Chapter 65 - Dining at a Two-in-One Restaurant

When I returned, my aunt and uncle had just washed the sweet potatoes and potatoes and were preparing to cook them for lunch.

Seeing that she hadn't returned for quite some time, he asked with a smile, "Why did you take so long?"

"My fourth aunt cooked some broad beans and offered them to me. That's why I came back with a free meal." Lin Chuntao said, holding up her small bamboo basket. Her second aunt saw the basket full of broad beans and laughed. "Why did you take broad beans from your fourth aunt's house? We have some too. We can go pick some later."

Lin Chuntao said, "I didn't want it, but she wouldn't let me, and just packed it for me."

The eldest aunt smiled and said, "Her broad beans are growing very well this year, so just take them if she gives them to you."

Lin Chunxing and her cousins ​​were already having fun, Pei Ying was chatting with her uncle and his family, her aunt was cooking lunch, and her second and third aunts said they were going to the fields.

The two returned not long after they left, bringing back a lot of green beans, peas, cabbage, bitter greens, radishes, and peppers.

When they returned, the lunch was just finished. The whole family sat in the courtyard to eat lunch. Just as they were about to start eating, the second aunt said, "We have to eat those green peppers quickly, or they'll turn red."

Lin Chuntao looked at the green peppers they had picked, washed a handful, roasted them over a fire, chopped them up, added a spoonful of sauce, and made a bowl. The children in the yard ate it and exclaimed that it was so delicious!

The Suns were also pleasantly surprised. "Chuntao, how did you make this sauce? It's delicious!"

Lin Chuntao said, "I put the beans in to ferment together with the other ingredients. It's a small batch for the first time. I'll bring some more over after the next batch is fermented."

My second aunt took a couple of bites and said, "It tastes even better than the sauce from Chai's Sauce Shop. Chun Tao, you often go to the county town, why don't you take some with you and sell it? I'm sure a lot of people will like it."

“That’s right, Chuntao, you should take some to try.” Third Aunt chimed in. Lin Chuntao looked at her relatives and said with a smile, “I’m still picking mushrooms, and Chuntao is busy cooking rice noodles to sell. We’ll have to wait and see about selling the sauce. This sauce tastes great when stir-fried with vegetables, meat, or rice noodles. Aunt, you can try making it.”

Mrs. Sun nodded.

The bowl of roasted chili peppers was finished in no time, so Lin Chuntao made two more bowls.

Lin Chuntao loves chili peppers. When chili peppers are delicious, she eats twice as much.

There were more sweet potatoes than potatoes cooked at noon. Usually, these children love sweet potatoes, but today they were attracted by the chili peppers and ate potatoes instead, resulting in a lot of sweet potatoes being left over.

The children were still asking for food, so the eldest aunt put some directly into the stove to cook.

Although the younger sisters craved it at home, they didn't need Lin Chuntao to say anything when they were out; they ate a few and then stopped.

After noon, they sat and chatted for a while, and then Lin Chuntao prepared to take them back. But the adults wouldn't allow it and wanted them to stay for dinner. For this reason, her aunt even went to catch a rooster.

Seeing that the chicken was about to be killed, Lin Chuntao quickly stopped her. Her aunt laughed and said, "This chicken can bite. We were planning to kill it for food anyway."

Second Aunt pulled her away to pick vegetables, while Uncle and the others cleaned the chicken. Pei Ying was a little bored and went to help, but was stopped by his aunt and the others. Lin Chuntao knew he was uncomfortable sitting there, so she smiled and said, "Aunt, let Pei Ying do it, he can do it."

Lin Chuntao spoke, and his aunt looked at him and his uncle and said, "Then I'll give this chicken to you two."

The eldest uncle laughed and said, "Sure, sure, you can go and do other things."

They didn't go to do laundry or work in the fields today; they just prepared dinner, so there wasn't much to do. However, they could chat with Chun Tao while they sat picking vegetables.

