Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Lin Qiuran has never met his relatives from his hometown...

Sun still remembered this family. They had a daughter and were planning a full-moon banquet. The man's eyes lit up when he mentioned his wife and daughter. He was a good father.

At that time, Sun was a little surprised. It was not that she favored boys over girls, but that was the trend of the world. Most families only celebrated the birth of a new baby. This family was happy to have a daughter, which was good.

Sun thought both boys and girls were good, but life was difficult for women in this world. Just look at Lin Qiuran. Without her husband, whether she stayed or remarried, she would be plagued by rumors and gossip. Sun would be content with Lin Qiuran's child, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl. However, for the sake of their future, a son would be better.

When the child grows up, she will be able to protect Lin Qiuran. If it is a daughter, they will be easily bullied when they leave.

Sun suppressed her complicated emotions and asked, "I'll go with you. Let your father sell it himself."

Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "No need, just go and order a menu."

There was no need to prepare the dishes; she could just go there herself. She just needed to ask how many dishes were on the table and what the Zhao family's taste preferences were.

Lin Qiuran has prepared this kind of banquet many times, so it is relatively easy for her.

Seeing that Lin Qiuran could do it alone, Sun nodded. Xiao Dashi was a little clumsy and couldn't sell as fast as her.

The next day, the sky was a little overcast, but it didn't look like it was going to rain. Xiao Dashi went out to buy some meat and vegetables. He returned around 3:30 AM, and then Sun began to clean up.

Just after washing the vegetables and preparing breakfast, Sun finally called Lin Qiuran to get up. She would sleep as much as possible and never urged Lin Qiuran to get up early.

Lin Qiuran stood up to take a look. The meat was a large piece, the green peppers had been washed, and the tofu was untouched. The two of them didn't know how to prepare this dish, so they prepared it like this.

Sun: "Whether to stew the meat or cook it in some other way, and how to cut it, let your father do it. Your father is very strong."

Lin Qiuran said, "Dad, chop the meat into stuffing and keep the pig skin; don't add it in. Mom, remove the stems and seeds from the chili peppers. This is spicy, so use a layer of cloth or chopsticks."

Stuffed peppers with meat are made by stuffing meat into peppers. Once cooked together, they are delicious and have a unique spicy flavor. It tastes different from other meat-filled dishes, and it doesn't taste like stewed meat. It is a perfect match.

Lin Qiuran felt that this dish was not only delicious, but also went well with rice compared to other dishes. The spiciness was just right, not too strong. The meat filling had a peppery aroma, and the chili peppers were soft and rotten, giving it a meaty flavor.

Since we have made stuffed peppers with meat, the vegetable dish must be stir-fried peppers. Tofu and peppers with meat are also a good combination. Fry the tofu to save it from falling apart, and use the remaining soup to cook it. Ordinary people who can't afford meat can use this instead, and it can also be eaten with two bowls of rice.

The hind leg meat was nine cents a pound, the tofu was two cents, and the hot peppers were four cents. Lin Qiuran and Sun said, "The hot peppers stuffed with meat are twenty cents a pound, and the rest of the vegetables are six cents a pound."

There were also large pieces of pig skin, which Lin Qiuran planned to make into pig skin jelly. Since the weather was cooler now, the well water should be able to jelly it. He could eat it at home or sell it, or even use it to make soup dumplings. He had been tired of either boiled eggs or custard in the morning these days.

This is also money earned, you can't just save it and not spend it.

Sun and Xiao Dashi treated her well, letting her eat first of all the good things in the house. It was just that Sun's cooking skills were so-so, and she couldn't cook anything else. Although she wasn't a good cook, she was a good seller. With Sun around, Lin Qiuran's life was much easier. As a family, it was good to complement each other.

After Xiao Dashi finished chopping the meat, Lin Qiuran seasoned it with mushrooms, thirteen spices, and salt and sugar. After the meat was seasoned, she followed Sun's lead and used a spoon to stuff the meat into the pot, then spread a layer of cornstarch to seal it.

This is the most troublesome part. You have to do it one by one and fill them with meat filling. After that, Lin Qiuran first fries the skin of the green pepper and then roasts it. The taste cannot be too salty because the meat filling itself has flavor.

