Chapter 57: Stir-fried Chicken, Hot and Sour Pork Skin Soup...
Lin Xiahe had never really experienced what it felt like to be favored.
Lin Xiahe stared blankly for a long time as her mother handed her the silver bracelet.
“Your third sister said that this pair of silver bracelets, one weighs three taels and the other two weigh six taels, is something only you have.”
Madam Lin sighed deeply, "I know what she means. She can't say it herself, so she's letting me tell you. Keep it to yourself, Xia He. Your third sister is the quietest of the quietest, and the most sensitive. She also cares about you the most."
Tears the size of soybeans streamed down Lin Xiahe's face, one after another.
While wiping away her daughter's tears, Mrs. Lin said, "She cares about you, and you care about her too. This is the bond between you sisters. I'm really good at raising children; I've raised several well-behaved and sensible children like you."
She hugged her daughter and gently comforted her, "Okay, don't cry anymore, it won't make you pretty. You two sisters are just like me, so thoughtful. The more thoughtful you are, the more tiring it is for you. Xiahe, don't think so much. Tell your mother if anything is bothering you, and I'll stand up for you."
What if I do something wrong?
"How could that be? You're my daughter, I know you." Madam Lin patted her daughter's back; she truly couldn't bear to see her daughter get married.
But time flies, and before they knew it, it was Lin Xiahe's wedding day. Qiao Mianmian was still in charge of cooking that day.
As the Wang family's wedding procession arrived, Qiao Mianmian rushed into the house and hugged her fourth sister tightly.
"Fourth Sister, if anything happens to you, don't keep it to yourself. Remember to come back to us, okay? We'll pinky swear!" Qiao Mianmian's eyes were filled with tears.
Lin Xiahe asked what a pinky promise was.
Qiao Mianmian hooked her little finger with her fourth sister's, "It's a promise that can't be changed for a hundred years. We'll be best friends forever."
"Okay, best friends forever." Lin Xiahe had just cried, and now she felt like crying again.
Madam Lin rushed in, "Oh dear, don't upset your fourth sister. She finally put on the powder, and now it'll all come off."
She pulled her youngest daughter away and tossed her to Wangchun, saying, "Take your sister out; the groom has come to fetch the bride."
Lin Wangchun took her younger sister's hand and whispered, "Mianmian."
"Okay, Third Sister, we'll keep watch at the door." Qiao Mianmian had already instructed the kitchen to prepare the dishes; she wanted to watch Fourth Sister get married before cooking.
A short while later, Wang Chuang came over surrounded by his brothers. He took Lin Xiahe's hand and led her out step by step.
Qiao Mianmian rested her head on her third sister's shoulder, wiped her eyes, and then said with a smile, "Let's go, third sister, it's time for us to get busy."
Lin Wangchun was pulled into the kitchen by her younger sister, who assigned her the task of tending the fire.
Qiao Mianmian started cooking, first stewing the braised pork and other ingredients before stir-frying the vegetables.
With the increasing availability of bamboo shoots lately, the chicken soup that Qiao Jiawang used for his wedding has been replaced with bamboo shoot and pork rib stew, while the chicken is used to make stir-fried chicken.
The chicken has been cut into small pieces. Fresh chicken does not need to be blanched. It is directly put into the pot and stir-fried to render out the excess oil. Then, fermented bean paste is added and stir-fried to release the red oil. At this point, chopped garlic and ginger are added. The aroma of garlic and ginger is brought out by the chicken oil. As the chicken is stir-fried together, the chicken pieces quickly turn into a nice sauce color.
Qiao Mianmian poured half a bottle of cooking wine along the edge of the pot. After a sizzling sound, the cooking wine swirled up white mist, followed by the savory aroma of chicken.
Adding hot water and seasonings such as chili peppers, Qiao Mianmian covered the pot with the lid and skillfully moved to another pot to cook other dishes.
The stir-fried chicken needed to be stewed for half an hour. Qiao Mianmian calculated the time, and when she went over and lifted the lid, a rich aroma of chicken wafted out.
At this point, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce until it thickens and the flavors coat the chicken. Then it's ready to serve.
Qiao Mianmian tried a piece herself; the chicken was tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful.
"Third sister, you should try some too." Qiao Mianmian fed her.
