Chapter 14 Stir-fried Watermelon Rind
When Lin heard her youngest daughter call for plum juice, she ran into the hall with a "Oh dear!" Her words were laced with scolding, but she was also smiling. "You little rascal, you always mess up my things when I'm not home."
The bayberries were picked and dried by myself. Wild bayberries are very sour, so only by adding more sugar can the sourness be masked and the taste made more appetizing.
Qiao Mancang chuckled, "I'm tired from walking. Mianmian, get Dad a bowl of plum juice. Oh, and there's ice too."
Upon hearing that there was ice, Lin was genuinely distressed. "From now on, you're not allowed to buy things recklessly. Give me all your money. You, you don't know who you take after, always spending money like this. Where did you earn today?"
Here it is.
Qiao Mianmian knew that her mother was just nagging, but she wouldn't actually do anything to her. Now that she was used to it, she wasn't afraid anymore. "Count it, we made more than 800 coins today. I'm so good. Mother, Father is so good to you. As soon as he heard that bandits were coming to the city, he ran away as fast as he could."
At this point, Madam Lin blushed slightly and pushed her youngest daughter, "Go away, what do you know, you little girl? Go and cook, your mother is starving."
"Okay, okay, I don't understand. I only know that Dad cares about Mom." Qiao Mianmian finished speaking and ran away, shouting at the same time, "Second brother, put the watermelon in the well water to soak. It'll be ready to eat after dinner."
"You're not allowed to eat it today!" Lin said, pressing down on the watermelon as her second son approached. "What kind of landlords are we? Save it for tomorrow. We can even make a dish out of the watermelon flesh."
Qiao Jiaxing looked at the watermelon and swallowed hard. "Mother."
Qiao Mancang whispered, "Let the children eat it. It's the same whether they eat it tomorrow or today."
"You're so good at playing the good guy, how are we supposed to live?" Lin Shi had just finished speaking when she saw her mother-in-law also speaking up for her, so she had no choice but to let go of her hand. "Mother, please spoil them!"
After watching Lin enter the house, Zhang walked to her son's side and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with your wife? Is she unhappy about going back to her parents' home?"
“Wangchun is quite far along in her pregnancy. She lives in the same village as my in-laws, and my parents-in-law often visit her. My brother-in-law’s family is not happy about this and said some sarcastic things to Lin Shi when they saw her.”
If it weren't for Qiao Mancang, Lin might have argued with her elder brother and his wife. "Another reason is that she feels sorry for Wangchun. She doesn't have a mother-in-law at home, and her husband is a good person, but he's just like her, a bit dull. He still takes on all the housework."
Lin Wangchun used to be eager to do everything when she was in the Qiao family. She already had memories when she arrived at the Qiao family. She didn't have a good life with her biological father at first, and she was afraid of being disliked when she arrived at the Qiao family, so she started working with Lin Shi at a young age.
Qiao Mancang and Zhang both knew that Lin Wangchun was sensible, but children who are too sensible are often more likely to suffer losses, after all, her husband's family does not only have one son.
“Next time we go, it will be when Wangchun is about to give birth. Let Lin give her a few more instructions. We don’t want to harm anyone, but we can’t be too honest.” These are all children she watched grow up, and Zhang was reluctant to part with them.
Qiao Mancang nodded. He had been running all day and was sweating. He carried a bucket of cold water and went to wash himself.
In the kitchen, Qiao Mianmian was making dumplings with pork cracklings in the filling, which made them more oily and flavorful.
Lin Xiahe, who was standing to the side, saw Lin Shi come in and asked her sister how she was doing.
Facing her daughters, Madam Lin only said good things, "Her husband is not bad. Knowing that he was going to be a father, he not only cultivated wasteland near the house, but also often went into the mountains to hunt. As long as a person is a little diligent, he can live a good life."
"Is Third Sister happy?" Lin Xiahe was closest to her third sister because, like her, she was her mother's child with her ex-husband. The two had worked together since they were little. "I haven't seen Third Sister in a long time. After she gives birth, why don't I go and take care of her during her postpartum period?"
