Chapter 18 Braised Pork with Chestnuts

The three Qiao siblings all heard Lu Zhao's stomach growling. Lin Xiahe looked at her sister and saw that Qingjiu really wanted to eat, so she nudged her sister's arm.

Qiao Mianmian felt a little sorry for Qingjiu when she saw him like this, but she had just said that he was sold out, and now she was saying that there was still some left, wouldn't that be a slap in the face?

She shook her head slightly, watching Lu Zhao and his servant leave, and urged her older brother and sister to go home, "We're closing up shop late today, so we need to hurry back, otherwise Mother will feel sorry for us and cook, and dinner will be a disaster."

Lin's cooking skills were truly terrible, and the three siblings quickened their pace upon realizing this.

But as soon as they turned into the alley, they saw Lu Zhao and his servant again.

Qingjiu opened the door with a pout, "I finally had a chance to eat something good, but it's sold out. What delicious food is it that sold out so quickly?"

He kept muttering to himself, especially when he thought about having to cook for himself later. Tears welled up in his eyes uncontrollably. His cooking was really terrible!

Qiao Mianmian only realized after watching Qingji and the other person enter the apartment across from hers, "They're actually our new neighbors?"

Qiao Jiawang had encountered Lu Zhao and his servant once before. "Don't you know?"

Qiao Mianmian and Lin Xiahe shook their heads together. It was already dawn when they went out, and this was the first time they had encountered Lu Zhao and his companion returning.

"Maybe I left early; I met them before dawn that time." Qiao Jiawang carried his load into the house, met his mother's eager eyes, and said with a smile, "Mother, don't worry, we've sold out. Steamed buns with braised meat—it has to be Mianmian who came up with this way of eating. All those students are drooling with envy. This is all the money I earned today."

Lin smiled and took the money bag. Seeing the money made her happy. "You've worked hard. Please sit down and have a cup of tea. I just finished chopping the vegetables. I'll cook today so Mianmian can rest for a while."

"No way!" Qiao Mianmian and Qiao Jiaxing, the brother and sister, said in unison.

Lin looked at them and asked, "Why isn't it working?"

Qiao Jiaxing turned his head away, not daring to tell the truth.

Qiao Mianmian was much smarter. She hugged Lin's arm and said coquettishly, "I'm not tired at all, not as tired as you. You can help chop the vegetables, and I'll do the cooking." Then she changed the subject, "What vegetables did you buy today?"

Lin said she hadn't bought any vegetables. "Chunsheng brought over a basket of chestnuts, and we still have dried green beans at home. That'll be enough for us." When she was asked to cook, she said she would keep it as simple as possible, and there was no way she would see any meat.

Qiao Mianmian understood what was going on. She coaxed her mother away, went into the kitchen, cut a piece of meat into thumb-sized pieces, first fried it to render the fat, then stir-fried it with caramelized sugar for a while, and finally stewed it with peeled chestnuts.

While cooking the braised pork with chestnuts, Qiao Mianmian put the pork bones (with the meat removed) on the charcoal stove to cook, and at the same time braised the pork offal and pig's head meat.

About 15 minutes later, when Qiao Jiaxing carried firewood into the kitchen, he smelled not only the aroma of braised pork with chestnuts, but also the fresh fragrance of pork bone soup.

Normally, the pork bones are also used for braising. In Lin's words, every penny counts. If we eat them every day, we'll turn into pigs.

"Fifth Sister, it smells so good!" Qiao Jiaxing was already starving, his eyes gleaming with desire. "Is there anything else you want me to do?"

Qiao Mianmian thought about it and realized there really was something.

She scooped some pork offal and braised meat out of the pot, cut them into a braised platter, and said, "Take this to the neighbors across the street and tell them that it's just bad luck today, we're really sold out. We've never met them before and didn't know they were our new neighbors, but now that we do, this platter of braised food is for them."

Qiao Mianmian was thinking that since the person living across the hall was an official, having a good relationship with him might be useful. After all, she lived in ancient times, and her family were just ordinary people. If she were ever bullied in the future, having a powerful neighbor with whom she had a good relationship would always be better.

Moreover, when she thought of Lu Zhao and the other person, she would picture Qingjiu staring longingly at her pottery jar, which was indeed quite pitiful.

"Okay, I understand what you mean." Qiao Jiaxing understood immediately and went to knock on the door with the platter of braised food.

