Chapter 15 Spicy and Sour Taro Shreds

Qiao Mianmian had a good night's sleep until dawn. When she got up, her fourth sister had cooked porridge for her. She only needed to stir-fry a dish to have breakfast.

Knowing there would be wild rabbit to eat today, Qiao Jiaxing grinned before leaving the house, saying, "Fifth Sister, add more carrots; they'll soak up the broth and taste delicious too."

"I've got it. Second brother, be careful when you go out." Qiao Mianmian saw her second brother to the door before going to set up her stall with her parents.

As they approached the market, they encountered Manager Sun of Chunxi Restaurant. Qiao Mianmian told her parents to go ahead, and she led Manager Sun to the roadside, where she told him about how Fuman Restaurant had contacted her.

"It's nothing serious, so I didn't make a special trip to find you. But since we met today, I thought I'd mention it to avoid any gossip or misunderstandings later. Don't worry, Manager Sun, I refused at the time. Since I promised you, my family will keep our word. We're a small business, and we value honesty above all else."

I don't mention it explicitly because I'm afraid people might think it's an implication of a price increase. But if I do mention it briefly to clarify my position, it can also deepen mutual trust.

Manager Sun increasingly felt that Qiao Mianmian was capable, possessing many business acumen that he himself had struggled through for a long time to understand. Yet, Qiao Mianmian, a mere fourteen-year-old girl, could speak so eloquently about it. He smiled and said, "I trust your business the most. Autumn is approaching, and business will be even better then. I might order more braised food then."

"It would have been good if you had let me know in advance. We're practically acquaintances now," Qiao Mianmian said. "I have to go set up my stall now, so I'll have to talk to you later. See you then!"

After saying goodbye to Manager Sun, she ran off to the market in a flurry of activity, showing none of the mannerisms of a young girl.

Xu Mingxuan, who was on his way to the academy, happened to see this and followed it for a while.

Lu Zhao and his servant, Qingjiu, who had just come out of the inn, rubbed their stomachs and said they were hungry, while Lu Zhao saw Qiao Mianmian and ran over to her like the wind.

"What's there to be hungry about? It's our day off today. Let's tidy up the yard together and move there sooner, which will save us some money on lodging." Lu Zhao bought two steamed buns from a steamed bun shop and took some green wine with him to the new house.

When Qiao Mianmian ran to the stall, some regular customers had already arrived. She immediately buried herself in selling her goods, hoping to sell them all as soon as possible and go home.

Three days passed in this way, and on the first day of the eighth lunar month, two new things happened in the alley.

One is that the second son of the Wang family married into the family, and the other is that a new neighbor moved into the house across from the Qiao family.

When Qiao Mianmian finished packing up her stall and returned home, she saw that the door across the hall was open. Her grandmother said that a new neighbor had moved in, and her grandmother had just delivered a fish over.

“Your grandfather caught a lot of fish today, and I kept one for myself.” Zhang was turning over the dried mushrooms drying in the yard. Seeing her granddaughter come back, she patted the debris off her hands and pulled her into the house. “Your second uncle came over today. This is brown sugar rice cake. I specially saved a piece for you. Eat it quickly.”

Since transmigrating, Qiao Mianmian has eaten alone a few times, making her feel guilty whenever she sees others. "Grandmother, perhaps..."

"Eat quickly, there are only two pieces in total, I can't share with so many people." Zhang dotes on Qiao Mianmian the most. She has given birth to three sons and wanted a daughter all her life, but she was not destined to have one. Now she pours all her love into her little granddaughter.

As for the Lin sisters, she cared about them, but the degree of kinship could be discerned from their surnames. Therefore, she left the marriage arrangements between Lin Xiahe and Lin Wangchun to the Lin family, offering her advice only.

Seeing that her granddaughter still wouldn't eat, Zhang simply picked it up and fed it to her.

Qiao Mianmian felt a pang of sadness. Brown sugar was precious, and the rice cakes she made were sweet and sticky, and indeed delicious. Her family didn't usually buy these kinds of snacks; it was only when her second uncle gave them to her grandparents that she could sneak a little.

If the family were better off, they wouldn't need to be so frugal with prices, and they wouldn't have to sneak food.

