Chapter 61 Bonus Chapter: Egg Fried Noodles with 10,000 Nutrient Solution

Looking at the silver lock necklace in his hand, Qingjiu thought to himself how generous Old Madam An was to give him this. "Sir, please remind me next year, or I'm afraid I'll forget."

Lu Zhao glanced at Qingjiu, "You'll remember this."

"Why do you trust me so much, sir?" Qingjiu looked over in confusion, but his master only told him to put away the silver lock necklace.

Qingjiu put the silver lock necklace together with his other treasures, and when he went out again, Qiao Erge from across the street brought over some fried noodles.

"This is fried noodles. I know you guys can eat a lot, so I gave you some extra." Qiao Jiaxing put down the fried noodles.

Today, they also ate fried noodles at home. Everyone was busy, not only setting up their stall but also handling the funeral arrangements for Old Madam An, so they only made fried noodles. However, the Qiao family also had an extra bowl of egg drop soup.

The hand-pulled noodles are chewy and springy. They are made with lard as a base, eggs are added, and the mixture is quickly stir-fried before the noodles are added and seasoned.

In addition to the usual soy sauce and seasoning, Qiao Mianmian also added some soybean paste. Knowing that Lu Zhao couldn't handle spicy food, she didn't add chili to the ones she sent to Lu Zhao, but she added chili sauce to her own when she stir-fried them.

Each noodle is soaked in sauce, coated in an enticing dark brown color. The aroma of sake fills the air, and my stomach rumbles.

"My lord, hurry up and eat, or the noodles will get soggy." Qingjiu couldn't wait to eat.

Lu Zhao sat down politely and put the fried noodles into his small bowl. He didn't even make a sound while eating the noodles, a habit he had developed since childhood.

Qingjiu is different. He used to be more restrained at the Lu family, but now that no one is watching him eat, he can do whatever he wants.

With a few sizzling sounds, Qingjiu ate a bowl of fried noodles in no time and then gulped down a cup of tea. "Miss Qiao is really good at cooking! She can make even ordinary fried noodles so delicious! Sir, please eat more. If you really can't eat anymore, then I'll have to make do."

"You'd love to eat more, wouldn't you?"

"Hehe, it's really delicious!" Qingjiu grinned foolishly at his master.

At this moment, Qiao Jiaxing, who was also at the Qiao family, had eaten two bowls of fried noodles and still wasn't satisfied. After finishing his own meal, he didn't forget to put noodles on Yinshan and Tongshan's plates, saying, "Don't be shy, you're just boys, and your appetites are no worse than mine. Come on, eat more!"

Qiao Mianmian was full after eating two bowls, and then drank half a bowl of egg drop soup. Looking at her brothers, she said, "This is just the most basic fried noodles with eggs. If there were shredded meat, ham, or sausage, it would be so delicious."

"Really? When can we eat?" Qiao Jiaxing looked at his sister expectantly.

Before Qiao Mianmian could reply, Lin said, "You added eggs, and you also want shredded pork and ham? How can you be so greedy? If you really want to eat like this, wait until the family pays off the debt, then come and eat your fill."

"Really?" Qiao Mianmian looked over.

Lin laughed, "Look at you all, so greedy. Really, more real than real gold."

"Then I'll remember that." Qiao Mianmian got up to wash up after everyone had finished eating.

Her two cousins ​​vied to fetch water, and after she finished washing up, she sat down in the courtyard. The spring evening breeze was the most comfortable, neither too hot nor too cold. After sitting down, Qiao Mianmian couldn't help but burp and quickly poured herself some tea.

"Oh dear, Mianmian, you're sitting on the floor again." When Chun Sheng's mother came in, she looked at Qiao Mianmian with great interest. "You've really grown into a beautiful young lady, even more beautiful than your mother was when she was young. Where is your mother?"

“She’s in the backyard,” Qiao Mianmian said.

