Chapter 18 I want to eat! Beef jerky!

Faced with Xiaoqian's malicious speculation, Shen Qingtang simply glanced at her coldly and said without any emotion, "Xiaoqian, not everyone likes to use their small amount of power to make things difficult for or retaliate against others."

Shen Qingtang spoke frankly and openly, but the reactions of those present were varied.

The two newcomers, Xiaoqing and Xiaxia, exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with disdain and contempt as they looked at Xiaoqian. They hadn't expected that she not only had a bad temper but also a bad character. What a waste of her pretty face; she was truly a viper.

Xiaoqian, recalling how she had repeatedly made things difficult for Shen Qingtang, turned pale instantly, lowered her head, and dared not speak again, fearing that the other party would openly retaliate.

She knew perfectly well that the other woman had already won over the young master and gained a pivotal position. The young master was becoming increasingly dependent on Shen Qingtang; if she were to leave his sight for more than ten minutes without explanation, he would immediately call to inquire about her whereabouts.

The young master can't live without Shen Qingtang now!

On the other hand, because she and Sister Xiaowen spoke ill of Shen Qingtang behind his back, she angered the young master. If she hadn't brought up Su Rong's name in time, she would have been kicked out of the Qin Mansion.

Seeing that Xiaoqian was looking down and didn't dare to answer, Shen Qingtang didn't press her further.

After spending so many days with her, she realized that the woman opposite her seemed to be a mentally challenged person, so she naturally had to be more patient and tolerant than others.

Then, her gaze fell on Xiaowen, and continuing the previous topic, she explained calmly, "In fact, the logistics department, out of consideration for Brother Qin, did not attribute the loss of that five zhu 'Cold Beauty' to you at all."

"You are paying this 50,000 yuan in compensation because you caused the Su Guan He Ding to wither."

Upon hearing this, Xiaowen panicked and kept shaking her head, saying, "This is impossible, this is absolutely impossible."

"I remember it very clearly. I poured all the Chinese medicine on those cold beauties and didn't touch Su Guan He Ding at all." Although the soil diameters of the two types of flowers were not too far apart, she couldn't possibly be wrong.

After saying that, she couldn't help but shiver deeply.

Putting aside the fact that Su Guan He Ding is a rare and valuable orchid variety, its high price is even more important than the person who gave it to us!

If Madam Qin knew about this, she would definitely skin her alive, and might even kick her out of the Qin mansion! She had already made up her mind that she could not admit to this matter no matter what, and she had to keep it a secret from the other party.

As if reading Xiaowen's mind, Shen Qingtang said, "The Chinese medicine prescription I gave you is beneficial to the human body, but harmful to the plant. Although you did not directly pour the medicine onto the Su Guan He Ding, it happened to rain a couple of days ago, and the residual medicine mixed with the soil and reached the roots of the Su Guan He Ding. Even though the medicine was diluted to a certain extent, this type of orchid is very delicate. The roots were directly scalded to death, and the flower withered after only two days. The gardener could not save it."

After speaking, she paused, took out two paper reports, and handed them to Xiaowen: "These are the test reports. What I just said was not just my speculation."

Xiao Wen took the papers hesitantly, her lips moving as if trying to speak, but she couldn't utter a word for a long time. Her face was as pale as a vampire's, and her arms trembled slightly. It was as if she had received two huge rocks instead of two pieces of paper; her lips were pressed tightly together like a taut bowstring, trembling incessantly.

"According to market prices, you should have paid 300,000 in compensation, but the master is considering that you worked for the Qin family for three years. Even if you didn't make any great contributions, you still put in the effort, so you only need to pay 50,000." Upon hearing this, Xiaowen's face turned ashen, and his heart sank to ashes.

Even the eldest master, who usually doesn't concern himself with family affairs, knows about it; it was only a matter of time before Madam Qin found out.

The thought that she had killed the rare orchid that the other party had painstakingly transplanted from her parents' home made her shoulders tremble. She couldn't bear to imagine the consequences.

It seems that paying compensation is the only option now, and Xiaowen felt a pang of heartache when she thought of that 50,000 yuan.

That was her own hard-earned savings, in addition to the three thousand she regularly sent home every month!

Now it has all vanished in an instant.

