Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Customized dishes released...
It was already dark, but not completely pitch black. Today was the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and the moon was bright and high in the sky. The streets were quiet at the moment, as everyone in the county was at home having their reunion dinner.
Sun was worried, afraid the Xiao family would come looking for her again. She was also afraid that Lin Qiuran would walk home alone on this day of reunion, feeling lonely and distressed if he recalled something unpleasant.
She came over to answer the call and we could chat.
Sun said, "The meal is ready, and there's nothing else to do. It'll save you the trouble of walking back alone. Aren't you tired? Give me the food."
Lin Qiuran gave the cloth bag and mooncakes to Sun. She shook her head and said, "I'm not tired. I just made three dishes."
This is the easiest time to make money.
Sun nodded in relief, then looked at the item in her hand and asked in surprise, "Is this a mooncake?"
"Yes, the steward gave it to me."
Sun couldn't help but say, "The Xu family does things very respectably."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Mom, it's not the Xu family's intention. It's about taking care of everything. When you have money, you don't have to worry about these things yourself."
Although merchants were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, of all the families Lin Qiuran had visited, the Xu family was the most prosperous. Lin Qiuran didn't know what the county magistrate's household was like, but in Wang Zhubu's household, the wife of the mansion was in charge.
Lin Qiuran also met the two ladies several times.
But the Xu family was solely responsible for these matters, with a multitude of servants and maids. Lin Qiuran had never seen any of the Xu family members.
Even hiring someone from outside was the manager's idea, and sending mooncakes was also a natural choice. Lin Qiuran didn't think that a mere cook like her was worth the trouble of the higher-ups.
Sun smiled and said, "That's great. Are you hungry? Have a piece first."
Lin Qiuran said, "It's okay. Let's have a reunion dinner together when we get home."
Sun's meal was already prepared. She made braised fish and fried a few dishes, and placed fruits, mooncakes and other things on the table, making it a full table.
When the two came back, Xiao Dashi called out, "Come and eat!"
Xiao Dashi served the meal, Lin Qiuran and Sun went to wash their hands, and the family sat down to eat.
Xiao Dashi poured water for the three of them. He raised his glass with a smile and said, "Qiuran, I won't say anything. In the future, if Dad does something wrong, just tell us directly. Tell us what you want to do. The family will definitely listen to you. Don't worry about the old family. Next time, don't even let them in. Just tell us what you want us to do. Your mother and I will do our best."
Sun looked at Lin Qiuran, her eyes showing two parts of gratitude and two parts of love, "Yes, no matter what you want to do in the future, you can tell us, and we can discuss it as a family. It's okay to remarry. It's natural for the sky to rain and the mother to marry.
If you marry, we'll have another son-in-law. If you marry a son-in-law, we'll have another son. Don't take outsiders' words to heart. Your father and I don't want us, the old couple, and our child to be a hindrance to you. If there really is a suitable match, although we are older, we have met more people and can help you screen them."
Sun and Xiao Dashi also discussed it during the day. For them, it was a blessing that Lin Qiuran gave birth to the child. Lin Qiuran was still young, and Sun was also willing to let Lin Qiuran remarry.
While Sun was speaking, Xiao Dashi kept nodding beside her.
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but smile. "Mom, let's talk about the future later. I think things are good now. I can't go looking for someone just to get married. If I really meet the right one, I will consider it. Let's eat first. I'm hungry. You guys must be hungry too after waiting for so long."
Sun's Xiao Dashi kept saying they weren't hungry, but Lin Qiuran didn't believe them. He picked up a piece of fish for each of them and said, "Eat it quickly!"
She took two bites of rice first, then ate the vegetables. Sun's cooking had the taste of home cooking. It was standard, but Lin Qiuran inexplicably found it warm and delicious.
Sun picked up all the meat from the fish belly and gave it to Lin Qiuran. "Eat more. Fish is good."
Lin Qiuran took a bite and noticed that Sun had been looking at her. She praised, "Mom's cooking skills are getting better and better. In a few days, she will be able to cook and sell it."
Sun said embarrassedly, "It's not that good. Just like it. Eat quickly and eat more."
Lin Qiuran ate a lot in the evening, but the food was not as good as hers. However, the food Sun cooked tasted like home.
After dinner, Lin Qiuran didn't need to clean up. Sun even asked her if she wanted to take a shower. Lin Qiuran sniffed her sleeves and she said, "Go ahead."
Sun: "Then I'll boil some water. Tomorrow, ask your father to make a bigger tub. I'll measure you in the morning. It's getting cold, so you need to make new clothes."
