Chapter 24 Bonus Chapter: Requesting Nutrient Solution for Braised Pork Offal Noodles

The nights after autumn are very quiet. After the Qiao family went to sleep, there were still candles lit in the alley.

In the Wang family hall, Wang Dazhu specifically called his mother out, "My brothers are asleep, so I wanted to say a few words to you. What's going on between you and that Zeng family guy next door?"

"What could be going on? We're just neighbors. He's been coming over more often lately, but I'm already this old, what could possibly happen between us?"

Widow Wang got angry as she spoke, raising her voice, "Who the hell is gossiping? I'll tear their mouths off!"

“Mother, it’s not just one or two people saying this; everyone has eyes and can see it.” Wang Dazhu wasn’t tall, not even seven feet, and had round eyes that resembled Widow Wang’s. “Don’t shout. If your brothers hear you, you’ll have a hard time later. Let me tell you, no matter what you think, our family’s life is getting better, and I’m also looking for a spouse. Don’t do anything out of line.”

Widow Wang gritted her teeth and said, "If I wanted to remarry, I would have done so long ago. You are my son, and before I've even said anything, you're already trying to lecture me. Dazhu, am I still your mother?"

Wang Dazhu looked embarrassed. He had been frequently visiting Chen Xiucai's house recently. If he could marry Xiucai's daughter, his children might be able to study in the future, and their future would be different.

For the sake of his marriage, no matter how embarrassed he was, he still had to make it clear first: "You are my mother, so I'm talking to you properly. Anyway, remember what I said, don't let the Zeng family come to our house. You'll be counting on me to take care of you in your old age."

Watching her son go back into the house, Widow Wang felt depressed.

She had been a widow for many years, and it wasn't that she had no suitors; she had indeed considered remarrying in her earlier years.

But those men either wanted her to marry into their families herself, or they wanted her to raise their two youngest sons. The older children were old enough to remember things, and the families weren't willing to raise other people's children. For the sake of her five children, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure it.

But she is a person, and she inevitably feels lonely at times, and also wants someone to confide in.

Zeng Hongzhi has been coming over more often lately, and she can read his thoughts on his face. She doesn't intend to have anything with Zeng Hongzhi; she's just feeling empty. She's already past her prime, and it's nice to see men showing interest in her. She wants to indulge her vanity a little, even if it's just chatting.

I never expected that people would start gossiping about me after only a few days. It's really not easy being a woman.

What saddened Widow Wang the most was that her eldest son, for the sake of his own marriage, warned her even before she had done anything.

She is his mother, does he respect her?

Widow Wang was heartbroken, but she still hoped her eldest son would take care of her in her old age, so she could only swallow her anger and barely slept all night. The next morning, she ran into Zeng Hongzhi, who was also going out to get water, and she kept a straight face and didn't say a word.

“Sister, you…” Zeng Hongzhi hadn’t finished speaking when he saw that Widow Wang didn’t even glance at him. He paused for a moment, then ran over to ask what was wrong, but was blocked at the door by Wang Dazhu.

"Uncle Zeng, my mother has been a bit tired lately and needs to rest. Please don't come looking for her anymore." Wang Dazhu's meaning was clear. After saying that, he closed the door, showing no respect whatsoever.

Widow Wang looked at her eldest son and said, "Is it really necessary?"

"Mother, I'm doing this for everyone's good." Wang Dazhu said this and went to wake up his younger brothers. There were many boys in his family, and they ate a lot. Everyone had to work so that they could barely get enough to eat.

Zeng Hongzhi was utterly humiliated. He glared at the Wang family's gate and muttered "What a piece of trash." As he turned around, he saw Xu Zhongyi, who lived across the street, carrying a chamber pot out. He immediately turned away in disgust to avoid talking to Xu Zhongyi.

Xu Zhongyi was a mute who made a living by carrying manure and cleaning toilets. He did the dirtiest work. Zeng Hongzhi always felt that Xu Zhongyi had a bad smell and didn't like to associate with him.

Feeling annoyed by the Wang family mother and son, Zeng Hongzhi told his daughter-in-law that he was going out for breakfast and left on his own.

