Chapter 010: Incapable

Now, the son of the family actually stole the window frames of the ancestral hall to sell for money? One can only imagine the shame in the heart of the fourth uncle. In the old society, this would be something that the seventeenth brother would do, and it would not be excessive to beat him to death with sticks. Not only would no one be held accountable, but even the county magistrate would applaud and exclaim that it would be better if this ungrateful son were killed.

Uncle! Upon seeing that it was Bian Rui's grandfather who had entered, Si Bo immediately bent slightly at the waist to greet him

The Bianrui family has an ancestral hall, which houses the tablets of their ancestors, and there is also a portrait of the great ancestor in the main hall

People who are not grounded tend to boast, and they have made a group of 'like-minded' friends outside. Listening to stories about making a fortune from antiques and finding hidden treasures, they quickly got involved. A few days ago, they followed the trend and made a little money, but in the past two years, with all sorts of nonsense like playing with walnuts and sky beads, they have suffered significant losses, almost losing their shirts. Yet, they continue to invest, and no amount of persuasion can stop them

The ancestral hall is now a concept that many young people are unfamiliar with, yet in the past, its status in the lives of Chinese people far exceeded that of Western churches. It can be said to be the focal point of Chinese family life and also the most significant element in the national sentiment of the Chinese people.

In the future, Bianrui Restaurant will exclusively use ingredients produced in the village. Firstly, the source is reliable; no matter what is grown in the village, pesticides are never used, ensuring safety. Secondly, in terms of flavor, whether it is rice, flour, or vegetables produced in Bianjia Village, they are all of the highest quality, not to mention the mountain delicacies.

There is a saying that the major affairs of a nation are warfare and sacrifices, indicating that the most important matters for a country are war and ancestral worship. This illustrates how significant ancestral worship was in the lives of people in ancient China

He mentioned his youngest son, and the fourth uncle sighed deeply: "This wretched child, it would be better if he died outside."

After taking a rough look at the items in the basket, and realizing that Bian Rui was also unable to estimate a quantity, he turned to the fourth uncle and said, "Please give me a price"

"Grandfather, where have you thrown your sheep?" asked Bian Rui

The uncle and nephew happened to meet at the entrance of the courtyard

"What does this mean?" Bian Rui's grandfather was a bit displeased

Window grid

From being unskilled to becoming proficient, after playing two pieces, Bian Rui stepped out of the space, began to walk around the courtyard, and slowly contemplated which wall should be demolished to replace it with a floor-to-ceiling glass panel, and which wall should be retained

By the way, how is your Seventeen doing now?" asked Bian Rui's grandfather

Rabbits appear to be cute, but they eat a lot and produce a lot of waste. If kept at home, even with diligent cleaning, there will still be a strong odor. I do not know how others feel, but Bei Rui would never keep a rabbit at home, unless it is intended for the table

Bian Rui said: "Tomorrow the child has to go to school, and there are still guests at the table, but I will definitely spend most of my time in the village in the future"

The fourth uncle nodded in agreement and said, "Alright, I will go along with you"

"How was your harvest today, Fourth Son?"

Si Bo said: "Even if you want to chase, you must first be able to find the person"

"Here, here!" As soon as Bian Rui heard this, he immediately jogged over.

No charge

1. According to the nature of the Chinese people, items used for ancestors must be of high quality; otherwise, how can one express this filial piety? In the dynasties where filial piety governed the world, being unfilial could truly lead to death. Items from the Ming Dynasty that are presentable would certainly be worth something today. To put it this way, it would not be a problem to sell an item casually taken from the offering table for ten or eight thousand.

Bian Rui's grandfather, however, was unconcerned: "It's just an object; if it sells, then it sells."

The status of the ancestral hall is high, and naturally, the items within are all of good quality. For instance, the Bian Family Ancestral Hall was built during the Ming Dynasty, and subsequent renovations have not made significant changes; many items are old artifacts, which have now naturally become antiques. Although there are no items such as Yuan or Ming blue-and-white porcelain inside, the utensils used are certainly not ordinary.

Quite good

It was acceptable, as you can see, "Si Bo adjusted the basket slightly, aligning the opening of the basket towards Uncle.

While watching, I was contemplating how to manipulate the old house according to my own wishes. Just as I was feeling pleased with my thoughts, the voice of my fourth uncle came from outside the door

Alright then, Uncle, I shall take my leave now. Seeing that there was nothing more to discuss here, Fourth Uncle opened his mouth to bid farewell

After a brief consideration, Fourth Uncle Zhang said: "How about this, you give me sixty yuan"

The fourth uncle is also someone who has been out, but after spending four to five years outside, he returned to the village because he did not like the environment outside, or rather, he was not accustomed to life outside. In the residential community, some people have lived in the same courtyard for over ten years without knowing each other, and the level of trust among people has sunk to a lamentable low. It is nothing like the village, where when one family is in trouble, several others lend a helping hand

It is not to say that this person is particularly wicked, to the extent of committing murder and arson, or suffering from sores on the head and pus on the feet. Rather, it is about this Seventeenth Brother of Bian Rui, who has been idle since childhood, failing at everything he attempts, yet still daydreams of becoming wealthy.

Most of China's ancient buildings rely on columns for load-bearing rather than walls, so removing any wall does not affect the structural integrity of the house, thus providing many options for renovation.

Uncle, you do not know that this scoundrel has sold the old window grilles at home. Fourth Uncle feels very embarrassed.

