Chapter 51 Big Plate Chicken
Just as Qiao Mianmian saw two people appear across the hall, the crackling sound of firecrackers startled her and made her tremble.
As the smoke cleared, Qiao Mianmian heard someone saying goodbye to Lu Zhao. After watching the prefect's sedan chair leave, she walked out the gate and asked, "Lord Lu, I heard you've done something good. Did you catch some powerful person?"
She was purely curious; to have the prefect personally deliver gifts must mean one had accomplished something truly great.
As Lu Zhao stood at the door, just as Qiao Mianmian finished speaking, other neighbors swarmed over, chattering and asking Lu Zhao what merit he had made.
He couldn't keep up all at once; he opened his mouth several times, but the voices in the crowd still drowned him out.
Qingjiu stepped forward and shouted, "My master caught the spies and destroyed all their hidden agents. This is a great achievement! Our master is very capable; the prefect just came to commend him!"
This is not only Lu Zhao's achievement; for the prefect, such a major event during his term is a good thing for him.
In addition, the prefect knew Lu Zhao's background, which is why he made a special trip to reward him. It would have been difficult for him to personally visit anyone else.
"A spy? What does he look like? Is he from around here?" Widow Wang squeezed to the front.
Jin was still holding a kitchen knife, having just been chopping vegetables, when she heard the commotion and ran out. "Yes, where are you from?"
At this moment, Wang Dazhu smiled and said, "You women all claim to be spies, how could you possibly tell us anything in detail? But Lord Lu is truly remarkable, so young yet so capable. There are more and more talented people in our alley."
Jin scoffed and said, "You're such a flatterer."
“I’m telling the truth,” Wang Dazhu said.
Seeing that everyone was about to go astray, Lu Zhao stepped forward and said, "We can't go into details about spies, but don't worry, the security in our Lin'an City is still very good, so you can have a peaceful New Year."
Speaking of the New Year, Madam Lin asked, "Lord Lu, the end of the year is approaching, aren't you going home?"
As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Lu Zhao.
The people in the alley only knew that Lu Zhao came from Bianjing; they knew nothing else, and had never seen anyone from the Lu family come to their door. Could Lu Zhao be an orphan? Without any relatives or friends?
Lu Zhao remained as indifferent as before, saying, "I'm too busy with official duties to go back."
He smiled at everyone and turned to go inside.
Upon learning that Lu Zhao was not going back, Widow Wang sighed, "Lord Lu has it tough. He only has that loud-mouthed Qingjiu by his side. He must miss his family very much."
“Who wouldn’t want that? It’s the Lunar New Year, a time for family reunions.” Mrs. Jin sighed and turned to go home.
Chun Sheng's mother walked over to Lin Shi and whispered, "Lord Lu comes to your house for breakfast every day. Do you know what his family background is?"
Lin shook her head and said she didn't know. "I tried to get information out of her twice, but I couldn't." She was also curious to know, if the family was harmonious, her Mianmian wouldn't be engaged yet.
"It's really intriguing. He's so young, and he has attendants around him, so why doesn't he interact with his family?" Chun Sheng's mother said, pursing her lips. "Never mind, I don't dare to ask anyway. I'll go get him two sausages. Two grown men probably won't have any preparations for the New Year."
This was sent before; this is an extra.
Hearing what Chunsheng's mother said, Lin thought for a moment, then went home and cut a piece of cured meat, which she then had her eldest son deliver to her.
At this moment, Lu Zhao and Qingjiu were in the kitchen pondering what to eat today.
"Sir, how about we stir-fry some cured pork?" Qingjiu asked.
"You know how to cook?"
Qingjiu shook her head vigorously. "Then what should we eat? Eggs?"
Looking at the ingredients in the house, Lu Zhao felt that it would be a waste to have the two of them cook. "Let's just steam some cured meat instead, it's simple..."
Before he could finish speaking, someone outside shouted.
