After a good night’s sleep, morning came quickly. When Qiao Mianmian got up, her fourth sister had already helped cook the porridge. She only needed to stir-fry a dish, and breakfast would be ready.
Qiao Jiaxing knew there would be wild rabbit meat today, and before leaving the house, he was grinning widely.
“Fifth sister, add more carrots. They soak up the soup and taste really good.”
“I’ve noted it, second brother. Be careful on the way out,” Qiao Mianmian said as she sent him to the door, then went with her parents to set up the stall.
As they were nearing the market street, they ran into Sun, the manager of Chunxi Restaurant. Qiao Mianmian asked her parents to go ahead first, then took Manager Sun to the roadside and told him about Fu Man Restaurant coming to find her.
“It’s not a big deal, so I didn’t specially look for you. But since I happened to meet you today, I should still mention it, so no one will spread rumors later and cause misunderstandings. Manager Sun, please rest assured—I already refused them at that time. Since I promised you, our family will keep our word. We are small business owners, and we value honesty the most.”
She did not mention it earlier because she was afraid it might sound like she was hinting at a price increase. But since they met, saying it briefly would show her stance and strengthen their trust.
Manager Sun increasingly felt that Qiao Mianmian was very capable. Many business principles he had only figured out after years of experience, yet this fourteen-year-old girl explained them clearly. He smiled and said, “I am very assured of your family. Autumn is coming soon, and business will get better. We may need more braised dishes then.”
“You just need to tell us in advance. We are already familiar with each other,” Qiao Mianmian said. “I still need to set up my stall, so I won’t talk further. See you later!”
After bidding farewell, she ran toward the market street like a gust of wind, completely unlike a gentle young lady.
Xu Mingxuan, who was heading to the academy, happened to see her and watched her figure for a moment.
From the inn, Lu Zhao and his servant Qing Jiu also came out. Qing Jiu rubbed his stomach and said he was hungry, while Lu Zhao saw Qiao Mianmian running past like the wind.
“You’re still hungry? Today is a rest day. We will clean the courtyard and move in earlier so we can save money on lodging,” Lu Zhao said. Passing a steamed bun shop, he bought two buns and took Qing Jiu to the new residence.
When Qiao Mianmian reached her stall, regular customers had already arrived. She immediately focused on selling, hoping to finish early and go home.
Life continued like this for three days.
On the first day of the eighth lunar month, two new things happened in the neighborhood.
One was that the second son of the Wang family went to live as a son-in-law in another household. The other was that new neighbors moved into the house across from the Qiao family.
When Qiao Mianmian returned from closing the stall, she saw the door opposite was open. Her grandmother said new neighbors had moved in and had just given them a fish earlier.
“Your grandfather caught more fish today. I even kept one for us,” Old Madam Zhang said while turning over mushrooms drying in the courtyard. She patted the dust from her hands and pulled her granddaughter inside.
“Your second uncle came by today. These are red sugar rice cakes. I saved one specially for you. Eat it quickly.”
Since arriving in this world, Qiao Mianmian had secretly eaten a few treats, which made her feel a little guilty every time she saw others.
“Grandmother, maybe I…”
“Eat it quickly. There are only two pieces. I can’t divide them among everyone,” Old Madam Zhang said firmly.
She had always wanted a daughter in her life but had only sons. Now she poured all her affection onto her granddaughter.
Seeing that Qiao Mianmian still hesitated, she directly fed it to her.
The sweet rice cake melted in her mouth. Qiao Mianmian felt a bit emotional. If the family had better conditions, they would not have to be so careful with money.
After eating, Old Madam Zhang wiped her mouth and told her not to say anything, or her second brother would definitely complain.
Then she smiled and said, “You’ve gained a little weight. Next year when you come of age, I’ll buy you new fabric and invite your maternal family to celebrate properly.”
Qiao Mianmian’s eyes turned slightly red. “Grandmother, you are so good to me.”
“What do you want for dinner today? Braised fish or pickled fish?”
“Braised fish,” Old Madam Zhang said.
Qiao Mianmian went to prepare the fish. Soon, the second brother came bouncing into the house.
“Fifth sister, what kind of fish are we eating today?”
“Braised fish,” she replied.
He was also holding something in his hands.
“It’s taro. A brother who helps me carry goods gave it to me. His relatives sent it. There are two pieces—see how you want to cook it.”
“One can be stir-fried sour and spicy. The other can be steamed with meat later,” Qiao Mianmian said immediately.
While peeling the taro, her second brother suddenly said mysteriously, “Do you know about the Wang family’s second son going to live as a son-in-law?”
Qiao Mianmian continued peeling calmly.
“The Wang family’s second son went to find that household himself. He said his elder brother had to support their mother, so he would go instead. After that, he returned home and told his mother. She was so angry she beat him. But today, the matchmaker already came to finalize the marriage. She had no choice but to agree.”
Qiao Mianmian asked curiously, “Second brother, how do you know so clearly?”
“It was the third son of the Wang family who told me,” he said.
Hearing this, Qiao Mianmian nodded slightly. In ancient times, being a son-in-law in another household was not considered honorable, but it often brought real benefits.
As they talked, she sliced the taro into thin shreds. “Second brother, light the fire. I’m going to cook.”
“Alright!” He immediately went to light the stove.
The braised fish came out glossy and fragrant, with sauce shimmering like amber. The aroma alone was mouthwatering.
Next, she stir-fried the sour and spicy taro shreds.
Garlic was sautéed in pork fat, then high heat was used to bring out the aroma. A leaf of spice was added, followed by vinegar. The fragrance rose with the steam.
She tasted a piece—crisp, refreshing, and appetizing.
“Not bad,” she praised herself.
Then she prepared egg soup with goji leaves.
By the time everything was served, the whole family was waiting.
After dinner, Qiao Mianmian sat at the door with her second brother, eating watermelon while soaking their feet in the cool water of the ditch.
At that moment, she saw new neighbors next door struggling with burnt rice and fish.
Meanwhile, on their side, the smell of braised fish and sour-spicy dishes filled the air.
The man living next door, Lu Zhao, paused and glanced toward Qiao Mianmian’s house, smelling the aroma drifting over.