Chapter 54: Stir-fried cured pork with bracken, stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork belly...
Seeing that her two older brothers had tears in their eyes, Qiao Mianmian asked them what was wrong, not understanding.
"It's nothing, it's just a bit windy today." Qiao Jiaxing put on a smile, hooked his arm around his older brother's, and headed home. "It's getting dark, brother, hurry back, don't keep your sister-in-law waiting."
Qiao Mianmian: ...Is there a wind? Where is the wind coming from?
Never mind, if they don't want to talk about it, she won't ask any more questions.
When she got home, her aunt and mother were still cleaning the house. Qiao Mianmian wanted to help, but her mother told her to go back and rest.
“You’ve worked the hardest today. We can handle the chores in the yard,” Lin said, adding that there was only a little bit left. “There’s hot water in the kitchen, go quickly.”
After her daughter left, Madam Lin sighed to her brother and sister-in-law, "Seeing Jiawang get married today, I truly realized how old I am. In the blink of an eye, the children are all grown up, and soon we'll be arranging marriages for Jiaxing and Mianmian. What about you? Have you found a match for Jiasheng yet?"
After the New Year, Qiao Jiasheng will be eighteen. In the village, those who marry young are already married at this age. Even if they don't get married, they can get engaged first.
“I originally thought my niece from my maternal family would be a good match, but Manhua wasn’t willing. He said my niece wasn’t strong enough, and he wanted to find a daughter-in-law who was strong and healthy.” Mrs. He said, speechless, “It’s enough that a girl is healthy. Where am I supposed to find a daughter-in-law who is as strong as a man?”
Lin was stunned. "Jiasheng himself has this idea?"
"No, we haven't told the child." Mrs. He thought for a moment, then shook her head vigorously. "We still can't listen to Manhua. What if a daughter-in-law who's too tall and strong bullies Jiasheng in the future?"
The two sisters-in-law chatted while working in the yard. When Lin returned to the house, Qiao Mancang also came back, and she told him about her brother-in-law's idea with a smile.
"Huh?" Qiao Mancang laughed as well. "This Manhua, haha, they'd better ask Jiasheng what he thinks."
"Yes," Lin said as she lay down.
After several days of hard work, Madam Lin fell asleep quickly. The next day, she got up early and had just put the rice in the pot when she heard someone coming from behind her. She thought it was Xia He, but when she turned around, she saw that it was her eldest daughter-in-law.
Hu Qianqian thought she had gotten up early enough, but she hadn't expected her mother-in-law to be up already. She panicked and looked at her mother-in-law helplessly, "Mom, I..."
"Oh dear, why are you up so early? Didn't Jiawang tell you to sleep a little longer?" Lin said that Hu Qianqian didn't need to do any work. "You're a new bride, you don't need to do any work. Go back and rest."
“But Mom, I… I should do some chores.” When she was at home, Hu Qianqian would help with chores.
When she got married, her parents told her that her in-laws were reasonable and understanding people, and that she needed to be perceptive to win their favor. Marriage was different from being at her parents' home; everyone was watching her. If she didn't get along with her in-laws, her future would be difficult. Besides, Jiawang was the eldest son, and her in-laws would be living with them from now on, so she had to be diligent.
Madam Lin smiled and said, "It's good that you have the intention. If you want to do chores, wait until after you return home. I know you're a sensible and good child. Go and rest."
"Mom, I'm already up. You can let me help start a fire, that way I'll feel at ease."
Seeing the sincerity in her eldest daughter-in-law's eyes, Lin had no choice but to agree. "Alright then, help me watch the fire in the stove. I'll make all the porridge at home. Once Mianmian gets up, she can stir-fry the dishes, and I'll help prepare the ingredients. Jiawang can also chop and prepare the ingredients; he's very good with a knife. Usually, Jiawang is responsible for delivering and chopping the vegetables, as well as collecting pig offal and pig heads. Xiahe makes braised meat, and Mianmian stir-fries the dishes. I'll help with the odd jobs at the stall."
Everyone has their own work to do. Now that there's one more person, Lin had already made arrangements. She told her eldest daughter-in-law this so that her eldest daughter-in-law could quickly understand the situation at home.
"What about me? What will I do in the future?" Hu Qianqian asked. "I can do laundry and cook. If there's any chores around the house, just tell me, and I can do them!"
“We don’t need you to do so much. We’re looking for a daughter-in-law, not a servant.”
Madam Lin had already made up her mind: "Xia He is getting married soon. After you return to your parents' home, you can learn to make braised dishes from Xia He and Mianmian. From now on, you will be in charge of making the braised dishes for the family. How about that?"
"What?"
Hu Qianqian was stunned. "Mom, are you going to let me learn how to make braised food?"
