Chapter 28 Chicken Pot, Pickled Pepper Chicken Giblets...

The Qiao family was eating hot noodle soup. Lin thought that Lu Zhao and his servant across the street probably hadn't cooked, so she asked her eldest son to send two bowls over.

She now feels very eager when she thinks about Lu Zhao saying he is not married.

Qiao Jiawang carried the noodle soup over, and seeing that the door was not closed, he called out from the courtyard, "Lord Lu, Qingjiu?"

Lu Zhao, who was inside the room, had just finished drinking the hangover soup when Qingjiu told him that he had taken a big gulp and then collapsed backward.

He doesn't have much of a memory, but just thinking about it makes him feel embarrassed. He only went there to freeload a meal, but he got drunk halfway through the meal.

Qingjiu was still regretting not finishing her meal yesterday when she heard Qiao Jiawang's voice. She immediately ran out of the house, "Brother Qiao, you are... this is noodle soup?"

“Yes, my mother said that Lord Lu got drunk. You have to take care of Lord Lu, so you definitely won’t have time to cook. She also told me to say that I was really sorry yesterday. My father is very honest and shouldn’t have poured so much wine for Lord Lu.” Qiao Jiawang didn’t think of so many things to say; they were all instructed by Madam Lin. “This is a noodle soup that Mianmian cooked. It will warm your stomachs and make you feel better.”

He placed the noodle soup on the table, saying, "Just return the bowl when you're done eating."

"It looks delicious!" Qingjiu hadn't eaten anything yet. "Please thank you for me, Auntie. You're so kind to think of bringing us noodle soup." Otherwise, he would have had to eat steamed buns, and the thought of it made him choke.

After seeing Qiao Jiawang off, Qingjiu happily went to call her master for dinner. "Sir, the Qiao family has such a nice atmosphere. They are all very kind people. Yesterday at dinner, Aunt Qiao even served food to the children in the family. They were only talking about happy things." Much better than their Lu family, Qingjiu thought to herself.

Lu Zhao agreed with this. But seeing the noodle soup now reminded him of when he was drunk.

He sighed softly, unwilling to recall it any longer. How could he be so useless, getting drunk after only a little bit of alcohol?

"Delicious, so delicious! It's just ordinary noodle soup, but Miss Qiao makes it so good. I envy the Qiao family so much. I really want to go there for a free meal every day." Qingjiu no longer wanted to eat the food she cooked. "Sir, how much reward will we get for the kidnapper we caught yesterday?"

Lu Zhao thought for a moment, "It's probably two or three taels of silver."

"If only we had more. We only have three days off a month, and we don't always make a profit. This amount of money isn't enough for us to eat at Qiao's Restaurant every day," Qingjiu sighed regretfully.

Lu Zhao was thinking that he needed to have some money first, then acquire some businesses, and that would make him more and more wealthy.

After leaving the Lu family, he realized how rare it was for a family to have built up a legacy over a century. Without the family's land and property, he would have to carefully plan his spending based solely on his salary.

The master and servant finished eating quickly. They left a little late today, which is why they ran into Qiao Mianmian and her group on their way to set up their stall.

"Lord Lu, are you feeling better?" Madam Lin greeted him warmly.

Seeing the Qiao family now, Lu Zhao's face was burning. "Alright, all done. After I finish my shift, I'll go teach you to read."

"No rush, we live across the street from each other, there's plenty of time ahead of us." Madam Lin said with a smile. When she passed by the Xu family's door, Yunzhu called her over and said that her wife wanted to talk to her about the banquet that afternoon. "Alright, I'll come back to find your wife after noon."

The Xu family had no relatives in Lin'an, only Xu Mingxuan's classmates and some neighbors, so the banquet wouldn't have too many tables, which put little pressure on the Qiao family.

As the stall continued to operate for a long time, more and more people learned that Qiao's Food Stall was delicious and reasonably priced. As soon as Qiao Mianmian and her family arrived at the stall, people were already waiting to eat noodles.

