Chapter 3 Braised Pig Offal
"Mom, it smells so good!" Qiao Jiaxing, exhausted after a long day, kept swallowing hard after smelling the aroma of fish. "Is it really Fifth Sister cooking?"
Why doesn't he believe it?
Mrs. Lin also thought it was impossible. Her youngest daughter had never cooked before. "It's probably your grandmother who's cooking."
But when did my mother-in-law's cooking become so delicious?
In her memory, her mother-in-law's cooking was so-so, and her father-in-law had been fishing for decades, but she had never smelled such an enticing fish aroma.
Qiao Jiaxing couldn't resist and pushed open the kitchen door. When he saw that it really was Qiao Mianmian cooking, his eyes widened in surprise, and saliva dripped uncontrollably as he spoke, "Fifth Sister, how come you can cook?"
Snails are being stir-fried in a wok, the hot oil sizzling and releasing its aroma as chili peppers, ginger, and garlic are added. The red oil from the stir-fry coats the snail shells, making them look incredibly tempting.
Qiao Mianmian was busy cooking and didn't hear what her second brother said. After scooping out the snails, she saw her second brother at the door. "Second brother, wait a little longer. I'll cook some bitter bamboo shoot soup and then we can eat."
Qiao Jiaxing stared at the bright red snails, unable to look away, and followed his grandmother outside. "Grandma, the food smells so good today."
Zhang also thought it smelled delicious. At this point, she was still confused. When did her granddaughter's cooking skills become so good?
The entrance to the Qiao family's house is a small courtyard, while meals are eaten in the main hall. As long as the door is not closed, passersby can see what is happening in the hall.
Just then, the neighbors nearby were cooking. Some smelled the aroma of fish, and their appetites were whetted. They started discussing whose cooking smelled so good. "It's definitely not the Qiao family. Lin Shi is stingy with her ingredients. Her husband sells meat, but she's reluctant to use oil. Her cooking skills are probably the worst in our alley."
“But I heard Aunt Qiao say that they’re having fish today.”
"It's not just her family that eats fish; Chunsheng's family bought fish from Grandpa Qiao. But does Chunsheng's mother have such good cooking skills?"
The person standing nearby shook their head, unable to explain.
In other families, people were discussing where the fish-fragrant flavor came from. Meanwhile, at the Qiao family's house, after Qiao Mianmian cooked the bitter bamboo shoot soup, she blanched and braised the washed pork offal. She used spices her mother had hidden away, and she felt a little nervous as she added them. Given Lin's frugality, she would never use spices in cooking except for major holidays. But pork offal has a strong flavor, and it wouldn't taste good without spices.
She could only pray silently, hoping that her family members, after eating the braised pork offal, would say a few words in her defense so that Lin would not beat her.
After adding two pieces of hardwood to the stove, Qiao Mianmian carried the bitter bamboo shoot soup out. "Mother, has Fourth Sister returned yet?"
Lin Xiahe, who had just arrived at the door, heard this and happily ran in, "I'm back!"
"Fourth Sister, go wash your hands, dinner is ready." Qiao Mianmian placed the soup on the table.
Lin Xiahe was quite surprised to see that it was her younger sister serving the soup. "Fifth sister, why did Mother let you do things today?"
“It wasn’t me who asked her to cook; she insisted on cooking, saying she felt sorry for me after a long day and wanted to help with the household chores.” As Lin spoke, the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but turn up. “Look at today’s dishes; they were all made by your fifth sister.”
As she spoke, she took her fourth daughter's hand and led her to the backyard. "Look at you, you're covered in sweat. You must have run all the way back again."
"I just wanted to get back quickly so I could help you with something." Lin Xiahe, with a lively personality, followed Lin Shi to wash her hands with a smile, and asked curiously, "But when did Fifth Sister learn to cook?"
Lin said she didn't know.
After everyone sat down, Qiao Mianmian explained, "During the first month of the lunar year, I went to my maternal grandparents' house. Aunt Zhou from next door happened to be back. She works as a cook in a wealthy family and took a liking to me, so she taught me some techniques. Later, I watched my aunt and the others cook and memorized the steps. Come to think of it, today is my first time cooking. Everyone, please try it and see how it tastes!"