Madam Lin was indeed worried about her eldest daughter's postpartum care. She could send her second daughter, but her eldest daughter had other brothers, and she was afraid it would affect her second daughter's reputation. "Don't worry, we'll see when the time comes. If it really doesn't work out, I'll go myself. If the mother goes to take care of the postpartum woman, no one will gossip."
When the time comes, she can go back to her parents' home and cook for her daughter during the day. At worst, she can bring a couple more bags of rice back to her parents' home to shut her older brother and sister-in-law up.
Lin Xiahe hadn't seen her sister for a long time and missed her terribly. She thought she should go and take care of her, since her mother had to look after the whole family and couldn't stay away for too long. If her mother was worried about her reputation, she could stay at her maternal grandfather's house and help out with chores; then her aunt wouldn't have anything to say.
The mother and daughter were thinking the same thing and were both considerate of each other, so neither of them voiced their thoughts.
Qiao Mianmian has never had a child and doesn't know how to take care of people, but she can cook. "When my third sister gives birth, I'll go see her and make her some nourishing soup."
As she spoke, she finished making all the dumplings. She then scooped out the watermelon flesh, sliced the rind into thin pieces, stir-fried it with some chili peppers, and the green rind coated with oil looked equally tempting.
Qiao Jiaxing was the most eager to wait for the meal. As soon as the dishes were cooked, he immediately helped to carry them out. "Fifth Sister, the steamed buns with braised pork that you brought me have made everyone at the docks so hungry they're practically crying."
The Qiao family still ate two meals together, but around noon, Qiao Mianmian was really hungry. She couldn't resist cooking for herself, but she was too embarrassed to eat alone, so she pulled her older brother and sister to eat with her.
"Second brother, all you know is how to eat," Lin Xiahe said with a smile.
"Food is the most important thing for people. Of all things, eating is the most important. Fourth sister, eating is a very important matter." Qiao Jiaxing proudly carried the stir-fried watermelon rind out.
After Qiao Mianmian cooked the dumplings and brought them to the table, they began to eat.
The dumplings had thin wrappers and generous fillings. With each bite, the broth burst in your mouth. Qiao Mianmian ate one after another. Paired with spicy stir-fried watermelon rind, it was both appetizing and refreshing. She was already nine-tenths full.
"Grandma, I've had enough. You can eat by yourself." Seeing the dumplings her grandmother was putting on her plate, Qiao Mianmian quickly waved her hand and said she couldn't eat anymore.
“That’s not enough. Your second brother has already eaten three bowls, and you’ve only eaten this little. Be good, eat more. You’re still growing.” Zhang insisted that Qiao Mianmian eat more.
Qiao Mianmian had no choice but to eat it, but she left the table as soon as she finished, afraid that someone would put more dumplings on her plate.
Madam Lin laughed, "Mother, they're saving room for watermelon. You can eat it yourself."
"I...I want to eat watermelon too!" Qiao Jiaxing said impatiently, his mouth still full of dumplings. "We haven't bought a single one this year."
Lin was frugal and couldn't bear to buy a watermelon to eat. Her father had grown it himself, but he insisted that she pick the biggest one to bring.
Thinking of her aging parents, Lin felt guilty. She was already so old, yet her parents still worried about her. Before leaving, her mother secretly slipped her some money, saying that she had a hard life in the Qiao family, having only given birth to daughters, and was afraid that she would only tell them the good news and not the bad.
She was too embarrassed to accept her parents' money, and after refusing for a while, she finally got her mother to put the money away. The old woman worked hard growing watermelons and farming, but she barely earned a few taels of silver a year, and she used it all to support her younger generation.
"There will be food for everyone later," Lin said, and seeing that everyone had finished eating, she began to clear the dishes.
Qiao Mianmian really wanted to eat watermelon. After washing her hands, she took a bowl and spoon and sat on the stone by the door with her second brother to eat watermelon, while running her feet in the ditch.
The ditch was crystal clear, and the cool, refreshing water felt wonderful.