He arrived at the Qiao family's food stall, where they had just started their fire and set up their stall. He cheerfully said, "Brother Mancang, you're selling meat again today? With your Mianmian running the stall, you can support your whole family, right?"

“Our family runs a small business. I don’t sell meat. Just relying on Mianmian’s stall, how can we make ends meet?” Qiao Mancang was cutting pork into pieces. He no longer worries about selling meat. He uses the leftovers himself and sells as much as he can. He no longer has to put up with the attitudes of the restaurant staff.

Zeng Hongzhi chuckled, counted out some coins and placed them on the table. "Mianmian, give me a bowl of braised pork offal noodles. We're neighbors, so you should give me a generous portion."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you're well-fed." Everyone who comes is a guest. Qiao Mianmian didn't have a good first impression of Zeng Hongzhi. He was quite old, yet he spoke in a nonchalant manner. But since he was paying, he was a guest. She grabbed a handful of noodles and put them in the pot to cook.

Put some lard at the bottom of the bowl, cook the noodles, add a spoonful of braising broth and chopped green onions, stir it together, and finally top it with braised pork offal. Serve with a bowl of pork bone soup for a hot breakfast.

Lin helped carry the noodles over, and just as she put the noodles down, another guest arrived. "Please sit down, I'll cut some braised meat for you."

Zeng Hongzhi picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks, scallions falling casually. The rich aroma of lard awakened his spirits after a long day, and the spiciness went straight down his throat to his lower abdomen, instantly warming his body.

"This is really good!" Zeng Hongzhi was an accountant, and his family was one of the better-off in the alley. He had been to places like Chunxilou and Fumanlou, but this bowl of braised pork offal noodles really surprised him. "Mancang, if your business gets better in the future, why don't you hire me as your accountant?"

"It's a small business, it'll be over in no time, there's no need for your skills," Qiao Mancang said with a hearty laugh.

“Just because you’re small now doesn’t mean you’ll always be small.” Zeng Hongzhi quickly finished his noodles, stood up and wiped his mouth. “Don’t forget your brothers when you make it big. We’re the best.”

Qiao Mancang smiled but didn't reply. After Zeng Hongzhi left, Lin Shi came over and grumbled, "If our family really became a big restaurant, we wouldn't need him as the accountant. I heard that he had a fight with the owner, but I don't know why."

She simply disliked Zeng Hongzhi, feeling that he liked to ogle people and that anyone who passed by him would be scrutinized by him.

"He said the employer deducted money from the workers' wages, but we don't know the specifics, so let's not say anything," Qiao Mancang said. "Business seems to be better today, so you should go help out. Mianmian can't handle it all by herself."

Qiao Mianmian was indeed very busy. Several customers came in one after another, all of whom wanted noodles. While cooking the noodles, she also had to write down what each customer wanted to eat.

"Miss Qiao, give me two bowls of pork bone noodle soup." Xu Mingxuan was on his way to school. He had a decent relationship with the Qiao family now and would patronize their business occasionally. Besides, the Qiao family's noodles were indeed delicious and inexpensive.

"Okay, please have a seat." Qiao Mianmian didn't say much to Xu Mingxuan.

Madam Lin, however, was quite gossipy. She went over to wipe the table and asked, "Xu Tongsheng, is the day for the results to be released soon?"

Xu Mingxuan said it was today, "I'll eat noodles later and then check the results." He was a little nervous as this was his second time taking the prefectural examination.

In reality, very few people can pass the Xiucai exam on their first try, but his goal is to become a Jinshi, a higher and more distant degree. If he fails to become a Xiucai this time, he will doubt his ability to become a Jinshi.

"The results are out today! That's wonderful! I wish you all the best in your exams. If you pass, I'll bring you some braised pork!" Lin initially disliked the Xu family, thinking they were too aloof and wouldn't get along with ordinary people like them.

However, as time went on, she discovered that while the Xu family members were refined and well-mannered, they were still quite easy to talk to. Besides, Xu Mingxuan had passed the imperial examination and become a scholar, so she could boast about her family's braised meat to others—if even a scholar had tasted it, it must be delicious!

"Auntie, the results haven't been released yet." The more Xu Mingxuan spoke, the more nervous he became, and his hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.