If the family had more money, they could also make green pepper stuffed shrimp balls. Lin Qiuran thinks that tastes better.

After cooking this, they stewed the green pepper and tofu. After that, Sun and Xiao Dashi left. Lin Qiuran rested for a while, cleaned up, locked the door, and went out to Zhao's house.

The Zhao family lived in the south of the city. Lin Qiuran had been to this place before. When they were looking at houses, the one that Zhao Guangcai took them to see first was the one worth twenty-five taels. It was over there. There were many tenants in this place.

The Xiao family lived in the southeast of Yu'an City. The two families were not far from each other. It took about two quarters of an hour to walk. Lin Qiuran went to the third house in the second alley of Fenglin Street...

The door was open. Lin Qiuran wanted to go in, but saw two people standing at the side of the yard opposite the door. One was Zhao Shi, who bought fish and booked a full moon banquet that day, and the other was an old lady who looked to be in her fifties. She had her hands on her hips and didn't look like someone who was easy to mess with.

The two men looked somewhat similar, so Lin Qiuran didn't rush in.

The old lady was so annoyed, "You married such a troublemaker and gave birth to a money-loser. You deserve such great credit and yet you still let me take care of you during your confinement. You married a wife and forgot your mother. I don't know what kind of magic potion she put into you. She doesn't care about the family anymore and insisted on moving out."

"I'm telling you, move back as soon as possible. Living in a rented house is so embarrassing! You've completely lost face!"

Zhao Shi said, "Mother, if you don't want to take care of Wan Niang, I'll do it myself. You don't have to say these things. Wan Niang didn't try to fool me. I only moved out because I could see that you cared about my second brother. I gave all the money I earned over the years to my second brother, even after he got married. I only regret that I realized it too late and made Wan Niang suffer with me for over a year!"

Zhao Shi took a deep breath and asked, "Why move back? Are we going to be like before and work like a slave for my second brother?"

Mother Zhao was anxious. "Your brother is a good student. He will become a high-ranking official in the future. He will definitely treat you well!"

Zhao Shi shook his head and said, "Tell him not to worry about me. Please go back."

He pointed to the door and happened to see Lin Qiuran. He restrained his expression and said, "Madam Lin, you are here."

Lin Qiuran nodded, without saying what he came for, and without saying much else. Everyone has their own private matters, so just pretend you didn't see it.

The Zhao family's affairs are easy to understand. There are many children in the family, and the eldest son works hard to earn money, but the mother favors the younger brother. He used to be the workhorse of the family, but now he doesn't want to be. The mother, on the other hand, thinks her son is wrong and is being instigated by her daughter-in-law.

Lin Qiuran was also surprised at the time. There weren't many people invited to the full moon banquet, and his family could handle it. After all, it would cost a lot of money to invite guests for a day. It turned out that there was no one at home who could help.

Mother Zhao didn't leave. She pointed at Lin Qiuran and asked who she was.

Zhao Shi said helplessly: "Wanniang gave birth to a daughter for me, so naturally we have to celebrate. Since you are unwilling to come to help, I can only ask someone to come."

Mother Zhao said, "Why are you wasting that much money on a little girl? Give me the money and I'll do it!"

Lin Qiuran was shocked, but luckily he had received the deposit before.

Zhao Shi smiled helplessly and said, "Even if you're willing now, I don't need it. You're partial to my second brother, and even if you come to help, you're picky and haphazard. Don't come on the baby's full moon day, mother. I sincerely hope that the man you truly respect will take care of you until the end of your life. I've earned a lot of money over the years and started working as an apprentice at the age of twelve. I've given it all to you as a way to repay your kindness in raising me."

Mother Zhao was furious. She pointed at Zhao Shi's nose and cursed, "You will regret it one day, you unfilial son. You have no conscience!"

Mother Zhao cursed many times in a row. Lin Qiuran lowered his head slightly, not daring to look around.

Zhao Shi sent his mother away and came back to Lin Qiuran, saying, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Madam Lin."

