Chapter 97 is an extra chapter, please give me some nutrient solution! Angelica and mutton soup, small...
On the morning of the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month, Chen gave birth to a daughter, and in the afternoon Wang Dazhu delivered red duck eggs to each household.
Widow Wang said it was a pity it wasn't a grandson, but she had been holding her granddaughter ever since she was born, and even Wang Dazhu hadn't had a chance to hold her.
Two days later, Wang Chuang's nephew came running to deliver the good news, saying that his fourth aunt was pregnant.
Upon hearing this, Lin immediately dropped what she was doing and rushed to her daughter's house with Qiao Mianmian.
As soon as she reached the door, Mrs. Lin called out her daughter's name loudly, "Xia He, my daughter!"
When she got into the yard, she saw her daughter coming out of the house. "Don't run! When did you get pregnant? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Lin ran all the way, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. After pulling her daughter into the house, she realized that Madam Wang was also there. Only then did she remember to greet her, "Oh, my dear in-law, I'm so sorry, I was so happy and didn't see you just now."
"It's alright, I'm very happy too." Madam Wang poured tea for her. "Please sit down, in-laws, have some tea. Xia He, you stay and talk to your mother and the others. I'll go back and get some food."
She knew her daughter-in-law must have private things to say to her family, so she voluntarily gave them space.
Qiao Mianmian went to see Madam Wang off, while Madam Lin looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes.
Lin Xiahe said it's been about three months, "I got pregnant around Mid-Autumn Festival."
"Why didn't you say anything about something that happened so long ago?" Madam Lin's eyes widened. "You silly girl, I'm not an outsider. If you had told me earlier, I could have come and served you!"
Wang Chun is in Linjia Village, so she can't take care of her often, but Xia He is also in Lin'an City, so she can come over anytime.
Lin Xiahe said she didn't notice it at first. "You know, my period isn't very regular. Last month, I couldn't stand the smell of fish, so my mother-in-law called a doctor. When Le Ge'er was a month old, I thought it would be three months soon, so I decided to wait until then to tell you the good news."
After she was diagnosed with pregnancy, her mother-in-law came to take care of her every day. She thought that the Qiao family was busy, and if her mother had to run back and forth, her body would definitely not be able to handle it.
"You, you know me too well. You're just worried that I'm working too hard running around, aren't you?" Lin had just finished speaking when she saw her youngest daughter come in as well. "You two, don't think of me as useless. I just come here every day to cook for you and then go to the food shop to make noodles. I'm perfectly healthy!"
Qiao Mianmian ruthlessly exposed her, "Don't try to be strong. I heard you asking Dad to massage your back the other day. Fourth Sister is just worried about you; you should be happy."
"Go away, don't talk nonsense." Madam Lin waved her hand at her youngest daughter, and when she looked at her fourth daughter, she couldn't help but laugh out loud. "I'm really happy. I was thinking about what would happen if you weren't pregnant yet. I was so anxious. Luckily, the Goddess of Mercy who grants children thought of you and sent you a treasure."
She looked at her daughter's still-flat stomach, then glanced at the doorway, and said in a low voice, "So, is your mother-in-law happy?"
"Yes." Lin Xiahe nodded. "After she found out I was pregnant, my mother-in-law cooked meals and brought them over every day, and she wouldn't let me do any housework. She said she used to take care of my three sisters-in-law like this, so I could focus on my pregnancy."
"Does your son-in-law know?" Lin asked.
"We haven't notified him yet. My mother-in-law and I discussed it, but telling him wouldn't make a difference. It's better for him to focus on his studies. He'll know when he comes back at the end of the year." Lin Xiahe touched her lower abdomen as she spoke. To be honest, at this time, she wished Wang Chuang could keep her company.
However, her mother-in-law was very considerate, and she could understand her mother-in-law's good intentions towards her husband, after all, the family had only produced one scholar.
Lin nodded and asked a few more questions before Madam Wang brought Zhou over.
After exchanging greetings, Zhou invited Lin and her daughter to stay for dinner, saying, "It's rare for my mother-in-law to come over, let's have dinner together later. I've already sent my son to buy chicken."
Logically, Ms. Lin should have stayed for dinner, but she was worried about the restaurant's business.
