The second courtyard was rather quiet today.
Xu Mo's classmates from the Imperial Academy came to visit, so he did not eat dinner at home.
Zheng Ruqian took the Gao brothers to Henan County. It would be remarkable if they could return before the end of the year.
After all the calculations, it turned out that only the three younger siblings remained at home, while the older children were all busy with their own things.
Fortunately, Wang Xiaosong was there. He eloquently described what he had seen and done in the past six months, which amused everyone and filled the courtyard with harmony and warmth.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
The three kowtows were very proper and polite, no more and no less.
Just as a hint of wariness flickered in Chang Yan's eyes, Jiang Sheng excitedly dropped her chopsticks. "Is it the eldest brother who's back? Or maybe the second brother? And there's a very small chance it's the third brother."
Her index finger and thumb were close together, about the size of a soybean.
It's clear that the younger sister still misses her third brother, but everyone understands that Fang Heng can't possibly come back so soon.
"I'll go open the door." Aunt Zhang broke the somewhat somber atmosphere, quickly getting up and going to the courtyard gate.
Jiang San followed her at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Although Fengjing has good public security and they haven't offended any powerful figures, it's always good to be cautious.
Fortunately, the wooden door opened, revealing a round, large head with a friendly smile on its face. "Excuse me, is this Chaoji's house... no, Jiang Sheng's house?"
Zhang Xianglian paused for a moment before saying, "Yes, is there something you need from Xiao Jiangsheng?"
The head chef awkwardly rubbed his hands together, wondering how he could express himself in a way that wouldn't make him seem like he was there to take advantage of the situation.
Fortunately, Jiang Sheng couldn't contain her curiosity and followed. When she saw him, her eyes lit up. "Master, you really came?"
"Hey, hey, you're here." The head chef was finally relieved and pointed at Jiang Sheng, saying, "The young lady invited me to try the green bean stewed chicken, so I took the liberty of coming... I'm really sorry."
He untied the pastries from his waist and quickly handed them to Zhang Xianglian, saying, "It's just a small token of my appreciation."
It's clear that the head chef treats her like an elder to the children.
Zhang Xianglian was about to explain that she was not the children's elder, but a worker who had signed a contract with them, when her gaze froze when she saw the symbol on the pastry.
The square pastries were wrapped in brownish-yellow oil paper, and the folds were covered with diamond-shaped red paper. Finally, they were tied together with hemp rope to form a handle.
This was the most common way to pack pastries, but in order to deepen the memory of Jiuzhenfang among the people of Fengjing, Zheng Ruqian specially asked Xu Mo to write a free and flowing "nine" on red paper.
As a result, Xu Mo had no choice but to reduce his study time, and he even wrote the character "nine" so badly that he could hardly recognize it anymore.
Zhang Xianglian lowered her head and sniffed the aroma of the pastry, confirming that it was the hibiscus chestnut cake she had made.
Compared to the more expensive glutinous rice and jujube cake, the hibiscus chestnut cake is more affordable due to its common ingredients, making it a popular choice for visiting relatives and friends in Fengjing.
I didn't expect this person to be so good at managing their finances.
Zhang Xianglian herself is a frugal person, so she couldn't help but feel warm towards someone who is also frugal. "You're too kind. The stewed chicken with green beans is fresh out of the pot. Come and have a taste."
She walked ahead carrying the pastries, heading to the kitchen to get a set of bowls and chopsticks.
Jiang Sheng accompanied her from behind, smiling and saying, "Master Chef, you've come at just the right time. My aunt's stewed chicken just came out of the pot, and I've only had a taste."
She extended her index finger, looking both clever and adorable. It seemed like she was exaggerating her aunt's behavior, but she was actually explaining that everyone had already started eating.
I didn't expect the little girl to be so cunning.
The head chef smiled and followed him into the hall. As soon as he entered, he was attracted by the large pot of stewed chicken with green beans.
He took a deep breath and almost became intoxicated by it.
"Yes, yes, that's the taste. I've been to Jiangnan twice, and the stir-fried chicken there tastes just like this." The head chef's voice was a little hurried.
As soon as Zhang Xianglian brought the bowl and chopsticks over, he couldn't wait to pick up a chopstickful of green beans.
The dried green beans, soaked in broth, taste even better than the meat. Add a couple of bites of glass noodles and a piece of tender, perfectly cooked meat, and it's truly a heavenly delicacy.
The master chef swallowed it in one gulp and let out a satisfied sigh.
It's clear that this person truly loves to eat and knows how to enjoy food.
Zhang Xianglian chuckled and brought out another plate of pastries, which turned out to be the hibiscus chestnut cake brought by the head chef.
"Absolutely amazing, this dried green bean stew is so delicious!" The head chef was still praising the green bean stew with chicken.
Jiang Sheng rested her chin on her hand and said, "The head manager doesn't even care. I'll sell it to someone else tomorrow. A dried goods store has already asked me for it."
Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun, standing nearby, looked as if they had seen a ghost.
Damn it, who influenced my sister? This cute and adorable little girl has learned to lie.
He still lies without batting an eye.
The head chef, being an honest man, was genuinely startled and quickly swallowed the mouthful of meat. "Little Jiang Sheng, don't be in such a hurry. We'll take all of these dried green beans from You Ran Ju, we'll take them all."
“But…the head manager…” Jiang Sheng said, her voice filled with grievance.
The master chef waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, if he doesn't agree, I'll just quit."
The manager is the backbone of the restaurant, and the chef is its soul; it's hard to imagine the restaurant being without either of them.
The master chef's words proved his status at Youranju.
Jiang Sheng then revealed a sly smile and diligently served food to the head chef, saying, "Head chef, please eat more, don't be shy."
When she picked up the chestnut cake, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Auntie, are there any leftover cakes today?"
Ever since Jiuzhenfang's business improved, the children in the courtyard have stopped finding leftover pastries to eat. It was rare for them to have some today, so she happily picked up a piece for the head chef and proudly said, "Head chef, please try this. It's a pastry made by my aunt. It's delicious."
The chef's mind went blank for a moment.
Fortunately, not many of the people working at the restaurant were fools. He quickly came to his senses, glanced at Aunt Zhang in shock, then at Jiang Sheng, "Jiuzhenfang and you..."
“That’s my second brother’s shop, specializing in all kinds of pastries.” Jiang Sheng grinned. “All the pastries there are made by my aunt, and they taste amazing.”
She gestured exaggeratedly, her round little face full of pride.
The head chef was surprised to find that the pastries he had bought were delivered to the customer's door. He blushed with embarrassment and, not being very good with words, could only eat the hibiscus chestnut cake in silence.
As he ate, his eyes brightened.
This hibiscus chestnut cake melts in your mouth, with a light and not cloying sweetness, and you can even chew on crunchy walnuts in the middle. It's just as good as the pastries from Youranju.
It's delicious, really delicious.
However, the most urgent and important thing right now is to dry the green beans.
After finishing the meal, the head chef solemnly said, "Little Jiang Sheng, could you give me some dried green beans? Just a little bit will do."
Without hesitation, Jiang Sheng swiftly retrieved half a pound of dried green beans, wrapped them in oil paper, and handed them over.
The head chef tucked the chicken bones into his pocket, glanced at Zhang Xianglian, then looked longingly at the remaining chicken bones on the table before gritting his teeth and leaving.
He didn't look like he was going back to You Ran Ju to cook; he looked more like he was going to the battlefield to sacrifice himself for righteousness.
Jiang Sheng was still completely confused.
Chang Yan, standing to the side, remarked knowingly, "It seems these dried green beans will still have to be sold to Youranju."
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