The wheels of the carriage crunched on the snow, and the horses had to be replaced by donkeys at noon. The wind seemed to come from all directions and swept the snow on the ground in a whirl.
Every time they passed by a village, they would see a group of children running crazily. Their little hands were still holding the snow firmly, and they would hit the people on the other side.
When a snowball hit their faces, they would wipe their snot with their sleeves and provide ammunition for others while crying. Every time they couldn't stand the cold, they would put their hands inside their clothes to warm them up, or rub their hands with the snow until they were steaming.
Which child didn't feel pain when they accidentally fell? Their clothes were wet and the ground was full of snow, so they would get up after a roll.
Jia County Magistrates sat in the carriage and watched the children play. He also felt that it was interesting, but it was a pity that he couldn't go down to play for a while.
"Sir, I think we will arrive at our destination after dark. The road is not easy to travel on, and the horses have been traveling for a long time. If they continue to travel, they will be tired. This donkey will be slower." The yamen runner saw that the curtain of the carriage was lifted, so he walked to the side and said.
"Oh, I didn't eat at noon, and I will eat at dinner too." Jia County Magistrates didn't prepare much when he came. He only brought some water and tea, and he planned to drink it in the carriage. He didn't expect that he would be delayed until now. At noon, when they changed donkeys, there was a small shop. He didn't eat when he saw that the shop was a little dirty, so he asked them to continue with the journey.
The yamen runner hesitated for a moment, and then went to another yamen runner to get a paper bag. He handed it to Jia County Magistrates and said, "Sir, if you are hungry, you can eat this."
Jia County Magistrates received it and opened it. He found that it was fried noodles, but he didn't know how to eat it. "What is this?"
"This is specially prepared for us by the Zhang family's farmstead. When we are on patrol or have something to do, we can eat it on the way. Here's also this." As the yamen runner spoke, he handed over a two-inch-long bamboo tube as thick as a little finger to County Magistrate Jia.
Without waiting for Jia County Magistrates to ask, he said directly, "Sir, if you want to soak the noodles with water, pour this in. We usually don't have water, so we just put this on the noodles to eat. The noodles have been packed with spices and other things. This is oil and butter. When Zhangjia Zhuangzi's cow fell to its death, most of the butter would be left to make this.
Now that it is cold, you can put the tube down and hold it for a while. The oil will come out and spread on the noodles. It is very delicious. I don't know what is in it, but it is not greasy to eat only this oil. If it is frozen, it can be eaten as a snack. "
Jia County Magistrates listened to these words, and the sentence that left the deepest impression on him was that Zhangjia Zhuangzi specially prepared this for them. Good, it was really good. When the yamen runners were working outside and didn't have enough food to eat, Zhangjia Zhuangzi would make something for them. It was true for others, but definitely not for them.
Jia County Magistrates thought. He looked at his teacup and then at the pot with little water. He really couldn't soak the noodles. He didn't want to eat it like this, so he asked the yamen runner, "It doesn't seem good for you to just chew on this stuff outside."
"Sir, it's not that. We are lazy. Other than this, the Zhang family also gave us four sets of bowls and a bag of lime. When you want to soak the noodles, just fill the bowls with water and sprinkle the lime into the other bowls. Sir, if you want to soak the noodles, I have a bamboo tube with some dried vegetables in it. Put it in the water and it will grow bigger."
As the yamen runner spoke, he handed over another bamboo tube. This bamboo tube was slightly bigger, and at the same time, there was a bowl. Jia County Magistrates took it and checked that there was nothing else on the bowl. After washing it clean, he put the noodles in it. Naturally, there was a pot to boil water on the other side.
Then he poured the butter in the small bamboo tube. When he opened another bamboo tube and poured the butter in, Jia County Magistrates felt even more helpless. What poured out was actually some dried meat, which seemed to have been braised before drying. There were also some dried vegetables. When the yamen runners were hungry outside, they could eat these things. How could they not think of Zhangjia Zhuangzi?
There were vegetables, meat, and oil. Using that bowl to eat the hot noodles, this meal would cost at least six or seven copper coins. The meat was not pork, chicken, or fish. Most of it was mutton, and a small part of it was beef.
Ah, this Zhangjia Zhuangzi was really too difficult to deal with. The people in the county remembered their kindness. The yamen runners ate their food. Even though he was a newcomer, he lived in the house built by them, used the things they put in the house, and ate the dishes they prepared.
However, these were not the scariest thing. The scariest thing was their means and tolerance. So many restaurants and shops belonged to them. They took out the methods of growing vegetables in winter. As long as they met someone who was a little stronger, they would give up the benefits, such as the imperial nephew or the prince.
As for those who were not capable, they would finish them off one by one. The Mi family had lost so badly. If he didn't do as they said, would he also lose?
While he was thinking about these things, the water was already boiling. Jia County Magistrates poured everything into the bowl of noodles. After pouring in the water, he closed the lid and said to the yamen runners outside, "Who wants some hot water? I'll boil some for you."
Jia County Magistrates had put down his pride. He really didn't want to offend the yamen runners now. There were more than seven hundred yamen runners in the yamen. That meant that there were more than seven hundred families, relatives, and neighbors. If Zhangjia Zhuangzi could give them food, why couldn't he do the same?
"Sir, there's no need to boil the water. We have other things to eat. The instant noodles were originally going to be sold, but then Zhangjia Zhuangzi found out that it was not good, so he gave it to us …"
"They gave it to you because they couldn't sell it?" Jia County Magistrates was happy. Giving it to someone who couldn't sell it and giving it to them directly were two different things.
"Yes, it's not easy to sell. The instant noodles are for daily use. There's another thing that I heard is made with a big iron block. This is it. There's chopped green onions, minced meat, and oil inside. It's wrapped in oil paper. Sir, don't be fooled by its small size. One piece can last you half a day. This is specially made for us."
As the yamen runner spoke, he handed in a paper bag. Jia County Magistrates opened it. It looked like snacks, but it was much harder than snacks. He didn't know what it was.
"What's this?"
"The person who sent it said that it's called compressed biscuits. It's very easy to eat. You'll be full after eating it and drinking some water. People who travel long distances like it the most. It's small in size and tastes good. It's better than the fried noodles that people usually eat. Two days ago, they sent another thing that can be soaked in water when there's water. It's water chestnut powder.
The yamen runner handed another paper bag to Jia County Magistrates. Jia County Magistrates was a little numb. He took it and looked at it. He said to the yamen runner, "What else is there?"
"There's also some for boiling soup. It's all powder. There's fish foam, seasoning, and bone marrow powder in it." The yamen runner took another yamen runner's backpack and put it in the cart.
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