Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

With Cai Quanwu's words when the tavern opened and the sign on the wall that said "10 times compensation for fake products", the tavern's business became a big hit. Because Cai Quanwu firmly believed that honesty was the way to long-term business, he always insisted on selling only authentic Niulanshan Erguotou and selling it to customers at a fair and reasonable price. Many people were willing to come to Cai Quanwu's tavern to taste the authentic and pure Erguotou. It was because of this that the tavern's reputation became better and better, and the tavern became an ideal place for residents near Daqianmen to gather and exchange feelings after dinner.

After the tavern's business was on the right track, He Yuzhu contacted Yangshi Lei again. He Yuzhu asked Yangshi Lei to build a large cellar in the backyard of the tavern, a shed for pickling pickles, and a new stove in accordance with his own house in Qudeng Hutong. In the end, a 30-square-meter, 2-meter-high cellar was built in the backyard of the tavern. The bottom of the cellar was paved with stone slabs, the four sides were built with brick walls, the top was made of wood beams, and stone slabs were laid on top. In order to prevent water leakage, a layer of tarpaulin was laid on the stone slabs.

After the cellar was built, He Yuzhu was ready to pickle cucumbers. He Yuzhu first cleaned the pickle jar with clean water, then scalded it with boiling water, and finally brushed a layer of strong liquor on the inner wall of the pickle jar. After processing the pickle jar, He Yuzhu started to boil water in the large iron pot he bought, and added an appropriate amount of salt after the water boiled. Because salt was not iodized in this era, it could be used directly from the store. Add one-fifth of salt water to each of the 20 pickle jars, and then put pepper, onion, garlic, ginger slices, chili peppers in each jar. In order to enhance the flavor, He Yuzhu also specially added rock sugar.

After the salt water cooled down, He Yuzhu put in the cucumbers and fennel that had been washed and dried in advance. After putting all the cucumbers in, He Yuzhu poured one pound of white vinegar into each large jar, and half a pound of white vinegar into the smaller jars, and finally added the old mother water taken from the kimchi jar in the blessed land. After He Yuzhu filled all the jars with cucumbers, he covered the kimchi jars with lids and added clean water to the sink at the jar mouth.

"Uncle, all the cucumbers have started to soak. You should observe the water in the sink at the mouth of the jar every day. The water in the sink should be kept clean and filled up frequently. In the first two or three days, you should open the lid every day to check the situation inside. If you find that there is mold and taste change in the jar, you can find a clean grape to remove the mold spots, add some salt and a small amount of white wine. When you take the cucumbers out after they are soaked, you must use special chopsticks. Remember that there should be no oil and water on the chopsticks to prevent oil and raw water from entering the jar, otherwise the cucumbers in the jar will not be preserved. By the way, the cucumbers can only be eaten after being pickled for a month. You must remember this. Eating them too early is not good for your health."

"Okay, I'll remember that. I'll find someone to make a few pairs of long chopsticks for me."

"When the pickles in the big jars are good, you can use a strainer to scoop them out. You don't have to use chopsticks. Use the strainer just like chopsticks. Don't let them get stained with oil or raw water. Uncle, I recently got another batch of salted duck eggs and put them in the yard in Qudeng Hutong. Can you bring them back when you have time and sell them in the tavern to see if anyone likes them?"

"Is that the kind you gave me last time? They are so fragrant and have oily yolks. I'll buy them back when I have time. How much do you charge for each one?"

"I'll sell them for 1000 yuan each. I pickled the duck eggs myself. They cost me 700 yuan each when I bought them. Now that I include the ingredients and salt, I'll sell them for 800 yuan each. If they don't sell well, you can keep them for yourself."

"Don't worry, it will definitely sell well. When we first met, you sent me back to the house I rented before. After you left, I took the half bottle of Fenjiu to my neighbor Qiangzi for a drink. I just used 6 salted duck eggs as a snack. Qiangzi praised it highly when he ate it."

"That's good. It doesn't matter if I can't sell them. I was planning to keep some for myself. If there's nothing else for my cousin, I'll leave first. I have other things to do."

"Just go do what you need. I can handle the tavern by myself. If you have something else to do, you don't have to come. Just take care of your own business."

He Yuzhu had just come out of the tavern and not far away he saw a girl leading a child. The two were sitting on the ground hugging each other and crying. He Yuzhu stopped his bicycle curiously and asked.

"Girl, what's wrong with you? What happened to you? Why are you crying on the street in broad daylight?"

The girl raised her head and looked at He Yuzhu with tearful eyes: "Comrade, can you find me a place to eat? I can work."

"Girl, can you please tell me slowly what happened? From your accent, you don't sound like a native of Beijing. Eat a piece of candy first to fill your stomach." He Yuzhu took out two pieces of candy from his pocket and handed them to the girl. Although the girl's face looked dirty, she still looked very pretty.