Qiao Mianmian noticed her mother's hesitation and offered, "Mother, please stay and spend more time with Fourth Sister. I can handle the business at the food stall."
“That will work too,” Lin agreed.
Madam Zhou and Madam Wang looked at Qiao Mianmian together. They hadn't seen her for some time and noticed that she had grown up a lot and was even more radiant.
Knowing that the Qiao family was going to do business, they didn't keep Qiao Mianmian for long.
Before leaving, Qiao Mianmian specifically asked Lin Xiahe what she wanted to eat, "I also want you to try my cooking, Fourth Sister. Tell me, and I'll bring it to you tomorrow."
Lin Xiahe said it wasn't necessary to go to that much trouble.
“It’s alright, you’re my sister, I’m happy to make the trip for you. And as your aunt, I also want to do my part,” Qiao Mianmian said.
Lin Xiahe thought for a moment, "Then I want to eat your pumpkin pancakes and crispy pork ribs."
"Alright, I'll come see you again tomorrow!" After saying goodbye to the Wang family, Qiao Mianmian took the basket of persimmons given to her by Madam Wang and went back.
She happened to pass by Zheng Sanhua's shop on the way, so she went in to take a look. "Sanhua, are you busy?"
Zheng Sanhua was doing the accounts. She had learned many characters from Qiao Mianmian, and a few days ago she started learning accounting.
Seeing Qiao Mianmian arrive, he hurriedly pulled her aside to help him look at the account book, "You've come at the right time, quickly help me see where this account is wrong?"
Qiao Mianmian glanced at it and quickly found the problem. "There's a mistake here. It's not seven, it's three. Don't calculate it now. I brought some persimmons from my fourth sister's in-laws' house. Here, have a few."
She took a few persimmons out of the bamboo basket, then turned to look at them again, "Where's Uncle?"
"Going to deliver firewood." Zheng Sanhua peeled a persimmon, and juice instantly dripped from her fingers. She quickly caught it with her other hand and sipped the juice greedily. "So sweet!"
"I haven't eaten yet. I'll try some when I get back." Qiao Mianmian glanced outside. "Alright, I can't talk to you anymore. I have to go back to the food stall. Customers will be coming soon."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Zheng Sanhua called out to Qiao Mianmian, opened the cabinet and took out the money. "This is the money I borrowed from you before. I was thinking of finding an opportunity to send it to you. Since you're here, I'll return it to you first."
After finishing the persimmon, she casually wiped herself down. "How about I treat you to sweet soup tomorrow?"
Qiao Mianmian said that tomorrow wouldn't work; she had to go to her fourth sister's house.
"Then let's do it the day after tomorrow, just the two of us, I won't bring anyone else." Zheng Sanhua and Qiao Mianmian agreed on the time.
Just as Qiao Mianmian was about to leave, she turned back and asked, "Chunsheng's family hasn't contacted you again, have they?"
"Aunt Meng is an easy-going person, she's still the same as before. Chunsheng did come to see me twice, but I made it clear to him that I definitely want to have him marry into my family, and I don't want to see him causing trouble with his family. He's also a son of his family, and his parents have treated him well. There's no reason for him to be an unfilial son for my sake. So I told him directly that I don't like him."
This matter is already in the past for Zheng Sanhua. "I told my parents that when I come of age next year, they can find me a husband to live with. It's good to have another man in the family, otherwise my father will always worry about me running the shop alone."
There were several firewood shops near the Zheng family's residence, and whichever shop did well always attracted jealousy from some people.
Several times, someone came to Zheng Sanhua's door, implying that she should be more careful in her business and not think about making all the money.
"That's fine too, as long as you have your own plans. I really can't talk to you anymore, I have to go back." Qiao Mianmian said goodbye in a hurry and ran to the food stall.
When she arrived, there were already two tables of guests. She went into the kitchen, first blanching the mutton she had bought that morning, then adding two slices of angelica root to stew it on the stove. With the weather getting colder, a bowl of angelica root and mutton soup is the most nourishing. Since her sister-in-law was still breastfeeding, she specially asked the family to buy some mutton.
"Fifth Sister, the pork tenderloin is cut. Shall we make sweet and sour pork tenderloin again today?" Qiao Jiaxing asked.
