On Lu Zhao’s side, the food tasted like chewing wax, while next door at the Qiao family, everything tasted better with every bite.
The taro was soaked with the rich oil from the fatty pork, making the meat tender but not greasy. The preserved vegetables at the bottom of the bowl absorbed the savory juices, making it perfect with rice.
Qiao Jiaxing had already eaten two bowls of rice. After letting out a satisfied burp, he looked at the meat in his bowl. “Fifth Sister, how do such ordinary ingredients taste so much better when you cook them?”
“Granny Zhou said that if you want food to taste good, timing is very important. Don’t overcook it, and the seasoning must be just right.”
Qiao Mianmian had finished eating. She stood while rubbing her stomach so she wouldn’t get a belly. “Second Brother, why don’t you try learning? Maybe you’re even more talented.”
“I can’t. I can calculate wages for dock workers just fine, but cooking? That’s not for me.” Qiao Jiaxing waved his hands repeatedly. “I’ll go chop firewood. It’s a good time to work after eating.”
Qiao Mianmian went to the backyard to stir the braised meat pot and brought her fourth sister along. “Turn it once every half hour so it absorbs the flavor evenly and doesn’t stick. Fourth Sister, do you remember the spices I told you about?”
Today, she was teaching her how to make braised dishes. In ancient times, recipes were highly guarded secrets—even within a family, they were passed down selectively.
But Qiao Mianmian didn’t care about that. As long as they were her family, she was willing to teach them. In the future, any of her siblings could make a living from it.
Lin Xiahe said she remembered.
“Good. You’ll handle the second batch later while I watch. Don’t be nervous—you’ve seen me do it for days, so you should remember the process. Tomorrow is the first round of the prefectural exam. Scholar Xu said there are three rounds, and the food inside the exam hall isn’t good. After they come out, we’ll carry our baskets there to sell braised meat and buns.”
Qiao Mianmian had already arranged with a bun seller to prepare one hundred buns for tomorrow, which she would sell together with the braised meat.
“Mianmian, you’re amazing. You can come up with all kinds of business ideas,” Lin Xiahe praised sincerely.
Qiao Mianmian thought to herself that she only had these ideas because of the experiences from her previous life. If she had been born in this era, she might not have thought of such methods.
Still, being praised made her happy. “Fourth Sister, you’re amazing too. You’ve never formally learned embroidery, yet you can make clothes for others. That means you’re very smart.”
The sisters praised each other. When Lin Shi came over and saw how hardworking her daughters were, she felt even more guilty.
She turned and went back into the room, calculating their savings. At this point, she had to be more determined—if not for wealth, then at least for dignity. No matter what, they had to make their lives better!
At that moment, Widow Wang’s voice came from the front hall. Lin Shi locked her small wooden box and, before she even arrived, heard Widow Wang’s loud voice.
“At the end of the month is my second son’s big day—you must come.”
When she saw Lin Shi come out, remembering how Lin Shi had once looked down on her family, she deliberately showed off. “I’ve already asked the matchmaker to arrange matches for my eldest and third sons. I’ve rented another house, and after my third son marries, we’ll move there.”
The eldest son would stay with her in the future to support her in old age.
Lin Shi thought to herself that renting a house was not the same as buying one. Seeing Widow Wang showing off made her uncomfortable, but she still smiled and congratulated her. “If you need help, just call me—I’ll definitely come.”
In the neighborhood, when a family hosted a feast, they usually needed help, and others would come to assist. The banquet would be set up along the alley, with tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks gathered from different households. In over ten years, no one had ever held a banquet in a restaurant.
“Of course—everyone is important, especially you.”
Widow Wang moved closer and lowered her voice. “But I have something troubling me. Auntie, Sister, help me decide. The family across from you just moved in, right? I’ve only seen them once every few days—I don’t know them at all. But in our alley, we always invite every household. Should I send them an invitation?”
“Well…” Lin Shi found it difficult. They weren’t familiar, and inviting them might make things awkward if they didn’t want to come. But if every household received an invitation except them, it would look bad.
She looked at her mother-in-law. “Mother, what do you think?”
