Jiang Fan walked into Qinxiang Tea House with someone and threw a bag of money to the waiter.
"I'll treat the brothers to a cup of tea."
"Yes, please sit down, Captain Jiang, at this table."
"I won't sit down anymore," Jiang Fan said, "Is Shopkeeper Yan upstairs? I'll go up and wish her a happy new year."
"The shopkeeper is not upstairs, he seems to be in the backyard."
Jiang Fan then walked to the backyard and saw Yan Yunyun wiping his hair on the porch...
She had obviously just freshened up and was not wearing a mask. When she met Jiang Fan, she deliberately turned the burned side of her face towards him.
"How come Team Leader Jiang is free to come here? If you come here to ask for official expenses, you should go to my brother yourself. Nowadays, you have to follow the rules for doing things."
"Hey, I'm just here to have a cup of tea. What are your plans for the New Year's Eve dinner today?"
"Go to the county government office to reunite with my father and brother."
"I'm so envious that you go to the county government every year to celebrate the New Year." Jiang Fan said with a smile: "There are a lot of thieves during the Chinese New Year, and the fast class is too busy. Please ask me for help. It's late at night before you have time to see Brother Bao.
Drink two jugs."
Yan Yunyun was too lazy to listen to what he said later, and said casually: "If you are jealous, go to my father, and you can be my godson."
"How can I have the fate to be so high up on Mr. Han? It would be great for me to be a godson to Mr. Yi Ning."
Yan Yunyun smiled and said: "So you took off your pants and faced my brother?"
Jiang Fan was stunned and said hurriedly: "Why can't this matter be solved? Don't get me wrong... It's not that..."
"I don't care about you. Go away and stop making noise like this." Yan Yunyun turned around and returned to the house.
Jiang Fan stood stupidly in the courtyard, scratched his head, sighed in annoyance, and returned to the teahouse.
"Team leader, just now Matchmaker Luo came from the front and said she wanted to arrange a marriage for you. Hey... the daughter of Yuan Yuan's wife's family, a very wealthy family."
"Go aside and don't bother me."
"It's Chinese New Year, why is the class leader still cursing people, drinking water, drinking water?"
"Put it away, can this plain water taste like tea?"
When Yan Yunyun arrived at the county government office, he first went to the public house and saw Han Qian still sitting there busy.
"It's the Chinese New Year, but my brother doesn't even take a break?"
Han Qi'an didn't even raise his head and said: "Now that we have more staff, if the county affairs still need Alang to worry about, I will be derelict in my duty... By the way, you sold salt well last month."
"It's winter, and there are a lot of people making pickles. In the coming year, I'll just say, I won't fight, and I'll show my brother what I can do."
"I'm afraid a war is about to start, but since it's business, don't hesitate to reach out when it's time."
"In that case, how many people will your brother help kill?" Yan Yunyun sat down next to Han Qi'an and said lightly, "That salt merchant in Xuzhou did something dirty to my people."
"Dead?"
"Well, two people died and two hundred catties of salt were lost."
Han Qi'an nodded and said: "I know, it's the Chinese New Year that comes here to talk about this kind of thing."
"It's booming."
Han Qi'an obviously did not intend to let the other party pass the first grade of junior high school. He left the public house and recruited a clerk and said, "Help me find Team Leader Jiang to come over."
He turned back to the public room and heard Yan Yunyun say: "The man named Jiang is interested in me, brother, I need to give him a beating."
"Let me ask A Lang. If A Lang agrees with you and Jiang Fan..."
"I'm not worthy." Yan Yunyun smiled and said, "Let's go have New Year's Eve dinner."
When I arrived at the backyard, I saw Han Qiaoer running over carrying a small basket.
"Father."
"Walk slower, and my daughter's house should be quieter... Have Mr. Li and the others arrived?"
"Here we are, chatting with my grandfather in the lobby."
Han Qian nodded and went to the lobby.
Han Qiaoer just turned to Yan Yunyun and said, "Auntie is here? It's fun to tell you that the landlord is going to Mr. Yang's house for the New Year dinner."
