Chapter 40 [V] [Newbie Quest Completed √]...
The county government office was not a private residence; it had a dedicated hall for receiving guests and holding banquets. Because the county government office was poorly furnished, the banquet was held in the main hall.
Furthermore, the men and women were not seated completely separately, but rather separated by a curtain, with each sitting on one side.
There are ten tables in total, five on each side.
When Li Yan came over, the curtain separating them was rolled up.
If we assume ten people per table, ten tables would hold a hundred people. Moreover, a quick glance reveals that the seating is clearly very cramped; there are more than ten people at each table. Therefore, the room is crammed with far more than a hundred people.
Anyone who has ever hosted a banquet knows that when the host calculates the number of guests, they usually only make an estimate and cannot calculate it very precisely. This is because, after sending invitations to each household, some families might send three guests, some might only send one, and some might not be able to attend due to other commitments, but could send a monetary gift.
However, in general, the host will take this into account and then add one or two extra tables.
The other one or two tables are for backup, in case more people come, we can use the backup tables.
But clearly, the Hong family hadn't prepared any spare tables. Presumably, they had planned from the start that if there were many guests, they could squeeze in. From this, Li Yan once again realized that the magistrate's family was indeed very frugal.
However, none of this had much to do with Li Yan. But as soon as she walked in and saw these things, she couldn't help but think about them in her mind.
"This is today's cook! She looks so young!"
"Yes, yes, how come it's a woman? I thought it would be a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties. At the very least, a middle-aged woman. It's actually a young lady."
"He looks like he's only twenty, but his cooking skills are so good."
Before Madam Hong could speak, the guests began to murmur amongst themselves.
Madam Hong walked over from the main table, stood next to Li Yan, and mentioned to everyone: "Today's braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, and grilled fish—all three dishes were made by Madam Li. In addition, the novel milk tea and the desserts we had after the meal were also made by Madam Li."
After Madam Hong finished her introduction, Li Yan immediately knelt down to pay her respects: "Greetings to all the gentlemen and ladies."
After squatting down, he glanced into the crowd and spotted Li Jiaojiao.
Li Yan never expected to see Li Jiaojiao here today.
Then she thought about it again. Now that she was a scholar's wife, it was normal for her to come with Han Yue.
Sure enough, a quick glance at the male customers revealed Han Yue's figure in the crowd.
Seeing that the couple were also looking at her, Li Yan glanced at them once and then naturally looked away.
Madam Hong was quite satisfied with everything Li Yan had done that day, so since Li Yan's only wish was for an opportunity to shine, she would certainly grant her wish. That's why she sent Qiu Hong to call her over so that she could make an appearance in front of the guests.
In this way, she could be considered to have repaid the favor. As for whether the other party would employ her in the future, that was none of her business.
Madam Hong had also invited a troupe of opera performers, and the opera singers would be coming over soon after the banquet was over. Therefore, Li Yanzhen only made a brief appearance before leaving the hall.
But as soon as he stepped out the door, he heard someone behind him call him "Second Mother".
Looking back, it was indeed Li Jiaojiao.
Today, Li Jiaojiao had clearly dressed up specially. She was wearing fine silk and satin, obviously made of the best materials. Her face was powdered, her eyebrows were carefully drawn, and she had lip rouge on her lips.
It was obvious that she had dressed up carefully.
But for some reason, Li Yan always felt that her current carefully made-up appearance was not as beautiful as when she first met Li Yan without makeup.
Her face was still the same, but something felt different. She was still undeniably beautiful, but she wasn't as stunning as when I first saw her.
However, Li Jiaojiao and Li Yan had completely opposite thoughts at this moment.
Li Yan felt that Li Jiaojiao's appearance was not as outstanding as before, while Li Jiaojiao felt that Li Yan seemed to be getting more and more beautiful.
Is the person in front of her now the same burly stepsister she was a few months ago?
These are completely different people.
No woman is indifferent to her appearance, especially a woman she doesn't get along with.
Even though Li Jiaojiao was trying her best to control her emotions, and even though her status as a cook was far inferior to that of a scholar's wife... she still couldn't remain completely calm when she saw this face.
So, unsurprisingly, Li Yan gained more beauty points.
The blurred electronic screen showed that Li Yan had already earned half of her beauty points.
Li Yan was in a great mood.
"Sister, what brings you here?" Because she was in a good mood, she couldn't help but smile. Therefore, she treated Li Jiaojiao very well.
But the more she acted this way, the stranger it seemed to Li Jiaojiao.
As sisters, and even more so as her stepfather's biological daughter, how could she not feel a trace of resentment when she sat at the table as a guest of the magistrate's mansion while she stood there as just a cook?
The two sisters now have vastly different social statuses, so why isn't she jealous of herself?
Did she really think that just because she set up a stall and made some money, she was now on equal footing with me?
Because she was puzzled, Li Jiaojiao unconsciously frowned slightly.
"Weren't you setting up your stall? How come you're cooking here at the magistrate's place again?" Actually, she wanted to ask how she had managed to establish a connection with the magistrate's family. Li Jiaojiao was quite curious about how she had managed to cultivate such a relationship with the magistrate's family.