This involves the formula. Isn't the Qiao family afraid that she will leak the secret formula to her family?
Mrs. Lin nodded and said yes, "You don't want to learn?"
“No, I’m willing to learn!” Hu Qianqian said.
"Then it's up to you. Our two families have been friends for many years, and your father and father-in-law are childhood friends. We know each other inside and out, and now that we're in-laws, we'll be even closer in the future."
Seeing that the porridge in the pot had boiled, Lin ladled out a jar of rice water and continued cooking the porridge. "That's why I know you're a good girl, and I trust you!"
When Hu Qianqian first married into the family, her in-laws didn't set any rules for her, nor did they ask her to do anything. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Oh dear, don't cry. Did I say something wrong?" Madam Lin quickly went over and wiped away her eldest daughter-in-law's tears.
"No, I'm just touched. You're so kind." Hu Qianqian had been worried that since her mother-in-law wasn't her husband's biological mother, there might be a distance between them. Now, it seemed her worries were gone. "Don't worry, I will definitely study hard and will not let you down!"
"Mother believes in you."
Hearing the bubbling sounds from the pot, Lin quickly went to check, stirred it a bit, and then it was ready to be served. No stir-frying today; they'd just reheat yesterday's leftovers.
At this point, the other family members also gradually got up.
Qiao Jiawang went to fetch water early in the morning. When he returned, Qiao Jiaxing saw him and joked, "Big brother, did you not work hard enough last night? How can you still fetch water today?"
"Get out of here." Even the honest Qiao Jiawang cursed. He put down the water bucket, his face flushed, and went into the kitchen. "Um... Mother, Qianqian, the water vat is full. Is there any more work to be done?"
"That's all. Go call everyone to eat." Madam Lin told Qiao Jiawang to take the porridge out while she started heating up the dishes.
They were a poor family and didn't have any formalities for greeting each other. After breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Qiao served tea to their elders, and that was considered a proper greeting.
The food stall had been closed for two days, but it was going to open again today. Qiao Mianmian and her second brother were opening the stall together, while Lin told Qiao Jiawang to stay at home with his wife.
After setting up the stall, they quickly became busy, and the dough they brought was sold out within an hour.
When there were fewer people around, Lin started calculating the money with her son and daughter. "I made some money after the New Year, but it was all used for the wedding banquet. The rest is still needed for Xia He's wedding. I was thinking of paying back your second uncle's money as soon as possible, but I can't pay back anyone's money this month."
The money for Chunxilou had already been advanced, so these days, their only income came from the food and meat shops.
“Mother, that Manager Wang came again a few days ago,” Qiao Jiaxing said.
Mrs. Lin frowned. "Didn't Mianmian reject him? Why is he still coming?"
"They're still not giving up, aren't they? They said they'd hire Fifth Sister as the head chef, and she'd be paid more than others. If I could cook as well as Fifth Sister, I'd go for it, and our family could earn more money."
After learning for a while, Qiao Jiaxing was able to make braised pork and braised fish, but his control over the heat was not consistent, and the taste was different each time.
Qiao Mianmian comforted him, "Practice makes perfect. In a little while, you can do it too, Second Brother."
She thought she should speed up the process of making money, but how could she do that?
While Qiao Mianmian was pondering, Lu Zhao and Qingjiu arrived. They would always come to order dishes whenever the Qiao family set up their stall after the New Year.
Lin was the first to greet him, "Lord Lu, what would you like to eat today? We have small mixed fish, as well as bamboo shoots and bracken, all of which are only available this season and are very fresh."
Qingjiu asked what bracken fern was.
"You've never eaten bracken fern before?" Mrs. Lin asked, somewhat surprised. "It's a wild vegetable that grows in the mountains or by the river. In this season, most of the bracken fern grows by the river. It's green and has a slippery texture. It's delicious stir-fried, and even more fragrant with some cured meat."
When Lin was a child, she would gather and eat various wild vegetables when the season came. Now that she lives in the city, she has to pay money to eat bracken.
Qingjiu went to see his master. They had some money now, but whether or not to add cured meat was up to the master to decide.
Lu Zhao had been eating at Qiao's Food Shop for a while, and his palate had become a bit more discerning. "Then add cured pork and stir-fry it. I see the bamboo shoots cooking in the pot smell delicious too. I'll have a bowl."
Two dishes are enough for them.
The spring bamboo shoots are from the mountain bamboo shoots, they are big and sweet. The soup base is made by simmering pork bones, and then the chopped spring bamboo shoots are added and stewed with seasonings such as chili peppers and star anise. In the end, the spring bamboo shoots will be dyed an enticing brown color.
Spring bamboo shoots are inexpensive and in season. With bone broth as the base, they have a meaty flavor, and many customers will order a bowl.