Chun Sheng's mother looked at Qiao Mianmian for a while before going to the backyard to find Lin Shi. She had come to find out what Lin Shi thought, and before leaving, she praised Qiao Mianmian several times.

Lin pulled her daughter into the house. "You're all grown up now, so I'll tell you straight. Chunsheng's family has always wanted you to marry Chunsheng. What do you think about that?"

Chunsheng was someone she had watched grow up; he was honest and kind, and it was impossible for him to have any extraordinary abilities. But because of this, Chunsheng was reliable and trustworthy. The two families lived in the same alley. Chunsheng's mother had mentioned this matter before, but Qiao Mianmian was still young then, so Lin Shi didn't say anything. When it came to her children's marriages, she considered family background and character, but most importantly, it depended on the children's own feelings. She always wanted to know her younger daughter's thoughts clearly. "Give me a definite answer, whether it's okay or not. Otherwise, if it keeps dragging on, it'll make things awkward later."

"You should just refuse." Qiao Mianmian thought of Chunsheng's simple and honest appearance, but she felt nothing.

"Why?" Lin asked.

"There's no particular reason. I don't have those feelings for Chunsheng. We grew up together, and he's like an older brother to me." Qiao Mianmian genuinely had no feelings for him. Actually, marrying Chunsheng had its advantages. He was easy to control, and her family was well-known, so she wouldn't make any mistakes.

But she felt that since she had been given a second chance at life, it was such a rare opportunity, and she had to treat herself well no matter what. What good is a man who's easy to manipulate? It has to be someone she likes.

Qiao Mianmian felt that she was still young, and even in ancient times, it would be normal for her to get married in two or three years, so she was not in a hurry.

“Alright, if that’s how it is, then I’ll go back to Jue Chunsheng’s house,” Lin said.

Qiao Mianmian nodded and said, "Yes, I don't have feelings for Chunsheng now, and I probably won't in the future. You're right, since I don't want to marry Chunsheng, it's better to be decisive so we can see each other again." "I know, I won't say more if you don't like him. I need to ask your opinion before I can make a decision." Madam Lin lovingly tidied her youngest daughter's hair. "Our Mianmian is so good, there will definitely be countless people proposing marriage in the future. We can take our time to choose the best one. Of course, it also has to be someone you like the most. By the way, what kind of person do you like? Tell me something specific. I need to look for someone for your second brother now, and at the same time, I'll inquire about them for you."

A good marriage requires careful selection and time to find out the details. Otherwise, if the other party is hiding something, it will be too late to regret it after the wedding.

"Well..." Qiao Mianmian fell into deep thought.

Seeing that her daughter had been thinking for a while, Mrs. Lin frowned and asked, "You don't already have someone you like, do you?"

"How could that be? I'm busy with the family's stall every day, how could I have time to like someone?" Qiao Mianmian shook her head. "I can't even imagine what kind of personality I would like, but I know exactly what looks like. Mom, I like handsome guys, they have to be handsome!"

She'll die with regrets if she doesn't date a handsome guy first.

“What’s the use of being good-looking?” Lin clicked her tongue. “You’re too young to appreciate appearances. Fine, let me give you my opinion.”

Qiao Mianmian got anxious, "I'm serious, he has to be handsome! Otherwise, I won't marry him, I'm making this clear now."

"I know, I know, I'll try to find someone as handsome as possible." Madam Lin shook her head and went out, still sighing as she lay down at night.

Qiao Mancang was very sleepy, but when he heard the person next to him tossing and turning, he asked while yawning, "What are you worrying about now?"

Mrs. Lin shared her youngest daughter's thoughts, saying, "Tell me what she's thinking? What good is a man who's just good-looking? The most important thing is to be a pillar of the family and able to shoulder the responsibilities of the head of the household!"

Qiao Mancang chuckled, "She's still young and doesn't understand."

