Trials of Love in Ancient Times Chapter 6

Speaking of making bacon, Ivy Yuan also felt it was so far away.

I made it once with my mother when I was a child. I vaguely remember that salt, pepper, chili powder and spices had to be ground into powder and then evenly applied to the surface of the washed pork. A hole was drilled on the top of each strip of pork and a palm leaf rope was passed through it. After marinating, the pork had to be hung up for smoking.

Ivy Yuan assigned tasks to her sisters. Willow Yuan helped her wash the meat and apply salt, while Felicity Yuan and Harper were responsible for picking up some cypress leaves.

Cypress wood is used to smoke meat, which has a natural fragrance. There happened to be two large grapefruits in the room, so Ivy Yuan cut them together. The grapefruit peels would be of great use later.

Willow Yuan had never seen so much meat before, and was very careful when applying the spices. Ivy Yuan smiled and said, "Just be a little faster and wrap it evenly. We will make sausages later."

"Liang, sausage?" Willow Yuan swallowed.

"Yeah." Wyatt Jiang brought back not only meat, but also several pairs of pig intestines. Some half-fat and half-lean pork belly can be directly chopped up and made into sausages, which taste very fragrant.

Ivy Yuan didn't dare let Willow Yuan do something like chopping the meat, so she went to the kitchen, picked out a good knife and started chopping the meat herself, while Willow Yuan was responsible for evenly spreading the remaining pork.

In the small courtyard, just when the four sisters were busy, Wyatt Jiang came back.

As soon as he entered the yard, he saw Ivy Yuan busying around. The previously deserted yard was now full of vitality and a sense of home, which gave Wyatt Jiang a strange sense of warmth.

He curled his lips and strode to Ivy Yuan. Looking at the chopped and marinated pork, Wyatt Jiang was slightly surprised: "Didn't you say you would wait for me to come back and deal with it?"
 
Ivy Yuan looked up suddenly, not even noticing that Wyatt Jiang had returned. The three sisters also ran over excitedly: "Brother-in-law is back!"

Harper was running in the front, but she suddenly stopped when she was about to reach Wyatt Jiang. The little girl suddenly covered her nose and was obviously a little disgusted: "Brother-in-law...you smell a little..."

Wyatt Jiang went to kill a pig, so naturally he smelled bad, and there was pig blood on the corners of his clothes.

Willow Yuan and Felicity Yuan were too embarrassed to say anything, but they were obviously too embarrassed to get close. Seeing this, Ivy Yuan suddenly wanted to laugh, so she stood up and walked over: "The water is boiling, go take a shower first."

Although she didn't look disgusted, she was actually reluctant to go over. Wyatt Jiang said helplessly: "Okay, I'll go first. There's a roast chicken in the basket. Let's eat it tonight."

When they heard that there was roast chicken, the three sisters' eyes lit up again, and Ivy Yuan hurried to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

There were still some pancakes from the morning, so I heated them up and fried a vegetable. Plus the roast chicken that Wyatt Jiang brought back and the porridge in the pot, so dinner was already very sumptuous.

Dinner was on the table, Wyatt Jiang had already finished his shower and came out. Ivy Yuan couldn't help but pursed her lips when she noticed that he took her dirty clothes to the sink and soaked them. In fact, Wyatt Jiang was very considerate in most cases, but she was too afraid of him before and ignored some of his advantages.

There is roast chicken for dinner today, and there is so much meat in the yard that they have never seen before! The three sisters are so excited, especially Harper, who is a chatterbox who can't stop.

Ivy Yuan couldn't stand it anymore and scolded softly: "Xiao Li, don't talk when you eat or when you sleep. Have you forgotten what I taught you before?"

Harper pouted and said "oh" reluctantly.

For a moment, no one dared to speak at the dinner table.

Ivy Yuan sighed inwardly, and thought back to the years in Chang'an City. Her family was getting richer and richer, but there were also more and more rules. She tried her best to raise her sisters to be the noble ladies of Chang'an City, and her words and actions were strictly required. However, this made Harper and herself drift further and further apart. Although the third sister didn't say anything, she didn't seem very happy either.

Did she really do something wrong?

Thinking of this, Ivy Yuan finally softened her tone and picked up a piece of chicken for Harper: "It's easy to choke when you talk while eating. Let's talk after you finish eating. You can have a piece of candy after the meal."