Xiaoqian, who had been standing up for others, shrank back when she learned that Xiaowen had gotten into such a big mess, deliberately avoiding the other person's pleading gaze.

She herself is still on the wife's blacklist!

*

Since Xiao Qing and Xia Xia, two diligent people, came to help, Shen Qingtang has clearly felt much more relaxed. In addition, Brother Qin has now resumed his exercise and can take care of most things on his own, so she can also spend more time studying medical books.

But for Xiaowen and Xiaoqian, it was far from easy. The two of them had boasted to the other maids more than once about how easy their job was. After all, there were few people and little work to do, and they weren't responsible for the three meals a day. As for taking care of Qin Guanlan, there was Shen Qingtang in front of them, and Qi Yi and Qi Er behind them. The only things the two of them could do were some simple cleaning and laundry.

In addition, Qin Guanlan is not one to fuss over small things. At first, they cleaned every two days, but later, except when Su Rong came to visit, they changed it to once a week.

They not only have plenty of time to relax and watch TV, but they can also enjoy many high-end goods. Compared to other busy servants, they are living in a honey pot.

But now that they have two diligent people, Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia, to compare with, they have no choice but to become busy as well.

The other party always gets up at six o'clock in the morning, so they have no choice but to get up early too.

The other party cleans three times a day, so they have to mop the floor too.

The other party goes into the kitchen to prepare the ingredients in advance, and they also have to go in to pick vegetables and peel garlic.

...

Suddenly, Xiaowen and Xiaoqian were busy from morning till night, completely bidding farewell to their previous leisurely life. They couldn't help but complain in their hearts more than once about how these two could see so much work to do.

If it were just that, they could barely tolerate it, since other servants spent their days like that too. What angered them was that Qi Yi, Qi Er, and even the eldest young master all accepted the two of them very well.

Even for minor things like losing something or forgetting to take a soup spoon, she would only ask Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia to do it.

Although they were happy to have some free time, they couldn't help but feel excluded and had lost the trust of the others. The better Xiao Qing and Xia Xia performed, the more uneasy they became. A sense of impending crisis hung over their heads like the Sword of Damocles, as if it would fall at any moment and sever a head.

Xiaoqian, who was already restless, had been having nightmares these past few days, with each dream featuring strikingly similar scenes. In her dreams, she was always being kicked out of the Qin Mansion for various reasons, and could only stand at the door, clutching her suitcase and weeping bitterly.

Just after lunch that day, Xiaoqian noticed that Xiaoqing and Xiaxia took out a thick pile of beef shank from the refrigerator and soaked it in cold water to thaw.

Xiaoqian, who was about to take a nap, immediately stopped in her tracks, turned around and entered the kitchen. She glanced at the two of them, raised her head high, and asked condescendingly, "Are you defrosting beef?"

Xia replied with a smile, "Yes, Sister Xiaoqian."

Xiaoqian naturally assumed that this was an order from the young master Qin Guanlan. Her heart skipped a beat, her expression changed slightly, and a strange feeling arose. After all, she was the one who was best at cooking beef.

She still remembers the young master praising her beef as the most delicious, unmatched by anyone.

If the young master had ordered Shen Qingtang, it would have been fine, since she was indeed an oddball whose culinary skills far surpassed hers. But now, her cooking skills couldn't even compare to Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia's? Or did the young master dislike her and her cooking skills, and want to kick her out of the Qin Mansion immediately?

Thinking about it carefully, even if there were two fewer maids, the place could still manage.

Xiaoqian felt a surge of anxiety. She coughed twice and deliberately adopted a condescending tone, lecturing, "Making good beef is a real art; you can't be careless at all. You've already chosen the wrong ingredients." She chuckled, "When eating beef, you have to eat the tenderest part. Beef tenderloin has no tendons or fat, the meat is delicate, and the flavor is rich, making it perfect for stir-frying or grilling. Call the head kitchen right now and have them send over a piece of beef tenderloin. I'll be making this dish tonight." She boasted proudly, "Young Master loves my black pepper beef tenderloin the most."

Unexpectedly, after she finished speaking, Xiaoqing and Xiaxia remained unmoved. Xiaoqian's anger flared immediately. Recalling the ostracism she had suffered these past few days, she seized the opportunity to retort: ​​"What? You think I can't boss you around? I'm someone Madam brought from her maiden home! Be careful, or I'll go tell Madam about this, and you'll be in big trouble!"

