Chapter 698: Hot Cake
Zhao Qiaoqiao said, "I heard that leeks also came from Liuhe Village. They were first discovered as a food by the princess."
Zhao Qiaoqiao's mother said, "The princess is really amazing!"
Now when anyone mentions the princess, they all think she is so amazing.
Ordinary people sometimes even think that the princess is the Queen Mother of the West who has descended to earth.
"I happen to be making pies for lunch, stuffed with chives and eggs."
The pie shop is doing good business, and Zhao Qiaoqiao's elder brother and sister-in-law are both helping out in the shop.
"Are my brother and sister-in-law back?"
"It's so busy at noon, they're in the store."
"And Doudou, he has classes during the day and won't be back until the evening!"
Doudou is the son of Zhao Qiaoqiao's elder brother and sister-in-law, and he is six years old this year.
The Zhao family had never dared to think about sending Doudou to school before.
Moreover, the good private schools in the capital are attended by the children of high-ranking officials and nobles.
Of course, some noble families with better conditions would invite the teacher to teach them in their homes alone.
The Zhao family's pie shop business was very good and they made a lot of money, so they dared to send Doudou to school.
Moreover, the paper needed for reading is much cheaper nowadays and costs much less.
They don't know much about studying and don't know how to arrange it.
Although the Zhao family opened a pie shop in the capital, they did not know any high-ranking officials in the capital.
In the early years when the late emperor was alive, they maintained a small business.
It was only after the new emperor ascended the throne and put the capital in order that ordinary people like them could do business.
Business really started to pick up last year. At that time, Lin Chi often came to the Zhao family to deliver goods and would also protect the Zhao family. As time went by, many people thought that Zhao's pies were delicious. Hearing that Lin Chi often ate them, more people came to the pie shop to buy and eat pies.
Everyone thought the pies were really delicious, and business gradually picked up.
The Zhao family was grateful to Lin Chi from the bottom of their hearts.
Therefore, Zhao's father and mother often told Zhao Qiaoqiao to be nicer to Lin Chi and be virtuous.
Moreover, Zhao's father and mother felt that Lin Chi's parents were really kind.
Zhao Qiaoqiao said, "Dad and Mom, if you are too busy, why not hire someone to help."
In the past, their shop was run by the whole family, and they could handle it even if they were too busy, and sometimes they would have more free time.
Only when business is good do we get busy again.
But it has always been the family that is busy, and we have never thought about hiring anyone.
But as business is getting better and better, I am a little too busy to handle it.
She heard from her parents that they were sometimes busy preparing noodles and dishes for the next day, and sometimes they had to work until very late.
And I have to get up early in the morning to work on the store.
Father Zhao said, "Your eldest brother and sister-in-law are a little hesitant about hiring someone, so they think they can handle it as long as they can."
"We also went through the hard times of setting up stalls in the beginning, so they think it's not that hard now. At least we have a store and we don't have to be exposed to the wind and sun, which is good enough."
The Zhao family all came from that time, so they are not afraid of hard work.
They don't think there's anything wrong with being busy. On the contrary, when they are busy, they feel at ease and think that business is good and they can make money.
It can be considered that I have established myself in the capital.
"Your elder brother and sister-in-law are also grateful to you and Lin Chi."
Zhao Qiaoqiao said: "I didn't do anything, it was all Lin Chi's thoughtful thought."
Mother Zhao said, "That's right. If Lin Chi hadn't helped us find such a good private school, how would we know that there was such a good private school with such a good teacher, who was well-educated and treated all students equally."
"Besides, Doudou's classmates are all good, and Doudou is willing to study."
When they first thought about sending Doudou to school, they also asked a lot of questions and learned that some teachers were not very knowledgeable but liked to teach students.
Some teachers only pay attention to students with a good family background, and sometimes classmates in private schools even bully some of their classmates.
They were very worried.
Now it is the private school that Lin Chi helped to find, and that private school is really good.
In this way, they can rest assured that Doudou is studying.
They also don't think that Doudou must pass the imperial examination.
