Chapter 68 Request for Nutrient Solution!!! Pork Liver and Egg Soup
The customer wanted braised pork, but it was sold out, so they ordered a plate of braised dishes instead.
After Qiao Jiaxing finished cutting the braised meat, everyone ate their meal, and Qiao Mianmian took the braised bamboo shoots to her second uncle's house first.
When Qiao Huanhuan saw her cousin arrive, she happily rushed over, "Cousin Mianmian, my parents aren't home, come in and play with me!"
“I have something to do, I’ll come again next time. Tell your second uncle and aunt that I’ve been here, we can heat this up for dinner and you can all eat together.” Qiao Mianmian touched her cousin’s round little face, which felt quite nice. “I’m leaving now, see you later.”
"Goodbye!" Qiao Huanhuan liked playing with her older cousins, unlike her brothers who were all unwilling to play girly games with her.
Qiao Mianmian went to the shop from her second uncle's house. When she arrived, she heard the sound of a hammer hitting the backyard.
"Oh my little darling, what are you doing here?" As soon as Lin saw her daughter, she covered her mouth and nose and pulled her out. "It's dusty inside, and there are people working all over the place. There's nothing to see."
Then she asked how business was today.
"They're all sold out. But everyone says your handmade noodles are the best, and they're asking when you're going back." Qiao Mianmian chuckled and sidled up to them.
"Don't come any closer! Stop right there! I'm filthy!" Mrs. Lin raised her hand to block her daughter, then laughed again, "My hand-pulled noodles are probably the best in the market, if not the absolute best. Tell them to wait a little longer. I don't trust you to handle things here. You can take care of things at the stall."
Qiao Mianmian glanced at the shop's condition. Today, the shop was being demolished, and repairs and painting hadn't started yet, so it didn't look very nice.
On my way home, I had to walk through the streets and saw people selling hairpins on the road, so I remembered them.
When they reached the alley entrance, they happened to run into Wu Hua coming out of the Xu family's house. The little girl sweetly called out, "Sister Mianmian."
Qiao Mianmian bent down and patted the little girl's head, "Are you going to the Xu family to learn embroidery?"
Zheng Wuhua smiled gently; she had small dimples that made her very cute. "Yes, Madam Xu said I have patience. She asked me if I was willing to continue learning, and I said yes."
"That's great. What about your sisters? Are they learning too?" It was still early, and Qiao Mianmian had nothing to do at home, so she chatted casually with Zheng Wuhua.
Zheng Wuhua shook her head and said no, "Third Sister always breaks the thread or can't align the needle with the eye. After a while, she can't sit still. Fourth Sister wants to help Mother more, so now I'm the only one learning from Madam Xu."
Qiao Mianmian thought of Zheng Sanhua's tall and thin appearance, and realized that she was an impatient person.
She chatted for a couple more minutes, and as she was heading home, Zheng Sanhua happened to be carrying two bundles of firewood, which startled her.
"Grandma Qiao, I've brought you the firewood you needed. Here are two bundles, and I'll go get the other two right away." Zheng Sanhua put the firewood on the ground and then asked where the woodshed was, so she could carry it over there.
Qiao Mianmian quickly called her brother over, "As long as my brother is here, Sanhua, you are so strong!" How could such a thin person carry two bundles of firewood?
If it were her, not even one bundle would be acceptable, let alone two.
"Don't let my thin appearance fool you, I'm incredibly strong!" Zheng Sanhua said as she watched Qiao Jiaxing carry away the firewood, then hurried off to carry the other two bundles.
When Zhang took out the money, Zheng Sanhua had already run away.
Qiao Mianmian went over and said, "Grandmother, our family has always delivered firewood from the market, why is Sanhua delivering it?"
"Sanhua came over today and said she would help her father with his business from now on. I thought that since we are neighbors, it is not easy for a young girl like her to do this, so I will help her with her business."
Zhang said, "Look at the firewood she brought, it's all hardwood, not just any cheap stuff."
Hardwood is more heat-resistant and more expensive, but since Zheng Sanhua brought it, Zhang wouldn't ask for more money, since that was the price they had agreed on.
As they were talking, Zheng Sanhua came carrying two more bundles of firewood. She was covered in sweat, and Qiao Mianmian brought her some tea so she could rest for a while.
“Sister Mianmian, if your family trusts me, you can let me deliver firewood to you from now on. I know your family needs firewood for your business, and I will definitely pick out the best to deliver to the neighbors. No matter what, we can’t ruin our neighborly relations.” Zheng Sanhua finished her tea in one gulp and said cheerfully.
Qiao Mianmian said, "But Sanhua, weren't you supposed to be learning embroidery? Why are you working as a firewood seller now?"
“I learned embroidery for a few days, but I’m too old to sit still. Plus, Madam Xu said that it takes several years to learn embroidery before you can make money. I thought about it and couldn’t wait. Just then, I saw my father negotiating a price with someone. I felt that I was better than him, so I wanted to give it a try.”
