Wang Fugui looked at the Ling brothers in shock, but then quickly dismissed the doubt in his mind.
"The world is vast, and there are bound to be people with the same name. This name just sounds somewhat familiar!"
The Ling brothers didn't think much of it. Ling Dahu immediately said, "I don't even remember what my father looked like. I was only three years old when my father passed away."
"Not to mention me, I've never seen my father since I was born, and I didn't even know his name until I grew up," Ling Dapeng said with emotion.
The current Grand General who protects the nation is also named Ling Yunzhou, but he probably has nothing to do with these two big, dumb guys. Wang Fugui thought to himself, and then put the matter out of his mind.
On the way back, Wang Fugui gave special instructions to the two Ling brothers.
“If it comes to my business, don’t tell your mother. She and I don’t get along, and I’m afraid she’ll scold you if she finds out.”
It wasn't a big deal, Ling Dahu thought for a moment and said, "Okay, Uncle Wang, thank you!"
Wang Fugui waved his hand and walked home on his own.
When Tao Wanniang saw her two sons bring back her deceased husband's memorial tablet, she was very satisfied. If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. The memorial tablet should be arranged!
After a few days of leisure, Cheng Feng came over again and informed Tao Wan's mother that the family's identities had been registered and they had been given identity certificates.
"Sister Tao, what are your plans for the future?" Cheng Feng asked politely.
"Of course I have plans, otherwise I'll just be sitting around doing nothing!" Tao Wanniang said with a smile. "I'm planning to open a restaurant. If it opens, I hope Lord Cheng will do me the honor of coming!"
“Of course, Sister Tao’s cooking skills are quite good.” Cheng Feng immediately said upon hearing Tao Wan Niang’s plan. “I mentioned to the young master that if Sister Tao was willing, she could become a cook in the Prince’s mansion. However, the young master said that Sister Tao is probably used to being free and might not agree.”
A cook in the Prince's mansion? That's absolutely impossible. Tao Wanniang immediately rejected the idea in her mind. She was used to being wild and didn't want to work for anyone again.
“If that’s really what you say, Your Highness, then you’re right. I’d rather cook for my guests myself than go to the Prince’s mansion. It’s my own shop, so I can quit whenever I want, right?” Tao Wanniang said frankly.
"Sister Tao is a very easygoing person. Well then, I'll head back now." Cheng Feng said a few polite words and then got up to take his leave.
Tao Wanniang escorted the person to the door. She used the reputation of the Prince Rui's mansion, but she didn't really want to get too close to these noble people.
However, just then, Old Wang from next door came out.
"People from Prince Rui's mansion?" Wang Fugui said sarcastically after Cheng Feng left.
"You're quite perceptive. It's not like it's written on his forehead, how could you tell?" Tao Wanniang said sarcastically.
Wang Fugui didn't engage in a verbal battle with Tao Wanniang. He simply gave her a meaningful look and walked away.
For some inexplicable reason, Tao Wanniang felt she had nothing to say to Wang Fugui and turned around to go home.
During the few days the house was empty, the family did some renovations. They turned over the soil in the flowerbeds in the front yard and sowed the vegetable seeds that Tao Wan's mother wanted to plant.
The Ling brothers also fenced off the open space behind the kitchen and built a chicken coop, preparing to raise chickens and ducks.
After wandering around several main streets, Tao Wanniang started thinking about her restaurant business. She bought a lot of ingredients and planned to cook them one by one so that her family could try them first, and then decide on a menu.
"Qiao'er, come here, I'll tell you some cooking tips now. To make this braised pork, you first need to dissolve the sugar, which is called caramelizing the sugar..." Tao Wan's mother was serious about cooking, and she was also dedicated to teaching little Qiao'er.
"Mother, with so many ingredients, how much will a braised pork dish cost in the future?" Xiao Qiao'er knew that Tao Wan's mother was going to open a restaurant. Meat was already expensive, and with such careful cooking, it would surely fetch a good price.
“Didn’t we eat at the Yuelai Inn before? A plate of braised pork costs one tael of silver, which is definitely unaffordable for ordinary people. The restaurant I’m going to open will naturally satisfy the stomachs of ordinary people as well as attract gourmets who are willing to spend money. Wonton and scallion pancakes will still be available, but I’ll come up with more signature dishes.”
Tao Wanniang told Xiao Qiao'er that she intended for Xiao Qiao'er to inherit her legacy. Once she had established her culinary empire, she would pass it on to Xiao Qiao'er, at which point she could retire and simply count her money.
Xiao Qiao'er studied very hard, but she was a little embarrassed: "Mother, I don't know many characters and I can't write them. If I could, I would like to write a recipe, since I can't hold that much in my head."
This... Tao Wan's mother hadn't considered it. She looked at Xiao Qiao'er and suggested, "Qiao'er, why don't you go to school for a year or two first?"
"Then there will be no one to help Mother cook." Little Qiao'er was also in a dilemma. "Or, should we let my two older brothers learn?"
Tao Wan's mother frowned. Her two eldest sons were not very literate, so the most important thing right now was to find a few people who could read.
"We'll hire a tutor later. We can talk about the recipes later. Come on, let's learn how to cook first!"
Braised pork, various braised dishes, eggs prepared in different ways, and some stews—every day, the aroma of food wafting from Tao Wan Niang's house could be smelled from Old Wang's next door.
"Master, aren't the neighbors next door new? Why don't I go over and have a look around, and see which chef can cook such delicious food?" Madam Wang discussed with Wang Fugui. For several days now, the aroma of food has been wafting from next door every mealtime.
"Where did the cook come from next door? An old widow with her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and a whole bunch of other people—it's probably that old widow cooking!" Wang Fugui thought of everyone in the Ling family, but in the end, he still felt that only Tao Wan's mother was likely the one to cook!
"The old widow?" Madam Wang asked in surprise. "How did you know?"
"How could I not know? Ever since my old friend sold this house and went back to his hometown, haven't I been keeping an eye on the neighbors every day?" Wang Fugui said irritably. "When they came, I had a falling out with them. If they want to come over, they can go by themselves. I'm not going. There's always trouble at a widow's door!"
If a widow has grandchildren, then even if she's young, she must be close to forty!
Madam Wang thought to herself, and said, "Alright, I'll take my maid over after dinner to visit. We're all neighbors, so we should keep in touch."
Could Tao really have such good cooking skills? Wang Fugui also had his doubts, but he didn't think of anyone else, since the others were even less likely to be like him.
"What's the use of being a good cook? Does he want to open a restaurant?" Wang Fugui muttered.
Tao Wanniang really wanted to open a restaurant! She had already found a shop and was just waiting for everything to be ready so she could open it on an auspicious day!
"I'm definitely going to open a restaurant. I just want to ask you guys, are you going to work for me, or are you going to find your own jobs?"
Before opening the restaurant, Tao Wan's mother called everyone in the family to hold a family meeting.
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