Chapter 49 Annual Gift

Lu Zhao?

He is indeed a very handsome man.

Before this, Qiao Mianmian simply appreciated handsome men's looks. She would take a few extra glances at anyone who was good-looking, such as the refined Xu Mingxuan, the simple-minded Chunsheng, and the sickly but somewhat attractive Luo Ping'an. But that was all she appreciated.

Everyone loves beauty. Qiao Mianmian was a lifelong single in her previous life and never experienced the pain of love. After transmigrating, she never thought about love.

She never expected that the Lin family could connect Lu Zhao with their family; indeed, everyone has a vivid imagination.

Qiao Mianmian shook her head to herself. She was still young. Even if she were to date or get married, it would have to wait a while.

A full stomach leads to lustful thoughts; she needs to solve the problem of "being full" first before she has the energy to date a few handsome men.

Even if she time-traveled, Qiao Mianmian couldn't completely assimilate with the thinking of the ancients. She could only say that she retained her bottom line under the forced integration.

It wasn't appropriate for her to go inside right now, so she turned and went to the front hall. When she saw Lu Zhaochao looking at her, Qiao Mianmian couldn't help but shudder.

"Miss Qiao, it seems I have no more words to teach you." Lu Zhao stood with one hand behind his back, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. The golden sunset cast its glow on his face, outlining his three-dimensional and perfect features. His thin lips curved slightly. He hadn't expected Qiao Mianmian to have such a good memory. He had taught her all the words he could think of. If he wanted to teach her anything else, he could only teach her the Four Books and Five Classics.

Qiao Mianmian walked over with a smile, "Then you can teach my older brother and sister. If I encounter anything I don't know how to do, I'll come back to ask you for help."

Lu Zhao meant that since it was almost the end of the year and Qiao Mianmian had already learned it, she could teach it herself in the future.

But he wasn't one to speak his mind directly. Seeing the little girl looking at him with a smile, he inexplicably replied with "okay," without saying what he really wanted to say.

It was getting late, so Wang Chuang took his leave.

Seeing him leave, Lu Zhao followed him out of the Qiao family compound. Wang Chuang stopped and asked, "Lord Lu, were you in Bianjing before?"

Lu Zhao said yes.

"After I get married, I will go to the academy to study. I don't need to worry about the family business. They all want me to try again to see if I can pass the imperial examination. I originally intended to take the exam for a few more years. If it doesn't work out, I will go back home and learn the business from my brothers."

Wang Chuang chuckled sheepishly, "To be honest, Lord Lu, I've never been anywhere more than a hundred miles from Lin'an City since I was born. I'm very curious, is Bianjing City a very prosperous city? And full of talented people?"

If it were any other time, Wang Chuang would never have dared to ask Lu Zhao these questions. But since they had eaten together today, they would be acquainted from now on, so he dared to chat a bit more.

The provincial examination for the title of Juren was held in Lin'an City. Even if Wang Chuang continued his studies, he would still be studying at an academy in Lin'an City.

He was curious about the prosperity of Bianjing and longed for it, after all, many of the nation's talents had established themselves as officials in Bianjing.

Lu Zhao was reluctant to talk about Bianjing, but seeing Wang Chuang's sincere gaze, he nodded and said, "It is indeed bustling and charming. Even after nightfall, Bianjing has its own night market. As for talent, needless to say, many candidates who failed the imperial examinations stay in Bianjing to continue their studies."

The imperial examination was held every three years, and for some candidates who lived thousands of miles away, traveling to Bianjing was no easy feat. Not only was it expensive, but the journey was also fraught with unforeseen circumstances.

Therefore, some families with decent means would stay in Bianjing to study if they failed the exam the first time, hoping to pass it again next time.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chuang's eyes lit up. He wanted to say more, but it was getting late.

“If Young Master Wang wants to talk, we can discuss it another day. It’s getting dark, so you should head home soon.” Lu Zhao thought to himself that he wasn’t familiar with Wang Chuang and that there wouldn’t be another chance, so he said it casually.