Even if she was just a cook in the county magistrate's household, this additional connection naturally made her status different.
Li Jiaojiao didn't know what was wrong with her; she was now terrified of her stepsister. She felt that her stepsister was quite capable now, and she was afraid that she might scheme against her behind her back someday.
After all, she felt somewhat guilty when she brought up the past.
After all, she was the eldest daughter of the Li family, and it was after she arrived that she took the place of the eldest daughter. Only then did her life plummet.
She was afraid that her friend might secretly hate her and then try her best to trip her up.
Li Yan naturally wouldn't tell her every detail of her life, but she wouldn't hide anything from her either.
"When it comes to making money, having more options is always better."
Li Jiaojiao felt fear and guilt towards her, and actually harbored some resentment as well.
She felt that her stepmother was too heartless, and it was precisely because of this that her mother had suffered so much.
Although her mother was indeed at fault, as a junior, she couldn't truly drive her to the brink of death.
Because of this dissatisfaction and resentment in her heart, Li Jiaojiao subconsciously started to show off in front of her: "I didn't want to come at first, after all, there are a lot of people, and I don't know those ladies, so I was afraid of feeling awkward. It was your brother-in-law who said that there would be more and more social events like this in the future, and I would have to get used to it sooner or later, so he insisted that I come."
Li Yan knew what she was planning, but she didn't care. She was even willing to flatter her and say a few words of praise, saying, "Sister is now a scholar's wife, so her status is naturally different from that of a merchant's daughter. Brother-in-law is right. He is a scholar now, and he will become a provincial graduate and then a metropolitan graduate. There will be many such occasions in the future, and I will need sister's help to manage the inner quarters and maintain good relationships with the ladies."
Li Jiaojiao didn't want this kind of reaction; she wanted her to be jealous of her current status. But to her surprise, she didn't see a trace of jealousy on her face; instead, she was... quite frank.
Li Jiaojiao stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say next.
Seeing her like this, Li Yan's smile deepened. Not wanting to linger any longer, she simply said goodbye, "I have things to attend to at home, so I won't chat with you any longer today. Let's catch up another day when we're free." With that, Li Yan turned and left gracefully and calmly.
Li Jiaojiao was left standing there in a daze, unable to recover for a long time.
After a while, Han Yue came over and put his hand on his wife's shoulder.
Let's go.
Li Jiaojiao was startled, but calmed down after realizing it was her husband.
When he saw his wife come out, Han Yue quietly followed her out. Therefore, he witnessed the scene of the two sisters, Li Jiaojiao and Li Jiao, vying for power.
Han Yue naturally observed the contest between the two sisters and who came out on top.
In terms of composure, the wife was no match for that stepmother.
.
Because of the delay caused by this matter, Li Yan didn't have time to get any sleep when she got home.
So, after resting for only a short while, she hurried back into the kitchen to prepare today's braised pork.
I was busy from the moment I got up early, and I didn't even have time to eat much. In the dead of winter, I was so busy that my face was covered in sweat, and the loose strands of hair on my temples were soaked with sweat and then clumped up, hanging down in wisps.
His face also showed signs of fatigue.
Seeing all this, Aunt Xue felt extremely distressed.
She would often advise her not to work so hard, that earning enough money to get by was enough, and not to exhaust herself. But she wouldn't listen.
Not only did he not listen, but he was also full of enthusiasm. In his spare time, he would also pull her aside to chat and talk about her business plans.
She said she wanted to earn a lot of money so she could buy a big house someday. She also said that once she had enough money, she would hire a few servants so that her family could enjoy being waited on.
Her idea was good, but Aunt Xue always felt reluctant to part with it.
She's a young woman, always busy and working outside. She has indeed made money, but one can't only look at money.
Sometimes, Aunt Xue felt guilty. She was in the prime of her life, not ugly, and hardworking and capable... She couldn't really be trapped in the Xue family forever. She was so young; was she really going to remain unmarried for the rest of her life, wasting her time here?
Although she married Erlang, it was ultimately a marriage to bring him good luck. She never even saw Erlang's face, let alone consummated the marriage.
Nowadays, more and more people are coming to propose marriage. As her mother-in-law, if she truly cares for her, she shouldn't keep her in the house indefinitely.
But Aunt Xue also had her own selfish motives. She was afraid that once she left, the good life her family was living would be gone forever.
She can endure hardship; she's endured hardship her whole life. What's a few more years of hardship if she's afraid? It's just that... Xu-ge'er has only just started school. If he can't pay his tuition, he won't be able to continue his studies.
Lost in thought, Aunt Xue sat under the stove, momentarily forgetting to add more firewood.
Seeing that the fire wasn't hot enough, Li Yan quickly reminded her, "Mother, we need to add more firewood. Mother?"
Aunt Xue then came to her senses and realized that she had been so distracted that she had forgotten the work she was doing. She immediately stopped thinking about those things and quickly got back to work seriously.
Until the braised pork was completely finished, Aunt Xue dared not be distracted.
