All three Qiao siblings heard Lu Zhao’s stomach growl. Lin Xiahe glanced at her younger sister. Seeing that Qingjiu truly wanted to eat, she nudged her sister’s arm.
Qiao Mianmian also felt a bit sorry for Qingjiu, but she had just said everything was sold out—if she now said there was more, wouldn’t that make her look bad?
She shook her head slightly. Watching Lu Zhao and his servant leave, she urged her siblings to head home. “We closed the stall late today—we need to hurry back. Otherwise, Mother will feel sorry for us and cook dinner herself, and that won’t end well.”
Lin Shi’s cooking really wasn’t good. Thinking of that, the three siblings quickened their pace.
But as soon as they turned into the alley, they saw Lu Zhao and Qingjiu again.
Qingjiu pouted as he opened the door. “Finally had a chance to eat something good, and it’s sold out. What kind of food could sell that fast?”
He kept muttering. Especially when he thought about having to cook later, tears welled up in his eyes—his cooking was truly terrible!
Only then did Qiao Mianmian realize, seeing them enter the house across from hers, “They’re actually our new neighbors?”
Qiao Jiawang had encountered them once before. “You didn’t know?”
Qiao Mianmian and Lin Xiahe shook their heads. When they usually went out, it was already bright—they hadn’t run into them before.
“Maybe I go out earlier. I met them once at dawn,” Qiao Jiawang said as he carried the load into the house. Meeting his mother’s expectant gaze, he smiled. “Don’t worry, Mother—we sold everything. Buns with braised meat really worked. Mianmian is amazing for thinking of it. Those scholars were practically drooling. Here’s all the money we earned today.”
Lin Shi happily took the money pouch. Seeing money always lifted her spirits. “You’ve all worked hard. Sit and have some tea. I’ve already cut the vegetables—today I’ll cook. Let Mianmian rest.”
“No!” Qiao Mianmian and Qiao Jiaxing said in unison.
Lin Shi looked at them. “Why not?”
Qiao Jiaxing turned his head away, not daring to tell the truth.
Qiao Mianmian was quicker-witted. She hugged Lin Shi’s arm and acted spoiled. “I’m not tired at all. Even if I were, I’m not as tired as you. You’ve already cut the vegetables—I’ll cook.” She quickly changed the subject. “What ingredients do we have today?”
Lin Shi said they hadn’t bought any vegetables. “Chunsheng brought a basket of chestnuts. And we still have dried beans, so that’s enough.”
When Lin Shi cooked, she kept things as simple as possible—meat was rarely involved.
Qiao Mianmian understood. She coaxed her mother away, then went into the kitchen and cut some meat into thumb-sized pieces. She first rendered out the fat, then caramelized sugar and stir-fried it before stewing it together with peeled chestnuts.
While the chestnut braised pork simmered, she put stripped pork bones on a charcoal stove to make soup, and also added pork offal and pig head meat into the braising pot.
About half an hour later, when Qiao Jiaxing brought firewood into the kitchen, he smelled not only the rich aroma of the braised pork with chestnuts, but also the savory fragrance of pork bone soup.
Normally, even pork bones were used for braising and sold. As Lin Shi often said, even one coin mattered—if they kept eating everything themselves, they’d become pigs.
“Fifth Sister, it smells amazing!” Qiao Jiaxing’s stomach growled as his eyes lit up. “Anything else you need me to do?”
Qiao Mianmian thought for a moment—there actually was.
She scooped out some braised offal and meat, arranging them into a platter. “Take this to the house across from us. Tell them we truly sold out earlier. We didn’t know they were our new neighbors before, but now that we do, this is a gift for them.”
Qiao Mianmian’s thinking was simple: their neighbors were officials. Building a good relationship might be useful in the future. After all, they were just common folk—if they ever faced trouble, having a powerful neighbor on good terms could help.
And when she thought of Qingjiu staring eagerly at the braised meat earlier, she really did feel a bit sorry for him.
“Got it—I understand.” Qiao Jiaxing immediately caught on and carried the platter to knock on the door.
Qingjiu opened it, holding a spatula, looking utterly defeated.
Qiao Jiaxing repeated his sister’s words. “My fifth sister just made this. She only realized we’re neighbors when she got back this evening. She said you seemed to really want to try our braised meat, so this is for you.”
“What?” Qingjiu’s eyes widened as he stared at the steaming platter, swallowing hard. “Th-this is really for us?”
“Of course. We’re neighbors. If you like it, you can support our business in the future. My sister sells braised meat at the southern part of the market—it’s easy to find.” Qiao Jiaxing handed over the plate. “Just return the plate after you’re done.”
“No, no, we can’t take advantage of you.”
Tempted as he was, Qingjiu still had principles. He grabbed Qiao Jiaxing as he was about to leave and shouted into the courtyard, “My lord! Come pay! We don’t have to eat burnt food today!”
Inside, Lu Zhao didn’t understand at first. After hearing Qingjiu explain and learning the neighbors were the same people selling braised meat earlier, he felt even more embarrassed.
“My lord, hurry and pay!” Qingjiu urged impatiently.
“No need, really,” Qiao Jiaxing said quickly. “You’ve just moved here, so you may not know. In our alley, neighbors exchange things often. Living in the same place is fate. In the future, we’ll help each other.”
After a pause, he added to Qingjiu, “I heard you say your food burned earlier—you might not be good at cooking yet. That takes practice. Until your skills improve, consider this platter a small gesture from our family.”
After speaking, Qiao Jiaxing gave a polite bow and hurried back.
The houses weren’t far apart. Qingjiu looked at the open Qiao family door, then at the platter in his hands. “My lord, should we still pay?”
Back in Bianjing, they wouldn’t bother over the cost of a dish. But now in Lin’an, Lu Zhao had to buy rice and vegetables himself and keep track of expenses.