But what he didn't know was that Wang Chuang was an honest man, and he immediately said happily, "Okay, then I'll wait for you when you get off work tomorrow, and I'll invite you for tea."

As soon as Wang Chuang finished speaking, he ran off, not forgetting to turn back and wave to Lu Zhao, saying, "Lord Lu, you are a good person!"

Lu Zhao: ...He hasn't agreed yet.

Watching Wang Chuang's departing figure, Qingjiu praised, "This Fourth Young Master Wang is quite a nice person. My lord, the pastries at Songhelou are delicious. Shall we have him treat us to Songhelou tomorrow?"

Lu Zhao glanced at Qingjiu and said, "Eat, eat, all you think about is food. There's a lot going on at the Imperial City Office lately. You should be thinking about how to get promoted and make money."

Qingjiu didn't catch the sarcasm in her master's words and nodded earnestly, "Yes, I really need to earn more money so I can eat at Qiao's Restaurant every day. Sir, let's go tomorrow. Miss Qiao's fish is excellent. I want to eat her braised fish!"

"I'm not going."

Why?

"......"

"Sir, why aren't you saying anything? Why aren't you going?"

Lu Zhao: "Because we don't have money!"

He ate breakfast at the Qiao family's house every day, and with his good appetite for rice and wine, he had to buy an extra twenty catties of rice every month. Not to mention the other vegetables and meat he sent to the Qiao family; he couldn't let them suffer a loss.

Breakfast was plentiful, and sometimes we'd even eat at Qiao's for lunch. After a month, money was tight. With only three days left until payday, there was hardly any money left in my purse.

If he had known this would happen, Lu Zhao would have rented a house back then; he would have had enough money to live a good life for a while.

Upon hearing that there was no money, Qingjiu's face immediately fell. He dared not mention accepting anything from the Lu family again, and could only think of a way to say, "Didn't the prefect say that there seem to be spies in the city recently? Shall we go out and take a look tonight?"

He now has a very strong desire to make money, especially when he thinks of the braised fish made by Miss Qiao Wu; the delicious food motivates him to work harder.

Lu Zhao raised his eyebrows and looked towards the alley entrance. He had just eaten so much, so it would be good to go and digest his food. "Let's go and try our luck." Whether he could have a good month next month depended on whether he could catch the spy.

As darkness fell, Lu Zhao was busy catching the spies, while everyone in the alley drifted off to sleep.

Qiao Mianmian now has her own room, a bed for herself, and sleeps alone. At first, she wasn't used to it, but now she's fine.

However, when her fourth sister came back today, she still went to find her with a pillow in her arms. Her fourth sister smelled nice, which made her feel very at ease.

The next day, when Qiao Mianmian woke up, the aroma of rice was already wafting from the kitchen.

"Mom, what are you cooking?" Qiao Mianmian rubbed her eyes, filled a basin with hot water to wash her face, and saw a rice bucket in the pot.

“The glutinous rice is ready for brewing wine. Your grandmother’s fermented bean curd has grown mold. In a few days, when the new wine comes in, it will be perfect for making fermented bean curd.” Madam Lin slapped away her second son’s curious hand. “You can’t look at that. We’re having glutinous rice balls this morning. We won’t make any other breakfast.”

Seeing that the firewood in the stove was almost burned out, she added two more pieces.

The glutinous rice had a faint aroma, and Qiao Mianmian was hungry.

Eating rice balls alone can be choking, so she found three eggs and prepared to make a bowl of egg drop soup.

After breakfast was prepared, Lu Zhao and Qingjiu from across the hall still hadn't arrived. Qiao Jiaxing exclaimed, "Oh dear! Usually, Lord Lu and Qingjiu are always on time. Why haven't they come over today? I'll go check on them!"

When they knocked on the door of the Lu family's house, they found it locked; no one was home.

Zhang said, "Perhaps they have something urgent to attend to. Keep theirs for now. Anyway, I'm home, so they can come and eat anytime."

He turned to look at his granddaughter, "I heard that Mrs. Jiang introduced you to some business opportunities, is that right?"

