Chapter 24 TGBW

FlamingoBees

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Home : Novels

Chapter 24:

Steamed Buns・"The Meal You Cooked, Wife, Is Really Delicious!"

Summer weather is scorching hot, and everyone enjoys eating something cool and refreshing.

Liangpi happened to meet everyone's needs perfectly.

Although they had prepared five pounds of liangpi, in less than two quarters of an hour, they were all sold out.

This was the first time they had sold out so quickly.

Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao were both amazed when they turned their heads and saw that the liangpi had sold out.

© translations belonging to flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Although Luo Jian Jia had thought that the liangpi might be very popular, she hadn't expected it to be this popular.

With everything sold out here, other customers who hadn't managed to buy any kept coming over to inquire.

Liangpi (cold skin noodles) and egg fried rice give people completely different feelings.

Before there was egg fried rice, most customers would buy a regular set meal as an alternative.

But this time, without liangpi, hardly anyone wanted to eat egg fried rice.

Luo Jian Jia understood that liangpi was cool and refreshing, while egg fried rice was hot, not what customers were looking for.

It was just unavoidable; she couldn't find any substitute for liangpi.

Blame it on her overly conservative thinking and lack of confidence in the liangpi she made; she had prepared too little.

Fortunately, there was no waste, and she could make more tomorrow.

After selling for about half an hour, all the set meals were sold out.

However, only about three jin of egg fried rice were sold, and there was some left unsold.

And the peak period of the ferry's coming and going had passed.

After waiting for another quarter of an hour, there was still one pound of egg fried rice left unsold. They didn't wait any longer and packed up to go home.

Chu Wei Leng followed everyone back home.

Upon returning home, the three of them sat in the main hall as usual to count the money.

This time, there was noticeably more money in the bag than before.

Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao counted it first, and then Lou Jian Jia counted it again.

Everyone counted money almost every day, so they were already accustomed to it and rarely made mistakes.

The amounts counted twice were the same.

After calculating the costs, Lou Jian Jia deducted them and found they had earned more than one hundred and seventy wen.

Although they had seen a lot of money and knew they had earned a lot today, hearing Lou Jian Jia's final figure made everyone exceptionally happy.

Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao laughed heartily.

"The liangpi is really good. The cost is similar to egg fried rice, but we earn more from liangpi," Madam Zhao said with a smile.

Chu Wei Leng faced this situation directly for the first time. He had been sitting on the side, observing like a stranger.

It wasn't just this time; it had been the same during previous gatherings.

In the past, his parents' and Lou Jian Jia's focus had always been on him. Whenever he came back, they would all gather around him.

Not only his parents, but Lou Jian Jia had also always wanted to be close to him.

But now, his parents and Lou Jian Jia were gathered together, revolving around the family business.

His parents' attention to him had diminished significantly.

Although he felt a slight pang of disappointment, he was mostly happy.

He was delighted that his parents had finally found something they wanted to do and had their own plans.

At first, he could calmly watch the three of them, but when he heard that they could net more than one hundred and seventy wen in a day, his perception of Lou Jian Jia immediately changed.

Those who worked at the dock earned twenty wen a day, six hundred wen a month, and six or seven taels of silver a year.

Two taels of silver were enough for his family of three to live on for a year.

Therefore, the dock workers' wages were already considered quite high.

As for Lou Jian Jia, earning one hundred and seventy wen a day meant five taels of silver a month, surpassing the annual income of most other families.

Over the course of a year, it would amount to over fifty taels of silver.

Even in the county town, they would be considered a well-off family.

This amount of money was quite substantial.

When his father first told him about it, he didn't feel as strongly.

But now, looking at the coins in front of him, he felt profoundly shaken.

He glanced at Lou Jian Jia and was surprised to see that she remained calm, as if she didn't care much about the money.

Why was that?

Was the amount too little?

Or was it just her nature, not easily impressed by anything?

Chu Wei Leng thought about Lou Jian Jia's grandfather being a scholar and her father being a merchant.

But another voice chimed in.

Lou Jian Jia's father couldn't earn much money either. If he could really make so much, with his personality, he would have moved to the county town long ago, wouldn't have stayed in the village, and wouldn't have demanded a five-liang silver dowry three years ago regardless of his reputation.

Was the woman in front of him, who clearly shone brightly but remained so low-key and composed, really the same person as before?

Chu Wei Leng didn't think so.

He had long forgotten what she looked like when they first met, only remembering her as an extremely difficult and shameless woman, and he couldn't see any reason behind her actions. He only knew that she was attracted to his conditions.

But the appearance of Lou Jian Jia in front of him now made everything unusually unclear.

While Chu Wei Leng pondered over these thoughts, the three people beside him were engaged in a lively discussion.

Madam Zhao was relieved and said, "It's a good thing you made less egg fried rice; otherwise, we would have wasted too much today."

Lou Jian Jia nodded in agreement, "Yes, many customers initially wanted to eat egg fried rice, but when they saw the liangpi, they gave up on the egg fried rice."

