Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

Chapter 257: Little Stingy

Jiang Shangxian had never even met that uncle, so how could he have any impression or feelings for him? He was already dissatisfied with his uncle for not fulfilling his responsibilities as a son, a husband, and a father, and now his dissatisfaction reached its peak.

Although she had never heard of this custom before, in the vast land of China, customs and practices vary from place to place. There was no need for Xia Zhenying to lie to her for two jars of wine.

She was just angry. Since there was such a rule, why didn't she give it to her daughter Zhenying? Even if she didn't give it every year, what would it matter if she gave it to Zhenying in the year of her birth? She was just hanging out drinking and fooling around all day!

"Okay, after they leave, you can take the two jars into the house and pick out a set of headwear to wear when you get married." She is not a stingy person. She has so much but still wants to see her family have nothing. Her cousin has always been hardworking and diligent. She likes such a down-to-earth and hardworking girl.

Xia Zhenying quickly waved her hand: "No, that's not possible. It was given by His Majesty to my niece in the future. How can I wear such a fine thing? I don't want it."

Jiang Shangxian: ".....there's no need to be so thorough."

We're just getting started! Where did this little niece come from? She's still a child! Isn't this too much of a precaution?

What if Cui Bianxu is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, infertile, or weak in the uterus? She hasn't tried it!

"Then take two pieces of brocade. The longer it is stored, the lighter its color will be. Pick out two bright pieces and let your grandmother make clothes for you."

Xia Zhenying didn't refuse this time and jokingly said to her, "Then I got a great deal! It's just some noodles, but I got so many good things in exchange."

"That's not."

Jiang Shangxian put the noodles aside and started to smash the cucumber. In a very good mood, he joked with her, "Next time there's something good like this, you have to think carefully about what you want. It would be a waste to just ask for two jars of wine."

None of the dishes were difficult to prepare, and the ingredients for the mutton ramen were already prepared. When Jiang Wangri came back from pouring the wine, two plates of smashed cucumbers and two plates of braised mutton were already placed on the side. He muttered, "These temple servants are really strange. At first they said they didn't want to drink it, but when they heard it was lychee wine sent by my brother-in-law, they all wanted to drink it."

Jiang Shangxian patted him on the head. "What nonsense are you talking about? They've seen all sorts of good things in the palace. They're willing to eat at our house because they're doing us a favor. Hurry up and take these and the dishes out first."

Jiang Wangri snorted softly and obediently took his things and went out.

I have seen a lot of good things, but there are only a limited number of good things. There are thousands of eunuchs and palace maids in the palace, so how many of them can get a chance?

Jiang Shangxian just wanted him not to be stingy at this moment. The child took after his mother Jiang, being very stingy, even to himself. He would never buy new shoes until they were worn out and could not be repaired.

Xia Zhenying mocked him as she cooked noodles in a pot of water: "Erlang must be heartbroken after this meal. I'm afraid he'll even howl in his dreams tonight."

"I don't know why he's so stingy. Our family's life has gotten better, but he's the only one who wears tattered clothes all day long. I'll ask my mother to make him a couple more sets of clothes someday and burn his tattered clothes and shoes in the stove." Jiang Shangxian firmly opposed the behavior of forcing himself to suffer. Of course, he wanted to improve his life within his ability.

Jiang's mother and Jiang Wangri believe that every stitch and thread is hard-earned, so they should save as much as possible, otherwise they will at least have more savings to support themselves if something unexpected happens in the future.

"Then Erlang will cry." Xia Zhenying couldn't help laughing when she thought that Jiang Wangri might cry to the ashes in the stove. Her cousin was fine in other aspects, but she felt ashamed of herself for being frugal.

Jiang Wangri could only take half of the things at a time. When he came back, he heard something and asked as soon as he entered the door: "Why am I crying? Why are you crying?"

"nothing."

Jiang Shangxian would never tell him in advance. Instead, he asked, "What are grandma and the others doing?"

"I didn't do anything, I was just chatting with that monk. Mother brought out a lot of fruits for them to eat." He felt distressed again, as he only allowed himself to eat one piece of fruit every day!

Xia Zhenying knew what he was thinking as soon as she saw his face. She pinched his face with amusement and said, "How come you are better at living than my aunt? Come on, bring out the ramen!"

"Why put so much meat?" Jiang Wangri muttered as he put meat on the tray: "We can sell three bowls of meat from this one."

Jiang Shangxian sighed and threatened, "If you keep whining, you'll get beaten."

In the main hall, the eunuchs huddled together and stared at the braised mutton on the table, drooling. They were all marginal figures in the palace, the most insignificant. In the palace, those who talk too much die quickly, and those who have no mouth can only do the worst jobs.

They are the kind of people who have a bit of a good appetite but not a very smart mind. They usually eat a fixed amount, so how could they get so much meat? And why cook it like this?

They usually eat meat and vegetables boiled in plain water, and it is rare to see any oil in them.

Wang Neihuan didn't expect that the Jiang family would be able to serve meat in such a short time: "Is this mutton?"

"Yes, braised mutton. It's a recipe my aunt came up with. Mr. Wang, please do me the honor of trying it."

"No hurry, no hurry."

He is not the kind of person who can't move when he sees food. It is obvious that the dishes have not been served yet. He will eat after they are served.

What's more, he sniffed gently. The Jiang family was not big, and the sweet and sour smell on the kitchen table just now had turned into an extremely overbearing fragrance. He felt a little hungry.

In the kitchen, Jiang Shangxian was serving the garlic leaves and bacon on a plate. "Alright, let's help carry the food over."

"Hey!"

Jiang Wangri was responsible for serving noodles at Xia Zhenying's breakfast stall every day. He was very steady and could serve three bowls at a time. He could finish all the noodles in just a few trips.

At this time, the main room was filled with the tempting aroma of food. Bowls of mutton ramen soup were clear and fragrant, sprinkled with chopped green onions and coriander, and steam was rising from them, which looked refreshing and beautiful.

When Wang Neihuan saw her come in, he smiled and thanked her: "Thank you for your hard work, Miss Jiang. I know your cooking skills are excellent without even having to taste them."

Although he was better than those petty eunuchs, he had superiors above him in this line of work. If he wanted to move up, he had to serve his superiors well. Every time it was his turn to eat, the food would be hot.

Jiang Shangxian placed the sweet and sour poached eggs and garlic leaves and firewood bacon on the table before saying, "You are so polite, Monk. It is an honor for the Jiang family that you have done me the honor. They taste best when they are fresh out of the pot. Enjoy yourselves."