Pei Ying killed the chicken skillfully. After he killed it, his uncle went to get hot water to scald the chicken feathers. Pei Ying plucked the chicken feathers and then took the chicken to the fire to singe off the downy feathers. His movements were skillful and nimble.

Lin Chuntao's eldest and second aunts teased her, "Do you make people do chores at home?"

Lin Chuntao smiled upon hearing this, "Then the housework definitely needs to be done by everyone together."

The aunts laughed and said, "That's the right way to think. Don't treat him like a master."

They chatted idly, waiting for Pei Ying and the others to finish preparing the chicken before the eldest aunt went to cook it.

With many people eating, my uncle brought over a clay stove and put an iron pot on it, so we cooked our meal right there in the yard.

The neighbors, drawn by the aroma, craned their necks and asked, "Sister-in-law, what joyous occasion has befallen your family? Why are you eating so early?"

Madam Sun smiled and said, "Chun Tao and her sisters are here. They have to go back after dinner, so let's eat early."

Lin Chuntao could only hear the sound from across the courtyard, but she couldn't see anyone.

The sun hadn't set yet when they finished eating. After resting for a while, Lin Chuntao prepared to go back.

The eldest uncle brought a bamboo ladder and went to the backyard to pick half a basket of peaches. He said to Lin Chuntao, "Our peach tree ripens late. Take these home and let them sit for a while. They'll be even sweeter in seven or eight days. You can bring your sister back to pick some to eat later."

Sun chimed in from the side, "Then the fritters can be eaten too."

This was her uncle, who gave them some fruit. Lin Chuntao thanked him happily and accepted it without any awkwardness.

The second and third aunts had brought back beans and vegetables that afternoon, and Sun had packed a lot of them into their baskets. Lin Chuntao accepted the baskets with a sigh, but couldn't help saying, "Aunt, please put less in. I can't finish them all even if I take them back! It would be such a waste if they spoiled."

Auntie laughed and said, "How could it spoil? If you can't finish this cabbage and bitter greens, you can make sauerkraut. Do you know how to make sauerkraut?"

Lin Chuntao nodded: "I can do it."

Sun said, "Then you can make some pickled vegetables and eat them slowly." As she spoke, she filled a basket with cabbage, bitter greens, radishes and peppers, filling it to the brim.

And there was also half a bamboo basket of peaches.

Lin Chuntao was genuinely embarrassed. She told Sun, who laughed and said, "What's there to be embarrassed about? It's just that it's not close by, otherwise you could pick them from the field anytime."

Her uncle and aunt saw them off at the village entrance before returning home. Facing the setting sun, Lin Chuntao looked at the basket of vegetables on her back and smiled slowly.

After seeing them off, the eldest aunt and her family slowly walked back.

When they returned, the younger children were gathered around the table, on which sat the rice noodles and meat that Lin Chuntao had bought. The meat was a long strip of pork belly with ribs, both fatty and lean, the fat white and the lean meat bright red. There was also a lot of rice noodles, enough to make a family's meal.

The eldest uncle looked at the items and said, "This child must have spent a lot of money to buy these things."

Sun said, "This meat weighs several pounds, the rice noodles aren't cheap either, and that jar of wine can't be bought for a hundred coins."

The second aunt said, "I think the sisters look very different from when I last saw them. They must be doing well lately."

Madam Sun nodded slightly and smiled, "I was thinking that they didn't have any grain this year, and that I would dig up some more potatoes and send them to them when the new potatoes were ready to eat. I didn't expect them to be managing so well."

The child stood beside her and said he wanted to eat meat. Mrs. Sun smiled and said, "We just ate chicken. We'll make this meat tomorrow."

They lived a comfortable life, but they weren't wealthy either. They didn't dare spend money easily, as they had several children who were about to be married off. Saving money was difficult, but spending it was easy.

Vegetables are grown in the fields, and most of the grain is harvested from the fields. Eggs are eaten only occasionally, and some are saved up to sell. Meat is not available all the time; a little bit of pork cracklings can only be eaten when rendering lard.

