Chapter 63 Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens, Buying Land
Thinking about the braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens, Qiao Mianmian asked her father to specially save a piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat when she set up her stall the next day.
She first soaked the dried vegetables in warm water. After blanching a whole piece of pork belly, she let it sit for a while until the surface moisture dried. Then she brushed a layer of soy sauce onto the pork skin, let it sit again, and then deep-fried it. This step requires quickly covering the pot with a lid, as letting it sit won't allow all the moisture to evaporate, and any water dripping into the hot oil will splatter.
Once you can no longer hear the crackling sound in the pot, take the pork belly out. At this point, small, even bubbles will appear on the skin, giving it a nice jujube-red color. Then you can take it out and slice it.
Season the meat slices with sugar and soy sauce, then place them one by one at the bottom of the bowl.
At this moment, people around the stall could smell the aroma of fried meat.
Qiao Jiaxing leaned over and asked, "Fifth Sister, what delicious food are you making again?"
"I learned how to make braised pork with preserved mustard greens from a restaurant, and this is my first time making it. I don't know if it will turn out well." Qiao Mianmian stir-fried the preserved mustard greens until they were dry, then added oil and minced garlic to stir-fry them until fragrant. Finally, she added some pork broth to make the meat flavor even richer.
After the preserved mustard greens are stir-fried, spread them evenly on top of the meat and steam them in a pot for half an hour. The meat slices will then become tender and flavorful.
Qiao Jiaxing praised, "Needless to say, what you made is definitely delicious!"
Seeing her daughter making such a fuss, Lin felt bad about wasting the money on firewood, but she didn't want to spoil her daughter's fun, so she went to the other side and decided to avoid seeing it altogether.
But as the aroma spread, Lin's curiosity was piqued. "Mianmian, how much longer do you need to steam your braised pork with preserved mustard greens?"
Some guests had already arrived and asked Qiao Mianmian what she was steaming in the pot, as it smelled so good.
"Mom, it'll be ready soon. It only needs to be steamed for half an hour." Qiao Mianmian then told the guests that it was a new dish. "It's the first time I've made it, so I don't know if it will taste good. That's why I haven't put it up for sale yet. If it's good, I'll put up a sign so that everyone can try it."
"Sure, we're looking forward to it."
"What you made must be perfect. My mouth is watering just smelling it. It must taste amazing."
"I also think that Miss Qiao's cooking skills are the best in this market!"
...
Qiao Mianmian started cooking for the guests. Qingjiu was a little late today and was covered in dirt.
Qingjiu said that when they were arresting people, they rolled on the ground and got muddy. "My family changed their clothes when they got home, but I'm too hungry to care about that, so I'll order some food first. Miss Qiao, what did you make? It smells so good!"
"It's a new dish," Qiao Mianmian said in a low voice. "I'll let you try a couple of pieces later, but don't tell anyone else, okay? It's just for you."
"Okay, okay, I won't say anything!" Hearing about the new dishes, Qingjiu smiled happily. After sitting down, he ate half a bowl of white rice to fill his stomach.
When cooking for Qingjiu, Qiao Mianmian cooked a little extra so that she could keep some for herself, thus avoiding the need for additional cooking.
She also stir-fried some shepherd's purse with eggs and some dried tofu with chives. My sister-in-law has been avoiding greasy food lately and can't eat anything too fatty or heavy, so she didn't use much oil.
After the two dishes were served, Qiao Mianmian went to open the braised pork with preserved mustard greens. At this moment, Lu Zhao arrived, and she put two slices of meat on Lu Zhao's plate for them, saying, "Try it, it should be alright."
Qingjiu took a big bite of the meat and was immediately amazed. The pork belly was not greasy at all, and the fat had the aroma of preserved mustard greens, making it very flavorful.
The preserved mustard greens, soaked in oil, are originally chewy, but after a long steaming process, every bite tastes like a different kind of meat.
"Miss Qiao, when are you going to sell this dish? I want to buy some!" Qingjiu exclaimed. "It's so delicious, I could eat a whole bowl by myself!"
Qiao Mianmian turned her head and glanced at the empty bowls on the table. It seemed that everyone liked the food. "We can sell it tomorrow. If you want some, I'll save a bowl for you. This dish takes time to prepare; it's not something you can have as soon as you order it."
"Alright, you must keep it!" Qingjiu was still not satisfied and wanted to drink more.
The Qiao family also liked it; even Hu Qianqian, who didn't like eating meat, ate a whole piece of pork belly.
When Qiao Jiawang saw this, he offered her his piece of meat as well, but Hu Qianqian said she couldn't eat it.
After the meal, the Qiao family began to pack up their stall, and Xu Kuan followed along.
Qiao Mancang asked curiously, "Why are you up so early today?"
