25. "Kissing is not dirty"
In the evening, as promised, Cheng Yun scooped up a small jar of sour plum soup and asked Wang Liang to take it home. There was still one jar left in the cellar and the leftover soup from the afternoon. After dinner, the couple sat in the backyard to cool off and drink the soup.
Perhaps because Wang Liang had interrupted his intended lines in the afternoon, Yang Hongjin praised every dish at dinner more than ten times, which made Cheng Yun feel a bit embarrassed.
As the couple sat in the backyard, chatting and leaning against each other, Yang Hongjin took a sip of the sour plum soup and exclaimed, "It's delicious!" At first, Cheng Yun was pleased to receive so much praise for his cooking. However, after Yang Hongjin drank ten sips and said ten more compliments, Cheng Yun's joy slowly faded, leaving black lines on his face.
"Okay, okay, I got it." Cheng Yun covered Yang Hongjin's mouth with his hand before he could say anything else. "Your message has been received by your wife. You don't need to repeat it."
Yang Hongjin loved physical contact with his wife, whether Cheng Yun was rubbing his head or pinching his face. So when Cheng Yun rushed over to cover his mouth, he was so happy that his eyes squinted.
With the sweet and sour taste of the sour plum soup still lingering in his mouth and his mouth covered, Yang Hongjin thought for a moment and then stuck out his tongue to lick Cheng Yun. He made a sound but Cheng Yun didn't know what he said.
Cheng Yun was so teased by him that his face turned red instantly. He quickly withdrew his hand and then heard Yang Hongjin repeat what he had just said, 'Sweet, my wife is also sweet, delicious!'"
Cheng Yun was so provoked by his unintentional action that he blushed from head to toe. His palms still felt the sensation of being licked, making him feel like he had been electrified.
He glared at Yang Hongjin in mock anger and said, "My hands are dirty. Don't lick them randomly. What if you get sick from licking something bad?"
To suppress his own panic, Cheng Yun raised his voice a bit, but Yang Hongjin could tell at a glance that he wasn't really angry. He laughed and took Cheng Yun's hand, pinched it twice and happily said, "My wife is not dirty. He's delicious!"
Cheng Yun quietly recited to himself, "Kids say whatever they want, kids say whatever they want," but in reality, he was very shaken. If he didn't know that this idiot didn't mean anything by it, he would have been tongue-tied.
He withdrew his hand and scooped up a spoonful of well water to rinse it off, pretending to be calm as he reprimanded him, "You can't lick other people's hands casually in the future, you know? Hands are very dirty. Touching this and touching that, they are full of bacteria. If you lick it, your stomach will hurt."
"What are bacteria?" Yang Hongjin would occasionally ask incomprehensible things like he did at the beginning during this time. After asking, he repeated it again, "My wife isn't dirty. If I lick you, my stomach won't hurt."
"Okay, okay, shut up," Cheng Yun couldn't listen anymore. If he continued to go around this topic, he would be embarrassed first. So he quickly changed the subject, "Bacteria are dirty things that you can't see with your eyes. If you eat them, your stomach will hurt. So we have to wash our hands often to wash away the dirt."
He thought about it and said, "Also, things that fall on the ground or on the table can't be eaten again, because there are many bacteria everywhere. The home needs to be clean, so we will not get sick."
In the past, Yang Hongjin didn't pay much attention to this issue, probably because of the habits left behind before. When something fell to the ground, he had to continue eating it. Cheng Yun was scared when he saw it. This situation has gradually improved recently. The things that fall on the table can still be picked up, but the ones that fall on the ground won't be eaten.
In the past, the Yang's family environment was not good, and this idiot was often bullied by his stepmother, and couldn't even eat enough food. Naturally, he wouldn't care about these things, but now that Cheng Yun has money in his pocket, the quality of life naturally has to improve.
Yang Hongjin looked at his hands, nodding vaguely as if he understood. Cheng Yun smiled, not expecting him to really understand, "Anyway, you have to remember what I said. You have to take a bath every day. Don't eat things that have fallen on the ground. Don't use your hands to pick up food. Be careful when putting things in your mouth... and don't lick people randomly."
