At noon, there were still no cars or horses in front of the Taiping Residence, but there were many people sitting in the hall, all holding bowls and spoons and eating lively.
Xu Maoxiu was self-sufficient in his diet, but the other brothers beside him were a little rude. Xu Bangchui even raised his head and poured a bowl of tender tofu into his mouth.
"My old wife used to make good custard when she was alive. Now this bowl of tender tofu is as tender as custard." The old shopkeeper said, carefully scooping out the tofu in the bowl with a spoon and putting it into his mouth.
Squint your eyes and enjoy the taste in your mouth.
The curtain in the back hall was opened, and the fourth child came out holding a tray. Inside was a plate of tofu that looked like white jade and was dotted with sauce.
"Come on, try this." He said.
Before he could put the tray down, several brothers gathered around and stretched out their spoons.
Xu Maoxiu smiled and shook his head and stood up, ignoring the bustle of eating in the hall and walking to the back.
Cheng Jiaoniang was sitting on the porch in the backyard, looking at the food plate brought by the girl.
"They have been steamed, stewed, stir-fried and fried. Each has its own color and taste." The girl said with an excited look on her face.
The maid stood aside and watched curiously.
"My favorite is the Yong Tau Foo dipping sauce." She said, "Madam, which one do you like best?"
Cheng Jiaoniang raised her head and saw Xu Maoxiu walking towards her, and smiled slightly.
"Brother, which one do you think is better?" she asked.
"It's all good." Xu Maoxiu said with a smile, "I didn't expect that such an inconspicuous thing can be used in so many ways."
The old shopkeeper here also came out, and as the door curtain lifted, the excitement of eating and drinking in the hall was brought out.
"I didn't expect that this tofu can be so delicious." He said, nodding with satisfaction, while looking at the girl, "A girl taught cooking skills and made new dishes with new flavors. We have laid a solid foundation, and now we have
This tofu is a novelty, and it will only be a matter of time before Taipingju becomes famous."
"I hope it will be sooner rather than later." Li Dashao couldn't help but say after walking out of the kitchen and listening for a moment.
Perhaps it can be said that in this store now, it is not the owner who is eager to make a fortune, but the employees.
"I've done what I can do, and I'll leave the rest to the shopkeeper," Cheng Jiaoniang said.
The old shopkeeper narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"My boss is being polite, that's what I should be doing." He said, "I think back then..."
Li Dashao coughed heavily and glared at the old shopkeeper.
The old shopkeeper laughed, and the maidservants also covered their mouths.
There was a bang in the yard, and Sun Cai jumped out of the tofu room.
"Where are the beans? We don't have enough beans. Go and buy some beans! You just ate a box of tofu! How can we do business?" he shouted.
Another person who was eager to get rich, Xu Maoxiu nodded with a smile and shouted to others.
"Master, why not expand this tofu room? I'm afraid it won't be enough in the future." The old shopkeeper said with a smile.
"No need." Cheng Jiaoniang said.
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
"Madam, such a good thing must be sought after by everyone, and the sales volume will definitely be huge." Sun Cai said hurriedly, "It's such a small place, and if you work around the clock and don't sleep, you won't be able to do much."
Cheng Jiaoniang shook her head.
"I run a restaurant, not a tofu shop." She said, "If it's gone, it's gone. Please be early next time."
The old shopkeeper came to his senses and laughed.
"Exactly, exactly like that." He said, "I think back then..."
Over there, Li Dashao glared again, but the old shopkeeper immediately changed his tune.
"...Then the passing gods in Shenxianju won't be able to eat if they haven't made a reservation yet," he said.
Everyone understands that the less you can eat, the more curious you will be, and the more popular you will be.
Only Sun Cai still felt it was a pity.
"Why not earn money if you have it?" he muttered.
"The talent for drawing comes slowly," the old shopkeeper said with a smile.
The old shopkeeper here called everyone to tell them how to serve, cook, etc. the rules of the restaurant, while Xu Maoxiu sent Cheng Jiaoniang out.
"Such new dishes and new styles will cost more," he said.
Compared with before, when he asked for money now, he was no longer ashamed and looked calm.
Do what you should do and don't think too much about other things.
Cheng Jiaoniang nodded.
"Brother, just do it. I'll take care of the money." She said, and then hurriedly added when she thought of something, "Also, I have moved back to the house. If you need anything, come to me at home anytime."
Moved back to the Yudaiqiao house? Xu Maoxiu was stunned for a moment.
"Did they bully you?" he asked, "Sister, although you and I both know that we don't have much ability, and we don't dare to act rashly, for fear that we won't be able to help my sister but will bring you trouble, but we can fight
It’s okay to have a little fuss to vent your anger.”
Cheng Jiaoniang stopped, turned to look at him and smiled.
"Don't worry, brother." She said, "If you bully me, it can't be as simple as a fight to vent your anger."
Xu Maoxiu nodded with a smile.
"I know my sister is smart." He said, "I just want my sister to know that you are not alone. Although we can't help you, we can be with you."
Cheng Jiaoniang looked at him, smiled and nodded.
It was not until late in the evening that Saturday Lang saw a carriage parked in front of the door.
The door that had been closed all day and refused to open despite being kicked opened, and a boy and a girl ran out.
"Madam, madam."
They surrounded the woman who got off the car and jumped for joy.
A smile appeared on the woman's dull face. This smile was not a stiff smile, but a real smile.