Zhang Shi thought for a moment. “Since it’s always been done this way, even if you’re not familiar, you should greet them out of courtesy. Whether they come is their choice, but if you don’t inform them, people might talk.”
“Ah, I don’t have elders at home to consult. Luckily, your kind enough to advise me.” Widow Wang nodded. “I’ll go greet them then. You all rest.”
After she left, Lin Shi muttered softly, “She said that on purpose for me to hear. If she really had ability, she’d buy a house instead of renting.”
“She hasn’t had it easy—raising so many children alone. Fortunately, her second son is open-minded. Otherwise, who knows when her sons would marry,” Zhang Shi said. “Alright, let’s rest. We’ve been busy all day, and you’re still unwell.”
Lin Shi nodded and returned to her room.
In the backyard, the braised meat gave off a rich aroma. Making it wasn’t difficult, and Lin Xiahe quickly got the hang of it. The sisters took out the cooked braised dishes and then went to rest.
Early the next morning, Qiao Mianmian first set up a stall at the market. When it became less crowded, she had her eldest brother carry the goods to the exam area.
She had already asked Shopkeeper Sun—temporary stalls were allowed near the exam grounds, and if officials came, a small tip would suffice.
As for herself, she went to find Wu Ermao.
She called him to a quiet riverside and said directly, “Brother Ermao, Aunt Wu went to my fourth sister and also spoke to my mother. She looks down on my fourth sister—did you know?”
“I didn’t know. What happened?” Wu Ermao frowned deeply.
“It’s exactly as I said. She’s afraid my fourth sister will cling to you, so she wants to marry her off to her nephew. I came today to pass on a message from my fourth sister. She wants you to listen to your mother and go meet other matches. Even if she becomes a nun, she won’t marry you.”
Qiao Mianmian had confirmed that her fourth sister truly had no feelings for him.
Wu Ermao froze. Seeing Qiao Mianmian’s angry face, he hurriedly explained, “My mother is my mother—I’ll persuade her. I’ve liked your fourth sister since childhood. Can you say a few good words for me?”
“Don’t say that. You and my fourth sister have nothing between you, yet your mother already talked to the matchmaker about her. If there were anything, she’d probably make a scene.”
Qiao Mianmian took a deep breath. “Marriage requires mutual feelings. Since my fourth sister isn’t willing, you should give up. Even if you force your mother to agree, my family won’t. My mother said even if she keeps my fourth sister at home for life, she won’t let her marry you.”
Seeing Wu Ermao stunned, she added firmly, “You know how important a girl’s reputation is. You’ve only visited her a few times, and your mother is already this anxious. If you truly care about her, stop coming to see her. You and her are not meant to be.”
“How can that be?” Wu Ermao felt suffocated. “I thought I came back too late, but Yuan Qiang was still entangled with that woman. Mianmian, please help me tell your sister—if she marries me, I’ll treat her well for the rest of my life.”
“But will Aunt Wu treat her well?” Qiao Mianmian replied bluntly. “When you’re not home, your mother can mistreat her however she wants. She already looks down on our family—that’s something you can’t change. You’re her only son. Would you abandon your mother after marriage? That’s impossible.”
Since she was already here, she made everything clear. “Most importantly, my fourth sister doesn’t like you. If she did, she wouldn’t have agreed to marry into the Yuan family before—she would have waited for you.”
“I…”
“Brother Ermao, let go. You can’t force feelings. Live your own life—it’s better for both of you. Don’t make things ugly. We live so close—it would be unbearable otherwise,” Qiao Mianmian said earnestly.
She actually thought Wu Ermao wasn’t a bad person. The problem was his mother looked down on their family.
Marriage wasn’t just about two people. Qiao Mianmian wasn’t naïve enough to believe that enduring hardship and being kind would eventually change someone’s heart. She could endure hardship, but not the suffering of blind love—and besides, her fourth sister truly had no feelings for him.
Seeing Wu Ermao still stunned, she asked again, “Did you understand?”
“Did your sister really say she doesn’t like me?” Wu Ermao’s heart shattered. “Why?”
