Chapter 129 (1/2)

Chapter 129: 129

Madam Mao breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you very much! Even the famous chef of Zhenxiu Restaurant praised you for your great talent in cooking . So you will definitely be able to make a delicious duck dish . You can experiment with these two ducks first . If it’s not enough, Auntie can bring more over . Xiaocao, I’ll leave this matter in your hands then!”

“Auntie, with our families’ relations.h.i.+p, there’s no need to be so courteous . But, let’s make things clear first . If it’s successful, the recipe belongs to me . As for the sales of your family’s ducks, I can help recommend them to Qian Xiaoduo . ” Yu Xiaocao made things clear beforehand .

Madam Mao wasn’t someone unreasonable, so she repeatedly nodded her head, “Yes, of course! It should be so! Auntie is already very grateful that you’re willing to help me sell my family’s ducks . Would I still be considered a human, if I were to covet the recipe that you came up with?”

After sending away Madam Mao, who was expressing her grat.i.tude over and over again, Yu Xiaocao entered the house . When faced with a room full of ‘interrogating’ eyes, she honestly gave a brief explanation of the purpose of Madam Mao’s visit .

After hearing that, Madam Liu sighed and said, “As fellow villagers, even if they didn’t bring gifts over, we would also help them out if they had encountered difficulties . But, Cao’er, can you really come up with a dish that uses duck as the main ingredient?”

Yu Hai stopped her and said, “Muyun, don’t give the child pressure! Our Cao’er isn’t a short-sighted person . If she didn’t have any ideas at all, she wouldn’t have easily accepted those ducks and duck eggs!”

Xiaolian laughed and said, “Youngest Sister, have a good sleep tonight . Perhaps someone will teach you how to prepare the ducks and duck eggs in your dreams!”

The whole family laughed and chatted together, and from time to time, a burst of cheerful and sweet laughter could be heard .

In the end, the head of the family, Yu Hai, ordered, “Everyone, quickly go to bed! Spring plowing will begin tomorrow . Xiaocao, take Little Gray when you go to the wharf tomorrow morning . Your mother, Xiaolian, and I will go plow the three plots of sandy land!

“Father, are we still planting sweet potatoes in the fields?” Yu Xiaocao asked casually .

Yu Hai stroked her soft hair and replied in a gentle voice, “What else would we plant other than sweet potatoes? Other crops can’t produce much on sandy soil!”

Yu Xiaocao abruptly asked, “Sandy soil is the best place to grow watermelons . Father, can we somehow get some watermelon seeds?”

“Watermelon? Never heard of it . How about… tomorrow I’ll go to the grain store in town and ask?” Yu Hai trusted his daughter unconditionally . Even if it was something he had never heard of before, he would still do his best to help his daughter achieve what she wanted .

Yu Xiaocao didn’t hold much hope . Watermelon wasn’t a grain, so why would the grain store have the seeds?

The rest of the night quietly pa.s.sed by . The next day, when the first light of the day shone on the seedlings in the garden, all the members of the Yu Family had already gotten up . Yu Xiaocao wanted to wait for Qian Xiaoduo, and then ask him to send a message to Third Young Master Zhou . So, it was still Xiaolian who went to the docks . Third Young Master Zhou was someone who had even been to the capital so he must be experienced and knowledgeable, and thus he should know what a watermelon was . It would be even better if he could help her buy some watermelon seeds .

Yu Hai thought that it wasn’t a good idea for no one to be home since there would be people coming to buy vegetables later, so he left his youngest daughter at home . (Yu Hang: Am I not a person?)

Shortly afterwards, Madam Fang came over with her two daughters . She entered the gates and asked, “Are you guys still harvesting the crops in the backyard today?”

“Auntie Zhou, I feel so apologetic to see you coming over to help every day!” Yu Xiaocao expressed her grat.i.tude in a very polite manner .

“Xiaocao, you’re being too courteous! It’s only right for neighbors to help each other out . If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have been able to sell our family’s chickens . There are only a few hens and chicks at home now, so we don’t have much work to do . Since we’re so free, we might as well come over to see if there’s anything we can help out with!” Madam Fang was a very close friend of Madam Liu . So Xiaocao didn’t know what to say anymore when she spoke in the manner of ‘no need to treat one family as two’ .

Zhou Linglong smiled quietly, picked up the bamboo basket in the yard, and went to the rear courtyard . The younger sister, Zhou Shanhu, joked, “Xiaocao, if you feel bad about it, you just need to send us a bowl whenever you make delicious food in the future!”

The little la.s.s still remembered the delicious taste of the ‘tofu and chicken blood soup’ that she ate last time . She felt that even her mother’s best dish, stewed meat, wasn’t as good as that dish, which was made of simple and crude ingredients . She was also a lurking little glutton .

Just as they were speaking, Madam Mao also came . Her bright and clear voice could be heard even before she had entered the courtyard, “I’m not late, am I? Are you guys about to begin gathering the vegetables?”

“Madam Mao? Why are you here?” Madam Fang asked curiously . Madam Mao had never taken the initiative to help others . Was the sun rising from the west?

Madam Mao rolled her eyes at her and said, “What? You’re allowed to come help, but I’m not? We’re all neighbors, so why can’t I come over to help?”

Madam Fang knew her speaking style, so she continued to speak in a gentle manner, “I didn’t mean it that way . You have a lot of things to take care of at home, so Muyun wouldn’t mind even if you don’t come over . ”

“Alright, alright! Hurry up and work!” Madam Mao readily picked up a bamboo basket and followed the Zhou sisters to the backyard .