At this moment, Lu Zhao and his servant also arrived. Yesterday, Qingjiu had burned the rice again, and Lu Zhao hadn't eaten well. This morning, without thinking, he brought Qingjiu to eat noodles.

The other tables were all full, so he and Xu Mingxuan, master and servant, shared a table.

As soon as Qingjiu sat down, he took the initiative to speak, "Young Master Xu, were the results of the prefectural examination released today?"

"Yes." Xu Mingxuan ate politely, taking one bite after another, slowly and methodically, which was quite pleasing to the eye.

However, to impatient people, it only makes them anxious. Qingjiu is one of them. "Then you should eat quickly and grab a good spot early, otherwise there will be a lot of people and you might not be able to squeeze in with your size."

"No rush, there will be times when there are fewer people." As Xu Mingxuan spoke, Lu Zhao and Qingjiu's noodles arrived. The two ate very quickly, finishing their noodles in a flash before Xu Mingxuan had even finished half of his.

Lu Zhao was really hungry. He hadn't had a proper meal in days. "Auntie, two more bowls of noodles!"

"Alright!" Madam Lin went to the stove to add firewood. "I still prefer Lord Lu's hearty way of eating; it makes one's mouth water just looking at him."

Qiao Mianmian nodded in agreement. The fact that the guests were enjoying their food meant that her cooking was delicious, which would make her feel good.

Soon the new noodles were cooked, and Qiao Mianmian and Lin Shi each took a bowl over. Xu Mingxuan finished eating at this time.

"Take care, I'll be waiting for you to come back and bring me good news!" Madam Lin saw Xu Mingxuan off to the street.

"Auntie, please stay. No need to see me off." Xu Mingxuan took a deep breath. He hoped for a good outcome so he could face his ancestors and relatives.

Watching Xu Mingxuan walk away, Madam Lin sighed and returned to her stall. "It's not easy to support a student. They have to send them to school when they're four or five years old. Before, Jiaxi was sent to school for his early education. The tuition for half a year was three taels of silver, not including the cost of writing materials. After two years of schooling, your second aunt hasn't bought a single new piece of clothing for the family."

Qiao Erxi only knows a limited number of characters and is completely unfamiliar with poetry and prose; he can only recite the Three Character Classic. The second branch of the Qiao family only wants Qiao Erxi to be an accountant, so there's no real need for the Four Books and Five Classics.

From everyone's conversation, Qiao Mianmian pieced together the information that this dynasty also valued scholars. If a family had a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, they could earn a good amount of money by helping relatives with land taxes.

However, studying for the imperial examinations is irrelevant to her now. Firstly, women are not allowed to serve as officials in the court at this time, and secondly, there are no children of school age in her family. She can consider studying later if she has children.

“Mother, we should also learn to read,” Qiao Mianmian said.

“What’s the point of us learning to read? Besides, I’m almost forty, it’s useless for me to learn this.” Mrs. Lin didn’t want to learn; all she wanted now was to make money.

Qiao Mianmian said it was very useful. "Think about it, our business is meant to be done long-term, so we need to keep accounts, otherwise it will be a mess when we try to calculate it later. I only realized that we should keep accounts at home after seeing Uncle Zeng."

There are five children in their family. Apart from Lin Wangchun, who is already married, there are four other children who are not yet married.

When Qiao Jiawang and his family get married in the future, how much will the banquet cost, how much will the bride price cost? The big expenses are easy to remember, but what about the small ones?

As a stepmother, Lin was most afraid of being accused of not treating everyone equally, so she often thought about where the family's money was spent.

But as people get older, their memory gets worse, and there are some amounts of money she genuinely can't remember.

Qiao Mianmian wanted to keep clear accounts so that she could easily understand the sales figures of Liqun and make comparative studies.

Lin thought of her children, "But none of us in the family can read. Who will they learn from?" She couldn't bear to spend money to hire a tutor.

“Jiaxi can read, right? Let Grandma bring him over to stay for a few days. This will save Second Uncle’s family one person’s food allowance, so he’ll definitely be willing.” Qiao Mianmian had already thought of this. Besides, she herself knew many characters, but she was just using her cousin’s teaching as an excuse to let everyone know that she could read.