"Let me wipe your mouth for you. Remember not to tell anyone else, or your second brother will definitely make a fuss with me." Zhang wiped Qiao Mianmian's mouth clean and said with a smile, "I see you've gained a little weight recently. When you come of age next year, Grandma will buy you a new piece of cloth and invite your maternal grandmother and the others over to have a big celebration for you."

Coming of age is a big event for a young lady, signifying that she is ready to get married. Zhang's precious Qiao Mianmian is capable, so she must be very selective and ensure that Qiao Mianmian can enjoy a happy life after marriage.

Feeling her grandmother's care, Qiao Mianmian's eyes welled up with tears. "Grandma, you're so kind. Would you like braised fish or pickled fish today? What kind of flavor do you want? I'll make it for you."

"Let's braise it. It's been a long time since we've had braised fish. We also bought a piece of tofu, so let's put it in and cook it together." When Zhang heard that her grandsons had returned, she went to open the door. If she stayed any longer, her second grandson would definitely ask her if she had hidden food.

Qiao Mianmian went to the kitchen to kill the fish. When she heard her second brother bouncing in, she nervously wiped her mouth, afraid that she hadn't wiped it clean enough and would be discovered.

"Fifth Sister, what kind of fish do you want to eat today?" The first thing Qiao Jiaxing did when he got home was to run to the kitchen and ask what they wanted to eat.

"Grandma said she wanted to eat braised food." Qiao Mianmian saw her second brother carrying something and asked what it was.

Qiao Jiaxing said it was taro. "The brother who was helping me carry the goods gave it to me. He said it was a gift from his relatives. He gave me two. See how you want to eat them."

"One will be stir-fried with hot and sour sauce, and the other will be used to steam meat later." When Qiao Mianmian heard that it was taro, she immediately had an idea. Seeing that her second brother hadn't gone out yet, she asked what was wrong.

"You know about the second son of the Wang family marrying into the family, right?" Qiao Jiaxing said mysteriously. "I'm telling you, but don't tell anyone else, especially Fourth Sister. Aunt Wang used to come to see Fourth Sister often, actually wanting Fourth Sister to be her daughter-in-law. But you know the Wang family's situation, our mother definitely wouldn't be happy. A few days ago, the matchmaker put in a match for the eldest son of the Wang family, wanting him to marry into the family, but Aunt Wang and the eldest son both refused. And guess what happened?"

"What's wrong?" Qiao Mianmian had already started peeling the taro.

Qiao Jiaxing glanced back and continued, "As a result, the second son of the Wang family went to that family himself and said that his eldest brother had to support their mother and couldn't marry into the family, but he could. He made the arrangements with them himself before going home to tell Aunt Wang, which made Aunt Wang so angry that she gave him a good beating. As a result, the family came to propose marriage today, and Aunt Wang had no choice but to agree."

Qiao Mianmian asked curiously, "Second brother, how do you know so much detail?"

“The third son of the Wang family told me this. He wasn’t carrying goods with me. He told me quietly after we met. He said that his family was in a difficult situation. If his eldest brother didn’t get married, none of the others could get married. If it continued to drag on, he and his second brother would be even older. He was a little regretful when he told me this. He praised his second brother for being clever. It’s a pity he didn’t think of that. Otherwise, he would have been happy to marry into the family.”

Qiao Jiaxing agreed with this measure. The Wang family had no shortage of sons to worship their ancestors. Rather than dragging it out and not being able to get married, it would be better to let one or two sons marry into the family and get some benefits to improve the family's conditions. He also thought about it and said, "If a rich girl takes a fancy to me, I would be willing too."

Qiao Mianmian nodded in agreement. While the idea of ​​marrying into a wealthy family might sound unpleasant in ancient times, the real benefits were numerous. If you were lucky enough to marry into a wealthy family, you could simply relax and enjoy the life of a kept man.

As they were talking, Qiao Mianmian cut the taro into shreds and prepared the fish. "Second brother, start the fire, I'm going to cook."

"Alright!" Qiao Jiaxing was the most enthusiastic when it came to starting a fire.

