Chapter 229 Making the Most of Everything
Enjoy the flowers when they bloom.
Eat the fallen flowers.
In fact, the ancients also ate flowers.
It is called flower food.
It is to make snacks or dishes with flowers of the four seasons.
However, adding flowers to dishes and tea was initially just a way for scholars to show off their elegance and for princes and nobles to flaunt their wealth.
Ordinary people don't believe in this.
After all, what the vast majority of poor people want is to have enough to eat. For them, flowers are just something new.
No matter how much effort you put into picking, after blanching, only a little is left. Not only is it a waste of time, but it’s also not as filling as wild vegetables.
But in the eyes of literati, gourmets and medical scientists, these edible flowers of all seasons are treasures.
Many people have also written poems, articles and recipes for this.
In their eyes, eating flowers is about fun, elegance, and can even be used to cure diseases.
Although some people love to eat them and some can cook them, there are certainly not many experts who are good at incorporating flowers into cooking.
There shouldn't be any restaurants specializing in flower dishes, at least not in Jiangzhou.
It's still quite rare.
Because the cooking methods of flowers are different from other vegetables, fruits and melons, they can be said to be very unique.
Some flowers smell fragrant but taste bitter.
Some flowers can be used as medicine, but eating too much is not recommended, and people with special physical conditions and during special periods should not eat them.
Some flowers are poisonous in themselves. If they are handled well, they are delicacies, but if they are not handled well, they are poison.
For example, if the large white azalea is not cooked thoroughly and eaten, it will cause poisoning.
Bitter thorn flower is a dish that clears heat and detoxifies, but it needs to be blanched in water countless times to reduce its bitterness.
Peach blossoms can be used in tea or as snacks, but eating too much can cause diarrhea.
What's worse is that some people mistake flowers for garlic sprouts and put unopened daffodils into dishes, and then get poisoned without knowing what happened.
But even though eating flowers is risky, there are still people who are willing to be guinea pigs.
So, Jiang Miaomiao discovered a small business opportunity.
Jiangzhou's climate is good for both people and flowers. There are many varieties of flowers, each plant is lush and green, and the flowers are plump and large.
Quite suitable for cooking.
But after these flowers have been enjoyed by people, their fate is to turn into spring mud, which is such a pity.
They can actually be put to good use and be more valuable.
Jiang Miaomiao had an idea.
But she couldn't tell everything to her mother and aunt.
Sometimes being gifted is not necessarily a good thing, especially for such a young child. If you know a little bit, others will think you are very smart.
But if you know too much, beyond the scope of ordinary people, then others may regard you as a monster.
So Jiang Miaomiao would only occasionally show a little bit of cleverness in front of others.
She held her mother's little finger with her little hand, tilted her head and asked, "Mom, there are so many chrysanthemums and magnolias in the house across the street. Auntie said we can make delicious food there. Why don't we just open a shop there?"
The house is located in the wealthy and powerful area of Jiangzhou. It is a perfect place to open a private restaurant for viewing and eating flowers, and for ladies to gather, chat and drink afternoon tea.
After all, in ancient times, young ladies in the boudoir did not have the opportunity to go out every day, let alone go to bustling and noisy places, but it was different at home.
We have the right time, place and people, it would be unreasonable not to hold the Hundred Flowers Banquet.
Lu Qingyao and Xiuxiu looked at each other and nodded.
The house was bought at a low price, even less expensive than the shops on Sajin Street. It's just sitting there idle anyway, so why not convert it into a restaurant?
It's so close to home, so I have food to eat.
"Sister, this is a good idea." Xiuxiu liked this suggestion very much. It was close to home and she could work and see Miaomiao at the same time.
In this way, Jiang Miaomiao's proposal was adopted.
The pastry shop was transformed directly into a private restaurant, and my mother gave the restaurant a simple and easy-to-understand name.
Baihuazhai.
As the name suggests, it means eating flowers, appreciating flowers of the four seasons, and having a feast of flowers.
We only make dishes and snacks related to flowers.
The idea is to have food and fun, all in one place.
You can enjoy the flowers, enjoy a feast of hundreds of flowers, play tossing pots and kicking balls, arrange flowers and drink tea, or watch dances and listen to music.
Of course, consumption cannot be low.
It is estimated that one banquet would cost hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver.
Eating is an emotional value.
