Zhang Xiue asked with a hint of doubt, "Deep well? Is the water clean? When we came here yesterday, I saw that the river was very clear, and there were even live fish in it. I thought it would be fine to drink some."
"The river water is running water, not as sweet as well water. If you want to boil water for drinking, deep well water is better."
"Alright then, you can take me there later to familiarize myself with the way, and then I can go by myself."
Li Qiang smiled but didn't say anything. He poured the two buckets of water into the large vat and then went to help Zhang Xiue knead the dough.
"I can't do the crafts, but I can knead dough!"
Zhang Xiue nudged him with her elbow, "Go away, go away! The dough you made will be hard and unpalatable. Why don't you go chop some vegetables? Although I don't cook in the General's Mansion, I've cooked quite a bit on this journey. The dough you make will definitely be chewy."
Qin Xiaoniang and Li Qiang's wife were in charge of chopping vegetables. Since there weren't many seasonings, they could only add a few simple flavorings.
The book in Song He'er's hand contained some recipes and dishes for running a restaurant. If the filling was prepared according to the proportions in the book, the steamed buns should taste pretty good.
"He'er, come and take a look, what do you think of the color?" Qin Xiaoniang called Song He'er over.
"Mother, you can't tell anything from the color, you still have to try it."
"Let's wait until it's steamed and then try it before we talk about it."
Song He'er went into the house, and when no one was paying attention, she took out the book, turned to the recipe page, quickly copied it down, and then took it outside and handed it to Qin Xiaoniang.
"Mother, from now on, add ingredients according to the recipe on this list, and the buns you make will taste amazing."
"This is?"
Song He'er whispered in Qin Xiaoniang's ear, "Don't tell anyone what's written in the book. Just say it's something you've studied diligently."
Qin Xiaoniang nodded, "I understand."
As dusk approached, Song He'er casually went out at a certain time, pretending to go to Jiang Huaifu to borrow money. When she returned to her residence, the moon was already hanging in the treetops.
The candlelight flickered, and Qin Xiaoniang hadn't rested yet, sitting at the table, carefully studying the recipes.
"Mother, you should rest now. It's not too late to look at these things tomorrow."
Qin Xiaoniang was so engrossed in watching that she didn't even hear Song He'er speak.
"Mother!"
"You scared me! You didn't even tell me you were coming back."
Song He'er smiled and said, "Mother, it's so late, you should get some rest. We have to go to the shop tomorrow."
"It's okay, I'll memorize these things so that the cook won't have to carry this paper around all the time."
Qin Xiaoniang's thinking is correct. After all, the contents of the recipe are not to be shared with outsiders. If she keeps them in her hands all the time, and someone with ulterior motives picks them up, there may be endless trouble in the future.
Song He'er breathed a sigh of relief and smiled:
“The steamed buns made today are pretty good, so let’s start by making steamed buns. Tomorrow we’ll go buy flour and ingredients. You and Third Aunt will take care of the kitchen, and Aunt Ruizhen will take care of cleaning the house. I’ll be in charge of collecting the bills.”
"You silly girl, you want to manage the accounts right away. Do you know how difficult it is to manage accounts, let alone these trivial little accounts?"
Qin Xiaoniang did not approve of Song He'er meddling in these matters. When people are in a good mood, there is naturally no problem, but if there is a grudge or problems with the money and accounts, then there will be no way to explain herself.
“Mother, you’re being too cautious. I wouldn’t miscalculate. Besides, I’m the one who borrowed money from Jiang Huaifu. As for how much was borrowed and how much was repaid, only I know. If we were to change the person now, it would take even more time, which is simply unnecessary.”
Seeing that her daughter was so insistent, Qin Xiaoniang didn't want to discourage her, so she could only nod in agreement.
"Alright then, let's rest. We'll go to the market together tomorrow. Let's put these recipes away for now."
"Um."
After blowing out the lamp, the two quickly fell asleep.
The next morning, Zhang Xiue made a simple breakfast for Chundi, Chunrao, and several children, and then went to the market with Song He'er and others.
The shop owner had been waiting there for a long time, sitting quietly at the table with two handwritten documents in hand.
"We brought the money; the employer can check the count."
The woman took the box, glanced at it briefly, and laughed, "No need. Do you think you'd cheat me for a few dozen coins? This is the contract. Take a look and put your fingerprint on it."
Seeing that there were only a few lines of text above, Song He'er immediately became suspicious, "This shop doesn't have any disputes with the government, does it?"
The woman's expression changed slightly. "Dispute? My shop is spotless. It's not some shady business that bought on credit. Miss, have you lost your mind?"
"But I only see a few lines of text here. Could it be that this place hasn't been approved by the government, so there's no official seal?"
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