She saw that Lin Qiuran's belly had grown a little bigger these days, so she made two sets of autumn clothes first.
Lin Qiuran nodded and said, "I'll get the money later."
I have been doing business for three days and went to Xu's house today. I have earned almost two taels of silver in the past few days.
Lin Qiuran: "Mom, let's make new clothes for both of you. I see yours and Dad's are old too. If you really can't bear to throw them away, make one for you two first so you can alternate."
Sun nodded, "By the way, what are you selling tomorrow?"
Xiao Dashi can also go shopping for groceries in the morning.
They have been sold for three days, and they are braised pork, stuffed meat with chili peppers and braised fish.
Lin Qiuran said, "Let's sell braised pork tomorrow."
She also wanted to change to other meats, such as chicken, but this was not suitable for take-out. After stewing several chickens, the meat and bones of each part would be different. If Sun served it out, someone would definitely find someone who had fewer chicken legs or more chicken feet.
To save yourself the trouble, just don’t do it.
Since the braised pork is selling well, let's make this. Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, add ten pounds of meat and vegetables each."
Just wait and see how it sells first, and if it’s still not enough, add more. Lin Qiuran estimates that the business should be stable in the next few days.
After taking a shower, Lin Qiuran went to bed.
It rained at night. Lin Qiuran heard the sound of rain in the middle of the night and felt cold, so he closed the window before continuing to sleep.
The next morning, the ground was wet, but the sky was clear.
Seeing that they could set up the stall, Xiao Dashi went to buy meat. The two of them still prepared the dishes before calling Lin Qiuran to get up.
For breakfast, Lin Qiuran had a bowl of steamed egg custard and a mooncake.
After all, Wufangzhai is more famous, the red bean paste is more delicate and not too sweet, and walnut kernels are added to the date paste, which tastes fragrant and not greasy.
But Sun thought the one Lin Qiuran bought was more delicious and sweet. "You eat that one. Your father and I will eat the one you bought. I really think the one you bought is better. The one you bought is too bland."
Lin Qiuran thought that although the family made some money, life was still not good.
When they have more money and more good things to eat and use, they won't find it so sweet anymore. But now, the family can run a business and sell the prepared dishes. Lin Qiuran will keep some, but they can't bear to eat them, and would rather sell more.
It’s good enough to be able to eat meat. I don’t eat snacks often, so naturally I think the sweeter the better.
Lin Qiuran knew it in his heart, but did not say it out loud. If he really forced Sun to eat, she would definitely feel more pain than happiness.
So today, Lin Qiuran saved some extra pork belly for lunch. After all, if you eat a little meat every day, you won't crave it so much.
The dishes were ready, and Sun and Xiao Dashi pushed them out to the street to sell. Lin Qiuran stayed home, sweeping the house and feeding the chickens. Near noon, a large cloud formed in the sky, and in the blink of an eye, raindrops as big as beans began to fall.
Lin Qiuran went back to the house to get an umbrella, but before he left, Sun and Xiao Dashi came back.
Their clothes were all covered with spots from the rain. Sun came into the house carrying something and said, "It was raining heavily on the street. I saw that we were almost sold out, so your father and I hurried back."
The rain came so quickly. Sun saw that the sky was getting cloudy and wanted to sell for a while, but the rain came down with a crackling sound. The vendors around were busy packing up their things. There was no one on the street, so they left too.
When I rushed back, the rain was light here, but the raindrops on the south street were bigger than beans.
Lin Qiuran looked at the bucket. There were only some vegetables left. All the meat had been sold. She said, "It's just right that I don't have to cook for lunch."
Sun smiled. She thought that was Lin Qiuran's good point: no matter what happened, he could always look at it from a positive perspective.
Sun: "Then I'll make two pancakes. Stop standing outside and come inside."
Lin Qiuran nodded and looked at the sky before returning to the house. The dark clouds gathered together, rolling in, and raindrops fell. It was just a little cloudy in the morning, but now it was raining. I don’t know when it will clear up.
If it rains again tomorrow, I won’t be able to set up shop.
Lin Qiuran went back to the house to count the money. He bought more meat today and earned more money than before, more than five hundred coins.
Xiao Dashi unloaded the bucket and looked up at the sky. "Damn it, I'll go back to the village when the rain stops. It's time for the harvest."
We have land at home, and even though farming doesn't make as much money as business, we can't just leave it alone. We have three acres of land in total, and the rice we planted this year is tax-free, enough for us to eat and sell.
