Chapter 26 Grandma supports you
"Luo Kui, what do you think of Fengchunlou's signature dishes?" Xiao Jiuyue asked instead of answering.
"Delicious." Luo Kui licked his lips and said, "Miss, these three-cup chicken and steamed pork with rice flour are worthy of being our signature dishes. They taste really good, especially the chicken!"
The young lady didn't have a big appetite, and Luo Kui ate half of the dish by herself.
"If that's the case, then what are you worried about?" Xiao Jiuyue curled her lips slightly. Luo Kui is a real foodie and is very picky about food. If it can please her, it proves that Fengchunlou's signature dish is completely fine.
As for Fengchunlou’s appetizers, it is definitely amazing that they can still preserve cucumbers in late autumn. They may not be crisp enough, but they are not too outstanding either.
"But Miss..." Luo Kui started to speak, then paused and said, "Do we really want to do business with them?"
"Scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, merchants are the most..." Luo Kui hadn't finished her words when Lian Xin pulled her sleeve. Luo Kui muttered softly, "I'm right. Merchants have always had the lowest status. Take Aunt Lan, for example. She was the legitimate daughter of a wealthy businessman in Yizhou, but she still married the Second Master as a concubine."
Luo Kui's voice became smaller and smaller, and finally, her head almost dropped to her chest.
"Luo Kui, you are right. Merchants have a low status. Even if the situation in Nanyue has improved, they still cannot serve as officials in the court." After Xiao Jiuyue arrived in Nanyue, he learned a lot in his spare time.
Xiao Jiuyue looked at her and replied, "Who told you I was going to be out in the world doing business? If you didn't tell me and I didn't tell you, who would have known that we were the ones supplying appetizers to the restaurant?"
"Oh, that's right." Luo Kui nodded in agreement.
Xiao Jiuyue looked at her silly look and reminded her, "You can say this in front of me, but don't mention it in front of Aunt Lan."
"I see." Luo Kui looked like she knew she was wrong. Then, she smiled and said, "Miss, I just mentioned it to you. I don't mean any other than worrying about you."
"Those who receive salary should not compete with the common people for profit, but if you look around, in the whole Shengjing, which family does not have shops, farms and real estate?" Xiao Jiuyue knew very well that if he could not convince the two maids around him, how could he convince the Xiao family?
"Miss, you're right." Luo Kui agreed.
"If I don't find a way to make money, I won't be able to fill my stomach even if I starve every day to death for food and clothing at home." Xiao Jiuyue has made up her mind. Food is the most important thing for people, so she should start by making what she is best at!
"Young lady, you have worked so hard for the Xiao family." Luo Kui thought, if it were her, after her family had gone through such a big change, she probably wouldn't even want to leave the house, let alone run around for the Xiao family like the young lady did.
"Manager Jin, go buy some groceries." Xiao Jiuyue said.
Manager Jin's carriage immediately turned to Wa City.
Xiao Jiuyue asked people to buy pig's trotters, pig ears, pig's stomach, pork and pig bones. She had been recuperating for such a long time since returning to the old house. The Xiao family members were not in good condition and needed to be well nourished.
When picking cabbages, Xiao Jiuyue visited several houses and picked out a few of the best yellow sprouts to take home.
The carriage wobbled back to Fu'an Village. Gazing from afar, she saw a lush bamboo forest to the left of the Xiao family's old house. An idea struck her, and she asked, "Manager Jin, do you know if there are any bamboo shoots in this forest?"
"Yes," said Manager Jin. "I've seen people in Fu'an Village carrying hoes and looking up to dig."
"Send someone to check tomorrow to see if there are any small silverfish for sale in the market." Xiao Jiuyue thought of a dish, silverfish and winter bamboo shoots. Cut the winter bamboo shoots into shreds and cook them together with the silverfish, add large bones and simmer in the stove for a few hours. The taste is so delicious that it will make your tongue fall off!
"Yes." Manager Jin responded.