"How did the owner's book pass?"
"Mr. Yang sent someone to invite you."
Yan Yunyun said: "It seems that Mr. Yang is very good at doing things. I should learn from him."
"Shall we go to the landlord's house to dig bamboo? Look, there is a large bamboo garden across the wall."
"Can you go there?"
Han Qiao'er nodded and said, "Brother Li and Sister Gao are going too. The concierge will let us pass."
Yan Yunyun hesitated for a moment and said, "Then you go ahead. I brought some New Year's goods and put them in the kitchen first."
"All right."
Han Qiao'er didn't force anything. After waiting here for a while, she saw Li Xia and Gao Mingyue changing clothes and coming over.
"Let's go."
Gao Mingyue asked: "Is it really okay if we dig bamboo from the landlord's house?"
Li Xia said: "Those are bamboos owned by the county government, not owned by the homeowner."
Han Qiaoer said: "But the landlord really likes that bamboo garden. Last time he and his grandfather recited Dongpo's poem, 'You can eat without meat, but you can't live without bamboo. Without meat, you will be thin, and without bamboo, you will be vulgar.
...'"
Li Xia said: "Bamboo is the meat of the little bamboo bear. Without bamboo, it will be thin."
Gao Mingyue and Han Qiaoer both pursed their lips and smiled.
"Brother Li, why is Bamboo Bear so fat despite being a vegetarian?"
"..."
"Shall I make this fish?"
In the kitchen, Li Zhaocheng walked in, took a look, and finally felt itchy hands. He pointed at the fish on the table and said to the two cooks: "I think you plan to steam it, but this kind of crucian carp is not suitable for steaming.
How about making some fish soup and some fish meal?"
He was not very satisfied with the cooks in Li Xia's family. They only knew how to steam and cook, and there were already several boiled dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner.
How about he start cooking some good dishes.
As for the auxiliary ingredients, Li Zhaocheng had already brought them. He sent the two cooks to fetch water, sharpened the kitchen knives and started to work, humming a song unconsciously.
"There is no reason for Zhangjiazhai to make him carry the stone with his legs. The two saints are still unable to save themselves, and they are building a mortuary tower..."
When he turned around, he suddenly saw a figure standing aside, and Li Zhaocheng was startled.
"Ah? Aunt Yan from the Han family?"
Yan Yunyun was a little unhappy after hearing this, and said: "Is this song hummed by the Mr. Li family a bit slanderous to the imperial court?"
Li Zhaocheng smiled shyly and said: "I like to go to restaurants to eat food and listen to other people's singing. It's fun. I've learned it. Don't talk about it."
Seeing his smile, Yan Yunyun lost some of his anger, put down the New Year's goods in his hand, and asked, "Why is Li Langjun cooking?"
“I like cooking.”
"It smells really good."
Li Zhaocheng lowered his head to handle the fish again and said, "I thought you also wanted to say 'a gentleman is far away from the cook'."
"You often cook? Why are your hands so beautiful?"
"Just be careful not to cut your hands. Do you want to wash your hands? Can I get you a cup of warm water?"
"No need... By the way, Li Langjun and A Lang are related?"
Li Zhaocheng remained calm and asked: "Why do you ask like that?"
"I find it strange that the talented Mr.
Yan Yunyun's words were quite sharp. But Li Zhaocheng just smiled gently and said: "That's not true. My family suffered a disaster and I was sheltered by Li Zhixian."
"I see, I'm overthinking it. I asked my brother before and he told me not to pry."
Li Zhaocheng said: "It's just a lowly family. I only hope to open a restaurant in the future."
Yan Yunyun relaxed a lot and said with a smile: "I am in the same situation. I am protected by Alang and I just want to open a teahouse."
"Are we both from the end of the world? Help me get the ginger..."
After a while, the fish came out of the pot and the aroma started to rise...
For this New Year's Eve dinner, there were so many family members in Li Zhixian that they couldn't fit at one table, so they divided the table between men and women.
Ashayu hated eating with too many people and wanted to stay away, but was ordered back by Li Xia.