Harper was instantly delighted when she heard this and smiled widely: "Thank you, big sister!"

Wyatt Jiang looked up at her, his eyes were deep, and no one knew what he was thinking.

After the meal, Willow Yuan rushed to wash the dishes, while Ivy Yuan continued to process the pork. After the meal, the pork was almost marinated. The next step was to build a rack and start the smoke. Wyatt Jiang came over at this time: "I'll help you."

Ivy Yuan didn't refuse either.

While Wyatt Jiang was setting up the rack, Ivy Yuan placed all the cypress leaves that Felicity Yuan and Harper had picked up under the rack, and then brought all the marinated pork over. It must be said that Wyatt Jiang was very efficient in everything he did. Before Ivy Yuan could turn around, he had already set up the rack, which was very sturdy, and he also kindly helped Ivy Yuan light the fire.

"You want bacon, right? Or grapefruit peel?" Wyatt Jiang asked.

Ivy Yuan was surprised and asked, "Yes, how did you know?"

"My mother did it before."

Wyatt Jiang said it calmly, but Ivy Yuan's heart trembled. It seemed to be the first time she heard Wyatt Jiang mention his parents. She didn't like Wyatt Jiang before, so naturally she didn't care about his family.

Ivy Yuan felt a little guilty again. She lowered her eyes and said, "In the kitchen. There are two grapefruits at home."

Wyatt Jiang nodded and helped her get it.

The smoke from the burning cypress leaves carries the fragrance of the woods, mixed with the taste of grapefruit peel, and slowly adheres to the pork. Of course, the main taste is still the spices. The bacon baked and smoked in this way and then air-dried for a few days can be preserved for a very long time. When you want to eat it, just wash and cook it and it will be extremely delicious.

Willow Yuan and her sisters came over and surrounded them in surprise. Wyatt Jiang controlled the fire very well. The cypress leaves burned slowly without much smoke, and it would take almost an entire night to burn.

Willow Yuan: "Sister, are you still stuffing sausages tonight?"

Ivy Yuan thought for a moment and shook her head: "Tomorrow, everyone go wash up and go to bed. Tomorrow is the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, and we have to continue to be busy."

Willow Yuan took Felicity Yuan and Harper to sleep, and Ivy Yuan was also ready to rest. But she glanced at the dirty clothes that Wyatt Jiang had soaked. If she didn't wash them tonight, it would be even harder to wash them tomorrow.

She was about to walk over when she saw Wyatt Jiang walking over with a soapberry in his hand. He was a little surprised to see her: "Why are you standing there? Go wash up and go to bed."

Ivy Yuan was stunned: "These clothes..."

Wyatt Jiang lowered his head and then frowned: "It's all pig blood, I'll do it myself, you don't care."

Ivy Yuan pursed her lips. If it was her in her previous life, she would definitely be very embarrassed, but now thinking about it, she just let him go. However, there was one thing she wanted to ask Wyatt Jiang, and that was the half-pig that she had never seen in her previous life.

"Why did you suddenly bring back pork? I never heard you mention it before."

Wyatt Jiang heard her question and curled his lips casually: "It was a sudden decision today. Zhang the butcher was short of people, so I went. Maybe I can do the work of three people. I added a little money and gave it to me at a low price."

Ivy Yuan knew his ability, so she didn't doubt his words. But just as she was about to turn around and leave, Wyatt Jiang suddenly said, "We don't need that much food and drink at home. It's just an egg. You don't need to worry about it."

Ivy Yuan was suddenly stunned.

It took her a while to figure out what he meant. It was about her lying yesterday about giving the eggs to her sister, and he heard it.

Ivy Yuan pursed her lips, not knowing what to say. After a moment, she could only say, "I understand."

She went to the bathroom, washed up, and then she felt exhausted all over. She soon felt sleepy and fell asleep.

I don’t know how long I slept when Wyatt Jiang came into the room.

After spending last night together, he was now more self-aware. He reached out and held Ivy Yuan in his arms. He was like a living heater, emitting endless heat. Ivy Yuan whimpered in a half-asleep state and let him go.
 
However, the heater was not flat, and it soon started to make her feel uncomfortable. Ivy Yuan moved her body in a daze, and she heard a hot breathing sound behind her.

