Chapter 21 Bonus Chapter - Requesting Nutrient Solution for Qiao's Food Shop Opening
Qiao Jiaxing's mouth watered as he listened, and the Qiao brothers, who happened to be passing by, also had their eyes light up.
"Mianmian, why is there such a feast at home today?" Qiao Jiacheng's mouth watered just thinking about it. "We used to have only two or three meat dishes at most, but this year there's so much. My dad said your business is doing very well, have you made a lot of money?"
Qiao Mianmian remembered Lin's words, saying that there wasn't much money. "If we had really made money, my family would have moved to a bigger house long ago. It was Grandmother who cared about everyone. She paid for the chickens and ducks and even asked Grandfather to save some fish for us."
Hearing Qiao Mianmian say this, Qiao Jiacheng nodded thoughtfully, "That's true, your family has a lot of people. My dad said that when Jiawang gets married, Jiaxing will have to live in the hallway, which doesn't seem like they've made much money."
He had just finished speaking when his younger brother nudged his arm. Before he could react, his brother asked, "What's wrong, Jiaxi?"
Qiao Jiaxi wanted to roll his eyes. Qiao Jiaxing was still alive, yet his brother was saying such things. He considered himself educated and couldn't possibly understand his stupid brother. Without turning his head, he walked away, saying, "It's nothing."
"Hey, you little brat, you've got an education, yet you have no manners at all!" Qiao Jiacheng felt humiliated and angrily chased after his younger brother, intending to teach him a lesson.
Qiao Jiaxing and his sister shrugged and whispered, "Jiacheng is nothing like our second uncle. He didn't inherit his silver tongue or his cunning."
Qiao Mianmian smiled and nodded in agreement. "Go and call Fourth Sister over. Tell her I asked her to come and help me cook."
At times like these, her two older sisters are always uncomfortable. Sometimes they have to help pour tea and water outside and are forced to listen to some unpleasant things.
Qiao Mianmian went to the kitchen first, and after a while her fourth sister came. "Fourth sister, can you help me light the charcoal fire on the stove? The chicken soup needs to simmer for a while longer."
"Thanks to you, otherwise Second Uncle would have kept nagging." Lin Xiahe felt exhausted listening to this, as if if she didn't get married soon, she would become an old maid and stay in the Qiao family for the rest of her life.
"The house has become so lively since Uncle came, it's a little too lively." Qiao Mianmian and her sister smiled at each other and started to get busy.
Qiao Mianmian first made braised fish, adding a little bit of aged vinegar before taking it out of the pot to enhance the aroma and flavor, and finally sprinkling some chopped green onions. She called out at the kitchen door, and her second brother immediately ran over to bring the dish, with Qiao Huanhuan following behind him.
“Cousin Mianmian, I can help too!” Qiao Huanhuan is several years younger than her two older brothers. At home, even Qiao Manyu dotes on her and doesn’t let her do much.
Upon hearing that she wanted to help, Zhou, who had rushed over, immediately said, "What can you do at such a young age? Don't break the dishes your cousin worked so hard to prepare. Mianmian, let me serve them."
"Okay, Auntie, could you serve me the chicken soup and ginger duck? I'll cook a couple more dishes, and then we can eat." Qiao Mianmian said as she washed the pot. She was cooking earlier today because her second uncle's family needed to be back before dark; otherwise, it wouldn't be safe in the market after nightfall.
After a while, the group split into two tables, one for the men and one for the women.
This was the first time Qiao Mianmian had cooked so many dishes since she transmigrated, and her hands were a little sore, so Lin Shi next to her massaged them.
"Mianmian, your cooking skills are amazing! This ginger duck is the first time I've ever had it. The duck meat is so tender and juicy, and it's so fragrant!" Even though they weren't eating at the same table, it didn't stop Qiao Manyu from talking to the women at the table. "And this fish is even better than what your second aunt and your mother make. No wonder your father wanted to set up a stall for you. Thanks to you, your second uncle is in for a treat today."
"Second Uncle, if you like it, eat more. I'll be happiest if you finish it all." As a chef, Qiao Mianmian feels a sense of accomplishment when she sees others finish their food.
"Fifth Sister, don't worry, we'll definitely eat it all!" Qiao Jiaxing loudly echoed.
