Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Choose the only one...
When you get older, you always want to save money, even if your family is rich, you still want to save some.
Besides, with so few people in the family, the ice they stockpiled was enough for the winter. She hadn't realized this until Yun Shi told her. It just so happened that they had an ice cellar, so they could store some for summer use and even make ice cream.
After hearing this, Sun nodded and took out another fifty taels of profit from the shop and asked Lin Qiuran to buy ice.
She had money, too. Lin Qiuran gave her a monthly stipend, and she bought everything expensive, leaving her with little to spend. Sun Shi didn't feel bad about giving the money away, but then she thought about how she had happily spent fifty taels on ice. Those fifty taels would have been enough to buy a house in Yu'an before, and they probably would be enough now. She lived a truly carefree life.
When she returns to Yu'an, she can have a good talk with Yu Xinghua.
It's really amazing.
Lin Qiuran accepted the money, but didn't use it for ice. Instead, he bought some bird's nests to send to Shou'an Hall. "White bird's nest, red bird's nest, try them all. At your age, you should eat something delicious."
The summer breeze was hot and muggy, but the room was cool and refreshing. That night, Xiao Xun left work first, and Tang Yuan returned soon after.
He was all dirty, probably because he had played a lot in the academy. Lin Qiuran didn't urge him to change his clothes, otherwise he would have worn new clothes after dinner and then went out again, and his clothes would have been dirty again.
It’s hot in the summer, so people tend to eat cooler meals, such as cold noodles and cold dishes, which are the most refreshing.
The meals consisted of things like eggplant and cowpea, and they would make more braised dishes for the meat. Even though it was hot, the father and son still liked spicy food, and they would sprinkle chili oil on the mixed vegetables separately, giving them a hot and sour taste.
Nowadays, hot dishes such as braised pork basically do not appear on the dinner table. Lin Qiuran does not like them either. In addition, due to the harsh summer, he has lost some weight.
After dinner, Lin Qiuran went to the lake and watched Tangyuan practice martial arts. After practicing, he went to the lake to pick lotus flowers and lotus pods.
He swam in the lake like a fish, occasionally poking his head out.
Lin Qiuran didn't know when he learned to swim, but he already knew how to swim. Even though he knew how to swim, he still needed someone to watch him while he played in the water, otherwise he would get cramped and get into trouble.
Tang Yuan picked two lotus pods and swam over to give them to Lin Qiuran, "Mom, try some and see if you can eat them."
Lin Qiuran peeled and ate the lotus seeds by the lake. The seeds were sweet and refreshing. After a while, she suddenly remembered that if lotus seeds were edible, then so were lotus roots. In winter, we eat spicy hot pot, in spring and autumn, we make spicy hot pot, and in summer, we can eat spicy mixed dishes.
It's lighter and less oily than spicy hot pot. Tomorrow, I can ask someone to go see if there's any lotus root vendors on the street. The lotus root should be crispy for spicy hot pot, which is sure to be delicious. I can also buy some glutinous lotus root and make sweet-scented glutinous rice lotus root. Tangyuan doesn't like sweets, but Lin Qiuran and Sun love them.
After cooling down, it becomes sticky and sweet, and has a sweet osmanthus fragrance. It is so delicious.
The days are long in summer, and seeing that it is getting late, Lin Qiuran calls Tangyuan to come ashore.
Tang Yuan climbed ashore, holding something in his hand. He grinned at Lin Qiuran, "Mom, look what I caught in the water."
Lin Qiuran's face changed immediately. She saw that there seemed to be a frog in Tangyuan's hand. She could cook, but she usually asked others to deal with such living things. In the past, Xiao Dashi did it, and later Wan Niang and the cook did it. She had never done it herself.
Tang Yuan held it up to show Lin Qiuran, "Mom, look at me, I caught a frog."
Lin Qiuran had no idea whether it was a frog or a toad. She took two steps back and said, "Don't come over here. Throw this back and stay away from me."
Tang Yuan didn't quite understand, "Mom, this little frog is so cute, why don't you like it?"
Lin Qiuran was horrified, but fortunately Xiao Xun stopped Tangyuan in time and persuaded Qingwa to go back to his parents.
Lin Qiuran watched the frog fall into the water, still unsettled. "Next time, don't bring these things to me, or you won't be allowed to play in the water."
Tang Yuan was helpless, "Okay, okay, I'm just showing it to you. You are my mother, how can I scare you with it? You don't even have a little trust."
