Bai Zhi sat down beside her mother, took her hand, half joking and half-heartedly said: “Niang, don’t you believe me? In the future, our days will get even better and better. These 200 silver coins are just the beginning, I will make more money to let you live a good life. So, what buying two sets of clothes can count on?”
Zhao Lan was very touched, she took her daughter’s hand and held it tightly: “Well, my daughter is good. My daughter has a good heart, niang is already very satisfied.”
*
The next morning, Bai Zhi got up early, and after washing her face, she went to the front house of the Hu family to cook breakfast. When Zhao Lan arrived, the fragrant porridge and side dishes were already arranged on the table.
Hu Changlin’s eyes widen: “Zhi Er’s craft is really good. It’s the same porridge, but it’s exceptionally fragrant, making you all go hungry.”
Bai Zhi was setting the tableware, when she saw Hu Feng didn’t come out in his room, she curiously asked: “Where did Hu Feng go? Every time we eat, he always came in time, so why he was not here today?”
Hu Changlin smiled and said: “He, he said that he will go with you to the town. So, he went to Old Li’s house to rent the ox cart. He doesn’t like crowded people, so he went there early to rent.”
Bai Zhi said: “He is really strange, squeezing with the crowd can make the shopping more lively. You can talk with others and relieve your boredom.”
Hu Changlin shook his head. “You don’t know his temper. He never likes to deal with strangers. He doesn’t like to talk to strangers. He hates strangers approaching him.”
Bai Zhi thought of Hu Feng’s cold face and shrugged her shoulders: “Maybe he has that character before, so even if he lost his memory he didn’t change.”
Hu Changlin nodded and sighed, he didn’t say anything anymore.
The next moment, from outside, they heard the sound of an ox cart. Hu Changlin hurriedly went to the door and welcome Hu Feng, who just arrived: “Your back, wash quickly, the food is ready.”
After hearing the food, Hu Feng immediately stepped down the cart and tide the rope of the ox to the stone pier in the courtyard. Then, he quickly took a scoop of water from the tank to wash his hands and sweaty face... …
The breakfast was very simple, it was only a white porridge with side dishes. The white porridge was cooked very well, it was soft and sweet. The small dishes were the remaining vegetables in the kitchen, that was cut into small pieces. After it was cut, it was fried in oil and spices. The hot oil that covered the vegetables made it very fragrant.
Hu Feng ate three bowls of porridge in one breath. Although he had a large appetite, he could only eat two bowls at most. But today, he ate three bowls. It can be seen how much the white glutinous rice changed the porridge taste.
Hu Changlin smiled and said: “Zhi’er, to whom did you learn to cook? I’m afraid your cuisine is not worst than a chef in the town.”
Bai Zhi replied in modesty: “Where will I learn it? It’s nothing but my own thoughts and consideration to your preference.”
Hu Feng looked at Bai Zhi seriously: “I will go to the town to buy some of the ingredients to your specialty dish. There’s no more food in the house.”
Her specialty dish? Well, in these past few days, they have been helping them, mother and daughter, so she wanted them to eat a nice meal to return the favor.
“All right, when we get to the town, we will go to the market first. Let’s buy some ingredients that everyone loves to eat. Let’s buy some rice and noodles. Then, tomorrow, let’s eat dumplings.”
Both Hu Changlin and Zhao Lan got curious: “Dumplings? What are dumplings?”
This time, Bai Zhi’s facial expression changed and said, “You don’t know dumplings? You’ve never eaten a dumpling?” Isn’t dumplings a food in ancient times? How can they not know?
Zhao Lan was the most curious of all. After all, why does her daughter know something that she doesn’t even know: “I have never heard of it, how did you know about this dumplings?”