Chapter 75 Pork stew with vermicelli, sweet and sour pork...

Qiao Jiawang turned to look at his younger brother. Without thinking too much, he called his brother over.

"Hello, what would you like to eat? Our signature dishes include braised pork belly, sweet and sour fish, boiled shrimp... and..." Qiao Jiaxing rattled off a list of dishes, but then realized the man looked familiar. He tentatively asked, "Sir, have we met before?"

The old man saw the doubt in Qiao Jiaxing's eyes and laughed heartily, "It seems you've forgotten. One evening, I asked you for a bowl of rice, remember?"

"I remember now, it was you!" Seeing that the other person was safe and sound, Qiao Jiaxing breathed a sigh of relief. He also noticed that the other person's clothes were neat and without patches, so he figured that the person had found their family. "That day I was wondering where you had gone in the middle of the night. It's so good to see that you are safe and sound."

The old man looked at Qiao Jiaxing with admiration in his eyes. "Thank you so much for the meal last time. I was able to get home safely otherwise, I might have starved to death on the street and there wouldn't even be anyone to collect my body. I came here today specifically to patronize your business. What are your signature dishes? Give me a few."

“Three dishes are enough for the two of you. Braised pork is our signature dish. Do you like fish? Fish is also good.” Seeing the old man nod, Qiao Jiaxing added a bowl of sweet and sour fish. “And some greens, or soup, that would be fine too. What would you like to eat?”

When facing guests, Qiao Jiaxing is very talkative, unlike when he was looking at potential partners.

"I'd like some yam soup, my daughter can't handle too much spice," the old man said, glancing at his daughter beside him. "By the way, are you one of the workers here?"

“You could say that I’m both the waiter and the chef,” Qiao Jiaxing said, handing the order form to his father. “Father, please take this order to Fifth Sister.”

Hearing how Qiao Jiaxing addressed others, the old man roughly understood that he said his surname was Cao and asked Qiao Jiaxing to call him Uncle Cao.

Qiao Jiaxing responded with a "okay," then turned around and saw another guest, so he hurried to greet them.

The braised pork belly was stewed in advance, and Qiao Mancang heated it up before serving it. The thick, amber-colored sauce clung to the pork belly, and the aroma of the sauce carried a hint of sweetness.

"Please enjoy your meal. This is braised pork and yam soup. The fish was freshly killed, so you'll have to wait a little while." Qiao Mancang also brought over some rice. "The rice is delicious with the broth from the braised pork. You can try it."

Uncle Cao smiled and said okay, then turned around and lovingly pushed the braised pork next to his daughter, "Yuan'er, eat more."

"You eat too." Cao Yuan lowered her head and served food to her father. "We're busy with farming at home. Why did you bring me to the city? When we go back, my brother and sister-in-law will gossip again."

She was the daughter of a second wife and the youngest daughter of her father in his old age. She was much younger than her older brothers and sisters and they were never close.

“You’re eighteen now, and your mother’s gone, so I have to take care of your dowry.” Uncle Cao picked up a piece of braised pork, which was tender and flavorful, with the fat melting in his mouth, showing that he had put a lot of effort into making it. “Eat more, and we’ll come again tomorrow.”

Cao Yuan felt bad about the money. "We need money to stay at an inn in the city, and the toll fees will cost money. Please be careful with your money. Tomorrow we'll buy two steamed buns, eat them, and then go back."

“No rush. I’m seventy years old, it’s time for me to enjoy my retirement. It won’t matter if I don’t tend to the fields for a day. Besides, we haven’t divided the family property yet. If your brother and the others dare to say a bad word, they can forget about getting a share of the inheritance!” Uncle Cao said firmly. “Listen to me, I’ll take you to buy jewelry again tomorrow. Once the new clothes are ready, we’ll go home.”

He had no front teeth, so he mixed rice with yam soup and braised pork broth, which was slippery and he swallowed it in one gulp.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Uncle Cao paid the bill and, upon learning that Qiao's Food Shop was also open that morning, said he would come again the next morning.

Qiao Jiaxing saw the Cao family father and daughter to the door, saying, "Take care."

"Alright, you can go back to your work now." Uncle Cao waved his hand and helped his daughter back to the inn.

It was dinnertime at the Qiao family's house as well. Qiao Mianmian had made braised pork with vermicelli and sweet and sour pork.

She has a strong interest in food, and she never feels tired when cooking. She is happy to experiment with all kinds of food.

The glass noodles were soaked beforehand. After the pork was stir-fried until the fat was rendered, hot water and glass noodles were added and stewed.

The glass noodles are now crystal clear and bouncy. With one bite, the broth is full of the savory aroma of pork, but not greasy at all.

The sweet and sour pork is fried until golden brown and then coated with a sweet and sour sauce. It is crispy and sweet. In particular, Qiao Jiawang's knife skills are excellent. Each slice of meat is of uniform thickness and tastes just right.

"Fifth Sister, where did you learn to cook these dishes?" Qiao Jiaxing had never seen these two dishes before. He took a bite of the sweet and sour pork and was instantly amazed by its sweet, sour, and crispy texture. "Delicious!"