Lin Qiuran said, "It's okay. Every family has its own problems. I'm here to order the menu. Is Zhao Ge's wife here?"

It was obvious that the lady was in charge of this family, so Lin Qiuran didn't waste any more time talking to Zhao Shi.

Zhao Shi brought Lin Qiuran into the house. "I originally wanted to host four tables, but I guess this time we can only have three. But don't worry, the money will definitely be the same as before."

Zhao Shi originally thought that the past was over. His mother was not good to him, but after all, having a child was a big deal, and she was his biological mother, so she should be happy for him. He didn't expect that his mother would come over today. Not only did she not care about anything, but she kept saying that Wan Niang was not good, and she had drugged him.

Mingming Wanniang was very filial when she got married.

Thinking back to the past two years when they had not moved out, all the money they earned was given to Zhao's mother, but what they had to eat and use was not as good as what his second brother had. It was even worse after his second brother got married. Wan Niang shed so many tears that Zhao Shi only regretted not moving out earlier.

Now that we've moved out, even though we're renting a house, our lives are slowly getting better. There's no need to invite the Zhao family anymore; it would just be a nuisance.

Lin Qiuran followed him into the house. She saw Zhao Shi's wife sitting on the bed with a headscarf wrapped around her head. There was also an older woman busying around in the room, probably Zhao Shi's mother-in-law. The two of them looked unhappy, but they still smiled when they saw Lin Qiuran come in.

Lin Qiuran said, "I came here today to decide on the menu for my daughter's full moon banquet."

Wan Niang said, "Mrs. Lin, there are about three tables, each with ten people. The dishes will be eight per table. You are a good cook, so you can cook whatever you like."

Lin Qiuran asked, "How do we divide the meat and vegetables?"

It seems that one has to consider the financial situation of the Zhao family. Naturally, meat dishes taste better, but it can't be all meat dishes. She can do it, but she doesn't know if the Zhao family has so much money.

Wan Niang glanced at her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully in her swaddling clothes. She said, "Two cold dishes, six hot dishes, and three or four meat dishes will do."

Lin Qiuran ordered braised fish, pagoda meat, and braised pork. He could order three or four meat dishes, but he would order three first. If he felt it was not enough, he would naturally add more.

The vegetarian dishes include braised eggplant, tofu with hot peppers and eight-treasure rice. The remaining two cold dishes are preserved eggs with hot peppers and smashed cucumbers.

The Zhao family was quite satisfied with the dishes. Zhao Shi also said, "Madam Lin, are you free these days? I know a friend who works as a chef for a wealthy family. Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and everyone in the mansion is tired of his cooking. I was originally thinking of ordering some dishes from a restaurant, but I told you that your cooking is delicious, so I wanted you to come over and try it. Don't worry about the price, just make some dishes that are both delicious and beautiful."

If Lin Qiuran hadn't come today, Zhao Shi would have gone too. It's just that Lin Qiuran always accepts banquets, so he wasn't sure if he would accept one like this.

Zhao Shi was currently running a small business to support his family, so he had to find ways to make money. The other party said that if the business was successful, they would give him a penny of silver as a middleman.

Lin Qiuran asked, "Which one?"

Zhao Shi said, "The Xu family is the richest in Yu'an City. They usually go out to do business at this time of year. This year, they are back home for the Mid-Autumn Festival. In short, the family is not short of money. The master is happy with the meal, and it will definitely be easier for Madam Lin to receive banquets in the future."

Rich families all have chefs, and the Xu family probably has more than one. However, they invite outsiders to prepare the Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner, probably to please the master.

You just have to do it right and avoid making mistakes, but if you do a good job you can get a reward. As for the money for hiring people, it will naturally be included in the purchase fee and you don't have to pay for it yourself.

Zhao Shi was right. If the host was happy with the meal, wouldn’t he have to look for her if he wanted to eat the same dish again?

Even if she doesn't like the food, she can't be blamed for finding it privately.

Lin Qiuran asked, "Do you know how many dishes to make? How much will it cost?"

Zhao Shi said, "Just make three or four dishes, but I need to taste the food. If it's successful, I'll give you half a tael of silver."

