Chapter 119: Who Would Dare to Provoke Such a Woman?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Qiao Mai didn’t proactively greet anyone and quietly enjoyed her cold noodles.
Madam Feng looked around the shop. Perhaps because it was crowded, she didn’t recognize Qiao Mai. But when she saw how good the business was, her smile never wavered.
After finishing her meal, Qiao Mai wiped her mouth with her hand, exchanged greetings with the lady, and then left.
She didn’t go to the Feng family. Instead, she filled the carriage with fruits from her space and hurried back home, unloading the goods at Qiao’s Small Eatery before nightfall.
Without a word, she brought Dong Zao to the stable and returned to her room. She undressed and silently climbed onto the heated brick bed.
Yue Hong brought Ling Er over. But seeing Qiao Mai’s unpleasant expression, she decided to take the child to another room to play.
Yue Xia brought her a pot of tea. “Mistress, you don’t look well.”
“It’s nothing. Just leave it here.”
“Yes.”
Qiao Mai poured herself a cup of tea to warm herself up.
It had been two months since Ruxin’s marriage. Before she left, Qiao Mai would receive two sets of clothing from her every season, hand-delivered to her.
However, after leaving her family, Ruxin did not say anything.
Qiao Mai didn’t really care about not receiving things from her family anymore. It was more about the feeling that her disciple had changed since she was married.
She had taught her the art of double-sided embroidery. If Ruxin had free time, she could earn a hundred or so taels a month. With the snack shop, she could make several hundred taels.
Ruxin only had two snack shops. If she handed this one over to her mother-in-law, she should have plenty of free time.
But why had she accepted the recipes and the business was thriving, yet she didn’t even hum?
The county wasn’t far from Tianshui Town. Could it be that she was pregnant?
Well, forget it. It’s better not to overthink it. It can lead to misunderstandings.
After clearing her mind, Qiao Mai’s mood improved somewhat. She went to play with Ling’er for a while.
December 20th was the big market day in Tianshui Town. Since there was no steward at home, Qiao Mai had to make all the decisions.
She took a few maids and drove a carriage to the market to buy New Year supplies.
There were many people in her family, and with the New Year approaching, it wasn’t just about the masters eating well. Therefore, they needed to stock up on New Year supplies. Fortunately, it was cold in winter, so meat could be stored for a month without spoiling, like a natural refrigerator.
The Qiao family was a big customer, and everyone in Tianshui Town who did business knew them.
They bought in large quantities of everything.
There wasn’t anything rare in a small town like this during the New Year, just some dried goods.
The livestock market was crowded, and many people wanted to buy livestock for pulling carts or farming.
Qiao Mai took three maids with her. One to drive the carriage, and the other two followed behind her.
They respected Qiao Mai very much, not only because she treated them well but also because she was genuinely talented.
As a woman, she knew how to make money and possessed martial skills.
Who would dare to provoke such a woman? Even the servants wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.
The vendors on both sides of the street and the passersby looked at her with awe. Her attire marked her as someone with servants and maids. She was not someone the common folk would dare to offend.
Even the villagers from the Peach Blossom Village, where Qiao Mai used to live, lowered their heads when they saw her.
They no longer looked at her with pity but with envy.
They never thought Qiao Mai, who had left the Tian family and was expected to die, would now thrive. She even had a well-educated husband, three sons, and
a daughter. Their married life was harmonious and prosperous.
Not only did she make friends with the town’s mayor, but she also got to know the powerful families in the Capital. She had a strong backing and was no longer the subject of idle talk and ridicule.
Qiao Mai was the center of attention in the market.
Of course, she didn’t do it on purpose. Nowadays, the Apricot Blossom Village, Lihua Village, and Peach Blossom Village are all very concerned about Qiao
Mai’s activities.
Any slight change in her life was widely known.
After buying New Year supplies, Qiao Mai sent the goods back home with her maids. She went to the butcher’s shop and ordered a freshly slaughtered pig, arranging for it to be delivered to her home.
The pig was immediately brought into her yard as soon as it arrived at the house.
She was going to make sausages. Although she had the space, it was the New
Year, and she needed to send New Year gifts to the mayor and the Wang family. She needed something special, as her space’s inventory was running low.
Qiao Mai had long wanted to try making sausages. She had found the recipes online and had them memorized.
She carried the pig into the small kitchen, and her maids wanted to help, but she refused and asked them to take care of Ling’er instead.
She worked alone in the kitchen, trimming the fat from the meat, removing the skin, and using her space’s meat grinder to turn half of the fatty meat into meat paste. She cut the rest of the pork into thin slices and made several large bowls.
She mixed the seasonings according to the recipe and marinated it for a while.
While waiting, she took the sausage casings from her space and cleaned them thoroughly. Then, she took the funnels prepared in advance and stuffed the casings with meat.
No matter what kind of sausage she made, it needed to be dried for a while. Chinese-style sausages need about half a month of air-drying, red sausages need a day of air-drying before steaming and smoking, and garlic sausages also need some air-drying before being steamed directly over the fire. There were many ways to make sausages. But, for now, she started with these few kinds.
Seeing that there were still some casings left, she also made some fish sausages.
She hung the sausages on ropes around the verandas in her yard, one section after another.
When Ling’er saw this, she pointed at those things and smiled, revealing her cute little teeth.
“Eat! Eat!”
Yue Hong and Yue Xia coaxed her, “Mother is making meat for the little lady.
Don’t worry, you can eat when it’s ready.”
“Hehe, meat! Eat!”
Despite their young age, the two maids had taken care of Ling’er since she was a child, treating her like their own. Jo Mai would share anything delicious with them when Ling Er had some.
These two people were grateful, and they were even more dedicated to taking care of Ling’er.
Seeing this scene, Qiao Mai pulled down a half-hour air-dried fish sausage and steamed a few for her.
She put them on a plate and then carried it over.
“Here, you’re lucky. This is my first time making sausages. Try them.”
She handed a small one to Ling’er, who held it towards her.
“Mom, eat!”
Qiao Mai kissed her forehead and took a bite from her small hand.
“Mmm, it’s delicious.”
Yue Hong and Yue Xia, who had been drooling, each took one and started eating.
“Mistress, this sausage is incredibly delicious.”
“This one is for the children. Adults eat pork sausages, which are even more delicious. ”
“This is already salivating. If it’s pork sausage, it will be even better?”
“You can have some during the New Year. At least ten days of air-drying is required for it. After the others are dried, they need further processing. You’ll be able to eat them in a few days.”
After taking a bite, Qiao Mai let the two maids watch the child and returned to the small kitchen. She started a fire and rendered all the fat.
The bones and pig’s head were cleaned. Everything was stewed in a big pot. She then cleaned the kitchen. Qiao Mai was a person who liked to keep things neat when she worked.
Old Mister Wang had told her they would return to the Capital on the 28th of December. Therefore, before their departure, she needed to have everything prepared.
If it weren’t for Wang Zongsheng sending someone, the elderly couple wouldn’t want to return.
The Qiao family was so much better. It was warmer than the Capital, the food and the living conditions were better, and they were happier.. Why would they want to return and deal with all those annoying people?
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