As soon as he got off the carriage, Xiao Jiuyue saw the beautiful woman waiting in the yard.
"Yu'er, you're finally back." The beautiful mother breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Xiao Jiuyue coming back.
"Mom, it's so windy outside, why don't you wait inside?" Xiao Jiuyue held his beautiful mother's hand, which was ice-cold.
"It's okay, there's still sunshine." The beautiful woman saw the things she brought back from outside and said, "Yuer, why did you even buy pig ears?"
"This is good stuff." Xiao Jiuyue smiled and went straight into the kitchen with the things. She took a look at the spices in the kitchen, mixed them with the spices she bought in Wa City, and started to work.
"Miss, let's do it?" Mrs. Geng in the kitchen spoke quickly. How could she let the young lady do it herself?
"Mother Geng, I learned a few dishes from a book, and it's a good opportunity for me to try them today." Xiao Jiuyue explained that tomorrow's appetizers must be outstanding, otherwise, the cooperation with Zeng Qing would definitely not continue.
On the way home, she had already thought of a dish of braised pig's trotters, a dish of spicy cold pig's ears, a dish of boiled cabbage, and a dish of spicy drunkard peanuts.
"Miss, you tell me how to do it. Let me do it." Mrs. Geng's words also reflected the thoughts of everyone in the kitchen.
"Mother Geng, I also want an old hen and an old duck." Xiao Jiuyue instructed, "Blanch the spareribs and stew them with the winter bamboo shoots later."
After Manager Jin came back, he immediately went to the villagers to buy winter bamboo shoots.
After Xiao Jiuyue gave the order, Mrs. Geng and others in the kitchen immediately went to work. No one bothered Xiao Jiuyue anymore. She wanted to prepare a pot of braising liquid soup.
After trying the cold-boiled pig ears at Fengchunlou today, she knew that the braised pig ears she made were definitely not worse than those in the restaurant.
People in Hongdu like spicy food, so Xiao Jiuyue decided to make spicy braised pig ears.
When Mrs. Geng and others returned with the processed old hens and ducks, the kitchen was filled with fragrance. Everyone looked at the pot of fragrant soup and praised Xiao Jiuyue for not only her talent but also for the excellent dishes in the kitchen.
Old Madam Xiao had been looking forward to dinner for a long time. She heard that her granddaughter had already cooked!
Xiao Jiuyue didn't cook often before, at most she would just make some snacks, but today, I heard that she made a pot of braising liquid, and the aroma even drifted to the main courtyard.
"Grandma, it's time for dinner!" Xiao Jiuyue stepped into the main courtyard and saw Old Madam Xiao's expectant look. She said, "Grandma, this pork ribs and winter bamboo shoot soup is especially delicious. Come and try it."
Old Madam Xiao looked at the soup and asked, "Yuer, didn't you say you made a pot of braising liquid?" This clear soup has nothing to do with braising liquid.
Mother Jiang served her a bowl of soup. Mrs. Xiao tasted it and found the fresh and sweet winter bamboo shoots tasted really good.
"Grandma." Xiao Jiuyue chuckled and said, "We don't have enough time today, so we can't eat the braised pig's trotters yet. Tomorrow, you can try them."
"Okay." Old Madam Xiao didn't ask any more questions. She looked around and saw that today's dishes were light. For example, the pork was stewed until it was soft and tender, so even an old woman like her could chew it. The most important thing was that it was fat but not greasy.
After dinner, Xiao Jiuyue accompanied Old Madam Xiao for a walk in the courtyard. She directly told Old Madam Xiao about her plan to cooperate with the restaurant. Old Madam Xiao paused and said, "Yue'er, do whatever you want to do. Grandma supports you."
"Grandma, you don't object? Don't you think doing business is shameful?" Xiao Jiuyue had a lot of words to say, but they were completely useless at this moment. Even the maid Luo Kui felt that it was inappropriate, but her grandmother supported her?
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