Qiao Mianmian herself also likes to eat, "I'll serve you some now, please sit down, my mother will serve you rice."
She started slicing the cured pork. The pork had to be sliced very thinly, so that the fat was translucent. After stir-frying it in the pan for a couple of seconds, the fat would curl up and release. Then she added cooked bracken fern, stir-fried it quickly over high heat, and added chili powder, soy sauce, and other seasonings. The aroma was instantly released and wafted out from several stalls.
"Alright, the food's served!" Qiao Mianmian brought over a plate of stir-fried cured pork with bracken. "Try it, this dish is only available this season, it won't be available after that. If you like it, try the fermented bean curd flavor next time, it's also delicious."
This was Lu Zhao's first time eating bracken. He picked up a stalk and put it in his mouth. It had a very peculiar texture. After biting it, the texture became very sticky and slippery. At the same time, the rich aroma of cured meat and seasonings added a flavor that the bracken did not originally have.
While he was still savoring the taste, he had already taken several bites of the green wine.
"My lord, do you not like it? Then you can eat the bamboo shoots and cured meat, but I'll eat all the bracken!" Qingjiu liked to pick up bracken from the soup, as it made the flavor stronger.
After being stewed in bone broth, the bamboo shoots have a spicy and fragrant aroma, and a sweet aftertaste at the end. Qingjiu eats very quickly, finishing his second bowl of rice in the blink of an eye.
"Lord Lu, don't you like it?" Qiao Mianmian asked curiously.
"Huh? I don't dislike it." Only then did Lu Zhao realize that half of the bracken fern was gone, so he quickly picked up a large mouthful for himself.
At first, he planned to order two dishes each day so he could save some for dinner and avoid cooking at home. But no matter how much he ordered, the rice wine was always completely consumed.
So now, he orders some food for lunch and then packs a dish to take home for dinner.
However, they didn't go home in the afternoon; instead, they would pack their belongings in oil paper and take them to the City God Temple.
Today, Lu Zhao ordered a dish of stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork belly. Qingjiu kept burping the whole way back to the City God's Office. When he returned, he casually tore the oil paper in the process and had to go find someone to borrow a bowl.
"It smells so good, what's that smell?"
"I smell it too, it smells like meat. Who brought lunch that smells so good?"
"It seems to have come from Lord Lu's side!"
Several subordinates, drawn by the aroma, approached. One of the bolder ones asked directly, "Lord Lu, did you not finish your meal and are you taking some back with you?"
Lu Zhao said no.
Qingjiu explained from the side, "I'm not a good cook, so the adults buy it to eat at night."
"It smells so good."
"Even though I just ate, the aroma of this food made me keep swallowing my saliva, and I couldn't work at all."
"Yes, me too, it smells so good."
...
The unspoken meaning of the group was not too obvious, and Lu Zhao could not resist. He asked Qingjiu to bring out the bowls, "Everyone can try the taste. If you like it, you can go and patronize Qiao's Food Shop in the South City Street."
Everyone had been waiting for Lu Zhao to say this, so they stopped looking for chopsticks and started eating with their hands, with others following suit.
"Delicious! The bamboo shoots are crisp, tender, and sweet, with a savory aroma from the pork belly. The chili sauce masks the greasiness of the pork belly, it's really delicious!"
"Mmm, the pork belly was stir-fried and sliced very thinly, what excellent cooking skills!"
"That's really strange. My family has made this dish before, but it never tasted quite the same."
The group chatted and ate, and in the blink of an eye, the food was gone. Qingjiu hurriedly protected the food, saying, "Didn't we say we wanted to taste it? It's all gone!"
They then noticed that there were only a few slices of bamboo shoot left in the bowl, and looked at Lu Zhao embarrassedly.
"It's alright. If you like it, just go and support the business in the future." Lu Zhao still had a calm expression. "Wash your hands, it's time to go out and patrol."
He glanced at the empty bowl and couldn't help but smile. It seemed the Qiao family's culinary skills would become increasingly popular. The stir-fries from the market were no less delicious than those from upscale restaurants.
When they got back in the evening, Qingjiu was still lamenting, "There's no food at home, what are we going to eat?"
"Don't we have fermented bean curd?" Lu Zhao remembered that the Qiao family had given them a jar. "We can cook some porridge with fermented bean curd and make do with that."
"That works too. The Qiao family's fermented bean curd is delicious." Qingjiu was happy again at the thought of having something to eat.
Upon encountering Lin Shi and Qiao Jiaxing at the alley entrance, they quickly greeted them, "Auntie, where have you been?"
"We don't have enough wine at home, so I ordered some cooking wine and drinking wine," Lin said. "As the food stalls are doing better, more and more people want to drink, so the wine I brew can only be drunk by ourselves."
