Chapter 26 Spicy Duck
They returned home and Lu Xiang took out the things she had bought. She washed the fresh duck by soaking it in water and then soaking it in seasonings so that it would be more flavorful when braising it.
While they were working, Xiao Cailian came back from outside. Seeing her son, she asked, "Why are you back?"
Fu Qinhui said: "Today is a holiday."
Seeing that her son had spoken without a doubt, Xiao Cailian simply asked, "Why didn't you notify us in advance about the holiday? Where did you get this bicycle?"
Fu Qinhui said: "I borrowed it from my boss."
Before she could ask about duck necks or something like that, Lu Xiang took the initiative to say, “I want to get something and try setting up a stall.”
Xiao Cailian knew that Lu Xiang’s cooking was delicious. Last time she steamed a bowl of chili sauce, the bottom of the bowl was wiped clean with coarse grain buns.
Everything Lu Xiang cooks tastes delicious, and her brothers and sisters-in-law are very close to her.
But Xiao Cailian never thought of using this skill to make money. She said, "Don't do this. It's not decent. My son works in the supply and marketing cooperative now. Don't do anything that will bring him down."
Looking at the dozens of kilograms of duck necks and duck wings, he frowned and asked, "How much did these cost?"
Lu Xiang said, "I'm setting up a stall outside. It won't affect him, right?" In front of her mother-in-law, she couldn't wink at Fu Qinhui, but she looked at him eagerly, hoping that he could help smooth things over.
Fu Qinhui's blush hadn't faded yet, and now, looking at Lu Xiang's passionate gaze, he coughed dryly, his expression unnatural.
Lu Xiang was a little surprised. Why was he still embarrassed to go up?
Xiao Cailian watched her new daughter-in-law and son flirting with each other right in front of her. The anger that had been building up for a while was finally dissipated. Then she said, "I've already bought everything. Let's do it once. If it doesn't make money, we'd better give up on this idea."
When Lu Xiang heard that her mother-in-law agreed, she immediately praised her as the best mother-in-law in the village.
Xiao Cailian's temperament was somewhat similar to her son's: both were tough on the outside but soft on the inside. As a widow raising a child, she was a bit more assertive. Several of her daughters-in-law had seen her fiery side, and when they confronted her again, they were like rats meeting a cat.
Lu Xiang was not afraid of her at all, and was smiling and praising her.
She has never had a daughter in her life, but she feels that Lu Xiang, her daughter-in-law, is the closest to her. No wonder her son, who has high standards, treats Lu Xiang very well.
Xiao Cailian could hardly hide the smile on her face and said, "Okay, you only know how to coax me with your mouth." Her tone was surprisingly relaxed and cheerful.
Lu Xiang said, "Mom, my business is amazing. Do you want to invest in it? I'll share the profits with you. Invest a piece."
Even Fu Qinhui looked at him sideways. Lu Xiang was really too bold. Xiao Cailian valued money the most. It was good enough that she didn't scold her this time. She still wanted someone to take the money.
Xiao Cailian said she didn't want to take it.
Lu Xiang discovered that Xiao Cailian and Fu Qinhui were the same, they went along with the flow and kept saying nice things as if they were free.
Xiao Cailian was left in a state of confusion. Seeing her daughter-in-law speak, she said, "Just one dollar. There won't be a next time." Mrs. Fu's words rang out: "What one dollar?"
The other three daughters-in-law came back together. They had all asked Lu Xiang to bring something back. When they heard that Lu Xiang had returned, they hurried back to see her. But as soon as they came back, they heard about the money.
The Fu family lived together and had not split up. My mother-in-law controlled the family money, but everyone else also saved a little. If they wanted to buy something, they had to pay out of their own pockets.
When she heard that her mother-in-law seemed to have given Lu Xiang a dollar, Mrs. Fu couldn't sit still anymore.
The daughter-in-law must be treated equally, otherwise she will not agree.
The smile that Xiao Cailian had just revealed froze on her face. The third son's wife was the most rude, and she was everywhere. She was a good person, but she was a bit stingy with money. If it weren't for the fact that she had given birth to three boys for the Fu family, she wouldn't have been spoiled.
There is no daughter-in-law who controls her mother-in-law.
She can spend it however she wants, without having to be secretive.
Xiao Cailian was angry next to her.
Then Lu Xiang said, "Sisters-in-law, you came at the perfect time. I want to make some duck necks, duck wings, and other things to sell at the small market near the supply and marketing cooperative. Mom said that if I invest one dollar per share, I can give her one-tenth of the profit. Why don't you invest some too? Money makes money."
With just one sentence, the sharp conflicts over money between the mother-in-law and her daughters-in-law were resolved.
Mrs. Fu San said, "Can this thing make money?" There is no concept of private business these days, everyone relies on the collective.
She was afraid that the business would not go well, but she was very confident in Lu Xiang's craftsmanship and was slightly tempted.
The same goes for the other two sisters-in-law, but they have to raise children and don’t have much money. They also have to deal with various small unexpected expenses, so one dollar is really a lot.
Lu Xiang said, "I can't guarantee that either. If we make money, I'll share it with everyone. If we don't, we'll all lose the money together."
The sister-in-law said, "The duck neck and duck wings are all bones." Who would eat them?
Instead, the second sister-in-law, who was usually the most stingy, said, "I'll invest one share." Then she was about to withdraw the money.
Mrs. Fu was hesitant, but when she saw how generous the second sister-in-law was, she felt stingy. She said, "Then I'll take one dollar too."
The eldest sister-in-law saw that she was the one who was lacking, and she was determined. After all, if the sky fell, everyone would die. They were sisters-in-law living under the same roof and could not be laughed at. She said, "Just wait for me to give you the money."
Mother-in-law Xiao Cailian was amazed by what she saw.
She knew that these three daughters-in-law were usually very good, but when it came to money, they became stingy and unwilling to spend a penny.
When Lu Xiang married in, she was worried about not getting along with these brothers and sisters-in-law. Now it seems that this girl has the ability. She can pull feathers from a stingy person, which is amazing.
Lu Xiang collected four yuan, her costs already covered. She held 60%, and the remaining shareholders each held a share. She wasn't involved in the long hours of farm work, and everyone was definitely worried. They might as well bundle her up and get on the bus together!
Anyway, making stewed food inevitably requires using the fire, stove, seasonings, etc. at home, and you can't always calculate everything so meticulously. It's better to use a little money to share the risk. Since this business is shared by everyone, no one will complain anymore.
Lu Xiang planned to do this for a long time and had considered every aspect.
Soon, the food started to simmer. The big pot at home was reserved for cooking, and so many workers had to eat at night, so they couldn't occupy it. They could only find an old big pot from the small shed and start a fire in the small kitchen in the backyard.
Braised duck wings are easy to make, as long as you use enough ingredients. The spicy aroma will soon spread out. Simmer slowly over low heat until the flavor is absorbed. Then soak in the brine overnight. By then, the flavor will be even better through the bones.
In the evening, after dinner, Lu Xiang picked up a duck wing for everyone to try.
The duck wings were cooked well, but there wasn't much meat on them. They were spicy and crispy, and the more you chewed them with the bones, the more delicious they became. I didn't think much of them at first, but after eating them, I was so spicy and greedy that I wanted to eat them again.
These people had never eaten this kind of snack in the 1980s, and they were all very excited: "What is this? Do you have any more?" They couldn't get enough.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
