Siheyuan: Pretend to be a Pig and Eat the Tiger

Chapter 154: Preparations before the wedding banquet, the appearance of the village

He Yuzhu looked at his sister-in-law with amusement. Her face was full of enthusiasm. Life in the village is still good!

The people are simple and honest, the villagers are warm and welcoming, and there is a lot less intrigue and corruption!
At this time, everyone had their own land, and after the land reform, they had harvested two crops!

Although the food is not that good, it’s not enough to starve!

This is already a prosperous age. Isn’t the so-called prosperity of a feudal dynasty one when people don’t go hungry?

The prosperous Qing Dynasty was just an illusion of prosperity under the influence of sweet potatoes and potatoes!
Look at it now, as long as we don’t do anything wrong with one year’s harvest, we will have enough to eat next year!
Now that farmers have their own land, their enthusiasm for production and life will naturally be greatly improved, and their expectations for a better life in the future will also be much higher!

The statement that the emancipated serfs are singing is not an exaggeration at all. From the late Qing Dynasty to before liberation, there were almost no peasants who had their own land at home!
They are all tenant farmers. Just take the areas around the capital as an example. Which village doesn’t have a few landlords?
These people relied on their wealth and power to seize other people's land by various means. Only the people's team has arrived, otherwise it would be a fantasy for these people to own their own land!
Land is the lifeblood of farmers and the guarantee of their survival. If farmers lose their land, their roots will be cut off!
This is absolutely not an exaggeration. City dwellers rely on work to support their families, and rural people rely on the land to pass on their family line!

In the current environment, there are many people and few supplies in the city, and the supply contradiction is more prominent. However, there is no such contradiction in the village. They are self-sufficient and the living pressure is lower than in the city!
This was also the reason why Qin Huairu hesitated when He Yuzhu advised him to move his household registration to the city!
No matter how much land there is in the village, or how poor or fertile it is, it is necessary to divide the land according to the number of people. In this way, these lands belong to them, so they must take good care of them, right?
The Chinese people are unmatched in their experience in farming. If they take good care of the crops, the harvest will naturally come, and the family will finally have surplus food!
The surplus grain here refers to the food ration for the second year, not that the house is full of food!

In this way, after deducting part of the agricultural tax from the annual harvest, the rest is yours, and the food problem is basically solved!

I also make some money by digging wild vegetables and raising pigs and chickens. My life isn’t that good, but it’s better than that of many ordinary people!
This situation between urban and rural areas only began to change slowly after the public-private partnership, so the rural environment is still very good at this moment!
"Hey, little master, what are you staring at?"

The sister-in-law who was speaking saw He Yuzhu in a daze and immediately became unhappy. She said, "You are in a daze just because I said this. What does this mean?"
"Haha, sister-in-law, after hearing what you said, I should consider getting married, haha!"

"Hahaha... That's right, you're eighteen, it's not too late!
What kind of look and personality do you need? Maybe we have one in our village. I’ll introduce one to you!”

"Haha, thank you, but let's not talk about it for now. Getting married is a major event in life. I have to start thinking about it. Not so fast!"

He Yuzhu wiped the sweat from his forehead. He just said it casually, but he didn't expect that his sister-in-law took it seriously!

"Hehe... That's right!"

"Xiao Lan, you are the only one acting as a matchmaker? Look how scared the young master is, right? Haha..."

"Why can't I be a matchmaker? I was also introduced by a matchmaker. I think it's just like that, pretty simple!"

"Ha ha..."

The other sister-in-law laughed out loud. She had heard Xiaolan's story. At that time, the matchmaker introduced a marriage to Xiaolan, but the other party was a fool. This made Xiaolan very angry!
"Xiao Lan, don't you hate matchmakers the most? Why do you want to be a matchmaker for the young master now? Haha!"

"Sister-in-law, you are making fun of me, please don't talk about what I did back then!

If I hadn't been smart and secretly inquired about the situation, I would have been harmed by that vicious matchmaker!

I scolded the matchmaker so much that she couldn't even lift her head. She still doesn't dare to enter this line of work!"

Xiaolan said this with great pride as if she had done a great good deed!

"That's right. If it weren't for your aunt, you might have become an old maid!"

"So what? I just don't believe in matchmakers, but my aunt is pretty good. Now I have food and clothes to eat, and I'm quite content. Otherwise, I would cry every day!"

At this point, Xiaolan is already a mother of two children, but she still feels resentful towards that vicious matchmaker!

He Yuzhu finally understood. It turned out that this person had been cheated by a matchmaker when he was young?

It's no wonder. Nowadays, there are many people in the village who have never met each other before the wedding night!
It seems that this sister-in-law Xiaolan is also a smart person, and she is definitely a strong-willed person, otherwise she would probably just cry and dare not resist!
Several people were chatting while preparing dishes, and their laughter was like silver bells from time to time, which attracted a lot of people's attention!
He Yuzhu was frying meatballs, stewing meat, etc. The preparation work was complicated, but his men did not look busy at all. The two kitchen helpers were washing vegetables, busy as hell!

The village elders we invited arranged everything in an orderly manner. Everyone had his own job, some built the tea table, some moved the tables, some posted couplets, etc., each doing his own job!

He Yuzhu hasn't seen such a lively scene for a long time. In later generations, most weddings will be held in hotels. Although it saves trouble, it also adds a lot of ritual sense!
But I always felt like something was missing. Now it seems lively, with folks from all over the village coming to help. How lively it is!
He could also understand the intention of the eldest brother to prepare an extra table. When it comes to the banquet for his mother's family, it is inevitable that some relatives and friends will come over to ask for favors and make some money. This is a serious banquet, so of course there can be some money. It is better to be prepared!
The source of the oil for the banquet is, of course, cockscomb oil, which was obtained with the help of He Yuzhu!

