Forcing herself to finish a bowl of braised rice, Qiao Mianmian had little appetite. Her mother was about to go out to deliver repaired clothes and take on some new work.
Qiao Mianmian wanted to go along to have a look, but Madam Lin refused firmly. “You’ve only just recovered. Stay at home and don’t go anywhere.”
In Madam Lin’s eyes, Qiao Mianmian truly liked the Xu licentiate, but she didn’t believe her daughter would jump into a river—surely it had been an accident.
The whole family avoided mentioning the matter, afraid it would make Qiao Mianmian uncomfortable.
Madam Lin left with bitter bamboo shoots and the repaired clothes. Then Qiao Mianmian’s grandmother, Madam Zhang, pulled her into the room.
“Come, try this.” Madam Zhang opened the camphorwood cabinet, took out a red cloth bundle, and revealed dried red dates. “The weather is too cold, and your mother’s braised rice is too greasy. You must not have eaten enough. Your second uncle sent these—keep them hidden and eat them yourself. Don’t let others see.”
The old lady couldn’t bear to eat them herself. She had given birth to three sons and had always wanted a daughter, but fate didn’t grant her one. Although Madam Lin brought two girls into the family, they didn’t carry the Qiao surname. So she loved Qiao Mianmian, her youngest granddaughter, the most, secretly giving her all the good things.
Madam Zhang placed a handful of red dates into her granddaughter’s hands, then wrapped the rest back up and locked the cabinet again.
Looking at the red dates, Qiao Mianmian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. For the Qiao family, red dates were already a good snack. Seeing her not eating, Madam Zhang stuffed two into her mouth.
“Grandmother, you eat too.” Qiao Mianmian offered them back. “If you don’t eat, I won’t either.”
Madam Zhang pretended to eat one. “Alright, alright. You eat. I’ll go mend your grandfather’s fishing net.”
Qiao Youfu could swim well. Whenever it didn’t rain, he would cast nets to catch fish. Sometimes he caught big carp weighing four or five jin; other times, he returned empty-handed.
Everyone in the family had their own work to do. Only Qiao Mianmian was treated like a treasure at home. Just delivering a meal today had already made Madam Zhang boast about her filial piety to others.
“My Mianmian is the most filial. As soon as her mother finished cooking, she rushed to bring food to her father, afraid he’d go hungry,” Madam Zhang said with a cheerful smile while mending the net and chatting with neighbors.
“Your Mancang is blessed. Among all the girls in our alley, your Mianmian is the prettiest.”
“That’s true. My Mianmian is good in every way,” Madam Zhang said, smiling so wide her mouth wouldn’t close. Praise for her granddaughter made her happier than praise for herself.
At that moment, she saw a maid from the Xu family approaching and immediately dropped her smile.
Yunzhu carried an oil-paper package, her chin slightly raised. “Old Madam Qiao, my mistress heard about your granddaughter and feels very guilty, so she sent me to deliver some tonic medicine. Our family has accepted Miss Qiao’s goodwill, but life is hard for everyone. Please don’t let her send meat again.”
“There’s no need for tonic medicine. I only had the child send some meat because your family just moved here, to build neighborly ties. People in our alley get along well—I thought your family was the same.”
To protect her granddaughter’s reputation, Madam Zhang said it was her idea. “Since you didn’t accept the meat, I can’t take your medicine either. Go back. I’m busy.”
She turned away and continued chatting with neighbors, ignoring Yunzhu.
Left standing there, Yunzhu flushed with embarrassment before leaving quickly.
“I heard the newly arrived Xu family is arrogant, refusing anything people send them. They think they’re scholars and look down on us common folk.”
“If they look down on us, then we won’t associate with them. We may be commoners, but we have dignity,” Madam Zhang snorted, though she felt worried inside—what if her granddaughter still cared about Xu Tongsheng?
And what if others in the alley knew about her granddaughter’s feelings?
With so many worries, Madam Zhang lost the mood to mend the net. When she went inside and saw Qiao Mianmian sharing red dates with her brothers, she thought her granddaughter was too naive.
Entering the room, she kicked the old man on the bed awake.
Qiao Youfu had gone out before dawn to collect nets and had just lain down to rest. Being woken, he was still groggy. Seeing his wife’s displeased face, he turned over. “What now?”
“Mianmian will be fifteen after the New Year. It’s time to arrange a marriage, but her older brothers and sisters are not settled yet. I’m worried,” Madam Zhang sighed. “And next year, Jiawang’s wife will enter the family. Look at our three rooms—we’re already crowded. Where will we find space for his marriage?”
Currently, Qiao Mancang and Madam Lin shared one room. Qiao Youfu and Madam Zhang’s room was divided into two with wooden boards; the other half could barely fit a bed and was used by Qiao Mianmian and her fourth sister.
The two Qiao brothers shared one room with a bed, a table, and a cabinet. Dividing it further would be too cramped.
The house was already crowded, and they had no money to rent another. They couldn’t let a newlywed couple live separately outside either.
A large family was lively, but space was a real problem.
Qiao Youfu yawned and continued lying down. “Things will work out when the time comes. Madam Lin is the most frugal in the alley—she must have saved money. As a stepmother, if she doesn’t arrange things properly for the boys, what about her reputation?”