Lin Qiuran nodded. "Okay, shall we try the food today or tomorrow?"

Today is the 14th, and tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival. Zhao Shi said, "I'll take you there this afternoon."

The two agreed on a place to meet, and Lin Qiuran went home.

After Lin Qiuran left, Zhao Shi took the child and let Wan Niang sleep for a while.

Wan Niang said, "I'm not tired. Is this the chef whose husband is gone that you mentioned?"

Zhao Shi nodded. Now that he had a daughter, he felt pity for her when he heard these things. "That's right, she has to take care of all the household affairs by herself. Alas, but I'm not just doing this to help her. If this thing succeeds, we can also get a penny of silver."

It's a good thing to make money without doing anything.

Wan Niang smiled and said, "That's right, I think it can be done. Madam Lin's cooking is delicious."

Zhao Shi said, "If the full-moon party goes well, we can also invite Ying'er to her first birthday party. Look at how adorable Ying'er is. I have to make a lot of money and save up enough for her dowry."

Wan Niang's smile was sweeter than honey. Even though life was not easy when she first got married, Zhao Shi was able to move out, and now things are pretty good. Her parents' family can help her, and it doesn't matter if she can't rely on her in-laws. She doesn't have to worry about them in the future.

After Lin Qiuran left Zhao's house, he went to the street and bought two kilograms of mooncakes, one kilogram of red bean paste and one kilogram of jujube paste. Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, and the family has not bought mooncakes yet.

She actually wanted to eat lotus seed paste with egg yolk. She used to make it herself, but now she was selling vegetables, and Lin Qiuran wanted to focus on one thing. Now she didn't have a stove and she didn't have time, so she decided to buy some to try.

When she got home, Sun and Xiao Dashi had already returned. It was only a quarter to 4 p.m., but when she saw that all the vegetables were sold out, Lin Qiuran couldn't help but say, "Mom, they're selling so fast today!"

Sun said, "Today, many people came to buy vegetables, so they are selling fast."

Sun still felt that there were not enough to sell, and if he had a little more he could sell them all.

Lin Qiuran thought, I can add some more dishes tomorrow. Business will definitely be good during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I guess it's because there are so many people here. Maybe there will be more and more customers in the next two days. Once these few days are over, business will stabilize.

Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, let's add more dishes tomorrow."

Sun was stunned after hearing this. She had been busy doing business and making money these past two days. Maybe she had forgotten that tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival. "Qiuran, are you still selling tomorrow?"

Lin Qiuran said, "Sell it. By the way, I have to go to taste the food this afternoon. They said the Xu family is having a banquet tonight. I just need to make a few dishes and they will pay me well."

Sun was happy to make money, but she didn't want Lin Qiuran to be busy during the holidays. "Otherwise, just take a day off. You haven't made enough money."

Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, it won't be convenient for me to cook all the time when I'm a little further along. Besides, making money won't interfere with the holidays. Mom, cook tomorrow night. Once I get it ready from the Xu family, we can celebrate the holidays together. I bought mooncakes today, and we'll have fish tomorrow."

Sun nodded. Lin Qiuran cooked for takeout, and she was the one who cooked at home. She often watched Lin Qiuran cook, and she also took care of the fire and preparation. She followed Lin Qiuran's steps and added some spices, and it tasted better than before.

Lin Qiuran still didn't know whether to send it over or go to Xu's house to make it. If he went to Xu's house to make it, he could also sell some thirteen-spice mushrooms and make some money.

For the food trial, she planned to make shrimp balls stuffed with green peppers. Zhao Shi had already mentioned that the Xu family was a wealthy family, doing business, so they would definitely be able to buy shrimp. If they had shrimp balls, she could make them herself. If this dish was served, it would definitely pass the food trial.

Autumn is a bountiful harvest with everything available, and Lin Qiuran can cook more dishes.

Sun asked, "What are we going to sell tomorrow?"

Lin Qiuran said, "Let's make braised fish. Every household has fish on the table during the holidays. We can make it so they don't have to make it again. We can also buy tofu and hot peppers for the vegetarian dishes."

