After all that commotion, it was already lunchtime. Jiang Ling glanced at the three children and, since they were already out, decided not to go back for lunch. So she took the children and headed to the restaurant.
"Young Master Zhao, would you prefer a private room?" The waiter was a shrewd man, and immediately began to greet Zhao Qianyu, who was standing next to Jiang Ling.
Zhao Qianyu rolled his eyes at the waiter, pointed to Jiang Ling beside him, and said, "This is my godmother!" He then turned to Jiang Ling and asked, "Godmother, where shall we sit?"
Jiang Ling smiled faintly, "I'll listen to you!"
Zhao Qianyu glanced at the waiter, his face stiff and cold, and said, "Alright, then it's the same as before!"
"Alright! Young Master Zhao, please come in! A private room on the second floor, our honored guest has arrived!" The waiter called out, leading Jiang Ling and her group to a private room on the second floor.
Two large screens provided excellent privacy, and the walls were decorated with paintings by literati. The view outside the window was first-class, making it a feast for the eyes.
Steamed lion's head meatballs, braised chicken in soy sauce, stir-fried lotus root, and crab roe tofu—two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes—are all signature dishes of this restaurant.
After rattling off the names of the dishes with practiced ease, Zhao Qianyu turned to Jiang Ling and asked, "Godmother, what else would you like to eat?"
Jiang Ling shook her head. "That's enough! Four dishes for four people is enough!"
Zhao Qianyu turned to the waiter and said, "That's fine!"
Upon hearing this, the waiter quickly stepped back from behind the screen and headed towards the kitchen.
"Godmother, what are you planning to do with Suihe after this?" Zhao Qianyu asked when no one was around.
Jiang Ling didn't know how to answer Zhao Qianyu for a moment. In any case, it was impossible for her to attend Linghui Academy, but where could she find a private tutor now?
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling looked at Zhao Qianyu and asked, "Qianyu, you have a wide network of connections, can you help your godmother find out if there are any private tutors willing to come to Lujia Village to teach?"
Zhao Qianyu quickly patted his chest and promised, "Godmother, don't worry, I'll take care of this! Even if I can't handle it, I still have my father." Of course, Zhao Qianyu didn't say the second half of the sentence aloud, but just silently recited it in his heart.
"Suihe, it's all my fault. Can you forgive me?" Jiang Ling asked patiently, her gaze fixed on Jiang Suihe.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Suihe shook her head in fear and trepidation, "Mother, I...I really didn't blame you!"
Seeing Jiang Suihe's cautious manner, Jiang Ling felt inexplicably sad.
The four dishes were quickly served by the waiter, and Zhao Qianyu waved his hand and said to everyone, "Eat up! These are their signature dishes, you should try them!"
Since everyone at the table was family, Jiang Ling didn't stand on ceremony. She picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of crab roe tofu. It tasted delicious, but she felt like something was missing.
In fact, it wasn't just Jiang Ling who thought this way; the other three people had the same thought after they finished eating.
All three children looked at Jiang Ling, who looked at them with some confusion.
"Mom, I...I think...I think your cooking is still the best!" Jiang Yaojie was the first to speak, but his voice was very soft. After all, they were in someone else's restaurant, and he couldn't very well cause a scene!
Following Jiang Yaojie's lead, Zhao Qianyu chimed in, "Yes, yes, godmother, I've always missed your spicy hot pot! Oh, it's so delicious! I always feel like this dish is missing something!"
Hearing this, Jiang Ling chuckled. After all, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves were still Chinese medicinal herbs in this era, and some secret recipes were not from this time. So it wasn't that the cook's food was bad, but rather that Jiang Ling's ingredients were more advanced than those of ordinary people.
"Mom, are you really not planning to open a restaurant? Old Master Qin's suggestion is actually quite good!" Jiang Yaojie asked.
"What? Godmother, you're opening a restaurant? Where? When?" Zhao Qianyu, a foodie, immediately swallowed hard and stared wide-eyed as she asked.
“You guys! Hurry up and eat! We need to think about the restaurant business more carefully. We’re already so busy with the shampoo and fertilizer factories that I don’t have time for anything else. Do you think opening a restaurant would split your mother in two?” Jiang Ling replied with a smile.
Although the children's eyes showed some disappointment, they didn't take it to heart when they thought about how busy their mother was every day.
After a satisfying meal, Jiang Ling took Jiang Yaojie and Jiang Suihe back to Lujia Village. Before leaving, she reminded Zhao Qianyu that the spring examination would begin in a month and he couldn't continue to be so carefree.
Zhao Qianyu just smiled sheepishly and didn't answer. Looking at Zhao Qianyu's expression, Jiang Ling felt truly helpless.
As night fell, Jiang Ling called Jiang Suihe to her room. The mother and daughter planned to have a heart-to-heart talk that night.
Encouraged by Jiang Ling that night, Jiang Suihe said many things, which made Jiang Ling feel extremely guilty. She finally understood the true meaning of the sarcastic saying she had seen online: "Love the eldest, cherish the third, and the second is nothing."
Jiang Ling made many promises to Jiang Suihe, who nodded and burst into tears again.
The sun slowly rose, once again waking up the sleeping Lujia Village.
The urgent banging on the door woke Jiang Ling from her bed. The knocking annoyed her, and she got dressed and angrily pushed the door open.
A strange man appeared in front of Jiang Ling outside the door. He was fat and greasy, which was Jiang Ling's first impression.
"You're that widow surnamed Jiang?" The man didn't even look at Jiang Ling properly, and instead stroked the jade rings on his ten fingers.
Seeing the man's arrogant attitude, Jiang Ling, who was already grumpy from waking up, became even more anxious and upset. With a dark face, she said unkindly, "My surname is Jiang, but I am not a widow. If you are looking for a widow, go to Jiang Family Village. This is Lu Family Village!"
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