Now I feel that reading can help me understand a lot of things, at least I can do the household accounts clearly.
They also didn't want to put pressure on their children, and they thought that even if they stopped studying in the future, it would be fine if they came back and continued to run the pie shop.
Anyway, their Zhaoji Pie Shop has become famous now.
Many people come to buy pies.
Their pies are cheap, four cents for vegetarian ones and six cents for meat ones.
This is a very cheap price in Beijing.
And they make pies with thin crust and big fillings.
Mother Zhao said, "Well, it's all thanks to Lin Chi's help in coming up with an idea. Our pie shop offers free soup, and more and more people are coming to eat pies. Even if they buy to go, they can drink water for free in the shop. In fact, it's this point that has attracted more people to eat and buy pies in our shop."
They never thought that just providing water could make business so much better. It was incredible.
But if you think about it carefully, many people work outside and are busy all day without even being able to drink a sip of hot water.
Sometimes I just bring dry food and drink cold water.
Drinking cold water can cause stomach pain.
The water they provide is free and it doesn't cost them anything.
There is well water in their small courtyard, so they just need to draw water and boil some soup.
Zhao Qiaoqiao said, "We may not understand many things, but Lin Chi used to help the princess with some work, so he knows a lot."
"He said that when he was working outside, he just wanted to drink some hot water. That's why many people ordered a bowl of noodles or wontons just to drink some steaming hot water."
"But if we eat noodles here, it will cost at least sixteen cents, which is not worth it."
"Everyone thinks it's a good deal to eat a vegetarian pie and drink some seaweed dumpling soup."
Father Zhao nodded and said, "That's exactly the truth."
If they think about it carefully, they will understand why they want to drink some soup when they go out. It is because they feel that hot water makes them feel comfortable and they are no longer thirsty.
Zhao Qiaoqiao smiled and said, "I once told Lin Chi about this, and Lin Chi said it was because the pies we made were delicious."
"The reason he initially came to our shop frequently to buy pies was that they were cheap and delicious, and the fillings were large."
"If it doesn't taste good and isn't cost-effective, it won't matter how many different ways you cook it."
"Mom and Dad, thanks to the good pies we make, we opened a pie shop."
Zhao Qiaoqiao was grateful that her family opened a pie shop, which allowed her to meet Lin Chi.
Whenever Zhao Qiaoqiao mentioned Lin Chi, a sweet smile appeared on her face.
Speaking of this, Zhao's father sighed and said, "If your grandmother hadn't saved someone, they wouldn't have taught us the art of making pies."
Zhao Qiaoqiao knew that their family used to be an ordinary farmer. Later, when their hometown was flooded, their family fled to the capital. They used their savings to set up a stall in the capital to do pie business, and that’s how they gradually became successful.
Her father told her about it.
She said that someone fainted on the street and her grandmother happened to be on her way to the town to deliver embroidered handkerchiefs to an embroidery shop. When she saw the person, she rescued him and brought him back to the village.
The man seemed to have been hacked by someone and was seriously injured. Her grandmother used silver to buy medicine and hire a doctor, who saved the man.
The man lived in the family for half a year. When he left, he said he had no way to repay them, so he taught them the art of making pies.
I have to say, the pies are delicious.
Those are skills that farmers have no access to or cannot learn.
Zhao Qiaoqiao's father said, "Having a skill is more important than anything else. Even in a famine, a craftsman will not starve to death."
It was also thanks to this skill that the family was able to make a living by setting up a stall selling pies when they came to the capital, even though they knew nothing.
So when Zhao Qiaoqiao's father and mother saw that she could make multi-grain pancakes and that they were so delicious, they were very happy.
In this way, the daughter and son-in-law can always make a good living by relying on their skills.
Of course, since the son-in-law works for the princess, there is nothing to worry about.
Mother Zhao also said: "It's good to have a cooking skill, especially the cooking skill. That's your own skill. I support you to open a stall and do business."
"But the main thing is that Lin Chi doesn't care whether you show up in public or not, so that's fine."