The girl took the candy, peeled one and put it into the child's mouth, but she couldn't bear to eat the other one and put it in her pocket.

"Thank you. I came from Anhui Province. There was a big flood in our area last summer. My father and mother were washed away by the flood. Only my brother and I were left. My uncle was in Sijiu City, so I brought my brother and begged all the way to Sijiu City to find my uncle. As a result, I came for several days and couldn't find him."

"There was a flood, but the government didn't do anything? I remember the newspaper saying that the government organized disaster relief."

"The government took care of it and organized disaster relief. But I can't always rely on the government. How can a woman like me support my brother and me in my hometown? Our house was washed away by the flood and we don't even have a place to live. So I wanted to come to Sijiucheng to find my uncle and see if I could find a job there. But after I got here, I didn't expect that Sijiucheng is so big that I didn't know where to find my uncle. I couldn't find him even after asking around."

"Girl, how old are you?"

"I am 19 years old and my brother is 10 years old."

"To be honest, it's hard for you to find a job as a girl taking care of a child, or even if you don't have a child. How about I give you some money and you should go back to your hometown."

"My brother and I will starve to death if we go back. If nothing else, please help me find someone to marry. I will marry him as long as he doesn't mind me bringing my brother with me and is willing to support him."

"Girl, have you really made up your mind? If I really find a man for you, are you really willing to marry him, even if he is a few years older than you?" He Yuzhu heard the girl's words and thought of his cousin Cai Quanwu, who was still a bachelor and just the right man.

"Well, as long as he lets me take care of my brother and doesn't separate him from me, I'm willing to do anything, even if he's a few years older or a cripple or blind."

"Then come with me. My cousin doesn't have a wife yet. Besides being a little older than you, don't worry. He's definitely a good man. By the way, what's your name?"

"My name is Su Xiulian and my brother is Su Shaoan."

He Yuzhu led Su Xiulian back to the tavern. When they reached the door, He Yuzhu said to Su Xiulian, "You two wait for me at the door for a while. I'll go in and talk to my uncle. I'll come out and call you two. Then you can follow me in."

Cai Quanwu looked at He Yuzhu who had returned: "What's wrong, Zhuzi, did something happen? Why did you come back just after you left?"

"Uncle, do you want a wife? If you want a wife, just ask and I'll bring her to you."

He Yuzhu remembered the famous joke in later generations and said to Cai Quanwu with a smile.

"Yes, then just send it to me." Cai Quan didn't think He Yuzhu was joking and replied with a smile.

"Uncle, you promised this yourself, don't go back on your word later, just wait for your wedding night tonight."

"Don't be a fool if you get a wife for free." Cai Quanwu said with a smile.

He Yuzhu walked out of the tavern: "Xiu Lian, you and your brother come in with me."

"I have brought you the wife you wanted, cousin. You just promised her with your own mouth, so you can't go back on your word."

Cai Quanwu watched as He Yuzhu really brought a woman in, grabbed He Yuzhu and pulled him aside, lowering his voice and speaking quietly.

"You are kidding me. Where did you find this girl? Send her back to her right away. This is a new society and human trafficking is not allowed. It is illegal and anyone caught will be beheaded."

"Uncle, I'm really not kidding. This girl is fleeing from Anhui Province with her brother. Her parents were washed away by the flood. If you don't marry her, she and her brother will starve to death if they return to their hometown. Of course, if you want to marry her, you have to support her and her brother. This is her condition. I thought that since you don't have a wife yet, marrying her is a good opportunity to save the lives of the sister and brother."

When the woman heard what He Yuzhu and Cai Quanwu were saying, she immediately knelt on the ground and said, "Brother, please be kind and marry me. As long as you don't drive my brother away, we can eat together."

Cai Quanwu looked at the girl kneeling on the ground crying and instantly remembered the miserable days he had lived alone after his mother died. He spoke to the girl out of pity.

"Girl, get up first. I promise you."

When the girl heard Cai Quanwu agreed, she got up from the ground and pulled her brother aside.

"Uncle, take Xiulian and her brother to the backyard first and let them wash. After they are clean, take them to the street office to register their household registration and get the marriage certificate. This is a big deal. Otherwise, it will be troublesome if the street office finds out. I will help you watch the store while you take them there."

Cai Quanwu led Su Xiulian and her brother to the backyard pool, asked them to wash their faces and bodies, and took out his towel and handed it to Su Xiulian. While Cai Quanwu was taking the siblings to the backyard to wash, He Yuzhu poured two bowls of hot water and cut a small plate of garlic sausage, ready for the two to fill their stomachs.

After washing her face, Su Xiulian brought her brother and followed Cai Quanwu to the lobby of the tavern. He Yuzhu looked at Su Xiulian, who looked very delicate after washing her face, and Su Shaoan, who was standing aside, holding his sister's clothes and not daring to speak.

"I think you two haven't had a good meal yet. I cut some garlic sausage. You and your brother can eat a little to fill your stomach and then have a good meal in the evening."