Qiao Jiacheng nodded and said, "Yes, we'll definitely finish it all! This is the best food I've ever had, even better than a banquet. Grandmother, may I come and keep you company?"
Zhang chuckled and said, "You're just craving your cousin's cooking, aren't you?"
Qiao Jiacheng chuckled and nodded in agreement.
Qiao Youfu spoke up, "Aren't you an apprentice at the cloth shop? It's such a long way to and from work, why don't you stay at home?"
Of his sons, the second son was the most shrewd, and he preferred the more generous eldest son. Now that he's living with his eldest son in his old age, he'll likely favor him a bit more. Having another young son in the family means more money spent on food every day.
"Grandfather, I was just saying." Qiao Jiacheng's mind wasn't quick enough to grasp his grandfather's meaning. He turned to look at Qiao Mianmian and said, "Mianmian, come to my house another day. I'll pick some persimmons for you, and you can help my mother cook."
There's a persimmon tree in his yard. It'll be ready to harvest in the fall soon. The tree will be covered in golden fruit, it'll be a beautiful sight.
Qiao Manyu chuckled. "All you ever do is make people do things. Mianmian is a guest at our house, how can we let her do anything? When the persimmons are ripe, you can pick a basket and bring it over. Do you think your grandparents will skimp on your meals?"
Eating at home would mean having to prepare food for the guests themselves, so it's better to just send over the persimmons; they send some every year anyway. Qiao Manyu is very thrifty, so this is normal and not unreasonable.
Zhang replied with a smile, "Just send them over; it'll be more lively with more people."
“Grandma, I want to come too!” Qiao Huanhuan raised her hand, her mouth still covered with rice grains, her big eyes looking at her grandmother.
"Alright, alright, come on over." Zhang put some food on her granddaughter's plate and helped remove the rice grains from the corner of her mouth. "Your mother loves you very much. You're eight years old now, and I still pick out fish bones for you."
Zhou said shyly in a low voice, "Mother, Huanhuan is still young."
Zhang smiled but didn't say anything. Eight years old wasn't a little kid; when she was eight, she had to fetch water and collect tree branches. Fortunately, the children from the second branch were all polite, so she didn't say much more.
After the meal, everyone was completely full. Qiao Mianmian didn't wash the dishes; usually, Lin Xiahe would do it at this time. Today, Zhou Shi and Lin Shi washed the dishes together, while the rest of the family made tea and sat in the courtyard.
Qiao Mianmian sat next to her fourth sister and said, "The weather is so nice today."
"Yes, I wonder if Third Sister misses us?" Lin Xiahe misses her sister the most. Before, when her sister was at home, her sister would always help her, but she hasn't seen her sister for a long time.
"Of course I want to." Qiao Mianmian calculated the days. "In a few days, we'll go see Third Sister together."
The two sisters chatted intimately, and after a while, Zhou finished washing the dishes, and the family prepared to go home.
Qiao Manyu looked at her elder brother's family and said, "Don't bother seeing us off. We'll head back now. When the persimmons are ripe, I'll have Jiacheng bring them over. There are a lot of persimmons this year, so we can keep some for ourselves."
Qiao Mancang came out carrying meat. "Take this. I saved it especially for you. The children are all growing up. This is what I, as their uncle, want to show my appreciation."
Qiao Manyu declined, saying he was sorry, "Brother, you've had it tough too. Keep it for your family. We can manage if we cut back." Although he said that, when he saw Qiao Mancang handing the meat to his eldest son, he didn't let his son return it, and just kept saying sorry.
"We're brothers, no need for formalities. Hurry back, it's getting dark," Qiao Mancang urged.
Qiao Manyu nodded and led her family home. Their home was in another direction. Lin'an City was neither too big nor too small, and it would take more than half an hour to walk home.
After turning out of the alley, Qiao Manyu squinted and sighed, "Today I noticed that my older brother's family is doing much better."
"Really?" Qiao Jiacheng said without even thinking. "Mianmian told me that her family doesn't make much money. If they did, why doesn't Uncle move to a new house?"
They all knew that Qiao Jiawang was getting married next year, but the main house only had three rooms, which was not enough to accommodate everyone.