Yang Hongjin was silent for a while, and Cheng Yun let him digest it on his own. However, a few seconds later, he heard him say, "What about kissing?" Yang Hongjin frowned slightly and was a little unhappy, "Kissing with mouth, not hurt stomach, not dirty, no bacteria."
When Yang Hongjin said this, his tone was a bit urgent, eager to confirm with Cheng Yun. This was his favorite thing to do. If he couldn't kiss in the future, he would rather have a stomach ache.
Cheng Yun was amazed by his ability to make connections. If it wasn't for the fact that this idiot looked too serious, he would have thought he was deliberately teasing him.
Cheng Yun cleared his throat and said, "Kissing doesn't have to be put in the mouth, and our faces aren't dirty so it won't hurt our stomach."
Yang Hongjin breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this and muttered to himself to confirm, "If hands are dirty, don't lick them. If washed, not dirty. If not dirty, can kiss them and no stomach hurt..."
Cheng Yun: "..." Alright, alright, stop talking.
The next morning, after breakfast, Wang Liang came and brought back the small jar of sour plum soup that Cheng Yun gave him yesterday. He told Cheng Yun that his parents liked this drink very much, and his sister was recently pregnant and wanted something sour to drink. If Cheng Yun sold it, Wang's family would be willing to pay for it.
As soon as Cheng Yun heard this, he immediately said, "No, this recipe is simple. You watched me make it once yesterday, and I'll make it again today. You can learn it and make it for your sister when you go back."
Wang Liang was delighted to hear this and thanked Cheng Yun, promising that they would only make it for themselves and not sell it.
Cheng Yun had not thought about this before, but after hearing what Wang Liang said, his impression of him grew even more favorable. Sure enough, Aunt Wang's family are all good people
At noon, someone knocked on the door.
Yang Hongjin and Wang Liang who were sitting in the front yard were the first to see the visitor. When Cheng Yun heard the sound, he came out of the hall. He had agreed with his mother to let Cheng Bao'er come today. If he guessed right, it should be Bao'er arriving.
As expected, when Cheng Yun walked out, he saw Cheng Bao'er standing awkwardly at the door, being stared at by two men not knowing whether to come in or go back out.
"Bao'er, you're here." Cheng Yun smiled and walked up to him, holding his hand and leading him through the two men and into the house.
Upon seeing this, Yang Hongjin immediately felt unwilling to continue and, just like yesterday, threw everything on the ground wanting to rush forward and snatch his wife back.
Cheng Yun guessed what he was thinking when he heard the sound and turned his head to pinch his face, saying, "Sit down. Haven't you seen Bao'er before? When we got married, he even came out with me. Always forgetful. What's the use of having a brain?"
Yang Hongjin frowned and looked at Cheng Bao'er, who shrank his neck and instinctively hid behind Cheng Yun. Seeing this, Yang Hongjin's frown deepened.
He cried out in a pitiful voice, "Wife..."
Cheng Yun responded with a "Hmm," and said, "You and Wang Liang keep working. I'll go inside and talk to Bao'er." After that, he pulled Cheng Bao'er and walked away, leaving Yang Hongjin behind.
Yang Hongjin wanted to follow but didn't dare to. He stood there like a deserted child, helpless and alone.
Wang Liang blinked, pondered for a moment, and then pulled Yang Hongjin's sleeve, saying, "Brother Yang, is that Cheng-Ge'er's younger brother? If I remember correctly, he's also a little Ge'er."
Wang Liang's words woke Yang Hongjin up, and at the same time, it woke himself up as well.
Both of them had a sudden realization. Yang Hongjin thought that this Ge'er wouldn't compete with him for his wife, while Wang Liang was thinking something that only he knew.
26. "Not angry wife"
Cheng Yun brought Cheng Baoe'r into the living room. During this period of time, he would recall the memories of his original self. By now, he could remember many things clearly.
He knew that Cheng Bao'er was a timid person, and in the past, Cheng Yun had always been the one supporting him in the family. With their mother, who loved to educate people, and Cheng Chuan, their father, who loved to meddle, Cheng Bao'er, as the youngest in the family, was always at home and seldom spoke up.