He knew that for ordinary families, having meat was already a luxury.
“Keep it,” he said. The Qiao family’s words were right—there would be times to help each other in the future.
Hearing that, Qingjiu beamed. He carried the platter to the kitchen and served the cooked rice. “My lord, come eat.”
No matter how hungry he was, he would always wait for his master to start.
In Bianjing, Lu Zhao had eaten many kinds of braised dishes. He wasn’t as eager as Qingjiu, but when he took a bite, the braised pork skin was springy and flavorful, with a slight sweetness that made him want more.
“Delicious! Really delicious! Even in Bianjing, I’ve never had better braised meat!” Qingjiu ate eagerly. “It’s just a pity—the rice is a bit burnt again. My lord, how do you control the heat when cooking rice?”
Lu Zhao said nothing—if he knew, would Qingjiu still burn the rice every day?
Used to his master’s silence, Qingjiu continued talking to himself. “One day, I’ll go ask the Qiao family. If they can make braised meat this good, they must know how to cook rice too. No wonder they make braised meat every day—it’s their business. That little girl is quite bold too—last time she even dared to confront bandits.”
“Eat quietly. Why talk so much?” Lu Zhao, used to the rule of not speaking while eating, placed a piece of pork intestine in Qingjiu’s bowl.
This was the best meal they had eaten since arriving in Lin’an.
After finishing, Qingjiu rubbed his belly in satisfaction. “When I get my salary, I’ll definitely go support their stall. It’s so good—no wonder those scholars rushed to buy it. Time flies… back then, my lord, you were a ‘Little Triple First’ scholar.”
As soon as he said it, Qingjiu realized his mistake. He quickly covered his mouth and stood up. “I—I’ll wash the dishes.”
“Little Triple First” referred to achieving first place in the county, prefectural, and provincial exams. Since the founding of the dynasty, only a handful of people had achieved it.
But it was something Qingjiu shouldn’t mention.
Lu Zhao took a deep breath and went to the courtyard to practice swordsmanship, each move full of force.
Meanwhile, at the Qiao household, they had also finished dinner.
The pork bone soup was milky white and rich, pairing perfectly with the braised meat buns. The chestnuts, after long stewing, had absorbed the pork broth—each bite filled the mouth with rich flavor. The whole family ate until their lips glistened, and Qiao Jiaxing let out several satisfied burps.
After eating, Qiao Mianmian went to check the braised meat. Lin Xiahe washed the dishes, while the brothers fetched water and chopped firewood.
Lin Shi was called away by the Wang family. Widow Wang said she was worried about missing something while preparing her son’s wedding, so she invited neighbors to discuss it.
Although Widow Wang and Aunt Wu didn’t get along, for the sake of appearances, every household in the alley was invited. Lin Shi ended up sitting with Aunt Wu again.
When their eyes met, Aunt Wu gave an awkward smile and spoke first. “Has your heatstroke gotten better?”
“I was fine the next day,” Lin Shi replied. Thinking about what she had said earlier, she felt it had been harsh—but remembering her daughter’s reputation, she straightened her back again.
“That’s good.” Aunt Wu also regretted her actions. They had been neighbors for years, and she had acted impulsively. Because of it, her son had argued fiercely with her earlier and even threatened to go to the frontier.
Afraid he might really leave, she held in her frustration, feeling wronged that her son didn’t understand her.
The two chatted idly, barely listening to Widow Wang. After the gathering ended, Widow Wang stopped them.
“Thank you for your help today. My second son is truly fortunate—it’s bringing good fortune to the whole family. Today, the matchmaker introduced a family. The father is a scholar, and they own land!”
Hearing this, both Aunt Wu and Lin Shi knew she was showing off.
“I suggest you keep a low profile,” Aunt Wu said. “Don’t brag before things are settled—you might end up disappointed.”
“If I’m talking about it, it’s almost certain,” Widow Wang said confidently, thinking Aunt Wu was jealous.
That thought made her even happier—if her eldest son married a scholar’s daughter, it would be the best match in the alley!
Unable to argue, Aunt Wu left angrily.
Lin Shi was about to follow when Widow Wang pulled her aside. “Look at her—so snobbish. Now that her son became a centurion, she thinks she’s above everyone. Don’t mind her.”
“It’s getting late—I’ll head back,” Lin Shi said, not wanting to continue the conversation.
But Widow Wang wasn’t done. “Wait—I have something important. Isn’t Xiahe’s engagement broken? I know a good matchmaker. Want me to introduce her? Don’t take it the wrong way—Xiahe isn’t young anymore. The longer you wait, the harder it will be.”
“No need to worry. Plenty of people want to marry my Xiahe,” Lin Shi replied calmly, knowing Widow Wang was mocking her.
Maybe her daughter would marry into a scholar’s family someday!
Lin Shi returned home without looking back. Seeing her hardworking daughters in the yard, she pressed her lips tightly. Her daughters were excellent—it was others who lacked judgment.
Especially that Yuan Qiang—he would regret it one day!
“Mianmian, Xiahe, put down the brooms. Call your brothers and your grandparents. I have something to discuss.”
Lin Shi had made up her mind. To improve their lives, they had to take a risk. The braised meat business was good, but their daily earnings had reached a limit—they couldn’t make much more.
Thinking of Aunt Wu looking down on her daughter and Widow Wang showing off, she felt a surge of determination. She would make their lives better—so everyone else would envy them!
Soon, Qiao Mianmian and her sister gathered the whole family.
Lin Shi asked her eldest son to close the door. Looking at her family, she took a deep breath and said firmly, “Father, Mother, ManCang—I’ve thought about this for days. I agree with Jiaxing and Mianmian’s idea. Let’s set up a food stall at the market. What do you think?”