Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Even if Lord Zhao really stays that long...
Wang Zhubu said, "Sir, Lin Qiuran is a widow. She lives in Xiaojia Village, which is far from the county town. I'm afraid it would be inconvenient for her to travel back and forth."
County Magistrate Li thought this was simple, so he asked Chief Clerk Wang to arrange a room for Lin Qiuran at the post station so that he could cook.
There were many empty rooms in the post station, so she was allowed to stay there for the next few days. Her wages were paid on a daily basis, and the post station provided her with three meals a day.
Zhao Jinshan did not say when he would leave Yu'an, and County Magistrate Li did not know exactly how long he would stay in office, but he would continue to do it.
Wang Zhubu came to the kitchen and told Lin Qiuran about this. "You can rest assured and stay here. You will be responsible for the adults' three meals a day for the next few days. They should eat at 3:30 in the morning, 3:30 at noon, and 3:30 in the afternoon. Don't be late."
Wang Zhubu glanced at Chen Cang again and said, "If you need anything, tell Chen Cang and have him go get it. If he's too busy, just help out. The dishes should be simple and delicious, without any extravagance or waste."
Lin Qiuran: "Yes."
Chen Cang was stunned. Wang Zhubu glanced at Chen Cang and asked, "Chen Cang?"
Chen Cang worked at the post station for three years and his skills were pretty good, but still inferior to Lin Qiuran's.
His job was the easiest, after all, people didn't come to Yu'an every day to do business. Even when people from higher up came, they sometimes went to the restaurant. He worked for a long time each month, but he could get a monthly salary of one or two taels of silver. It was a leisurely position with high pay and little work.
Furthermore, if someone from above came, the county would have more money to spend on their reception. But with just a few people, how much could they eat? Therefore, Chencang could still profit from it.
He has been a chef for so many years, but his cooking skills are not as good as Lin Qiuran's, so Wang Zhubu thinks he is just eating for free.
Hearing Wang Zhubu calling him again, Chen Cang quickly nodded, "Yes."
He couldn't help but wonder in his heart. Two days ago, his superiors said that a cook was coming. Chen Cang didn't take it seriously at first. He thought that the helper was just someone he came to help out. He also cooked for the adults in previous years. He didn't know what was going on this year. They insisted on hiring another cook.
He thought he would just do it for one day and then come back, so he was happy to have some free time today, but Master Wang told Lin Qiuran to stay there with peace of mind!
What's the point of Lin Qiuran staying? Who will leave after a while? Is he the one who will leave?
From now on, the job of the post station kitchen will belong to Lin Qiuran! Chen Cang didn't know how much money Lin Qiuran was paid to cook. Even if he didn't pay a penny, who wouldn't be happy to show up and stay at the post station in the future?
The post station is so small that they definitely won’t keep two cooks.
Wang Zhubu was in a hurry to go to the front, and left after saying this. Chen Cang gritted his teeth and thought, "How capable is he? He even orders people around."
Lin Qiuran glanced at Chen Cang. Chen Cang's face was not in good condition, as dark as if water could drip from it. His tone was also not good, "Madam Lin, just tell me what you need."
Seeing that he was big and strong and had a bad complexion, Sun felt scared.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Brother Chen, do you have any ideas for what to cook tonight? How about we discuss it together? I'm busy sometimes, and if I have to go home one day, the dishes won't taste the same, and you can still make them. The adults won't think that we at Yu'an are inhospitable."
If Chen Cang thought that she would stay at the post station to grab work, he was overthinking.
Lin Qiuran was paid four taels of silver a day here. If she stayed at the post station, there was no way she could be paid twelve taels of silver per thirty-day month. At most, she would only be paid one tael of silver. It was safe here, but she still wanted to start her own business, entertain guests, and earn money to buy a house. Even if it was a little tiring, it was better than working at the post station.
Chen Cang was stunned for a moment, stuttering, and his expression became much kinder, "This...you..."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "My mother and I are new here, so we have to rely on Brother Chen for the next few days."
She is pregnant, and if Chen Cang has bad intentions, it will be more trouble than it is worth.
Lin Qiuran didn't really want to discuss it with Chen Cang. She just wanted to tell him that she would leave in a few days and would not stay in the post station, nor would she take Chen Cang's job, so he didn't have to worry.
If Chen Cang was a smart man, he would be relieved now. If he was even smarter, he would watch carefully and learn well. Otherwise, the adults always disliked the dishes he cooked. Even if Lin Qiuran was not there, he would be fired one day.