~ Part 2 ~

Madam Zhao remarked, "That's normal. If it were me, on such a hot day, I'd only want to eat something cool."

Then, with a smile, she added, "But tomorrow, we can make more liangpi. So, let's not make egg fried rice and wait until the weather cools down."

"Yes, the oh... the you know, of the laingpi... oh what's that term," Old Master Chu couldn't recall.

"Profit," Lou Jian Jia reminded.

"Right, the profit from liangpi is higher, it's more lucrative," Old Master Chu said.

Lou Jian Jia thought for a moment and said, "Let's still make it. Some regular customers are used to it."

Madam Zhao agreed, "Alright, let's use our small pot at home to cook it, so you can save some effort."

"Okay."

The three of them happily discussed for a while. Madam Zhao, noticing her son's silence, patted him on the back and said, "Leng'er, you're in luck today. There's a lot of egg fried rice left. Have some more. Your wife cooks it exceptionally well."

Snaping out of his thoughts, Chu Wei Leng smiled and agreed.

However, in his mind, he couldn't help but think that he hadn't tasted anything particularly delicious in Lou Jian Jia's cooking, it was just like any other.

The large steamed bun that hadn't been eaten was still fragrant.

Just as he was thinking, he heard Lou Jian Jia say, "Mother, I kneaded some dough this morning, and it's about to rise. It's been a while since we steamed mantou at home. I'll steam some big mantou later."

"Alright, you take care of it," Madam Zhao said with a smile.

At the mention of big mantou, Chu Wei Leng's eyes immediately lit up, giving Lou Jian Jia an approving look.

Lou Jian Jia glanced at him indifferently before turning away.

Egg fried rice, being a delicate dish, was better left for herself, Madam Zhao, and Old Master Chu to enjoy. Chu Wei Leng, being more accustomed to heartier fare, would be satisfied with just a mantou.

After finishing her words, Lou Jian Jia rested for a while before going to steam the mantou.

Madam Zhao knew her son had a big appetite and was afraid he would get hungry, so she urged him to eat some egg fried rice first.

Chu Wei Leng, not finding anything particularly appetizing, refused for a long time, and finally made an excuse that he had something to do, and ran out.

With more money earned now, Lou Jian Jia didn't skimp on ingredients, using the good flour Chu Wei Leng had brought back earlier that day.

Her culinary skills were excellent, and she often made mantou for herself. Soon enough, the mantou was steamed and ready.

The steamed mantou came out white and soft, looking very appetizing.

Lou Jian Jia had a little quirk when steaming mantou.

She particularly liked to eat the crispy, golden-brown skin on one side of the mantou. It made a satisfying crunch when bitten into and was very fragrant.

And this flavor was only present when the mantou was freshly steamed; once it cooled down, it lost that texture.

This time, when steaming the mantou, she deliberately pressed the mantou against the side of the pot.

When she took the mantou out, Lou Jian Jia couldn't resist the aroma of the mantou. She peeled off the crispy layer from one mantou and popped it into her mouth.

The moment it entered her mouth, Lou Jian Jia experienced an unprecedented satisfaction.

Chu Wei Leng deliberately hid away, of course, but he did have something to attend to.

Just as what he heard at the dock weighed heavily on his mind, he decided to inquire about it in the village.

After a while of asking around, he managed to piece together the information.

Calculating that the mantou would be almost ready, he headed back home.

As for tidying up the place, it could wait; first, he needed to eat.

Upon entering the house, he noticed a white mist drifting out from the kitchen.

Caught by the aroma of mantou, his steps quickened.

Standing at the kitchen door, he witnessed Lou Jian Jia secretly peeling off the crispy layer from the mantou, enjoying it immensely.

He hadn't expected her to have this side to her.

Upon being discovered by him, Lou Jian Jia quickly resumed her calm demeanor, giving him a fleeting glance before leisurely stuffing the crispy mantou skin into her mouth.

He smirked and moved forward, intending to take the basket of mantou from her.

Before he could reach it, he was stopped.

Looking at her, though he didn't speak, his eyes were full of questions.

Lou Jian Jia glanced at his hands and said, "Wash them."

He smirked.

This woman, always harping on about washing hands!

"Alright, the one who can cook is the most capable."

For the sake of the fragrant mantou, he endured it.

Retracting his hands, Old Master Chu went to the yard to wash them.

After finishing a layer of mantou skin, Lou Jian Jia went to the yard to pick a few cucumbers, along with some eggplants and green peppers.

Just as she was about to leave, she remembered Old Master Chu's hearty appetite and turned back to pick a few more eggplants.

It's not that she was particularly considerate; it's just that if there were few dishes on the table, Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao wouldn't eat much, and would save the dishes for her and Chu Wei Leng.

After picking the vegetables, Lou Jian Jia washed them by the well and brought them back to the kitchen.

She sliced the eggplants and green peppers into thin strips.

Then, she chopped some green onions and minced the garlic.

After heating the pan, she poured in oil. Because eggplants absorb oil, a little extra oil would make them taste better, so she added a bit more.

