Chapter 80 Noodle Soup, Yangmei Ice

After ordering an extra serving of red bean paste, Qiao Mianmian was full. As they approached the food stall, she took the two bowls of ice jelly from her brother. "Brother Jiasheng, don't leave me later. With you here, my mother won't scold me too harshly."

Qiao Jiasheng replied with great loyalty, "That's for sure!"

Upon arriving at the food stall, Qiao Mianmian took a deep breath and put on a flattering smile. "Dad, Mom! We're back! Oh dear, why are you wiping the table again? You must be so tired. We brought you some ice jelly. Please sit down and eat, I'll wipe the table for you."

"You're wasting money again. You can eat it yourselves. Why buy so much?" Lin felt bad about the money, but as soon as she finished speaking, she stuffed a mouthful of ice jelly into her mouth.

"How is it? Is it delicious?" Qiao Mianmian asked her mother.

Madam Lin nodded. "It's something we paid for, how could it not taste good? You silly girl, do you want to eat it?"

"No, I just wanted you to try it too. You come here every day and it's so tiring, I feel so sorry for you." Qiao Mianmian whined sweetly, then looked at her father, "Dad, you think it's delicious too, right?"

"Mmm, it's so sweet. But where did you get the money to buy ice jelly?" Qiao Mancang asked casually, and the room fell silent instantly.

Qiao Jiasheng: "Yes...yes..."

"It was Manager Zeng who had a change of heart and made up the money for Brother Jiasheng," Qiao Mianmian continued.

"Is he really that kind?" Mrs. Lin didn't believe it.

"It wasn't there at first, but..." Faced with her mother's questioning gaze, Qiao Mianmian turned her head away guiltily and slowly moved to her father's side. "Dad, is the ice jelly delicious?"

Qiao Mancang nodded and said it was delicious.

"Then you have to help me." Qiao Mianmian pouted, giving up resisting. "Second brother, you tell me."

Seeing her daughter's state, Madam Lin knew something was wrong. "Jiaxing, you stand up and let Jiasheng speak!"

Qiao Jiasheng was an honest man. He not only told everything, but he also explained it very clearly: "Aunt, please don't be angry. They were only after my money."

Lin looked at her nephew, then at her son and daughter. She wanted to be angry, but then felt she shouldn't scold people for it.

After holding it in for a while, she finally pinched Qiao Mancang next to her and said, "Say something! You're always quiet and playing the good guy. This time, you speak!"

"I..." Qiao Mancang looked at the children in the family and cleared his throat. "You really shouldn't have done that. How could you do that? What if someone recognized you? Especially you, Mianmian. You're a girl. If you get a reputation for being shrewish, how will you find a husband?"

Mrs. Lin nodded, "That's right, that's right."

"Is that enough?" Qiao Mancang asked in a low voice, but Lin glared at him and had no choice but to continue, "And Jiaxing, you're the older brother. It's one thing for you to act recklessly, but why did you have to ask Lord Lu for help? Luckily, Lord Lu didn't take it to heart, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing."

Lin said again, "Yes, that's not good!" She now knew how comfortable it was to agree with others.

Qiao Jiaxing wisely refrained from arguing back, saying, "Father, we were wrong."

"Mmm." Qiao Mancang thought that was enough and was about to wrap things up when Lin Shi chimed in, "It's okay to know you were wrong, but don't do it again. Your intentions were good; brothers and sisters should help each other and lend a hand when someone is in trouble. Go wash your faces; you're all acting like three-year-olds."

After the children went to the backyard, Qiao Mancang looked at Lin Shi with surprise, "Why didn't you scold them today?"

"Why should I scold them? I was already holding a grudge because you asked for 150 coins back. Children aren't always thoughtful, but they were doing it for their families. You've already said everything, why should I be the bad guy?"

Lin laughed heartily, "Now you know how much pain I feel when I'm cursing people, right?"

"Alright, alright, I'll do it from now on." Qiao Mancang smiled. After the couple finished their ice jelly, they looked up and saw Lu Zhao and Qingjiu arrive. Only then did they realize it was dinner time. "Oh, it's Lord Lu. This is ice jelly that Jiasheng bought for you. Please eat first. What dishes would you like? I'll have Mianmian and the others make them for you."