"My son will be returning home from the academy soon as Qingming Festival approaches." Xu Kuan suddenly remembered something as he packed up his stall. He walked over to Qiao Mancang and whispered, "I have something I'd like to ask you..."
"Sure, it's no big deal." Qiao Mancang patted Xu Kuan on the shoulder. "Don't worry, my family won't say a word."
Back home, Qiao Mancang relayed Xu Kuan's instructions: "He wanted us not to tell Xu Xiucai about his stall business. Everyone remember that; he cares about his reputation and doesn't want his son to know."
Qiao Jiawang didn't understand, "I earn money to support my family, I don't steal or rob, so how is it shameful if Scholar Xu finds out?"
Qiao Jiaxing patted his older brother and explained, "Uncle Xu used to never have to do anything. He owned land and shops, so Scholar Xu could enjoy his studies with peace of mind. If he knew that his father had swallowed his pride and set up a stall, what do you think Scholar Xu would think?"
"What can I think?" Qiao Jiawang still didn't feel ashamed of setting up a stall.
Qiao Jiaxing shook his head and offered no further explanation.
Qiao Mancang said, "Just remember that, and don't meddle in other people's business."
Lin muttered, "Even if we don't say anything, there are so many people in the alley and in the market. He's been setting up his stall for so long, someone will eventually tell Scholar Xu. You can hide it for a while, but you can't hide it forever."
“That’s his business,” Qiao Mancang said.
At this moment, Xu Kuan was going door to door in the alley to explain, and although he was embarrassed, he still told each family.
When he arrived at the Zheng family's house, it seemed that the family members were arguing. He awkwardly finished speaking quickly and hurriedly went home.
At this moment, Zheng Ming's face turned bright red. After watching Xu Kuan leave, he told Jiang Shi to close the door.
He glared at his daughter in the corner, pointing at her for a long while, before lowering his voice and saying, "You're a young woman, how can you work as a delivery driver? Do you know how dangerous it is for a young woman to do this?"
Today, it was Old Mrs. Qiao who came to find them and told Mrs. Jiang that Zheng Sanhua wanted to do food delivery work. Only then did the couple realize that their daughter had gone to the Qiao family.
Zheng Sanhua squatted on the ground, indignantly saying, "Why can men deliver food but women can't? I'm strong and fast, why can't I go? Each dish costs one coin, and if I make four trips a day, I'll have enough money for rice at home."
"Why don't you know? If it were possible, why wouldn't the Qiao family agree?" Zheng Ming was furious and raised a broom, but Jiang Shi stopped him with her broom.
"What else could it be? You're used to being poor. We only get a little fabric a year, and we haven't had new clothes made in years."
Zheng Sanhua clenched her fists. "Don't you feel ashamed to let your daughter show her face in public? Can't you see for yourself? It's obvious you're turning down a lucrative opportunity so the whole family can continue to rely on you..."
"Sanhua!"
Mrs. Jiang shouted, interrupting her daughter.
Zheng Ming was so angry that his hands trembled. "You...you..." He couldn't speak anymore. He turned and went into the house, then came out again. "Keep an eye on her. Don't let her step out of the house, or I'll break her legs! Don't give her dinner tonight. She can eat again when she begs for mercy!"
Jiang was so anxious that she burst into tears. She couldn't persuade her husband, nor could she convince her daughter.
As night fell, Madam Jiang crept into her daughter's room in the dark, carrying a bowl of warm rice. "Sanhua, listen to your mother. Eat this bowl of rice and apologize to your father."
“I won’t eat it, I did nothing wrong.” Zheng Sanhua turned over, her back to her mother.
"Why are you so stubborn, girl?" Madam Jiang sat on the edge of the bed wiping away her tears. "Grandma Qiao said that food delivery requires going door-to-door and knocking on doors to ask for money. Who knows what kind of people we might run into? You're a young girl, a young lady at that. What if you encounter some bad people? How are your parents supposed to live?"
Zheng Sanhua sat up. "If anyone bullies me, I'll fight them to the death. I won't let them get away with it. At worst, I'll carry a knife with me. Is that alright?"
She wanted to make money, desperately wanted to make money. She knew her family's situation perfectly well. If it weren't for the old lady leaving behind this house, her family would never have been able to afford a house in their lifetime, let alone live a decent life.
"What's the use of you carrying a knife? You're a girl, can you even match a man's strength?"
As Jiang spoke, she cried, “Your father was worried that something might happen to you. What would we do then? In some places, you can’t call for help anywhere. Do you really think you can escape?”
The Qiao family made it very clear: one must always be wary of others, as not every customer who orders takeout is someone they know. No one knows what the other person looks like, and some alleys are secluded. Even for young women, the Qiao brothers have encountered several times when delivering vegetables and encountering scoundrels who refused to pay. Since there were many of them, they had to give up. Young men encounter such situations, let alone young women.