The master and servant walked to the front hall and found that it was Old Mrs. An, who lived alone across the street from the Xu family at the alley entrance.
"I wasn't paying attention while kneading the dough and made a little extra dumplings. Here, have a taste." Grandma An rarely went out. She was elderly and lived alone; she only went out to buy food and other necessities. A few months ago, when she went out to buy rice, the rice deliveryman sprained his ankle, and Lu Zhao carried the rice back for her.
From then on, every two weeks, Qingjiu would come to her door to ask if she wanted to buy rice.
Seeing the plump dumplings, Qingjiu said happily, "Thank you so much! We were just wondering what to eat today."
"No need to be polite. This old woman can't eat much by herself. You all take your time. I'll go back now." As Grandma An walked to the door, Qiao Jiawang and Chunsheng, who had also come to deliver the food, greeted her together.
"Lord Lu, my mother said you're not going home for the New Year, so I'll bring you some more cured meat." Qiao Jiawang placed the cured meat on the table, and Wang Dazhu came over to bring eggs.
The two men had just made eye contact when Da Hu, carrying a bamboo basket, followed by Er Long, who had short arms and legs, arrived to deliver pumpkins and smoked fish. "Lord Lu... Lord Lu, my mother said that I should take the bamboo basket back with me."
As soon as Erlong appeared, Wang Dazhu and the others saw him and came over to play with him.
Everyone in the alley was an acquaintance, and Erlong knew them all. He was amused and laughed.
In just a short while, Lu Zhao's table was filled with all kinds of food, all of which were gifts from his neighbors.
"Oh my chubby Erlong, want to come home with Uncle? Uncle will get you some sweet candy." Wang Dazhu was delighted to see Erlong. He was getting married at the end of the year and was hoping his wife would give him a big, healthy son soon.
Erlong shook his head, "I want to go with my brother." He was most attached to his brother.
“Your brother must have one.” Wang Dazhu held Erlong tightly and turned to look for someone. “Dahu, let’s go get some crispy candy together.”
Chunsheng was also going back. "Lord Lu, I'm leaving too."
Qiao Jiawang said, "Lord Lu, Qingjiu, my family is hosting a dinner party tomorrow. Both of you uncles are welcome to come. My parents have invited you to join us for dinner."
Upon hearing that he would be having dinner at the Qiao family's house, Qingjiu nodded without hesitation. However, Lu Zhao explained that he would be having dinner with his colleagues the next day. "Thank you for your kindness, but I am not free tomorrow."
"good."
Qiao Jiawang didn't think much of it and went home with the message.
Qingjiu frowned and asked, "Aren't we supposed to be at home tomorrow?"
"Why should we go and join in the fun when they're having a family meal? What kind of relative are you to the Qiao family?" Lu Zhao was sensible and had a good sense of boundaries. Seeing Qing Jiu's head droop, he pursed his lips and said, "Alright, we got the reward money, right? I'll take you to a restaurant tomorrow."
"Really? That's wonderful!" Upon hearing that they were going to a restaurant, Qingjiu's face immediately lit up with a smile. "You are the best master ever! I will follow you for the rest of my life!"
As the Lunar New Year approached, every household was bustling with joy and celebration. The next day, just as dawn broke, the Qiao family got up to slaughter chickens and ducks.
Qiao Mianmian didn't wake up that early. Her room was given to her third uncle and aunt, and she slept with her fourth sister today. She hugged her fourth sister and stayed in bed, saying, "Mom said that breakfast is provided by her. Let's lie down for a while longer. It's not easy to not have to set up a stall."
"That won't do!" Lin Xiahe was anxious. "When Uncle and Aunt arrive, they'll see if we don't get up and work."
"I didn't say I wouldn't do it, just a little later." Qiao Mianmian's arm was suddenly free. Seeing her fourth sister get up to get dressed, she still lingered, unwilling to get up. "Fourth sister, you need to learn to be lazy. You can't always rush to do everything. Otherwise, after you marry into the Wang family, you'll have three sisters-in-law. If you rush to do everything, they'll get used to it and make you do everything. Wouldn't you be exhausted?"
