Chapter 99 Encountering an Old Friend at the Restaurant
Min Qiaoshi didn't pay much attention to what was happening in the capital; her mind was entirely focused on her own itinerary.
As the merchant ship sailed into Suzhou Port, Min Qiao suddenly felt a sense of trepidation, as if she were returning home.
This is the last stop on the entire journey.
The next stop is the highlight of this trip: Hangzhou.
The Qiao family, the maternal home of Min Qiao, was located here.
Three days later, Madam Min and her entourage arrived at their destination and checked into the largest inn in Hangzhou.
"Madam, please make do with your stay at the inn for a few days. I will take some people to prepare your dowry house in the city."
As a woman from Hangzhou who was married off, even though she married far away, the Qiao family still included a luxurious mansion in Hangzhou in her dowry.
The idea was that if Madam Min Qiao returned occasionally every three to five years, she would have a place to stay.
Who would have thought that Madam Min would be gone for over thirty years without ever returning? I wonder if that house is still habitable.
Upon hearing Yang An's words, Madam Min Qiao couldn't help but show a bitter expression.
When her ship docked in Suzhou, word was spread that she had returned.
They were delayed for half a day when they unloaded the cargo at the Hangzhou dock.
However, not a single member of the Qiao family appeared until she settled down at the inn!
It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed.
Although she had expected the Qiao family to treat her this way, she was still human and found it hard to accept when she actually experienced it.
"Go ahead. While you're at it, have someone find out about the Qiao family's whereabouts over the years."
She hadn't been in contact with the Qiao family for many years and didn't know what their current situation was.
Yang An left the inn with his men, and Granny Fang went with them. She said she was worried that Madam Min Qiao might not be comfortable and wanted to personally oversee the cleaning of the house. Ayi and Ashuang also went to help. Several servants from the Marquis's residence also accompanied them.
After the twenty-odd bodyguards who accompanied them helped deliver the ship's cargo to the inn, their escort mission was considered complete.
Madam Min paid the fee readily and gave each person an extra ten taels of silver as a reward before dismissing the group.
The only people remaining in the inn now are a few servants who watch over things, and three maids, Asi, Aqi, and Ajiu, who take care of Min Qiaoshi.
After settling in at the inn and having a simple meal, it was already late afternoon.
After Yang An and Granny Fang left with their men, Madam Min Qiao took a nap. When she opened her eyes again, it was already evening.
After taking a nap, Madam Min felt better, so she took Ajiu and the others out of the inn, intending to go to the biggest restaurant on the next street to eat authentic Hangzhou cuisine.
Although one of the four cooks at Songhetang specializes in Hangzhou cuisine and the food is quite delicious, it always feels like something is missing; it's never quite the taste she remembers.
Madam Min, along with Ah Jiu and four guards, a group of eight people, traveled lightly to the Hongsheng Restaurant on the next street.
Upon reaching the entrance, the waiter greeted her with a smile, "Madam, please come in. I'm sorry, it's lunchtime now, and the private rooms are all full. Would you mind if we arranged a table in the main hall for you?"
Madam Min frowned slightly, and upon smelling the familiar aroma of food in the restaurant, she immediately nodded, "Alright, arrange two tables for me, in quieter spots."
"Alright! Please come this way."
The waiter enthusiastically led Min Qiaoshi and her entourage to the corner tower on the left side of the restaurant, facing the street and near the window. There were two square tables, just enough for Min Qiaoshi and her group of eight to sit down.
Madam Min Qiao sat at one table with Ajiu and two others, while the remaining four servants sat at another table.
Originally, the waiter was a little worried that Min Qiaoshi would be difficult to serve.
Min Qiaoshi was clearly the mistress; the rest of the women were either maids or servants.
Who knew that Madam Min was so easy to talk to.
There were no private rooms, but the main hall would do. He was even sitting at the same table with several maids. Clearly, he was a very amiable person.