Li Yan had been putting all her effort into doing her job well until the people from Yuanbaolou came and took the meat away. Only then did Li Yan breathe a sigh of relief, as her work for the day was finally completed.
Now that the weather is getting colder, the stall, which used to be set up only at dinner time, will now be set up earlier.
Especially today, because Li Yan had prepared the milk tea drinks early in the morning, Aunt Xue quickly pushed her cart to set up her stall after lunch.
They already had a stable customer base, and now, with the weather getting colder, the drink business is even better. So now, as long as you can endure the hard work, you don't have to worry about selling your drinks.
A cart full of milk tea drinks was sold out in less than an hour after it was pushed onto the stall.
After selling all the drinks, Aunt Xue hurried home with her cart. But she discovered that even though she was home, her daughter-in-law hadn't returned yet.
However, she didn't just sit idle. Whenever she had a spare moment, she would pick up her needle and thread and start doing sewing and mending.
The weather is getting colder these days, and after mid-November, it will be the coldest time of the year. At that time, this warm quilt stuffed with down will come in handy.
The thought that her family could now enjoy a winter with plenty of food and drink and not have to suffer from the cold filled Aunt Xue with enthusiasm.
Aunt Xue wasn't too tired at the moment, only her back was a little sore. Li Yan, on the other hand, was too exhausted to stand up and could only go to her room to lie down on the bed and rest.
Seeing her daughter-in-law so exhausted, Aunt Xue felt a pang of heartache.
At the same time, the mechanical voice rang in Li Yan's mind again.
[Target's favorability increased by 10. Congratulations, host, you have completed the beginner's quest and are entitled to a gift pack.]
Upon hearing this sound, Li Yan, no matter how tired she was, immediately sat up with a jolt.
Oh right, when Aunt Xue's favorability towards her reaches 100, she will have completed the beginner's task and will receive a beginner's gift.
[What kind of big gift package?] Li Yan asked the system in her mind.
But the mechanical voice in her mind remained silent for a long time. After a while, still waiting for a response, Li Yan grew anxious: [Could it be trying to renege on the debt?]
"Of course not." The system's mechanical voice sounded again. "I was just doing calculations, sorry to have kept you waiting."
Li Yan didn't know this involved calculations, but she was too lazy to ask further; she only cared about the result: "So, is the result out yet?"
[It's out.] The mechanical voice continued, [A range of gift packages are provided for the host to choose from. There are two choices: one is career, and the other is... relationships.]
Li Yan thought to herself, "She still has feelings? Her husband is dead, she's just a widow, what feelings could she possibly have?"
Of course, I'd choose a career.
Therefore, Li Yan chose without hesitation: [Career.]
System: [Host confirms?]
Li Yan felt there was no reason to hesitate: [Confirm.]
Then, many characters she couldn't understand flashed across the blurred screen. Finally, presumably after calculating the result, a line of text she could understand appeared.
At the same time, the system's voice sounded again: [Having chosen a career... the host can select one of the following options.]
Li Yan glanced at the menu and saw the option for hot pot base, so she chose it without hesitation.
There are many kinds of hot pot bases. They come in all sorts of flavors, but Li Yan can only choose one.
Li Yan couldn't help but complain that she was "stingy," but she didn't dare to delay any longer and immediately began to make her selections carefully.
She felt that tomato hot pot and mushroom hot pot were very simple. The truly complex and delicious ones were the spicy and numbing Sichuan-style hot pot.
So, after choosing the Sichuan-style spicy hot pot base, she quickly grabbed paper and pen to write down the recipe.
Whether we need it now or not, we'll definitely need it in the future.
Li Yan's room door was ajar, so the light from inside naturally shone through. Aunt Xue, who was doing needlework in the main room, saw the light coming from inside and, out of curiosity, put down her work to come and find her.
Sure enough, his daughter-in-law did not rest, but was hunched over the table by the window, seemingly engrossed in writing something.
Afraid that she might be too tired, she hesitated for a moment, but still raised her hand and knocked on the door: "Yan Niang, are you still not asleep?"
Li Yan had just memorized the last ingredient in the recipe, then looked towards the door and smiled, "Mother." She stood up and greeted her at the door, "What is it?"
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Aunt Xue asked with concern.
Li Yan said, "I was already asleep when I suddenly remembered a recipe for a dish. I was afraid I would forget it tomorrow, so I quickly wrote it down."
Aunt Xue sighed, "You've been busy from morning till night today, you must be exhausted. Get some rest, don't overwork yourself."
Knowing that she genuinely cared about her, Li Yan naturally agreed.
The next morning, Li Yan had just finished breakfast and was practicing Baduanjin in the yard when she heard Aunt Hua's loud voice from next door: "Li family lady? You're looking for Li family lady? This is the house on the right of mine. Come on, I'll take you there."
Before Li Yan could even think about who was looking for her, she heard a knock on the door, followed by Aunt Hua's voice from outside.
"Yan Niang... Yan Niang? Are you home?"
Without thinking twice, Li Yan immediately replied, "Auntie, I'm home." Then, she quickly went to open the door.
Outside the door, besides Aunt Hua from next door, stood a handsome young man.
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Author's note: Updates will continue~
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