Seeing this arrogant and domineering person's behavior, Xiao Qing clenched her lips with displeasure. If it weren't for Xia Xia's glare stopping her, she would have already snapped back.

"Aunt Su is not at the Qin Mansion right now. She went to the Taishan Temple to pray for Brother Qin and won't be back for three days. Do you need me to call and complain for you?"

A cold, familiar voice came from behind her, and Xiaoqian's expression stiffened. She said awkwardly, "Sister Chen, I was just joking." She knew perfectly well that if she made this call and disturbed Madam's prayers for the young master, Madam would definitely resent her more than these trivial matters.

She quickly changed the subject, saying, "Sister Chen, what are you doing thawing so many beef shanks? Do you need Sister Wen and me to help you?"

Xiao Qing suddenly spoke up sarcastically, "Sister Xiao Qian, don't you know that this beef isn't for the young master's dinner, but for making beef jerky?"

"Beef jerky? Why would you make beef jerky out of the blue?" Xiaoqian asked, somewhat puzzled.

Xia replied sweetly, "The First Madam knows that Sister Shen is a good cook, so she specially asked her to make some beef jerky to send to her daughter who is far away in the United States. As for helping her, there is no need."

A hint of sarcasm flashed in her eyes: "Xiao Qing and I are enough here. Sometimes, having too many people can only make things worse."

Upon seeing Shen Qingtang appear, Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia, who had originally intended to swallow their anger, also launched a counterattack and mockery.

Xiaoqian naturally understood the veiled insult in his words. She felt as if she had been burned by hot tongs, and her face instantly turned red. However, she did not want to be excluded like this, so she looked at Shen Qingtang and said, "Sister Shen, they say that many hands make light work. Let Sister Xiaowen and I help each other."

Shen Qingtang shook her head and said, "Three people are enough." The implication was that the two of you didn't need to cause any trouble.

Upon hearing this, a hint of resentment flashed in Xiaoqian's eyes. Looking at the harmonious atmosphere among the people opposite her, she couldn't find a reason to stay, so she could only slink away, saying, "Alright then, I can take a nice nap." Although she said this, the anxiety in her heart was like a wood ear mushroom soaking in water, constantly swelling.

The intense feeling of being excluded was like a clearly defined 38th parallel, excluding her and Xiaowen.

Back in her room, she couldn't wait to tell Xiaowen about it, but to her surprise, Xiaowen just chuckled and said, "If you don't want us to participate, then don't participate."

"Anyway, the Qin in Qin Mansion isn't just the Qin of Qin Guanlan." These meaningful words made Xiaoqian's eyes tremble. After hearing Xiaowen's whispered words, her heart pounded. Finally, she swallowed hard and made up her mind, saying, "Sister Xiaowen, I'll listen to you!"

*

After Xiaoqian walked away, Xiaoqing happily closed the kitchen door: "The troublesome person is finally gone. Sister Chen, come and see if I cut this piece long enough? I soaked it in cold water beforehand to remove the blood, so it shouldn't have much of a fishy smell anymore."

Shen Qingtang gestured with her finger to indicate the length of the strip in front of her, nodded, and said, "That's right, this is the finger-thickness and size I wanted. Cut the rest according to this standard." She instructed, "Cut along the grain; it will save you more effort. Thank you for your hard work this afternoon."

Shen Qingtang's plan was to make thirty catties of beef jerky. Since it was going to be made for Aunt Su's daughter, Qin Sumiao, she might as well make a lot so that everyone could share some.

Xia shook her head obediently and said, "It's not hard work. Sister Chen, your cooking skills are so good, the beef jerky you make must be delicious. We can be considered to have learned from you."

Xiao Qing replied with a grin, "That's right, it's definitely better than the beef jerky sold in stores."

Xia and Qing were both typical examples of poor children who matured early, so they naturally knew how to cook. They were quite capable to be able to work as maids in the Qin Mansion. Therefore, when they first arrived, they naturally took over the task of preparing three meals a day. However, after tasting the food cooked by Shen Qingtang, their taste buds were immediately conquered, and they willingly gave up their position as head chef and were happy to work as her assistants.

As for the phrase "I'm a good cook, I'll cook," we never heard them say it again.