These two go well with braised fish, and the spiciness of the chili peppers can suppress the fishy smell of the fish.

Sun thought this was a good idea, so she asked Xiao Dashi to order fish from the vendor in the afternoon and buy thirty fish first.

If you order a lot in advance, the price can be cheaper, and it will only take one more trip, but the cost will be lower.

Lin Qiuran counted the money he earned today, a total of 912 coins. Although it was not as much as yesterday's turnover, the cost was also low, only 460 coins.

Lin Qiuran had a good sleep in the afternoon, and when he woke up, he followed Zhao Shi to Xu's house to try the food.

Lin Qiuran saw not only one chef coming to taste the food, but also that when she went over, he waited for a while before letting her in.

Zhao Shi was waiting outside when Lin Qiuran went in. Half an hour later, Lin Qiuran came out. Zhao Shi asked, "Is it done?"

Lin Qiuran nodded, "Yes, it's done."

It was not what she thought. She thought it was just the chef's idea, but it turned out that the steward in the mansion was watching and tasting the dishes. They were particular about what they ate, and even didn't let Lin Qiuran use thirteen spices and mushroom spices. However, Lin Qiuran found the spices in the kitchen and ground some himself.

She was planning to sell some spices, and now she didn't even have the chance to talk about it, but she still planned to make two new jars and bring them over tomorrow.

For the food tasting, Lin Qiuran made a dish of shrimp balls stuffed with hot peppers. After the tasting, the manager tasted it and nodded his approval. She will make this dish tomorrow, as well as braised pork with pagoda meat.

There were three dishes in total, and I paid half a tael of silver, half of which was a deposit. It was very pleasant.

Lin Qiuran was very happy and bought two pounds of meat from the street when he came back. He planned to make pork skin jelly in the evening and make soup dumplings in the morning.

She was tired of eating eggs every day. Now that the family was making money, she could eat better, and Sun and Xiao Dashi could eat better too. These days, when they woke up, they had already finished their breakfast.

It goes without saying that the two of them were just fooling around. They only gave her porridge and pancakes, but they steamed three eggs for her every day.

After returning home, Lin Qiuran blanched the pig skin, cut it into strips and stewed it. In this weather, it would be fine to leave the pork overnight.

The next morning, she got up when she heard the noise outside. She first went to check the pig skin jelly, which was already formed. Then she looked at home and saw that Sun was washing clothes and Xiao Dashi had gone out to buy fish.

Sun had to wash every two days. Cooking in this weather would make her sweat, so she had to be more diligent. She said, "It's still early, sleep a little longer."

Lin Qiuran said, "I went to bed early yesterday and got up as soon as I woke up."

"Mom, I'll go steam some buns first."

Sun sighed and wondered, how could she make dumplings in the morning, and would she still be able to make the dough in time for it to rise now?

Lin Qiuran went to the kitchen, mixed the minced meat and pork jelly together, and without leaving the dough to rise, rolled out thin dough to make soup dumplings and steamed them directly. The key to soup dumplings is the oozing liquid. Lin Qiuran even grabbed an extra bowl of the ginger and scallion sauce.

When Xiao Dashi came back, the steamed buns were ready. Lin Qiuran invited them to eat, "Mom, today is Mid-Autumn Festival, let's eat together."

Sun smiled gently, "Well, I just need to hang the clothes up."

Neither of them had ever eaten this before. When they picked up the bun, the skin was so translucent that they could see the soup inside.

Lin Qiuran just reminded him to be careful about the heat and didn't care anymore.

She took a bite and it tasted good. If the pig skin jelly was cooked with broth, it would definitely taste even better.

After drinking the soup, Lin Qiuran ate the filling of the buns. She liked the filling that was not ball-shaped, but chewy and did not fall apart. This was chopped by Xiao Dashi with the back of a knife last night, and the taste was just right.

Sun knew there was soup in it, but she was still surprised when she ate it. The delicious soup flowed directly into her mouth and the taste was amazing.

This is delicious, but it is troublesome to make.

Every time she thought the dishes cooked by Lin Qiuran were delicious enough, but when she ate other dishes, she would feel that she was too short-sighted.