Qiao Mianmian said no, "I'll make some crispy pork."
She marinated the pork tenderloin first, then went to cook the dishes the customers ordered. After the customers' dishes were almost ready, she started frying the crispy pork.
The crispy pork needs to be fried twice to achieve a crispy exterior and tender interior. The first time, fry it in warm oil for six or seven minutes before taking it out.
The kitchen was filled with the aroma of fried food. Qiao Jiaxing kept staring at the crispy pork and swallowed hard. Just as he reached out his hand, Qiao Mianmian slapped it away. "Fry it again. Add some salt to the mutton soup, but don't make it too salty. Then you can call the family to eat."
Qiao Jiaxing said "Oh," added a little salt to the mutton soup. He had bought goat meat, and the soup was fresh with a hint of sweetness. A small amount of fat had already rendered into oil. Qiao Jiaxing skimmed off some of the oil and then carried the earthenware pot to the main hall.
Qiao Mianmian re-fried the crispy pork and sprinkled it with stir-fried chili powder, instantly releasing its aroma. "Second sister-in-law, try one first, is it delicious?"
"Delicious!" Cao Yuan nodded. "This meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it's especially delicious!"
"As long as it tastes good, that's fine. This isn't something we make often, so eat more later." Qiao Mianmian asked her second sister-in-law to take the crispy pork out, while she prepared some braised winter melon.
Right now, the most common fruits are winter melon and pumpkin, and we eat them in different ways every day. If you make braised winter melon well, it's even tastier than meat.
When Qiao Mianmian carried the braised winter melon out, she saw Lu Zhao and Qingjiu there as well. Her mother had also brought them mutton soup. She went over and asked, "How is it? Is it good?"
"Delicious!" Qingjiu gave a thumbs up. "Absolutely delicious!"
"As long as it tastes good, that's fine. But this mutton soup has angelica root in it, so it's quite nourishing. You should move around a bit after you eat, otherwise you might not be able to sleep." After giving these instructions, Qiao Mianmian sat down to eat.
She mixed her rice with the broth from the braised winter melon, added a few pieces of crispy pork, ate a couple of bites of rice, and then drank a sip of mutton soup, which warmed her whole body.
"That was so satisfying." Qiao Jiaxing let out a contented burp after finishing his meal.
Lin put down her chopsticks. "After winter sets in, mutton becomes more expensive, so of course it tastes better. Eat more, and drink the rest of the soup. Especially your son, Xing, you need to nourish yourself more."
The eldest son had a child, but there was still no news of the second son. Everyone present understood Lin's implication. She gave the last of the mutton soup to her second son, watched him finish it, and then went to clear the dishes.
That night, Qiao Jiaxing became extremely energetic, performing it twice in a row, and was still full of energy. While cuddling Cao Yuan tenderly, he suddenly smiled.
Exhausted, Cao Yuan didn't have the strength to open her eyes. "What are you laughing at?"
"I was thinking, Mother gave Lord Lu and the others quite a bit of mutton soup, but I'm in this state, what will they do?" Qiao Jiaxing hugged his wife and snuggled closer. "Yuan'er, shall we have some more..."
"Stop! What time is it? We have to open for business tomorrow!" Cao Yuan pushed Qiao Jiaxing away, praying that her family would eat less mutton in the future, otherwise, how could they stand it if they ate like this all the time?
However, the thought of not hearing from him for so long made him anxious again. "Jiaxing, do you think Mom and Dad are worried about us?"
What's the rush?
"What else could it be? It's about the kids, of course."
"It's alright, my parents have never mentioned this to me. Besides, we haven't been married long, so there's no need to rush." Qiao Jiaxing turned over and hugged his wife again. He only felt comfortable when he was hugging his wife. "Don't think too much about it. Some people take two or three years to have children after getting married, and we haven't even had one in a year. At worst, I'll try harder. I'm willing to cooperate."
Cao Yuan sensed Qiao Jiaxing's excitement and quickly changed the subject, saying, "I'm going to sleep now."
Meanwhile, in the Lu family courtyard, Lu Zhao tried to sleep several times but couldn't fall asleep.
He took his sword and practiced in the courtyard until he was covered in sweat.