Qiao Manyu snorted at her eldest son, "You believe everything people say? You're such a waste of your brain. Look at Jiaxing and the others, don't they look much better?"
"And in the past when we came, was your aunt willing to cook so much food? If you ate a few extra bites of meat, she would frown. Today, did you hear her say anything like, 'Can you eat this?'"
"The meat in your hand must weigh at least two pounds, which is something we didn't have before. People only become generous when they have money to spare. Although I don't work at the market here, I've heard that Mianmian's braised food sells very well and has earned her family a lot of money."
Buying a house requires too much money; it's not like you're robbing someone. How can you possibly change your residence all at once?
As soon as Qiao Manyu arrived at her elder brother's house, she looked around. Although the furnishings were the same, the family's demeanor was very different. Before, her sister-in-law was incredibly stingy, always getting tense when money and food were mentioned. Today, when she gave her mother money, her mother returned it to her when no one was around. All signs indicated that her brother's family was doing better than before.
Qiao Jiacheng still didn't understand, "Then why did Mianmian say there wasn't much money?"
Qiao Manyu punched him disdainfully, "They just don't flaunt their wealth, what do you know?"
Zhou glanced timidly at her husband and muttered softly, "Could it be that he's afraid I'll borrow money?"
"You're overthinking it. My older brother isn't that kind of person. Even if my sister-in-law is stingy, with my brother around, she won't refuse to lend us money. My mother even returned the money to me and asked how my brother was doing. She told me to have Jiacheng go to her if we needed help."
Qiao Manyu sighed as she spoke, "If you make money and then go around telling everyone, do you think that's a good thing?"
Zhou hadn't expected that she had been so petty. Thinking of her eldest brother, who was seriously ill in bed, her eyes welled up with tears. "My eldest brother has had a hard life. He has never enjoyed any happiness in his life."
Qiao Manyu didn't like listening to Zhou's crying, so she turned to look at her son and said, "Take the meat to your eldest uncle's house. You've eaten enough at your eldest uncle's house today."
His brother-in-law was dying, but he was a good man who had worked hard all his life without enjoying much happiness. He couldn't help him with anything else, but he could only let his brother-in-law eat some meat before he passed away.
Qiao Jiacheng was a little reluctant. He had eaten his fill today, but he wanted to eat like this every day. However, seeing his mother wiping away tears, he still agreed and ran to his uncle's house.
As dusk fell, Qiao Mianmian and her family sat in the courtyard, drinking chrysanthemum tea they had sun-dried and eating festive cakes.
Some people gave her the festive cakes as gifts, while others bought them themselves. Qiao Mianmian liked the ones with mung bean and red bean fillings, so she cut them into small pieces so she could try each flavor.
"Fifth sister, I can't eat anymore." Qiao Jiaxing shook his head vigorously as he looked at the festival cake his sister handed him. If he could still eat, he certainly wouldn't have refused.
Qiao Mianmian was also full. "Fourth Sister, you eat."
Lin Xiahe also shook her head, "No, I'm also very full."
"Then you eat, big brother." Qiao Mianmian got up and went to her big brother.
Qiao Jiawang let out a burp. Although he couldn't eat anymore, he still subconsciously said "okay." But after just one bite, his stomach felt like it was about to burst, and he said with difficulty, "That's enough, I'm really full."
"Give me some." Qiao Mancang chuckled as he took the festival cake. "Your lives are much better now than when we were kids. When I was a teenager, my family could only afford two festival cakes. Each of us would only get a tiny bit, and before we could even figure out what they tasted like, we'd swallow them. It's nothing like how good things are for you now."
Lin nodded and said, "Back in the village, I had to work in the fields. In years of famine, people would strip the bark off the trees on the mountain and eat it."
Zhang's thoughts were also drawn back to the past. "It's good if we can eat tree bark. If there are no harvests for two years in a row, many families will have to sell their children. Once separated, they may never see each other again. Farmers hope for good weather, fishermen fear storms, and peddlers who go from street to street have to be wary of being robbed... There are 360 professions, and every profession has its own difficulties."
The elders reminisced about the past, and the younger generation listened quietly. After some time, when someone yawned from sleepiness, everyone dispersed and went back to sleep.
After the holidays, it's time to get back to busy life.
