Chapter 280 Don't blame me
"Sister-in-law, you don't know that this stew soup is useless." Zhuang Mingliang replied with a smile, "It is said that the stew soup is best when it is old, and it is the most flavorful, but that is other people's stew recipes. Ours is different. Our soup can only be used for a month at most, and we have to change it, otherwise it will taste sour and the dried tofu will not taste good."
"I should have changed it yesterday, but I was busy at the tofu skin workshop yesterday, so I changed it today. I will prepare the new marinade soup in advance. I don't want to delay the cooking of dried tofu tomorrow."
"I see." Zhao suddenly realized and reached out to take the wooden spoon from Zhuang Mingliang's hand with a smile, "You are in charge of the yuba workshop and you have to be busy here. You must be very tired. Go and take a rest. I will do it."
"I'll also help you cook the stew later. Just follow what you tell me to do and I'll help you with some work."
"You've worked all night, sister-in-law, please go back and have a rest. I'll take over." Zhuang Mingliang refused to agree.
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just more work. We've been working here for so long. This work is not very hard, but the salary is good. Ning girl treats us so well, but she only changes this once a month, not every day." Zhao took the wooden spoon from Zhuang Mingliang's hand, "Don't worry about it, I'll do it."
"I'll help too." Qian on the side agreed, rolled up her sleeves, helped scoop out the broth from the pot, and together with Zhao, cleaned the big pot. Then, according to what Zhuang Mingliang said, they put in all the ingredients and cooked new broth.
The fire crackled in the stove, and the broth in the big pot was bubbling. Waves of delicious aroma wafted out from the cracks in the wooden lid.
"Don't mention it, this new stew smells so delicious." Zhao sighed.
"Yes, it smells much better than the old stew." Qian also agreed, gathering the firewood over there, and said to Zhao who was yawning, "You look so sleepy, there are still a few children at home who are waiting for you to go back and take care of them. You should go back quickly, I'll watch over here, and I'll go tell Mingliang when it's done."
"This..." Zhao hesitated a little, "Didn't we say before that at least two people should stay in this tofu shop, and we definitely can't stay here alone?"
"This man is dead, but the rules are alive. Go back and make some food for the children, and come back later. If anyone asks, I will just say that you are feeling unwell."
"He controls the heavens and the earth, but he can't control people. I think Ning girl won't say anything when the time comes."
After hearing what Qian said, Zhao nodded and said, "Okay, then you stay here and take care of it. I'll go back and take a look and be back soon."
"Go, go." Qian took the fire poker from Zhao and dimmed the fire in the stove.
Hearing Zhao's footsteps gradually fading away, Qian looked around as the tofu shop on the other side of the wall was also busy. She opened the lid of the iron pot and pretended to stir the soup in the pot with a large wooden spoon.
Seeing that there was no one around, Qian swiftly reached into her skirt, untied the rope tied around her thigh, and took out a bamboo tube as thick as a baby's arm.
Pull out the cork on top and pour all the broth in the wooden spoon into it.
Because of her panic, she didn't hold the spoon accurately and poured too much soup, so a lot of it spilled outside and even onto Qian's hands.
The boiling broth burned my hands red.
Qian didn't dare to make a sound, let alone make any movement. She just filled the bamboo tube, put the lid on, then covered the pot, and continued to light the fire as if no one was around.
The bamboo tube was filled with broth, and the outer shell was still hot. Qian didn't dare to tie it back to her leg, so she just hid it in the firewood pile, preparing to fetch some water later and chill it to cool down quickly.
After finishing all these, Qian's heart, which had been pounding, finally settled down a little. But when she glanced to the side, she saw Zhuang Qingning and Zhuang Mingliang standing at the door.
"Ning, Ning girl..." Qian was startled and stood up suddenly, dropping the fire stick in her hand to the ground. "You... when did you come?"
"Just arrived." Zhuang Qingning smiled, "Come and see if the stew is ready."
Since you just arrived, you probably haven’t seen it.
Qian's heart, which had been frightened to the point of her throat, calmed down a little. She grinned and said, "It should be almost done. Ning girl, check to see if the fire is hot enough. If not, simmer it for a while longer."
Zhuang Qingning opened the lid of the pot, looked at the boiling marinade inside, then smiled at Qian, "I'm afraid it will take a while longer. Aunt Qian has worked hard, so go back early. I'll just watch the fire."
As he said that, Zhuang Qingning went to take the fire poker that Qian had just picked up.
Qian's hand was dodged hastily as if it had been burned by a fire, and she was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
If Zhuang Qingning were to light the fire, he would definitely find the bamboo tube she hid nearby. But if she was not allowed to do so, what reason could she have to refuse? Qian couldn't find a reason for a while, but Zhuang Qingning smiled and said, "What's the matter?"
"No...it's okay." Qian waved her hands hurriedly.
"Are you really okay?" Zhuang Qingning asked again, this time with a more serious expression than before.
"It's really okay..." Qian didn't dare to look up at Zhuang Qingning, her head lowered.
Zhuang Qingning sighed slightly.
If you don't seize this last chance to confess, then don't blame her for being rude.
Zhuang Qingning reached out and took out the bamboo tube that Qian had hidden among the firewood. "If nothing happened, then what is this?"
Zhuang Qingning was too fast, and Qian was completely unprepared. When she realized that Zhuang Qingning had been caught red-handed, her face turned pale, "This... this..."
"Ning girl, this..."
Qian's legs went limp and she immediately knelt on the ground, sobbing, "Ning girl, don't blame me. I have no other choice. My father has been addicted to gambling recently and has lost all our belongings. He also owes a large sum of money. If he can't pay it back, the family land will have to be pawned to pay it back."
"This land is the lifeblood of our family. If we lose it, our family will have nothing to eat and drink in the future. I was thinking about paying the money back as soon as possible. Someone came to me and said that if I could find a way to get rid of Ning's tofu shop's stewed soup, I would get some money. Only then did I..."
(End of this chapter)
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