Sharing the Joy
Wu Mei and the others arrived in the afternoon to help Liu Tong with the infant while Xu Ran and the others worked in the kitchen poaching and coloring eggs.
When the eggs were ready, Xu Ran had to distribute them throughout the community, and a crowd of people gathered to congratulate him. He had to respond to each one, which was physically draining.
By the time he could rest in the afternoon, he was already dog-tired.
He couldn't let the infant cry from hunger or urinate at night, and he couldn't make Liu Tong hungry. At least four or five times a night, Xu Ran had to get up. He didn't get any sleep for the entire night. The weather was cold and the wind was blowing as he rushed upstairs and downstairs. It offered him a taste of life's bitter sweetness.
Xu Ran was able to sleep for a short period during the day, but he had not been able to sleep for long and had to get up to care for the infant. Xu Ran felt that one infant could weary him like this, therefore he couldn't image how Liu Tong felt when he had to care for the two kids alone while also caring for Xu Ran.
It was too inconvenient to run downstairs and upstairs. Xu Ran merely put a brazier into the room because it was cold. The teapot has been set on the brazier to keep the water warm, and they might also fill it with sheep milk and use it whenever they choose.
The chicken soup, which had been prepared for Liu Tong, was then warmed in the kitchen. Xu Ran also served Liu Tong two eggs in syrup at every meal and wouldn't allow him go outdoors, let alone do anything else. He desired Liu Tong to rest for a month in bed.
And it was said in a solemn manner. Liu Tong was unable to do anything throughout his confinement. He refused to eat anything he wasn't supposed to. He could play chess with Tangtang and Guoguo if he was bored stiff, or Xu Ran could teach him to read if he was bored stiff.
Three days after Baozi was born, Xu Ran got used to the pattern of him crying when he felt hungry, wanted to pee or poop. He asked Shao Yu to take care of the baby for one day and then went to the town with the red eggs.
Needless to say, he had to tell Mr. Chen, Zhuo Yun and the Qin family.
Xu Ran also brought dried bamboo shoots and dried potatoes. These were what he had promised to Mr. Chen. He didn't sent them to Mr.Chen because he was too busy before.
The four families owned the dried bamboo shoots, while he owned the dried potatoes and the recipes. Aside from the money he had set aside for the New Year, he needed to set aside extra for Baozi's hundred-day party and the purchase of a new mountain for the following year. In other words, he had to plan ahead.
Xu Ran had not been to Mr. Chen's restaurant for around twenty days.
There were all dry foods in his pack basket, so it didn't look like there were too many things. Xu Ran gave Mr. Chen the red egg when he saw him at the restaurant.
Mr. Chen looked at the red egg and was stunned for a moment. "Xu Ran, Liu Tong gave birth to the baby?"
Xu Ran nodded. "Three days ago."
Mr. Chen cupped his hands together, "Congratulations! Is he a Ge'er or boy? Did you name him?"
Xu Ran answered with a smile, "We already had two boys. Of course I want a Ge'er. Tongtong is awesome. The name has been confirmed long ago. His nickname is Baozi, and formal name is Xu Nian." He actually sounded very proud.
Mr. Chen couldn't help but smile, "You're satisfied now. You got two boys and a Ge'er, and you've also passed the imperial examination. It's really enviable!"
Xu Ran waved his hand and said politely, "Thanks, I could just barely support my family. We still have to rely on you, Mr. Chen."
Mr. Chen also copied Xu Ran's tone and said, "You're welcome, I still have to expect you to take care of me. Don't say that you came today just to send me the red egg. I still remember what you said a few days ago."
"Of course. In the winter, it's the nicest thing to eat. It isn't necessary to make it delicate. It's only a matter of personal preference. I am confident that this product will sell well." As he spoke, Xu Ran retrieved the contents of the basket, placed them on Mr. Chen's counter, and prepared to open it.
Mr. Chen stopped him. "Don't, follow me upstairs first."
It was approaching New Year's Eve, and there were quite a few people about. Xu Ran looked around and decided it wasn't the right place for him, so he packed his belongings into the basket and accompanied Mr. Chen to the second floor. Mr. Chen rubbed his hands and hustled Xu Ran out of the room after they closed the door, as if he was about to do something horrible.
Xu Ran found that a bit funny. He took the things out, opened the bag and showed them to Mr. Chen. Then he explained, "These are dried bamboo shoots and potatoes, Mr. Chen. I came up with the name on the spur of the moment. If you want, you can modify it. Soup is the simplest dish you can cook with only two ingredients. It's also a good idea to add some bacon to the soup, which is why I instructed you to go out and buy some bacon. The dried bamboo shoots can be used to make a variety of dishes. I'll write them down for you later."
Mr. Chen took out both things and had a look. Xu Ran paid special attention to the color when he was drying them. So now both of them looked pretty in yellow.
Mr. Chen asked Xu Ran, "The color looks good, but what about the taste? Have you tried it yourself?"
"Mr. Chen, whatever I brought you always sold for a good price. The dried bamboo shoots are simply dried bamboo shoots, and the potatoes are the same. Have you ever sold anything like this before? You are more knowledgeable about this than I am."
