Meng Zhao poured the chopped pork belly into the pot and stir-fried it until it was just cooked through. He then added an appropriate amount of salt and a little bean paste for seasoning. When it was almost cooked, he added the bamboo shoots that had been blanched in advance, stir-fried them for a few seconds, and then it was ready to serve.
Although the method is extremely simple, thanks to the superb cooking skills and fresh ingredients, the finished product is still very appetizing. For a while, the only sounds around the stove were the burning firewood and the drooling of the two little gluttons.
Meng Zhao didn't wash the wok after frying the meat. He simply threw in a few chopped chilies, and the spiciness instantly filled the air, combined with the aroma of the meat, making it even more fragrant.
After stir-frying the chili peppers until fragrant, Meng Zhao poured the evenly chopped potato shreds into the pan and quickly stir-fried them with a spatula to prevent them from sticking. Before taking them out of the pan, he added salt to taste. Although there was no soulful vinegar, the rich aroma of the chili peppers combined with the fresh fragrance of the potatoes still made the finished product very fragrant.
At this moment, Gu Shi and Shen Qinghe, who had just reached the door, exchanged a glance upon smelling the fragrance in the air, and almost thought they had come to the wrong place.
Shen Qinghe put the firewood he was carrying next to the chicken coop and went to the well to fetch water to wash his hands. Gu Shi went directly to Meng Zhao's side and, seeing the food that had already been prepared, asked in surprise, "Zhao Zhao, did you make all of this?"
"Yes, I made it. Mother, go wash your hands quickly, let's eat." After saying that, Meng Zhao didn't even look at Gu Shi's surprised expression, and turned around to serve the rice.
The two children were quite perceptive and took the initiative to set up a table and bring over some stools.
When Shen Qinghe and Madam Gu sat down, the food was already laid out. Neither of them touched it, and the two children didn't dare to eat first either. Everyone sat quietly.
Meng Zhao was the first to break the deadlock. She used her chopsticks to put a piece of meat and a piece of bamboo shoot into Gu's bowl and said, "This meat was given to me by my mother, and the bamboo shoot was bought in town. They are both very fresh. Please try them and see how they taste."
Just moments ago, Madam Gu was quite nervous. When she saw Meng Zhao take the initiative to pick up some food, she realized what was happening, picked up her chopsticks and put some in her mouth, saying, "Okay, okay, Zhao Zhao will eat too, Zhao Zhao will eat too."
Seeing that his mother and sister-in-law had started eating, Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu couldn't help but pick up some food and start eating as well.
It smells so good! The pork belly is rich and flavorful, fatty but not greasy. One bite and your mouth is filled with fragrance. Then take a bite of bamboo shoots, which are crisp, sweet and tender. Every bite is a satisfying crunch.
Spicy stir-fried potato shreds, expertly knifed, each shred is roughly the same thickness, crisp and tender to the bite. The aroma of the potatoes combined with the spiciness of the chili peppers is perfectly balanced. Served with rice, the flavor is fragrant and rich, making it irresistible.
The Gu family and their twins were so engrossed in the delicious food that they had no time to think about anything else. Only the male protagonist, Shen Qinghe, had been silently observing his sister-in-law ever since he returned from chopping wood.
Shen Qinghe raised his head slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the woman in front of him, giving her a strong sense of oppression.
This woman is vulgar, lecherous, and selfish. She secretly eats all the good food herself, as if letting others smell it would be a loss for her. The eggs she gave up this morning were already unbelievable, let alone the food she has now.
Meng Zhao couldn't pretend not to see such a hostile gaze.
However, she also realized something today. If she were facing the future Chief Minister Shen from more than twenty years later, she would naturally have no choice but to be humble and subservient. But now he is only fourteen years old. Even if he is ruthless and vicious, his fangs haven't even grown yet.
She's mentally a generation older than him, so there's nothing to be afraid of.
Thinking of this, Meng Zhao straightened his back and looked back. Their eyes met, and they both saw intense hostility in each other's eyes.
Shen Qinghe was the first to look away. He hadn't figured out the other party's purpose and conspiracy yet, so it wasn't the time to tear off the mask.
Seeing Shen Qinghe continue eating, Meng Zhao breathed a slight sigh of relief. He hadn't expected a fourteen-year-old child to have such sharp eyes, as if he had the ability to see through people's hearts.
Everyone at the table was focused on eating the food in front of them. Even Shen Qinghe, who was preoccupied with his own thoughts, had a bright look in his eyes when he took his first bite.
This was indeed the best meal he had ever eaten. Although he had eaten all the ingredients before, the perfect cooking time and the just-right seasoning made the simple ingredients taste exceptionally delicious. By the time he realized it, the rice in his bowl was already empty.
This made him quite embarrassed. He clearly felt that the other party had ill intentions and suspected their motives with the worst possible thoughts, yet he ate all the food they had prepared and even wanted to have another bowl. It was really wrong of him.
To ease the awkwardness, Shen Qinghe had no choice but to take the initiative to clean up the dishes and chopsticks after everyone had finished eating, and quickly escaped.
Seeing that someone was tidying up, Meng Zhao didn't take on any work. Instead, he walked around the yard to digest his food and started thinking about the small business he was going to start.
After much deliberation, Meng Zhao decided to sell boxed lunches. Most of the people who ate near the dock were laborers who moved goods and boatmen who hauled cargo. They were mostly ordinary workers who could afford low prices. They were mostly men who had large appetites and needed meals to be served quickly, which perfectly matched the target audience of boxed lunches.
Moreover, based on her observations today, she did not find any competitors of the same type.
Once the route was decided, Meng Zhao began to consider the possibility of implementation.
In terms of manpower, with our own head chef and the help of the Gu family chefs, there shouldn't be any major issues.
In terms of basic conditions, one stove in the house is definitely not enough; two more need to be built.
There's an old flatbed cart at home that we used to haul grain. It's still usable, but it needs some modifications to solve the transportation problem.
Summer is slowly approaching and the weather is gradually getting warmer, so there's no need to worry about the food getting cold when we get to town yet.
In terms of funds, the original owner left behind about seven or eight taels of silver, which was enough for the initial investment. Thinking of this, Meng Zhao expressed her gratitude to the original owner in her heart. If it weren't for this silver, she was afraid she would have been unable to move an inch.
Thinking about the original owner's family's fate, I can't help but feel a little sad. Now that I've taken over the original owner's assets, I should also help her shoulder her responsibilities. I need to find time to meet the original owner's parents.
It's unclear whether there are any strict requirements for setting up a stall at the dock, or how much the stall fee is. I'll have to find out more next time I go to town.
After roughly figuring out his ideas, Meng Zhao prepared to tell the Gu family about them. Since he had decided to do business, he would definitely need the Gu family's help.
The male protagonist and the twins had already returned to their room. Meng Zhao found Gu Shi, who was tidying up the chicken coop, and said, "Mother, I have something I want to tell you. Can we talk in my room?"
"Ah, okay, I'll go as soon as I'm done packing. You go back to your room first." Gu was uneasy, wondering what Meng Zhao was planning, but she couldn't refuse to go. So she slowly walked to Meng Zhao's door and gently knocked.
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