Seeing her younger sister whimpering as she hugged the bedding, Lin Xiahe smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Thank you for worrying about me, but your future fourth brother-in-law said that the Wang family will split up after we get married."
"Dividing the family property? Isn't Madam Wang still alive?" Qiao Mianmian remembered that in ancient times, people didn't like to divide the family property when their parents were alive.
Lin Xiahe combed her hair in front of the bronze mirror, then sat on the edge of the bed and said softly, "The Wang family has four brothers. Their house is a little bigger than ours, but it still can't accommodate so many people. Wang Chuang said that his three older brothers are all capable and have different personalities, and their three wives are also different. Right now, Madam Wang is in good health and can keep the younger generation in check. Plus, the eldest brother and sister-in-law are the most capable, so many conflicts don't arise. But in a few years, Madam Wang will get old and won't be able to keep her son and daughter-in-law in check. The children of the eldest son's family will also be grown up. Where will they find the energy to worry about their brothers' affairs?"
"Therefore, Madam Wang said that while the brothers still have a good relationship, they should divide the family property first and remain harmonious relatives."
Mrs. Wang's ideas once again amazed Qiao Mianmian. "She thinks so far ahead; most people wouldn't do that."
“Who says otherwise?” Lin Xiahe said. “So you don’t need to worry about me anymore. After we get married, I only need to take care of my own little family. As for you, next year when your sister-in-law joins the family, you will be of marriageable age and it’s time to learn some other housework.”
Qiao Mianmian shook her head, turned her back, and said she would work hard to earn money to support her maid. She didn't like any housework except cooking.
Seeing her younger sister like this, Lin Xiahe pouted helplessly. Before leaving, she still tucked the blanket around her sister.
In the courtyard, Mrs. He was slaughtering chickens and ducks with her mother-in-law, while Qiao Mancang was leading the men of the family to scrub the courtyard tiles.
With her family working enthusiastically, Qiao Mianmian lost her sleepiness and had no choice but to get up.
For breakfast, they ate porridge with pickled mustard greens. When the sun became warm and inviting, Qiao Manyu's family arrived. With so many people, Qiao Mianmian didn't have to do any of the washing or preparing of vegetables; she only needed to cook.
Yesterday, Mrs. He ate the meal cooked by Qiao Mianmian, and today she was looking forward to lunch. While Qiao Mianmian and her daughter went to the kitchen to cook lunch, Mrs. He complained to Mrs. Zhou in a low voice, "It's good that Mianmian learned to cook. In previous years, when we wanted to cook, my sister-in-law would stop us." But her sister-in-law's cooking was really not good.
Zhou was very understanding of Lin, saying, "Sister-in-law doesn't want us to work hard. With her cooking, we can rest a bit."
"That's true." Madam He and Madam Zhou hadn't seen each other for almost a year. They were a bit awkward at first, but after chatting for a while, they found their previous warmth again.
The chicken has already been chopped into small pieces. There are many people at home today, and if we stew it, there won't be enough chicken soup for everyone. Qiao Mianmian plans to make a big plate of chicken, with plenty of side dishes and noodles so that everyone can eat their fill.
The duck was even bigger, so after blanching it, it was slowly simmered on the stove.
"Mianmian, are you sure you don't need any help?" Lin asked.
"No need, Mother. All the side dishes are chopped. Fourth Sister can tend the fire." Qiao Mianmian first put the chicken fat in the pot to fry. After the chicken fat was almost fried, she added fresh chicken pieces, as well as fermented bean paste and other seasonings.
As soy sauce and cooking wine were added, an enticing aroma wafted out of the kitchen. Qiao Mianmian added hot water to the pot and waited for the chicken to simmer for about thirty minutes before adding the side dishes.