Su Shaoan looked at the garlic sausage on the plate and couldn't help swallowing his saliva, but he didn't dare to leave his sister. Seeing this, He Yuzhu put the plate on the table and handed the chopsticks to Su Xiulian.

"Eat, don't be shy. After you and my cousin get the marriage certificate and hold the wedding, I will have to call you aunt. We will be a family from now on."

Su Xiulian took the chopsticks and pulled her brother to the table, where they sat down and slowly started eating. He Yuzhu brought two bowls of hot water and placed them on the table.

"Uncle, do you know? Last year, the Huaihe River in their hometown flooded. Tens of millions of acres of land in Anhui, Henan, and Jiangsu provinces were flooded, and countless people died. She is a girl with a younger brother. If you don't marry her, I don't know how she and her brother will survive. She is a woman who has no choice but to marry, but what should she do with her younger brother who is so young? How many in-laws are willing to marry a girl with a younger brother? Marrying her is a good deed, and don't blame your nephew for forcing you to marry her."

"Zhu Zi, I don't blame you for forcing you to marry her. If I hadn't met you, I would have nothing in Beijing at my age. Even if I could find a widow, she might not be willing to marry me. Even if I could marry a widow, she would still have to take care of a child. Don't even mention that you found me a virgin girl. I wouldn't have dared to dream of this before. What's wrong with taking care of a child? Her brother is so old and easy to support. Anyway, it's just one more mouth to feed, not a big deal. I also have to thank you for finding me such a beautiful wife. Seeing that she is willing to take care of her brother even in her condition, it shows that she is a kind person. As the saying goes, marry a virtuous woman, not a beautiful one. The family tradition after marrying the girl will not be bad."

"As long as you don't blame me, you two should live a good life and try to have a big fat boy as soon as possible. The brother and sister are almost done eating, so you can take them to the street office to register their household registration and get their marriage certificate together. On your way back, you can stop by the nearby cloth shop to buy some cloth and make them some new clothes. You see, they don't have any decent clothes. Let me take care of the shop first, and you can choose a good day in a few days, and then we can have a lively wedding."

"Forget about the wedding. You and your sister are my only relatives in Sijiu City. We can just have a simple meal together as a family."

"Okay then. Leave the wedding banquet to me. I will make sure it is beautifully arranged for you."

Cai Quanwu saw that the brother and sister had finished eating the garlic sausage and drinking the water in the bowl, so he walked away from them.

"Your name is Xiulian, right? My name is Cai Quanwu. Let me take you and your brother to the street office to register your household registration. But when you register your household registration, you must get a marriage certificate first, otherwise you can't register your household registration. If you don't want to, you can still regret it. I will buy you and your brother a train ticket and give you some money, and you can just go back to your hometown."

"I won't go back to my hometown. I am willing to marry you, Brother Cai. Don't look at me as thin. I am very capable. I help my parents with all the housework in my hometown." Su Xiu Lian immediately began to explain.

So Cai Quanwu rode a three-wheeled cart and took Su Xiu Lian and Su Shao An to the Daqianmen Street Office. After hearing about Su Xiu Lian and Su Shao An's experience, the staff of the Street Office expressed their sympathy. The aunt director of the Street Office heard about their situation and came out of the office to give Cai Quanwu instructions.

"Quan Wu, these siblings are so pitiful, you must treat them well and not bully them, otherwise Auntie will talk to you if she finds out."

Cai Quanwu said: "Auntie, don't worry, I will take good care of Su Xiulian and Su Shaoan. I also plan to ask Teacher Xu for help to see if Shaoan can go to a nearby primary school."

"You are right to think so. I hope you can do what you say."

Cai Quanwu was on his way back from the street office with Su Xiu Lian and Su Shao An. When they passed by a cloth shop, he remembered what He Yu Zhu said, so he took Su Xiu Lian and Su Shao An in, bought a piece of cloth, and took the two of them to the tailor shop. After the tailor measured their sizes, he said.

"The cloth you bought can make three sets of clothes for two people each. It will take one day to make them. You can come and pick them up early the day after tomorrow."

After paying the money, Cai Quanwu took the ticket issued by the tailor and left with Su Xiulian and Su Shaoan back to the tavern. He Yuzhu looked at the three people who returned to the tavern and said with a smile: "Uncle, from now on, you will have someone to help you in the tavern. Xiulian, since you have chosen to follow my uncle, then live a good life in the future. Don’t look at my uncle who doesn’t talk much and has a stern face, but he is a good person in his heart. Although you and my uncle have a marriage certificate, you two haven’t held the wedding yet. After you have finished the wedding, I will change my name to call you aunt. After all, you are only three years older than me. Please forgive me for being presumptuous for a few days."

"Uncle, I won't disturb your family reunion. I'm leaving. This time I'm really leaving and I won't be coming back."