Before Lin Wangchun could react, the chicken was already in his mouth.
"Is it delicious?" Qiao Mianmian looked at her third sister expectantly.
"Mmm, it's delicious. Mianmian, you're a great cook," Lin Wangchun praised.
Qiao Mianmian said with a smile, "This is all from practicing day after day. I also suffered a lot when you didn't see it."
She served the stir-fried chicken, and lastly, the hot and sour pork skin soup.
After drying the pig skin, it is fried in oil until it puffs up, then soaked in water to soften it. It can then be stir-fried or used in soups. The pores in the pig skin will be filled with broth, making it especially flavorful.
People in Lin'an like to eat sour and spicy food. In addition to pork skin, Qiao Mianmian also adds some yam paste, which makes the texture smoother.
Finally, top it with a generous amount of chopped green onions. Anyone who has had a drink or a full meal will want to have another bowl of soup when they see this dish on the table.
Qiao Mianmian made sure to leave a bowl of each dish, otherwise, with all the noise outside, there would definitely be no food left when the people in the kitchen ate.
"Third sister, it's time for us to eat." Their table was set up in the backyard, but there weren't enough chairs, so several people stood.
Qiao Mianmian first ladled out half a bowl of soup. It was sour and spicy, instantly whetting the appetite and making one feel much more energetic. "Hmm, the taste is just right."
At this moment, Li Shouye came over specially and said to Lin Wangchun, "You can eat in peace. Grandmother is holding Tao'er and sleeping."
He had already eaten and drunk quite a bit of wine, but thinking of his wife in the kitchen, he still came over to say hello.
"Don't drink anymore, or you'll get drunk and won't be able to get up," Lin Wangchun whispered.
"Okay, I won't drink anymore. Let Jiawang and the others drink." Li Shouye simply sat on the ground, staring blankly at Lin Wangchun, making Lin Wangchun feel embarrassed to eat. He then took Li Shouye back to the house first.
Qiao Mianmian laughed heartily as she watched. After the busy wedding banquet, the excitement eventually subsided and things returned to calm.
As night fell, Qiao Mianmian saw her parents come out after washing up. She yawned but didn't want to go back to her room to sleep.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Lin had finished her chores before washing up, and it was already quite dark. She sat down next to her daughter and looked up at the sky. "There's only a crescent moon tonight, hardly any stars. What's there to see?"
"I don't know what I'm looking at, I just don't want to go to sleep." As Qiao Mianmian spoke, she leaned closer. "Mom, why don't you talk to Dad and ask if you can sleep with me tonight?"
"You silly girl, you're not three or five years old anymore. What, you're already missing your fourth sister?" Madam Lin said with a smile, then sighed as well. "Just wait, she'll be back in three days."
But when her daughter came back, she would be a guest. Lin felt a pang of sadness, and at that moment, she didn't want to go back to her room to sleep.
When Qiao Mianmian turned her head, she saw that Lin's eyes were wet, and teased, "You were just talking about me, but you cried yourself. See, I'm not the only one who misses Fourth Sister."
“Your fourth sister is diligent and capable, such a good daughter, of course I would want her.” Madam Lin snorted.
"Then when I get married, won't you cry your eyes out?"
Lin was amused. "You're a young lady, and your marriage isn't even settled yet. How can you say such things? Yes, yes, I'll definitely cry my eyes out when the time comes, okay?"
"No, please. You're crying too hard. What if I don't want to marry you and change my mind?" Qiao Mianmian hugged her mother's arm, feeling the warmth through the fabric. Her heart warmed, and she whined sweetly, "Please tell Dad that I miss Fourth Sister. Can you sleep with me for one night?"
She hugged Madam Lin tightly, "My dearest mother, the best mother in the whole world, you can't bear to see me tossing and turning in bed, shedding tears of loneliness, can you?"
"I know, you silly girl, you always know I'm soft-hearted. Let's go back to our room and sleep." Lin Shi got up, supporting herself on a chair. She had been running around all day and was exhausted, with a sore back and aching waist.
"Shouldn't we tell Dad?"
"What are you talking about? I've been married to him for so many years, can't I even make a decision on this little thing?"
"Okay, let me massage your back. You must be tired today." Qiao Mianmian took her mother's arm and led her back into the house.