During this time, Qiao Mianmian used another pot to fry the sweet potatoes, planning to make candied sweet potatoes later.
When the sweet potatoes were almost fried, Qiao Mianmian ate one first. It was sweet even without sugar, but the sweetness was mild, and the original aroma of the sweet potato was more prominent.
"Fourth Sister, are you hungry? Would you like to eat some sweet potatoes first?" Qiao Mianmian asked.
Lin Xiahe had just said no, when Qiao Jiaxing came in with several cousins and interrupted, "Fifth Sister, we're hungry, could we have something to eat first?"
"Of course." Qiao Mianmian handed over a plate of chicken. "Have something to eat first. The chicken will be cooked soon, and we can eat right away."
"Mianmian, your cooking is so delicious." Qiao Jiacheng exclaimed again, "I wish I were my uncle's son." He wanted to eat at his uncle's house every day.
Hearing this, Qiao Manyu, who was standing at the door, came in, grabbed her eldest son by the ear, and dragged him out, saying, "What's wrong with you following me?"
"It hurts, Dad!" Qiao Jiacheng quickly corrected himself, "You're the best, I love you the most!"
"Who would believe you!" Qiao Manyu carried her son to the front yard, where her two brothers laughed when they saw her.
Qiao Manhua watched her son eating fried sweet potatoes and reminded him, "It's not mealtime yet, don't eat too many snacks."
Qiao Jiasheng picked up a fried sweet potato, wanted to eat it, but then put it down.
He went to the outhouse, sat on the ground, and could still hear his second uncle and Qiao Jiacheng arguing and laughing.
"Jiasheng?" When Qiao Jiaxing came over, he saw his cousin sitting on the ground and asked with concern, "The ground is too cold. Get up quickly, or your third uncle will scold you again."
"Brother Jiaxing, why don't you think my dad is like my eldest and second uncles?"
Qiao Jiasheng looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly today, and he didn't feel cold. "My eldest uncle praises all of you and trusts you all very much. My second uncle will scold Jiaxi and the others, but that makes them seem closer to him. My father is different. He just frowns and says this is no good, that is no good. I'll be eighteen after the New Year, but I can't even go to the garden by myself now."
Qiao Jiaxing hadn't expected it to be so outrageous. "Didn't you tell your third uncle and the others about your thoughts?"
"How should I put it?" Qiao Jiasheng sighed. "Every time I try to speak, their eyes meet mine, and I instinctively can't say anything. Sometimes I really want to find a job with a security escort agency, go away for six months or a year, and escape their control."
"You know that your third uncle and aunt care about you..."
“Yes, I know.” Qiao Jiasheng interrupted Qiao Jiaxing. “I’ve been complaining too much. Brother Jiaxing, you go ahead and do your work. I’ll go out and check on things, otherwise my parents will worry if they can’t find me. By the way, don’t tell anyone what I just said.”
Qiao Jiaxing then remembered that he needed to go to the outhouse, and ran into the outhouse clutching his stomach.
When Qiao Jiasheng arrived at the front yard, his father indeed asked him where he had been. He felt heavy-hearted and said, "I went to the outhouse, Dad. I'm a grown man, I won't get lost."
After leaving those words behind, Qiao Jiasheng followed the aroma to the kitchen.
Qiao Manhua sensed his son's dissatisfaction and frowned, gripping the teacup in his hand.
In the kitchen, the braised chicken was already cooked, the soup was orange-red, and chicken pieces and side dishes were piled up in it, the meat was stewed until tender and flavorful.
With a casual pick of her chopsticks, the mashed potato instantly split in two, leaving sticky bits of potato clinging to the chopsticks. She put the chopsticks in her mouth, and the spiciness and aroma filled her mouth simultaneously; Qiao Mianmian was very satisfied with today's braised chicken.