"Our neighbor, your childhood sweetheart Zhu Cai, is married. She lives not far from home, and I heard she can't go out freely now."
Zhao Qiaoqiao is two years younger than her neighbor Zhu Cai. Zhu Cai is two years older than her, got married earlier, and now has a child. She is responsible for taking care of her husband and children.
Indeed, after Zhu Cai got married, Zhao Qiaoqiao never saw Zhu Cai again.
I only heard my mother mention it once or twice.
Zhao Qiaoqiao said, "That's Lin Chi's support. He said if I want to set up a stall, I can do it. If I feel tired, I can rest at home. Anyway, I can do these things for fun."
"Besides, I only set up the stall for the whole morning, go home at noon, and rest in the afternoon. It's not very busy, and I can come back if there is anything at home."
Father Zhao was a man, so he considered carefully before saying, "You always go to your mother's house. How can Lin Chi not have any objections?"
Men still care about their reputation.
The daughter-in-law always misses her parents' home and always feels uncomfortable.
Mother Zhao said angrily, "Do you think everyone is like you? I think Lin Chi is very good."
"She's good to us, Qiaoqiao. She's nothing like you, caring about reputation."
Mother Zhao said, "Don't worry about your father. He just has old ideas. He thinks that girls should take care of their families after they get married and not always go back to their parents' home."
"But mother understands you. Who doesn't miss their mother's home? Come back if you want."
"In fact, your grandpa also thinks the same way. When I first got married, I missed my parents' home. Your father was not very happy about it, and your grandparents always tried to persuade me, saying that going back to my parents' home all the time would make people laugh and gossip about me."
At that time, she felt uncomfortable and felt that her parents were not very welcoming to her return.
She felt that her parents' home was just her parents' home, and no longer her home.
Every time her parents complained about her, she felt bad.
So now she feels that her daughter can come back whenever she wants, and home will always be home.
Zhao Qiaoqiao felt a little sorry for her mother when she heard what she said.
She knew that her mother had paid a lot along the way and it was not easy.
So she thought about being filial to her parents.
Fortunately, Lin Chi never had any objections. He was afraid that she would be bored, and he would also think about her going back to her parents' home and talking to her parents when she was bored.
"But you should also take care of Lin Chi more on a daily basis. He is so good to you, you should also feel sorry for him."
"He must be unaccustomed to living in the capital. You should be more understanding of him. If you have time, you can accompany him to Liuhe Village for a while."
"I heard there's a lot of food over there, so you should go out and take a look."
"It would be nice to be able to go out for a walk and see the world outside."
Father Zhao seemed to have thought of something and said, "We weren't used to it when we first came to the capital. After so many years, we also miss home!"
Zhao Qiaoqiao said, "Dad, you've lived in the capital for so many years, do you still miss home?"
Father Zhao said, "Of course I do. People tend to miss their hometown wherever they grew up."
"No matter how bad my hometown is, it's where I grew up and has many memories of it."
"When I was little, I would go to the mountains with my friends in the village to play around and go to the river to catch fish. It was very lively."
As Father Zhao spoke, his expression was full of reminiscence.
Zhao Qiaoqiao immediately understood Lin Chi and understood Lin Chi.
No wonder Lin Chi often mentioned things about Liuhe Village.
He probably misses his hometown too.
She thought about going back to Liuhe Village with Lin Chi to live for a while.
It should be very relaxing there, a completely different place from Beijing.
Anyway, it’s very convenient to go back to Liuhe Village by water now.
Lin Chi also has holidays anyway.
Moreover, Fairy is in charge, so he doesn't have to do many things personally.
So the family chatted and started making leek and egg pies.
Zhao Qiaoqiao and her mother picked leeks and washed vegetables together.
The dough started to rise, and Zhao's father began to knead it.
Father Zhao is very strong and can knead the dough very quickly.
When Zhao Qiaoqiao was preparing the leek and egg filling, she taught her mother how to do it.
Zhao's mother also prepared other fillings.
Business is good now. The pies made early in the morning are usually sold out within the morning.
