Chapter 517 - 518: Milk Tea
Chapter 517: Chapter 518: Milk Tea
Bai Suihe and the others received the news while eating. They found the news so satisfying that the couple couldn’t help but add an extra half-bowl of rice to their meal.
"We were just discussing how to find a way to sell that courtyard to him at a low price, but now it seems impossible. He’s so poor that I can’t possibly just give it away for free," Gu Kaiyuan said, filled with regret. He hadn’t been able to toss away the only hot potato in his hands, though he had already pulled a few strings and transferred it a few times. He was just waiting for a good opportunity.
"Then we can only wait. The Third Prince sending them here is definitely not that simple.
"Now that the fight for the throne has begun, what they lack most—besides power—is silver. With so many prominent families and merchants arriving in Lingnan, I’m afraid the Third Prince is planning to make a fortune off them."
Many of these newly arrived prominent families were indirectly related to several Princes by marriage. Lingnan would hardly see much peace in the future.
"Are you saying we should wait until he gets some money before we make a move?" Gu Kaiyuan stroked his chin. He had been busy these past two days, and his stubble was showing again. No wonder his own daughter refused to let him hold her today; he would have to shave later, lest even his own wife grew disgusted with him.
"Yes." Bai Suihe didn’t want the Gu Family to have it easy; it would be best to make him go back exactly the way he came. "They owed a lot of debts before. Keep a close eye on them; maybe you can help out the Gu Family."
Hearing Bai Suihe say this, Gu Kaiyuan slightly disagreed. "I don’t have much of a relationship with them anymore. We should involve ourselves less in whatever happens to them in the future."
Bai Suihe rolled her eyes at him. "You make it sound nice, but didn’t you let your uncle’s family come work for us before?"
"That was because Kaisan and the others came pleading to me. Although things haven’t been pleasant in this life, we still had some ties in the past. Besides, we had to hire someone anyway." Gu Kaiyuan didn’t think he was being soft-hearted; it was just that they would all be living in the same village from now on, so there was no need to make things too stiff. They were just ordinary people, and it was perfectly normal for them to have their own petty calculations. Everyone wanted to live a better life. Following Gu Baijiang had just been another wrong choice in their lives, and they had paid the price for it.
"What are you thinking deep down? Do you really think I can’t guess? You just want to preserve a bit of goodwill; I know." Bai Suihe didn’t hold any ill will toward the Gu Family either. In the futuristic world she came from, human relationships were even more indifferent. If they were in the clan members’ shoes, they might have made the exact same choice.
"Then we’ll give them a hand. When Gu Kaiping earns some silver later, I’ll figure out a way to notify them." Having thought it through, Gu Kaiyuan also understood what Bai Suihe was aiming for.
"Right. We can let anyone benefit but the Gu Family.
"With the Gu Family around, it also saves us the trouble of finding other ways to make things difficult for them."
The couple had reached the same conclusion. As long as Gu Kaiping reached out his hands in the future, he could forget about letting any silver slip into his own pocket. With so many clan members crying out for food, he would have to feed them.
After finally making it back to the post station and lying down, Gu Kaiping felt a sudden chill run down his spine, and tears slid from the corners of his eyes again. He had never been beaten this badly in his entire life. If Mr. He hadn’t spoken up earlier, he probably wouldn’t have come back in one piece today. Reaching out to press against his chest, he found that the silver notes he had hidden there were gone. How was he supposed to survive now?
He would have been better off continuing to scrape by in the capital, copying books every day. Although it was a bit exhausting, at least he had an income. Now that he had no way out, he could only look for Mr. He tomorrow morning to ask for an advance loan. What kind of mess was this?
He did want to ask Mr. He to go with him to pressure Gu Kaiyuan, but he knew the man wouldn’t do such a thing. Being a newcomer, Mr. He had spent the entire day currying favor with Xu Zitian. The faction under Grand Tutor Lu wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense, let alone someone making things difficult for the citizens in the county under his jurisdiction.
***
Two months had passed since Gu Kaiping arrived in the neighboring county. The weather had already transitioned into the scorching summer, and no other news had been sent back.
Bai Suihe had been cooped up at home these days, hiding away to cool off with the ice she secretly made using saltpeter. Naturally, she didn’t dare bring such things out in the open right now.
Little Gu Xingyang now had a few older boys and girls keeping her company and playing with her, having long tossed her own mother to the back of her mind.
Hearing the HEE HEE HEE of Gu Xingyang’s laughter coming from next door, Bai Suihe felt that this moment would be absolutely perfect if she could just have a cup of milk tea. She had previously discovered cassava growing on the mountain inside her spatial dimension. This ingredient was absolutely essential for making boba pearls or taro balls. However, bringing it out openly would require a valid excuse. She sighed inwardly, realizing that she might only be able to drink a simplified version of milk tea this year. She would have to find a way to bring the cassava out to plant later.
But this crop was also picky about the temperature. It still snowed during the winter here in Zhang County, meaning the temperature would definitely drop below freezing. She would have to find another place when the time came. If they went further south past Shao County, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Cassava contained mild toxins, but as long as it was processed properly, it made for an indispensable delicacy. Thinking of her beloved boba milk tea, Bai Suihe decided to introduce this crop to this continent earlier than planned. When harvest time came, she would explain it clearly to everyone so they would know how to process it. Since she was studying medicine now, her words would carry much more weight.
Acting on her sudden whim, Bai Suihe immediately called for Zisu and asked her to fetch some goat’s milk from the backyard. For the sake of boba milk tea, she would have to dip into Gu Xingyang’s rations today. The little one enjoyed eating solid foods now anyway. Bai Suihe didn’t let the milk from the goats they raised go to waste; she allowed the young servants waiting on Gu Xingyang to drink some every day as well. These children had suffered a great deal before being taken in, and their bodies had sustained varying degrees of damage. This was a good opportunity for them to properly nurse their health so they could serve Gu Xingyang better in the future.
The household had stocked up on plenty of tea leaves. Bai Suihe grabbed a small pinch of black tea and busied herself in the kitchen. As for Mrs. Gu cooking, Nanny Pang merely smiled upon hearing the news. She figured Mrs. Gu had thought up some new delicacy again. Either way, her experiments always turned out quite decent in the end, so they might be in for another treat today.
Strolling into the kitchen, Nanny Pang took a look and was surprised to see her roasting tea leaves.
"Mrs. Gu, is there something wrong with these tea leaves?" Nanny Pang asked. Did she think the tea leaves had gone damp and could be processed this way in a wok?
Bai Suihe’s hands didn’t stop moving. Since she couldn’t fully control the heat of the stove, she was afraid of accidentally burning them. Without raising her head, she replied, "No, I just want to try it out. I want to see how it tastes when tea leaves are mixed with goat’s milk. Will it taste a bit better?"
She couldn’t tell the truth, so she could only use her cravings as an excuse.
Nanny Pang shook her head at those words; Mrs. Gu truly acted on her every whim. "That’s quite nice. It’s not a bad idea to try; perhaps you can concoct a unique flavor," she said. Just like when they made medicine—how could there be any new discoveries without experimentation?