Qiao Mianmian asked the guests to sit down first, "Please wait a moment while we boil the water and then we can cook the noodles."

"Okay, no rush."

As they were talking, Qiao Mianmian saw Manager Sun arrive and quickly greeted him, "What brings you here today?"

"I heard you have a small food stall, and the food is pretty good. As a business partner, I should at least come and support you." Manager Sun was accompanied by two children around ten years old, whom he introduced as his own.

"It's such an honor for my family that you would do me the honor of coming. Please have a seat, and order whatever you like, it's on me," Qiao Mianmian said.

Shopkeeper Sun said no need, "Since you're here to support me, you should pay. Give me two bowls of pork bone noodle soup, and I'll have a braised pork noodle dish. Also, please cut me a bowl of braised pork. My two kids have always loved your braised dishes."

“I’m not doing it now. I’m in charge of the food stall. My fourth sister makes all the braised dishes.” Qiao Mianmian specifically mentioned her fourth sister so that others would know that her fourth sister also benefits from this, not just her.

Shopkeeper Sun was surprised, "I thought you made them all, they taste exactly the same."

"I only have two hands, how can I do so much?" Qiao Mianmian cooked the noodles and brought them over. "Please eat first, and if you're not full, just let me know and I'll add more noodles for you."

Manager Sun stared blankly at Qiao Mianmian for a while. He had asked her before and knew that only Qiao Mianmian in the Qiao family knew how to make braised food. The recipe could be sold for a lot of money, and Qiao Mianmian was not only willing to teach others but also generously introduced it to him, which showed that Qiao Mianmian was magnanimous.

He once again held Qiao Mianmian in high regard, thinking that he must maintain a good relationship with her. With Qiao Mianmian's cooking skills and personality, she would definitely be very capable in the future.

While packing her things, Lin heard her youngest daughter mentioning her second daughter to Manager Sun. Her heart warmed, and she chuckled and muttered, "I did a good job teaching her."

After noon, business slowed down, so Lin took Qiao Mianmian to the Xu family's house.

"Please have a seat." Yunzhu was much more respectful to the Qiao family now. "Would you like Da Hong Pao or Mao Jian? I'll go and brew them for you."

“No need for such formalities, anything is fine. We’ve never been particular about these things in our family.” As Lin spoke, she saw Madam Xu and another woman coming out of the house, and quickly stood up to greet them, “Madam Xu, we’ve arrived.”

Madam Xu smiled and nodded, "I was just mentioning you. This is the mother of my son's classmate. Her husband's surname is Wang. Her son loves your braised food the most. He heard that my family asked you to handle the banquet, and her son also wants you to handle it."

Madam Wang's son was Wang Chuang. She had a round face and looked very kind. She smiled and replied, "I wonder if you have time? My son passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. The whole family is very happy. My husband is thinking of celebrating for three days with a big feast."

Unlike the Xu family, the Wang family had been rooted in Lin'an for generations, and was a large and populous clan. Like Xu Mingxuan, Wang Chuang was taking the provincial examination for the second time. Wang Chuang was the last one to pass the county-level examination. When the results of the prefectural examination were released, the Wang family was incredibly excited, even more so than those who topped the list.

Qiao Mianmian had never encountered such a good thing. If she could handle things well for the Wang family, it would allow the people attending the banquet to know her culinary skills, which would be a good opportunity to promote her family's restaurant. "My family has already agreed to host the banquet for the Xu family. I wonder when the Wang family will hold their banquet?"

Madam Xu said, "My husband is still on his way back, and I estimate it will be ten days before we can hold the banquet. The Wang family will hold their banquet a little earlier, in three days."

Qiao Mianmian calculated that the Wang family's banquet lasted for three days, meaning that after the Wang family's banquet ended, there would be a few days of rest before the Xu family's banquet began.