Seeing that there was ice jelly to eat, Qingjiu swallowed her saliva happily, and couldn't wait to order two dishes and sit down.

Madam Lin came over to pour tea for Lu Zhao, "Thank you so much, Lord Lu, for standing up for my children today. If it weren't for you, Manager Zeng certainly wouldn't have let it go so easily, and might have caused even more trouble."

"Auntie, you don't need to be so polite. We're neighbors, and I've troubled you a lot these days." Every time Lu Zhao came to eat, he knew that they had bigger portions of food and more rice, otherwise Qingjiu, with his big appetite, wouldn't have had enough for just two dishes.

"Indeed, as the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, and that's exactly the case. Lord Lu won't be going on any more long trips, will he?" Madam Lin asked.

Lu Zhao said he didn't need to use it recently.

"That's perfect! Jiaxing is getting married at the end of the month, you must come and have a drink at the wedding." Madam Lin said with a smile, while looking Lu Zhao up and down. "Speaking of which, you're not young anymore, have you taken a fancy to any girl? If you have, but you can't find anyone to introduce you to someone, just come to your aunt, and I'll help you find a match!"

She then looked at Qingjiu, saying, "Qingjiu, you too, don't be afraid to trouble your aunt!"

"What did you say, Auntie?" Qingjiu was so focused on eating the ice jelly that she didn't hear a word.

"Your aunt is asking when you want to get married?" Lin laughed.

"Ah?" Qingjiu's face showed embarrassment, which was rare. "Oh, Auntie, I'm not in a hurry. Let my husband get married first."

As he spoke, he looked at the adult and asked, "Sir, is it ready to eat?"

Lu Zhao sighed and said, "Eat."

Mr. Lin stopped there and said no more.

In the kitchen, after Qiao Mianmian finished cooking for Lu Zhao and his servants, she also had to cook dinner. But having eaten ice jelly, she worried about whether everyone else would be hungry. Luckily, she had some small river shrimp, so she cooked some rice noodle soup.

Cooking rice noodle soup is very simple. Boil water, add rice noodles, and then add side dishes one by one. Qiao Mianmian only added fresh shrimp and chopped green onions. After cooking, take them out. If you like spicy food, you can add more.

"It smells so delicious." Qiao Jiaxing wasn't hungry at first, but after smelling the aroma, his mouth watered.

Qiao Jiasheng nodded in agreement, "Yes, adding small river shrimp makes it feel so different."

Qiao Mianmian: "Of course, these small river shrimp can be stir-fried and sold for seventy or eighty coins. Expensive things are naturally delicious."

She then took out a bowl of pickled vegetables from the earthenware jar. The pickled radishes and cabbages were sour, crisp, and refreshing, cut into small pieces, and could be served directly.

A mouthful of rice noodle soup paired with a bite of pickled vegetables—only those who have tasted it can truly understand how delicious it is.

After finishing a bowl of rice noodle soup, Qiao Mianmian didn't stop eating, still munching on kimchi. "Mom, your kimchi-making skills are amazing, so many guests love it."

"This is what your mother has done for most of her life. I have to be quite capable to be your mother," Lin said. She said that once the cowpeas were harvested, she would soak a whole vat of them. Days would pass by, and the cycle of three meals a day and four seasons would continue, all in this simple way.

Qiao Jiasheng received the money and prepared to return home the next day. When he suggested it, Zhang was a little reluctant, saying, "Play for a couple more days, there's no need to rush home."

"No, I've been away for so long, my parents must miss me. It's a busy time at home, I should go back and help." Qiao Jiasheng finished eating and looked at his family, saying, "Thank you so much for taking care of me these past few days, Uncle and Aunt. I'm sorry for troubling you. My father is right, things in society aren't as simple as I thought, I still need more experience."

Qiao Mianmian asked, "Will you come to work in the city again in the future, Brother Jiasheng?"

"I'm coming! I'll definitely come!" Qiao Jiasheng was still full of energy. "Only by doing it a few more times can I gain experience."

Qiao Mancang praised, "Yes, young man, don't be afraid of hardship or being scolded. As long as you keep working, good luck will always come your way."