"I heard about it from someone else, so I just gave it a try. Don't customers always ask if we have this dish or that dish? I'll ask them a few more questions and chat with them when I see them." Qiao Mianmian made up a casual excuse. "If it's good, eat more! These glass noodles are especially delicious; you can mix them with rice in the soup."

She enjoys all kinds of soup with rice and likes to eat different things every day. It's her biggest reason to look forward to the day.

Qiao Jiaxing, unsuspecting, followed his sister's example, mixing the soup with rice and adding a mouthful of vermicelli. It was delicious!

Everyone else ate to their heart's content, but in the end, Qiao Mancang asked, "Why do I feel like I haven't seen Lord Lu for two days?"

Lin said, "Lord Lu said he has some kind of mission and needs to leave the city for a while. He also gave me the key and said that if there's anything he needs, we can help keep an eye on it."

When Lu Zhao came looking for her, Lin was quite surprised, thinking that Lu Zhao really trusted her.

"How long will he be gone?" Qiao Mancang asked.

Madam Lin shook her head. "How dare I ask too many questions about their official careers? It will probably take some time, otherwise there would be no need for them to give me the keys. Their work is still too dangerous, not as good as that of a scholar."

Speaking of scholars, Madam Lin thought of Xu Mingxuan. "Isn't it Dragon Boat Festival? Has Scholar Xu returned yet?"

Qiao Mancang said no, “Brother Xu said that Scholar Xu is going to study hard and will come back around the Mid-Autumn Festival next time. Speaking of studying, it’s not easy. I heard that he has to get up at dawn and study until late at night. Everyone has a hard time trying to pass the imperial examinations. Why do you only care about Scholar Xu and not your own son-in-law?”

"Who said I don't care?" Madam Lin glared at her husband. "Wang Chuang will be back for the Dragon Boat Festival. When Madam Wang sent us glutinous rice, she mentioned it. Have you forgotten?"

The Wang family owns a rice shop, and now they've become in-laws, exchanging gifts during festivals. After the Wang family split up, Madam Wang had even less to do, so she took Lin Xiahe to the shop for a meal, which also served as a way to exchange festival gifts.

Qiao Mancang scratched his head, "I've been too busy lately, I forgot."

Speaking of the Dragon Boat Festival, it's time to make and eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). Lin told Qiao Mancang to save more meat for tomorrow, "Mianmian likes meat zongzi, and I'll soak some red beans too, so I can make two different flavors."

The glutinous rice has been soaked and is ready to be used to make zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) tomorrow.

Qiao Mianmian really liked eating meat-filled rice dumplings, especially large pieces of meat, to truly enjoy them.

After the meal, everyone finished the soup in their bowls. Lin Shi and Hu Qianqian took their bowls to the kitchen, while Qiao Mianmian rinsed her mouth. "Mom, don't Grandpa and the others raise chickens and ducks? Why don't you ask them to raise more and sell them all to us? Today when I went to buy chickens, those people took advantage of my youth and deliberately inflated the price. Even after I called them out, they still wouldn't listen. If Grandpa and the others raise chickens, it will increase their income, and we won't have to go looking for people to buy chickens and ducks every day."

“And then there’s my eldest sister’s family. They live on a small hillside, and they fence off a piece of land to raise more animals, so my brother-in-law won’t have to go hunting. Aren’t you most worried about your brother-in-law hunting?”

The last sentence struck a chord with Lin, revealing her deep concern for her eldest son-in-law. Hunting was risky; when she was a child, hunters in her village had been spotted by tigers and fallen off cliffs – it was terrifying.

Thinking that she hadn't been back to her parents' home for some time, Lin was tempted. "I'll talk to them about it later and see if they're willing."

“Don’t wait any longer. Think about it, raising chickens and ducks isn’t something you can eat in ten days or half a month. It takes at least three or four months, quite a while,” Qiao Mianmian said. “Now that the Dragon Boat Festival is here and our family has opened a shop, you are your maternal grandparents’ daughter, so you should go back and visit them.”

"You little rascal, you're actually teaching me how to do things?" Madam Lin laughed.

"To be honest, after I get married, don't you want me to come back and visit often?" As she spoke, Qiao Mianmian looked at her sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, you also want to go back and visit, right?"

"ah?"

Hu Qianqian, who was suddenly called out, was stunned for a moment, and quickly glanced at her mother-in-law, "Mianmian, my father's meat stall is near our shop, and I often see him."

When they meet, they stop to talk, asking how business is and chatting about their families. Her family knows she's pregnant and occasionally brings her food and other necessities. She says she wants to go back home? That's alright.

Qiao Mianmian smiled and wanted to say a few more words, but her mother told her to go wash her hands quickly. "I know, I'll go back after the Dragon Boat Festival."

The family had almost finished tidying up when it was getting dark. They went home and went to rest.

The next morning, as expected, Uncle Cao and his daughter arrived, becoming the first customers at the food shop.

Qiao Jiaxing was starting a fire, and Lin was rolling out noodles. She was a talkative person and asked Uncle Cao which village he lived in and how many people lived there. "Cao Family Village? That's not far from my mother's house. My mother's house is Lin Family Village, you know?"