Qingjiu woke up in the middle of the night to find herself bleeding from her nose. Startled, she ran out and saw the people in the courtyard. She was frightened again, but after recognizing her master, she said in a tearful voice, "M-Master, I have a nosebleed. What's wrong with me? Am I sick?"
Lu Zhao frowned slightly when he saw that Qingjiu's hands were stained with blood, and pulled Qingjiu to practice martial arts together.
The next day, when Qiao Mianmian went out, she ran into Lu Zhao and his servant. Seeing that they both had obvious dark circles under their eyes, she asked curiously, "What happened to you two? Did you go out to catch a thief in the middle of the night?"
"No, that's not it. I suddenly had a nosebleed last night and was forced to practice martial arts by the adults, so I didn't sleep well." Qingjiu yawned, still not realizing it was the mutton soup. "Miss Qiao, you look so energetic."
Qiao Mianmian immediately realized it was because of the mutton soup and laughed, "It must be because you drank too much mutton soup. My mother forgot that you don't have wives and felt that a little bit of food was not presentable, so she must have served you a lot. But it's okay, it's nourishing and will last for many days."
"Huh? It'll take many more days?" Qingjiu opened her mouth wide, but her master glanced at her.
“We’re already late.” Lu Zhao frowned slightly and told Qing Jiu to stop chatting. He didn’t even dare to look at Qiao Mianmian at the moment, and he took big steps as he left.
Qingjiu then remembered that he needed to go on duty and ran after his master.
Qiao Mianmian walked slowly. When she passed the Xu family's house, Da Hu and Er Long suddenly jumped out, the two children crying loudly, each grabbing one of her hands.
"Sister Mianmian, help me! My mother is going to beat me to death!" Da Hu cried, sobbing uncontrollably.
Erlong also held Qiao Mianmian's hand tightly and hid behind her, crying loudly.
Jin chased after them with a bamboo stick, and seeing the two children hiding behind Qiao Mianmian, she said sternly, "Come here, both of you!"
"No!" Big Tiger pursed his lips.
Qiao Mianmian asked what was wrong.
"Those two rascals fried over a dozen eggs while we were out. If they'd eaten them, that would be one thing, but they burned them all, they were completely black and inedible. Afraid I'd find out and scold them, they dug a hole in the yard and buried them. Don't you think they deserve a beating? What a waste of eggs, and half a bottle of oil!"
With one hand on her hip, Jin said, "It's been so long since I've disciplined you! If I don't discipline you for three days, you'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles. You're greedy and play with fire! Why don't you just set the house on fire? Pah! Pah! Pah! Thank God, I was just kidding!"
Kim clasped her hands together and bowed towards the sky.
Qiao Mianmian found it amusing. It's normal for a child to have a sweet tooth, but starting a fire at such a young age could easily cause a fire if one isn't careful.
She pulled the two children to the front and said, "I can't help you with this. You did something wrong, so you should apologize, promise not to do it again, and then you should comfort your mother. Let me teach you: say sorry first."
Da Hu looked at his mother timidly and said sorry.
Erlong simply said whatever Qiao Mianmian taught him, without actually having any thoughts of his own, since he was too young.
"Then say to your mother, don't be angry. You know you were wrong. You will help with the housework today. Please, mother, you are the best and most beautiful mother." After Qiao Mianmian finished teaching the two children, Jin Shi couldn't help but laugh.
When the two children saw their mother smile, they were less afraid.
"Mianmian, you have such a sweet tongue, no wonder your grandmother and mother love you the most!" Jin Shi was indeed not so angry anymore. She glared at the two children and pretended to hit them twice with the bamboo stick in her hand. "Don't do that again next time, do you hear me?"
"We heard you," the two brothers said in unison.
"If you want fried eggs, just tell me. It's not like I won't make them for you. Go sweep the floor; I bought some eggs at the market." Jin took the money and called to Qiao Mianmian, who was walking ahead, "Let's go together."
Once outside the alley, Jin couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Let me tell you, boys are just thick-skinned. They seem well-behaved most of the time, but they always manage to make people angry. A daughter like you is so much better. I really want a daughter. I'll ask your mother what she was doing before she gave birth to you."
Seeing how Qiao Mianmian had just taught her two sons to apologize, Jin's heart softened considerably.
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