The one who opened the door was Qingjiu, who was holding a spatula in his hand and looked utterly hopeless.

Qiao Jiaxing relayed the message as his sister had instructed: "This is something my fifth sister just braised. She only realized we were neighbors when she got home in the evening. She said you really wanted to try my braised food, so I'm giving this to you to have a taste."

"What?" Qingjiu's eyes widened as he stared at the still-steaming platter of braised meats, swallowing hard. "This...this is really a gift for us?"

“Yes, we’re all neighbors. If you like it, you can come and support my business in the future. My sister sells braised food on the south side of the market, it’s easy to find.” Qiao Jiaxing said, handing over the plate. “Just return the plate after you’re done eating.”

"No, no, we can't take advantage of you."

Despite his craving, Qingjiu still maintained a high standard. He pulled Qiao Jiaxing, who was about to leave, and shouted into the courtyard, "Sir, come and pay! We don't need to eat burnt food today!"

Lu Zhao, who was inside the house, didn't understand what was going on. He went to the door and heard Qingjiu repeat it to him. He learned that the shop across the street was the one that sold braised meat today, and he felt even more ashamed.

"Sir, hurry up and give me the money." Qingjiu couldn't wait to eat.

"No need, really no need," Qiao Jiaxing quickly said. "You've only been here a short time, so you might not know much about this place. The people in our alley all help each other out. Living in the same place means we were destined to be together in a past life. From now on, when we open our doors to each other, we'll always have opportunities to help one another."

He paused, then looked at Qingjiu. "I just heard this young man say that his dish was burnt. It seems he's not very good at cooking. This requires experience accumulated over time. Until you master your cooking skills, consider this platter of braised meats a small token of our appreciation."

After saying this, Qiao Jiaxing bowed and hurriedly turned to leave.

The two houses weren't far apart. Qingjiu glanced at the Qiao family's open door, then at the platter of braised meat in his hand, and asked, "Sir, do we still need to pay?"

Back in Bianjing, they wouldn't haggle over the price of a plate of braised food. Now, in the bustling streets of Lin'an, Lu Zhao has to buy his own rice and vegetables and keep track of his expenses.

He knew that for people in the city, being able to eat meat was a very good thing.

"Keep it." The young man from the Qiao family is right; there will always be times when we can help each other out.

Hearing his master say that, Qingjiu's eyes immediately crinkled with laughter. He carried the platter of braised meats to the kitchen and then ladled out the cooked rice. "My lord, please come and eat." No matter how much he craved it, he would wait until his master started eating.

Lu Zhao had tried all sorts of braised dishes in Bianjing City. He wasn't as greedy as Qingjiu, so he tried it with a normal mindset. But after one bite, he found the braised pork skin to be chewy and flavorful, with a hint of sweetness in the braised aroma, making him want to keep eating.

"Delicious! Really delicious! I've never had better braised food in Bianjing!" Qingjiu shoveled rice into his mouth. "It's just a pity that the rice is a bit burnt again today. Sir, how exactly do you control the heat when cooking rice?"

Lu Zhao didn't speak. If he knew, would he let Qingjiu burn the rice every day?

Qingjiu was used to his master's taciturn nature, especially since it was mealtime. He muttered to himself, "When I have time, I'll go to the Qiao family and ask them for advice. They can make such delicious braised food, they must be able to cook rice. I was wondering why they braised meat every day, turns out they're in the braised meat business. That girl is so brave, she even dared to yell at the bandits last time."

"Just eat, why so much talk?" Lu Zhao was used to the rule of not talking while eating, so he put a piece of pig intestine on Qingjiu's plate, gesturing for Qingjiu to eat quickly.

This was the best meal they had eaten since arriving in Lin'an.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Qingjiu rubbed his belly contentedly. "Once I get my salary, I must visit the Qiao family's stall. This is so delicious! No wonder all those scholars are scrambling to buy it. Time flies. Back in the day, you, sir, were a top scholar!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Qingjiu realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly covered her mouth and got up, "I...I'll go wash the dishes."

The title of "Xiao Sanyuan" refers to winning first place in both the provincial and prefectural examinations. Since the founding of the dynasty, the number of people who have achieved this title can be counted on one hand.

But this is something that Qingjiu cannot mention.

Lu Zhao took a deep breath and went to the courtyard to practice his swordsmanship, putting all his strength into every move.