“She remembers how you climbed trees as a child and soiled yourself, along with other embarrassing things. Brother Ermao, forced love doesn’t last. My fourth sister said if her reputation is ruined, she’ll fight Aunt Wu to the end. You don’t want that, do you?”
Wu Ermao’s face turned red instantly. “Sh-she told you that? Those things happened when we were kids!”
It was utterly embarrassing.
And heartbreaking.
They say men don’t cry easily, but at that moment, Wu Ermao really wanted to. “Is that the only reason?”
“And your mother,” Qiao Mianmian replied mercilessly. “I have to go set up my stall now. Brother Ermao, give up on my fourth sister. It’s better for everyone.”
Thinking of her eldest brother, who wasn’t good with words, Qiao Mianmian hurried off. There would be many people outside the exam grounds—if they didn’t seize the opportunity to sell the braised meat now, the flavor wouldn’t be as good the next day in the warm weather.
She ran all the way to the stall and saw her fourth sister and eldest brother already selling braised meat sandwiches. Business seemed good, and she felt relieved.
“Big Brother, Fourth Sister, I’ll help too.” Qiao Mianmian crouched down to pick up lotus leaves and called out to the examinees. “Do you want it spicy?”
“I want a little!”
“No spice for me!”
“I want it very spicy!”
…
The braising broth bubbled richly on the stove. With so many customers, each bun with braised meat sold for twenty coins, while offal sandwiches were ten coins. Many people were drawn over.
After a long day in the exam hall with poor food and rest, the examinees were starving. The aroma was irresistible. Some came just out of curiosity, but once they smelled it, they couldn’t leave.
“Fourth Sister, was business this good from the start?” Qiao Mianmian asked while slicing meat.
“Not at all,” Lin Xiahe replied. “You know your brother and I aren’t as good at attracting customers. At first, we even forgot to open the jar, so no one knew what we were selling. Then one of Scholar Xu’s classmates recognized our brother and bought two sandwiches. When others saw how delicious it looked, they came to ask, and business picked up.”
“Was it Wang Chuang?” Qiao Mianmian remembered he loved their braised meat the most.
Lin Xiahe nodded. “He kept praising it and helped promote us for quite a while. He’s a good person.”
“Next time he comes, we’ll give him extra meat,” Qiao Mianmian said, glancing at the jar—it was nearly empty.
She was getting hungry too and decided to save a few buns for themselves. She told the people waiting, “We’re sold out—only the last two left. Please don’t queue anymore. We’ll come again another day.”
“What? Already gone?” someone said regretfully.
“Yes, I’ve been waiting so long!”
“You should’ve prepared more!”
“Exactly, what a waste of time!”
“I’m really sorry. After your second exam, I’ll bring more. I wish you all success in the exams and great results!” Qiao Mianmian spoke kindly, and the scholars, pleased, stopped complaining. Many reminded her to prepare more next time—the aroma was just too tempting.
As the crowd dispersed, they began packing up. At that moment, someone ran over excitedly.
“Two braised meat sandwiches, please!”
Qingjiu had followed his master out on patrol. Earlier, he saw several people eating the sandwiches—the braised sauce soaked into the buns, and even refined scholars were eating without restraint, cheeks stuffed full. Just watching made him drool.
After much persuasion, he finally convinced his master to give him money. Now, smelling the aroma, he could hardly wait.
Qiao Mianmian recognized him. “I’m sorry—we’re sold out.”
“What?!”
Qingjiu felt like he’d been struck by lightning. His master had finally agreed to pay, and he thought he wouldn’t have to cook today—how could it be sold out?
Seeing he was about to cry, Qiao Mianmian thought it was a bit much. “We really are sold out. Why not come next time? If you want braised meat, I also sell it at the market. I saw you catching bandits before.”
Qingjiu looked at her and finally remembered. “But I really want to eat it now. It’s been days since I—”
“Enough. We’re going home!” Before he could finish, Lu Zhao grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away.
Crying over food in the street—if word got out, Lu Zhao would lose all face.
But as he spoke, his stomach growled loudly—he was hungry too.