This was partly true and partly false. The eldest sister-in-law next door to the Lin family was indeed a cook, and she had indeed talked to the original owner about cooking.
The original owner wasn't interested in this, so after listening for a while, he left impatiently.
Aunt Zhou's employer is going to the capital to take up an official post, and she wants to go with him. Qiao Mianmian uses her as a perfect excuse; once she goes to the capital, she doesn't even know if she'll ever come back.
Lin remembered the eldest sister-in-law of the Zhou family. "So it was she who taught you. She was very capable. She was sold to be a maid at a young age, but later she found a foster mother and learned cooking skills, and gradually got to where she is today."
As she spoke, she picked up a piece of fish. The dark brown broth coated the fish, making it tender and fresh. The fish petals spread out automatically like flower petals. Before she could savor it properly, she swallowed it unconsciously, leaving only a hint of sweetness after the salty and savory flavor, which instantly brightened her eyes.
"tasty!"
Qiao Jiaxing took a bite and then shoveled rice into his mouth. "Fifth sister, you're so talented! Your first time cooking and it's already so delicious. Are you perhaps a reincarnated master chef?"
The others also picked up their chopsticks. Qiao Mancang liked to eat snails. Usually, when the Lin family stir-fried snails, they were stingy with the seasonings, so they always had a muddy and fishy taste. But today's snails were different. The first taste was spicy. After sucking out the snail meat, the rich sauce and tender snail meat burst into the mouth, instantly awakening the taste buds.
Qiao Mancang nodded repeatedly, "It really is delicious."
Zhang and Qiao Youfu were equally amazed. They were the oldest, and none of the dishes they had ever eaten could compare to the fish made by their granddaughter.
Zhang looked at her granddaughter with even more fervor. "Our Mianmian is so amazing. She learns so quickly. With such good cooking skills, you'll have a huge advantage when it comes to matchmaking. I wonder which family will be lucky enough to marry such a wonderful daughter-in-law like you."
"Grandmother, I'm still young." Qiao Mianmian ate the braised fish. Although the amount given to each person was not much, it was the best meal she had eaten since she transmigrated.
The Qiao family didn't eat fish and meat every day, even though Qiao Mancang sold pork; they didn't eat meat often. Housing prices in Lin'an City were rising year by year, and the Lin family had been gritting their teeth and saving money to solve their housing problem.
We have fish to eat today because Qiao Mianmian fell into the water a couple of days ago, and that's why Lin agreed to let us keep one fish at home.
"You're not young anymore. After your second brother and fourth sister's marriage is settled, it will be your turn." Madam Zhang was looking forward to her children getting married. When that happened, she would be at ease, and with a prosperous family, her life would be worthwhile.
In ordinary households, there's no rule about not talking while eating. Qiao Mianmian was thinking that she didn't want to get married so early. Marriage and having children were big issues in ancient times, so she had to find a good man, especially one who wouldn't allow concubines. Otherwise, she'd rather be an old maid for life.
She chuckled, placed a piece of fish on her grandmother's plate, and changed the subject, saying, "Eat more, you've lost weight."
Ms. Zhang was particularly pleased with her granddaughter's concern, feeling that she hadn't spoiled her granddaughter in vain, as she was so considerate and filial.
After the meal, the Qiao family finished all the soup at the bottom of their bowls, but Qiao Mianmian only ate about 60% full.
It was only then that everyone noticed the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen in the backyard.
Qiao Jiaxing, who had the biggest craving, asked, "Fifth Sister, what else did you cook?"
Qiao Mianmian glanced at her mother first, then said, "It's pork offal. It's the pork offal that Dad couldn't sell, so I braised it."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Lin was shocked. She ran to the kitchen, opened the pot lid, and saw the star anise, cinnamon, and other spices. She said with heartache, "You spendthrift! Do you know how expensive spices are?"
As she spoke, the broth in the pot bubbled and simmered, its dark brown color thickening and becoming more fragrant over time. Lin couldn't help but swallow.
The rest of the Qiao family who arrived looked at the pot of braised pork offal, and Qiao Jiaxing tentatively asked, "Can...can I try some?"