This really won't do, otherwise my mother will definitely come back and beat me with a stick. Moreover, I am also planning to use this to make money. Please give it to me at the market price, otherwise I really can't accept it. Yesterday, I took a ginseng from you, and my mother nearly scolded me to death..." Bian Rui muttered.

Uncle Si listened and said, "Jingjing will definitely like it. Besides, she won't be living in your house, so why think so much about it?"

Bian Rui is at a loss for words now

I also think the village is quite nice, Bian Rui replied with a smile

Bian Rui immediately understood that the Seventeenth Brother had taken apart the windows of the ancestral hall and sold them for money

The size of a wild rabbit is inherently small; even when fully grown, it is only slightly longer than a human palm and weighs less than 2 jin. Now, these three rabbits are even smaller, appearing to have just opened their eyes not long ago. Moreover, considering the current season, as spring has just begun, rabbits tend to be thin. It is unlikely that even one of them could constitute a dish, let alone all three together.

To prepare a splendid meal, the first requirement is to have good ingredients. No matter how skilled a chef is, without quality ingredients, it is impossible to create a truly exquisite dish. This is especially true for a high-end establishment like Bianrui, which uses minimal oil and seasonings, relying primarily on the inherent flavors of the ingredients. Therefore, the quality of the ingredients is of utmost importance. The items that Fourth Uncle has gathered can be considered top-notch delicacies.

He also nodded slightly at Bian Rui.

Bian Rui also called out "grandfather" here

"Just retrieve it," said Bian Rui

As soon as Bian Rui heard this, he felt that the Fourth Uncle was indeed bad. If these three rabbits were raised in that Zhao family's home, what would it matter to him whether they were smelly or not?

"What Dairui wants, I will bring it home to slaughter later. He doesn't want the sheep's entrails. You like to eat sheep's heart, so I will send it to you later."

Uncle Si explained while putting down the backpack: "You can leave in the afternoon; I am not in a hurry here. I have dug up more than 3 jin of bamboo shoots for you, all of which are the finest shoots from the pond's edge. There are about 2 jin of flower mushrooms, but I did not find any morels today. The rest are just some small wild mushrooms, but they are fresh and tender..."

So many!

Fourth Uncle felt very ashamed: "The windows of the main hall of the ancestral hall"

Bian Rui glanced and said: "This is not all. How about this, I will give you one hundred, you listen to me first. In the future, I will need these mountain goods, and I will notify you when I need them, usually in the afternoon. Please gather more for me, and make sure they are of good quality; do not bring me the inferior ones. Please also reserve the top-quality mountain goods such as sheep mushrooms, monkey head mushrooms, and bamboo fungus for me. If possible, do not sell them in the town, alright?"

No matter how good the family values are, they may still raise one or two unfilial children. Bian Rui's seventeenth cousin is regarded as an unfilial child in the eyes of the fourth uncle.

Little Rui! Is Little Rui there?

Bian Rui looked at these ingredients with delight

"Why are there still two or three rabbits? This head is too small, not enough to stir-fry a plate." Bian Rui saw a nest of three small rabbits under the basket, their size not large, seemingly just out of the nest.

Bian Rui's grandfather reached out and pointed outside, saying: "Today, please ask your sixth grandfather to help with the release. I will come back to tidy up the sheep for you to take away in the afternoon"

"You have only stayed for two days this time and are already leaving? Wasn't it said that you would be staying in the village from now on?" said Fourth Uncle

"Enough, enough, why are you being so verbose now, you old man?" Fourth Uncle thought for a moment and felt that it would not be appropriate to really give a gift. Yesterday, he exchanged a few plants for two bottles of wine, which were much more expensive than a single ginseng on the market. If he continued like this, it would not be a kind gesture, but rather taking advantage of others.

The old man originally herded sheep across the mountains, usually with three or four brothers together. They would bring some vegetables and drink a few cups of wine at noon, and then drive the sheep back in the evening. If someone had an event, the other brothers would lend a hand, letting their sheep graze together with the sheep of the family in need.

Bian Rui was very surprised to see a full basket of items

Uncle Si listened and said: "How come you only think about eating? This rabbit is not for you; it is for Miss Jing. Children in the city like to raise small animals. This morning, I happened to check the traps I dug a couple of days ago and found three little rabbits inside."

Fourth Uncle was taken aback and said, "Old Uncle, did he also take your things?"

"Life in the village is quite good; living a peaceful and stable life is not bad at all. People from outside have too many tricks up their sleeves, and one has to think twice when encountering someone. Here, it is much better; everyone knows each other well, and we all know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Interpersonal relationships are simple, and life naturally becomes more comfortable," said Uncle Si.

"That is not the case; I just feel that this young man has not appeared in the village for some time," said Bian Rui's grandfather

But now the times have changed; killing someone is a crime. No one would kill their own son over a window anymore. However, the fourth uncle harbors resentment in his heart, feeling ashamed of having given birth to such a child, which makes him, who has always valued his reputation, feel somewhat unable to hold his head high in the village

Thank you, Uncle, said Fourth Uncle with joy

"Can anyone still live in a place that keeps this thing?" Bian Rui tugged at the corner of his mouth

Seeing Bianrui's grandfather leading a half-day-old lamb, the fourth uncle asked, "Old uncle, what are you doing with the sheep?"

The two cousins were in the midst of a discussion when another person entered through the door