She turned to look at her mother. "Mother, do we have some free time?"

"Yes, definitely! You take Jiawang and the others to the Wang family to take care of things, and I'll be in charge of making the noodles. We won't be selling stir-fries for the next few days, so it won't be a problem." Madam Lin nodded repeatedly. "Madam Wang, our family will be fine."

Qiao Mianmian added, following her mother's words, "However, my family doesn't have many people to help. The Wang family is going to hold a big celebration, and my siblings and I alone definitely won't be able to handle it. I wonder if the Wang family can find some people to help?"

"Don't worry about that. My family has no shortage of people. I have six sisters-in-law, three daughters-in-law, and many more relatives." Madam Wang had tasted the braised food her son brought back, and it was indeed delicious, even better than what she had eaten before. Moreover, she doted on her youngest son the most. This time, it was because her youngest son had passed the imperial examination and become a scholar that she believed everything he said. After hearing what her youngest son said, she immediately came over.

Hearing this, Qiao Mianmian felt relieved.

Lin had never organized such a large banquet before and was a little unsure of herself. Fortunately, Qiao Mianmian had experience from her previous life and could anticipate many of the problems.

After Qiao Mianmian finished asking a few questions and made arrangements with Madam Wang, Madam Wang took out the prepared deposit. Because it would be for three consecutive days, the deposit was more than twelve taels of silver.

Of course, Qiao Mianmian's main purpose in accepting the Wang family's banquet was not to make money, but to let more people know about her cooking skills.

"Take care." Qiao Mianmian and her mother saw Madam Wang to the door.

After Madam Wang left, Qiao Mianmian took her mother to thank Madam Xu, saying, "You must have put in a lot of good words for Madam Wang to agree so readily."

"I'm just stating the facts. Your family is very capable, and you're a great cook. I don't need to praise you; Wang Chuang will praise you himself." Madam Xu was in high spirits because of the happy occasion, and her complexion had improved a lot in the past two days.

The more she looked at Qiao Mianmian, the more she liked her. She was so capable for her young age, and she spoke confidently with Madam Wang just now, making Madam Lin seem more like an accessory. Qiao Mianmian was the head of the household. A girl like this would surely manage the household very well in the future.

After saying goodbye to Madam Xu, Qiao Mianmian walked with a swagger, exclaiming, "Mom, our family is going to be rich!"

"Even if we become successful, we'll only have a good reputation if you manage the banquets for the Wang and Xu families. You're young but bold. The Wang family's banquet will have thirty tables. Aren't you afraid at all?" Just thinking about it made Lin Shi uneasy, after all, she had never managed a banquet with so many tables before.

"I'm a little worried, but mostly excited. You have to believe me, I'm incredibly talented at cooking!" Qiao Mianmian said confidently.

"That's true. You've only been back at your maternal grandparents' house for a few days, and you've already learned so many dishes. My daughter is really amazing, just like me!" Lin said, laughing heartily. After returning to her stall, she immediately shared the good news with her eldest son and the others.

To celebrate, Qiao Mianmian coaxed Lin to buy a chicken. Lin said that Qiao Mianmian was greedy, but she still took out her money to buy the chicken.

Qiao Mianmian plans to make chicken hot pot today. She cuts the chicken into small pieces and blanchs them. She adds fermented bean paste to the bottom of the clay pot and stir-fries it until the oil turns red. Then she adds ginger and garlic and stir-fries them until fragrant.

After adding the chicken, quickly drizzle in cooking wine to remove any fishy smell and enhance the aroma. Stir-fry until the chicken turns a dark brown color, then add seasonings and simmer.

While stewing the chicken, Qiao Mianmian peeled the potatoes and soaked some glass noodles, which she would add to the stew later.