Of course, Zheng Ming always accompanied Zheng Sanhua when she went to buy firewood and negotiate prices; he wouldn't let her go alone. It wasn't safe for a young woman to be in such a chaotic place. If they bought a small amount of firewood, they would pick and choose what to sell first; if they bought a lot, they would take it home and store it.
With Zheng Sanhua joining the team, Zheng Ming was able to collect more firewood to sell. In addition, Zheng Sanhua was willing to negotiate prices aggressively, which helped the family earn more money these past two days.
Qiao Mianmian understood. She felt that it was too hard for a woman to sell firewood, but she didn't have a better suggestion for Zheng Sanhua, so she didn't say anything more.
"You're amazing, so capable for such a young age," Qiao Mianmian praised.
"Me? I just want to make money. My dad says I've been scheming a lot lately. But I don't think so. I can't choose my birth, but I can work hard. I don't believe I'll be poor my whole life!" Zheng Sanhua said with great enthusiasm. "Besides, what men can do, we women can do too. Mianmian, aren't you the same? Your family makes money now because of your cooking skills, right?"
"It wasn't entirely my fault; it was the whole family working together," Qiao Mianmian said.
"Me too, my whole family has been busy, so our family will get better and better, just like yours." Zheng Sanhua was in a good mood because she had recently earned some money. "I'm going back now, before it gets dark, to help my mother deliver the clothes. We can chat again when we have time. I think you're really amazing, I'll learn from you!"
Zheng Sanhua said goodbye to Zhang and the others, then ran all the way home. She learned that her fourth sister had already gone to deliver the clothes, so she picked out the firewood in the yard and sorted it out.
Mrs. Jiang felt sorry for her daughter doing this, saying, "Sanhua, you're still a girl, how can you do this..."
"Mother, what's wrong with the young lady again?"
Zheng Sanhua interrupted, "Is face more important or money? Besides, I don't steal or rob, I earn money cleanly. I'm not afraid of hard work!"
Unable to argue with her daughter, Mrs. Jiang turned to look at her husband.
Zheng Mingdao said, "What we mean is that the success you've had these past few days is largely due to the support of acquaintances and neighbors. Doing business long-term isn't as easy as you think."
"Then let's do it and see. We'll talk about it when the time comes. What if I do better than you?" Zheng Sanhua was full of expectations for the future.
Zheng Ming laughed, "Then I'll be your follower and enjoy your good fortune, is that alright?"
"Okay, you just wait and see, I'll work hard!" Zheng Sanhua was determined to earn more money.
That night, Jiang and Zheng Ming sighed, "Why is this Sanhua raised to look like a boy?"
“Since we don’t have a son, doesn’t she have to support the family just like a boy?” Zheng Ming watched his daughter work for two days and felt that the young woman was more courageous and more tactful than him when negotiating the price. There were some things he couldn’t bring himself to say. “Fine, let her work. If she doesn’t do well, she’ll come home on her own. Next year she’ll be of marriageable age, and then…”
He thought about Sanhua's personality and said, "Speaking of which, Sanhua is the most suitable person to marry into the family."
When their eldest daughter reached marriageable age, Zheng Ming and his wife wanted to find a husband for her. However, their eldest daughter fell in love with the neighbor's son. They couldn't bear to break up the couple, and considering they had four daughters, they agreed.
Later, someone introduced a husband's family to the second daughter. The man's family was better than the Zheng family, but they were unwilling to let their son marry into the family. They couldn't bear to let their second daughter miss out on a good family, so they agreed.
Now that it's their third daughter's turn, the couple is thinking about having her marry into their family.
“Sanhua is stubborn and won’t back down. If she marries into her husband’s family, she’ll easily get into a fight if something happens. What you’re saying is true, but Dahua and Erhua are already married, and we’re making Sanhua marry into the family. What if she resents us?” Both daughters are Jiang’s flesh and blood. She wants both of them to marry well, but what will happen to the two of them if they are both married?
From now on, no one will come to sweep the graves and pull weeds during the Qingming Festival.
Zheng Ming was also worried, "If the third flower doesn't take a husband, but the fourth and fifth flowers do, won't they resent it later?"
The couple fell silent for a while before Zheng Ming finally said, "Don't think about it anymore. Things will work themselves out. Let's see what fate has in store for them."
Jiang nodded, but couldn't help but think about it.
As the night passed, Zheng Sanhua was full of energy. Before dawn, she pulled her father to the wood-burning area.
When they went out, only two houses in the alley were smoking, and the Qiao family's house was one of them.
The Qiao family was going to set up their stall, so they ate breakfast earlier than others. Lin had cooked porridge early.
The Qiao brothers prepared a handcart. Once everything was ready and the porridge was cooked, the family could set up their stall, while Lin would go to the shop.
Today was the day Qiao Mancang sold meat. Qiao Mianmian kept some fresh pig liver to make egg drop soup for lunch.
"You'll see when you eat it at noon; the pork liver and egg soup is so fresh and sweet." Qiao Mianmian said to her brothers, and then guests arrived.
Qiao Mancang was quite surprised to see Xu Kuan setting up a stall. Taking advantage of a moment when there were no customers, he went over and asked, "Brother Xu, what brings you to set up a stall today? Aren't you afraid that Scholar Xu will find out?"