Qingjiu immediately exclaimed, "How could that be? I think Auntie's brewing skills are superb."
"Haha, you really know how to talk." Lin and Lu Zhao parted ways at the door. After entering the house, she saw Qiao Mancang looking over first and nodded. "Everything is done."
Previously, when Qiao Mancang went to the Qiu family to buy wine, Qiu Shaohui refused. At the time, both Qiao Mancang and Lin Shi thought that Qiu Shaohui disliked them and therefore did not want to do business with them.
However, when Qiao Jiawang got married, Qiu Shaohui gave him a dowry of ten taels of silver, which was more than what the Qiao brothers, Qiao Manyu and Qiao Jiawang, gave him. It was a lot of money.
The couple couldn't understand why Qiu Shaohui gave so much money as a wedding gift.
Later, it was only after Lin heard from her youngest daughter that she realized she had sent Jiawang and his brother to see Qiu Shaohui off.
After all, she was her own sister's bloodline, so she couldn't really be heartless. After much deliberation, Madam Lin decided to take Qiao Jiaxing to their door today to give it a try.
When Qiu Shaohui heard Lin say that she wanted to place an order for wine with the Qiu family, he was stunned for a while. Ning was the first to react and tentatively asked Lin how much she wanted.
"I don't know how much drinking wine we can sell, but I'm sure we need a certain amount of cooking wine," Lin said, giving a number. "I was thinking that doing business with other people might get us ripped off. But we're relatives, and you're the uncles of the Qiao family, which is a business for the Qiao family. It's definitely the right thing to do to do business with you. I just don't know if you're willing to take on this business?"
Lin wasn't that petty. The Qiu family were the two children's maternal uncles, that was an undeniable fact, and there was no need to avoid them.
Besides, the Qiu family is also struggling financially. Since it's about making money, it would be better to work with relatives and friends. She can make the trip herself, and if the Qiu family doesn't agree, she can always find someone else to cooperate with.
Of course, only the Lin family can handle this matter; it's unlikely that any other member of the Qiao family would be able to succeed.
Only when Lin goes there will the Qiu family know that Lin doesn't mind associating with the Qiu family.
Ning was hesitant to make a decision on this matter, so she turned to look at her husband.
Qiu Shaohui's heart pounded. He wanted to speak, but the words caught in his throat.
Ning couldn't stand it anymore and slapped him hard, saying, "Anyone who can't do this, give them a reply."
Qiu Shaohui then cautiously looked at Lin Shi, "I'm afraid my family's wine isn't good enough."
"That's enough. Your family's distillery has been passed down through generations. The fact that it's been able to keep selling for so long means you must have some skill."
Lin smiled and looked at Qiu Shaohui and his wife. "I'm a straightforward person. I came to talk because I thought your family was really nice. Of course, doing business is a personal choice. My family is just running a small business right now, so we don't really need that much alcohol. If you think it's troublesome, not worthwhile, or for other reasons, we can accept that. After all, even if the deal doesn't go through, the friendship remains."
Qiao Jiaxing added, "Uncle, my mother came over right after she finished her business. She told me that you are a kind and honest person."
The word "uncle" stunned Qiu Shaohui. Ning Shi, who was standing to the side, lost her patience, clicked her tongue, and went behind the counter to get food for Qiao Jiaxing and Lin Shi.
“I…” Qiu Shaohui looked at the laughing and chatting Lin Shi. He saw no embarrassment or unease on Lin Shi’s face. His fists were clenched tightly, and his voice trembled with nervousness. After a while, he finally made up his mind and said, “I think it is… okay.”
"That's wonderful! I was worried you wouldn't agree. From now on, Jiawang and Jiaxing will come to pick up the wine, so you two uncle and nephew can see each other more often." Lin paid the deposit and agreed on the amount of wine she wanted initially. "If it's not enough, have the brothers come and get more. It would be best if our businesses all prospered and we all got rich together!"
After recounting what happened at the Qiu family's shop, Madam Lin gulped down two cups of tea. "I was so thirsty! Luckily, it was all done. From now on, we can have Jiawang and Jiaxing go to the Qiu family's shop."
She and Qiao Mancang decided not to go, knowing that Qiu Shaohui would feel awkward seeing her.
Qiao Mancang nodded and said, "You should rest now, you've worked hard today."
"I'm not tired. I'm happy as long as things are done well." As she spoke, Mrs. Lin smelled the aroma of food and felt hungry. "What is Mianmian making tonight? I can't smell what it is?"
Qiao Mancang also drank a cup of tea. "She's frying bamboo shoot cakes. She's been making them since she came back this afternoon. They smell so good. Look at all the bamboo shoot cakes drying in the yard."
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