The work at the post station was easy and the pay was high. If it was of no use at all, even if he was related to these adults, he would not be able to stay there for long.
Lin Qiuran heard that the county magistrate's surname was Chen, and how could an ordinary person find such a good place?
Chen Cang laughed twice and complimented him, "There's no need to discuss this. You're invited by Lord Li and his men, so your cooking skills are naturally better than mine. You decide what to make. If you need anything, just tell me directly. You can help yourself to the remaining dishes, otherwise they will go bad if left out for too long in this weather. But the adults should be the main focus."
Lin Qiuran nodded slightly, "Thank you for your help."
If Chen Cang came to ask her how to cook delicious dishes, she could tell him a thing or two and sell him some Thirteen Spices. If he didn't ask, Lin Qiuran wouldn't rush to tell him.
She said, "Let's make some cold noodles for dinner. It's hot right now. If the adults go out in the afternoon under the scorching sun, they're definitely not going to have much of an appetite when they come back."
Chen Cang said, "Just make the arrangements as you see fit."
He went to rest.
It was still early in the evening, and Lin Qiuran and Sun went to the room arranged for them. Each room in the inn was not big, but it was clean and tidy, and had everything you needed.
The bedding, kettle, and teacups were much more comfortable than the night at Wang's house.
Sun asked Lin Qiuran to rest while she went to fetch some water and boil some water. After finishing these, she went to the street to buy some fruit.
She didn't know how long she would stay. The post station provided accommodation and meals, but Lin Qiuran couldn't just rely on the post station for meals. Sun bought some watermelons and pears, and she still had some money. The change Lin Qiuran had given her from selling fish had accumulated to a few dozen coins over the past few days. Sun had no intention of saving any money for herself, and she was eager to spend it all on Lin Qiuran.
She also bought some snacks, but not many, just two of each, for fear that they would go bad if she bought too much.
Lin Qiuran took a nap, and when she woke up, Sun had already washed the fruit. "Qiuran, are you tired? Eat some fruit first."
Lin Qiuran blinked, "How much did it cost?"
Sun smiled and said, "I still have the money you gave me. I'll spend it first. If it's not enough, I'll ask you for more. By the way, how many days will we stay here? Should we tell your father and get some extra clothes?"
Lin Qiuran smelled his sleeves. He had been in the kitchen at noon and had just changed his clothes in the morning, but now they smelled of cooking fumes.
She said, "Mother, why don't you go back tomorrow morning and tell Dad, and bring me some clean clothes."
Because they were only cooking for one table, Xiao Dashi was not allowed to come along, and Lin Qiuran was afraid that he would worry at home.
Lin Qiuran initially had no idea how long the prefect would stay, thinking two at most, so she brought cooking supplies. But it looked like one or two days wouldn't be enough. Xiao Dashi hadn't even noticed that his hourly job had been reduced to a temporary one.
Sun asked, "Is one full body enough? What do you think? If I work for seven or eight days..."
How much money do I need to make to buy a house?
Lin Qiuran said, "Enough."
She lowered her head and said, "I guess it won't be that long."
If she really had to work for seven or eight days, that would cost her three taels of silver, just to pay a cook? Lin Qiuran thought that was unlikely.
Even if Lord Zhao really stayed for that long, Lin Qiuran couldn't stay that long. That would not be work, but making an enemy.
Sun nodded and said, "Then I'll make the cold noodles tonight. You can take a break."
Sun was worried that Lin Qiuran would get tired. Lin Qiuran knew what Sun meant, but she shook her head and said, "Let me do it. Just chop the vegetables for me."
What Sun made was a common dish, and Lin Qiuran wanted it to look like a home-cooked dish, but it tasted different.
When others make cold noodles, they often spend more time on the sauce and add more twists, which makes it taste good.
But Lin Qiuran felt it wasn't enough. She wasn't going to just focus on the stew; she wanted to put some effort into the noodles as well. She still had some broth left from the morning, so she could use it in chicken broth and noodles, adding eggs and mushrooms. The noodles would be chewy and flavorful, even on their own, and even better with the stew.
*
The sun sets, and even though it's August, it's still hot to go out in the afternoon.
Especially when Lord Li took Lord Zhao and the others to the canal and the embankment. The official road was still passable by sedan chair or horse, but by the river, it was all grass, so they had to walk under the scorching sun.