The idea of having Cheng Bao'er sell sour plum soup in town was twofold: first, to make some money to improve the Cheng family's living conditions, and second, to make him more independent by exposing him to more people outside the family.
"Have you had breakfast?" Cheng Yun poured a glass of water for Cheng Bao'er and asked. Seeing him nod, he continued, "Did Mom tell you why you're here today?"
"Mom said you're going to teach me how to make soup that we can sell in town for money," Cheng Bao'er answered in a low voice. "Brother, what soup is that? Can we really make money from it? Mom also said, also said..."
"What did she say? That I earned a lot of money at Yueqiong Tower?" Cheng Yun smiled and said, "Yes, the owner of Yueqiong Tower, whom you also know, is Liu Wen, the son of Doctor Liu in our village. I first went to see Doctor Liu and asked him to introduce me to Liu Wen. Later, we worked out a deal."
Cheng Yun briefly told Cheng Bao'er about his cooperation with Liu Wen, and Cheng Bao'er listened with great interest. His eyes were sparkling, and even the way he looked at Cheng Yun was different.
Cheng Yun had a preliminary idea in mind. He would take the lead in this matter, but Cheng Bao'er and his family would handle the subsequent transactions. The money they earned would also be theirs to keep. Since it was not appropriate to give money to them directly, he thought it was better to show them a clear path to earn money.
He took out the sour plum soup he had made yesterday, scooped a few cups, and let Cheng Bao'er taste it for himself. Then, he carried two cups to the front yard.
Before entering the room earlier, Cheng Yun had been thinking about Yang Hongjin. He had deliberately spoken those words, yesterday he was embarrassed in front of Wang Liang and he couldn't let the same thing happen in front of Cheng Bao'er today, or else where would he put his face as the big brother?
But as soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it a bit. He had never used such harsh words to speak to Yang Hongjin since coming here. Although the fool didn't know any better, he was sensitive and could keep his displeasure buried in his heart.
However, when Cheng Yun walked into the front yard, he was surprised to see that the two men were still working with their heads down, seemingly unaffected by what had just happened. This turn of events was unexpected for Cheng Yun.
"Ahem." Cheng Yun coughed a couple of times, pretending to clear his throat, and the two men working in front of him turned their heads at the same time.
"I've poured you a cup of sour plum soup, it's right here. Remember to drink it if you get thirsty later."
Cheng Yun spoke while looking towards Yang Hongjin, and the fool's face showed no difference. When he saw Cheng Yun, his eyes still shone brightly, and he sweetly called out "wife", which made Cheng Yun, who was already prepared to coax him, feel a bit sad.
Cheng Yun touched Yang Hongjin's head and saw him enjoying himself, helplessly laughing and shaking his head while pinching his face. He asked Wang Liang to bring the sour plum soup inside as he wanted to talk privately with Yang Hongjin.
Cheng Yun felt that any conflicts should be resolved first and not buried in his heart to become a bigger problem. He didn't know what this fool was thinking during the incident just now, but he still couldn't get over it. He was afraid that Yang Hongjin would think that he disliked or didn't like him.
He held Yang Hongjin's hand and sat down, unconsciously squeezing his big hand with both hands. After thinking for a while, he said, "I scolded you so loudly just now, are you angry with me?"
Yang Hongjin's hand was being held by his wife, and he felt a tickling sensation in his palm and his heart. When he heard Cheng Yun's question, he was stunned for a moment, then shook his head vigorously like a rattle drum.
Cheng Yun squeezed his hand again and asked, "Really? You're not angry?" He thought for a moment and explained, "Bao'er is my younger brother. You met him before when he got married. He's not a stranger, so I just wanted you not to be too nervous..."
"Not angry, wife is good." Yang Hongjin squeezed his wife's palms and wrapped his hands around his hands. Looking at their hands overlapping, he smiled happily.
Cheng Yun looked at Yang Hongjin's expression seriously and felt that he seemed to be telling the truth. He finally felt relieved. Then he found out that this fool was secretly playing with his hand.