Lin Qiuran patted his chest and said, "Show this to your father. You don't need to show these to me next time. If you pick a flower, my mother might like it. Forget this."
Xiao Xun wanted to laugh, but when Lin Qiuran glanced at him, he immediately stopped laughing.
Tang Yuan sighed: "Okay."
Lin Qiuran: "Play by yourselves. These are not allowed to enter the main courtyard."
Tangyuan wanted to raise the cat in her own yard, but she didn't care.
Tangyuan: "Okay."
Tangyuan felt that Lin Qiuran was a bit of a spoiler, but there was nothing he could do because his mother was afraid of these things.
Lin Qiuran felt that the older Tangyuan got, the more mischievous he became, and the more independent he became. After training in martial arts and changing into clean clothes, he became the obedient and well-behaved little boy again.
Tang Yuan even came over to coax Lin Qiuran, "Mom, I'm sorry today. I shouldn't have shown you the frog without asking you."
Lin Qiuran patted his head and said, "Don't do this next time. I'll let you try something new tomorrow."
If they are delicious, we will serve new dishes to Sunji Malatang. The business of the shop is not so good in hot weather, but the wonton shop is not affected much because there are many varieties and many flavors of dry mixed dishes.
If there were spicy salad, Sun’s shop would definitely have better business.
Tang Yuan hugged Lin Qiuran, "Mom, you are so good to me!"
Xiao Xun said from the side: "Then I can also benefit from it."
Lin Qiuran smiled. The next afternoon, after finishing her work, she prepared to make this. It wasn't just a matter of simply cooking the spicy hot pot ingredients and mixing them with the sauce. First of all, the selection of ingredients was very particular.
After mixing, the dish is quite cool, and the colder it gets, the more you eat it. Some meats will have a fishy smell. Lin Qiuran removed the mutton and beef, and made beef balls. The whole piece of meat was repeatedly pounded, and then mixed with scallion and ginger water to remove the fishy smell. This way, the meatballs are tender and juicy.
After the meat filling is prepared, hold the meatballs in your palm and slide them into the water. They will become very chewy after cooking.
Beef balls, fish balls and shrimp balls are the meats we chose.
Summer is all about freshness, so dishes should be crispy and tender. Lin Qiuran chose potato and lotus root slices. The potato slices in the spicy hot pot were originally made of noodles, but coated in mahjong paste, the potatoes were soft and tender, and the sesame paste was salty and fragrant, making them delicious. But if the potatoes in the spicy hot pot were also made of noodles, they would become mushy over time. It was already hot, and the sight of a bowl of sticky food naturally ruined my appetite.
If you want crispy potato chips, you need to cut them thinly and soak them for a long time before cooking to remove the starch. It also tests the chef's skills and makes sure they are cooked thoroughly but not overcooked.
Even though it’s just a small shop, it still requires secret recipes and craftsmanship.
The lotus roots bought are divided into two types: soft and crispy. Lin Qiuran chose the crispy lotus roots, with lotus root slices of moderate thickness. He also chose crispy and tender mushrooms, as well as radishes and other ingredients. He no longer just put whatever he had.
The sauce is not like that of Malatang, which has more sesame paste. Malatang has more vinegar and chili oil, and the sesame paste is thinner so that it won’t be sticky at the end.
This has a richer taste than the cold dishes, and it has a more fragrant flavor. Moreover, with these meatballs, you can eat it with rice and steamed buns. Lin Qiuran's recipe tastes better than the cold dishes sold on the street, and the cooking time of each dish is regulated, which makes the taste even better. I can't stop eating this glutinous rice ball.
Lin Qiuran ate two fist-sized steamed buns made of fermented glutinous rice, two steamed buns made of milk, and half a bowl of spicy mixed soup. He liked the lotus root, potato slices, and beef balls in it.
Tang Yuan couldn't help but say, "Mom, these meatballs are delicious, they're chewy and not too choking!"
Lin Qiuran raised his eyebrows, "Well, eat quickly."
Tangyuan: "I can't eat it all by myself. Mom, Dad, and Grandma all eat it. Our whole family eats it. There are four left in the bowl, just enough for one for each person!"
Sun said happily, "Our Tangyuan is such a filial and good child."
Lin Qiuran ate a few more pieces of sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root, which can relieve the spiciness. It was made in the small kitchen in the afternoon and was very sweet.
He took a bite of the glutinous rice balls and stopped eating. After dinner, he played and practiced martial arts. In the evening, the sun was still bright outside, but he didn't feel hot.
