"Sister-in-law, let me do it."
Seeing that Shen Qinghe was willing to take over, Meng Zhao did not refuse and handed the bucket over.
Seeing Shen Qinghe pour water into the pot and start a fire, Meng Zhao suddenly said, "Second brother, don't bother with these things. Go and study more. Don't neglect your studies."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qing was stunned for a moment, then gripped the firewood in his hand even tighter. In his memory, his sister-in-law had always been very at ease about his studies and never made any special instructions. The fact that she said such a thing now must mean that she was afraid after what happened today.
Those constables had no official rank; they were merely servants hired by the yamen. Yet, even with only a little power, they were able to swagger and bully these ordinary people and merchants at will.
Shen Qinghe's eyes gradually hardened. "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I will definitely study hard and never let you suffer such humiliation again."
After Shen Qinghe finished speaking, Meng Zhao suddenly came to her senses and realized what she had been thinking.
This world is so unfair. It's incredibly difficult for ordinary people to get justice. Just now, my thoughts drifted away, wondering if Shen Qinghe, with his abilities, could make this world a better place when he becomes an official.
But Shen Qinghe's situation was already predetermined. Due to the mourning period, he would have to wait at least a year and a half before he could participate in the imperial examination.
Besides, she couldn't rely on his future success. She couldn't just wait passively; she had to build up her business, expand its scale, and accumulate wealth and connections. Only in this way could she have enough confidence to fight against difficulties and injustices.
Besides Shen Qing and her two children who usually lend a hand, she has five employees. On weekdays, Gu Shi and Aunt Feng'e each spend most of the day busy with dock affairs, and in the afternoon they help make meatballs and other things for the shop.
Now that the boxed lunch stall can't be run anymore, she has an extra hand, and Meng Zhao is wondering if she can do something else.
In the evening, the family sat at the table eating dinner. Usually, it was the two children who talked, and Meng Zhao would occasionally exchange a few words with Gu Shi, while Shen Qinghe was always quiet.
Today, Shen Qing was unusually talkative, recounting several amusing anecdotes from the school.
It is said that he had a classmate who knew he was not good at his studies, so he started praying to gods and Buddhas everywhere. However, he failed his small test and burned several Buddha amulets that he had spent a lot of money to get from the temple.
As it happened, a teacher from the county school happened to see him. Upon seeing him, the teacher became even more furious and scolded him for being stupid, saying that he was wasting his studies and money, and that he was praying to the wrong gods and Buddhas, worshipping only Buddhas of marriage and Guanyin who grant children. It would be a miracle if it worked.
As Shen Qinghe spoke, he looked at his mother and sister-in-law. Seeing that they were both smiling happily, he felt a little relieved.
As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, Meng Zhao got up early to start preparing for the shop.
Because of yesterday's incident, Meng Zhao became more careful in her actions. Although she couldn't stop others from framing her, she had to make sure that she did everything perfectly so that no one could find fault with her.
After a while of work, a familiar face arrived at the shop. "Zhaozhao, I've come to visit you."
The voice was clear and melodious; Meng Zhao knew who it was as soon as he heard it.
"Wanyin, come in and sit down."
Not only Song Wanyin came alone this time, but also the little maid Shanhu, whom she had met before, followed behind. Shanhu had met Meng Zhao a few times when she bought skewers. When she saw Shanhu coming, Meng Zhao smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
Since it was still early and not yet lunchtime, the restaurant wasn't crowded. Meng Zhao found an empty seat for the two of them.
"Have you eaten? Would you like me to make you something to eat?"
Song Wanyin nodded playfully, "Knowing I was coming here, I didn't even have breakfast. I was just waiting to eat the food from your shop."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao couldn't help but laugh. Although Song Wanyin was slightly older than Meng Zhao, perhaps because she had always been in a sheltered environment, she retained an unadorned innocence and naivety, and her speech and actions were somewhat unconventional.
She then asked the two women about their taste preferences. Song Wanyin and Shanhu smiled at each other and said that they would eat anything as long as it was delicious. Meng Zhao then took the initiative to cook a bowl of noodles for each of them, with lots of vegetables and meatballs in it.
As soon as it was placed on the table, Song Wanyin picked up something and asked curiously, "Zhaozhao, I've never seen these at your previous stalls. What is this? It looks like a money bag."
Meng Zhao then sat down and introduced the product to them, "This is called a lucky bag. It's made by wrapping various ingredients in tofu and shaping it like a lucky bag. The one you're holding is a fish roe lucky bag. Try it and see if you like it."
The reason they didn't make these items before when setting up a stall was because these things were more expensive and the processes were more complicated. They probably wouldn't sell well on a stall. But now that the shop is open and there are more people, Meng Zhao has started making them one by one.
Song Wanyin took a small bite. The delicate, smooth tofu skin broke open between her teeth, followed by the unique freshness of the fish roe and fish meat, blending with the delicate fragrance of the tofu, creating a rich aroma.
"It's delicious. It tastes like tofu and fish."
Meng Zhao explained, "The outer skin of this lucky bag is made of tofu, and the filling is made of fish paste and fish roe. The store also has Three Delicacies Lucky Bags, Four Happiness Lucky Bags, and Shrimp Lucky Bags. Each type of lucky bag has a different way of tying the opening. If you have a favorite flavor, just tell me and I'll get it for you."
Upon hearing that there were so many different flavors of lucky bags, Song Wanyin's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she immediately said without hesitation, "I like them all, give me one of each."
Hearing her words, Meng Zhao couldn't help but be slightly surprised, "This lucky bag is quite large, can you finish it?"
Song Wanyin said confidently, "Of course, this is nothing. Don't underestimate my appetite."
So Meng Zhao got up to cook a few more lucky bags for her. Seeing her pick up a meatball to eat, Meng Zhao quickly reminded her.
"These are juicy beef balls. There's broth inside, so be careful when eating them. You can bite a small hole first to suck out the broth, otherwise you might get burned."
She initially thought of calling it "pissing beef ball," but then realized it wasn't very elegant, so she decided to change the name.
After listening to the advice, Song Wanyin became much more careful when eating. She first bit a small hole, and the soup immediately overflowed. She quickly sucked it up with her mouth, and the rich soup burst in her mouth. She then took a bite of the meatball, which was chewy and bouncy. She never expected that this inconspicuous black meatball would be so delicious.
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