Chapter 27
Hurry Up and Make Sauce
Li Yu and Zhaodi carried the bamboo plaque into the kitchen and said to Li Mei, who was choosing vegetables, “Aunt, we still have to order a batch of small jars. I think it’s best if we can make a mark on the jars to let others know that the pickled vegetables belong to our family.”
Li Mei looked at Li Yu in confusion. “Mark? What kind of mark?”
“It’s just like the Ji Shi Hall that accepted us. The name Ji Shi Hall is the mark of his family. I think we’ll name it.” Li Yu turned around. “It’ll be Li Ji Sauce.”
Li Mei shook her head. “That won’t do. There are so many people with the surname Li in the world. Why don’t we name it “Qingyu”!”
“Qingyu Sauce.” Li Yu read it and felt that it was convenient. “That’s fine too. It’s best if you can find someone to help write it out and draw two chili peppers for the pottery workshop to duplicate.”
Li Mei thought for a moment. “I still have to paint. Should I ask Zhou Xiucai, Ah Qing’s teacher?”
“Alright, if he doesn’t agree, we’ll think of a way. You and Uncle can drive the ox cart together and collect some vegetables from East Mountain Village.”
Li Yu thought to himself, If Mr. Zhou doesn’t agree, I can only do this.
Li Mei called Liu Changmin, who was building an ox barn, and the two of them drove the ox cart towards East Mountain Village Academy.
When Li Mei arrived at the school, she saw a cheerful-looking young man standing at the entrance. She went forward and asked with a smile, “Little brother, has Mr. Zhou finished his class?”
Ji Xiang smiled at Li Mei. “My young master’s class isn’t over yet. Auntie, what’s the matter?”
Li Mei hesitated. “I want Mr. Zhou to help me write a few words and draw two chili peppers.”
Draw two chili peppers, thought Ji Xiang, wide-eyed. What does that mean?
“Auntie, what do you mean? I don’t understand.”
“My niece made sauces to sell. She named it Qingyu Sauce and wanted to ask you to help write it out and draw two chili peppers. I’ll take it so that the burner can be burned on it as it is.”
Ji Xiang understood now. “Oh! Just a name. Wait for me to ask for you.”
“Alright, thank you, Little Brother.”
After a while, Ji Xiang came out and waved at Li Mei. “Auntie, come in! Young Master has agreed.”
Ji Xiang led Li Mei to the classroom and pointed inside. “My young master is inside. You can go in!”
Seeing that the children had all finished class and there were only a few children in the classroom, Li Mei walked in and bowed to Zhou Jia. “Thank you, Mr. Zhou.”
Zhou Jia nodded gently. “You have to write a name called Qingyu. May I know which word you want to write?”
“Qing is Li Qing’s Qing. Yu is Li Yu’s Yu. This name uses Ah Qing and Yu’er’s names.”
Zhou Jia was a little troubled when he heard that. He thought to himself, This auntie can’t read. I know which represents “Qing” in Li Qing, but how do I know which “Yu” Li Yu is?
At this moment, Li Qing walked in from outside. When he saw Li Mei, he said in surprise, “Aunt, why are you here?”
Li Mei quickly pulled Li Qing over. “Ah Qing, quickly tell Mister which “Yu” is used in your sister’s name.”
Li Qing was confused by Li Mei, but he still went forward and said to Zhou Jia, “Sir, I know how my sister’s Yu character is written.”
“Write it down for me to see.” After Zhou Jia got Li Qing to write it down, he helped write down the name of the Qingyu Sauce dish and drew two chili peppers beside it.
“Thank you, Mr. Zhou.” Li Mei bowed to Zhou Jia and walked out of the classroom with Li Qing.
Li Qing only understood after asking. After the aunt and niece agreed to go home together, Li Mei went to the pottery workshop.
Li Yu made Zhaodi cut the peas into pieces as long as her pinky finger.
Li Yu cut a basin of peas and sprinkled salt on them before rubbing them hard. After the peas were seasoned, she poured them into the sauce vat and continued to marinate the next basin.
Li Yu and Zhaodi only came out halfway after Li Mei, his wife, and Li Qing returned home.
Li Mei took out a piece of paper and handed it to Li Yu. She looked at the words written on it with admiration. “Mr. Zhou is the knowledgeable one. Look at how well this is written. The chili is drawn as if it’s real.”
Li Yu took it and took a look. Although she didn’t understand, the handwriting did look good. “Yes, I’ll give him two jars of pickled vegetables in the future.”
Seeing that Li Yu was satisfied and felt proud, Li Qing smiled and said to Li Yu, “Sister, I gave the pickled vegetables to Sir. Sir said thank you.”
Li Mei brought the food to the table. “Alright, let’s eat first. We still have work to do!”
After dinner, everyone split up. Li Mei and her husband went out to collect vegetables and came to help with the selection. Everyone split up and worked together.
Li Yu and Zhaodi were busy until it was almost dark before they marinated the pickled vegetables and chili separately and put them into the sauce vat.
Li Mei and Liu Changmin had collected a full cart of chili, peas, and vegetables, as well as some onions, ginger, and garlic. They had worked through the night to pick them all out.
The next day, Li Mei and her husband continued to go out to collect vegetables. After Li Yu fried the ginger and garlic onions in boiling oil, she scooped them out and poured the chili into the oil pot to fry.
After the chili was fried and cooled, it was scooped into the sauce jar along with the oil. Together with the peanuts, sesame, large ingredients, white sugar, and white wine, they were poured into the sauce jar and mixed. They sealed the sauce jar with oilcloth and moved it into the empty room. When the jars arrived, they were distributed. Li Yu counted this batch and made more than ten jars.
Li Yu looked at the beancurd covered by the pumpkin leaves and realized that a layer of white fluff had already grown. It seemed that it had begun to ferment. Li Yu covered the pumpkin leaves back and returned to the kitchen to continue working.
The few of them worked hard. On the day before the Zhongyuan Festival, Li Yu and Li Mei’s family had already made 70 to 80 jars of pea sauce and 40 to 50 jars of vegetable sauce.
Li Yu looked at the sauces in the central room and the wing room and sighed in satisfaction. If these sauces were sold out, there would be more than a hundred taels of silver. When the grains were harvested, she could buy some food and store them slowly.
On the day of the Zhongyuan Festival, Li Mei’s family returned to East Mountain Village. Li Yu and Li Qing were at home performing sacrifices.
In the afternoon, Li Yu made some dishes and wine. She burned paper money with Li Qing and worshiped the Li family’s parents and ancestors.
Li Yu secretly said to the Host in her heart, “Li Yu, don’t worry! I’ll treat Ah Qing as my biological brother. I hope that you can reincarnate in the society of my previous life and be a carefree woman.”
After the siblings washed up, Li Yu checked the front and back doors. Just as she was about to rest, she heard Li Mei calling the door.
Li Yu hurriedly ran to open the courtyard door and saw Li Mei and her family standing at the door dejectedly.
When Laidi saw Li Yu, she complained, “Cousin, is there any food? I’m starving. We didn’t even eat dinner.”
Li Mei patted her. “Today is the Zhongyuan Festival. Don’t die, okay?”
Li Yu smiled and pulled Laidi into the house. “Aunt, come in quickly. There’s food.”
Li Qing hurriedly brought Li Mei into the house. Zhaodi followed Li Yu to the kitchen. Zhaodi said angrily, “Grandma and the two uncles didn’t even cook for us. The two aunts are still being sarcastic.”
Li Yu advised, “Don’t argue with them. It’s not worth it to anger yourself.”
After Li Mei’s family finished eating, Li Yu and her brother rested again.