It was rare for Li Xia to teach others a lesson. This time when he went to Lingxiao City, he was scolded by Yi Shiying and he imitated Yi Shiying's tone.
"I don't care if you are a human or a ghost, even if you are a ghost, you still have to sit down and eat for me tonight."
"Pluto doesn't like to eat with these people either."
"No...I quite like it."
Asha had no choice but to reluctantly walk into the hall and sit down next to Gao Mingyue.
She smelled the cup in front of her, showing a puzzled expression. Without waiting for others to sit down, she raised her cup and took a sip, then nodded clearly.
"Peach syrup, is it delicious?" Yan Yunyun smiled and said, "The husband of the Li family made it."
Asha didn't like her, so she didn't answer. She just kept picking up the food, and after taking a bite, she felt a little confused.
Today's dishes are obviously much more delicious than the usual lighter ones.
…
Li Xia sat in the main seat, and everyone including Li Yong sat below him.
Even though they are father and son, they both accept this seating arrangement peacefully.
But Li Xia is not as lively as Jiang Chun, so this year's New Year's Eve dinner is much more boring than last year.
He only planned to finish eating quickly, go to the camp to accompany the soldiers in the garrison, and then come back earlier.
In addition, the food is not bad... He just doesn't like sweets and is willing to eat light. It doesn't mean that he can't taste something delicious.
"Thank you so much to the Han and Li families, and Taoist Master Hao for taking care of me this year. I'd like to toast you all."
Li Yong smiled and said: "Since we celebrate the New Year together, we are one family, and one family does not speak the same language as the other."
Han Chengxu smiled and said: "Mr. Li is right, Alang is out of sight."
"To celebrate the festival today, you don't need to regard me as the county magistrate, just as a junior. I am a boring person, so you can just joke and laugh, don't be restrained."
The atmosphere was obviously not as lively as Li Xia's. Everyone in the hall looked at each other and became even more silent.
It was Liu Susu who dared to joke and said with a smile: "Don't be embarrassed to know the county. The young couple are newlyweds and are eager to finish the New Year's Eve dinner early... and propose a toast."
Then everyone laughed.
Yan Yunyun stood up and said: "If you ask me, don't mention the war tonight. Anyone who does will be fined a drink. I will come up with some business riddles. Anyone who can't guess will also be fined a drink."
The atmosphere became lively. Li Xia turned around and saw Gao Mingyue looking at him. The two looked at each other. Gao Mingyue nodded, expressing that he wanted to guess the riddle.
Li Xia smiled slightly...then the concierge came running.
"Magistrate, someone is here to visit. He is a member of the army. He is injured. He seems to have come all the way..."
Nie Zhongyou led Lin Zi through the door, turned around and saw Li Xia striding towards him, he couldn't help but grinned and smiled apologetically.
"I promised to congratulate you, but I'm late."
"It's not too late, the New Year hasn't passed yet."
"ha……"
Nie Zhongyou strode forward, gave Li Xia a bear hug, and laughed.
"I didn't bring any congratulatory gifts. It's fine if I owe you."
Li Xia patted Lin Zi's back, pulled the two of them, and said, "Take care of the injury first and then we'll talk. Where did you get injured?"
"The reinforcements at Kuzhu Pass were intercepted by Wang Dechen's troops. I only have twenty days to rest and recuperate..."
"Bitter Bamboo Pass? Why is there a war at this time?"
"This year is a little different from usual. The Mongolian army in Lizhou is coming very fiercely... Also, Niulin is afraid that he will attack Xuzhou soon. I'm going to be quick. The news should arrive in the next few days..."
Li Xia turned around and saw her family members coming out of the hall. They all looked at Nie Zhongyou with worries in their eyes.
…
Yan Yunyun had just said, "Whoever mentions the war will be punished with one drink," but she did not dare to let the man in front of her who kept talking about the war be punished with many drinks.
She and Han Qi'an looked at each other, worried about the salt business they just launched.
In any case, the lively atmosphere of this Chinese New Year was suddenly interrupted...