Chapter 37

Xia Hongsheng did not stay for dinner at the Xu family. After all, it was a family banquet, and Xia Hongsheng felt it would be inappropriate to stay. After resting for a while, he played with the little girl for a bit, then politely declined the butler's invitation to stay, and asked the butler for a food box. He picked a few dishes to take back for his sister-in-law. Without saying goodbye, he left the Xu residence. The little girl was quite reluctant to see him go. Although Xia Hongsheng was essentially an older man, he was very skilled at entertaining children. The little girl seemed to have strict upbringing, and her natural playfulness was often suppressed. Xia Hongsheng's playfulness brought out her childlike nature, making her very happy. She even treated Xia Hongsheng as a playmate and saw him off with a lingering attachment.

When Xia Hongsheng first heard the little girl's name, he was indeed startled. However, upon reflection, it was only the first year of the Zhenguan era. According to historical records, the Xu Hui he knew was just born this year, while the little girl in front of him looked to be about ten years old. Perhaps they were not the same person.

In the evening, when he returned home, his sister-in-law had already left. Xia Hongsheng then taught her the methods for making mutton soup and braised pork. His sister-in-law told Xia Hongsheng that a fellow townsman had come to the city and brought a message for her. It was from her brother, saying that everything was arranged at home, and he would come the next day.

These were relatives, and they would be relying on them to help his sister-in-law, so they could not be neglected. Therefore, Xia Hongsheng decided to prepare a pot of clean mutton in advance. He planned to treat them to a good meal when his sister-in-law's brother and his family arrived the next day, and then discuss his plans with them. Although he did not know what kind of person his sister-in-law's brother was, he was still a relative, and it was worth getting to know him. Xia Hongsheng's sister-in-law's hometown was not far away; if one walked without stopping, it would take about half a day. However, in ancient times, married daughters rarely returned to their parents' home. They might only visit a few times a year, and sometimes, if they lived far away, they might not visit for decades. Additionally, his sister-in-law's parents had passed away long ago, and her brother had already started a family. Both families were struggling.

The Xia family had three old houses. Xia Hongsheng and his sister-in-law each lived in one. Although they were quite dilapidated and leaked during rain, they still provided a place to live. The third house was empty and used to store miscellaneous items. In the morning, after his sister-in-law left for the market, Xia Hongsheng began to clean it up. He moved all the old and moldy items to the side of the kitchen wall in the yard, sprinkled water inside, swept several times, and cleared the spider webs from the walls. By noon, he was covered in dust and sweat, but he finally managed to clean it up so that it was habitable.

Just as he sat down to make himself a cup of tea, he saw a wooden cart stop outside the yard. A young woman was sitting on the cart with a child, and a man was pulling the cart and looking around.

Xia Hongsheng quickly put down his tea and went out. The man saw him and bowed, asking, "Young brother, which house is the Xia family? Could you please show me the way?"

This was it. Xia Hongsheng immediately smiled, "You must be my sister-in-law's brother, Ergou? I'm Xia Hongsheng. This is the Xia family. I've already cleaned up the house, and the tea is just ready. Come in and rest!"

Xia Hongsheng helped the man take the things off his shoulders and warmly led the man and his wife into the yard, helping them move their belongings into the house. His sister-in-law had probably mentioned that Xia Hongsheng was a scholar, so the man and his wife seemed a bit nervous and awkward. However, their child was not shy and curiously stared at Xia Hongsheng, who found the child's big, expressive eyes very cute. He made a funny face, making the child laugh.

"Sir... Sir, put it down! These things are too heavy. You're a scholar, let me carry them!" Ergou quickly stopped Xia Hongsheng, saying.

"Hehe, Ergou, have you ever seen a scholar living in a thatched hut? We're all family, why are you being so formal? My sister-in-law is at the market, and it's already noon. After we finish moving the things, I'll cook you a good meal, and we can talk while we eat," Xia Hongsheng said with a smile, picking up a sack and carrying it into the house.

There wasn't much on the wooden cart, and Xia Hongsheng and Ergou quickly finished moving everything. Ergou, who was used to working in the fields, was incredibly strong, and he could carry in one trip what Xia Hongsheng needed three trips to move.

"Ergou, sit down and rest for a bit. I'll go cook some food. You must be hungry after the long walk," Xia Hongsheng said, turning to go to the kitchen.