Lin came to her senses and looked at her daughter with heartache, but she couldn't bear to scold her most beloved youngest daughter, so she could only hold her breath.
Qiao Mancang stepped in to smooth things over, "It's fine if you used it, otherwise, with so much offal boiled in water, it really wouldn't taste very good. Mianmian is still young, she just wanted to help with some chores at home, she didn't think about whether the spices were expensive or not. Mianmian, you're just worried about your mother, right?"
With her father offering a way out, Qiao Mianmian quickly went over and hugged Lin Shi's arm. "Yes, Mother, I saw that so much offal would go bad if we didn't braise it, which is such a waste. Usually, Father would send it to the small restaurant, but today he didn't want it. I just learned how to braise meat from Aunt Zhou, and I was thinking of braising it all. Maybe we can sell it for money."
"Who would eat this stuff?" Madam Lin took a deep breath. Although she felt bad for the waste, her youngest daughter had already used it, and she couldn't very well beat her. It was a pity about all those big pieces of star anise she had been saving for Jiawang's wedding.
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin heard her second son say "Delicious!" from behind her.
"Mom, it's really delicious!" Qiao Jiaxing couldn't resist picking up a piece of pig intestine for himself. It was soft and chewy, and with one bite, the broth burst in his mouth, filling the air with a rich, savory aroma. "You should try it if you don't believe me. Fifth Sister's cooking is amazing, I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Jiaxing saw his father give him a meaningful look, so he quickly put down his chopsticks, shrank back, and retreated to his elder brother's side.
Lin looked hesitantly at the pork offal in the pot. It smelled delicious, but usually when she cooked it, it always smelled bad, and her family didn't like to eat it.
Seeing Qiao Mancang pick up a piece and hand it over, Lin tried a bite and was immediately amazed by how delicious it was.
Qiao Mancang exclaimed, "Father, Mother, you must try this! This is the first time I've ever had such delicious pork offal!"
Zhang and Qiao Youfu had been drooling for a while. After taking a bite, they found it so delicious that Qiao Youfu picked up his chopsticks and took several more bites.
Lin, standing nearby, said anxiously, "Since it's already cooked, I'll try to sell it tomorrow. It's better to get a few coins than nothing." She was afraid that everyone would eat as much as they wanted and finish all the offal in the pot.
"Mom, I'll go sell them." Qiao Mianmian shook her mother's arm and said, "I have nothing to do at home, let me go."
“No, you’ve never sold anything before. You wouldn’t even know if you got ripped off.” Madam Lin disagreed, but more than that, she was reluctant to let her youngest daughter go out and earn money. It was only because they, as her parents, were incompetent that the family was struggling to make ends meet.
Thinking about it this way, she felt very guilty.
Qiao Mianmian wanted to check the market situation, but Lin refused to budge. She clung to Lin and wouldn't let go until she finally managed to persuade her.
"Mom is the best! Don't worry, my pork offal is so delicious, it'll definitely sell out!"
"You're just bragging." Madam Lin smiled helplessly. Although braised pork offal was delicious, many people couldn't stand the taste. She was already calculating in her mind how many clothes she would have to mend to earn back the money she had spent today.
What Lin didn't know was that the delicious aroma wafting from the Qiao family's kitchen had whetted the appetites of many people, and the neighbors were all wondering who was cooking something delicious.
However, no one guessed it was the Qiao family, after all, the Lin family was known for their frugality.
There wasn't much nightlife at this time. After the Qiao brothers went to fetch water and returned, everyone washed up and went back to their rooms.
As soon as Qiao Mianmian and her sister entered the house, Madam Lin came and called Lin Xiahe away. After a while, Qiao Mianmian saw Lin Xiahe return with a blush on her face. "Fourth sister, did Mother arrange a marriage for you?"
"No, why are you looking at me like that? I really didn't! Fine, I'll tell you anyway, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone!"
Lin Xiahe pulled her younger sister to sit on the edge of the bed. Her sister was sixteen this year and worked in the embroidery room, doing cleaning and sweeping, occasionally secretly learning a little needlework. She looked more like her father; her skin wasn't as fair as Qiao Mianmian's, but her features were delicate and pleasing to the eye. After her coming-of-age ceremony, many people came to propose marriage. "Let me tell you..."
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