Open the door and enter the small courtyard.
There was no one in the courtyard. The sound of nephew Zhou Chong Lang Lang's reading could be heard vaguely from the main room. Little Zhou Bin was not seen playing in the courtyard either. He was probably in the house with his elder brother.
There is smoke rising from the kitchen on the left, and there is movement inside. If your guess is correct, your sister Zhu Xiuer is busy in the kitchen.
It was getting dark, and distinguished guests came to the post station today. There were not many people in the post station. Except for the post chief Zhou Anmin, there were only three post soldiers in the entire post station.
One of them is Old Tang, whom he met just now when he walked in, another is Old Tang's son, Xiao Tang, and the last one is Zhou Anmin's brother, an honest and honest man.
The post station is considered a government agency. Although the post official has no rank and is just a low-ranking official, he is still a civil servant. As for the post post, it can barely be considered a business establishment, so it is very good to find a job in the post station. Although The income is not much, but at least it is much better to maintain income despite droughts and floods than Zhu Shenzui, a clan whose salary is even reduced and owed.
There were not many people at the post station. There were only four people including Zhou Anmin and three post soldiers.
It's okay on weekdays. Once there are more guests staying at the inn, they will be busy enough. Therefore, in order to save costs, my sister Zhu Xiuer is usually busy with the meals, washing, etc. at the inn. Sometimes Zhu Xiuer has to help with other things.
Speaking of this, Zhu Xiuer didn't care at all. Her eldest daughter was just a name. Now she was married and had children, so she was no different from an ordinary woman.
Besides, doing these things in the inn is not for nothing. Not to mention that Zhu Xiuer can take up the title of a cook. It is natural for Zhou Anmin to apply for an extra subsidy. Secondly, cooking for the inn also solves the problem at home. When it comes to eating and drinking on weekdays, sometimes there are generous guests who have higher food requirements. If you leave some while cooking, you can also improve the food at home. When you meet them, you can give them a reward, and more. A little extra money.
Walking towards the kitchen, when I got there, I peeked in, and sure enough, my sister Zhu Xiuer was busy on the stove.
There are two stoves, one is simmering in an earthen pot, and the aroma should be chicken soup. The other stove is Zhu Xiuer, who is frying vegetables neatly. The pot is full of oil, fragrant and has a bit of sour and vinegar smell. If Zhu Shenzui didn't You guessed it wrong, this pot is made with vinegar and mutton.
"You can bring over the stew on the table first. The chicken soup needs to be simmered for a while, and the mutton needs to be cooked for a while. I'll make a fish later and get a pot and that's it. By the way, I want to ask you a question when I bring it over. If the guests need anything else, just give us an order..."
Zhu Xiuer rolled up her sleeves and was busy, speaking without raising her head.
Zhu Shenzui looked at the wooden table beside him. There was already a bowl of freshly cooked stew on the table. Then he looked at his sister. Zhu Shenzui had not seen her for more than two months.
"What are you doing? Why don't you hurry up? Don't make people wait in a hurry." Feeling that Zhu Shenzui was standing at the door and not moving, Zhu Xiuer frowned slightly, her hands kept moving, and the spatula turned in the pot, holding back. He couldn't help but urged.
"Sister...it's me..."
Suddenly stunned, Zhu Xiuer suddenly turned her head. When she saw Zhu Shenzui standing at the door looking at her with a smile, a surprise expression appeared on her face.
"Brother! You... why are you here? When did you arrive? Have you seen your brother-in-law? Why didn't you say hello to me when you came in? Just now I thought it was your brother-in-law who came back."
Putting down the spatula, Zhu Xiuer arrived in front of Zhu Shenzui in a few steps, holding Zhu Shenzui's hand and looking up and down at her younger brother.
Since his father and eldest brother left, apart from his husband and children, his only younger brother and niece are the people he is closest to.
Let’s not talk about Zhang and Qiaoer for now. My sister-in-law, Zhang, can be considered an outsider. Although Qiaoer is the eldest brother’s flesh and blood, it’s a pity that she is a girl.
Therefore, Zhu Shenzui can be said to be the last man in their family, and Zhu Shenzui has been very close to his sister Zhu Xiuer since he was a child. Zhu Xiuer also brought him up. Zhu Xiuer loves this younger brother very much.
"Let me take a good look at my sister. I haven't seen you in two months and I have grown taller again. But why am I a little thinner? I'm still a little darker, but I look more like a man." Looking at Zhu Shenzui, Zhu Xiuer's eyes sparkled.
"Sister, isn't this good for me? Besides, isn't it normal to lose some weight as you grow taller?" Zhu Shenzui felt warm in his heart as he looked at his sister. The eldest sister is not too old this year, only twenty-six. She is only 2 years old, but at this age, in future generations, she will still be a "little fairy" pouting scissor hands at the mobile phone camera.
But after giving birth to two children and running the family, the eldest sister now has wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and her hands are very rough to the touch because she often has to wash and scrub them.