After cleaning the chicken giblets, stir-fry them together with pickled peppers and green and red peppers. When stir-frying chicken giblets, pay attention to the heat. Add all the seasonings at once, stir-fry quickly a few times, drizzle with some cornstarch slurry, and wait for the rich sauce to evenly coat the chicken giblets and peppers. The sour and spicy aroma has already attracted many passersby.

"It smells so good!"

"Is this your stir-fry? It smells so good! What are your signature dishes? I'd love to take some home for my family to try!"

"Me too! Give me a bowl of pickled pepper chicken giblets!"

There was only one serving of chicken giblets. Qiao Mianmian was about to say that it was for her own consumption when Lin Shi preemptively said that it was the last serving and would be sold to her.

"Mom!" Qiao Mianmian pouted.

"Oh dear, I've already bought you chicken, so you have to let me get some of the offal backing. It smelled so good, it made everyone want to eat it." Lin took the money, her smile widening. "Tomorrow, I'll buy some offal for ourselves and sell some, okay?"

Qiao Mianmian sighed helplessly. It was her own mother, so she had to spoil her. "Alright, alright, I'll let you get your money's worth today. Tomorrow I'll definitely save some for our own family. I swallowed my saliva several times while I was cooking, it smelled so good."

As she spoke, Qiao Mianmian added the side dishes to the chicken stew and then stir-fried some yellow pumpkin. Dinner would be ready soon.

When the lid of the casserole was lifted again, the billowing steam carried the aroma of chili peppers and the savory fragrance of the stewed chicken. The chicken pieces were coated in red oil, and as soon as chopsticks picked up a piece of potato, the stewed potato instantly broke in two. The glass noodles trembled and shook with the thick sauce as they were picked up.

"Mianmian, it smells so good." Even Lin Xiahe couldn't help but swallow.

Qiao Jiaxing stared intently at the casserole, exclaiming, "I can't even imagine how delicious this broth would be for mixing with rice!"

"Then come and eat." Qiao Mianmian sprinkled some chopped green onions on top, and then went to call her parents to eat.

Because the pickled pepper chicken giblets were sold by the Lin family, Qiao Mianmian cooked an egg drop soup. There were two dishes on the table. Although it wasn't very lavish, it was enough for the whole family to have a hearty meal.

The nearby vendors have become accustomed to the aroma wafting from Qiao's Food Shop. Many people stop by before heading home to buy a dish to take home for a treat. Those who are a little short on cash buy a serving of braised pork offal early in the morning; it's cheap, delicious, and a great deal.

Lu Zhao, who was returning home after his shift, didn't come today because he was too shy to eat Qingjiu's cooking, but he really didn't want to eat it, so he asked Qingjiu to make a special trip for him.

However, the braised pork offal was sold out by noon. Qiao Mianmian served Qingjiu some bone broth. "If you want to eat braised pork offal, you have to come earlier. It's definitely not available at this time. You can let me know in the morning and I'll save some for you. This is the last of the pork bone broth. You can take it home and use it to soak rice with some pickled vegetables. It'll be just as delicious."

Qingjiu almost cried when she heard that the braised pork offal was sold out. Now, looking at the bowl that Qiao Mianmian handed her, she sincerely praised, "Miss Qiao, you are such a kind person. How much is the pork bone soup?"

Otherwise, he would have to eat the burnt food he made himself.

"It's free. This is the last bit of soup base, and it wasn't supposed to be sold anyway." Qiao Mianmian told Qingjiu to take it home and eat it.

Qingjiu was even more moved. "I...I will definitely finish it all!" As he was about to leave with his bowl, he remembered his master's instructions. "By the way, my master said that you can come and learn to read after you go home. It doesn't matter if it's dark. You can learn a few characters quickly."

"Okay, we'll come after we close up shop!" Qiao Mianmian waved with a smile. She hadn't finished her meal yet, and after Qingjiu left, she hurried back to eat, only to find an extra chicken leg in her bowl.

Lin: "Eat quickly, I saved this especially for you!"