Xiao Dashi can go back alone, and Sun also wants to go back to help. After all, the two of them can be faster and come back to do business earlier.
After Xiao Dashi left, she had a hard time pushing the cart, but she was also worried about Lin Qiuran being alone at home. Sun said, "Why don't you send some things to Aunt Yu's house and ask her family to help collect them. You can come back earlier, and we can make money faster, right?"
Aunt Yu has three men, but they don’t have that much land.
Xiao Dashi said, "Ask Qiu Ran."
Lin Qiuran was in charge of all household matters. They felt it was useless, and if their daughter-in-law felt that she could take care of it at home, she could do so.
Xiao Dashi was quite happy to farm. He was not as good at talking as Sun, so he would just push the cart over to sell things. Sun was the one who took care of the customers and weighed the dishes, and he would just stand by and collect the money.
Xiao Dashi prefers to deal with crops.
Sun knew it, but she had to take care of the family's livelihood, so she didn't want to rest. Didn't Qiuran cook every day?
She put her things down and said, "I'll go discuss it with Qiu Ran."
Sun asked whether to go back or find someone to do the harvest. Lin Qiuran thought about it and realized that it would take him a long time to finish the harvest, so it would definitely be better to find someone to do it.
She had even forgotten about the autumn harvest. The Xiao family had three acres of land, and Xiao Dashi had even said he wanted to sell the land.
Because Xiao Xun was exempted from taxes for five years, Lin Qiuran also asked, is it true that you don't have to pay taxes for farming or doing business? If you have land, you must farm it, but farming on your own is time-consuming and laborious.
Lin Qiuran said, "Let Dad go back and tell Aunt Yu and the others to help us collect the grain, whether it's by giving gifts or money."
It's okay to ask someone else, but I don't feel more at ease than Aunt Yu's family.
How much should he be paid? Lin Qiuran was a temporary worker in the city and earned ten cents a day. The wages were not high for a job that anyone could do, but helping was a favor and he couldn't just be paid for it.
Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, let's calculate it based on three days. The three members of the Li family are working, and we'll pay them thirty coins a day. Let's add a little and make it a hundred coins. Then let my father buy ten pounds of pork and send it over. The work is very strenuous."
Sun thought this was fine. She said, "If it doesn't rain, I'll go back with your father. Your father is not very good at talking, and I'm afraid I won't be able to deliver the food. Let's see if there are any vegetables left and bring some back."
I'll come back as soon as I'm done. Either this afternoon or some other afternoon when I'm busy, so I can sell the vegetables.
Lin Qiuran counted out two hundred coins and said, "Mom, if Aunt Yu doesn't want to, we shouldn't force her. We can just go home and collect it ourselves."
It will only delay two days of business, which is no big deal. What if Aunt Yu also has important matters at home? We can't force others.
Sun nodded, "That's right."
It was raining outside and there was nothing to do, so Sun stayed in the house to make clothes for Lin Qiuran. She had some good fabric at home, so she just needed to buy some more.
Lin Qiuran also paid for the materials, five hundred coins.
Since adding more dishes, I can earn more than 500 coins a day. Considering the stall, this is more than enough to earn.
For other small businesses, a day of one or two hundred coins is enough. The Xiao family makes a lot of money because they have a lot of capital and the food tastes good, so no one else on the street sets up a stall to sell these things.
The family's daily expenses are not that much, and they have been eating the vegetables brought back from Xiaojia Village. This time when the two of them go back, they can bring some back.
Most of the household expenses were spent on fruits, snacks, and clothes. The largest amount was spent on the moving day, totaling more than 800 wen.
Lin Qiuran didn't think it was much. After all, if he earned more than 500 wen a day, he could earn more than ten taels of silver a month. However, the weather was unpredictable. Just like today, he couldn't set up his stall. In the future, whether it was windy, rainy, snowy or extremely cold in winter, he would not be able to set up his stall.
I don’t know how many times I’ll be able to set up the stall in a month.
Lin Qiuran wanted to open a shop, but he didn't know if customers would still buy into such a business after the price went up.
No one asked her about the banquet these days. Now the family still had ten taels and fifteen cents in savings, more than a thousand copper coins, which she could exchange for silver someday to keep.
For Sun and Xiao Dashi, this amount of money was more than enough. Lin Qiuran also understood that life must be lived day by day and food must be eaten bite by bite.
But the days when you have no money are really frightening.
The rain stopped for a while in the afternoon, and Sun and Xiao Dashi hurried back to their hometown. When they came back in the evening, the rain started again. Lin Qiuran had guessed right that there were unpredictable events in the weather, and the rain did not stop until the next morning.
