Chapter 127: What Happened?

She used this incident as a negative example for Ruyi: "You must never follow your sister's example; it's truly cold‑hearted toward your master."

"Understood, Mother. If not, Mother, find me a husband's family in Tianshui Town, conveniently close to you and also close to Master. Sister is foolish, I'm not foolish; the Feng Family is clearly scheming against us."

"What do you mean?"

"This is also Nü'er's guess; they must have previously inquired about our family, learned about the Wang Family, and that's why they came to latch onto us. Saying sister is foolish is because she can't figure out her position in the husband's family. She is a favorite of the Feng Family, giving away her dowry, constantly currying favor with the husband's family, making it seem as if our family's young ladies can't get married and are being forced onto the Feng Family."

Shopkeeper Lu stroked Ruyi's head, "You see through things better than your sister; she's a fool."

"Mother, sister wasn't like this before; she's just too honest, too sincere, and the Feng Family gave her a bewildering drug."

"That may be so, but if she were sober, even the most intoxicating drug couldn't fool her."

"Perfect, from now on Master will be mine alone, hehe. She married and forgot her roots, but I won't; I hope Mother and Master belong only to me."

"You little imp!"

On the eighteenth day of the first month, Old Mr. Wang and his wife returned to the Qiao Family on time!

When Qiao Mai went to greet her, Old Mrs. Wang held her hand and talked for a while.

Cold noodles are easy to make: mix the batter, steam it in a pot; the Kitchen Maid can do it at a glance. She handed it to the Kitchen Maid and began adding ingredients.

The old lady held her hand, her eyes rimmed with red.

"Indeed, don't underestimate these snacks; regardless of winter or summer, they taste especially good. I visited her shop; it nets at least twenty taels a day, that's six hundred taels a month. After costs, count it as five hundred taels, that's six thousand taels a year; if we count even less, say five thousand taels. How much would that be across ten County Towns?"

Qiao Mai fell silent for a moment, "From now on she's no longer my disciple; you don't need to save face for me."

Old Mr. Wang ate while speaking; Qiao Mai, holding a jar, asked, "Shall we add some of this?"

"I don't know; the Feng Family is being pretentious, trying to curry favor with you."

"As long as you enjoy this bite I made, whether it's hard work or not, everyone benefits together."

"As long as you like the bite I made, whether you call it Hard Work or not, everyone will share the glory together, right."

Seeing them, Qiao Mai let out a chuckle, "How about at noon I make some of these snacks for us to eat?"

Saying that, the old lady pursed her lips, looking disdainful.

"Of course, that's the key to deliciousness; soon there will be portions for you too, let everyone have a bowl to taste."

"That shows they like the food I make; when you two return for the New Year later this year, I'll make more braised meat and sausage. This stuff can only be made in winter; it gets worms when it's hot."

"Servant Girl, let me tell you, the foods you brought us for the New Year, they tasted them, and each one was like a country bumpkin who'd never seen the world; their eating manners were truly ugly."

"Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl, let me tell you, the food you brought for us, when we let them try it during the New Year, they each looked like country bumpkins who had never seen the world; their eating manners were truly unsightly."

"Don't worry, we're waiting!"

Qiao Mai smiled as she walked to the kitchen and saw the Kitchen Maids bustling.

The Kitchen Maids saw that Master had put so many things into the oil, but didn't dare to ask; Master must teach them to learn, and without teaching they wouldn't speak up. That's the Qiao Family's rule.

"Alright, alright, I want to taste what makes these snacks so tasty that they sell for so much."

"You are the most endearing, most considerate, most kind‑hearted Servant Girl I've ever seen."

"You are the most endearing, most considerate, and most kind-hearted Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl I have ever met."

Old Mr. Wang sat sipping hot tea, watching the two interact, feeling it was like a mother and daughter.

As they talked, the old lady shifted the conversation to Xin'er.

"A snack recipe that makes this much money?"

The old lady was furious, "The Feng Family is truly insatiable. A good Servant Girl married into their house, was coaxed into such a state; what a White‑eyed Wolf, they have brains yet don't think."

"Ah, finally back. It's still comfortable staying here; once I get back to the County Town, I won't be content anywhere else."