Seeing this piece of meat, even though they had just eaten chicken, they were already eagerly anticipating tomorrow.

When Lin Chuntao and her group arrived home, it was already dusk. The villagers had all finished dinner and were enjoying the cool evening air outside.

Seeing the sisters return from outside, they all asked, "Chuntao, where have you been?"

Lin Chuntao said, "Auntie, we went to Uncle's house."

After a brief chat, Lin Chuntao and her companions walked on. As they passed through the Lin family's courtyard, Meng Yun and Madam Fan were embroidering at the entrance. They greeted them with smiles, and Lin Chuntao smiled back. She glanced at the embroidery in Madam Fan's hands and thought it looked quite good.

Lin Chuntao guessed that they were making embroidery to sell. She had heard that Fan Niangzi had taken Lin Chunlang and the others to the county town to sell firewood, but Lin Chuntao had not run into them.

After arriving home, Lin Chuntao took out all the vegetables to air dry. It was fine if they wilted a little if they couldn't finish them, but it would be a waste if they rotted. She put them away for now and would decide later whether to make sauerkraut or pickled vegetables.

Before she had finished tidying up, Lin Chunhe came over and asked, "Sister, can we make some more of those savory pancakes we had yesterday?"

Lin Chuntao raised an eyebrow slightly: "You're hungry already?"

Lin Chunhe smiled and said, "I'm not very hungry, but I'm craving that pancake."

Lin Chuntao hadn't eaten much and had been walking for a while. She knew she would be hungry later, so she said, "Wait for me a moment, I'll knead the dough for you."

After hearing her words, Lin Chunhe said, "Then I'll go and start a fire to boil water."

Lin Chuntao arranged the vegetables, went out to wash her hands, and then went back inside to knead the dough. She looked at Lin Duo'er, who was jumping around outside, and called out, "Duo'er, wash some peaches and come out to eat."

After Lin Duo'er agreed, she added, "Wash them thoroughly, scrub them one by one, or they'll get itchy from eating hairy things!"

Lin Chuntao gave the dough to Pei Ying to knead, and Lin Chunhe followed her to learn how to make sauce. While Pei Ying was making the sauce, she also finished kneading the dough before she went over to make it.

By the time the savory pancakes were ready, it was already dark. The sisters sat in the courtyard, enjoying the evening breeze and eating the pancakes.

After finishing the pancake, I ate a peach. It was a firm peach, and it was crunchy with a sweet and sour taste.

Lin Chunxing was a little sour, hissed and took another bite.

"Why are these peaches so sour? If you put some chaff on them and let them soften, they probably won't be so sour anymore."

Lin Chuntao had no objections, but she felt the taste was acceptable to her, and said with a smile, "Leave a few outside for me, I like the crunchy texture."

Lin Chunxing nodded upon hearing this, but after dawdling for two days without covering the peaches, they would gradually soften if left outside.

Days passed slowly like this, and as they watched the copper coins in the box gradually increase, their hopes for a new house grew stronger.

The old steward of the Chai family searched for two days but couldn't find any new sauce shops in the county town, let alone any new sauces that were selling well.

After hearing the old housekeeper's report, Guo Jixiang believed Lin Chuntao's words that the sauce in the noodles was made by Lin Chuntao herself.

Guo Jixiang made up her mind on the spot.

She is a very proactive person; once she made the decision, she went to find Helan that very day.

Helan sensed something was wrong when she saw Guo Jixiang suddenly showing up at her door, but she remained calm and invited her upstairs for tea.

At this moment, downstairs next to the butcher shop, sisters Lin Chunxing and Lin Chuntao were busy.

Guo Jixiang's gaze kept drifting towards Lin Chuntao. Helan raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her with some confusion, "Who is Madam looking at?"

Guo Jixiang turned her gaze to He Lan and asked with a smile, "Are these two young ladies familiar with Manager He?"

The two sisters often came and went through her door, so it was impossible for her not to know them well. Helan could only say, "They're alright. Is there anything you need, Madam?"