Madam Lin said the same thing, “Since you’re going back, take some braised meat with you tomorrow morning, and have your uncle cut a pound of pork belly. Say hello to your parents and tell them to come for the feast at the end of the month.”

After they got home, Qiao Youfu found Qiao Jiasheng and took out two hundred coins from his pocket. "This is your grandfather's pocket money for you. You're almost twenty years old, you should have some money of your own. Don't tell Jiaxing and the others, only you have it."

"Grandfather, I don't..."

“Just take it. Your dad broke his leg last year. Around Qingming Festival, I saw him struggling to climb the mountain. Go back and persuade him not to ruin himself. You’re all grown up now, so you should take care of things at home. You live in the village, so your grandfather can’t help you much.”

Qiao Youfu patted his grandson on the shoulder, "Alright, go to sleep early. When you get home, tell your parents to hurry up and find you a husband. Don't delay too long. It's better to get married sooner rather than later."

As Qiao Youfu left Qiao Jiasheng's house, he looked left and right, thinking he should leave quickly while no one was around, but he was still seen by his granddaughter.

Seeing her grandfather looking around nervously, Qiao Mianmian knew he was feeling guilty, so she deliberately leaned closer and asked, "Grandfather, what did you say to Brother Jiasheng?"

"It's nothing, just a few words for him. It's already dark, why aren't you asleep yet?" Qiao Youfu put his hands behind his back, not looking into his granddaughter's eyes.

Qiao Mianmian smiled, pursing her lips, "I'm not sleepy because I'm too full. Grandfather, did you secretly give Jiasheng some money?"

Seeing her grandfather's wide eyes, Qiao Mianmian immediately added, "Don't worry, I definitely won't tell anyone, but I want to eat bayberries tomorrow, is that okay?"

It's the season for bayberries right now. After buying bayberries, soak them in salt water for a while, rinse them clean, chill them with ice cubes, and finally soak them in sugar water before eating. Just thinking about it makes Qiao Mianmian's mouth water.

Her grandfather was a man of many schemes, and her second uncle inherited this trait. Waxberries weren't cheap, and if she asked her mother to buy them, her mother would definitely disagree. It was a rare opportunity to coax her grandfather into buying her some waxberries.

"You silly girl, I just can't do anything with you. If you want to eat bayberries, just say so, do you think I won't buy them for you?" Qiao Youfu smiled and tapped his granddaughter's forehead. "Even if I don't buy them for you, just go to your grandmother and huff a couple of times, and she'll let you eat bayberries to your heart's content!"

He knew perfectly well that his wife favored her youngest granddaughter.

Qiao Mianmian chuckled, "It's different, Grandpa. The ones you bought are different. The ones you bought are tastier!"

Qiao Youfu was amused. "I just can't do anything with you."

After returning to the house, Qiao Youfu asked Zhang for money.

"Didn't I just give it to you?" Zhang asked.

"Your most precious little granddaughter saw me, and she asked me to buy her some bayberries to shut her up," Qiao Youfu said helplessly, then chuckled indulgently. "That girl, she's so sweet-talking. She said the bayberries I bought were better? They're all the same!"

Upon hearing that it was her granddaughter who wanted to eat it, Zhang didn't hesitate and immediately took out her money, saying, "Buy more, there's a whole family here, send some to the second son's family too."

Speaking of this, she thought of her third brother's family who lived in the village. "If my third brother's family lived in the city, we could help them out to some extent. But, we were the ones who sent him to learn a trade back then."

"The third son has his father-in-law's help in the village, so his life isn't any worse than the second son's," Qiao Youfu said. "You're really generous, giving away so much money all at once when you heard your granddaughter wanted some food?"

“It’s not like I’m only buying it for Mianmian, why are you so upset?” Zhang snorted. “My Mianmian is the most lovable one. If I’m only buying it for her, you shut up.”

As she went to close the window, she saw her granddaughter still looking at the vegetables in the yard and called out loudly, "Mianmian, it's getting dark and there are a lot of mosquitoes, go back inside quickly."

"Grandma, I want to see how many loofahs have grown."

