11 Chapter 011 Quite Good
Translator: 549690339
Thankfully the lie was spun earlier, now whether Zhuang Qingning or Zhuang Qingsui filed a complaint, he would be able to return them unfazed.
Zhuang Ruman really thought himself quite cunning.
âHowever, not a single complaint has been lodgedâŠâ added Zhuang Jingye.
âThenâŠâ Zhuang Ruman looked puzzled: âWhy did they come?â
âThey came seeking to establish themselves as separate households,â Zhuang Jingye solemnly responded.
What?
Zhuang Ruman stood there as if stupefied, thunderstruck into stillness.
â
On this side, sisters Zhuang Qingning and Zhuang Qingsui were solely focusing on making tofu.
Once the beans were sorted, the tofu workshop had also been tidied up properly.
All the tools necessary for grinding tofu were washed clean, a stark difference from the layers of dust that had accumulated earlier.
After cleaning up, the first step of tofu-making beganâ soaking the beans.
They started adding water to the barrel of beans.
The beans needed to be soaked until they were completely saturated and soft all the way through. The time needed for soaking depended on the ambient temperature. Since it was the peak of springtime, it would roughly take ten hours to soak through the soybeans. By that calculation, it would be almost pitch dark in the night.
After the beans were soaked, and some other tasks completed, it was almost time for lunch. The two sistersâ stomachs rumbled with hunger.
At this time, Mrs. Wen had already started eating her lunch.
It was soup made from flour, with spinach and garlic added in, and the aroma was enticing.
âThereâs no meal prepared for you. If youâre hungry, go home and cook,â Mrs. Wen slurped down her noodles, casting a disdainful glance at Zhuang Qingning.
âAunt Wen, now that weâve soaked the beans, it should take us well into the evening to finish. Weâll leave for now and come back later in the night,â
Smiled Zhuang Qingning.
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âIf you want to leave, leave. Whatâs with the long explanation? Itâs annoying. Are you implying that this old lady doesnât know how long it takes for these beans to soak?â
Mrs. Wen curled her lips, impatiently retorting, âJust leave quickly.â
âWeâll take our leave then.â
Knowing about Mrs. Wenâs temperament through the original hostâs memories, Zhuang Qingning didnât say much. She merely took Zhuang Qingsuiâs hand and walked out of Mrs. Wenâs home.
Stepping out of the threshold, Zhuang Qingsui recollected her breath, âAunt Wen is indeed very fierce, sheâs intimidating.â
âFiercer than our grand-aunt?â Zhuang Qingning responded with a smile.
âHmm, sheâs more intimidating.â Zhuang Qingsui nodded, an earnest look on her small face: âGrand-aunt is scary, but itâs more because we fear the stick in her hand, that she wonât feed us, but with Aunt WenâŠâ
Just sitting there, without uttering a single offensive word, she managed to intimidate people. Even though you know she wonât lift a hand to hit you or verbally abuse you, she makes you particular about not offending her, lest you face her wrath. After all, there wonât be any good results.
Zhuang Qingsui understood this principle but was unable to articulate it due to her young age. She merely stated, âAnyway, just looking at her makes me afraid, and I dare not provoke her.â
âI actually think Aunt Wen has a good temperament,â Zhuang Qingning said as she smiled, mussing Zhuang Qingsuiâs hair.
âWhat?â Zhuang Qingsuiâs jaw almost dropped to the floor.
She was so fierce and even slightly derogatory, but more importantly, she was intimidating. Zhuang Qingsui didnât even dare to glance at her while she was working just now.
How could Aunt Wen, as fierce as she was, have a good temperament?
Seeing that Zhuang Qingsui obviously misunderstood her, Zhuang Qingning laughed, âWhen I say Aunt Wen has a good temperament, I donât mean that itâs good for others. I mean that itâs good for her, especially so.â
âWhat do you mean, sister, I donât understand,â Zhuang Qingsui replied with confusion all over her face.
âHow should I explain this to youâŠâ
Zhuang Qingning thought for a moment, then said: âLetâs say thereâs a flower thatâs very fragrant, very beautiful, and edible, and can be used medicinally. Would you like to pluck it and bring it home?â
âOf course.â
Such a useful flower, of course, she would want to bring it home.
âBut what if this flower were very fragrant and very beautiful, but full of thorns, and its fragrance possibly poisonous. Would you dare to pluck it then?â
âI wouldnât dare⊠wouldnât dareâŠâ Zhuang Qingsui shook her head vigorously.
âWouldnât you walk around it when you see it?â
âOf course I would walk around it.â
âThatâs it. Aunt Wen is like this, fierce and prickly. If you provoke her, youâll get stung all over, and possibly even get poisoned. This being the case time and again, naturally, everyone knows not to take her lightly or provoke her.â
Zhuang Qingning further elaborated: âSince they donât dare to provoke her, they naturally wouldnât dare to bully her either, thereby freeing her from many troubles and letting her lead a peaceful life.â
It was especially suitable for someone like Mrs. Wen, a widow in her middle age, raising a few children on her own. If she were weak and timid, outsiders would not take her seriously. Just like how Zhuang Shengxingâs brothers would constantly pick on her over trivial matters, not to mention those outside who disregarded the plights of widows and orphans.
Mrs. Le Wen was brutal and scary, so everyone was afraid to provoke her. Thus, she was free from many troubles and outsiders were unlikely to bully her or take advantage of her.
This kind of temperament was indeed best suited for Mrs. Wen. Perhaps, she thought the same way, which was why she acted so harshly and kept others at a distance.
âI think I understand what you mean, sister. We canât show any weakness going forward or else others may feel that weâre easy to bully.â Zhuang Qingsui said earnestly: âWe must be like a hedgehog, with quills spanning the whole body so others dare not touch us lightly.â
âThatâs what I mean,â Zhuang Qingning laughed: âAre you hungry?â
As soon as she finished speaking, a sharp rumbling noise emerged from Zhuang Qingsuiâs stomach.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she covered her ears: âI am hungry.â
âHow about we also have noodles for lunch?â Zhuang Qingning suggested with a smile. âWe can mix in some cornmeal with the white flour and make hand-pulled noodles.â
âSure.â Zhuang Qingsui nodded her head vigorously.
It was time for lunch and they decided to have noodles. As the sun was almost directly overhead, they needed to hurry back and make the noodles.
They had gotten enough salt and oil from Little Five to season the noodles. Zhuang Qingning led Zhuang Qingsui to the nearby fields where they picked a bit of shepherdâs purse, wild garlic, and other herbs as accompaniments for their noodles.
Zhuang Qingsui was lucky enough to spot a quail nest in a nearby bush, and managed to collect a few quail eggs.
Resultantly, two bowls of hot and fragrant shepherdâs purse and wild garlic with a few quail eggs mixed into the noodles made of cornmeal and white flour, were ready.
Everyone had a large bowl filled to the brim. The quantity was plentiful and the taste, delightful, making it a great meal.
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