Cheng Yun was almost amused by his own worries. He couldn't believe that this fool was so easy-going. He was so angry that he raised his hand and bit Yang Hongjin's hand, and then he saw that Yang Hongjin's face, which was just happy a moment ago, suddenly became panicked as he reached out to touch Cheng Yun's stomach and nervously asked, "Wife, does your stomach hurt?"
Cheng Yun took a few seconds to realize what he meant and felt both warm and helpless in his heart. He touched his head and said, "It doesn't hurt."
"But I haven't washed my hands," Yang Hongjin was still worried.
Cheng Yun smiled and fooled him, "But I haven't put anything in my mouth." After saying that, he stood up, patted Yang Hongjin's head, and let him continue working obediently.
Yang Hongjin sat there watching Cheng Yun's back, leaving a thoughtful look on his face.
Cheng Yun walked into the room and saw Wang Liang and Cheng Bao'er sitting on one side of the table, facing each other and silently drinking sour plum soup. Wang Liang occasionally stole a glance at Cheng Bao'er, who remained motionless and maintained a pose as if frozen in time.
Cheng Bao'er was the first to notice Cheng Yun's arrival, and upon seeing a familiar face, he breathed a sigh of relief and put down his cup of sour plum soup, calling out "big brother."
Wang Liang followed suit, putting down his cup and shouting "big brother" as well. When Cheng Bao'er turned his head to look at him, he immediately blushed as realized his mistake and scratched his head, saying, "Oops, my bad, it's Cheng-Ge'er."
Cheng Yun chuckled and sat down between them, asking Cheng Bao'er, "How do you like this drink?"
Cheng Bao'er's eyes lit up, momentarily forgetting about Wang Liang as he replied, "It's really good!" But then he shrunk his head and whispered, "But, but can we really sell this in town?"
"Definitely!" Wang Liang quickly responded upon hearing his doubts. However, the other two looked at him, and he awkwardly closed his mouth.
Cheng Yun gave Cheng Bao'er a positive answer, "I will talk to Boss Liu about this. When the time comes, I will let you sell sour plum soup directly at Yueqiong Tower. I have already figured out the plan: one cup of sour plum soup sells for two yuan, and for every cup sold, you will give one yuan to Yueqiong Tower. This means you are just borrowing their place, and we will make the goods. It won't affect their business."
"A cup of sour plum soup can sell for two yuan?!" Cheng Bao'er was surprised upon hearing this, but he remembered his mother telling him that his elder brother earned fifty taels of silver by selling recipe books. He didn't know what fifty taels of silver meant, but he knew it was a lot of money. With this in mind, he felt that selling a cup of sour plum soup for two yuan was not impossible.
"Yes, that's the preliminary plan," Cheng Yun said. "But we will need to discuss the pricing details with Boss Liu later. Now let me teach you how to make it. Once you have mastered the technique, you can make it at home and sell it without going through me."
He then turned to Wang Liang and said, "And you, Xia'er (second child), come and learn with us. You can teach your sister how to make it when you go back, so she can drink it whenever she wants."
Wang Liang nodded happily and couldn't help but sneak a glance at Cheng Bao'er, before quickly looking away again.
There was no time to waste, and Cheng Yun immediately began teaching them how to make the sour plum soup. He first separated half of the ingredients they used at home yesterday and taught them the steps to make it. After they had memorized the process, they started making a demonstration.
"If the ingredients are soaked for a long time, you can reduce the boiling time. If they are soaked for a short time, you need to boil them for a longer time to bring out the flavor," Cheng Yun said while adding the ingredients. "So it's best to soak the ingredients the night before and cook them the next day, but you have to cool it down afterwards and you have to know when the right time to do so is."
Cheng Bao'er watched carefully as Cheng Yun worked, silently repeating each step to himself and occasionally asking a few questions.
On the other hand, Wang Liang seemed distracted compared Cheng Bao'er.
He watched Cheng Yun work, but couldn't help sneaking glances at Cheng Bao'er, who was diligently learning how to make the sour plum soup. His eyes were drawn to the boy's murmured words.
Somehow, an idea popped into Wang Liang's mind. He just felt that Cheng Yuner's little brother is really, really...
A person who loves to learn!
Author's note:
Wang Liang: The pain of having a limited vocabulary, I hate it!