When Aunt Xiuxiu heard this, she felt it was quite challenging and became interested. She took out a box and gave her savings to her mother.
"Sister, I've made it clear that I can be the owner of Baihuazhai, but I will only develop the dishes. I won't be involved in anything else."
"Okay then, you'll just be responsible for developing the dishes and collecting the money." Lu Qingyao said with a smile.
Because there were more than just the two of them, there was also Qiao'er, so she decided to let Qiao'er manage Baihuazhai, and she would be responsible for collecting money and be a hands-off boss.
It's time for Qiao'er to stand on her own.
Lu Qingyao learned about the Sun family from Old Lady Cui.
The shopkeeper Sun Yu originally held an official position as the Censor.
Later, he was demoted and dismissed from his post for angering the emperor.
Imperial Tutor Cui admired his character and could not bear to see his talent buried in the countryside, so he invited him to be his staff.
I have been doing this for decades.
Now they all have many children and grandchildren.
Even when Cui Taifu retired and returned to his hometown, Sun Yu still followed him and came to Jiangzhou with his wife and children.
Sun Yanshu is the youngest in the family and the only one who is preparing to enter the officialdom.
He has two older brothers.
Sun Jiadalang was a businessman and married the daughter of the Pan family, a merchant from Fuzhou. The Sun and Pan families were old friends, so the two could be considered childhood sweethearts.
The second son of the Sun family joined the army and was a captain under the command of Mu Yunji, Duke of Shen. He married the eldest daughter of Xu Yushi, a former colleague of Sun Yu.
Now both sons are in the capital. Although the eldest daughter-in-law is the manager of the household, it is said that the two daughters-in-law have been fighting for the power to manage the household for many years.
Pan disliked Xu's poverty, and Xu disliked Pan's low social status, so neither of them looked down on the other.
So Lu Qingyao felt that it was time to give Qiao'er extra lessons.
Although the Sun family is not a wealthy family, they cannot avoid dealing with complicated conflicts between mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, and sisters-in-law.
It goes without saying that Qiao'er will have two difficult sisters-in-law.
It’s hard to say what the family feud is about.
But it's not too late now. The Sun family has their own house in Jiangzhou, and Lu Qingyao has dealt with the Sun family manager before. He is a kind person.
Mrs. Sun is also easy to get along with.
If the marriage goes through, Qiao'er should not leave Jiangzhou for the time being until Sun Yanshu passes the imperial examination.
There is still time to gain experience.
After lunch.
Jiang Miaomiao didn't take a nap today.
I watched my mother using the abacus, her white fingers moving the beads on the abacus.
“Crackle… crackle…”
The speed was so fast that it made Miaomiao dizzy and people felt sleepy.
Then she lay down opposite her mother and took a nap.
“Miaomiao…”
Jiang Miaomiao thought she heard Sister Qiao's voice in a dream, but when she opened her eyelids, Sister Qiao was standing in front of her with a rosy face.
My uncle, aunt and Jiang Wenxuan also came.
It seems that the whole family's dressing style has taken a big step forward, and it is obvious that they are a wealthy family from the village.
My aunt has become a little fatter and my uncle's legs are back to normal.
As for Jiang Wenxuan, he has grown a lot taller and looks a bit like his father in a gentle manner. He is no longer the little brat who wipes his nose.
I heard from Sister Qiao that he has started studying in the private school in the village.
Jiang Miaomiao called them sweetly, "Uncle, Aunt, Brother Xuan..."
"Miaomiao, I haven't seen you for a long time. I miss you so much." Liu Yu Niang looked excited. She picked up the little girl and kissed her on the face.
Then he exclaimed in amazement, "Sister-in-law, what did you feed Miaomiao? She's so fat, the little cub is as heavy as a small stone."
Jiang Miaomiao: ...Uh! Fat?
The little girl blushed and felt shy.
Her young heart was hurt that she was called fat.
Others all say that she is cute because she is chubby. Isn’t it normal for children to have baby fat?
She retorted, "I'm not fat, it's just nonsense."
It caused everyone to laugh.
After a cup of tea, the uncle said, "Sister-in-law, we're here today to ask for your help in preparing Qiao'er's dowry. The Sun family is a scholarly family, so I guess they have a lot of rules. We wanted to ask for your advice."
"Okay, leave it to me."
…
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