Braised fish is very easy to make. First, pan-fry it until fragrant, then season it. When it comes out of the pan, the amber-colored sauce sways slightly in the plate. Sprinkle some chopped green onions on top as a garnish, and it will create a beautiful color combination with the bright red chili peppers.

Qiao Mianmian ladled all the broth from the pot onto the fish. The broth dripped down, and the oily sheen made the fish look even more appetizing.

"Second brother, take this out. I'll stir-fry some hot and sour taro shreds." After washing the wok, Qiao Mianmian added a spoonful of lard and garlic to sauté until fragrant. Stir-frying taro shreds requires careful attention to the heat; it must be done over high heat to bring out the wok's aroma.

Add a bay leaf to bring out the flavor, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar. The enticing aroma rises with the steam.

Qiao Mianmian picked up a piece of spicy and sour taro shreds and tasted it. It was refreshing, crisp, and very appetizing.

"Not bad, not bad." Qiao Mianmian praised her cooking skills. Seeing her fourth sister come in, she asked her to help take the bowls and chopsticks out. "I'll make a goji leaf and egg soup. It'll be ready soon. Fourth sister, please have everyone wash their hands and get ready to eat."

Lin Xiahe smiled and said, "Second Brother is already eagerly anticipating the braised fish."

"I know, it'll be quick." Qiao Mianmian picked some wild goji leaves along the way, which would be perfect for making egg drop soup.

When she brought the soup out, the whole family was waiting.

Lin swept the courtyard and sat down next to her mother-in-law. "Mother, do only the commander and his servant live across the street?"

She only found out that her neighbor across the hall had moved in after she got home.

Zhang said, "Your father and I heard the commotion and went over to lend a hand. From now on, we'll be neighbors, and our kitchens will be right next to each other's. We need to get along even better. I asked around, and it turned out to be just the two of them."

"Do they know how to cook fish?" Lin herself is not a good cook. Every time her family cooks fish, either part of it is burnt or the fish is not properly prepared and has a fishy smell.

She wasn't familiar with her new neighbors, but subconsciously felt that two men couldn't possibly cook fish.

In fact, just as Lin thought, Lu Zhao and his servant were staring blankly at the charred fish in the pot.

When the neighbor brought over the fish, Qingjiu was very happy, thinking that after eating steamed buns for so many days, he was finally able to have some meat.

Just as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to show off his skills, his master asked him if he knew how to cook. He confidently replied, "I saw the head chef in the manor cook this before, so I think I can do it!"

And then, the fish not only stuck to the pan, but also burned.

Meanwhile, the aroma of braised fish wafted from next door, a rich, savory flavor with the subtle fragrance of aged vinegar, mingling with the burnt smell from their kitchen. Lu Zhao didn't know whether to gag or swallow hard.

"My lord, I..."

"Fine, I shouldn't have believed you." Lu Zhao sighed and shook his head, squatting down to look at the rice in the stove. "Fish is indeed difficult to cook, it's not your fault."

When he opened the earthenware pot for cooking rice, a strong smell of burning wafted out. He then realized that the rice was also burnt, but they all thought it was the smell of burnt fish and hadn't noticed the rice.

"My lord, let me do it!" Qingjiu hurriedly picked up the earthenware pot, stirred it a couple of times with her chopsticks, and said carefully, "Luckily, it's not all burnt. My lord, how about I eat the bottom and you eat the top?"

He was terrified of being scolded by his master. When had his master ever suffered like this in the Lu family before?

If the old lady in the family finds out, she'll beat him with her cane, but he really isn't very good at cooking!

Wasting food is out of the question. Lu Zhao divided the rice in the earthenware pot in two, each eating a portion of the burnt rice. "Eat up, and you can start learning to cook tomorrow." Otherwise, he would have to keep eating this kind of food. As for eating out, that was even more out of the question; he hadn't even received his first month's salary yet.

Qingjiu was so ashamed she almost cried, "My lord, I... I will definitely find someone to teach me properly!"

But as it turned out, everyone has their own talents, and Qingjiu's talent was not in cooking.

The master and servant were eating burnt rice while constantly smelling the aromas wafting from next door. One moment it was the aroma of fish, the next it was the smell of sour and spicy food. The aromas were so appetizing that they made their mouths water, but when they looked down at their own rice, they found it hard to swallow.