“You heartless man! Wasn’t it Madam Lin who arranged Jiawang’s marriage? She’s already done her best. You just eat and sleep—when have you ever worried about the family?” Madam Zhang said angrily, twisting his arm before leaving.
“Grandmother, my brothers said the wall will be finished today,” Qiao Mianmian said happily, linking her arm with her grandmother. “Can I discuss something with you?”
Madam Zhang thought she wanted pocket money, but when she heard that Qiao Mianmian wanted to cook dinner, her eyes widened. “Why would you want to cook?”
Looking at her granddaughter’s fair face, she shook her head. “We don’t lack workers at home. Cooking is smoky—you’ll ruin your skin.”
“When I visited my maternal grandparents during the New Year, the neighbor’s cook happened to be home. I learned some cooking from her. I used to be lazy, but after almost dying, I want to be more filial to you all.”
Qiao Mianmian acted spoiled. “Mother is busy sewing, Fourth Sister comes back late, and you’re getting older—you should enjoy life. Shouldn’t I be the one to cook? And if I don’t learn now, what will I do after I get married?”
That last sentence hit Madam Zhang’s biggest concern.
In ordinary families like theirs, they couldn’t hire servants. A new bride had to cook and wash clothes. Even if laundry could be outsourced, meals still had to be cooked at home.
Thinking of Yunzhu’s arrogant attitude earlier, Madam Zhang felt annoyed. If the Xu family were truly powerful, why would they live in this alley?
“Fine, I’ll help you,” Madam Zhang agreed, though she planned to do most of the work herself while letting her granddaughter watch.
“You’re the best, Grandmother. I like you the most,” Qiao Mianmian said sweetly, making her laugh.
Nearby, Qiao Jiaxing whispered worriedly, “Big Brother, Fifth Sister has never cooked before. Shouldn’t you persuade Grandmother? At least Mother’s cooking can fill us. If Fifth Sister messes up, what will we eat tonight?”
Qiao Jiawang replied, “At worst, we skip a meal. As her brothers, we shouldn’t discourage her.”
Qiao Jiaxing was indeed tired after three days of work but still helped finish the wall. Still, he had no expectations for dinner—his little sister probably couldn’t even tell salt from sugar.
Qiao Mianmian, however, was full of confidence. In her previous life, after her parents divorced, she dropped out of high school and learned cooking from neighbors. She eventually became a head chef through her own ability. Cooking one dinner was nothing.
After persuading her grandmother, and before her mother returned, she quietly slipped out to check on her father’s business.
Meanwhile, Yunzhu from the Xu family was reporting back angrily. “They’re just commoners, yet they dare show attitude. If their daughter hadn’t shamelessly approached Second Young Master, we wouldn’t have needed to send medicine.”
“Yunzhu, mind your words,” Madam Wang coughed lightly. “Since they didn’t accept it, let it be. We’ve only just moved here—don’t make enemies. Xuan’er will take the county exam later this year. If he passes, I can write to his grandfather to help him enter an academy.”
“Keep an eye out. Don’t let idle people disturb his studies. His exams are our priority.”
“Rest assured, I won’t let anyone interfere—especially that Qiao girl,” Yunzhu said disdainfully.
At that moment, Xu Mingxuan returned from the bookstore and noticed a lively, fair girl in the alley—it was Qiao Mianmian.
He recognized her as the girl who had tried to give him meat days ago. He had rejected her immediately back then.
Qiao Mianmian didn’t recognize him at first, but when she noticed his gaze, she recalled “Xu Tongsheng.” He looked refined and scholarly—no wonder the original owner liked him.
But she wasn’t the original owner. Handsome men weren’t valuable in ancient times—if she had money, many would come to her.
Without giving him another glance, she turned and headed straight to the meat stall.
When she arrived, most of the meat was sold, but the offal remained untouched.
“Mianmian, is something wrong at home?” Qiao Mancang asked worriedly.
“I just wanted to see how business is. Father, what do you do with unsold offal?”
“In this heat, if it’s not sold today, it spoils tomorrow. I sell it cheaply to taverns, but sometimes they don’t even want it.”
Looking at the unsold offal, Qiao Mianmian had an idea. It was hard to clean and cook properly—that’s why people didn’t buy it.
But she knew how to cook it.
After helping for half an hour, she said, “Father, I have a way to sell all this offal!”
Qiao Mancang laughed, thinking she was joking.
On the way home, she carried the basket. Neighbors praised her, and Qiao Mancang beamed with pride.
But when they got home, Madam Zhang scolded him for letting her carry such a heavy basket.
“I can handle it,” Qiao Mianmian insisted. “Let’s cook.”
She pulled her grandmother into the kitchen. Even though Madam Lin was worried, Qiao Mianmian pushed her out. “Just wait. I’ll make you a good meal today!”
After heating oil, she added a little salt, then fried the cleaned fish until golden on both sides.
Madam Zhang was stunned—her granddaughter clearly knew what she was doing.
The fish sizzled as ginger and cooking wine were added. Then soy sauce coated it in a rich brown glaze. Sugar, vinegar, and a bit of water followed.
When the lid was lifted again, the rich aroma filled the air. The fish was tender, glistening, and topped with chopped scallions.
A simple braised fish was done.
The fragrance spread through the entire courtyard and beyond.
Madam Lin and the others’ stomachs all growled at the same time.