By this time, the Qiao family had also finished their meal.

The pork bone broth was milky white and sweet, a perfect match for braised pork sandwiches. The chestnuts, after being stewed for a long time, absorbed the broth from the pork belly. One bite, and the rich meaty aroma filled the mouth. The whole family ate until their lips were shiny, and Qiao Jiaxing even let out several satisfied burps.

After Qiao Mianmian finished eating, she went to look at the braised meat. Lin Xiahe was in charge of washing the dishes, while the Qiao brothers went to fetch water and chop firewood.

Lin was called away by the Wang family. Widow Wang said that it was the first time she had arranged her son's wedding and she was afraid of forgetting something, so she consulted with the neighbors in the alley.

Although Widow Wang and Aunt Wu didn't get along, every family in the alley would invite them for business, just to save face, so Lin sat down with Aunt Wu again.

The two women's eyes met, and Aunt Wu gave an awkward laugh. She spoke first, "Are you better from your heatstroke?"

"She'll be fine by the next day." Thinking back to what she had said that day, Mrs. Lin felt she had been a bit too harsh, but considering that her daughter's reputation might be affected, she straightened her back a little more.

"It's all good now." Aunt Wu regretted it afterwards; they had been neighbors for so many years, and she had acted too impulsively. Because of this, her son came home today and had a big fight with her, saying that if she pressured him any further, he would go to the frontier.

She was afraid that her son would really go to the frontier, so she could only keep her anger to herself, feeling very wronged and that her son did not understand her.

The two women chatted idly, not paying attention to what Widow Wang was saying. Only after everyone had dispersed did Widow Wang call them back, saying, "You've both worked so hard today. My second son is a lucky man; even his brothers are doing well. Today, the matchmaker came to say they have a family; the father is a scholar, and they own land!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wu and Lin both knew that Widow Wang was deliberately showing off. Aunt Wu curled her lip and said, "I advise you to keep a low profile. You're showing off before anything's even started. Be careful you don't end up blowing it all away."

"I can say with certainty that it's almost certainly true, you can rest assured about that." Widow Wang thought that the Wu family must be jealous, after all, the Wu family had found so many families for Wu Ermao, but now there was still no sign of them.

Thinking about it this way, she felt even more at ease. If her eldest son married a scholar's daughter, he would be the most outstanding person in the alley!

Unable to win an argument with Widow Wang, Aunt Wu swallowed her anger and hurried home.

Just as Lin was about to follow, Widow Wang came over and pulled her back. "Look at her! She's such a snob. She thinks that because Wu Ermao became a centurion, her family is the most arrogant in the alley and looks down on everyone else. Sister, don't take her to heart. She's always been so annoying!"

"It's getting late, I'll head back now." Madam Lin didn't want to chat with Widow Wang any longer.

Widow Wang, however, seemed unsatisfied. "Don't rush me. Your house is just a few steps away. I have something important to tell you. Your Xiahe's marriage fell through, didn't it? The matchmaker I found is very good. Would you like me to introduce her to you? Don't mind my harsh words, but Xiahe is not young anymore. If we delay any longer, it will be even harder for her to find someone."

"You don't need to worry about it. There are plenty of men who want to marry my Xiahe." Madam Lin wasn't stupid. She knew that Widow Wang was mocking her for looking down on Wang's eldest son before. So what if she found a daughter from a scholarly family?

Who knows, her Xia He might marry a scholar in the future!

Lin went home without looking back. Seeing her two daughters working hard in the yard, she pursed her lips tightly. Her daughters were very good; it was those people who were blind.

Especially that Yuan Qiang, he'll have his day of regret!

"Mianmian, Xiahe, put down your brooms and stop sweeping. Call your brother, grandparents and grandparents over. I need to talk to everyone about something."

Lin realized that if she wanted a prosperous life, she had to be willing to take a gamble. The braised meat business was doing well right now, but she had reached her daily profit limit and couldn't earn any more.

Thinking of how Aunt Wu looked down on her daughter and how Widow Wang bragged in front of her, she was determined to make her family's life better and make them all envious!

A short while later, Qiao Mianmian and her sister called their family over.

Lin asked her eldest son to close the door, then looked at her family. After taking a deep breath, she made up her mind and said, "Father, Mother, Mancang, I've thought about it for several days, and I agree with Jiaxing and Mianmian's previous suggestion that we set up a small food stall in the market. What do you think?"