“I know. When I was young, I used to sell New Year’s cakes in your village. Back then, I would carry a load on a shoulder pole and walk through the streets and alleys. Especially in the twelfth lunar month, every household would buy New Year’s cakes.” Uncle Cao stood in front of the stove, talking to Lin Shi while watching Qiao Jiaxing tend the fire and cut meat. “Now I can’t sell them anymore, but my grandsons sell them. You probably know them.”

Lin thought for a moment and remembered it. "There were indeed people selling New Year's cakes in the twelfth lunar month, but one was taller and the other was fatter. The people who came were different every year."

"You might be talking about my son. Now my sons are old, and it's my grandsons who are cooking it." As Uncle Cao spoke, the noodles were already cooked.

Add a few pieces of braised pork to the noodles, then add a spoonful of broth, and your steaming hot braised pork noodles are ready.

Qiao Jiaxing brought out a bowl of noodles, and Cao Yuan brought out another bowl.

After sitting down, Cao Yuan whispered, "Didn't I say that you can eat meat and I can just eat vegetarian noodles? Why do you have to spend this money?"

“Yuan’er, your father has escaped death once, and only then did I understand one thing: when you are alive, you should live well and not worry so much. This time I went to see your uncle, and on the way back, a landslide occurred and I got separated from your brother. I almost didn’t make it back. Do you know what I can’t let go of the most?” Uncle Cao said, giving his daughter two pieces of braised meat. “I’m getting old and can’t eat that much.”

Cao Yuan said she knew that her father was most worried about her.

“Yes, your father is most worried about you. Your nephew is older than you, not to mention your brothers. I’m afraid I won’t be able to go back, and you’ll be easily dismissed by them. I’m gritting my teeth and determined to go back. Eat up, and after you’re full, your father will take you to buy jewelry and prepare more dowry for you.” As Uncle Cao spoke, seeing Qiao Jiaxing wiping the table, he praised, “Young man, your noodles are very good. Is your whole family here to help?”

“Yes, it’s a small business, we can’t afford to hire help, so we all have to work together,” Qiao Jiaxing said. “Please eat slowly, and don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything.”

"Where's your wife? At your age, you should be married by now, right?" Uncle Cao asked casually.

Qiao Jiaxing exclaimed "Ah!" and said he was not married.

Mrs. Lin chuckled and replied, "We're looking for one for him right now."

"I see." Uncle Cao slowly finished his noodles, paid the money, and asked Qiao Jiaxing if he could do him a favor. "Well, I brought my daughter to the city to buy some things, but as you can see, I have difficulty walking and I'm not familiar with the carriage shops in Lin'an. When I go home, could you help me rent a carriage? I'll give you extra money so you don't make a wasted trip."

"Oh, it's just a small favor, no payment needed. Just tell me when and which inn, and I'll call a carriage for you." Qiao Jiaxing thought that the Cao family father and daughter were guests, so it was only right to help them out. There was no need to charge them; it would be too embarrassing if word got out.

Uncle Cao nodded, "Okay, then I'll have to trouble you then."

After leaving the market with his daughter, Uncle Cao asked, "What do you think of this young man from the Qiao family?"

"What do you mean, how?" Cao Yuan feigned ignorance.

"Before I die, I have to find you a reliable husband, otherwise I won't be able to close my eyes in peace." Uncle Cao walked slowly and spoke slowly. "Back then, your mother fled to our village. She was a widow and said she had no one to rely on and wanted to find someone to live with. I was already fifty years old and had never thought about this, but the lazybones in the village learned that your mother wanted to find a husband, so he ran to the dilapidated temple at night and I happened to run into him. Your mother then carried her bundle to my house."

As he spoke, Uncle Cao smiled, a bitter look flashing in his eyes, "Luckily I'm long enough to survive, and I wasn't the first to go, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to rest easy."

Even though Cao Yuan had heard about her parents' past many times, her eyes still welled up with tears. "Father, please don't say anymore."

"What's wrong with that? You're just young and haven't experienced much, that's why you cry so easily."

Uncle Cao stopped and let his daughter wipe her tears. "No matter how hard you work or how capable you are at home, your brothers will never truly care for you. Yuan'er, life is short. You have to be a little selfish and a little tough so that your father can have peace of mind, understand?"

As for his other children, Uncle Cao knew perfectly well that when he was in his thirties, someone had introduced him to a second wife, but his sons refused. Eventually, he gave up on the idea, and then fate granted him another chance. Having lived half his life, he realized that posthumous fame was unimportant; if he didn't stand up for himself, his wife and daughters wouldn't have a good life. So, he took control of the family's finances, and his sons became much more obedient.

Cao Yuan nodded and helped her father continue forward.

"I've saved up some money for you. If you marry into a farming family, the money will be used to buy land, and you can live off the rent for the rest of your life. If you marry into the city, you can use it to buy a shop and start your own small business, or rent it out to others." Uncle Cao explained as he walked, knowing his own physical condition and needing to make sure everything was clear and settled while he could still speak and walk.