I have to make some more at noon.
At this time, Zhao Ji Pie Shop
Zhao Qiaoqiao's elder brother Zhao Zhenghe was wrapping and steaming pies in the kitchen at the back of the store, while He was collecting money and serving pies to people at the front.
There was a constant stream of people in the store, and they didn't stop all morning.
But business was good and He was happy.
I couldn't help but think about how much I could earn in the morning.
She also has to take the time to clear the table.
Because some customers will eat in the restaurant.
Eat two pies and drink a bowl of free seaweed dumpling soup.
Zhao Zhenghe steamed some and put them in the grate, covering them with a small quilt to keep them warm.
He said, "These should be fine. I guess my parents will send some packed food over soon."
There is also a kitchen in the store, and if there are not enough pies, Zhao Zhenghe will make them fresh.
But the main thing is that my parents pack most of the food and send it to me.
They mainly look after the store.
Zhao Zhenghe said: "Are you tired? How about we hire someone?"
His wife had to stand all day long, and he was afraid that her legs wouldn't be able to bear it if it went on like this every day.
Actually, she could sit down, but when business was busy, there was no room to sit down. She also felt that it was not right to sit down and serve pies to people.
It’s faster to work while standing.
He said: "It's okay, I can still handle it."
Zhao Zhenghe said, "How about we open in the morning and at noon, and close early in the afternoon?"
If I have to prepare three meals a day, I really can’t handle it.
In the past, when the store was not so popular, they didn’t feel tired working from morning to night.
It’s also to make more money.
But now I can make a lot of money in the morning and at noon.
In fact, He was reluctant to close the store at night.
"I'm afraid of that. Many customers don't come to our store anymore, and there are more customers in the evening."
"Or maybe we can see if we can hire someone to do the job. I'm not too confident in hiring anyone else."
Zhao Zhenghe said: "Then let's hire our own people to do the work."
"I heard from my mother that there's a cousin on your side of the family. His parents passed away early, and he's looking for a job. He can come and look after the shop. We'll pay him 600 coins a month, and if he does a good job, we'll give him a bigger red envelope."
He looked at Zhao Zhenghe and felt a little touched.
Her cousin is from her mother's cousin's family.
They are all distant relatives, but her mother and her cousin grew up together in the same village.
She also values family affection. Her cousin's parents have passed away, and she misses them.
Repeated it several times.
See if I can help you find a job.
He doesn't know anyone.
Of course she could ask Lin Chi for help.
But He didn't want to do that. The Zhao family was already being taken care of by Lin Chi, so how could they not know what was good for them and trouble others with such things?
She had never thought about hiring anyone in her store before.
So the matter was left there and she didn't mention it.
Besides, she didn't know her cousin's personality, so she naturally didn't dare to use it.
"I haven't seen my cousin many times, and I'm worried."
He understood that she had to put her family first and be clear about everything.
Zhao Zhenghe said: "Let's try it first."
He nodded.
At noon, Zhao Qiaoqiao and her parents came to the store in person to deliver pies.
When Mrs. He saw her sister-in-law coming, she was excited and happy, "Qiaoqiao is back. If I had known earlier, we would have gone home for lunch."
"Sister-in-law, you guys are so busy, I don't want to come back and bother you, just treat it like before, don't be so polite."
Zhao Qiaoqiao had a good relationship with her sister-in-law when she was at home.
He smiled and said, "Okay, then I won't do anything fancy."
They put the pie away and got out a new grate.
“Is this fresh stuffing?”
Mother Zhao said, "This is a new flavor that Qiaoqiao made with chives and eggs. It's called Chive and Egg Pie. You can try it first and see how it tastes. We think it's great, so we can try selling it as a vegetarian filling."
When the He family heard about the new filling, they were naturally excited.
Every time the store comes out with a delicious new pie, customers want to try it.
He and Zhao Zhenghe tasted it, and their eyes lit up.
“This is delicious!”
“This taste is really unique and tastes better than all the vegetarian ones.”