Qiao Mianmian said, "A nephew from her maternal family is having a 100-day celebration and asked me to cook. Grandmother, I know that. I have already sent some of the pastries I made to Madam Jiang to thank her for her kindness."

"That's good. They have plenty of money and food, and they still thought of helping our family out. We should be grateful." Speaking of this, with the Lunar New Year just over a month away, Zhang said that it would be best to pay back some of the money they owe before the end of the year.

Madam Lin had already made up her mind. "Mother, don't worry. Everyone needs money for the New Year. I've already calculated it all. Next month, I'll go to Manager Sun's and my second brother's house to pay back whatever amount they have so they can have a good New Year."

"As for Jiaxing's matter, I also asked a matchmaker to help him find a partner. Our children are all grown up, and I can only feel at ease when they are all settled down."

Qiao Jiaxing is twenty years old this year, which is also the age for marriage. However, he is not in a hurry. When he heard the elders talking about this, he chuckled and said, "Mother, let's talk about my marriage after my fourth sister gets married. Otherwise, with so many things to do at home, you and Father will be exhausted."

"I'm not afraid of being tired for such a joyous occasion," Lin laughed heartily. "Alright, hurry up and collect the pig offal. I'm not going to set up a stall today; I'll stay home and wait to wash the pig offal."

In previous years, one vat of brewed wine could last a year, but now it's not enough. Every day, cooking braised dishes requires cooking wine, which is extremely wasteful. Store-bought wine is never as cheap as homemade. The first brew is drinkable, but the second and third brews, with a little more water added, can be used as cooking wine.

This year, the Lin family specially bought three large vats, which take all morning just to steam glutinous rice.

Qiao Mianmian didn't need to worry about things at home; she only needed to take care of the business at her stall.

Lately, Qiao Mianmian has been selling out every day. Not only are her noodles selling well, but her stir-fries are also in high demand.

As soon as they arrived at the stall, Qiao Jiawang skillfully began chopping and preparing vegetables. Qiao Jiaxing was already able to cook simple stir-fries. There were two pots on the stall, and when Qiao Mianmian couldn't manage on her own, she would ask Qiao Jiaxing to help.

Lin Xiahe also came today. Qiao Mianmian was busy while introducing the dishes, "Noon is the busiest time of day. I can't handle it all by myself, so Dad went to get a new pot. I taught you how to cook it. If any guests order stir-fried vegetables, you can make it, Fourth Sister."

"Mianmian, I'm a little scared. What if I don't do it well?"

“It’s okay if it doesn’t turn out well. We can keep it for ourselves and it won’t go to waste. Every chef starts from not knowing how to cook. If you never cook, you’ll never learn.” As Qiao Mianmian spoke, a customer arrived. “You want twice-cooked pork, right? Please wait a moment, I’ll cook it for you right away.”

There weren't many people cooking for breakfast. The customer said he was taking the food to visit relatives. After Qiao Mianmian finished cooking, she wrapped the food in oil paper and said, "Here you go."

For the next month or so, it was the same routine: the Qiao siblings set up their stall to earn money, and Qiao Mancang continued to sell meat. However, the fish that Qiao Youfu caught were not enough for the food stall, so he had to buy some from others.

Before we knew it, the New Year was approaching, and the streets gradually became deserted. The Qiao family stopped setting up their stall starting from the 26th of the lunar year.

When she woke up that day, there was a thick layer of snow in the yard. Qiao Mianmian got up wrapped in a cotton coat and subconsciously shivered. It wasn't until she ate a hot bowl of porridge that she felt warm.

Madam Lin called over all four of her children and assigned them tasks one by one. "Jiawang, you deliver the New Year's cakes to your second uncle's house, and I'll return the twenty taels of silver to him first. Mianmian, you go with me too. On the way, you'll pass by Manager Sun's house and return the thirty taels of silver to him. This is my New Year's gift to Manager Sun; I must make sure he accepts it."