Once the oil was hot, she added the green onions and garlic. After frying until fragrant, she added the green peppers and stir-fried them.

The green peppers grown in the Chu family's garden were delicious. Unlike bell peppers, they had flavor and were not too spicy, with just the right amount of heat.

After stir-frying for a while, she added the eggplants into the mixture.

Finally, she added seasoning such as sugar and salt, and then it was ready to be served.

This time, she cooked two dishes.

After finishing the eggplant, Lou Jian Jia also chopped some cucumbers and made a cucumber salad.

Since there was still a lot of egg fried rice left, Lou Jian Jia simply prepared these two dishes and boiled a pot of egg and vegetable soup.

Lastly, she reheated the egg fried rice in a pan and stirred it again.

Soon, the table was filled with food.

In a small basket were six steamed buns, a bowl contained egg fried rice, there were two plates of eggplant stir-fry with green peppers, a small bowl of cucumber salad, and also a plate of pickled cucumbers Lou Jian Jia made with dried chili skins.

As soon as Madam Zhao came in, she picked up a spoon to serve her son and daughter-in-law the egg fried rice.

Because she believed it was the most delicious and also the most expensive dish on the table.

Unexpectedly, her son declined.

"Mother, you go ahead and eat. I'll have the steamed buns," he said.

Chu Family Village was located in the south, where the fields were mostly filled with rice paddies, and wheat was rare. Their daily staple was rice, not flour-based food.

In the past, their son also favored rice.

Madam Zhao thought her son was concerned about them, reluctant to eat.

They ate well at home, but their son was the one who really worked hard outside, so he should eat better.

"In that case, you and your wife eat the egg fried rice, and I'll have the steamed buns," she suggested.

Old Master Chu agreed, saying, "I'll have steamed buns too."

Upon seeing his parents' earnestness, Chu Wei Leng quickly said, "Mom, Dad, really no need. I truly enjoy eating these steamed buns now. Skipping a meal of them makes me feel uncomfortable. Please, let me have them."

Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao exchanged glances, not entirely believing their son's words.

After all, their son was extremely filial, and he had said similar things before, always out of concern for them, leaving the delicious food for them.

Lou Jian Jia had long noticed Chu Wei Leng's fondness for steamed buns. After all, if he didn't like them, he wouldn't sneakily eat them.

As for Old Master Chu and Madam Zhao, she also knew they loved egg fried rice.

Seeing the three of them deadlocked, Lou Jian Jia said, "In the northern regions like Bian Guan, where the weather is cold, they mostly plant winter wheat. I suppose Chu... when he's away, dining in the military camp, mostly consumes wheat-based dishes. Even... even the husband must have gotten used to it."

Once certain terms were spoken aloud, they didn't seem so difficult anymore.

After all, it was just a title, and it didn't matter what they were called.

Chu Wei Leng was surprised by Lou Jian Jia's words. He hadn't expected her to speak so knowledgeably about the climate, crops, and culinary preferences of the border regions.

She sure knows a lot.

She doesn't seem like an ordinary woman.

In addition, she managed to persuade his parents, who hadn't listened to him for a long time, in just one go.

"Really? So you've come to enjoy wheat-based dishes now?" Madam Zhao asked.

Chu Wei Leng came back to himself, turned to his mother, and said, "Yes. I've grown accustomed to them and prefer wheat-based dishes now."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao immediately handed the bowl of fried rice to Old Master Chu and said, "Well, that's fine. Jian Jia's steamed buns are delicious. Have a few more."

"Alright," Chu Wei Leng said.

He couldn't help but feel puzzled, thinking that in this household, Madam Luo seemed to have more say than him?

Nevertheless, he could finally enjoy the steamed buns without worry.

As the bun entered his mouth, Chu Wei Leng's eyes shimmered with appreciation, and he couldn't resist praising, "Madam, the food you made is really delicious."

"..."

Madam Luo glanced at Chu Wei Leng with a look akin to dealing with someone mentally challenged, then continued eating quietly.

She went to the trouble of making other dishes that he swallowed without much enjoyment, yet he found simple steamed buns delicious.

The thought process of this male lead is truly baffling.

Not only did Chu Wei Leng suspect that Luo Jian Jia had changed, but Luo Jian Jia also doubted if Chu Wei Leng was still the same person as in the book.

Chu Wei Leng even finished a bun without touching the pickled vegetables.

As he reached the end of his meal and looked at the golden-brown crust of the bun, he remembered Luo Jian Jia's sneaky indulgence in the kitchen earlier.

Thinking about how considerately Luo Jian Jia had steamed the large bun for him, and how delicious it turned out, Chu Wei Leng handed the bun crust he held in his hand to Luo Jian Jia.

Luo Jian Jia looked slightly surprised at the bun crust suddenly appearing in front of her.

•••

https://ko-fi.com/flamingobeestranslations

Prev : TOC : Next

Search This Blog

FlamingoBeesTranslations

Chapter 24 TGBW

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Novel List + Chapter Updates

Rebirth of the Charming Girl in Space, Chapter One

Rebirth of the Charming Girl in Space, Chapter Two