He and Zhao Zhenghe were simply amazed by the taste of the filling.
The two of them didn't care that it was hot, and they finished one bite after another quickly.
"tasty!"
"Qiaoqiao, sister-in-law must thank you very much!"
The He family was particularly grateful to Zhao Qiaoqiao.
Zhao Qiaoqiao smiled and said, "As long as my brother and sister-in-law think it tastes good, that's fine."
"This chive filling can only be eaten in autumn. When the weather gets cold, there will be no chives. It is a seasonal food."
He nodded and said, "I know, sister-in-law knows how to do it. We'll use this as a gimmick when the time comes."
Tell the customers that this will let them know that it is only available in this season, and they will naturally buy it to try.
Zhao Qiaoqiao said, "I've told mother how to make it. She'll teach you, brother and sister-in-law, how to do it when the time comes."
"Uh-huh."
He was so grateful that she held Zhao Qiaoqiao's hand.
I think this sister-in-law is really nice.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhao also found the pie with leek and egg filling very delicious.
They entered the front store from the back, and He had hung a new pie sign inside the store: Chive and Egg Pie.
A customer came to buy a pie and saw the new brand. He asked, "Shopkeeper, do you have a new pie with chive and egg filling?"
He smiled and said, "Yes, it's still the one before four cents. Chive and egg pie is only available in this season. When the weather gets cold, there will be no chives."
"These vegetables come from Liuhe Village. I heard that the princess was the first to discover them."
When the customer heard this, he said, "Buy one and try it."
The customer took out four coins and handed them to He, saying, "Eat in the restaurant."
He took the copper coins, quickly picked up one with a clipboard, put it in the small lunch basket, and handed it to the customer.
The customer found a place to sit down and took a bite to taste it.
I was totally shocked after eating this.
Take another bite, and then another.
“This is so delicious!”
"No wonder the princess discovered these vegetables. They are so delicious."
The customer finished a large pie in no time and then went back to the counter and said, "Shopkeeper, give me two more chive and egg pies. These are so delicious."
The customer raved about the dish and couldn't wait to eat it again.
When other customers came into the store and heard this, they were all stunned, "What's so delicious?"
“Leek and egg pie.”
"Brother, listen to me, this is delicious. I ate one and bought two more. I don't think there are many left."
He smiled and said, "Indeed, there are only so many today. Once they are sold, they will be gone."
"Unlike other pies, which can be replenished, the main reason is that the ingredients are relatively scarce."
Indeed, in the inner city, no one has ever seen this kind of leek.
"Then I'll buy one too."
“I’ll buy two!”
Everyone bought the leek and egg filling, originally wanting to try it, but they didn’t expect it to be so delicious.
Everyone was very excited.
“It’s delicious.”
“It’s delicious, it has a unique flavor.”
“How can it be so delicious?”
Chives and eggs are delicious, and Zhao Qiaoqiao seasons them well.
Everyone praised it highly.
In just one afternoon, Zhaoji Pie Shop became famous again because of its leek and egg filling.
Many people came to buy leek and egg pies in the evening, but they were sold out.
Everyone was very upset.
Fortunately, Mrs. He said there would be leek and egg filling the next day.
However, in the evening, He also sent someone to send a message to her parents, asking her cousin to come to the store.
With the addition of this chive and egg pie, the store has become even busier.
He's parents' home is in the village, more than twenty miles away from the capital.
The message comes and goes quickly.
…
But in the afternoon, Zhao Qiaoqiao's neighbor Zhu Cai also came back.
When he learned that Zhao Qiaoqiao was at home, he couldn't help but come to talk to her.
When Zhao Qiaoqiao looked at Zhu Cai, she felt that she had suddenly aged a lot.
Completely different from before.
Zhao Qiaoqiao asked, "Why didn't you bring your daughter back?"
Zhu Cai shook her head and said, "Her grandmother is helping to look after her."
Zhao Qiaoqiao nodded and said, "I don't usually see you come back, but this time it's really a coincidence. If I come back in the future, and you come back too, we can talk together."