Guo Jixiang sighed deeply and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I suppose my sister knows about Xingyu's situation. After his accident, he canceled the marriage we had arranged for him. His father and I are currently worried about his marriage."

He Lan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, but she smiled and said, "With your family fortune and Xing Yu's good character, why worry about marriage? When the time is right, it will come naturally."

Guo Jixiang, listening to Helan's evasive remarks, went a step further and said bluntly, "When it comes to family business, the children have to be interested. Xingyu has a good temperament, but he doesn't care about the soy sauce factory at all. To be honest, I don't expect him to inherit this family business anymore. I don't care about matching social status with others. I just want to find him a capable wife and entrust this family business to her. That would be enough for me."

Hearing her words, and recalling the way Guo Jixiang had stared at the Lin Chuntao sisters earlier, He Lan was stunned and frowned. Could the Chai family afford to spend so much money on the sauce made by Lin Chuntao and her sister?

Helan wasn't saying that Lin Chuntao and her group were incompetent; they were already quite remarkable that their small stall could earn nearly a string of cash a day.

However, compared to the Chai family, they certainly cannot compare.

She was filled with disbelief.

"Madam, you're not joking, are you?"

"These two girls are unfortunate; they're not a good match for your family at all."

Guo Jixiang understood the implication in Helan's words, but did not respond. She simply said, "Going back a hundred years, our Chai family's ancestor was also a person with a tragic fate. Everyone is the same. Moreover, it is even more commendable that a girl with a tragic fate can find this way out on her own."

Helan understood Guo Jixiang's determination and picked up the teacup in front of her.

Based on her understanding of Lin Chuntao, she knew that wealthy and powerful families couldn't tempt her, and if she were to get entangled with the Chai family, it would likely be troublesome. She pondered this for a while and decided to wait and see.

Judging from Helan's expression, Guo Jixiang knew that Helan's relationship with Lin Chuntao and the others was deeper than she had imagined.

"I see that the shopkeeper's wife is of marriageable age. I wonder if she is already married."

He Lan smiled and asked, "I wonder if Madam is asking about the big one or the small one?"

Guo Jixiang said, "The big one."

Helan smiled and pointed to Pei Ying's back, "This is Lin Niangzi's husband."

Guo Jixiang was stunned. Although she had seen Pei Ying last time she came, Pei Ying was at the butcher shop. No one would have guessed that Pei Ying and Lin Chuntao were husband and wife. The old nanny went with her that day and didn't say anything when she came back. Mainly, she didn't think to ask.

"She actually got married."

There was a hint of regret in Guo Jixiang's tone.

"Is this young man an apprentice in your shop?" Guo Jixiang asked. He Lan replied, "A pig butcher."

Guo Jixiang nodded slightly, her eyes deep and unfathomable, her thoughts unreadable. Helan lowered her eyes, took a sip of tea, and after a long while said, "Since Madam has asked about them today, I also have something to tell Madam."

Guo Jixiang raised her eyebrows slightly and quietly looked at Helan, waiting for what she would say next.

He Lan raised her chin slightly and pointed at Pei Ying, "The person who saved Xing Yu on the day he had the accident was this butcher in my shop."

Guo Jixiang stared in surprise, her eyes widening. She stood up and looked at Pei Ying.

"What? It was him!"

"Those few days, Lao Chai and I even had our servants wait at the market entrance, thinking that if we could see him, we would definitely thank him properly. We never expected that he would be in your butcher shop."

"Sister He, what a coincidence!"

He Lan thought to herself, "You wouldn't be so heartless as to steal the wife of your savior, would you?" She smiled and agreed, "Of course!"

“I didn’t know you were looking for me, Madam, otherwise I would have told you.”

Guo Jixiang said, "I am looking for him. With such a great favor, how could I not look for him? It's just that Xingyu's situation is not good, so I haven't come out to look for him myself."

"We must thank him properly for this! Xinzhu, go to Wanfulou and tell the manager to reserve a table for me at noon, and serve all their signature dishes. Also, go back home and get a box from the storeroom."