"Mm‑hm, then let me thank you first; at home you're the hardest‑working, having to manage the shop and think about our mouths; you have my gratitude."

She opened the small jar in her hand; inside was the sesame sauce she had prepared.

She mixed the chili oil; the whole house was filled with that fragrance, truly delightful.

"Yo, I'm so dear in your heart; later I'll make you something tasty."

A tray with two bowls, covered with a mesh, and the other Kitchen Maids began bringing them to the old lady.

First comes the chili; with elders and children at home, it can't be too spicy, yet must be fragrant, so the proportions are quite particular.

"Alright, I'll go make it now, but lunch will be a bit later."

Qiao Mai glanced at their curious looks, scraping while explaining.

"Because of your face, I saw it and still let them have lunch."

In no time, the servant girls and old women came over to help carry, the remaining work was left to the kitchen, and Qiao Mai took off her apron and returned to the old lady.

She recounted the matter of Xin'er returning to her natal home on the second day of the New Year, and also mentioned the recipe she gave her.

"There aren't few ingredients in this, right?"

As they spoke, Old Mr. Wang and Old Mrs. Wang both swallowed, their mouths watering at the snack she had just described.

"Your senior disciple went to the Wang Mansion on the first day of the New Year to pay New Year's respects to me; did you know about this?"

Yuan Jiaqi and his party were indeed there, even Ling'er was present. Qiao Mai watched them each holding a bowl, gobbling noisily, unable to even speak to her.

"Twenty of them? For a small shop like this, once a storefront is renovated, it can open for business. The Feng Family only wants my recipe; they never think about these things. Their shallow outlook only sees the immediate, unable to perceive other places."

"Twenty of them? For a small shop like this, once a storefront is properly renovated, it can open for business. The Feng Family only wants my formula and never thought about these things; their shallow insight thinks only of the present and cannot see the other side's place."

"Thank you, Master, we are blessed with a feast today."

The kang had been heated early; the old lady and Old Mr. Wang got onto it. Qiao Mai sat at the edge of the kang, the servant girls and old women hurried to bring tea, fetched pastries from the kitchen, and set out fruit trays, bustling about.

Qiao Mai rolled up her sleeves, put on an apron, and began cooking.

She didn't make gluten; she wondered whether to add gluten, but the cold noodles would still be delicious.

"Indeed, these snacks are delicious; after I finish, I'll first deliver them to the old lady, and the others will likely go there too, so let's send them all there."

"How about we never go back later? As we age, we stay wherever it's comfortable. I'll support your retirement, and if they miss you, they can come to me."

"How about we just stop going back later; we're getting old, so wherever it's comfortable to stay is where we should be. I'll look after you two in your old age, and if they miss you, they can just come to my place."

Haha, I think it's fine.

If the formula is handled well, not to mention opening branches across the whole Ming Emperor's Imperial Court, even the surrounding city‑fortresses and County Towns could earn at least a few hundred thousand taels of silver a year. They let such a good deal go, yet insist that Xin'er come to me for the formula—truly foolish.

Indeed, people like that can only stay in Xiancheng, sitting in a well looking at the sky, never able to amass great wealth.

Let's move lunch to dinner. I'll cook something else, and you help me with the prep so it's faster. Also, simmer some nourishing soup; after the meal, everyone can have a bowl.

The cold skin noodles are steamed, cut into strips, a layer of cucumber shreds is placed underneath, then the noodles, and finally a layer of Honghong's chili oil is poured over.

Not to mention the old lady, even the Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl and the old woman by her side also like staying at the Qiao Family.

When these ingredients are fried in oil until nearly charred, the oil will take on their aroma; then pour it into the prepared chili paste, and the chili oil becomes even richer in fragrance.

Delicious, too tasty; after getting sick of the big fish and meat during the New Year, this is just right, just right.

He unhesitatingly extended the bowl toward her, "Add some, let this old man have a taste."

Qiao Mai scooped two spoonfuls of sesame sauce into it, and the old gentleman, upon smelling, said, "Is this sesame sauce?"

Yes, it's produced by your Wang Family's Zuofang; during the New Year the County Town already had it for sale, and it's quite expensive, huh?

Wang Jiaru's Old Servant mixed it, took a bite and said, "It still feels better without this; this kind of food should remain light and refreshing."

(End of chapter)