That night, it started to rain in Beijing, and it continued until the fifth day of April, with no intention of stopping.
The sky was so gray that people couldn't muster the energy to do anything. With the constant "pattering" like this, problems were exposed in the newly purchased house of the Li family.
Water began to accumulate in several yards, and the stables in the backyard were even muddy.
This house had been empty before they moved in. After buying it, nothing else was touched except for setting up kangs for the main rooms of each courtyard. Now the problem emerged. Although there was not much water accumulation, it could not be ignored. Li Zhong called for Lai Shun.
Xi, Shuangxi, and Tianma put on their raincoats and did some simple cleaning.
Cheng Xue held up an umbrella uneasily and went over to check, telling them to pay attention to their safety. Shunxi and the others were fine, they were young, and Li Zhong was in his forties, so a fall would definitely be too much.
"Don't worry, madam, we will pay attention to safety. It won't be a big problem for Tiandong to find someone to dig the canal again after the rain stops."
"Okay, I'll listen to you. Just do it when the weather clears. You must take your time and wake up when there is no accumulation of water. Don't stay in the rain for too long, as you may catch a cold easily."
"Thank you, madam."
Li Zhong and the four of them have been busy all morning. Cheng Xue has ordered people to prepare enough hot water and ginger soup, and specially added several dishes for them for lunch.
Even though the capital is warm, it can still be cold on rainy days, so don’t be careless.
That afternoon, when Li Hui's master and servant came back, it rained again.
Tiandong parked the carriage and came to the front yard. He saw his father talking to his wife and shouted "Dad" excitedly. Realizing that his behavior was inappropriate, he hurriedly confessed to Cheng Xue.
"It's normal to be excited when you see your father. If you look at the two in my family, they're both hanging on their father's lap."
Tiandong turned around after hearing this. When he saw Li Tian and Li Huai hanging on Li Hui, he scratched his head in embarrassment and said:
"Madam, I am several years older than the young ladies and gentlemen!"
"No matter how old you are, you are still a child in front of your father. Go talk to your father quickly, and I will cook."
After saying that, he stood up and walked to him and patted his shoulder. His father could only stay for a few days. If he didn't hurry up and wait for someone to leave, it would be too late to regret.
"Dad, are you tired from going to the military camp? Is it hard? Can you eat enough?"
How else could I say that my daughter is a caring little cotton-padded jacket!
Look at the questions asked in this series, even a stone-hearted person must be soft-hearted, let alone Li Hui, who dotes on his daughter.
He picked up the child, kissed her twice on the face, and replied:
"The military camp is not easy, but dad can bear it because he is a man! He must be full after eating. How fast dad eats."
"Dad, don't eat too fast, it's bad for your appetite." Li Yue reminded him softly.
Li Hui nodded with a smile and said with a great attitude:
"Okay, Dad, pay attention next time."
Cheng Xue came to the kitchen, and everything was already prepared. Everything that should be steamed, boiled, fried, and smoked was all available. She expected them to come back today, but she didn't expect it to be so late.
"Madam, I'll make a fire with Bai Zian."
Cheng Xue put on her apron and started cooking with a "hmm" sound.
The three of them were very efficient. When Cheng Xuet brought the last dish into the room, Li Hui and all five children sat at the table waiting for her.
Li Huai excitedly pointed at the smoked chicken and highly recommended:
"Dad, today's smoked chicken was specially mentioned to my mother. Last time my mother made it, my father didn't even eat enough, right? Really?"
On the third day they came to Beijing, Cheng Xue made it once. After eating the smoked chicken she made, the family never went to the store to buy it again.
Li Hui knew what he was planning, so he took off the two chicken legs and gave one to each of the girls. Of course, Li Huai must be unhappy, but he did not have an attack, but looked at his sister pitifully. But this time, Li Yue still didn't
Instead of giving it to him, he put the chicken legs in his father's bowl with his backhand.
When Li Tian saw her sister doing this, she also put the taste of chicken drumsticks in Cheng Xue's mouth. Upon seeing this, Li Huai immediately removed the chicken wings and put them naturally into the bowls of his sisters.
He is greedy, but he knows when to be willful and when to show off.
Cheng Xue and Li Hui looked at each other, and the two raised their mouths in tacit understanding, picked up their chopsticks and ate the chicken legs.
Children are filial and cannot but be appreciated.
It is the greatest respect for the cook to eat all the dishes on the table until the end.
Li Huai put down his chopsticks, patted his belly, and said:
"My mother's cooking is delicious, and I can eat well. I want to go out for a walk to eat, who will come with me?"
After the words fell, Li Tian immediately echoed:
"There's me, I'll go too. Brother, will you go? Let's eat together."
Li Heng nodded when he heard this, quickly cleaned the leftover rice in the bowl, and put down his chopsticks.
It's still raining outside, but it can't stop the children's enthusiasm to go out to "eat".
Cheng Xue looked at the four people left at the table, smiled and said to Yan Yixin:
"Go ahead, hurry up and ask whatever you want. Tomorrow your uncle will enter the palace and he won't be able to ask you questions for half a month."
Yan Yixin smiled sheepishly and saw that Li Hui had already stood up and left, so he followed. Li Yue put down his chopsticks and went out to tell Bai Zhi and Ging Guo to go to the kitchen to boil water and make ginger soup.
It's said to be "eating" but it's actually just playing with water. The spring rain is still cold, so we can't let them play with typhoid fever.
Cheng Xue is not worried about this. Firstly, it is children's nature to play in water. Secondly, several children in the family do morning exercises and are in good physical condition.
Standing on the porch and listening to the sound of rain, this is obviously the rhythm of "close the door and rain for the next night" again. I hope it will be sunny tomorrow, but there are still a lot of things to do.
After going back to the room and washing up, I sat at the table and continued my unfinished business.
The day after the construction of the two shops in the west and north of the city started, Mrs. Bai came to the house. She planned to finish the business of shabu-shabu and then think about shabu-shabu. Who would have thought that Mrs. Bai was more anxious than she was. She came directly to the house to block people and got straight to the point.
She said she wanted to open the business as soon as possible, so that day she went to the shop on Bai's Main Street to check out the terrain despite the rain.
As Lian said, the shop is very large and the location is excellent. There is no obstruction at all on the east side of the shop, and the view is amazing.
To entertain women in such a good place, it is natural that it should be high-end and elegant.
Lian also told her not to think about money, just go ahead and do it.
Guarding her two thick legs, she let her hands go completely without any scruples. But she would never waste anything that could be replaced. After all, she was a contestant who could break a penny into a three-petaled flower. Her drawings were average but her aesthetics was top-notch, over there in the east of the city.
The workers in the shop have a tacit understanding with her. As long as she expresses what she wants, the craftsmen can complete it.
It was already the beginning of Xu Shi when Li Hui returned to his room, and everyone on Cheng Xue's side went to the kang to rest.
In this rainy season, the bed will easily get damp, but the heated kang will not.
Dry, warm, sleep soundly.
"When do you leave tomorrow? I'll make dumplings for you early in the morning."
"It's time that Xiao Qinglin came to pick me up." After Li Hui finished speaking, he got on the kang, hugged me and said, "Get ready. After the imperial examination, we will become a real couple."