“She’s not young anymore, she’s already fifteen. Many girls her age are already engaged. Even if we don’t plan to marry our daughter off so early, I’ll only feel at ease if we settle her marriage soon.” Speaking of her children’s marriages, Lin Shi was even more awake. “By the way, what about Jiaxing’s marriage? Do you have any ideas?”

She sought help from matchmakers, but none of them were satisfactory. If none of them worked out for her, there was no way she could introduce them to her son.

Qiao Mancang was too tired to speak. "Jiaxing is eloquent and persuasive; he'll surely find him a good match. Don't worry, if he hasn't found someone yet, it's just that the right person hasn't come along."

He turned over and hugged his wife, pulling her closer to him. "Go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow."

Lin hummed in agreement, forced herself to close her eyes, and unconsciously drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Lin found an opportunity to explain to Chunsheng's mother, "Don't be angry. It's not that we look down on Chunsheng. Chunsheng is very good, but the two children are not meant to be. If you ask me, Chunsheng is indeed a very good person."

She praised Chunsheng endlessly until her mouth was dry from talking.

"Oh, I know." Chunsheng's mother rubbed her eyes regretfully. "I thought about how we watched both children grow up. My Chunsheng isn't exactly outstanding, but he's an obedient and good child. Oh well, they're not meant to be."

Madam Lin dared not say much, and carefully observed Chun Sheng's mother's expression.

"Oh dear, why are you looking at me like that? I am regretful, but I'm not that petty!" Chun Sheng's mother smiled. "It's best if the children are destined to be together, but if they aren't, it won't affect our relationship. Besides, you've never taken my family out to play, so I'm not angry."

"That's good. I was really afraid you wouldn't talk to me anymore," Lin said awkwardly.

“How could that be? We’ve known each other for so many years, don’t think so much. I watched Mianmian grow up, and I also hope that she can marry into a good family,” Chunsheng’s mother said.

The two chatted for a long time until they heard a noise in the alley. They went to the door and saw that it was Zheng Ming's family moving in.

Several years ago, Old Madam An made an agreement with her family that the house would be given to Zheng Ming after she passed away.

Because of this, the rest of the Zheng family didn't benefit from it, so they stopped associating with her. The An family only had her younger nephews and nieces left, who weren't close to her anyway and would only visit once or twice a year at most.

Now that Grandma An has passed away, the house is empty, so Zheng Ming moved in with his family.

Seeing the Zheng family moving furniture, Lin called out towards the front door, "May your family prosper and flourish! If you have nothing to do, come out and help!"

Chunsheng's mother also headed towards the front door, calling out, "Dayong, Chunsheng, come out and help too."

Several men came out of the house and followed Lin and her husband.

“I thought you would be waiting a while before we came to help you,” Lin said with a smile.

Zheng Ming was a little embarrassed, "The lease on the house over there just expired, and this place is vacant now, so moving here will save us a month's rent. My aunt is a very clean person, so the house doesn't need much cleaning."

“Indeed, the old lady is a discerning person.” The moment Lin stepped into the courtyard, she seemed to see the old lady sitting under the courtyard, her head bowed, but after hearing her voice, she smiled and looked up to ask her if she wanted some snacks.

"Why are you stunned?" Chun Sheng's mother came in carrying two stools and nudged Lin's arm.

Lin then came to her senses, "Ah? It's nothing." As she said this, her eyes welled up with tears.

Chunsheng's mother whispered from the side, "Don't cry, they're moving, everyone's watching."

"I know." Lin put on a smile and looked at the Zheng family. "Sister, can you tell me where to put these tables and chairs? We'll put them away for you."

Jiang was tall but very thin, and her voice was hoarse. "Put them all in the front hall, and I'll make you some tea."

"No need, no need, it's just a small favor, no need to trouble yourself," Lin Shi and Chun Sheng's mother said together.

With a few more people helping, each making one or two trips, everything was moved quickly, and no one even broke a sweat.