Wu Chunhua was surprised that her daughter had suddenly become so popular.
Although her mother thought her own children were good, her daughter, while decent-looking, had dark skin and was a bit chubby. Of course, she seemed to have grown up a bit in the last six months and lost her baby fat, but she was still a big chubby girl weighing 140 or 150 pounds. Overall, she was not considered pretty.
Wu Chunhua was happy, surprised, and worried. She was happy that her daughter had been recognized, but worried that she might marry the wrong person, since marriage is a major event in a woman's life...
Of course, that's a story for another time.
At this moment, Qin San Niang also cooked a few quick dishes. Although they were quick, they weren't that easy to make.
Garlic-flavored pork belly, stir-fried pork intestines, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, Mapo tofu, spicy blood curd, and steamed carp—she had never seen these dishes before in Dasheng. In particular, Mapo tofu and spicy blood curd were made with stored chili peppers. She wondered if they would suit the taste of that Minister of Agriculture. This was her first attempt to test the waters among the upper class. If things went well, she might even be able to open a restaurant.
These dishes were quick to prepare, and before long, He Yingyuan and the others were invited to the main room of the Qin family's house.
Farmers don't have many formalities; this main room serves as both a place to entertain guests and a dining room. Moreover, as the hostess, Qin San Niang doesn't need to be superstitious about the taboos between men and women, so she ate at the table with them.
As for Liao Hongying and Wu Chunhua, neither of them would come over under any circumstances. The former said she had to watch over the child while he slept, while Wu Chunhua simply said she dared not come over—that was an official, and she probably had no idea what she was eating! If she were to accidentally offend an official, it would be an undeserved disaster!
Therefore, Qin San Niang did not force them, but only set aside some vegetables for them and the children to eat properly.
As the eldest son of the host family, Da Wa was also allowed to sit at the table for a meal. Heaven knows the child was also scared, but seeing his mother's encouraging eyes, and knowing that this was one of the few opportunities to eat with officials, Da Wa hesitated for a long time before deciding he couldn't miss it! He wanted to be a great merchant in the future! His mother said that great merchants definitely had to socialize with officials, and if he didn't even dare to sit at the table, how could he realize his dreams?
So, she steeled herself and agreed, her steps even resembling those of a martyr going to her execution. This made Qin San Niang want to laugh; it wasn't like she was going to the guillotine, just having a meal. Child, you really didn't have to go to such lengths…
Qin San Niang also quietly pulled Chen Sheng aside and asked him if it was alright to serve some wine. After all, in her time, government officials on official business were not allowed to drink alcohol, and it would be quite embarrassing to break their taboo!
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Chen Sheng narrowed his eyes with delight, thinking to himself that this eldest child's mother was indeed shrewd!
"Of course you can drink! If you have any, bring some up! Um, the kind from the housewarming party last time was excellent! Da Wa's mom, you're such a good person." Chen Sheng gave her a thumbs up, praising her generously. He wanted to drink too!
Although Chen Sheng was the village head, as a grassroots civil servant, he never had the opportunity to dine and drink with the higher-ups. He must have accumulated a lot of good fortune in his past lives to be able to dine with the Minister of Agriculture. Wow, this one thing alone is enough for him to brag about for a lifetime! He felt a little lightheaded, truly intoxicated by his own presence rather than by the wine!
Therefore, Tan San Niang, He Yingyuan, Da Wa'er, the village head, Qi Yuchen, and a sprightly uncle were invited to the dinner table. The two bailiffs and Cai Bo refused to sit at the same table. Tan San Niang and the others were the masters and could eat at the same table with Qi Yuchen, but as servants and subordinates, the rules could not be broken.
But Qin San Niang couldn't really ignore them, after all, these were people she couldn't afford to offend, so she quickly called Gu Qingshan and Chen Jincai, the village head's eldest son, to come and have dinner with her.
Qi Yuchen thought it was just an ordinary farmhouse, what good food could they possibly have? If she couldn't eat it, it wouldn't matter, Uncle Cai had also prepared a lot of snacks, which could help her out!
When I arrived at their house and saw the table full of food, my stomach started rumbling! It looked and smelled delicious!
This table of dishes, at first glance, is no less impressive than those in a grand restaurant in He County! Is this woman a shop owner? Isn't that shop a pastry shop? Well, pastries and dishes are both food, so if you can make pastries, you can definitely make dishes!
Seeing that the other party was satisfied, the village head was also very relieved. He had said that Da Wa's mother's cooking skills were excellent, and there was no way anyone could dislike them.
Qin San Niang wasn't surprised. These dishes wouldn't have been anything special in her previous life, but Da Sheng's cooking skills mostly involved steaming and boiling, resulting in dishes that were bland but lacked flavor. It was generally impossible to find those dishes that made you want to keep eating more and more.
Sure enough, once Qi Yuchen picked up his chopsticks, he didn't put them down. He even chatted with Qin San Niang about the dishes with great interest.
"Excuse me, what is this bright red thing?" Qi Yuchen asked without hesitation. He had never seen this bright red ingredient before. It tasted spicy, even spicier than the dogwood, and had a more lingering aftertaste. It was the kind of food that you would want to eat again and again.
"This is pepper. I bought it from a peddler who said he got it from a foreigner," Qin San Niang replied with a smile.
Qi Yuchen ate and asked questions at the same time, and ate very quickly, which showed that he was really hungry! It wasn't until he finished a bowl of rice that the village head Chen Sheng seized the opportunity to raise his wine glass and toast him, "Minister of Agriculture cares about the people. It is an honor for us to visit Shiligou today. On behalf of the villagers of Shiligou, I would like to toast you!"
Chen Sheng got a little excited as he spoke, downing the glass of wine in one gulp, which made his throat burn and his eyes turn red.
Qi Yuchen also took a sip. He was surprised to find that the food was delicious and the wine even more so. Had he come to the wrong place? This wine would be considered excellent even in Kyoto!
It had a sweet aftertaste and a refreshing, crisp taste. Even though he claimed not to like drinking much, he couldn't help but drink several glasses.
"Excellent wine! This wine is truly remarkable! Master He, may I ask which winery you purchased this from?"
He Yingyuan smiled, and before he could answer, the village head said proudly, "Your Excellency, this wine wasn't bought; it was brewed by Da Wa's mother herself!"
That expression, that posture, it was clearly brimming with pride! See, our Shiligou is truly a place where talented people emerge in large numbers!
Qi Yuchen was shocked; this was something she hadn't expected!
"I never imagined that Madam Qin had such skill; it's truly astonishing. It would be such a waste if she didn't open a winery to benefit everyone!" Her father was a connoisseur of wine; no wonder they always said that true masters are often found among ordinary people, and great talents are often hidden in plain sight!
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