Sun asked Lin Qiuran to eat more. Lin Qiuran ate six soup dumplings and drank a bowl of egg soup.

There were quite a few buns with two pounds of meat in them, and after they were finished she said, "It's hot, you and Dad should eat them all, don't let them go bad."

Sun and Xiao Dashi were used to being frugal, and they were really afraid that such good things would go bad. Every time Lin Qiuran said this, they would eat it all up.

After eating, Lin Qiuran went to cook the fish first. After washing her hands and coating the two fish with batter, she heard a commotion at the door. When she looked up, she saw a group of people coming in.

It was a group. Walking in front was a woman in her sixties, with gray hair and a cane. She was thin, with high hips, and looked a bit mean. The women supporting her on either side looked relatively young, around 30 or 40 years old. A few more people followed behind, splitting off from the old woman, making them look like two separate groups.

Lin Qiuran didn't recognize any of these people. She subconsciously looked at Sun and Xiao Dashi. They both stood up and their faces turned ugly.

Lin Qiuran suddenly remembered that day at Zhao's house, but at Zhao's house she was watching at the door, and at Xiao's house she was in the house, and there weren't so many people there that day.

Xiao Dashi walked out of the house and stood in front of the steps. He frowned and asked, "Mom, why are you here?"

Lin Qiuran looked closely and found that these people looked a bit like Xiao Dashi. She had heard from Sun that Xiao Dashi had some brothers in Xiaojia Village, but the relationship had been severed many years ago. Sun did not say the specific reason.

But the relationship between the brothers was broken, and it must have been a very ugly situation.

Mrs. Bai came in on crutches, glancing at Xiao Dashi with a sidelong glance. "Why can't I come? My son moved to the county town, and I heard about it from others. You've really grown up!"

Sun stopped eating her buns and left the house without saying a word. Lin Qiuran glanced outside and continued coating the fish in batter. Since he had already bought the fish and vegetables, he had to cook them. He couldn't just leave them like this after killing them.

These people were all dressed in cloth. I guess the family to the left of Bai family was from one family, and the family to the right. After they came in, their eyes kept looking at the house. A boy of seven or eight years old looked up and went into the kitchen. He pulled his mother and said, "Mom, there are fish! And buns."

"Shh, wait a minute, we can eat at noon."

Xiao Dashi's face became even uglier. Lin Qiuran couldn't help but think, he wasn't even allowed into the house, and he still wanted to come to eat.

Bai glared at Sun, then looked at Xiao Dashi, "You didn't tell me that Xiao Xun left, and you didn't tell me you were moving. I don't even know if you even care about me as your mother!"

Xiao Dashi said, "We said what we needed to say twenty years ago. It's getting late. When you come to the county town in the future, you don't have to come to see us specially."

We agreed at the beginning that each family would live their own lives from now on, so why are you here again now?

Mrs. Bai raised her voice and said, "You are my son. I gave birth to you and raised you. You must be filial to me. This is the natural order. Besides, now that Xiao Xun is gone, who will take care of you in your old age? You will still be counting on your nephew. If you break up now, you will regret it later."

Sun couldn't bear to watch any longer. She said, "I dare not trouble you. We have Qiuran!"

My son is gone, but my wife is still here, so I don’t need anyone else.

Mrs. Bai said, "A daughter-in-law is useless. Even if she's pregnant, it's still unclear whether she can give birth to the baby. Even if she does, we don't know whether it's a boy or a girl. You don't protect your own family members, but you protect an outsider! When she remarries one day, you'll cry!"

Seeing that Xiao Dashi and Sun were about to send the guests away, Bai's daughter-in-law Li tugged at Bai's sleeve and said, "Mother, what are you talking about?"

Li said, "Brother and sister-in-law, mother has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Even good intentions can turn words into bad words. Sanwa, hurry up and call us uncle and aunt!"

Sanwa was only four or five years old, with big eyes. He called Xiao Dashi "Uncle" and "Auntie Sun".