Compared to Xiaoqian and Xiaowen, the two new maids were much more honest and simple, and they wouldn't try to outsmart her, so Shen Qingtang felt much more relaxed around them.

A rare smile appeared on her otherwise listless face: "It's not really about learning by stealing techniques. If you want to learn, I'll teach you."

"There are many ways to make beef jerky, such as traditional air drying, oven drying, and deep frying, each with its own unique flavor. The flavors are also diverse, including original, curry, spicy, and honey five-spice. As long as the marinade is properly proportioned, any flavor can be made. However, this time we will mainly make spicy and honey five-spice flavors, half of each."

Xia scratched the back of her head, somewhat puzzled, and said, "Sister Chen, but I heard that this Miss Su Miao loves spicy food. We don't need to make honey-glazed five-spice sauce, do we?"

Xiao Qing immediately revealed her foodie nature, glaring at Xia Xia and saying impatiently, "Spicy flavor is good, but honey-glazed five-spice flavor is also nice." She licked her lips, thinking that having another flavor would allow her to try more beef jerky later.

With Shen Qingtang's culinary skills, the beef jerky she makes will definitely be incredibly delicious; as the saying goes, getting to eat it is a win. How can Xia not even understand such a simple principle?

Faced with Xia's question, Shen Qingtang replied nonchalantly, "Brother Qin likes to eat sweets."

With just this simple sentence, Xiaoqing and Xiaxia suddenly felt like they had been fed a dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), and the air was filled with sugar. They looked at each other, their lips curling up in unison, and they both declared that they were shipping them!

My favorite couple is showering us with sweetness again today!

Getting back to the main point, with time running out and the task heavy, Shen Qingtang ultimately chose the oven method, which allows for baking three layers at the same time and also bakes six trays at once.

Xiao Qing and Xia Xia were in charge of cutting the beef shank into strips of uniform length and size, while Shen Qingtang began preparing the marinade. Since the ingredients were prepared in advance, this task was relatively simple; it just required constant mixing to ensure that each strip of beef was properly marinated.

Then it was placed in the refrigerator and left to stand for three hours before being taken out and evenly arranged on a baking tray. After baking at a high temperature of 150℃ for one hour, it was flipped over and baked again.

At 7 p.m., less than half an hour after dinner, everyone in the living room smelled an extremely rich and unique aroma—sweet yet with a hint of spiciness. The combination of these two aromas was not unpleasant at all; on the contrary, the spiciness stimulated the taste buds, making people's mouths water.

With a "ding," Qi Yi eagerly shouted, "Sister Chen, is the beef jerky ready?" His eyes sparkled as he asked, "Can I try some now?"

In fact, after the beef jerky had been roasting for an hour, the enticing aroma began to waft into his nostrils. However, the smell wasn't too strong at that point, and he could barely resist it with his willpower.

But now he keeps swallowing, with only one thought in his mind!

He wants to eat beef jerky!

I can't sleep if I don't eat tonight.

As Shen Qingtang took the baking tray out, she shook her head and said, "It's not good yet. We'll brush on a layer of chili sauce and a layer of honey sauce later and bake it again. That will make it taste even better."

Looking at the freshly made beef jerky, Qi Yi couldn't listen to a word. He didn't care about the heat and grabbed a piece, quickly stuffing it into his mouth. He kept saying, "It's hot, too hot," but he didn't stop chewing at all.

Finally, he exclaimed, "Wow, this is still only a semi-finished product. I can't even imagine how delicious it will be after it's finished."

Shen Qingtang shook her head helplessly. Seeing Qin Guanlan being pushed into the kitchen by Qi Er, his eyes fixed on the beef jerky, she immediately said, "Xiao Qing, Xiao Xia, let's not put sauce on this plate of beef jerky for now. Let them taste it first."

After saying that, she took out a small bowl, picked out some beef jerky, and placed it in front of Qin Guanlan, saying, "Brother Qin, it's still a little hot, you can eat it later."

Qi Yi, who had been happily eating, suddenly found the beef jerky in his mouth no longer delicious.

Qin Guanlan was not a person who loved food, but he was also won over by the beef jerky and nodded with a smile, "It is indeed quite delicious."

*

After brushing several plates of beef jerky with sauce and baking them again in the oven, Xia Qing and Xia Xia also had a chance to try some beef jerky.