Lin thought about it and felt it wasn't quite right. "Last time Jiacheng said he wanted to come over, but your grandmother wouldn't allow it. Now you're only bringing Jiaxi. What will Jiacheng think? And Huanhuan, she's so young, she'll definitely want to come along." She could feed one person, but feeding three more mouths was something she simply couldn't afford.

She understood the children's little thoughts best. Sometimes she thought they were too young to understand, but they were already good at reading people's expressions. When she first married into the Qiao family, she was affectionate towards Jiawang and Jiaxing, and Wangchun would be even more diligent, as if she would never want Wangchun again.

"That's true." Qiao Mianmian had never been a mother, so she wasn't very attentive when it came to raising children.

Just then, Qingjiu, who had finished eating, overheard the conversation between Qiao Mianmian and her daughter. "If your family needs to keep accounts, my family knows how. Miss Qiao, do you want to learn to read? You don't need to bother anyone else, just come to me, and I can teach you."

Qingjiu had attended the academy with his master since childhood, where he was expected to compose poems and essays. He didn't have the talent for it, but he still managed to learn most of the characters. After moving across the street from the Qiao family, they delivered things to him several times. He felt that the people in the city were quite kind. Everyone helps each other out, and he was happy to teach them what he knew. "Don't worry, Auntie, we're neighbors. It's just a small favor. I won't accept any money."

"How could I possibly accept that?" Mrs. Lin was reluctant to spend money, but she also disliked taking advantage of others.

Qingjiu said it was alright, "Learning to read doesn't cost anything; you can just write on a stone slab with water. Sir, don't you agree?"

Before her master could speak, Qingjiu couldn't resist showing off, "My master is incredibly talented; he used to be..."

“Yes, we’re all neighbors, Qingjiu is right.” Lu Zhao interrupted Qingjiu. “But we’re busy on weekdays, and we don’t get home until the evening. We can only squeeze in a few words each day. If you don’t mind, Qingjiu and I are fine with it.”

The Qiao family had previously gifted him a platter of braised meats and fish, but he was currently short of money and had nothing good to give in return. He was willing to teach the Qiao family if they wanted to learn to read.

Lin was surprised that Lu Zhao would agree. She wanted to learn, but felt embarrassed. Looking at her husband and then at her daughter, she was conflicted.

Qiao Mianmian was unwilling to let this opportunity slip by. "Mother, if you're worried about taking advantage of Lord Lu, why don't you invite them over for meals more often? I heard from Qingjiu that he even burns rice when he cooks. My best skill is cooking, so I can thank them for that."

"Yes, yes, come and eat!" Madam Lin pushed the money back to the noodle shop. "Auntie will treat you to today's noodles."

Lu Zhao refused, saying, "We come to support you by setting up your stall, but if you don't charge us, we won't dare to come again."

"Then come over for dinner when you're on your day off," Qiao Mianmian said with a smile. She was determined to learn to read and write, and she absolutely couldn't miss this opportunity. Besides, judging from Qingjiu's tone, Lu Zhao must be very good at studying. Being able to associate with someone like that would be a good thing for her family.

Speaking of eating at the Qiao family's house, Qingjiu subconsciously swallowed. Every day, separated by a courtyard wall, he could smell all kinds of aromas. When he faced the dishes he had cooked, he wished he were a member of the Qiao family.

He looked at his master expectantly, thinking that he would be happy to get a free meal even once.

Lu Zhao felt it wasn't a good idea, but when Lin learned that they had a day off tomorrow, she immediately made the decision, "Then we'll eat at home tomorrow. We'll set up a stall during the day, and you can come for dinner. Don't refuse, Lord Lu. If you don't come, I'll feel bad troubling you."

"Yes, Lord Lu, it's just a meal, no trouble at all." Qiao Mianmian was thinking about getting along well with Lu Zhao, so she smiled as wide as she could. She was already beautiful, but now she looked even more radiant.

Lu Zhao looked in the direction of the sound and saw the little girl's bright eyes, full of vitality and radiating a vibrant energy.

It would be pretentious to refuse again, so he agreed with "okay." At the same time, he heard Qingjiu cheer, and a long-lost warmth welled up in his heart.