Li smiled and said, "Brother and sister-in-law, Mom has been thinking about you these days. She also said that now that Xiao Xun is gone, Sanwa will take care of you in your old age. We are all family, so let the past be the past. Why keep it in your heart and make others feel uncomfortable?"

Mrs. Li pulled the child and said, "Sanwa, go find your aunt and sister-in-law."

Sanwa stared at the fish, his mouth watering. Lin Qiuran was afraid that he would come in, so she came out of the kitchen and closed the door. "Wait, you are the elders, and as a junior, I shouldn't interrupt."

"But the older generation doesn't act like elders, and the younger generation doesn't need to respect them. If you really came here today to plan for my parents' future and worried that they would be left alone, I could really say it was a righteous act. But a family like this came here and started cursing as soon as they walked in, not even calling them brother, sister-in-law, aunt, and aunt. Only when my parents' faces changed did they start to speak nicely. Look at you, each of you has your eyes glued to the house.

I don't need to explain why. You're not doing this for my parents' future, you're clearly trying to take over this house. You keep saying your nephew will take care of them until they die, but my parents haven't seen any filial care from them in all these years. Who would dare to count on such people?"

Lin Qiuran saw several people gathered at the door, they were neighbors. She said, "Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, and there's not even a gift. How can this nephew be filial? Besides, even if my mother goes to the neighbor's house to discuss something, she will bring a couple of vegetables. You guys, on the other hand, don't even bring a single onion."

Mrs. Bai was so angry that she was shaking. She pointed at Lin Qiuran and called him unfilial. She looked at Xiao Dashi and said, "You let her talk to your mother like that."

Mrs. Li: "Qiuran, you misunderstood. We are here today for the future of Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law. Even if you want to give birth to the child, you will have to remarry...Big Brother, you are a man, the head of the family, why do you let your daughter-in-law ride on your head?"

Xiao Dashi originally asked Lin Qiuran to be the housekeeper. So what? Even the house is in Lin Qiuran's name. Now Lin Qiuran is the head of the family.

Lin Qiuran said, "I'm making this clear today. I'm in charge of the Xiao family. Dad and Mom, if you want to honor them, then move back to Xiao Village. If you want to stay here, then listen to me."

Bai said, "This is our Xiao family's house. Why should we move out? You are an outsider, how can you have the right to speak here?"

Sun had experienced Bai's unreasonable skills, and Xiao Dashi had also experienced it. Sun pulled Xiao Dashi and winked at him to get the man away quickly.

Bai pounded the ground with her cane, "Second and third families, we're celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival at your eldest brother's house today!"

Lin Qiuran had never seen such a shameless person. She bent over and covered her stomach, saying, "Mom, my stomach hurts!"

Sun and Xiao Dashi's faces turned pale with fear. Lin Qiuran pointed at the group over there and said, "Mother, it's all because of them..."

Bai was even more shocked. Xiao Dashi was an honest man, but when pushed to the limit, he would do anything. The neighbors pointed and said, "That's great! He'll do anything for the house. Look at him!"

Bai patted Li's arm and said, "Let's go, let's go!"

Something happened to Lin Qiuran, and all the neighbors who came to watch the fun left.

Sun said anxiously, "Mother will call a doctor for you right away."

Xiao Dashi's eyes were wet. Lin Qiuran blinked at Sun and whispered, "Mom, I'm fine."

Sun's heart was in her throat. "Are you okay?"

Lin Qiuran looked at the door and said, "They must have left, right? I'm just thinking of a way. Otherwise, when will they leave? They'll really stay for dinner."

Sun said, "That's true, but you can't be so scary. I was really scared to death just now. Are you really okay?"

Lin Qiuran shook her head and straightened up. This child is tough, so she is a little bit pregnant now.

Lin Qiuran: "Look, it's really okay. I'll cook some fish. They should have gone back. They still have to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival."

The fish was ready at two quarters before 9 o'clock. Before leaving, Sun asked Lin Qiuran to lock the door. Lin Qiuran agreed several times before Sun left.

The Mid-Autumn Festival fish sold quickly, and the two returned early. They had a simple lunch at noon, and then, after Lin Qiuran had taken a nap in the afternoon, he packed up and headed to the Xu family's house. It was Sun who sent them there. The Xu family's house was large, and resembled the architecture of the Jiangnan gardens that Lin Qiuran had seen in his previous life.