After hearing Xu Ran's words, Mr. Chen thought about the popular potatoes which were not enough for sell, and felt heart-broken.
Mr. Chen gritted and said, "Well, then I'll take both of these things. I know that you're in a hurry to go home now, so I won't let you try for me. Just write me the recipes. The price would be the same as we agreed on before."
"Okay, please give me some papers and a writing brush." Xu Ran said.
Mr. Chen quickly came over with a brush and paper. When Xu Ran was writing, he felt that he was about to become a big chef with all these recipes.
But this was not difficult. He saw his mother do it before, and he also cooked on his own after he got a job. His cooking skills were all learned from his mother.
Xu Ran only wrote two recipes for Mr. Chen. As for why he didn't write more, it was because he didn't remember... Who could remember things for so long?
The costs of the dried bamboo shoots and potatoes were agreed upon by the two of them, and Mr. Chen also paid Xu Ran for the two recipes. Then, with the remaining red eggs, Xu Ran left the restaurant and headed to Zhuo Yun's residence.
The person who opened the door for Xu Ran also changed. Xu Ran didn't know him, but he knew Xu Ran and called master Xu, "Our young master at home today. He said that if you come, you can just go in."
Xu Ran nodded and walked inside. He really didn't see many people along the way, and nobody was standing at the entrance of the living room. It seemed that Zhuo Yun had really dismissed the servants.
Zhuo Yun and Qin Shuwen were teasing their darling Ge'er. Xu Ran was not envious at all, because he also had a Ge'er now.
Zhuo Yun saw Xu Ran, and stood up to greet him, "Ran, you're here! Come and have a look at my baby, he's getting prettier."
Xu Ran put down the basket and said, "I have a baby too. I don't envy you at all."
"Ah, you got a baby too? When?" Zhuo Yun, who had yet to react, asked.
Qin Shuwen realized and hit Zhuo Yun with his hand. "Liu Tong had a baby. You didn't even understand that. You're so silly."
"Ah! Oh! He had a baby! Congratulations. Have you brought a red egg for me? I have never eaten the red egg."Zhuo Yun who had just reacted was excited.
Qin Shuwen couldn't bear to look at him, feeling that he had become more and more silly recently.
Xu Ran smiled and said, "It's in the basket, go get it yourself."
When Zhuo Yun went to get the red egg, Qin Shuwen asked Xu Ran, "When did Liu Tong give birth? Is it a Ge'er or a boy?"
"Three days ago. He is a Ge'er. Still looks wrinkled by now." Xu Ran said.
"All babies are like that in the first few days. When Qingshu was born, Zhuo Yun didn't like him either, but as the baby growing up, he didn't want to let go."
"That's right, Qingshu is very beautiful."
They were conversing with one other. Zhuo Yun took out the red eggs one by one and set them on the table. Qin Shuwen yelled, just as he was about to peel and eat the egg, "This egg is cold, Zhuo Yun. If you consume it, your stomach will suffer. Before you eat it, take it inside the kitchen to warm it up."
"OK!" Zhuo Yun reluctantly put down the egg, and left it on the table, then walked over to chat with them.
After yelling, Qin Shuwen was a little taken aback. He hadn't intended to speak that loudly to Zhuo Yun, but Xu Ran was present. He couldn't just say sorry. Zhuo Yun, on the other hand, did not take it seriously. He simply strolled over to Xu Ran and inquired about his Ge'er's name.
As a result, Xu Ran repeated Baozi's nickname and formal name. Baozi's formal name, according to Zhuo Yun, was not as good as his child's. However, Xu Ran stated that he had two more children in his family, one named Xu Qing and the other named Xu Mu, both of which signify admire when their names are combined.
Then Zhuo Yun stopped talking.
These two people were just bickering with each other like kids, which sounded really shameless.
Xu Ran left soon after. He had to go to the Qin family and then rush home. He was worried that if he wasn't around, they could not handle the stuff at home.
Liu Tong unexpectedly gave birth to the child. The Qin family was likewise surprised. Qin Daddy even packed up some of his grandson's childhood clothes and gave them to Xu Ran. Xu Ran was also aware that old clothes were beneficial to the child, so he gladly accepted.
Qin Daddy reminded Xu Ran to look after Liu Tong and advised him not to expose him to harsh wind, cold water, or hard labor. Even though Xu Ran was aware of these, he nevertheless nodded obediently. This was prompted by an elder's concern. Qin Daddy would probably not say it if it were for someone else.
Xu Ran ate at Qin's house and asked Qin Shuwu about the booklet.
Qin Shuwu said, "After lunch, I'll go get it. Do you want to return it or leave it here? Dad and daddy have gone around a few times recently, discussing this chess stuff. There are a lot of individuals that are interested around here, and some of them have gone to my house and played with my father and mother. This appears to be a viable option."
Xu Ran was overjoyed when he heard Qin Shuwu's words. ", he replied "Then I'll simply leave it here. I'll save myself some time and work by returning it. But, since you believe the chess business might work, I'll have them produce some more and bring it over in a few days to test it out."
"Alright, I'll introduce you to my friends then."
"Thank you, eldest brother."
"There's no need to be so courteous to me. We're family..."
05.25.21