Chapter 39
Only after returning home did Fang Yu open the bamboo-weave box sent by Wu Shuyou. Upon opening it, he discovered that while the quantity wasn't particularly large, there was a considerable variety: cured meats, sausages, cured chicken, spicy duck, and some cured delicacies like pork kidney and tripe. They seemed to have been smoked with cypress branches, giving off an exceptionally rich aroma.
Cured meats were fragrant, but after hanging over the stove and being smoked for a long time, they took on a greasy, blackened look. Some farming households preferred to bury them in ash for preservation after smoking, but regardless of the method, they were notoriously difficult to clean and handle. However, Wu Shuyou had thoughtfully washed and scrubbed the cured meats before sending them, effectively sparing Fang Yu a major hassle.
Without the need for scrubbing, preparing the cured meats required far less tedious work. After a brief rinse, they became delicious whether boiled or steamed. Fang Yu, craving a dish of greens boiled in cured meat broth and dipped in a spicy sauce, mentioned the idea. Qiao Hezhi then took two strips of the cured meat to simmer into a broth for stewing vegetables. The rest were placed in a steamer. The rich, savory juices that collected during steaming were later used to stir-fry sliced streaky cured meat with scallions, resulting in a dish that was deeply flavorful and aromatic.
That evening, they truly enjoyed a full-fledged rustic meal.
Fang Yu recalled having such a lavish cured meat feast only once, back in his early teens at his grandmother's rural hometown. That flavor had haunted his memories ever since. Later, he also enjoyed buying cured meats to make stews at home, but unfortunately, store-bought versions never quite matched the fragrance of the cured meats made from home-raised pigs in his grandmother's village.
Perhaps the market versions indeed lacked some meticulous craftsmanship, or maybe what he missed was a sense of nostalgia. However, tasting the Wu family's cured meats today, with their moderate saltiness and lingering aroma that coiled around the palate, Fang Yu felt it truly captured the flavor of his youth. In the end, he reflected, carefully crafted tastes were simply superior.
The aroma from a pot of stewing cured meat could carry for a considerable distance.
Qiao Hezhi also seldom ate such dishes, and the Wu family's curing technique was indeed excellent, so he used his chopsticks a few extra times today: "I see these are considered delicacies even in the countryside. What great favor did you do for your classmate, Master, to receive so much?"
"It was merely offering occasional guidance on his essays. I tried to decline, but he insisted." Fang Yu also understood that farming households were reluctant to even eat meat often, so gifting such a quantity of cured meats was truly generous: "I'll reciprocate by giving him a copy of my usual study notes another day."
Qiao Hezhi laughed, "Has Master's academic work improved so much that you can now guide classmates?"
"Ah, I dare not claim that. It's only by comparison with my peers."
Qiao Hezhi was amused by him for a while, then said after a moment, "The weather is warming up now. I've been busy lately with matters concerning the servants' clothing and provisions in the household and have somewhat neglected outside affairs. Someone from the shop came to report that several groups of tenant farmers have been inquiring about seeds and farming tools these past few days."
Fang Yu clicked his tongue: "It's not yet the sowing season. After just a couple of sunny days, tenant farmers aren't worried that sowing seeds too early might lead to a late spring cold snap freezing the seeds?"
Qiao Hezhi picked up a morsel of food and placed it in Fang Yu's bowl, saying softly, "I went to the shop today and happened to meet some tenant farmers. They didn't explicitly ask for seeds and tools anymore, saying they were just at the market and came by to ask when the seeds would be distributed, so they could prepare early and bring their family members to collect them."
"They are all poor, common folk, likely afraid of being exploited because of past experiences. Last spring, there was a landlord who promised to lend seeds to tenant farmers. But because a tenant farmer's family was too poor to send gifts to the landlord's residence, the landlord made an excuse that the seeds had already been lent out to others who came earlier." Qiao Hezhi sighed: "Such things are common. The tenant farmers are anxious, after all, the whole year depends on the crops from the land. A few days ago, I had Kong Zhuang from our household go check on our family's lands. He found most tenant farmers have already turned the soil quite loose themselves."
"The farming tools haven't even been distributed yet, and they're already so diligent." Fang Yu said: "I'll go buy the seeds tomorrow and set a date to distribute them, to save them from worrying and thinking about it all the time."
"I went to uncle's workshop today for this very matter. Originally, I intended to order some farming tools to distribute along with the seeds when the time comes. Uncle offered many tools that save time and effort in plowing and sowing, saying they were newly made, and giving them to us would also serve as a trial of their effectiveness." Qiao Hezhi shook his head helplessly: "I really couldn't refuse him. He even made me promise to inform him of the distribution time so he could bring people to explain to each tenant farmer how to use the new tools."
Hearing this, Fang Yu was also torn between laughter and tears. The Qiao family was full of unique characters, and Lin Xuan was the most eccentric; he would absolutely do such a thing: "Then we've gotten a great bargain. We'll accept this favor. When the time comes, we'll also send some gifts to uncle's place. Regardless of whether he accepts them or not, we'll just leave them and go."
Qiao Hezhi laughed, "What do you take uncle for?"
"My tactic is called 'adjusting the dish to the guest.' Otherwise, he always refuses our things."
"He hasn't completely refused everything. Last time, he accepted the spiced watermelon seeds I sent him. This time when I went, he even asked me for more, saying the shopkeeper of the Book and Tea House was so annoying, because he was unwilling to sell them separately to him."
Fang Yu pretended to be surprised: "So he does have time to crack watermelon seeds? I thought his hands were never free."
Qiao Hezhi lightly patted Fang Yu: "If uncle knew you were teasing him like this, he'd surely scold you."
Fang Yu laughed for a moment, then said, "I'm thinking, since we'll be distributing seeds and farming tools, and will likely have ongoing dealings with the tenant farmers, they can't conveniently come directly to the residence. We need a fixed point of contact. It'll be easier for them to find someone for any matters, big or small, in the future."
"I was considering that we have that general goods shop, right? Its earnings have always been lukewarm. Fortunately, the shop is our own property. If we rented someone else's shop, after paying rent there probably wouldn't be much profit left. So, why not close it for now and use that shop specifically as a contact point for tenant farmers? All related matters can be handled there in the future. After the autumn harvest this year, we could also sell grains and rice from the land there. What do you think?"
Fang Yu's plan was thorough, and Qiao Hezhi naturally agreed. It would also give his uncle a place to demonstrate the new farming tools to the tenant farmers: "But let's not let father know about this for now. Otherwise, he might think the people managing the shop are incompetent and it had to close, and he might just send over two more shops."
Currently, the Book and Tea House business was booming. Last month's net income in just one month was several times that of the previous tea house, reaching over three hundred taels of pure profit. He knew Fang Yu didn't like accepting things for nothing; he had the ability to earn money himself to support the family. The current situation was good. If his father kept generously sending things over, Fang Yu would again complain to him about living off soft rice.
"Alright." Fang Yu chuckled. He reached out and encircled Qiao Hezhi's waist: "Eat a bit more." Tomorrow's perfectly good holiday was undoubtedly ruined; there would be plenty more busyness.
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