Cheng Yue went into the kitchen and looked at the things on the stove. She then understood why Chen Lin and the other two said the food was bad.
The oil and salt are the same as before. She looked exactly the same when she left. It's no wonder that cooking without oil and salt can't taste good.
Cheng Yue remained silent for a moment, thinking she would talk about them later. Then she took out three ribs, a piece of pork leg, a handful of pickled green beans, and a bunch of green vegetables from her space.
She's too lazy to buy meat every day now. She just buys a huge amount and throws it in her storage space. It won't spoil anyway, and she can just grab it whenever she wants to eat it. It's convenient.
Cheng Yue deftly picked up the kitchen knife and busied herself with the task.
Just as Chen Lin and his team were packing up the trays after selling out of braised food, they smelled a wonderful aroma wafting over.
Zhang Shaowen sniffed. "What is Aunt Cheng Yue making? It smells so good!"
"Anyway, it's meant to be cooked as meat, but why does it taste a bit sweet and sour?"
Chen Lin casually said, "I've never smelled this before, but my mom never cooks the same thing twice, and everything she makes smells delicious!"
Zhao Changyong and Zhang Shaowen stared at each other, both feeling that Chen Lin was getting a bit cocky; this was blatant showing off!
The three of them quickened their pace due to the aroma, their hands and feet trembling with hunger.
After they finished packing up, the food was served. Cheng Yue had made five dishes, which was just enough to satisfy everyone's cravings.
Besides sweet and sour pork ribs and minced pork with pickled green beans (two meat dishes), there are also garlic eggplant and cucumber salad (two cold dishes).
It's hot now, so having some cold dishes is just the right way to whet your appetite.
I also made a big bowl of steamed egg custard, using a full ten eggs.
Chen Lin and the others abandoned their inhibitions and "elegantly" picked at their bowls, eating and grinning foolishly.
Cheng Yue thought to herself, "Anyone who didn't know better would think they were three wolf cubs. They act like they haven't eaten meat in ages..."
After a swift and satisfying meal, all three of them let out a satisfied burp.
Chen Lin wanted to say something more, but seeing Chen An staring at him, he could only swallow his words.
Forget it, his dad's eyes are only on his mom. If he knew what he said about wanting his mom to cook for him every day, he'd definitely get another scolding.
After finishing his meal, Chen An began packing up. He had only taken two steps when Chen Lin exclaimed in surprise, his mouth agape, "Dad, when did your leg get better?!"
Wasn't his dad using crutches when he came in this morning? How come he can walk perfectly well after just one trip out? What's going on?
Chen An was speechless. "All you see is a table full of food. Where is your father in your eyes?"
Chen Lin scratched his head. It wasn't that he couldn't see it; his father had been sitting there the whole time. How could he be blamed for not noticing?
But the thought that her father's recovery would ease her mother's worries made her happy, and she exclaimed, "Dad, that's great! Your leg is finally healed!"
Okay, now he can help his mother with more chores!
Zhao Changyong was just as happy as Zhang Shaowen. Injuring a leg is no small matter, and it would be best if it could heal.
Especially Zhao Changyong, who himself is lame, naturally knows the hardships involved, and is naturally happy for Chen An that he is alright.
However, after the initial joy came a slight sense of loss. If he had received timely treatment back then, he wouldn't have become lame.
Cheng Yue keenly sensed Zhao Changyong's emotional change, but she didn't know what to say. Zhao Changyong had injured his bone, which had already delayed treatment, and it was probably beyond cure.
So they changed the subject, "Alright, we've finished eating. You can rest for a bit before you get back to work. We'll be leaving now."
I won't be coming over for the next couple of days; I'll be at home making pastries. You can discuss the shop's affairs yourselves; don't be hesitant.
She planned to visit a pastry shop to check out the market and see what kind of gift packaging people use.
When Cheng Yue said that, they knew that the pastry shop would be opening soon, and they were very much looking forward to it.
It must be just as thriving as the braised food stalls!
"Okay, we understand!"
After speaking, Cheng Yue and Chen An left first, inquiring about various pastry shops along the way.
Leaving aside the smaller shops, Yingguozhai, the largest pastry shop in the county, truly opened her eyes to all sorts of varieties and flavors.
Indeed, the wisdom of our ancestors should not be underestimated.
After walking around, Cheng Yue praised everyone she met. Chen An, worried that Cheng Yue would be discouraged, quickly comforted her.
"Ah Yue, what they make is indeed delicious, but it's definitely not as unique as what you make. I think your shop will do well."
The snow-themed biscuits that A-Yue made before tasted amazing.
They bought pastries from several vendors, and while the taste was indeed good, none of them were as sweet as the ones Ah Yue made.
Cheng Yue smiled and said, "Yes, we'll focus on one specialty, and I think business will be good."
The pastries others make don't conflict with the pastries she makes; their textures and flavors are different. What she wants to do is create something unique.
With so many modern desserts, any one of them could have given people in ancient times a sense of novelty.
Seeing that she was alright, Chen An continued, "As for the gift boxes, let me handle that. Not only do the magistrate want the braised dishes, but the pastries also need to be packaged in gift boxes."
He was so busy seeing the doctor that he almost forgot about this; carpentry is his specialty.
Cheng Yue nodded and said slowly, "Okay, but this is quite a lot. I thought since the county magistrate has started this, we might as well promote it."
The Dragon Boat Festival is just around the corner, and I'm sure there will be a lot of people giving gifts, so it's a good time to prepare some extra.
"Regarding what I told you about assembling a carpentry team, you can start preparing now. If you know anyone who can make cars, ask them; if not, you could take on an apprentice."
Chen An had the same idea, and immediately replied, "That's what I was thinking too, but it seems like no one in our village knows carpentry, so we'll have to take on apprentices."
"Okay, let's go back and ask around. You can choose a suitable one, so we won't have to find anyone else to build the house and make the furniture."
"I'll listen to you."
As they walked, Cheng Yue thought of something else: the Dragon Boat Festival was almost here, so why not make some zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and make another profit?
However, the original owner had never eaten zongzi in his memory. He didn't know if it was because he couldn't afford it or because it didn't exist in this era.
Cheng Yue could only ask Chen An, and also to sound him out, "I'm thinking of making some zongzi to sell for the Dragon Boat Festival, what do you think?"
Unexpectedly, Chen An said directly, "Zongzi? I've only heard of it, but I've never seen it. I don't know what it looks like."
I heard only wealthy families eat this. Ah Yue, if you know how to make it, you should try it! I'm sure people will buy it!
He knew about zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) only because he had heard of them when he helped build a house for a wealthy man; otherwise, he knew nothing about them.
Aside from supporting A-Yue, he couldn't offer any real help in this matter.
Cheng Yue had a better idea of what was going on. Although there were zongzi in this era, the flavors probably wouldn't be that many, at least not as modern.
She remembered there seemed to be a reed bed by the river in the village, what a coincidence!
The reed leaves were perfect for wrapping zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and there was also glutinous rice in the space—it was truly a godsend for her!
[The story is set in North China. The author used reed leaves to wrap zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) when he was a child. This may vary from place to place, so please don't worry about it.]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com