"do not move..."

"I'm not a saint..."

Wyatt Jiang promised her that he would not force it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't take advantage of her. He hugged her from behind, and moved his big hands, grabbing a certain place very accurately and conveniently.

Ivy Yuan was already half asleep and half awake due to his nudging, and now she opened her eyes completely.

Wyatt Jiang noticed it and went even further forward: "You don't dislike me now, do you? I just washed it again."

Ivy Yuan: ...

Did he see through her dislike for him at that time?

Before Ivy Yuan could think about it, Wyatt Jiang took advantage of her and sucked her earlobe from behind. Ivy Yuan suddenly grabbed the quilt and closed her eyes tightly...

...

The twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month.

It's the last day before the New Year, and today is still busy. Willow Yuan went to check the bacon from last night as soon as she got up. After a night of smoking, it was completely done. It felt slightly hard to the touch and smelled of spices and herbs.

Wyatt Jiang came out of the room first and hung the bacon under the beam. Felicity Yuan asked curiously, "Where's the eldest sister?"

Wyatt Jiang felt a little guilty: "I'm washing up."

Harper laughed: "Big sister has been so lazy these past two days, she got up later than us!"

Willow Yuan: "That's because my elder sister is too tired. She did so many things during the day!"

Ivy Yuan, who was quietly getting dressed in the room, said: ...

She gritted her teeth angrily and regretted believing Wyatt Jiang's lies. This man was not a human being in bed at night, but just a two-legged beast in human skin!

Although it didn't come to that in the end, he had taken advantage of her enough in other ways. Ivy Yuan stomped her feet in anger. He had no chance of having S3x tonight!

Wyatt Jiang was extremely diligent throughout the whole day, taking care of all the work in and outside the yard. Sometimes Ivy Yuan wanted to find fault with him and say something to him, but she couldn't even find a chance.

After a busy last day before the New Year, the Jiang family courtyard finally looked like it was ready for the New Year.

The couplets and lanterns will be posted tomorrow. After everyone finished dinner early tonight, they were ready to rest. However, Ivy Yuan suddenly said, "Come to my room, I will give you new clothes."

"!!!"

Willow Yuan, Felicity Yuan and Harper all opened their eyes wide.

new clothes!

They have new clothes to wear during the Chinese New Year this year!

Ivy Yuan was also very happy, but she didn't show it. After her sisters came to the room, Ivy Yuan took out all the gifts she had secretly prepared for a long time: "This is for Ah Shuang, Xiao Qi and Xiao Li in order."

Ivy Yuan prepared a complete set, from the lining to the padded jacket to the skirt, and even the stockings, for her sisters. The three of them were wearing festive red, with slight differences in color: pink, peach and pomegranate red. After all, it was New Year's Day, so they had to wear something festive to look good.

The three sisters were delighted.

It almost blew the roof off.

Ivy Yuan smiled and shook her head: "Okay, go to bed early. Let's make a deal first. You are not allowed to get it dirty tomorrow. You have to wear it at least until the third or fourth day of the Chinese New Year, otherwise you won't have it next year."

A few people looked at each other and thought, will there be... next year?

They were so excited that they nodded their heads and took the new clothes carefully. When the three sisters were leaving, they ran into Wyatt Jiang who was entering the house. They almost bumped into him. Wyatt Jiang said helplessly, "Slow down."

Ivy Yuan had no choice but to start packing the things in the box.

actually...

There was another dark blue set at the bottom of the box. Ivy Yuan remembered that she had secretly made it for Wyatt Jiang in her previous life, but she didn't feel comfortable giving it to him later. While she was hesitating, Wyatt Jiang walked behind her.

Ivy Yuan quickly closed the box.

"They were so happy." Wyatt Jiang said.

Ivy Yuan: "Children are always happy about little things."

As soon as she finished speaking, Wyatt Jiang hugged her from behind.

"I'm happy too, do you know why?"

Ivy Yuan was stunned, "Why? You don't have new clothes."

Wyatt Jiang's breathing slowed down: "I like what happened tonight more than the new clothes."

Ivy Yuan: ...

Wyatt Jiang finished speaking, bent down and picked up Ivy Yuan, and couldn't wait to enter the tent...