The spicy beef jerky has a rich and satisfying flavor. With each bite, you can taste the delicious combination of the freshness and firmness of the beef. As you enjoy it, the lingering spiciness and numbing sensation begin to spread on your tongue, stimulating your taste buds and making it impossible to stop eating it.

The honey-glazed beef jerky is sweet, but not cloyingly so. The saltiness of the beef itself and the sweetness of the honey are perfectly combined, and the tempting honey color is also enticing to the taste buds.

"Sister Chen, how can this spicy flavor be so delicious? It's both numbing and spicy, making you want to keep eating it." Xiao Qing said while chewing. She had clearly seen the other person's marinade before, which was nothing more than common salt, sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, five-spice cumin powder, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns, but the result was exceptionally delicious.

Shen Qingtang didn't keep them in suspense and explained, "Because the chili peppers I chose were Erjingtiao and Shizhuhong."

"Erjingtiao peppers have a moderate spiciness, a rich aroma with a hint of sweetness, and are suitable for enhancing flavor and color. Shizhu red peppers are medium to high in spiciness, with a bright red color that withstands cooking, and are very spicy."

"I specifically chose Sichuan peppercorns from Feng County, Shaanxi Province. They are also known as Feng peppercorns because they are famous for their large size, thick flesh, and ear-like shape. They have a unique numbing flavor and rich aroma, and are known as the 'King of Sichuan Peppercorns'. The Qing Dynasty's 'Feng County Annals' states that they are 'thick-fleshed with ear-like shapes, far superior to other products'."

Shen Qingtang speaks and acts calmly and unhurriedly, exuding a composed and serene aura. Listening to her speak is like hearing the tinkling sound of a mountain spring, a truly enjoyable experience, not to mention it broadens their horizons.

While waiting for the final product, Qi Yi suddenly spoke up solemnly: "Sister Chen, there's a huge problem with your beef jerky."

"What's the problem?" Shen Qingtang asked, puzzled.

Qi Yi clutched his chest and complained bitterly, "The biggest problem is that the amount of beef jerky we made is far too little; it's simply not enough to eat!"

Shen Qingtang: "...That should be quite a lot, right? It should weigh over thirty jin after roasting."

Although she prepared 50 kilograms of beef, it was inevitable that it would shrink during the roasting process.

Qin Guanlan suddenly nodded in agreement, saying, "It is indeed a bit too little. After deducting the portion sent over and the portion for our own consumption, we still have to send some out."

Although Grandma Qin suffers from arthritis due to her age, she is in better health than most elderly people, has excellent teeth, and this beef jerky is not as dry and hard as the ones on the market, so even elderly people can eat it slowly.

Su Rong and Qin Guanlan have similar tastes, so they naturally like this beef jerky and keep a few pounds for themselves.

Although Su Rong and Bai Rou, these two sisters-in-law, didn't get along, they still maintained a certain level of courtesy. The amount of the gift could be small, but they couldn't not send one at all.

After listening to Qin Guanlan's explanation, Shen Qingtang calculated that it was still not enough. She pursed her lips and compromised, "Then Xiaoqing, Xiaxia, and I will make more these next few days."

Qi Yi cheered, "That's really great!" The more he made, the more he could eat.

Three days later, Su Rong returned safely. After taking a bite of the beef jerky, she immediately praised it highly. She then promptly vacuum-packed a batch of the jerky she had made and mailed it to her daughter, urging her to finish her thesis as soon as possible and come home.

*

"Miss, would you like to try this beef jerky?" Sister Ying came over excitedly carrying a food box.

Grandma Qin pursed her lips listlessly and said, "You eat it yourself." She was long past the age of chasing after new snacks, and beef jerky always reminded her of a dry, hard texture like a rock. "By the way, has the braised eel been delivered today?"

Grandma Qin hadn't believed that a few medicinal dishes could alleviate her arthritis pain, but to her surprise, after eating braised eel that day, she didn't suffer excruciating pain for the first time. Instead, she slept soundly amidst the pattering rain. She hadn't slept so peacefully on a rainy day in a very long time, so much so that she was still somewhat reminiscing when she was woken up in the morning.

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Author's Note: I will find time to revise all the bug reports and inconsistencies pointed out by you lovely readers.