"Xia... Brother! There's no need for you to do it!" Ergou quickly stopped Xia Hongsheng, turning to his wife and shouting, "Shame on you! Where have you been? Men don't cook, what are you waiting for?"

The woman quickly ran to the kitchen, but Xia Hongsheng got there first. "I'll do it. My sister-in-law has already told you that the food stall is short-handed, and I need to study. She can't manage alone. I've prepared everything, and your wife might not know how to cook it. I'll teach you later. Today, I'll do it."

After much persuasion, Xia Hongsheng finally managed to get them to sit back in the yard. The ingredients were already prepared. It was simple: slicing some pancakes, making a few bowls of mutton soup, and stir-frying a plate of mutton to eat with the pancakes. Unfortunately, there was no cumin, which would have made it even better. Xia Hongsheng remembered that cumin came from the south, possibly from India, and was later introduced to Central China via the Western Regions. Unfortunately, there were no foreign merchants in Luozhou, so he couldn't find any.

Ergou and his wife were not well-off and rarely ate meat. The mutton soup and mutton pancakes were a treat for them. They ate two large bowls each, stopping only when they felt embarrassed, apologizing for eating too much. They said that their sister's life was not easy, and the mutton must have cost a lot. The more they talked, the more guilty they felt. Xia Hongsheng tried to reassure them, but they wouldn't listen. They even went to the house to fetch the things they had brought, intending to sell them to buy meat. Xia Hongsheng was at a loss, but he finally managed to stop them by showing them the pot, which still had plenty of meat left. Seeing this, they finally believed him and sat down again. Their child, who had been happily eating, stopped when he saw his father's reaction, looking at the mutton and soup with longing but obediently stopping.

Xia Hongsheng felt sorry for the child and went back to the house to cut some braised pork and make a few meat sandwiches. He brought them out.

"I and my sister-in-law are all we have. She raised me and treated me like a son. You are her brother, so we are family. Now that our situation is improving and the food stall is doing well, eat to your heart's content. We can have meat three times a day if we want!" Xia Hongsheng put the sandwiches on the table and forced them into their hands, looking like he would be angry if they didn't eat.

The child immediately started eating happily, and under Xia Hongsheng's insistence, Ergou and his wife also started eating. After one bite, Ergou's eyes widened. "Xia... Brother, is this pork?"

Xia Hongsheng nodded with a smile. "Yes, it's pork."

"I... I've eaten pork a few times, and it always tasted like it was cooked in urine. But this is so good!" Ergou said, wide-eyed.

Xia Hongsheng burst out laughing. "Cooked in urine, huh? That's quite an imagination."

The woman blushed and pushed her husband. Seeing her embarrassment and Xia Hongsheng's smile, he realized his mistake and scratched his head. "I'm a rough man, and I speak roughly. Xia... Brother, I'm a scholar, I'm sorry!"

"Ha, Ergou, your words may be rough, but they are true. If not prepared properly, pork can indeed taste like it was cooked in... well, you know. But my method is different. By removing the bad flavors, the pork becomes a delicious dish. Not many people know how to do this. Ergou, how do you find the food today?"

"I've never eaten anything better!" Ergou shook his head. "I don't know about other foods, but this is the best meal I've had since I was born!"

"Ergou, I'm sure my sister-in-law has told you that we need your help with the food stall. Business is good, and she can't manage alone. We won't take your labor for granted. I'll teach you and your wife how to make these dishes. You and your wife will work with my sister-in-law, and we'll share the profits. My family will take 70%, and your family will take 30%. This ratio will never change, no matter how big the business grows. Even if my sister-in-law and I move away from Luozhou, we'll leave the stall to you. I have only one condition."

"We can't accept that. We can't take the money. Your sister and you have been kind to us, giving us a job and food. We'll work hard to repay your kindness. If we take the money, it wouldn't be right," Ergou said firmly.

Xia Hongsheng looked at Ergou and smiled. "This is a decision my sister-in-law and I have made. We won't change it. My condition is that, no matter how much money we make or lose, you must stay honest and never let money corrupt your character. Do you understand?"

Ergou looked at Xia Hongsheng in surprise, but his wife was quick to react. She pulled him up and bowed to Xia Hongsheng.