Qiao Mancang, who was lying in the room, thought that Lin would refuse, but Lin didn't even think to say a word to him. He sighed and blew out the candle himself.
After a good night's sleep, the Qiao family's money-making progress couldn't stop. Even though they had just finished a wedding banquet, they still had to set up their stall the next day.
"We've been closed for two days already. If we don't go back to our stall soon, not to mention others, even Lord Lu and Qingjiu across the street will starve to death." While eating breakfast, Madam Lin said to her family with a smile, "Jiaxing, Qianqian, you go with Mianmian to set up the stall. I'll come over after Wangchun and the others go back. If we set up two more tables at home today, business will definitely be busier."
As she spoke, she looked at her daughter and son-in-law again, "Aren't you sure you want to stay a few more days? Wouldn't it be better to go back after Xia He's homecoming?"
Lin Wangchun said, "Yesterday, my aunt said that my father-in-law is sick, so we should go back first, otherwise we won't feel at ease."
Lin thought to herself that her sister-in-law was a real gossip. If Li Changshun was really seriously ill, her parents would definitely have told her. It was only her sister-in-law who spoke, and she was probably telling Wangchun. It seemed that the Li family felt that their son and daughter-in-law had been staying at their parents' house for too long and wanted to give them a heads-up.
However, she couldn't say this in front of her son-in-law. "Then go back. If anything happens, be sure to come and tell us. As for the business, next time you hunt a big game that you can't sell, bring it to the city to sell. Your father-in-law's stall will help you sell it, and the food shop can also help you sell it."
“Yes, Mother, I remember,” Li Shouye said.
"Since you're going back, go back as soon as possible." Madam Lin finished her porridge quickly. "The braised pork hock and braised fish I brought for you are for Shouye's family. They didn't come to the banquet, so it's good for them to taste the food. There's also homemade fermented bean curd and bamboo shoot cakes. Wangchun, you can take them with you too; they'll be a nice dish."
She had endless instructions, finding things for her daughter while giving her advice. Only after everything was packed did she see her daughter and son-in-law off, saying, "I'll go with you; I need to go to the market anyway."
From the Qiao family home to the alley entrance, it was only a few steps, and before you knew it, it was time to part ways.
"Um..." Madam Lin looked at her daughter, then at her son-in-law, and finally added, "Keep the business going. Be careful when hunting. Safety is more important than making money."
Watching her daughter and son-in-law walk away until they were out of sight, Lin turned and headed towards the market.
As Li Shouye walked away, he sighed, "This time when I came, I found that the people in your family are all more energetic. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I feel that they have a lot of hope."
“I felt it too. Mother said that after the family bought the house, she was in a good mood every day and only thought about paying back the money as soon as possible.” Lin Wangchun would talk more when he was with Li Shouye in private. “Give me Tao’er to hold.”
"No need, Tao'er is so young, she's too light to carry." Li Shouye looked down at his daughter in the swaddling clothes. The baby was sleeping soundly and didn't know they were talking about her.
On the other side, Qiao's Food Shop in the market was already full of people.
“Mancang, from now on, your family is not allowed to slack off during normal times. These past two days, since you haven’t come to set up your stall, my little grandson has been nagging me to eat your fried fish.”
“My wife is the same way. She asks me every day when Qiao’s Food Shop will open. Knowing it’s today, she made me come over early this morning to buy braised food.”
"Haha, I'm different from you guys, I want to eat this myself."
...
After the guests sat down, they all hoped their dishes would be served quickly.
Qiao Mianmian was busy all morning, and by noon she had mostly been cooking. Fortunately, she had prepared many of the dishes in advance.
Dishes like braised pork belly, pork ribs stewed with bamboo shoots, and sweet and sour pork ribs were also fried in advance. At first, Lin was worried that they wouldn't sell, but later, when they were always in short supply, Lin felt at ease letting Qiao Mianmian make them.
"Miss Qiao Wu!"
Qiao Mianmian had just finished cooking a braised fish when she looked up and saw Qingjiu waving at her from not far away.
Soon, Qingjiu ran up to Qiao Mianmian and said, "They tried your stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork and thought it was especially delicious. They came here today specifically to try your other dishes. I told them that everything you cook is delicious, and they can order whatever they like!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhao brought over six people. The smell of the food made them all swallow hard.
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