Just then, a matchmaker came out of the Wu family. Aunt Wu smiled and saw her off, saying, "I'm entrusting my Er Mao's affairs entirely to you. You must find him a good match. Here are some red dates for you to eat as snacks."
"Oh, you're too kind." The matchmaker smiled as she took the oil paper package. "Your son is a centurion, with such great abilities, so many families want to marry him into your family. Don't worry, I'll definitely pick the best one for you."
"My son is really amazing," Aunt Wu said with a smile, waving to the matchmaker.
The matchmaker left the Wu family and went to the Wang family. Not long after, Qiao Mianmian heard the widow Wang's shouting coming from the Wang family.
"My eldest son is a perfectly good person. You want him to become a live-in son-in-law? Dream on! How much money did you take from him to say such a despicable thing?" Widow Wang became angrier and angrier as she spoke. She was poor, but she never thought of letting her eldest son become a live-in son-in-law.
The matchmaker's face fell. "Look at the Wang family's situation. If a girl were to marry into your family, where would she live?"
“You say I handled things poorly, but I’m truly wronged. I’ve run around to every village in the surrounding area for your sons’ sake, and only now have I found such a suitable match. Think about it, your second son is already in his mid-twenties, right? As long as your eldest son marries into the family, they will give you a sum of money. Even if you can’t afford a new house, it will be enough for you to rent a place for your second and third sons to get married.”
"To put it bluntly, you're a widow, and your husband's family doesn't help you. How can you possibly raise five sons to get married and start their own families?"
The matchmaker was angry at Widow Wang's scolding, and she didn't lower her voice when she said this. Qiao Mianmian and Qiao Jiaxing were so engrossed in listening that they forgot to eat their watermelon and stared blankly in the direction of the Wang family.
In fact, the matchmaker was telling the truth. Widow Wang did laundry for others, raised some chickens at home, and her sons also worked.
However, housing prices in Lin'an are too high, making it unaffordable for many.
After the matchmaker's words, Widow Wang pursed her lips and couldn't say anything for a long time.
The matchmaker sighed, "You have five sons, you can support your parents in your old age without the eldest son. Why be so stubborn? That family are the village landlords, with abundant land, but they only have one daughter. If the eldest son marries into their family, he will have a good life from now on."
"Think it over carefully. They chose your family because they valued Dalang's good health and your chastity. Otherwise, there would be many other people who would want to marry into your family."
Widow Wang became a widow at a young age but never remarried, raising five children on her own, which was truly not easy.
Only she knows the bitterness in her heart.
That's precisely why she was so determined to find good marriages for her sons. Especially the Wu family, with whom she had a strained relationship, had produced a man named Wu Ermao who held the position of centurion; she harbored a deep resentment. If her son were to marry into the Wu family, wouldn't they laugh their heads off?
After the matchmaker left, Widow Wang shed tears, but when she thought of her second and third sons who could also be married, her mind wavered.
The sun was about to set, and the evening glow painted half the sky red. When Qiao Mianmian looked up, she could vaguely see the moon.
The watermelon in the bowl was empty. Her mother called out from the yard, "Mianmian, Jiaxing, come back quickly to wash up, it's getting late."
"Alright!" Qiao Mianmian patted her trouser legs, got up, put on her shoes, looked at the wild rabbit in the yard, and grinned as she approached her mother. "Mom, what should we do with this wild rabbit?"
Seeing her youngest daughter's eyes crinkle with laughter, Madam Lin knew what she was thinking. "I know you're greedy. Your eldest sister repeatedly told me not to sell it and to keep it for our own consumption. It's as if I usually treat you poorly and am reluctant to let you eat meat."
"You are the best mother, how could you mistreat us?" Qiao Mianmian hugged her mother and kept praising her, "In the whole alley, no, in the whole city of Lin'an, there is no better mother than you!"
"Get out of here, I know you too well." Madam Lin patted her youngest daughter playfully, though she was secretly pleased. "Add more side dishes to the stew tomorrow, understand?"
Qiao Mianmian responded loudly, "Okay, I'll listen to Mother!"
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