The girl named Xinzhu left in a hurry after receiving the message.

Guo Jixiang said to He Lan, "Manager He, let's go together in a bit. You didn't mention this last time I came. I'm really... ashamed."

Helan smiled and said, "Please forgive me, Madam. I didn't think of it at the time yesterday. I only remembered it when you brought it up."

The two sat upstairs drinking tea amidst the bustling market. Lin Chunxing cooked rice noodles, while Lin Chuntao assisted by collecting money and serving the noodles.

Guo Jixiang raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is the younger sister the main one running this noodle shop?"

"Yes, my sister is mainly helping out."

Guo Jixiang said, "I think she's a little younger than Xingyu."

Helan smiled without saying a word. Guo Jixiang had her sights set on Lin Chunxing. Was she genuinely looking for a daughter-in-law, or was she just after the sauce recipe? Helan wasn't sure.

"Don't laugh at me, sister, but Xingyu's face is badly injured. If we find someone from a lower social class, we can spend more money, which can be considered compensation."

Helan was somewhat skeptical, but she still said, "Madam, you should let go of the matter of marriage. I think Xingyu will find his sweetheart on his own."

Guo Jixiang waved her hand gently.

Lin Chuntao and the others were busy until noon. The noodles were sold out, and the two sisters were busy washing dishes and pots and cleaning up. After they finished cleaning up, Guo Jixiang and He Lan came downstairs.

Guo Jixiang walked towards Pei Ying first. Pei Ying looked at the woman coming towards him and looked at He Lan in confusion.

Helan smiled and said, "Little Pei, let me introduce you to someone. This is Madam Guo from the Chai Family Sauce Shop. The young master you saved at the market entrance that day is Madam Guo's son."

Before Pei Ying could speak, Guo Jixiang said, "Thank you so much, Brother Pei, for saving Xingyu's life. Xingyu's injuries were serious at the time, and I even sent people from my household to look for you at the market, but we couldn't find you. It was only today, when the topic came up by chance, that Manager He mentioned it. I'm truly ashamed that I haven't been able to express my gratitude to you before!"

Pei Ying said calmly, "It was nothing of my concern, Madam. You need not worry about it."

Guo Jixiang said, "This is a great favor to our Chai family. I have already asked someone to book a table at Wanfu Restaurant. Please do me the honor of attending."

Pei Ying was somewhat annoyed by these matters. He had refused Chai Xingyu's invitation that day, so why was he being invited again today? He had a feeling that if he didn't accept, this family would never let it go. He then looked at Lin Chuntao.

Lin Chuntao remembered Guo Jixiang, and then asked with a smile, "Madam, were you satisfied with the soup noodles the other day?"

Guo Jixiang smiled and said, "I'm very satisfied. The shopkeeper's cooking skills are excellent, and he's very thoughtful. I cooked another pot of the extra soup you prepared for tonight."

"I'm glad you're happy, Madam. Please come anytime you need anything in the future."

As they were talking, Lin Chuntao prepared to collect her basket, but Guo Jixiang quickly said, "Of course, I only just learned that your husband is my son's savior. Madam, I've made a reservation at the restaurant, please do me the honor of having lunch there before you go back."

Pei Ying had told her about this a couple of days ago, but when she heard Guo Jixiang mention it now, she still feigned surprise and said, "What a coincidence!"

Guo Jixiang said, "Isn't that right? Then it's settled, let's go now."

Lin Chuntao smiled at her, "Madam is too kind. In that case, we will respectfully accept your offer."

Guo Jixiang smiled with satisfaction after hearing her words.

Lin Chunxing was completely bewildered about going to Wanfulou for dinner, but seeing Lin Chuntao chatting and laughing between Guo Jixiang and Helan, she took a deep breath and mustered her courage.

How could Chai Songchuan and Chai Xingyu not be present when inviting their saviors to dinner?