When she arrived, the Xu family's cooks were already busy. The table was filled with chicken, duck, fish, and meat, some uncooked, some half-cooked, some cooked... a dazzling array of dishes.

There were two stoves left for her in the kitchen, and it was still more than an hour before dinner.

Lin Qiuran has made all three dishes, but since he doesn’t cook them in a big pot, he will definitely be more delicate and the taste will be even better.

The braised pork is stewed in a casserole. Each piece is almost the same in size and shape. Only the pork belly with three distinct layers is selected. The others are not needed. But if a big pot dish is made, then Lin Qiuran will definitely put in the whole pork belly, no matter whether it has more fat or less lean meat or more lean meat or less fat.

At the Xu family, every dish had to be presented with care. Otherwise, even if it tasted delicious, the Xu family, with their wide knowledge, would consider it vulgar. Therefore, she paid particular attention to the presentation of the dish. In the past, she would simply place the food on a plate, even when cooking for the adults at the post station, but at the Xu family, she would select the most attractive pieces, picking them out one by one and placing the shiny, plump skin on top.

If sold to common people, it would cost 20 wen per catty, but if sold to the Xu family, it would cost 998 per plate.

There are a total of sixteen pieces. After they are arranged, they are poured with soup. The edge of the plate is clean and spotless. The white porcelain plate is filled with bright red braised pork. The dish is ready.

The steward came in, took a look, nodded with satisfaction and left. He heard that Mrs. Lin had prepared banquets before, so he was worried that the big pot dishes might not be suitable for formal occasions. He was quite smart.

Lin Qiuran waited for him to leave before continuing to cook the pagoda meat. The meat was already stewed, and all that was left was to cut it up and steam it. This dish would look even better. Even the shrimp balls stuffed with hot peppers were arranged one by one, and there weren't many of them, making them small and delicate.

Lin Qiuran also carved a few radish flowers and placed them aside, which was pleasing to the eye.

There were many dishes cooked, but only a few were presented. The housekeeper tried them first and then happily paid the bill. "Madam Lin's cooking is excellent. Who knows, you may have the chance to taste her cooking again in the future. It's Mid-Autumn Festival today, so please take this box of mooncakes home with you."

The housekeeper is in charge of all matters in the mansion, so naturally he has a lot to consider.

The Xu family started their business and had many business partners, so they had to treat them to meals.

If the chef in the mansion is not satisfied, most of the dishes in the restaurant have been eaten before, so they can only invite outsiders. Lin Qiuran's dishes include novel ones, such as pagoda meat and shrimp balls stuffed with hot peppers, as well as traditional dishes.

It was his own idea to send mooncakes to Lin Qiuran. He had inquired and found out that Lin Qiuran had cooked for several adults in the county, which was not ordinary.

The mooncakes Lin Qiuran bought were all wrapped in oil paper, but this one was in a wooden box with the words "Wufangzhai" written on it. She had learned a lot of words by looking at the signboards in the county town.

Wufangzhai is the best pastry shop in the county. This box of mooncakes costs one or two taels of silver. It is sold only to rich people and ordinary people won’t even look at it.

Lin Qiuran took the snacks with a smile, and took out two new cans of thirteen spices and fresh mushrooms from the cloth bag. She originally wanted to take the opportunity to sell them, but the mansion was not allowed to use things from outside, let alone sell them to the mansion's chef.

She felt bad accepting the gift, and Lin Qiuran didn't want to help in vain just because the Xu family sent her a box of mooncakes in the future.

"This is a secret spice recipe passed down from my family. Butler, take it back and try it. Adding a little to the dish will make it more delicious."

Lin Qiuran had already accepted the mooncakes, so the manager also accepted the two jars of spices.

After leaving the house, Lin Qiuran saw Sun waiting outside. She took a few quick steps and asked, "Mother, why are you here?"

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The author has something to say: Saturday updates will be after 11pm. Thank you for your support. Please support me~ [猫头]