Chapter 140: Bai Zepei’s New Discovery
Hehe, even if Second Brother doesn’t say it out loud, he does deeply care about her. With this in mind, Bai Ruozhu happily went off to make breakfast.
Rongrong’s mother also got up to help but was driven out of the kitchen by Bai Ruozhu. Brandishing her spatula at the kitchen door, she declared domineeringly, "This is my territory, nobody’s allowed in. Rest up, you will need it - there will be hard work later."
Everyone found her queenly attitude amusing and laughed heartily, deciding not to "disturb" her anymore.
For breakfast, she prepared hand-held pancakes with added eggs and served them with a big bowl of fragrant millet porridge per person. The Zhang Family members were very curious about the pancake, and Zhang Liliang, who often traveled to other places for business and had never seen this sort of food before, hurriedly asked, "Where is this way of cooking from? I’ve never seen it before. It tastes especially delicious."
Bai Ruozhu laughed and said, "It’s my own creation. I call it a hand-held pancake. I’m thinking about setting up a stall in the town to sell them after the farming season. I don’t know if the townsfolk will like it."
Zhang Liliang immediately applauded, "They will definitely like it, I think this business will definitely work!"
Bai Yihong couldn’t help laughing upon hearing these words. He initially had some concerns that a bad business venture might disappoint his daughter. But upon hearing Zhang Liliang’s words, he was immediately reassured.
"Uncle Zhang is experienced, if you say so, then I am relieved." Bai Ruozhu also said, laughing.
At this moment, a knock came from outside. Bai Zehao laughed and said, "It’s Zhou Chuang and the others!" He winked and gestured towards Bai Ruozhu, implying that her food was too delicious and the people had woken up early to come have breakfast.
Bai Ruozhu chuckled slightly, she wasn’t afraid that they were coming to eat, she was afraid that they wouldn’t come.
When Bai Zehao opened the door, standing outside were not just Zhou Chuang and Wan Minglu, but two other people too. One of them he recognized, it was Zhou Fu from the Du Family Pharmacy.
Bai Ruozhu hurriedly came forward to greet, "You all have come too? You must have come out very early, that’s really hard on you. Come, have some breakfast first."
Zhou Fu and Zhou Gui had eaten something before they left home, and initially wanted to decline, but once they smelled the aroma wafting in the yard, they felt hungry again.
"Don’t you dare be polite with me, otherwise I’ll feel embarrassed asking for your help on the farm." Bai Ruozhu placed a plate before the two and stood with her arms akimbo, threateningly saying, "Anyone who has come to help must eat my food, otherwise they’re disrespecting me!"
Everyone once again witnessed her domineering style and burst into laughter. Wan Minglu quickly finished a pancake and without neglect, grabbed another, endlessly praising how tasty it was while looking at Bai Ruozhu and grinning cheekily.
Bai Zepei, who had just finished chopping firewood, also came to have breakfast and happen to see Wan Minglu’s reaction. His eyebrows lifted slightly before he pretended not to see anything and continued to enjoy his pancake.
Zhou Fu and Zhou Gui also no longer stood on ceremony and began eating.
"Sister Ruozhu, your pancakes are truly delicious, had I known your cooking skills were this good, I would’ve come over for a meal even if it was dark last night." Zhou Fu, as a shop assistant, often interacted with customers and was a smooth talker, effortlessly shifting praise onto Bai Ruozhu.
Zhou Gui also laughed along, saying, "Bai’s younger sister, you have real culinary skills. Didn’t expect to get a treat while coming to help. Next time there’s something good to eat, remember to think of me."
Being praised naturally pleased Bai Ruozhu and she started laughing joyously, "I plan to sell these pancakes at a stand in town later on. When that happens, come by to eat if you’re free, no charges!"
"That’s great! From now on, we can eat these delicious pancakes every day. But, we can’t accept them for free, otherwise, we won’t dare to come." Zhou Gui, a forthright character, quickly hit it off with Bai Ruozhu.
On the other hand, Wan Minglu’s smile vanished from his face. He squeezed his way over and said, "Sister Ruozhu, after the farming season, I’ve been looking for a part-time job in town. You can always ask for my help if you need any assistance when setting up a stall. Don’t hold back."
Bai Ruozhu, on one hand, did not want to bother others, yet she politely said, "If that’s the case, sure, thank you, second brother Wan."
A smile instantly returned to Wan Minglu’s face.
At this moment, Dengdeng suddenly wailed, causing everyone to fall silent. Zhou Fu scratched his head and said, "We didn’t scare the child with our loud voices, did we?"
Bai Ruozhu shook her head while laughing, "No, not at all, carry on eating. I’ll go check on him, he probably soiled his diaper again. This child always chooses to misbehave at mealtimes. I guess he’s sulking because he can’t partake with us. I’m sorry for the inconvenience."
Zhou Fu chuckled, "A baby’s urine is clean. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about."
Amused, Bai Ruozhu went inside to change Dengdeng’s diaper. Zhou Gui nudged Zhou Fu with his elbow and whispered, "You’re talking about clean baby urine, but why does yours stink?"
The two of them had a close relationship, frequently throwing playful banterduring their day-to-day. Even during work, cracking a joke or two easily relieved fatigue. Others in the yard overheard this, and chuckled softly.
Wan Minglu gave Zhou Gui a look in response, muttering, "Don’t speak nonsense."
Zhou Gui glanced at Wan Minglu, curious to why he seemed offended despite the fact he hadn’t provoked him. However, seeing Wan Minglu wasn’t paying him any attention and returned to his meal, he dismissed the thought.
Bai Zehao leisurely sipped his porridge. His actions were nothing like a traditional farmer. No one could tell that during farm work, he is nothing less effective than young adults in the village. He took a quick glance at Wan Minglu, with a faint hint of amusement appearing at the corners of his mouth, hidden behind the bowl.
After changing Dengdeng’s diapers, Bai Ruozhu carried him out. Upon seeing her, everyone eating the pancakes gathered around Dengdeng. His big eyes flickered, engrossed in observing everyone’s faces, with an insatiable curiosity.
"Oh dear, look at my memory, I haven’t given a gift to the baby yet." Zhou Fu slapped his forehead, took out a silver longevity lock from his bosom, and handed it to Bai Ruozhu, saying, "It’s from my son, who asked me to give it before he left."
Bai Ruozhu weighed it in her hands. The solid silver lock was intricately decorated with modern patterns symbolizing good luck, good health, and prosperity. The shiny new lock was beautiful, and little Dengdeng took an immediate liking to it, reaching out with his small hand to grab it.
"This is my gift for the baby. Hehe, I don’t have much money, Sister Ruozhu, don’t look down on it." Zhou Fu took out a spinning drum toy and started shaking it in front of little Dengdeng.
Little Dengdeng had never seen a spinning drum before. He found it amusing and reached out to grab the toy, breaking into a joyful laugh.
"The baby looks so cute when he laughs, happy babies are smart." Zhou Gui praised, then he took out a wrapped package from his person and handed it to Bai Ruozhu, saying, "My father asked me to bring this. You must accept it."
Upon opening, Bai Ruozhu saw a pair of fine silver bracelets for children which was not a small amount of silver.
"This... How can I accept this?" Bai Ruozhu blushed, wondering how she was supposed to reciprocate. These people not only came to help without accepting any wages, they even brought gifts for her child. She would feel guilty if she reciprocated the affection with "rewards". But how could she reciprocate?