"Okay... okay..." Zhu Xiuer raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes, and couldn't help but said: "I have been looking forward to your coming these days. I talked about you with brother-in-law yesterday. I will stay a little longer when you come back. Day. By the way, a distinguished guest happened to be here today. I prepared some delicious dishes and I will have a nice drink with your brother-in-law in the evening."
"Okay!" Zhu Shenzui nodded vigorously with a smile on his face.
After Zhu Xiuer finished speaking, she suddenly remembered that there was still cooking on the stove. She quickly turned around and went back to the stove. Fortunately, the stove was not very hot, and the soup in the pot had just been put in a ladle of water and had not yet dried up. Zhu Xiuer took it I stir-fried it a few times with a spatula, and then started filling the bowls.
Zhu Shenzui was not idle either. He rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward to help. The two of them were busy when their brother-in-law Zhou Anmin arrived.
Zhou Anmin came in from the outside in a hurry. When he saw Zhu Shenzui, he said happily: "My little brother is really here. Old Tang told me just now."
"Brother-in-law!" Zhu Shenzui put the bowls of vegetables on the table and greeted Zhou Anmin with a smile.
"Okay, it's good to be here. Let's have a couple of drinks today, Xiu'er. Remember to make two more dishes later. I haven't seen you for a while."
"You don't have to tell me, I already knew it." Zhu Xiuer said with a smile, and at the same time, she put the remaining mutton in the pot into another bowl, and then put the bowl of vegetables into a cover on the left side of the stove. , a bowl of vegetables was already placed in the bag, and it looked like a stew. As for where it came from, everyone knew in their hearts.
After saying a few words, Zhou Anmin was busy bringing the prepared dishes over, as they were still waiting in the south courtyard.
He specifically said hello to Zhu Shenzui. Zhu Shenzui said with a smile that it was okay. It was important to do business first. We are all members of the family, so there is no need to be so polite. He neatly helped Zhou Anmin put the prepared dishes into the food box.
Zhou Anmin carried the food box and delivered it first, while Zhu Shenzui continued to stay in the kitchen chatting with his sister and helping her at the same time.
After asking about the situation at home and talking about other things, the siblings chatted and laughed while working. For a moment, they felt like they were back to the time before Zhu Xiuer got married. The eldest sister was the same at that time. She was often busy in the kitchen. When Zhu Shenzui was still young, Zhu Xiuer always took him with her and chatted with Zhu Shenzui while doing things, for fear that he would be idle and bored, and the past was vaguely in front of his eyes, but time was not there. Many years passed in a flash.
Zhou Anmin went and came back. After going back and forth a few times, he took away all the food and settled the matter in the south courtyard.
After finishing, the three of them happily carried the food in the cups back to the main room. When they returned to the room, the two nephews who had been looking forward to the meal were already a little impatient, but when they saw their uncle Zhu Shenzui When he appeared, his eyes widened for a moment and he was extremely happy. He jumped off the kang, threw up his calves and ran towards Zhu Shenzui hurriedly.
"Good boy! He's a lot heavier again!" He stretched out his hand and picked up the eldest brother Zhou Chong who threw himself into his arms. This boy was a little taller and stronger than the last time he saw him.
Seeing his elder brother being picked up by his uncle, Zhou Bin, the second eldest brother who was running slower, suddenly became a little anxious and asked his uncle to hold him while he was jumping. Zhu Shenzui knelt down happily, reached out and picked up the little guy, one in each hand, holding him firmly.
"Uncle, uncle! Why did you come here? I miss you!" The eldest brother, Zhou Chong, put his arms around Zhu Shenzui's neck and said affectionately.
"I want it too...I miss my uncle too!" Zhou Bin, the second oldest, was not to be outdone, waving his little hands and shouting eagerly.
Looking at the cute looks of his two nephews, Zhu Shenzui burst into laughter. Zhou Anmin and his wife were also laughing non-stop. These two boys have always been the closest to Zhu Shenzui. Sometimes Zhou Anmin was even a little jealous, feeling that his father In the heart of the child, he is not as good as this brother-in-law.
He smiled and hugged the child into the pit, then put the two children down. Then Zhu Shenzui reached out and took out two things from his arms and handed them to them.
These two things were small gifts that Zhu Shenzui brought to his two nephews. The one for the eldest brother Zhou Chong was a nine-ring ring, and the one for the second brother Zhou Bin was a rattle.
These two toys are children's favorite, especially the nine-ring chain which is a rarity. This is an educational toy for children. It was very popular during the Ming Dynasty. In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the nine-ring chain traveled across the ocean to the West. It was highly praised by Western scholars and was also called the "Chinese Ring".
The nine-link ring brought by Zhu Shenzui was made by Zhao Dabang. The materials used were exquisite and the workmanship was fine. It was much more exquisite than those on the market.
Even the rattle was hired from a carpenter from Wangjiacun. The drum head was covered with extremely well-tanned sheepskin, and exquisite patterns were painted with colors. The drum body was made of fine wood and painted with red paint. Holding it in hand, two drumsticks hit the drum surface, making a clear and loud sound.