Jiang talked on and on for a long time until the bowl in her hand got cold. Then she said, "Even if you go on a hunger strike, we still can't agree to this. It's because your father and I are incompetent, but even if we are incompetent, we can't let you take such a risk."
After putting down her chopsticks, Jiang locked the door behind her as she left. Back in her room, she saw her husband abruptly sit up and look at her; she shook her head helplessly.
Aren't you going to eat?
"I won't eat." Madam Jiang's face was full of worry. "Who does she resemble? So stubborn!"
Zheng Ming felt a heavy weight in his heart. After a long while, he waited until Madam Jiang blew out the candles before saying, "It's because I'm incompetent."
The night was quiet, with only the occasional croaking of frogs. Zheng Ming and Jiang Shi tossed and turned, and it took them a long time to fall asleep.
The next day, the two opened the door and swept the floor. When the Qiao family went to set up their stall, Lin came to explain again, "It's not that we don't want Sanhua. A few years ago, a girl from the next alley ran out to play and was kidnapped. We haven't heard from her since. Nobody wants half-grown boys, but it's too unsafe for girls."
“I understand, we all appreciate your family’s good intentions.” Mrs. Jiang’s eyes were swollen.
Lin glanced into the courtyard but didn't see any other members of the Zheng family. She had said what she needed to say; the rest was beyond her control.
However, she thought that the Zheng family's three daughters had a big idea. Most young girls wouldn't have the courage to come to their parents' house to find work on their own, let alone keep it a secret from their families.
Today, Qiao Mianmian put up a sign for braised pork with preserved mustard greens. It was the first time she had sold this dish, so she didn't make a lot. She could only steam five bowls at a time, so that was all she made.
However, the aroma of the steamed preserved mustard greens with braised pork attracted many customers. Some regular customers were used to the dish and were willing to try the new dish, so it still sold out.
If Qiao Mianmian hadn't remembered to leave a bowl of Qingjiu, Lin would have almost sold it all.
A bowl of braised pork with preserved mustard greens costs ninety coins, a price that deters many people from buying it.
However, braised pork with preserved mustard greens takes a long time to prepare, not only because the meat and preserved mustard greens require capital, but also because firewood needs to be purchased.
Qingjiu ate her fill today, licking her lips contentedly. "It was so delicious, but we can't eat this every day. From now on, we'll have to be more careful when ordering food."
Lin asked why.
"The reward money we received before the New Year was used by some of our older colleagues in the yamen to make long-term plans. They suggested we use it to buy land, because we'd eventually run out of money just from eating and drinking. So, sir, we bought five acres of first-class paddy fields and leased them all to farmers. That way, we'll have rice to eat during the autumn harvest," Qingjiu said.
"Paddy fields aren't cheap these days, are they?" Lin asked again.
Qingjiu said, "It's six taels of silver per mu. They said it was only five taels of silver the year before last. The price has risen rapidly."
Lin clicked her tongue in admiration. “It’s really expensive, but buying land is definitely a good thing. Land is a lifelong asset, and five acres can yield a good harvest every year. Lord Lu’s decision is excellent; I’m tempted to buy it myself.”
Land was not leased in cash, but rather based on the harvest, either split 50/50 or 40/60.
Lu Zhao only thought of listening to his colleagues and buying it because they kept urging him to. He didn't have any long-term plans for himself.
But in Lin's eyes, Lu Zhao seemed increasingly appealing; he owned property and held an official position. However, the dangerous nature of his post and the unclear nature of his family background were two points that troubled Lin.
After Lu Zhao and Qingjiu left, Qiao Mianmian immediately came over and asked, "Mother, how much can you harvest from one mu of paddy field?"
"It's about two bushels of rice. If it's split 50/50, Lord Lu can get five bushels of rice a year. Why are you asking this?" Lin asked.
"I'm curious too." Qiao Mianmian did the math in her head: one bushel is roughly equal to seventy catties of rice, and five mu of land can yield three hundred and fifty catties of rice. Judging from Qingjiu and Lu Zhao's appetite, that's enough for them to eat for half a year.
Moreover, they said that land prices were rising rapidly, increasing by one or two taels of silver in just two years. Buying a house could easily cost hundreds or thousands of taels of silver, but land was different; Qiao Mianmian felt it was a project that could be invested in the long term. Sure enough, no matter the era, real estate was always profitable.
However, the family doesn't have any extra money right now, and her mother definitely won't agree to buy the land until the loan is paid off.
Qiao Mianmian made a mental note of it. When she had money in the future, she would buy land and strive to become a big landlady.
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