Liu Lang threw down the riding crop in his hand and strode over.
Seeing him, Banqin and Brother Jin were startled and hurriedly stood in front of Cheng Jiaoniang, guardedly.
"Sixth Young Master, what else is there? When we left, we didn't take anything from your Zhou family. Is there anything left to finish?" the maid stepped forward and raised her eyebrows.
I was kicked out in the middle of the night and didn't even stay one night...
Liu Lang looked at Cheng Jiaoniang, the hands hanging by his sides clenched loudly.
"I will take you back," he said.
The maid scoffed.
"Do you think we want to go to your place?" She raised her eyebrows and waved her hand, "Sixth Young Master, wake up."
After saying that, she helped Cheng Jiaoniang and walked towards the door.
As the only man in the family, Jin Geer stood guarding the door with his thin body, while Banqin kept his head lowered and followed him step by step.
Watching the woman enter the door, Liu Lang took a step forward again.
"Cheng Jiaoniang." He gritted his teeth and said, "I will marry you."
After saying that, he turned around and strode away, leaving several people in front of the door looking shocked.
What?
Who to marry? Who to marry whom?
Brother Jin opened his mouth in disbelief, Banqin also raised his head in disbelief, the maid's eyes widened, and only Cheng Jiaoniang's expression remained calm.
"Oh, so that's why." She said.
Which?
Several people came back to their senses and looked at Cheng Jiaoniang with some confusion.
The maid was stunned for a moment and then suddenly realized.
No wonder those servant girls looked at them strangely, no wonder Mrs. Zhou asked people to drive them away, no wonder, no wonder.
"Bah, how shameless!" the maid shouted, again angrily, "It turns out he is the one who ruined my wife's reputation!"
"That's not bad." Cheng Jiaoniang said, "I entered the house because of him, and I left the house because of him, which is quite satisfactory."
The maid stamped her feet.
"Madam, you are still joking." She frowned and said, "He actually ruined my reputation as a good friend!"
"No one can ruin my reputation." Cheng Jiaoniang said, turning around and walking inward.
In the early morning of the next day, Zhou Lang was not absent from the Zhou family's martial arts training ground. With a sullen face, he was sparring with Zhou's father with a spear that became more and more vigorous. He choked a few times. Zhou Lang took a few steps back, but the spear in his hand was not knocked away.
Instead, he put his backhand on the ground to stabilize his body.
"This has made some progress." Zhou's father hummed, throwing back the spear in his hand, taking the hand towel handed by the maid to wipe his sweat, and glared at Zhou Lang.
"Father, it's none of her business, she..." Zhou Lang said through gritted teeth.
Father Zhou turned around and walked away.
Liu Lang was thrown behind him, and he couldn't help but angrily poke the spear in his hand on the ground.
The food in the house was put away and a few cases were moved away.
Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou were drinking tea and talking about household chores in a low voice. Liu Lang was sitting on his knees by the door, with the food on the tables in front of him untouched.
"Sixth Young Master, please eat some." A servant girl whispered.
Liu Lang said nothing, and Mrs. Zhou looked over with raised eyebrows.
"Remove it and don't eat it," she shouted.
The maid didn't dare to speak anymore and hurriedly answered and took away a few cases.
"Now that we are old, the ignorant women who have failed to follow the rules will starve to death if they cry, make trouble, and hang themselves!" Mrs. Zhou shouted.
Saturday Lang had a sullen face and said nothing.
Several maids came running in panic outside the door.
"Master, Master, Madam, someone from the Qin family is here," they said.
"Qin family? Which Qin family?" Master Zhou asked.
The Qin family, a well-known family in Beijing, knew about it, but it was always a matter of children and had nothing to do with the two families.
Hearing the word Qin, Zhou Lang also raised his head and looked at the servant woman.
"It's the Qin family of the Princess Mansion, the Qin family in Sichuan, and the Chengyang Qin family." The servant woman announced in one breath.
Sure enough, it was Qin Langjun's family.
Mr. Zhou and his wife looked at Liu Lang, and Liu Lang also frowned, but then he suddenly thought of something.
The parents of the Qin family finally knew about that matter. Such shocking words would inevitably attract them to the door.
"What's the matter? Are you here to see Liu Lang?" Father Zhou asked casually, raising his eyebrows, "You kid, where did you collide with the Thirteenth Lang of the Qin family?"
"We are here to propose marriage."
In the hall, two elegant servants dressed in extraordinary clothes said with a smile.
Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou's eyes widened immediately.
Did they hear it correctly?
The Qin family is actually going to marry their Zhou family?
"Proposing marriage?" Mrs. Zhou asked, suppressing her excitement and joy, "For whom?"
"For my thirteenth son, I would like to propose marriage to my niece, Mrs. Cheng." The maid said with a smile, and stretched out her hand to push out a Geng Tie.
Cheng, mother, son!
That little cripple actually fell in love with this little fool!
Mr. Zhou and his wife's breathing stopped for a moment.
Liu Lang, who was preparing to wait for the Qin family to explain when they asked for medical treatment, also knelt down in shock and straightened up.
******************************
Recommended Mu Shuiyou's new work "The Master of Fragrance":
She is just a low-status slave, but there are people who are discerning and want to send her to the Qingyun.
Two different people with the same face, who is the true one?
He never hesitated without regrets, but she did not want to enter the battle arranged by him again.
On this road, she is willing to give everything she has, just asking him if he dares to accompany him to the end! (To be continued)