I had to inform Brother Feng in advance, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to buy it even if I rushed to do so!
He Yuzhu cut the cockscomb oil into pieces, put it into a big pot, poured in a little water, and started adding firewood. As the temperature rose, the cockscomb oil began to melt!
When the time is almost up, scoop out the oil residue and put the dissolved lard into the prepared jar. This is the oil you will use for the banquet!

As for the oil residue, it must be prepared to make dumplings. The ingredients of the dumplings on the table are oil residue and cabbage, which are so delicious!

As the oil residue came out of the pot, the children began to gather around He Yuzhu, their eager eyes seemed to be telling something!
He Yuzhu knew what these kids wanted, so he filled half a plate with oil residue!

"Don't worry, one piece per person, line up to receive it!" "Thank you, uncle!"

"Haha, how polite!"

The children each had a piece of oil residue, their mouths full of oil. As for the adults, they could only watch with envy!

They also knew that there was only so much left and they had to make dumplings, so naturally they wouldn't go forward and grab a piece!

The busy day passed quickly, the eldest brother went to pick up the bride, and He Yuzhu was invited into the house!
"Zhu Zi, thank you for your hard work. Have some tea!"

"Okay, uncle, you're welcome, Senior Brother is almost like my eldest brother!
You are so polite, I feel a little uncomfortable. We are all family, so it is only natural for us to be busy!"

"Haha, what Zhuzi said makes sense, a master and his apprentice are like father and son, and fellow apprentices are also brothers!
I heard from Sun Hao that Zhuzi's craftsmanship is second to none in Fengze Garden. He is the most talented disciple and has a bright future! "

After hearing what Sun's father said, the villagers who had not left yet looked at He Yuzhu in surprise!
Given He Yuzhu's age, they thought he was just an apprentice. But after hearing from Sun's father that his cooking skills seemed to be quite impressive, one should never judge a book by its cover!
They did not doubt what Sun's father said, because Sun's father never brags in the village and always keeps his word. He still has a good reputation for it!
"Uncle Sun, you are too polite. The senior brother is really amazing. He has one stove in Fengze Garden, while I only have three stoves. There is still a big gap!"

Someone was carrying the colorful sedan chair. When Sun's father heard He Yuzhu praising his son, he laughed happily!

Ever since Sun Hao learned to cook, life at home has become much better. This is also what Sun’s father is most proud of!

No words overnight, the next day

He Yuzhu got up early and prepared breakfast for the villagers who came to help!
In fact, it is just a hodgepodge, with leftover ingredients and some meat, and it’s all done when you stew it like this!
After He Yuzhu's fierce cooking, the taste of the stew was different from what they made themselves. Everyone had already gathered around with their bowls in hand!
"Fellow villagers, let's not rush, be careful of the burns!"

"Haha, little chef, just go about your business. We are already hungry for your stew. It's okay!"

"Haha, don't worry, there's plenty of stew!"

The villagers also know that it is unlikely that the food will be too good, but it is okay to make sure they are full, after all, it is a wedding banquet!

Although every family is not starving, they are definitely short of oil and water. Now, except for some specific people, no one is short of oil and water!

He Yuzhu felt a little nervous when he saw the villagers waiting anxiously. He was really afraid that people would be squeezed against the stove and get burned, which would be troublesome!

It's always bad if something happens on the day of the eldest brother's wedding. It's unlucky!

Fortunately, everyone just gathered around to watch him cook, so it wasn't crowded, otherwise he really wouldn't know what to do!

With everyone watching, He Yuzhu finally completed all the steps and put the lid on the pot. Our Chef He also breathed a sigh of relief!

In fact, there is nothing different about the stew, it’s just that the lard and seasonings are more attractive!

Nowadays, more oil is used, and the alleys of the village are filled with the aroma of oil, which is really mouth-watering!
The dishes are ready, and the villagers line up by themselves, everything seems very orderly!

He Yuzhu looked at him in surprise. Is he so well-behaved and well-mannered?

Even when he went to the head office for training in the future, the people in the cafeteria wouldn't be so polite, right?

He thought that everyone would rush to attack, but he didn't expect that they were all so self-conscious!

Looking back, I saw that the village elder had come!

The so-called village elders are the oldest people in the village. Once they stand there, they are a deterrent!

These village elders are also called clan elders, and what they say is very effective!

In Sun Hao's village, no single surname has a unique advantage. Of course, the deterrent power of the village elders is still very strong. This is because everyone respects them because they are old and knowledgeable!
In ancient times, elderly people were auspicious signs. Some emperors of the Qing Dynasty held banquets for thousands of elders.
These are all means to win people's hearts, but on the other hand, those people also value the influence of the village elders in the local area!

No wonder the deaf old lady in the play can walk sideways in the yard. In addition to the bonus of Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu, her age also plays a big advantage!
Respecting the elderly and loving the young is a traditional virtue, but this traditional virtue has been exploited by some hypocrites and villains and used as a weapon for their moral kidnapping!
The premise of respecting the elderly is that the elderly person is a respected and worthy person!
This child is worthy of love, otherwise it would be nonsense!

Please give me monthly tickets. It’s the end of the month now. Brothers, please don’t keep your monthly tickets. Give them to me!

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(End of this chapter)