After Ma Liu put the fish into the pot, good heavens, even Hou Diankui came out to smell the aroma. This aroma was different from that of meat; it was a delicate fragrance that he couldn't describe in modern terms.
Ma Liu himself couldn't resist tasting the soup. "My God, it's so delicious!"
Hou Diankui leaned against the doorway. "Sixth Prince, have you eaten in the palace before?"
Ma Liu shook his head. "At my level, how could I possibly eat tribute? I've only ever heard about it from others. Oh my, I never imagined that Qiao'er would have such a good meal. Tsk tsk, what a wonderful thing! No wonder it became tribute."
Qiao Jie urged from outside, "Is it ready yet? If it is, hurry up and bring it out. It's almost noon, and Old Gu is coming over."
Ma Liu put down the pot lid. "Almost done, almost done. Good food is worth the wait. There's also stewed fish. This time, I'll let you eat your fill. This stuff can't be kept for long, otherwise, I was thinking of feeding it for another two days."
Hou Diankui really understands: "These fish, once they leave that water, they definitely won't live long unless they're kept in the original water. It's a pity we don't know where we caught them."
"To be able to taste this in my lifetime is already more than enough."
Gu Hanting slowly returned while the two old men were discussing, followed by Jiang Weihan. The old man had caught a cold these past two days and wasn't feeling well, so he asked Qiao Jie to get some medicine and cupping therapy.
As soon as they reached the door, the two old men were drawn in by the aroma wafting from the kitchen. "What's that smell? I've never smelled it before, but it smells wonderful. Old Hou, what are you making? Is Liu Zi researching a new dish?"
Hou Diankui chuckled, "You've come at the right time. We're treating everyone to lunch today. We'll eat at home. Jiang Qiao brought back some fish. I heard they taste good. You should try them too."
Jiang Weihan really wasn't going to stand on ceremony with Hou Diankui anymore. "That's great, then I won't be polite with you guys anymore. I need to ask Old Qiao to get me some medicine. I have a cold, it's really awful. Getting old, it's really incomparable to when I was young—"
Hou Diankui replied with a smile, "I think you don't even need to take medicine. A sip of fish soup is better than any medicine."
Jiang Qiao had just finished receiving the telegram in her room. Song Shutian had already found out that Fang Yuejin's side was arranged by his old department head.
Jiang Qiao could understand Jiang Jinyu's thoughts to some extent, but she didn't understand Song Shutian's other sentence: after the New Year, he asked her to go to the capital.
I have no idea what this person is up to, since they didn't explain. With a sigh, I processed the telegram before finally leaving.
Qiao Jie was giving Jiang Weihan cupping therapy when he saw the old man's condition and exclaimed, "Oh, Grandpa Jiang, what's wrong with your health? Are you feeling hot?"
Jiang Weihan sighed, "I'm old and useless now. I caught a cold and that's why I had no choice but to come and visit your grandfather. I also wanted to catch a meal at your house."
Jiang Qiao pulled a bottle of medicine out of the box. "Here, take some medicine. A cold isn't a big deal. A little medicine will do the trick."
Qiao Jie sighed from the side, "Girl, do you have a bicycle and a sewing ticket?"
Jiang Qiao looked at Qiao Jie in surprise, "Don't we have this?"
Qiao Jie nudged his chin and said, "Your grandpa Jiang's grandson wants it. You old man, really, if you want it, you should just ask. Is it worth getting all worked up about? If we have it, we'll give it to you. If we don't, we'll try to find a way for you. You keep it all inside. Who knows what you're thinking?"
Jiang Qiao sat down next to Jiang Weihan with a smile. "Grandpa Jiang, you're too kind. You should have told me sooner. I have some here; wait, I'll get it for you—"
Not to mention tickets, she has everything from the county government, but she hasn't taken it out. There is a sewing machine in the house, which she brought back for her wedding.
He walked in with two tickets in his hand. "Here, these two tickets are for you, old man. You can give them to your grandson later. If you need anything, just let us know. If not, we'll try to get some from our colleagues. It's not a big deal. Don't keep it to yourself in the future."
Jiang Weihan sighed, "Girl, I don't want to keep it to myself either. But my daughter keeps nagging me, and as her father, there's not much I can do. I can't force my son and grandson to do things for her, can I?"
Everyone lives their own life, and I'm not confused. This is a complicated matter. If I were to ask for help, wouldn't that annoy my son and grandson, making them resent this old man for meddling in other people's business?
But after all, she's a daughter, and my grandson is a different person from me. I feel sorry for my daughter and I'm afraid the child will get upset. Because of this, my daughter-in-law is almost gone. I'm afraid the child will feel uncomfortable.
"Sigh, we're all parents now. When you have children of your own, you'll understand what Grandpa meant."
Jiang Qiao handed the ticket to the old man, saying, "It's not a big deal. Just take it without worry. If anything happens while I'm not around, just tell my grandpa, and I'll take care of it if I can."
Jiang Weihan patted Jiang Qiao's arm and said, "Grandpa Jiang won't say thank you. Good boy, with this, my illness is already half cured."
Gu Hanting smiled wryly from the side, "You should have said so earlier! Everyone should have come up with a solution. There are so many of you, what's the point of keeping it to yourselves? Alright, the matter is resolved, you should relax now. Have a good lunch, fish soup, I heard it's a good thing, drink plenty later."
Jiang Qiao got up and poured hot water for the old man. "Here, take your medicine. No matter how good the fish soup is, it can't replace medicine. Get well soon so my uncles won't have to worry about you."
In a better mood, Jiang Weihan had the energy to joke with Jiang Qiao, "Girl, you've finally gotten a car? Did your company provide one for you?"
Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "It's not exactly a car assigned to me separately. It's just a car that's been phased out. I can drive it for now. If it breaks down later, I'll have to pay for the repairs myself. It's just for convenience, since I travel back and forth between the city and the countryside. If something happens, I'm afraid I won't be able to get there in time."
The old man nodded. "Your workplace is good, but you have to be careful in the future. Don't risk your life like that. You're still young. This one time really scared us all. Don't be so frightening in the future."
Hou Diankui walked in and said, "That's right, this girl is just reckless and bold. She dares to rush into anything. Girl, don't sit here. Take some over to your Grandma Jiang. Grandpa Jiang told us to keep it at home so that the old lady can't go without a drink."
Jiang Weihan gave Hou Diankui a thumbs up, saying, "My brother is the best."
Unexpectedly, when Jiang Qiao delivered fish soup, there was a tail following behind her: Jiang Weihan arrived, and the accountant was also with him.
As soon as they entered the house, Jiang Qiao quickly helped serve the food. "Let's not rush to eat. Take your time. There's been a problem at the restaurant, and we need to go there to resolve it."
Hou Diankui's eyes widened. "What's going on? Is someone causing trouble?"
The accountant sighed, "We just got a call from the commune saying someone reported us, and people from the county came to investigate. We'll have to go there soon to resolve this, and I reckon the county town won't be able to escape us either."
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