Tangyuan thought summer was very fun. He could catch cicadas floating on the water, go to the farm to pick up duck eggs and ride horses during holidays, and at the farm he would dig peanuts and sweet potatoes from the ground and roast them to eat. He also tasted the cicada monkey.
It was quite delicious, with a bit of chicken flavor, but he didn't dare tell Lin Qiuran that he was eating it.
The summer breeze is hot, the cicadas are chirping, and every day is a good time.
It was a little hard at the college. It was very hot and many students couldn't sit still.
Although Tangyuan was sweating while studying, he was very serious. He didn't try too hard in the third exam, but still got first place.
This has happened three times in a row. Tangyuan wants to be more humble next time. The first one tastes good, so let others take the lead.
It's hot in the academy, so it's fun to go home. I can go to the farm to cool down during the monthly holidays. Tangyuan also hopes that the summer can pass more slowly.
In the summer, Xiao Xun went out for a few days because the emperor couldn't stand the heat and went to the Summer Resort, and Xiao Xun had to accompany him.
In early July, Yu An received a letter saying that two spices, Thirteen Spices and Fresh Mushrooms, were selected as tributes from Xuzhou this year. If the emperor likes them, he will definitely send them again next year.
By then, the spices would also become famous. As tribute, even if they were not sold on the market, they could still benefit from it. The emperor ate and used things that ordinary people could not have, but it would always be enough to make a difference, which would more or less affect the business.
Manager Xu said, "Young Master, you should prepare more stock. Otherwise, if business is good and there is not enough stock, your profit this month will be less."
This month's profit sent to Lin Qiuran was five hundred taels of silver, and another three thousand taels were given to her for stocking up.
There are more people in the mansion now, so she doesn't have to squeeze in time to do it like she did before.
Once the spices were bought and ground, she would mix them. The goods, worth three thousand taels of silver, were finished in half a month.
Lin Qiuran: "Well, tell your young master for me that business is important, but don't be too tired."
When doing business, there may be a backlog of goods, which may not be sold out after the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is risky, but the returns are also high.
The three thousand taels of goods will also have to be purchased from Xu Yuanheng, which will eventually turn into a profit of tens of thousands of taels. If the business is good, more investment will be made. In the end, Lin Qiuran will get a considerable amount of money.
Manager Xu smiled and said, "Hey."
After seeing off Manager Xu, Lin Qiuran returned to his room. He placed the profits in a cash box, keeping a separate place for Tangyuan. There were now two thousand taels of cash in the mansion, covering expenses.
There are also many house deeds and land deeds.
She never bought another farm because the emperor had already given her a lot of rewards. But in addition to the three food shops she opened, Lin Qiuran also bought three more, two of which she rented out, and she planned to open a branch in the other one.
Jindinglou has been open for more than half a year and business is very good. There are often no seats available. It is time to open a branch. After the summer, the weather will not be so hot, so Lin Qiuran plans to choose a good day around the Mid-Autumn Festival.
For the past six months, she'd been preparing for the branch, hiring people to teach them the craft and training the original shop's employees. Once the chefs had mastered their skills, they could open the shop. Recently, Lin Qiuran had asked Lin Ming to oversee the renovations. She hadn't been there, but she figured it would be almost finished.
The family’s assets have increased a lot since they first came to Beijing, and Lin Qiuran is also very satisfied.
She didn't clearly distinguish between public and private properties. There were only so many people in her family, and the deeds were all in her name, so there was no need to be so clear about the others. Otherwise, even if she knew, she would feel alienated.
Lin Qiuran went back to her room to rest for a while, and then she heard the doorman report that someone from the palace had come to give her auspicious clothes for the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet.
Try it first, and then change it if it doesn’t suit you.
The palace maids brought in a large box containing a Zhai crown, five pearl Zhais, and a pair of gold Zhai hairpins. Lin Qiuran felt heavy when he saw them.
In the other box was the auspicious dress, which was bright red and had cloud and phoenix patterns embroidered on it, which was very festive.
Clothes and crowns were all chosen according to rank. Lin Qiuran tried on the clothes first, then a palace maid helped her put on the crown. It was made to her measurements, and although she had lost some weight in the summer, it wasn't noticeable. The weather would get colder in a few days, so she wore thicker clothes so she wouldn't look too bulky.
Lin Qiuran accepted the clothes and the maid gave her some money as a reward. The palace banquet would be held on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and she would have to learn etiquette for a few days.
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