On a day like this, there weren't many people on the street. Even if they set up their stall in the rain, business wouldn't be good, and they'd be freezing in the rain for nothing. So they simply didn't set up their stall. Xiao Dashi went out to make bathtubs, and Sun stayed at home making clothes.
Sun also comforted Lin Qiuran, "It's okay, just take it as a day off."
Lin Qiuran could only think this way. By the afternoon, the rain had subsided a little.
Sun moved to the window to do some laundry. She heard someone knocking on the door. She opened it and saw a well-dressed man wearing a kerchief and a Taoist robe. He smiled and asked, "Is this Madam Lin's house?"
Sun nodded and called out to the room, "Qiu Ran, I'm looking for you."
Lin Qiuran came out of the house and was startled when he saw the man. "Manager Xu?"
Manager Xu smiled at Lin Qiuran and said, "I wonder if Madam Lin is available. I'd like to invite you to come over and cook. If it's convenient, we have a carriage ready. Don't worry about the wages. Here's the amount."
Manager Xu gestured with a number, which meant it was twice as much as that day.
Lin Qiuran made a prompt decision and said, "Please wait a moment. I'll go pack my things."
Lin Qiuran breathed a sigh of relief. Every time she thought she couldn't make any money, it would come. Could this child be the reincarnation of the God of Wealth? If he really was the God of Wealth, he would have been reborn directly into the Xu family, and they would have a fortune of tens of millions.
Lin Qiuran thought to himself, with one ounce of silver, even a table of dishes would be enough. After packing up, Sun wanted to go with him, but Lin Qiuran refused.
It's not a banquet, and there are carriages to pick us up.
Sitting in the carriage, Lin Qiuran asked who the work was for and how much it was for, and the manager answered all the questions.
Steward Xu said, "It's the Second Young Master's turn to eat today. At the family dinner the other day, the Second Young Master ate most of the dishes Madam Lin cooked. Tonight, the Second Young Master is having dinner at home, and Madam Lin will cook as she sees fit. We don't know the tastes of the masters either."
Lin Qiuran understood that this second young master was either favored or capable, otherwise the servants in the mansion would not care so much about him.
Cooking for someone like this is about quality, not quantity. It has to be delicious and look good too. Lin Qiuran has to put in more effort, so the higher the price, the better.
Lin Qiuran asked about his dietary restrictions and learned that the Second Young Master Xu did not like spicy food and would eat both freshwater and seafood.
Now is the season for eating crabs, so you can make some crab roe soup dumplings. It’s a bit cold today because it’s raining, so you can make some pearl jade white jade soup dumplings to drive away the cold and relieve fatigue.
This is called dumpling soup when it is made for Lord Zhao, but it has to be called something else when it is brought to the Xu family.
Whether or not Lin Qiuran likes to eat is related to whether the Xu family can make money again. She thought about it and felt that eating rich fish and meat might not be appropriate. She liked the shrimp balls stuffed with chili peppers that day. Since she likes to eat fresh river seafood, she can make shrimp pot stickers.
The Xu family kitchen was well stocked with chicken, duck, fish and meat. Lin Qiuran also saw some live mantis shrimps, which would surely taste better if cooked with them.
The other chefs were also busy, and Lin Qiuran chose what he needed and started.
First, make the pork skin jelly with broth, then add another pot to steam the crabs, mantis shrimps, and then take out the crab roe, crab meat and shrimp meat.
Lin Qiuran had initially worried about not having enough time to make the pork skin jelly, but the Xu family surprisingly had ice available. Summer was already over, and they still had ice. Their family was truly well-off.
After being busy from the afternoon to the evening, the other chefs had already prepared the dishes. Manager Xu came over to ask about it, and Lin Qiuran said, "We have to wait a while."
Manager Xu was waiting nearby. When the time came and he opened the lid of the pot, he saw several small steamers in the large steamer, filled with translucent white crab roe soup dumplings.
A steamer is as big as a bowl, and is filled with soup dumplings. Every fold on the dumplings is extremely even, and there are dozens of them, like a chrysanthemum in full bloom.
Lin Qiuran made a total of four crab roe soup dumplings, and when he opened the lid of the other pot, he found shrimp pot stickers.
In order to make it look more delicate and beautiful, this one is not so big, otherwise it would be more satisfying to eat. There are two mantis shrimps in one pot sticker, and the golden rice crust is a big piece. Lin Qiuran cut it into pieces.
Lin Qiuran put two on one plate, more would not do.
