family had breakfast and sat in the shop to rest.

Shen Yu and Li discussed whether they should close the shop early after noon and go out of the city for a walk together, also in response to the season of climbing high places to enjoy the autumn view.

Li smiled and said, "That's fine. Today, I estimate that only the shopkeeper and the waiters will come to eat. After they finish eating, there will be almost no customers."

After the discussion, everyone started preparing lunch.

Shen Yu cooked, Zhou Dalang made pancakes, Jiang helped Shen Yu prepare the side dishes, and Li started frying meat skewers.

Everyone was busy but not chaotic, each doing their own job, and everyone was in a good mood, looking forward to going out for a walk after noon.

Li had just fried the first pot of meat skewers and placed them on the oil filter when He's maid Lanxiang came into the store carrying a food box.

When Shen Yu saw that it was Lanxiang, he hurriedly went up to her with a smile.

Lan Xiang placed the food box on the long table, knelt down and bowed to Shen Yu, and said with a smile: "Hello, Fourth Miss. Our Second Young Mistress asked me to bring you Chongyang Cake."

"The Second Young Madam is very busy today, so I told you to bring Qiqi to the store to play when you are free in a couple of days."

Shen Yu thanked him with a smile and opened the food box, which contained two big Chongyang cakes.

It was a little bigger than the one Shen Yu had sent. Although it was not as delicately decorated as the one Shen Yu had, it looked soft and fluffy. It was steamed very thoroughly and gave off a unique sweet aroma of rice cake.

Shen Yu picked up the plate and smelled it, then smiled and said, "It's really well made, it smells sweet, thank my third sister for me when I go back."

Lan Xiang smiled and said, "This was steamed by Xu Ma this morning. The walnut kernels on top were peeled by the Second Young Madam herself. It's a little gift from our Second Young Madam."

"May the fourth young lady rise higher and higher, and live in peace forever."

Li was listening nearby and was grinning from ear to ear.

Shen Yu took out the plate of Chongyang cake that Lanxiang had brought, took a few skewers of each kind of meat that had just been fried on the oil filter, sprinkled some condiments on them, and placed them on the plates.

After packing the food box, Shen Yu handed it to Lan Xiang and said with a smile, "These are some freshly cooked meat skewers. Take them back for Third Sister's family. The top layer is the pork belly skewers that Qiqi said were delicious yesterday. I put a little more in."

Lanxiang took it and bowed. Shen Yu smiled and said, "Go back and tell Third Sister that the pork belly skewers are specially for Qiqi. Don't give it to others."

Lan Xiang laughed and said, "I understand. I will tell the Second Young Madam exactly what I said when I get back."

Shen Yu nodded and said with a smile: "It's okay, I promised Qiqi, just say so when you go back."

Only then did Lanxiang take the lunch box and say goodbye and go back.

Shen Yu had just returned to the shop after sending the Chongyang cake back to the backyard when he saw 7-Up and the huge food box already in the shop, standing in front of the small kitchen, looking at Li's frying meat skewers.

Qi Xi saw Shen Yu coming over and hurried over to greet him. Shen Yu smiled and said, "Qi Xi, why are you here at this time? I haven't seen you in the past few days."

Qi Xi said, "My young master has been very busy these days. It's September now. A few days ago, his classmates took turns to hold poetry and wine parties. Since the young master went to the party, of course I had to go with him. He didn't have time to come to the girl's place."

Shen Yu smiled knowingly: "Then why are you free now?"

Qi Xi looked relaxed: "Brother Zhou sent two Chongyang cakes yesterday. Our young master liked them very much and was thinking about giving the young lady a Chongyang cake in return."

"The master is hosting a banquet at the county government office today, and the young master will also be there, so there is nothing for me to do."

"The young master told me to send the Chongyang cake to the young lady as soon as it's steamed."

"This is the Chongyang cake that we steamed this morning in our back yamen. It's not as good as the one you made, so don't despise it."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "How could that be? Thank your Fourth Young Master for me."

Shen Yu took the food box and went to the backyard to put the Chongyang cake.

Qixi stood in front of the small kitchen and asked Li: "Madam, what kind of meat skewers are these? The whole room smells so good."

Li always liked Qixi's pleasant way of speaking. When she heard Qixi ask this, she knew that the boy must be greedy and wanted to try it.

She took a few freshly dried pork belly skewers from the oil filter, sprinkled some condiments on them, put them on a plate, and handed them over with a smile: "This is our signature pork belly skewers. Try them. They are freshly fried, crispy and fragrant."

Qi Xi happily took the plate and grinned: "Thank you, madam. I won't be polite then."

Qi Xi didn't sit down either. He just stood in front of the small kitchen and devoured several skewers of meat in just a few bites.

Shen Yu just came back at this time, Qi Xile went up to flatter her: "The girl's cooking skills are really good, and the meat skewers she prepared are much better than those sold outside. They taste really good."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "We have all kinds of meat skewers at home. Not only is the pork belly delicious, but other kinds are also delicious. Do you want to try them too?"

Qi Xi smacked his lips regretfully: "It's too late, I have to hurry back. After the banquet is over, the master and the young master want to go to the top of the mountain to appreciate the chrysanthemums, and I will go with them then."

Shen Yu said: "Oh, so, wait a moment then."

Then, just like the food box for He, two plates of meat skewers sprinkled with condiments were packed for Qixi and put into the food box.

She handed it to Qixi and said, "Take it back to your young master. The meat skewers are delicious even when they are cold. You can use them as a snack when you go hiking."

Qixi took it and quickly thanked him.

Shen Yu joked: "Your young master should have eaten meat more often recently."