Lin Chuntao and the others entered Wanfu Restaurant and followed the manager to the door of a private room, where Chai Songchuan and Chai Xingyu were already waiting.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Chai Songchuan greeted Pei Ying with a bow and expressed his gratitude. Pei Ying replied, "Master Chai, there's no need for such formalities. It was nothing of my concern."

Chai Song said, "Calling me Master Chai is too formal. From now on, just call me Uncle."

Chai Xingyu only knew he was there to eat, unaware that he was actually treating Pei Ying and the others to a meal.

Thinking back to the two days ago when he asked Pei Ying for help but was refused, and now that his mother had asked again, he was a little worried. Would Pei Ying think that he had gone home and asked the adults to come and bother him?

Fortunately, Pei Ying's expression was unpredictable, which reassured him somewhat.

The Chai family ordered a very generous spread of dishes. In addition to chicken, duck, and fish, there was a braised goat meat dish, a braised deer tendon dish, a pigeon and ginseng soup dish, stuffed tofu, steamed assorted preserved meats, roasted matsutake mushrooms, preserved egg and pickled mustard greens, and each person was also served a serving of sweet fermented rice balls.

The dishes were all beautifully prepared, but Lin Chuntao had a strong palate and didn't particularly like these regular dishes. In fact, her mind wasn't on the food.

Helan had already warned her: what kind of philanthropist would be willing to set fire for the sake of a prescription?

The life-saving grace sounds nice, but for poor people like them, if there were no profit to be made, the Chai family would be considered very kind to give them some silver to get rid of them. They would be afraid that they would pester them. Why would they be so kind as to invite them to eat at this fancy restaurant?

Halfway through the meal, Chai Songchuan indeed brought up the sauce.

"Mrs. Lin has excellent skills. In just a few days, she has made the soup noodles popular in our small county."

Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "Uncle Chai, you flatter me. It's just a snack for everyone to try something new. It's nothing special."

As soon as she finished speaking, Guo Jixiang chimed in, "Madam Lin is too modest. You have no idea, recently half of the people who come to our sauce shop to buy sauces ask you which one you put in the soup noodles?"

Upon hearing this, Helan picked up the teacup beside her and glanced at the table without making a sound, but she was worried for Lin Chuntao. She was afraid that Lin Chuntao would inadvertently fall into the trap set by the Chai family.

Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "I have long heard that Chai's Sauce Garden has been passed down for more than a hundred years and is the signature brand of Yizhou. Now that you say so, I know it is indeed true. When people taste new sauce, the first thing they think of is Chai's Sauce Garden. This is all thanks to the people's word of mouth. Now that everything is in need of rebuilding, perhaps soon all the people of the Great Sheng Dynasty will be able to eat Chai's sauce from Yizhou."

"Lady Lin, you flatter me! It's just that our county is small, and everyone spreads the word."

Chai Song relayed Lin Chuntao's message, but his shrewd eyes were filled with pride. Guo Jixiang also had a smile on her face. That's how nice words are; everyone likes them.

The conversation shifted from discussing the sauce in Lin Chuntao's soup to the story of how the Chai family rose to prominence, how their ancestors worked so hard to create a sauce that everyone loved.

Helan watched as Lin Chuntao showered them with praise, and they chatted happily.

Guo Jixiang inquired about Lin Chunxing, who was silent at the table, asking if she was married, her age, and so on. Chai Xingyu, who was at the table, knew his parents well and immediately shared his thoughts with He Lan. They were somewhat incredulous, yet it was something they were capable of doing.

"Mother! I have an idea. Since Manager He is here today, he can help witness it."

Guo Jixiang's eyes darkened slightly, wondering what Chai Xingyu was up to. But as he said, with Helan present, she couldn't say anything openly. She simply smiled and said, "You silly child, just say what you're thinking. Why are you being so serious?"

"Brother Pei saved me that day, and I was revived after eating the soup noodles made by Madam Lin! Today, I would like to take this opportunity to become sworn siblings with Madam Lin!"

Lin Chuntao: "..."

He Lan: "!!!"

Pei Ying and Lin Chunxing stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.