“He…” Xu Kuan had only uttered one word when he saw his son approaching. “He already knows.”
Upon hearing this, Qiao Mancang looked over and saw Xu Mingxuan carrying a food box. He was quite surprised and said, "Good morning, Scholar Xu. What brings you here?"
"I've brought food to my father." Xu Mingxuan placed the food box on the table. "You can eat here, I'll continue copying."
Xu Kuan said no need, "It won't take up much time, and there are so many people watching." He could copy the book, but he was afraid that his son would be seen by his classmates. With so many people coming and going, if word got back to the academy, his son would lose face.
Xu Mingxuan picked up a pen, saying, "Since you won't let me sit, I can only write standing up."
Helpless, Xu Kuan had no choice but to get up and give up his seat, but he still whispered, "What if your classmates find out?"
“Father, I don’t mind that our family is poor. I will do whatever our family’s circumstances are. If my classmates knew that you were copying books and selling your calligraphy in the market while I was sitting at home enjoying a life of luxury, that would be truly shameful.”
Xu Mingxuan began copying the book, sitting upright and not afraid of being seen by acquaintances.
Xu Kuan was stunned. He had lived most of his life, but in the end, he was not as insightful as his son.
Then he smiled again; his son's understanding was a blessing to the Xu family.
Qiao Mancang admired Xu Mingxuan for not being afraid of other people's opinions; such good children are rare these days.
After having breakfast, Xu Kuan intended to continue copying the book, but Xu Mingxuan said he was almost finished, so he went to talk to Qiao Mancang. "I heard that Brother Qiao is going to open a food stall. If the food stall opens, will there be no more stalls here?"
If the Qiao family didn't set up a stall, he would have to rent one himself, but his business was so-so, though he earned a little money for rice every day.
"Don't worry, after the food shop opens, my meat stall will continue to operate. We can still take care of each other." Qiao Mancang laughed heartily. "We still owe money to people at home, so the food shop doesn't need so many people to work. Besides, the food shop needs a meat supply, so I can continue to sell meat at my stall. Part of it will be supplied to the food shop, and the rest will be earned by myself. Earning something is better than doing nothing."
Men tend to have easier conversations with each other, Xu Kuan nodded in agreement.
“That’s true,” Xu Kuan said. “When your business opens, you’ll definitely need to hang a signboard. Let Mingxuan write it for you for free. I’m setting up a stall here thanks to your help. Don’t be shy about this small thing.”
Thinking of his son's calligraphy, Xu Kuan couldn't help but feel proud. "The teachers at the academy all say that Mingxuan's calligraphy is good. I'll have him write well and write several different styles so you can choose the one you like."
Qiao Mancang hadn't even thought about the plaque, but when Xu Kuan brought it up, he smiled and agreed, "Then I won't be polite, Scholar Xu, thank you all."
Xu Mingxuan looked up and said, "Uncle, you're too kind. It's my family who should thank you. I'll write it down and send it to you when I get home. Should I write 'Qiao's Food Shop' again?"
"Yes, yes, speaking of which, you wrote the signboard too. We're all benefiting from your good fortune, and I hope we all get better and better." As he spoke, Qiao Mancang grabbed a piece of pork belly, tied it with hemp rope, and asked Xu Mingxuan to take it home when he returned.
Xu Mingxuan said he couldn't accept it.
"Then I don't want your writing either. Honestly, you're not taking my money, so what's wrong with eating some meat? Hurry up and take it, or I'll get angry!" Qiao Mancang stuffed the pork belly into Xu Mingxuan's hand. "Oh, don't be embarrassed. I haven't been polite to you at all, so why are you embarrassed? Hurry up and go home. The meat is very fatty today, so it will make more oil when you stir-fry it."
Xu Kuan and his son nodded, and Xu Mingxuan quickly bowed and thanked them.
Watching Xu Mingxuan's retreating figure, Qiao Mancang praised, "You scholars are different; you speak with respect and courtesy. Unlike my two sons, they are so careless in their work."
"Of course, my sons are doing very well too!" Qiao Mancang added at the end.
Xu Kuan smiled and said yes, their relationship had become closer. Thinking that Qiao Mancang would continue to sell meat at his stall, Xu Kuan breathed a sigh of relief and sat down to continue copying the book.
As the weather gets hotter, the meat isn't selling as fast, but Qiao Mancang isn't worried about business. He'll sell as much as he can, since there's always a food stall to keep him going.
When it was lunchtime, there were still five or six pounds of pork leg meat and bones left. Qiao Mianmian saw the ribs, which were the most difficult to chew, and immediately became interested. "Dad, keep the ribs for yourself. I'll fry pork chops for you tonight!"
"What is fried pork chop?" Qiao Mancang asked.
"You'll see when the time comes." Qiao Mianmian had almost finished eating, and finally drank half a bowl of pork liver and egg soup. The pork liver was glutinous, and with the addition of egg flowers, it was very sweet and delicious. She loved eating egg flowers like this the most. "I'm full, you guys eat more."
She put down her chopsticks with satisfaction and got up to clean up the stove and other things.
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