Beneath the Qiao family's wall, there was a row of flowerbeds, but the Qiao family used them entirely for growing vegetables. A few days ago, Lin bought two loofah seedlings and planted them two meters apart. A few days later, the loofahs grew taller than a person, so Qiao Jiawang built a trellis in the courtyard to support their growth and provide shade for people.

Qiao Mianmian looked up and saw two loofahs that were a little bigger than her fingers. She figured they should be ready to eat in about ten days.

"What's so interesting about that? Go back to sleep." Zhang came out of the house, looked up at the loofah, and said, "It's growing really fast. It's worth all the watering and tending to it every day."

"Grandma, it would be great if the yard were a little bigger, so we could grow more vegetables." Qiao Mianmian glanced around and saw that the vegetable garden was about five or six square meters. They had planted chives, goji berries, and a few chili peppers, but there wasn't enough room for other vegetables.

Zhang smiled, "It's already quite good that our family has a yard like this." She took her granddaughter's hand and led her into the house, whispering in her ear, "Besides bayberries, what else do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you secretly."

He brought his granddaughter into the house, helped close the wooden window, and tucked every edge of the mosquito net under the bedding.

“No, all I can think of now is bayberry.” Qiao Mianmian nestled next to her grandmother. “You’re still the best to me.”

"You, you've got a sweet tongue!" Zhang laughed heartily. "Once your second sister-in-law marries into the family, all that'll be left to worry about is your marriage. But there's no rush. You're still young. We'll pick the best one for you!"

Then she jokingly asked, "Does Mianmian still like Jun?"

"Yes, he has to be handsome!" Qiao Mianmian was very certain. Both handsome and ugly men might change their minds, so finding a handsome man would make her feel better.

Ms. Zhang said she had made a note of it, and only after watching her granddaughter lie down did she close the door and leave.

Days passed by, and half a month went by in the blink of an eye. It was the day before Qiao Jiaxing's wedding.

Qiao's Food Shop posted a red notice announcing that it would be closed for three days. People from the alley all came to Qiao's house to help.

Qiao Mianmian was still the head chef, directing a large group of people to do everything that could be done ahead of schedule.

However, the weather is hot now, so braised pork hock and the like have to be made on the same day, otherwise they won't taste good overnight. Seeing that it was getting dark, Qiao Mianmian went to the yard to tell everyone to go home first, "Sister-in-law Xu, Aunt Meng, you've worked hard today. Tomorrow is the main event, so everyone should go home and rest."

"What's the trouble? You'll help me out when my Chunsheng gets married." Chunsheng's mother casually wiped her hands on the hem of her clothes. "I'll come tomorrow at dawn, don't worry about troubling us."

Jin wiped her clothes as well, "Yes, Mianmian. We've been neighbors for so many years. Your mother said we should all listen to you."

"Haha, I still have to say thank you." Qiao Mianmian saw them out, and just then Yunzhu arrived. She asked what was wrong.

Yunzhu said that her mistress had sent her. "Miss Qiao, you know my mistress is unwell and can't do much, but she wants to do her part and asked me to come and help tomorrow. You can arrange for me to do anything."

Just as she finished speaking, Mrs. Chen from next door came over, smiling slightly, "Mianmian, why didn't you assign me any chores at your house?"

Recently, Ms. Chen has been going out for walks, especially when Qiao Mianmian comes home. She will greet Qiao Mianmian at the door.

“Sister-in-law Wang, you’re still pregnant, how can we let you do any work?” Qiao Mianmian said. “My sister-in-law didn’t let her do any work either. Right now, you are the most precious people. You can just come to the banquet tomorrow.”

She turned to look at Yunzhu, "Please thank your wife for me. I'll have to trouble you tomorrow."

After seeing Yunzhu off, Qiao Mianmian invited Chen Shi into her home. Just as Chen Shi said it was getting dark, Wang Dazhu hurriedly ran out.

"I'll bring you back tomorrow." Wang Dazhu carefully helped Chen Shi up. "The road will be difficult to walk on after dark, so be careful."

Chen blushed. "Why do we have to be so careful on the road in front of our house?"

Seeing that Wang Dazhu had become a completely different person after his marriage, Qiao Mianmian felt a little gratified for Chen.

She stretched, her arms aching from working for two days straight. She needed to go to bed early tonight because she had to get up early tomorrow.