Zhu Cai showed a helpless look and said, "How can I come back often? This time, my mother had a cold, so I came back to see her."
Perhaps because Zhao Qiaoqiao was Zhu Cai's little sister, she couldn't help but want to talk.
"Actually, my mother-in-law and the others don't really want me to go back to my parents' home. I only come back once during the holidays, maybe twice a year!"
Zhao Qiaoqiao didn't know what to say, so she said, "You, actually, that's exactly what you're thinking right now."
Her mother did the same when she was a child.
Zhu Cai said, "Actually, things are much better now than before. My mother-in-law was actually not happy with my daughter, but because we have princesses in the Great Yan Dynasty and the culture is good, everyone is more tolerant of girls."
"I heard that when my mother-in-law first gave birth to my eldest sister, she didn't treat her well and even set rules for her. It was only after the second sister gave birth to a son that her mother-in-law's attitude became better."
"I heard from my mother that you can come back more often. Your husband treats you well and is very good."
"Besides, you don't have your mother-in-law pressing down on you, so you can be more comfortable."
Zhao Qiaoqiao asked, "How does your husband treat you?"
Zhu Cai said, "It's good. He loves me more, right? Filial piety is there. My mother-in-law doesn't allow me to show my face in public, so I don't go out much."
In fact, everyone is like this, but Zhu Cai can feel that Lin Chi treats Zhao Qiaoqiao differently.
He is really nice to Zhao Qiaoqiao.
"Everyone the princess brings out is good. I heard that everyone under the princess has been examined. They must have good moral character and be good to their wives."
"You don't know, those who work under the princess in the capital are now very popular."
Zhao Qiaoqiao was stunned. She really didn't know this.
Zhu Cai smiled and said, "Everyone says that the people under the princess are famous for loving their wives. They all learned this from Lord Su and the princess."
"Besides, the parents-in-law don't set rules for their daughters-in-law and don't control them too much. The men love their wives and the family is very harmonious."
"She has a very good reputation, and many people are eager to work for her."
"Maybe they can make money in the princess's workshop, and everyone is willing to abide by the rules set by the princess."
Because if you don't comply and let the princess know something, she can directly fire you.
After those people were fired, they could no longer find a master as good as the princess.
Not to mention that the wages and bonuses are so generous.
They also give big red envelopes during the Chinese New Year and other festivals.
Zhao Qiaoqiao learned more from Zhu Cai.
Zhao Qiaoqiao knew in her heart that the person most loved by ordinary people was still the princess.
…
The next day, Zhao Qiaoqiao and Lin Chi went to the Huo Mansion with carefully selected gifts.
They were originally very restrained.
However, Mrs. Huo, also known as Su Ruoqing, was in confinement after giving birth and stayed in the house, so Zhao Qiaoqiao went into the house to see Su Ruoqing.
Zhao Qiaoqiao was invited by Su Ruoqing to sit on a chair not far from the bed, and she didn't dare to speak.
Su Ruoqing sat and looked at Zhao Qiaoqiao, nodding in her heart. She looked like a very nice girl.
"Mrs. Huo!"
Su Ruoqing smiled and said, "Don't be nervous or restrained. I quite like the dried meat and pickled vegetables made by Aunt Li. It tastes just like before."
"You guys are thoughtful."
Zhao Qiaoqiao waved her hand and said, "No, as long as you like it."
Su Ruoqing smiled and said, "Eating this reminds me of my time in Liuhe Village."
Su Ruoqing felt some reminiscence and some emotion.
Fortunately, it was her third aunt who helped her, which is why she is where she is today.
Otherwise, she would have wanted to go back and slap herself a few times because of her paranoid look.
Zhao Qiaoqiao said, "Lin Chi often mentioned Liuhe Village to me."
"It is said that Liuhe Village has changed a lot because of the princess."
Su Ruoqing said: "Indeed, Third Aunt opened a workshop in Liuhe Village and built a commercial street. Many merchants go to Liuhe Village to do business."
"I'll go back and take a look if I get a chance."
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