The next day, Lu Qiqi did not go into the city with Liu Tong and his apprentice to sell spicy noodles. Instead, she set up a stove outside the tent and prepared to make spicy braised pork from the pork she had bought the day before.
After resting for a while, Lu Dahai's injury improved, and Lu Qiqi had him remove the gauze. Li Shi was worried that Lu Dahai's head would get cold, so she asked Grandma Zhou to make him a hat, which he wore every day even when he was lying in bed.
Seeing that the woolen hat wouldn't affect the wound, Lu Qiqi didn't say much. In the end, it was Li who was worried about her husband and wanted to do as much as possible for Lu Dahai.
Following Lu Qiqi's instructions, Lu removed the pig hair and cut the pork into pieces for later use.
Lu Qiqi boiled water early, added ginger to remove the fishy smell, then put the pork in the water, skimmed off the foam, and took it out.
This time, Lu Qiqi not only used all the available spices, but also went to the pharmacy to get a few medicinal herbs, which she put into the pot to boil.
The spiced water boiled and bubbled, releasing a rich and fragrant aroma. Madam Lu swallowed and said, "Qiqi, this smells so good! Just smelling it makes my mouth water."
Lu Qiqi smiled and said, "Auntie, it will smell even better when we reduce the sauce later, so just wait and enjoy it."
Mrs. Lu felt a little embarrassed about her craving, and she said, "I'll start the fire, and you keep an eye on the meat in the pot."
Wangcai smelled the aroma of meat and kept circling around Lu Qiqi. Lu Qiqi chased it away with her foot, but it ran back after a while, so Lu Qiqi just let it be.
As she added firewood to the stove, Madam Lu asked, "Qiqi, did you hear wolves howling last night?"
Lu Qiqi glanced at Wangcai, whom she had chased away, and then at Lu Yao's feet, where Wangcai was embroidering a money pouch at the entrance of the tent.
When Lu Qiqi didn't respond, she continued, "The wolf's howl wasn't very loud, so I probably didn't hear it clearly either. It's good that it wasn't a wolf. If there really were wolves on this mountain, that would be terrible. These things like to huddle together, they're always in packs."
Lu Qiqi was surprised that Madam Lu knew that wolves are social animals and like to huddle together. She herself was also surprised that the puppy she picked up that night was actually a wolf.
If Wangcai were to return to the wolf pack and its members found out that it called out a dog's name and was raised on goat's milk, wouldn't it be ridiculed by its own kind?
Lu Qiqi felt that her thought process was utterly bizarre, and she shook her head self-deprecatingly.
The wooden house's front door has been installed, and everything has been moved in. It must be said that Li Qingshan is a good carpenter; he made all the furniture in the house.
Lu Qiqi originally planned to pretend that the furniture and decorations in the space were bought outside and to hire a fleet of cars to help transport them back, but she didn't expect that they would be completely useless.
But it's alright, Lu Qiqi plans to build the manor later, and there won't be any trouble finding a place to put these furniture and decorations.
Lu Qiqi finished braising the pork, and Liu Tong and his two apprentices packed up and went home. Li Qingshan also returned with the Zhou brothers who had cleared the wasteland.
Lu Qiqi picked out a piece of braised meat, sliced it, and poured the broth she had made over it. The whole family sitting in the main room craned their necks to look outside.
If Lu Qiqi hadn't complained that the group of people crowding around her was in the way, they would all have crowded over, and even if they couldn't eat, they would have at least smelled the delicious aroma.
Zhu Zi brought the braised meat to the table, and everyone devoured it in no time.
Liu Tong picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and it melted in his mouth. It was soft, juicy, and not greasy at all, with a faint medicinal taste.
Liu Tong grinned, revealing eight teeth, and said, "Seventh girl, if this dish were sold, the pot broth would probably be completely sold out!"
Lu Qiqi originally intended to sell this dish, but she plans to upgrade her shop before selling it.
Lu Qiqi didn't tell Liu Tong this news; she planned to give him a surprise when everything was almost ready.
Today marks our move to a new home. Liu Tong bought some wine in town to drink. The adults drank wine, while the children drank the plum juice prepared by Lu Qiqi.
The whole family ate happily, and even Xibao, the little baby who was only three stalks tall, held up her bowl and called out, "Another bowl, please."
...
Ever since Mr. Yuancheng wrote the words "better than fine food" on Lu Qiqi's painting, Fatty's spicy noodles business has been booming. Even wealthy people who are used to eating restaurant food in the East Market send their servants to buy it.
Lu Qiqi had Zhu Zi frame the two calligraphy pieces written by Mr. Yuancheng, and they will be used as signs in the new shop.
Lu Qiqi's plans for upgrading her shop are almost complete. She bought a two-story shop in the West Market. The space isn't large, but it's enough. The first floor has a lobby, and the kitchen is connected to the back. There are three rooms on the second floor.
The room was perfect for Liu Tong and his apprentice, so they wouldn't have to travel back and forth every day.
Including the tables, chairs, and kitchen utensils, it cost nearly a hundred taels of silver, and Lu Qiqi felt a pang of pain just thinking about it.
But when Lu Qiqi thought about the profits that upgrading the shop would bring her, she felt like she had just laid another brick in the manor villa, and thinking about it that way, she didn't feel so bad.
Lu Qiqi has been busy running around these past few days, buying things and taking care of the village head and his belongings.
This is similar to decorating a shop and obtaining a business license and health permit.
To enhance the store's image, Lu Qiqi also found a porcelain shop and commissioned a batch of exquisite and elegant bowls, spoons, chopstick rests, plates, rice bowls, and condiment dishes, matching all the tableware to a single color scheme.
In addition, Lu Qiqi also drew up drawings and ordered a basin, a water trap, water pipes, and a toilet from a porcelain shop, so that Li Qingshan could transform the bathroom into a wet and dry separation room.
Lu Qiqi also ordered quite a few potted plants. Originally, she planned to order flowers, but now it's the perfect time of year with clear skies and crisp air, and many flowers are vying for attention.
But she worried that it would be bad if any customers were allergic to pollen, so she immediately ordered potted plants to put in the store and also brought two orchids home to grow.
Lu Qiqi brought two pots of orchids home, and Lu Yao was the happiest. She touched and smelled them, and even wanted to pick up Wangcai to smell them with her, but Lu Qiqi stopped her. She was afraid that Wangcai would become interested in the orchids and harm them when no one was around.
When Madam Lu saw Lu Qiqi returning with two pots of orchids, she scolded her for not being frugal and told her to save her money carefully when she earned it, as it would cost a lot of money to find a husband in the future.
Lu Qiqi just smiled and didn't reply. Having suffered half her life, Lu Shi simply didn't understand that pleasing things would make her feel happy and comfortable. She only cared about whether something was valuable, edible, or usable.
Lu Qiqi didn't intend to correct her, but she would subtly influence Lu Shi to accept it. For example, Lu Shi used to always blame Lu Qiqi for wasting money and indulging in her cravings, but now that she can eat meat every day, she doesn't think there's anything wrong with it.
One day, Lu Qiqi will make them so that they won't be moved even when they see piles of silver notes in front of them, just like they wouldn't bother to pick up a single penny that has fallen from their pockets.
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