"Sir, whose stir-fry smells so good?" Qingjiu stood up and sniffed. "If I knew whose it was, I'd go and learn how to cook it!"

Lu Zhao finished his meal with difficulty, picked up a wooden bucket and went out to fetch water. He happened to see Qiao Mianmian and her brother talking across the street.

"Fifth Sister, the fish was delicious today, and the spicy and sour taro shreds were also delicious. Let's eat the last taro tomorrow, shall we?" Qiao Jiaxing asked greedily.

Qiao Mianmian smiled and said, "I can do it. If you can persuade Mother to bring the meat back, I'll cook it for you."

Qiao Jiaxing scratched his head awkwardly, "Oh dear, I'm too embarrassed to tell Mom. You go and tell her, everyone in the family loves you. If you can make taro steamed with pork, I'll make anything you want!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao thought of the taste of steamed taro with pork and quickened his pace. He hadn't eaten steamed taro with pork in a long time.

"Okay, okay, I'll take a look tomorrow." Qiao Mianmian saw a figure pass by the door, but she couldn't see it clearly.

She was still quite curious. Her new neighbor was a commander, and the person she met in the market that day was also a commander. Could they be the same person?

Qiao Mianmian went to the door and looked around, but didn't see anyone. Just then, her mother called her to go to the kitchen to check on the braised food, so she hurriedly ran to the kitchen.

The Qiao family's braised food has been on the market for a while now, and the neighbors in the alley can smell the aroma. When they get hungry, they come to their house to buy some.

Today, Aunt Wu bought a bowl of braised pork and also fried an egg. When her son came home, she happily told him to wash his hands and eat.

"The matchmaker told me that the Yu family in the east of the city, the one that runs the cloth shop, has a young daughter who is of marriageable age. You know them, right? They not only have shops in the city, but they also own land in the countryside. They're very wealthy. I've already spoken to the matchmaker, and you should go meet them tomorrow when you get off work." Aunt Wu became more and more expectant as she spoke. She hadn't dared to dream of marrying into the Yu family before, but now that her son was successful, things would only get better.

Upon hearing this, Wu Ermao immediately frowned and said, "I'm not going."

Why not go?

Aunt Wu frowned. "You're always going to Xia He's place, whether you have something to do or not. Do you think nobody knows? Someone already told me. Let me tell you, there's absolutely no way you want to marry Xia He!"

"Why, Mother?" Wu Ermao asked, puzzled. "We're neighbors, and Xia He grew up under your watchful eye. What's wrong with her?"

"I didn't say Xia He was bad. She's hardworking and capable, and she's pretty too, but she's just not good enough."

Seeing her son's bad expression, Aunt Wu softened her tone, "Er Mao, you're my only son. Look, after the second son of the Wang family became a live-in son-in-law, Widow Wang immediately had a matchmaker choose a good match for her eldest son. How can you be outdone by the Wang family?"

"And another thing, Xia He isn't a child of the Qiao family. If she gets married, do you think the Qiao family will give her a lot of dowry? Her biological father has long since disowned her and Wang Chun. She's essentially someone without a maternal family to support her. How can she be of any help to you in the future?"

Wu Ermao said he could rely on himself and didn't need anyone's help.

“You silly child, you’re young now and can’t think about the long term. I’ve inquired and found out that a relative of the Yu family is related to the prefect by marriage. If you can get the prefect’s help, you might become a commander in the future. Don’t argue with your mother, I’m doing this for your own good.” Aunt Wu said, then asked, “I just don’t understand, why do you insist on Lin Xiahe?”

"I...I..."

Wu Ermao blushed as he spoke, turned around and went into the house, refusing to eat. "I don't care, I'm not going tomorrow anyway."

Aunt Wu got impatient. "You little rascal, are you trying to drive me crazy?"

She pounded on the door, but fearing someone would hear, she gritted her teeth and went back to the dining table. After only a couple of bites, she remembered that her son hadn't eaten, so she went back and coaxed him, "Er Mao, eat first, we'll talk after you've eaten."

Wu Ermao remained unmoved. Lying in bed, he felt incredibly stifled; Xia He hadn't spoken to him for days. What could he do to get his mother's approval?