Chapter 97
At this hour, the streets were almost deserted, but Zhao Ger still blushed at his teasing words.
He gave Fang Zichen a punch, both annoyed and embarrassed, and said, "How can you be so like this? We're still outside!"
"Outside is outside," Fang Zichen said in a hoarse voice, leaning in closer. "If you keep laughing, I'll drag you into the woods and then a little of this and a little of that, and then a little of that and a little of this."
Zhao Ge'er: "..."
This guy is even more like Liu Laizi than Liu Laizi himself.
[癞子 (làizi): lit. a person affected by scabies/leprosy; fig. It's used as a derogatory term to describe a person who is contemptible, nasty, or a rogue.]
The water in the pot had been boiling earlier and was scalding hot. After this delay, it was now just the right temperature.
Zhao Ger still needed to wash his hair, so he asked Fang Zichen to bathe Guaizai. Zhao Ger’s hair was long, and in these times, there were no hairdryers. Washing it also involved wringing it dry, which was quite troublesome.
In larger households, meals were usually served in the main hall after cooking. However, since Fang Zichen’s family only had three members, Zhao Ger simply placed the dining table directly in the kitchen.
The left corner housed the water jar, the right side stored firewood, and with the addition of cabinets, the space wasn’t particularly spacious. Moreover, when bathing a child who loves to play around, no matter how careful one is, water always ends up splashing out. Therefore, Guaizai always bathed in the yard.
By now, Fang Zichen had just drawn water and brought it out, and Guaizai had already stripped completely naked.
He sat upright on the wooden stump like a bride awaiting her wedding. Upon seeing Fang Zichen, he immediately broke into a smile.
Having watched Zhao Ger bathe Guaizai before, Fang Zichen mimicked the actions and managed to do a decent job.
As he washed Guaizai, he read aloud from Discussions Around the Winter Fire. Not content with simply reading the text himself, he also insisted that Guaizai repeat each line after him.
From the yard to the bed, throughout the entire evening, everything said and discussed revolved around the central theme: "Of all virtues, filial piety is the foremost."
Guaizai only half-understood, but since Fang Zichen asked him to repeat, he did so. After reciting, he would get kisses, which he loved dearly.
The chili sauce business was doing better and better.
Blood sausage had been imitated by others within days of being sold, and now several shops on West Street were selling it.
Chili sauce was different.
Those with experience and envy bought a few jars from Zhao Ger, attempting to ‘decode’ the ingredients. But no matter how they looked or tasted, they found that aside from chilies, garlic, salt, and rapeseed oil, there seemed to be nothing else.
Yet when they bought chilies and garlic and tried to replicate it, the result was edible, but it lacked the addictive, fragrant, numbing, and spicy flavor that Zhao Ger’s chili sauce had.
The difference in taste was not just slight—it was worlds apart.
Star anise, cinnamon, and peppercorns were fried by Zhao Ger in oil until fragrant, then entirely removed.
In these times, such items were used as medicine, and not every type of herb was commonly used. Therefore, most people didn’t think to include them.
Zhao Ger’s business was thriving, and many people were green with envy.
But no one dared to have any malicious ideas.
After the incident with Guaizai last time, everyone had seen Fang Zichen leading a group of fierce, intimidating men. Zhao Ger was his partner—who would dare to make a move?
He Xi received the pumpkins and had been sending them over to Fang Zichen one after another.
Zhao Ger asked him why he was buying so many pumpkins. Fang Zichen did not go into detail, only saying it was for making big money.
Zhao Ger now earned almost two taels of silver a day, but he was used to being frugal and lived just as before.
The pine needles used for lighting the fire at home were gone. He came back at noon, ate his meal, and without resting for a moment, he carried a large basket on his back and went up the mountain.
Afraid that Guaizai would get tired, Zhao Ger wanted him to stay at home, but Guaizai refused.
"Guaizai wants to go with Daddy. Guaizai will help. Guaizai is the best at picking pinecones."
His belief that 'he is the best at everything he does' was truly just like Fang Zichen.
"......" So Zhao Ger took him along.
Pine needles and pinecones were best for lighting fires, but the ground under the pine trees was covered with pine needles, making it very slippery to walk on. Guaizai helped pick up pinecones, taking two steps and falling twice. Zhao Ger told him to be careful. He replied with an "en," but just after answering, he fell again, this time rolling down the slope.
Just like a ball.
"Guaizai......"
Zhao Ger quickly put down his basket and went down to look for him.
The area was safe—the bottom was all grass, so rolling down was fine. Guaizai had rolled down a few times before.
But......
Zhao Ger reached the bottom of the slope and, as expected, found Guaizai amidst a patch of cockleburs.
"Daddy......"
Guaizai struggled, reaching out toward him. His head and clothes were now covered in cockleburs.
Cockleburs, also called lice horse heads (虱马头, shī mǎ tóu) had hook-like hard spines on their burs that often attached to livestock and people.
Zhao Ger sighed helplessly and went over to pick him up.
Every time they came to collect pinecones, Guaizai ended up like this. Zhao Ger wasted a long time helping him 'pluck' the cockleburs. But Guaizai was diligent and filial, insisting on coming along to help, so Zhao Ger didn't want to discourage his enthusiasm.
The cockleburs on his clothes were easy to pluck, but plucking the ones from his head made Guaizai tear up from the pain.
This thing stuck to hair like gum. Pulling hard tugged the hair and hurt, but not using enough force would not remove it.
After plucking them all out, Guaizai's hair was a mess, as if pecked by a chicken.
After all this trouble, it was already afternoon.
Although pine needles were not very heavy, Zhao Ger had packed a lot into a large basket, compacted tightly, weighing some eighty to ninety catties. Moreover, Zhao Ger had packed so much that the basket was almost as tall as a person.
When Fang Zichen came looking for him, he saw him bent over, straining to carry the basket down the mountain.
Afraid of falling, he had found a wooden stick to use as a cane and was walking unsteadily like an old man well advanced in years.
Fang Zichen watched for a moment, genuinely worried his thin little fulang would be crushed, and hurried over to help.
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