"Big brother? Second brother?" Qiao Mianmian called out towards the kitchen door, but Qiao Jiasheng came in. "Brother Jiasheng, go and tell everyone to get ready to eat. Can you take this plate out?"
"I can do it!" He's usually not allowed to do these things at home, and even when he came to his uncle's house before, his uncle and aunt wouldn't ask him to. Now that someone was asking him to do something, Qiao Jiasheng was quite happy. "How about I have both plates?"
Qiao Mianmian made a big pot of braised chicken, which was too big to fit on one plate, so she used two plates. "You can take one, and let my fourth sister take the other one."
After the braised chicken was taken away, Qiao Mianmian started stir-frying the sausage. The sausage made by Chun Sheng's mother was on the leaner side, so Qiao Mianmian added a little more oil.
When Lin Xiahe and the others returned, the sausages were already stir-fried, and Qiao Mianmian asked them to serve the duck soup.
"Let me do it, let me do it!" Qiao Jiasheng rushed to serve the duck soup, but burned his hand. He put his fingers in his mouth and frowned.
"Is it serious?" Qiao Mianmian put down the spatula and rushed over to check.
Qiao Jiasheng shook his head and said it was nothing. "It's just a little red, it's nothing serious. I'm a grown man, I wouldn't cry over something like this. I really can do it, can you let me do it?"
Seeing how enthusiastic Qiao Jiasheng was, Qiao Mianmian agreed.
Soon after, Ms. He and her family came over to serve the dishes, and quickly put them all on the table.
Seeing the table full of delicious-looking dishes, Qiao Jiacheng nudged Qiao Jiaxing's arm and said, "Brother Jiaxing, I really envy you! Mianmian's cooking is amazing!"
Looking at the large family reunited, Qiao Youfu happily raised his glass, "Come on, let's all have a drink together. Year after year, our family will get better and better!"
Qiao Manyu was the first to raise her glass and stand up, "Yes, we will all get better and better."
Qiao Manhua's gaze was fixed on his son's fingers, and he only stood up with his glass after being reminded by his elder brother.
The Qiao family set up separate tables for men and women. Qiao Mianmian liked to mix noodles with the broth from the braised chicken. She picked up a bowl of noodles for herself and then picked up some for her cousin, saying, "It's a bit spicy, Huanhuan, can you eat it?"
"I can do it, cousin." Qiao Huanhuan kept swallowing her saliva. She leaned close to her cousin's ear and whispered, "I'll tell you a secret. This morning, my older brother and I only ate half a bowl of porridge so that we could eat the dishes you made."
Qiao Mianmian was amused. "You like my cooking that much?"
"Yes, I really like it. When I grow up, I want to learn to cook too." Qiao Huanhuan looked at the noodles in the bowl and started eating them in big bites. Her mother reminded her to be mindful of her eating manners, so she ate a little slower.
The noodles were chewy and smooth, and coated with the rich broth of the braised chicken. Qiao Mianmian herself ate a whole bowl of noodles.
Just as the Qiao family was enjoying their meal, Qiao Jiacheng suddenly smelled a faint burning smell. He sniffed around and, after confirming it was burning, quickly said, "Mianmian, did you cook something in the pot? I smell something burning!"
Upon hearing this, Lin rushed to the backyard without a second thought, with Qiao Mancang following closely behind.
Qiao Mianmian looked puzzled. "No, I didn't cook anything."
"Then why does it smell burnt?" Qiao Jiacheng sniffed a few more times and indeed there was a faint burnt smell.
They have now bought the Wu family's residence, and the front hall for dining is far from the Wang family's, so they can't smell the Wang family's cooking.
Then it can only be...
"There's nothing...nothing cooking in the pot." Lin returned, panting heavily. "I was so scared, I thought the kitchen was going to burn down."
But she also smelled a burning smell. Following the smell to the wall, she instantly understood what was going on and said casually, "It must be that Lord Lu's cooking has burned again. It's alright, everyone continue eating."
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