“Jiaxing, be quick-witted. Go wait outside the city gate. Your third uncle's family is coming to celebrate the New Year today. He injured his leg before the New Year, so help him carry things. If he tries to buy something on the way, stop him and say that you have everything at home and don't need anything. Xiahe, give some of this braised meat to the neighbors. Our family has always been in business, and at the end of the year, we need to visit everyone.”

Other families do the same. At the end of the year, everyone stocks up on New Year's goods, and each family shares some with others. Nothing too expensive; it's just for social obligations. The Qiao family is giving away braised meat this year because they run a business in this area and cook braised food every day. They don't want everyone to just smell the aroma.

After Lin made the arrangements, Qiao Mianmian took the money and New Year's gifts and went out with her elder brother.

They went to Manager Sun's house first. Chunxi Restaurant was still open, so only Madam Sun was there.

“Oh dear, my husband said there’s no rush. Your business has only been open for a short time, why are you in such a hurry to pay back the money?” Mrs. Sun, who was quite well-off, smiled with her cheeks bulging. “Besides, you’ve already come, why bring anything? Please sit down, I’ll get you some dried persimmons, I dried them myself.”

“The New Year is almost here, and since we have money, my mother told us to come and pay back the money.” Qiao Mianmian smiled as she took a persimmon cake. “That’s enough, I can’t eat that much. I still have to go to my second uncle’s house.”

Madam Sun handed Qiao Mianmian a stack of persimmon cakes, estimating there were six or seven pieces. "Take more to eat. This is an IOU; please keep it safe."

When the men in her family asked to borrow money, she wasn't familiar with the Qiao family. She'd only met them a few times in the market, exchanging only a few words each time. She hadn't expected the Qiao family to repay so quickly; it seemed they had a good reputation, and she hadn't lent them the wrong money.

When Qiao Mianmian left the Sun family, her hands were full. In addition to persimmon cakes, Madam Sun also gave her two preserved fish, saying they were New Year's gifts for them.

I brought so much stuff when I arrived, and my hands were still full when I left, and that's how I got to my second uncle's house.

Qiao Manyu's house also has three rooms, but the yard is a bit bigger. The persimmon tree is already bare, with only a few persimmons hanging at the top that can't be picked.

When the brother and sister saw the persimmon tree, they knew it was their second uncle's house. But before they even reached the gate, they heard Jiaxi crying in the yard.

"I'm not going, I'm not going!" Qiao Jiaxi's voice was hoarse as she cried and shouted that she would not go to her master's house to deliver New Year's gifts. "I won't go to his house next year either, you can kill me, I'm not going anyway."

"If you don't go, I'll break your legs today! Do you know how many favors I've gone through to find you a mentor?" Qiao Manyu held a broom in his hand, facing his youngest son behind the persimmon tree. Just then, Qiao Mianmian and her brother came in, and he put down the broom. "Oh, it's Mianmian and Jiawang. Come in and sit down. Let your second aunt pour you some sweet tea. I'll be here after I've finished disciplining Jiaxi."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Jiaxi quickly ran behind Qiao Jiawang and Qiao Mianmian, "Cousin, please save me! My dad insists that I go and deliver New Year's gifts to Master Li."

He had two red marks on his arm, from where he had just been hit.

Zhou stood anxiously at the kitchen door, barely daring to breathe. The family had spent money and gifts to send their youngest son to learn accounting, but less than a year later, he refused to go. She wondered what was wrong with her usually quiet son today; he was stubbornly arguing with his family.

She wanted to protect her son, but she didn't dare, because her husband had always been the one to make the decisions at home.

"You get the hell over here! You think you can just refuse to go? What apprentice doesn't get beaten a couple of times? When I was a teenager, my master used to whip me, and I gritted my teeth and endured it!" Qiao Manyu rarely used his fists, but he was really angry today.

In his view, their child had no right to be spoiled. After Jiaxi went to school for two years, he looked down on their ordinary jobs. Initially, it was to help his son find a good job, but now it seemed that his son's horizons had broadened and his ambitions had grown.

Qiao Jiaxi hid behind Qiao Jiawang, sobbing uncontrollably, but he wouldn't say what was wrong.