Fortunately, Lord Zhao was quite satisfied. "The levee has indeed been reinforced. It rained a few days ago, and the water level rose. The fertile fields downstream are safe, all thanks to you. Look at the clouds in the sky, there will be heavy rain in the next few days. We must reinforce the levee and dredge the ditches in the fields to prevent flooding of crops in the next two days. Even if it doesn't rain, we can't let our guard down. Okay, let's stop here for today and go back first."
The group was busy for the whole afternoon, their mouths were dry and their faces were sunburned.
Lord Zhao went straight back to the post station. He ate a lot at noon and had no appetite at night. County Magistrate Li also followed him. Normally, he should have gone back home, but he was worried that the food was not good, so he came to check on Anxin.
Of course, County Magistrate Li had his own selfish motives. The food Lin had cooked at noon was indeed better than what he had at home. He paid her a good salary, paid by the day, not by the person. If he ate more, he was saving the county money.
As soon as Magistrate Li and his entourage returned, Chen Cang rushed to the kitchen and said, "Madam Lin, they're back. Let's cook the noodles quickly."
Lin Qiuran: "Brother Chen, please bring this up first."
This is the sour plum soup that Lin Qiuran asked Chen Cang to buy in the afternoon, including dried plums, hawthorns, and tangerine peels. You must be hot and tired after being out for half a day, and this can not only relieve the heat but also stimulate your appetite.
Sometimes you don’t eat much because you have a poor appetite, and it has nothing to do with the taste of the food.
Lin Qiuran noticed that no one at the dinner table was drinking at noon. If they had important matters to attend to tomorrow, they probably wouldn't drink tonight. The noodles were salty and would go perfectly with the sour plum soup.
Chen Cang nodded. He had thought it through in the afternoon. Since Lin Qiuran would not stay here, he might as well take advantage of these few days to show up more often. He couldn't just do nothing.
Chen Cang brought the sour plum soup and poured a cup for each of them. Lord Zhao looked at the sour plum soup. It was served in a white porcelain cup and the amber color was very pleasing.
After being out for half a day, he was indeed thirsty. He took a sip, and the sweet and sour soup went down his throat, instantly relieving the heat and fever. County Magistrate Li also drank it, and it was sour and sweet, just the right taste.
There was no ice at the post station, so Lin Qiuran used well water to make some. It was cool but not icy, and refreshing.
Magistrate Li took two big gulps, which whetted his appetite. Now he was hungry, so he asked, "Is the food ready? Go and rush for it."
Chen Cang nodded, and just as he turned a corner, Sun came back with a large bowl of noodles, "There are also vegetables."
Chen Cang went to serve the dishes, a total of three kinds of stews and a plate of shredded cucumbers.
When the noodles and broth arrived, Sun served the noodles to the group. Each person received a large bowl, and after each bowl, she asked what kind of broth they wanted. Lord Zhao asked for diced cowpeas and pork, Magistrate Li asked for meat sauce, and another asked for minced meat and tofu—all the usual broths for cold noodles.
Except for adding more cucumber shreds and bean sprouts to the fried sauce, the rest can be directly stewed.
After serving, Sun filled the cup with sour plum soup.
After finishing these, she left. Chen Cang followed her out and said, "You and Madam Lin eat first. I'll just stay here and serve you."
Sun nodded and went back to the kitchen. Lin Qiuran cooked two more bowls of noodles. There were still some noodles left. Chen Cang had said that they could eat whatever they wanted of the remaining dishes, as they would go bad if they couldn't finish them. Lin Qiuran thought that since they had already cooked, he might as well make more so that they could eat cold noodles together.
The noodles were incredibly chewy and tender, unlike the crucian carp and tofu soup Lin Qiuran had made at home the previous time. They were much more refreshing. Mixed with the stewed broth, the noodles were truly delicious.
Chen Cang helped to cook sour plum soup in the afternoon and also took care of picking and washing vegetables. His attitude became much better, so Lin Qiuran made his own as well. However, this soup would taste better only if it was cooked right away, so Lin Qiuran was in no hurry to cook it.
Just keep the fire burning and you can come down at any time.
After waiting for a while and seeing Chen Cang not come back, Lin Qiuran decided to turn off the fire in the stove first. It was hot and the firewood would be wasted.
But just as she was about to get up, Chen Cang came running back in a hurry, "Madam Lin, there's not enough noodles. We need to cook some more."
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It's the end of the month, please give me some nutrition solution [Panda Head][Cat Head]
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