Upon hearing that Ms. Min and her entourage spoke with accents from out of town, the waiter began to enthusiastically introduce the restaurant's signature dishes.
However, before he could introduce even a few dishes, Madam Min interrupted him with a smile and quickly rattled off the names of more than a dozen dishes. Some were the restaurant's signature dishes, while others were not, but they were still essential skills for chefs in Hangzhou restaurants.
"Madam, you're a true connoisseur! You've ordered all local specialties; you know how to eat better than many locals!"
The waiter offered a few compliments, received a silver coin as a reward, and quickly went to the kitchen.
Hongsheng Restaurant truly lived up to its reputation as the premier restaurant in Hangzhou; within half an hour, all the dishes ordered by Madam Min Qiao were served.
The same dishes were ordered twice by Madam Min Qiao, one for their table and one for the servants' table. The servants were overjoyed. Ah Jiu and the others, however, were used to it.
When Madam Min tasted the flavor she remembered, she was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn't help but recall some of her past experiences before her marriage.
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard a loud commotion coming from the doorway.
"Oh, isn't this the third master of the Qiao family? Why aren't you coming in for dinner?"
"Are you taking this to go? What? Is it something you're ashamed to do? Why do you have to hide at home to eat?"
"Huh? Did I just hear that right? How come the dignified Third Master of the Qiao family only ordered one dish?"
"Oh dear, do you think the Qiao family is still the same Qiao family as before? It's already a miracle that they can still afford a dish at Hongsheng Restaurant!"
"Tsk tsk, if you ask me, instead of buying one signature dish at Hongsheng Restaurant, you might as well go to a smaller restaurant where you can buy several signature dishes."
"Hahaha, you don't understand, do you? What Master Qiao wants is the reputation of Hongsheng Restaurant! Is he buying it to entertain distinguished guests?"
"Come, come, Master Qiao, call me Uncle Cui and I'll give you two extra dishes!"
...
Madam Min listened for a long time, but never heard "Third Master Qiao" respond.
In her memory, there was no such person as Third Master Qiao in the Qiao family.
Then a strange, aged voice, suppressing its anger, shouted in a deep voice, "Cui Hao, don't go too far! No matter what, I'm still your elder!"
"Oh, elder! My great-aunt has been dead for so many years! Don't you know what's going on with your Qiao family now? How dare you talk to your elders like that in front of me? Bah!"
The young man named Cui Hao spoke with sarcasm and disdain.
"Beat him! Beat this old bastard to death for daring to impersonate an elder of the Cui family!"
Seeing that Cui Hao's lackeys were about to go up and beat someone up, Madam Min Qiao could no longer sit still. She stood up and shouted towards the door, "Stop!"
Although she couldn't recognize the voice of "Third Master Qiao," she had already guessed who it was from their conversation.
Her surname is Qiao, and she has a family history of marriage ties with the Cui family. She must be from the Qiao family!
The third in the Qiao family must be her illegitimate third brother.
When she got married, Qiao Sanlang was only eight years old, and now he's only in his forties. But to Madam Min Qiao, his voice sounded several years older than hers.
Hearing Min Qiao's sudden rebuke, everyone looked at her.
Seeing that Madam Min had put down her chopsticks, Ajiu and the other two quickly put down their chopsticks as well and went to protect Madam Min.
The four servants quickly stood up and stood guard beside Madam Min.
Everyone was taken aback by Min Qiao's posture.
"Who is this person? What a grand entrance!"
"Whose old lady is this? How dare she meddle in the Qiao family's affairs?"
"The Cui family has members serving as officials in the imperial court, while the Qiao family is just a down-on-their-luck merchant family. How could anyone dare to risk offending the Cui family and stand up for the Qiao family? Are they out of their minds?"
"Oh dear, you can tell from their accent they're from out of town! They don't know the situation and are just meddling!"
...
Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Madam Min Qiao had already led her entourage to the door.
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