Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields - Chapter 56

“Miss!” With a plop, Xi Que had kneel down. In a trembling voice, she owned up. ” That Ah Jian… he… he’s really ungrateful, to actually not come! And that master of his was also saying bad things and instigating him at the side! I should not have lied to Miss, your servant deserve death!”

Zhao Ru Jun glance at her said indifferently, “Death is too severe, beating is more like it! As you have attended me for so many years, you should know my personality? What I hate the most is people lying to me! In a while, go accept your punishment, ten slaps! And also.”

Zhao Ru Jun roughly ponder for a moment, then continued, “That person called Ah Jian or something, his abilities are superb. With one glance, you can tell he had practiced! Since you run your mouth with wild boasts at the beginning, then this will still be handled by you. No matter what, you have to bring him to our household!”

Although that person was dressed in a brown course cloth that was nearly washed white, the imposing air and composure embedded within him and those lustre like varnish and deep as the ocean eyes weren’t ordinary.

At that time, when he grasped the reins to control the frenzied horse, his movement was done in one smooth motion like flowing water. What was impossible matter in others’ eyes, was a simple task that didn’t need to be mentioned to him. With just his oblivious calmness, he outmatched countless people.

Zhao Ru Jun had a feeling, that if she could recruit him for her own use, she’ll definitely won’t have anything to lose.

“Listen carefully, for the wages, let him choose.” Zhao Ru Jun came back from her thoughts and added on.

Xi Que quickly acceded. But when the words registered in her mind, she was so surprised that she let out a cry and looked at Zhao Ru Jun. Seeing Zhao Ru Jun was coldly stared at her, she knew she had lost her composure and hurriedly hung her head down. “Yes, your servant understand!”

Xi Que couldn’t understand Zhao Ru Jun’s line of thoughts, wondered if Miss wanted to repay her savior this way? Even if you wish to compensate your savior, you shouldn’t use this method! No matter who it is, with this chance, they’ll definitely open their mouth like a lion. ¹

What she didn’t know was that Zhao Ru Jun deduce that Ah Jian wasn’t that kind of person. With that kind of skills and that kind of aura, he’s definitely not that type of person.

Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian had returned home. Those at home saw that the bought a lot of things again and also earned of money, became delighted and rejoice as they busied.

Lian Fang Zhou announced with a grin. “Today, we bought a lot of flour and also some diced meat, so let’s have dumpling for dinner! In a moment I’ll go to the vegetable patch and cut some chive, pull some celery and pick some cabbage, so we can use them with the meat as filling!”

……

In the rural areas, it’s a rare treat to be able to have to dumplings once or twice in a year, even more so for the meat filling ones. So, Lian Fang Qing and Lian Che are delighted. Third Aunt was also happy, she rushed to suggest, “Get more vegetables, so we can make more! The days are getting colder so it can be kept for longer. We can also have it for breakfast tomorrow! Ah, it’s better that I go to the veggie patch!”

“Alright then, Third Aunt, you go!” Lian Fang Zhou chuckled and did not stop her.

Lian Fang Zhou called Ah Jian over. Se then counted six hundred wen and gave it to him. Not waiting for her to speak, he had already pushed it back to her. “Why are you giving it to me? I have no use for it even I have it!”

“If I don’t give you, how can my conscious be at ease? You contributed a lot to making charcoal!” Lian Fang Zhou pointed out with a smile.

Ah Jian replied. “I live here and also eat, wear and use your stuff. If I also take the money, I would be the one with a troubled conscious! So keep it! In future, if one day, when I remember who I am and decided to leave, you can prepare some traveling fund for me then.

Lian Fang Zhou couldn’t change his mind, could she complied. She treated it as saving the money on his behalf. In her mind, she pondered about later in the evening, if she should give twenty-thirty wen to Third Aunt, so she has some money at hand. During this period of time, it’s a blessing that Third Aunt was helping out with some housework at home and watching over the two little ones.

Third Aunt returned from picking vegetables. When Lian Fang Zhou saw the big bundle of cabbage, chives, and celery, she was speechless. With a laugh, she spoke. “Third Aunt, we won’t be able to use that much vegetables! It’s a rare chance to have dumpling, honestly, less veggie and uses more meat.

“You said the reverse!” Third Aunt replied straight away. “The true way of doing it is to add lots and lots of vegetable! This way we can have two meals!”

If it were before, Lian Fang Zhou would rather have all vegetable filling. But after living a period of time without oil, she felt like her eyes would light up whenever meat is mentioned.

She had wanted to eat one meal of meat filled dumpling for a long while now, so would she be willing to listen to Third Aunt? Just the thought of those stocky dumplings filled entirely with meat, mmm, with one bite, spilled with meaty juice and the delicious taste of flour, mouthwatering pork and tasty vegetables merged together, it’s a bottomless pit of deliciousness making the whole body comfortable!

Lian Fang Zhou persuade with all her might; saying the next meal, they can have dumpling filled with egg and cabbage if they want and these days they’re exhausted from work so must have one good meal; only then, did Third Aunt reluctantly agreed.

Immediately, the whole family became busy. Third Aunt made the dough, Lian Fang Zhou washed the two jin cut of pork and cut it to pieces before mincing it, the other three Lian siblings washed the vegetables. Only Ah Jian got no task, so he went to the courtyard to chop firewood.

After finishing chopping the pork, it was placed in a giant basin-like bowl. Then the chives and celery were finely cut into tiny pieces and added together to the bowl. Afterward, some chopped up scallion was sprinkled on top. A layer of salt was evenly distributed on top of all that, and with a bamboo chopstick, everything was mixed well. Soon the meat and vegetable were well combined.

Third Aunt had already set aside the kneaded dough to rise and ordered Lian Ze to get water from well. She carefully cleaned the square table and pan, so it’s ready for rolling out the dough. The pan is for holding the made dumplings.

At this side, the entire preparation was done, Lian Fang Zhou had just brought over the bowl of filling over and asked “The dough is ready? We can make a lot of dumpling with these filling!”

Third Aunt began to whine when she saw the assembled filling. “Aiya! Why is there just this much vegetable? Such wasteful usage of meat!”

Lian Fang Zhou grinned. “More than enough veg is added in. It’s fine like this! It’ll taste more scrumptious!”

“That goes without saying! With this much meat, how could it not be tasty…” Seeing that Lian Fang Zhou wasn’t yielding, Third Aunt could only suffer a toothache for a while.

After the dough raised enough, Third Aunt then scattered two handfuls of flour around evenly on the table. The dough was rolled into a few long sticks, and she squeezed out tangyuan ² -size lumps. Then Lian Fang Zhou rolled them out with the rolling pin.

Lian Ze and the twins sat on one side, wanting to help but don’t know how. Just from watching, Lian Fang Qing was itching for doing something. She eagerly asked: “Sister, Sister, what can we do? What can we do?”

“You guys?” Third Aunt chortled. “Just wait to eat!”

“Don’t want to! We also want to help!” Lian Fang Qing was unwilling. She kept staring at Lian Fang Zhou with longing.

Lian Fang Zhou chuckled. “In a while, Sister will teach you how to fill and fold the dumpling. Sister needs to roll out more dough.”

“Sis, I’ll roll them! Um, how about letting Big Brother Ah Jian do? Big Brother AH Jian got lots of strength!” Then Lian Ze suggested and swiftly ran out to call for Ah Jian.

Lian Fang Zhou wrily smiles and thought, ‘this isn’t a task about strength or not. ‘