The Qiao family's food stall opened soon. The next day, after Qiao Youfu returned from catching his catch, Zhang brought a large carp to the Xu family and asked Xu Mingxuan to help her write a signboard.
Qiao Mianmian did not go with them, fearing that her family would think she was still hung up on Xu Mingxuan, and deliberately avoided suspicion.
Not long after, Zhang returned with a banner bearing the four large characters "Qiao Ji Food Shop". "Xu Tongsheng just went out to buy wine. It was written by his classmate surnamed Wang. He said he really likes our braised food. We can't let him help us for nothing. After we open tomorrow, Jiawang, find out where he lives and send him some braised meat."
Learning to read and write was extremely expensive, and most families couldn't afford to support their children's education. For example, Qiao Jiaxi from the second wife's family only studied for two years. It was only after Qiao Manyu earned some money during those two years that she considered letting Qiao Jiaxi learn a few characters so he could become an accountant later. But that was all; they didn't allow Qiao Jiaxi to continue his studies. As for the imperial examinations, that was unthinkable. Ordinary families in the city simply couldn't afford to send their children to take the exams.
Therefore, most people are illiterate, and they have to pay someone to write letters or signs, and even to read letters.
Zhang doesn't like to take advantage of others; if she receives a favor, she can't sleep if she doesn't return it.
Qiao Jiawang said he had remembered it, and then told Qiao Mianmian, afraid that he might forget it tomorrow.
“Okay, I’ll remind you tomorrow,” Qiao Mianmian said.
She planned to open a food stall early on, keeping things simple at first, since food in the market is too expensive for most people.
She has pork bones at home every day, and plans to use them to make broth. She'll make a bowl of noodles and a bowl of soup, which can be served dry or as noodle soup. The braised dishes can be eaten hot, stir-fried, or served cold. She'll also make some simple stir-fries, and once her reputation improves, she'll add more dishes.
Thinking about opening her food stall, Qiao Mianmian dreamed of counting money and woke up laughing the next day.
"Mianmian, what did you dream about?" Lin Xiahe yawned. "I just woke up and saw you grinning from ear to ear. Did you dream about eating something delicious or making a fortune?"
"Of course we'll make a fortune!" Qiao Mianmian stood up impatiently. "Fourth Sister, hurry up! Today is the first day of business. I've told many of our regular customers that if anyone comes, we can't keep them waiting too long."
She's full of energy now. After washing up, she didn't even eat breakfast before heading out to her stall with her older brother, pulling a handcart along the way.
Perhaps because she left early today, Qiao Mianmian ran into Lu Zhao and his servant as soon as she stepped out.
The four exchanged greetings. Qiao Jiawang didn't say much, just smiled. Qingjiu, on the other hand, was very familiar with them. "Fifth Miss Qiao, are you opening for business today?"
"Yes, it's the same old rule. We'll have a discount for the first three days after opening. Brother Qingjiu, how was the dish I cooked for Mid-Autumn Festival?" Qiao Mianmian was also an outgoing person, and she quickly started chatting with Qingjiu.
"Delicious, so delicious! I almost licked the bowl clean!" If her master hadn't stopped her, Qingjiu would have wanted to go to the Qiao family every day to learn cooking. Even if she didn't improve, just smelling it was wonderful.
"If you like it, you can come and support me. I'll be back at my original spot, mainly selling noodles and home-style stir-fries. I guarantee you'll have a good meal!" As she spoke, Qiao Mianmian herself felt a little hungry. Reaching the alley entrance, she added, "There's a discount for the first three days, come on over if you have time!"
Qingjiu hadn't eaten breakfast yet, but Qiao Mianmian's words had swayed her. Watching the Qiao siblings walk away, she looked expectantly at her master, "My lord, we've received our salaries, and since we're neighbors, and the Qiao family just opened their business, shouldn't we...?"
Seeing that Qingjiu stopped talking and just kept grinning foolishly at him, Lu Zhao could easily understand Qingjiu's little scheme.
Thinking of the dishes Qiao Mianmian cooked for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lu Zhao's Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously. "Okay, let's go and support her, alright?"
"Yay!" Qingjiu cheered, grinning from ear to ear. "You are the best, best master!"
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