Chapter 198 - Going to Cour (1/2)

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Old Yu gritted his teeth and quickly stated the intention of his visit. As he spoke, he didn’t dare to look at Xiaocao’s big eyes, which were so clear that it seemed they could see through one’s heart.

Since the two families were related by blood, it was impossible for them to completely break ties. Xiaocao was very clear about this point. Looking at Old Yu, who had come here for help for the first time, Xiaocao sighed heavily in her heart. Just like the old saying: ‘Both sides of the hand were made of flesh’. For the sake of his younger son, her grandfather was prepared to disregard his own face.

Xiaocao looked at her grandfather, who immersed himself in the field work and didn’t dare to have eye contact with her. She deliberately said in a relaxed tone, “Earlier, an uncle from the yamen came over and told me that I need to testify in court this afternoon. I’m really nervous since it’s my first time going to court. I’ll ask my godfather or godmother to accompany me at that time.”

Today, her godfather should return from the prefectural city. Her godmother took Xia Furong, who had gotten sick, to the medicine hall in town early this morning. She heard that the little lass had eaten too much red-braised pork last night and had a stomachache for the entire night. Ay! She was a girl from the capital, yet she had become so gluttonous after just eating several meals of vegetarian dishes!

After Old Yu heard Xiaocao’s reply, his tense heart felt much more relieved and he also weeded in a more relaxed manner. The vegetable garden in Xiaocao’s family’s courtyard wasn’t very big, so they finished weeding very quickly. After asking, Old Yu learned that there wasn’t any more work to do, so he got up and said goodbye.

“Grandfather, our Dongshan Village is located in a remote area. It isn’t easy for uncles from the yamen to come here, so you must serve them well. Our family has planted a vast variety of produce. I’ll go gather some for you to take back.” Despite Old Yu’s objections, Xiaocao went to the rear courtyard and picked out some cucumbers, tomatoes, string beans, eggplants, and so on. She thought about it, and then got some five-spice duck eggs and century eggs from the west room. She put them all in a basket and told Old Yu to take them back.

Old Yu looked at the muddy eggs in the basket and asked hesitantly, “How do you eat this thing?”

With a smile, Xiaocao took one of the century eggs and broke the outer mud shell. She said with a smile, “Like this, first peel the outer shell and take the century egg out. After that, cut it into pieces and mix it with minced garlic… Forget it, I’ll just go with you. Grandfather, wait for a moment. I’ll go get some vermicelli.”

With Madam Zhang’s stingy nature, they probably seldom got the chance to eat vegetables cooked with oil, let alone meat. Since she was already helping them, Yu Xiaocao decided that she might as well be a good person until the end! After all, that Yu Bo was her father’s biological younger brother ah! Not only did she get vermicelli, but she also cut off a portion of the pork belly that was hanging in the well in the backyard. She also took some oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar from the kitchen.

Old Yu looked at the bundles of ingredients and condiments in his granddaughter’s hands and felt too ashamed to lift up his head. Looking at the streaky pork, which weighed more than a catty, he said, “You don’t need to bring the meat. Your grandmother… Ahem! Madam Zhang has already slaughtered a chicken…”

Xiaocao smiled and said, “I heard that there were several uncle bailiffs here, so it’s always good to prepare more meat dishes! Let’s go, we still need to go to town after eating lunch!”

When they reached the Yu Family’s house, Xiaocao greeted the bailiffs with a cheery smile. The young girl originally had a very joyous face and sweet smile, so coupled with her sweetly calling them ‘uncles’, she quickly left a favorable impression on the bailiffs.

In the kitchen, Madam Zhang, Madam Li, and Zhang Quan’s wife were very busy. When Xiaocao entered the kitchen with the basket of ingredients, she ignored Madam Zhang and Madam Li and greeted Zhang Quan’s wife with a smile, “Auntie, I have long heard of your good cooking skills. I must take this chance to learn from you today ah!”

Zhang Quan’s wife was an observant person. When she saw the weird expression on Madam Zhang’s face and Xiaocao ignoring them, she knew that there was definitely something going on. However, she wasn’t someone who liked to dig into other people’s private matters. With a smile on her pale and chubby face, she said, “Just listen to what you’re saying. Why would you need to learn cooking from this Auntie? Your mother has much better cooking skills than me… Oh, what’s this? It looks very novel!”

Xiaocao peeled the century eggs and cut all of them into four pieces. Then, she poured a sauce, which consisted of minced garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce, on top of them. She had brought over around ten century eggs, so it was enough to fill up an entire plate. She took a piece and held it in front of Zhang Quan’s wife’s mouth. With an expression that looked as if she wanted to be praised, she said, “Taste this century eggs salad that I made and let me know what you think.”

Zhang Quan’s wife was too embarrassed to open her mouth, so she gently shook her head and said, “I came to help, so I can’t steal food right in front of the host…”

“How is this considered stealing food? Even the head chef of Zhenxiu Restaurant needs someone to taste his food! Auntie, quickly try it and give me some feedback.”

After hearing her words, Zhang Quan’s wife finally opened her mouth and ate the piece of century egg. The soft century egg had a chewy mouthfeel when eaten. The yolk inside wasn’t completely solidified and emitted a faint fragrance. With the rich flavor of the seasoning, it tasted really delicious. Zhang Quan’s wife praised it repeatedly after tasting it.