The dumpling soup looks simple but is actually not simple. It is served in a small white porcelain bowl as big as two hands. The dumplings inside are like pearls, and the vegetables are green like jade, and steam is rising slowly.
It really looks like there are pearls and gems in the basin.
Manager Xu had the maid serve the dishes first and paid for the meal himself. "Madam Lin, please wait a moment. I'll send this dish over first. If the Second Young Master enjoys the meal, there might be a reward."
There is still a lot left, and he has had a good time today.
Lin Qiuran thought it was okay to wait, so he waited in the kitchen for a while.
A quarter of an hour later, Manager Xu came in and said, "The Second Young Master is pleased and has given you a reward of one or two ounces of silver."
Originally, he gave Lin Qiuran two taels of silver, but this was the person that Manager Xu had sent for. He didn't do good deeds, so he couldn't give all the money to Lin Qiuran. He said, "It's still raining outside. I'll send a carriage to take you back later. If you're free tomorrow, come back and cook."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said yes. No matter whether it rains tomorrow or not, coming to cook will bring in extra income.
The Xu family was much more generous than Magistrate Li and was very happy to give the money. Perhaps it was because they were well-off and could not afford to spend a few taels of silver.
The carriage took Lin Qiuran home. Sun had prepared dinner and even boiled ginger soup. He had to go out to get rid of the cold.
Lin Qiuran drank ginger soup and told her that she would go again tomorrow.
Sun: "That's great! I only made a few dishes and you're getting so much money."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "It's just that he travels all over the country for business, and probably only comes back a few times a year."
To make money, you still have to set up stalls and prepare banquets.
That is to say, the weather is bad these two days. If it is too tiring to set up the stall in the morning, Lin Qiuran may not take it in the afternoon.
Sun said, "That's right, let's eat first."
For dinner, Sun bought some meat to stir-fry. Since it was a bit cold on a rainy day, she made scallion pancakes and egg soup. The scallion oil was still from Lin Qiuran's previous cooking. And, with all that, the food was delicious.
Lin Qiuran also made spice oil, which was made by frying spices in lard, filtering out the oil and storing it. Dishes cooked with this would taste better.
Sun also planned to make some buns with dough in the evening and eat them hot the next morning.
After dinner, Lin Qiuran still didn't need to clean up. Sun urged her to go back to her room and lie down. "By the way, the clothes are ready. Try them on to see if they fit you."
Sun: "First do one, then I'll do the rest later."
Lin Qiuran went back to the room and saw that the clothes were folded and placed on the bed. The top was apricot yellow and the skirt was emerald green.
There is no pattern, but it looks fresh and beautiful.
Lin Qiuran closed the door and tried it on. The shoulders and cuffs fit perfectly, leaving some room for her belly. She was only slightly pregnant, but not too big. After Lin Qiuran changed, she took a few steps to check it out. It also fit. She shouted to the outside, "Mom, it fits!"
Sun's voice, tinged with laughter, came in, "As long as it fits, it's fine. I've found a thick quilt for you. It's cold, so you should close the windows to sleep at night..."
Sun kept nagging, but Lin Qiuran didn't feel annoyed at all. "Okay, I get it."
The next day, the rain continued, and Lin Qiuran had no idea how long it would last. Fortunately, there was work to do, so the rain came and went.
Going to the Xu family would earn more money, and after the rain stopped, the vegetable business would be better. Lin Qiuran was resting at home. She planned to buy a few books in a couple of days so that she could learn to read in her spare time.
If you want to do business in the future, it’s not enough to just know how to cook.
Xiao Dashi was busy in the yard, digging two drainage ditches, while Sun was mending things in the house. In the afternoon, the Xu family's carriage arrived. This time, Manager Xu didn't come, so the coachman came to pick her up.
When they arrived at the Xu family, the carriage went directly through the side door and stopped at the stable.
Lin Qiuran remembered the way. As soon as she got off the carriage, she caught a glimpse of another carriage parked ahead. This one was even larger and more luxurious. After just a glance, the driver said, "Madam Lin, please move aside. The Second Young Master is here."
A group of people walked up the cobblestone path leading to the gatehouse. Lin Qiuran stepped aside and lowered her head. She came here just to cook, so she just had to do her duty.
Xu Yuanheng went out to do some work and came back in the evening. Just as he was about to get in the car, he caught sight of Lin Qiuran and paused. His gaze stayed on her for two seconds, "What is this?"
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The author has something to say: Thank you for your support~[Panda Head][Starry Eyes]
Ask for irrigation~
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