stingy landlady

Chapter 91 Li Shi Goes Out (3)

After selecting the fabric for the quilt, Li began choosing materials and styles for the clothes. Since a tailor was available, she naturally chose novel designs that she found troublesome to make herself.

While still in mourning, Li was advised against wearing bright red, so she chose a light blue silk dress embroidered with lotus flowers for herself. She also had a light blue, narrow-sleeved, double-breasted long gown made for Dazhu.

I specially made a dark blue robe with a floral pattern for the old man.

Gui Xiang chose a sky-blue embroidered fish short shirt, while Gui Ling, who liked pink, made a peach-pink embroidered butterfly short shirt.

Choose a crimson horse-face skirt for Guihong and a jade green horse-face skirt for Guizhi.

After choosing the clothes and paying the money, Li felt a little pained, but perhaps that's a common female tendency. The money was gone, and she was in an extremely good mood.

The three of them went to the Linglang Pavilion again. Li picked out a plum blossom hairpin. Gui Xiang and Gui Hong chose the same style of silver hairpin with cloud patterns. Gui Zhi and Gui Ling chose a butterfly-shaped coral hair ornament.

Li held Guiling in her arms, while Guixiang tightly clutched the newly bought jewelry box with a floral and bird painting. The hairpins, hair ornaments, and other hair accessories she had just bought were all inside.

Gui Xiang said to Li Shi:

"Mom! That's enough for today! We're not going anywhere! Let's hurry and find Grandpa and the others!"

Li was satisfied. "Let's go! Let's take a look among the plants!"

Upon reaching the woods, Guizhi and Guihong were washing the food box. There was a well here, making it easy to fetch water; after washing it clean, they placed it neatly on the kang (heated brick bed).

Guizhi said to the old man:

"Grandpa! We're coming here tomorrow morning to make dumplings, and we'll cook and sell our dishes here."

Guizhi wants to open a fast-food restaurant like those in the South. She'll prepare the rice and stir-fry various dishes, placing them in individual bowls, and customers can choose whichever they want. Of course, the prices will be different.

If you want to eat only meat dishes, the price will be relatively higher. If you want a meal with a mix of meat and vegetables like a boxed lunch, then it will be limited to one meat dish, two vegetable dishes, and one serving of rice.

The old man looked around and asked:

"Have your father and mother discussed this? There's nothing here!"

Just then, Li came in carrying a jewelry box, and Gui Xiang carried Gui Ling on her back, looking very pleased with herself.

Gui Hong wiped her hands and went to pick up Gui Ling, who was tired from shopping. After her excitement wore off, she fell asleep on her older sister's lap.

"It's exhausting! When Guiling is awake, it's alright; we can hold her hand and walk with her for a while! But when she's asleep, we have to take turns carrying her on our backs and in our arms! She's so heavy!"

Li placed the jewelry box on the table, rubbing her arm while looking around at the plants.

The mealtime had long passed. The few tables and chairs that remained were still neatly arranged.

A heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) is placed at the very back, with a large pot underneath, so you can boil water, cook soup, or cook rice anytime!

The house is divided in the middle by a fire wall. There is a small stove for boiling water in winter. When the fire wall is heated, the doors and windows are closed, and the room becomes warmer.

It's hot in the summer, but with the doors and windows open, it's still cool because the space is spacious!

Guizhi placed the washed food box on the kang (a heated brick bed). Apart from a water bucket, a water ladle, and a basin, there was nothing else.

"This food box can't be left on the kang (heated brick bed)! We need to get Carpenter Xu to make a frame for it when we get back. It'll look neater with the food box inside."

"We'll be cooking here tomorrow, so I need to go buy a small wok, spoons, spatulas; a basin for washing vegetables; a knife; a cutting board; a cutting board; and a rolling pin."

Li began counting on her fingers, thinking and calculating one by one.

"We also need to buy rice and flour. Oh, we don't need to buy flour; we can just get it from home!"

Firewood, rice, oil, salt, and firewood were brought over by a family oxcart!

We also need to buy things like oil and salt.

I'm telling you guys, don't just mutter things to yourselves. Everyone's thinking, "What if I missed something?"

Li's eyes were bright, and her face was flushed with excitement. She spoke with an air of authority, quite like a matriarch!

This trip out has been surprisingly eventful!

"Wash the vegetables at home tomorrow and bring them over. Just rinse them with water. Washing them all here makes the floor wet and difficult to work on."

The pork will be fresh if we buy it tomorrow morning! As for chicken, Guizhi, do we still have any ducks at home? Let's not buy chickens now, let's use your ducks instead, and slaughter one duck every day for now!

When Guizhi was called upon, she quickly stood up, bowed deeply, and replied:

"Yes, madam! Your daughter is happy to serve you! It is an honor for the duck to be valued by you!"

Li was taken aback, while her daughters beside her burst into laughter. When Li finally came to her senses, she pointed at Guizhi and couldn't speak for a long time!

After a long while, he laughed and scolded:

"You brat! Even your own mother is teasing you!"

The old man laughed heartily and said:

"It's getting late! Let's go buy what we need today! The carriage is ready, let's hurry up and go!"

Gui Xiang sat down, unwilling to move.

"Mother! I'm not going. Guiling and I will stay here and watch the house! Let Second Sister and Third Sister go!"

"Come here! Second sister! Hold fourth sister for me! You go with grandpa and mom to buy things!"

After saying that, he sat still and simply stretched out his hands to catch Guiling!

"Mother! Did you bring enough money today?"

Guizhi asked Li Shi in a low voice. Li Shi glanced in the direction of the old man; he was walking towards the carriage. She also whispered:

"Mother brought five silver ingots today! Spend them as much as you want!"

"Mother, have you spent it all?"

Guizhi felt that the Li family had really gone all out and were willing to spend money! To be honest, she would feel the pain if the money was all spent!

"Where? It cost less than twenty taels! But it'll be over soon! I was determined to buy more gold and silver jewelry, but I slacked off once I got there! I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money!"

Li said regretfully.

Guizhi quickly comforted Li:

"Mom! Let's leave it at that for now. You can buy it when you earn more money later! Go to the county town to buy it. This town still doesn't have as many things as the county town."

But deep down I was thinking, I should buy more chicken and duck! Once this fast food restaurant opens, the supply of chicken and duck will definitely be insufficient, so I'll have to spend money to buy them!

With so many girls and boys at home, you can just pick some wild vegetables and feed them with wheat bran as if it were nothing! You don't need to buy feed, just spend a little money on chicks and ducklings!

Guizhi slapped her forehead: Oh! Right, there's also the goose! How could I forget about the goose!

Lost in her own thoughts, Guizhi didn't hear Li calling her name as she walked away. It wasn't until Guihong came and pulled her away that she finally heard Li calling her name.

"What are you thinking about now? I've called you several times! If you don't come running, I'll beat you when I get back!"

Guizhi quickly jogged after him, chuckling to herself.

"Second sister! Mother! I'm thinking of buying more chickens, ducks, and geese! Then we'll sell the ones we raised ourselves! That'll save us so much money! Hehe!"

"You're so greedy! What doesn't require capital? How long can those few chickens and ducks last?"

Besides, there are so many mouths to feed at home!

Gui Hong said indifferently.

After considering it, Mr. Li said:

"Who cares about her! It won't cost much anyway! Guizhi, once you buy chicks, ducklings, and goslings, you have to make sure they're well cared for! If you don't look after them, they'll get wet in the rain and get sick, and that would be the end of it!"