Qiao Jiawang was so flustered that he dared not move and stood awkwardly in place.

Qiao Mianmian turned around and looked back. She thought that boys this age were going through a rebellious phase. But no matter what, she still had to let Qiao Jiaxi explain his reason first.

"Second Uncle, please calm down. My mother asked us to send over New Year's gifts, and this twenty taels of silver is our way of returning the money to you," Qiao Mianmian said. "Please put the silver away first, and we can talk to Jiaxi, shall we?"

"Why are you in such a hurry to pay me back? I didn't ask for it." Qiao Manyu frowned, but still accepted the money. He really couldn't do anything with his youngest son, so he went inside first and let his niece and the others talk to his son.

Watching her second uncle go into the house, Qiao Mianmian looked at her cousin, "Jiaxi, your father must have put in a lot of effort to get you an apprenticeship. If you say you won't go, you should give him a reason. Or is it that you can't handle the hardship and look down on the job of an accountant?"

"No, that's not true! I can endure hardship!"

Qiao Jiaxi wiped away her tears, her little mouth pursed tightly.

"Then tell us, why don't you want to go?" Qiao Mianmian asked. "Did Master Li hit you? Or did someone in the Li family bully you?"

Seeing Qiao Jiaxi's tears streaming down her face, yet remaining silent, Qiao Mianmian understood why her second uncle had been so irritable. She had never cared for children before, but she knew that kids this age couldn't handle being provoked. "If you don't speak, I'll assume you can't take the hardship. When your third uncle and the others arrive and ask how you got beaten, everyone will think that. Then the whole family, including your loving grandparents, will treat you..."

"It's...it's his chubby daughter who insists on being my wife. I don't want a wife who's so fat! I really don't want her to be my wife. She threatened me, saying that if I told anyone, she'd tell everyone I wet my pants during my nap." Qiao Jiaxi sobbed, his fists clenched tightly. He didn't know what happened that day; he woke up with wet pants, and the chubby Li family's daughter saw it.

Since then, the Li family's daughter has been using this to blackmail him into doing this and that. What terrifies him the most is that when she returned home a few days ago, she said that she wanted to marry him and be with him for the rest of her life.

The thought of being controlled for the rest of her life filled Qiao Jiaxi with sadness and despair, and she refused to go to the Li family again today, no matter what.

Qiao Mianmian: ...That's all?

And he's already fourteen years old, how could he still wet his pants?

Qiao Jiaxi cried very sadly, "I really... I really don't want to marry her. She's two years younger than me, but I really can't beat her. Cousin, please... please help me, my... my father won't hit you."

Inside the room, Qiao Manyu frowned as she listened, gritting her teeth and whispering, "Look at your spoiled son, is this all he's got? Seeing how stubborn he is, I thought Old Li had mistreated him, and I almost gave in just now."

"But that girl from the Li family is really a bit fierce." Zhou thought of the chubby girl from the Li family, probably because she had two families who favored her, and she didn't want such a fierce daughter-in-law. Normally, she was the least likely to argue, and she still wanted a gentle and refined daughter-in-law.

"You may not be happy, but Old Li might not be. Why is his daughter so fat? It's because she's his only precious daughter. All his brothers have sons, but Old Li only had a daughter."

Qiao Manyu snorted, "Qiao Jiaxi is already a grown man, yet he's being bullied by a little girl. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?"

As Qiao Manyu patted her sleeves and prepared to go out, she heard a hearty laugh coming from the courtyard. After recognizing who it was, she hurried out to greet them.

As soon as Li Zhongtang entered the room, he saw Qiao Jiaxi with red eyes and laughed, "Can't you be a little tougher? Baolai told me that it wasn't you who wet your pants that day, it was her who poured water on your bed. She said you usually don't talk to her, what, are you that afraid of Baolai?"

As he spoke, he called out towards the door, "Aren't you coming in? Quickly apologize to Xi. I was wondering why he'd been acting strange lately; turns out it was you who bullied him!"