Cheng Qingwen lowered her head and smiled. Just when she was about to reply, a voice came from behind her.
"Is there not enough money?" Jinghou heard it when he came over, and immediately ordered the attendant behind him: "Shi De, go and get one hundred taels of silver from the account."
Cheng Qingwen was stunned for a moment as he listened, and quickly stopped the person: "Wait, Uncle Jing, I have enough money, no need to bother."
"Really enough?"
Cheng Qingwen nodded seriously: "That's enough."
Jinghou didn't say anything after hearing this, turned around and walked into the house.
Cheng Qinghan breathed a sigh of relief, scratched his head, and saw Doctor Wu's different expression.
"Girl, do you know this Jinghou?"
"Um..." Cheng Qingwen's mind was spinning crazily, and she didn't know how to answer for a moment: "The elder has some old acquaintance with him."
Doctor Wu nodded. This answer was very reasonable and he believed it.
"I'll take you back." Cheng Qingwen led the people to the backyard and drove the people back in a carriage.
When she returned home, she saw that Jinghou hadn't left yet. She was stunned for a moment, pulled Song Qiaoqiao next to her and asked softly: "Where is Aniang?"
"Hiding in the kitchen, I said I wanted to make dinner for you."
"Ah, then I'll go take a look." Cheng Qingwen turned around and walked to the backyard. Looking at the lighted lamp in the kitchen, she walked in.
Under the weak candlelight, the woman sat in a chair, lost in thought, while the lid of the pot beside her kept banging.
Cheng Qingwen quickly walked over and lifted the lid of the pot, looked at the small meatballs inside, and said with a smile: "Mom, why did you think of making Yuanxiao tonight?"
Cheng Huaer came back to his senses and said with a smile: "I thought you had never eaten Yuanxiao in Beijing, so I made some for you to try."
Cheng Qingwen smiled, filled a bowl of Lantern Festival, took the bowl and walked to the chair next to her to sit on it.
"I see Uncle Jing sitting outside, why don't you go and take a look?"
"There was nothing interesting to see. He sat for a while and then left."
"The yard opposite our house moved people in today. A dozen carriages are probably still parked at the intersection, all loaded with things." Cheng Qingwen said while eating Yuanxiao: "When I brought the doctor back, I recognized the carriage
The person, guess who it is.”
When Cheng Hua'er heard this, he immediately chuckled: "It must be your Uncle Jing."
"Auntie is wise, you can guess all this."
"When I poke my head out, several people in the shop opposite can see it, so there's no need to guess." Cheng Hua'er leaned on the chair and straightened his face: "Huanheng, the carpenters brought all the furniture over today. Let's take a guess."
The shop is almost decorated. I also asked about the auspicious day of the zodiac, and they said that the 15th of this month is the best day. What do you think?"
Cheng Qingwen put down the bowl and chopsticks and thought for a moment: "Has Su Yunwei been here?"
"I haven't been here before, what's wrong?"
"I originally thought of taking advantage of the full moon ceremony to push the pastries out before the opening. Since I haven't been here before, forget it. We can also push the pastries out, so we will open on the 15th."
Cheng Hua'er nodded: "The full moon ceremony at the Pavilion Chief's Mansion is indeed crowded. Those who are doing business in the town and have some money rush to curry favor with them. As a result, most of the town's people have gone. Our cakes
If it can be served on the table, everyone will definitely ask, and you and Mr. Yuan will answer again, and your reputation will indeed be established."
Cheng Qingwen responded with a smile and comforted softly: "It's okay, our pastries are so delicious, we can still make a name for ourselves."
The woman nodded and looked at Motoqi, who still had more than half of the pot, and fell into deep thought.
"You made too much Lantern Festival tonight, do you plan to let Lian Zhi and the others come for supper together?" Cheng Qingwen looked at her face and asked with a smile.
"Ah, no, I just kneaded the dough too much. Besides, this little bit isn't enough."
Cheng Qingwen looked at her uncomfortable expression and laughed: "Auntie, I know you want to send it to Uncle Jing. Go quickly, lest he leaves later."
Cheng Hua'er hesitated for a moment, then stood up, put the yuanxiao into a bowl, and put it on the table: "Huanhan, go ahead."
"ah?"
"We talked so much last night, what's the point of sending Yuanxiao today?"
Cheng Qingwen looked at the coercion of the person in front of him, and suddenly he couldn't understand: "Auntie, I have been busy all day, and my legs are weak. Please let me rest. Otherwise, I will let Lian Zhi go.
deliver?"
"If I let Lian Zhi go, I have to go out and call him. Once I go out, he will know what I am thinking. Forget it, I'll go alone."
Cheng Hua'er quietly underestimated and took the Lantern Festival out.
Cheng Qingwen quickly put down the bowl, followed quietly out, and walked to Qiaoqiao: "He just keeps sitting?"
"Yes, I have been sitting and drinking tea."
Cheng Hua'er placed the Lantern Festival in front of him and said softly: "I heard that you haven't had dinner yet, and Huan Huan couldn't finish it by herself, so I filled a bowl for you."
Jinghou was a little flattered and quickly took the bowl and took a sip: "Your craftsmanship is still so good."
"The last time you ate it, the novices in your house complained about it and didn't even eat it."
"You...remember?" Jinghou paused and quickly explained: "Hua'er, I was just lying that time. The Yuanxiao you made is more delicious than the one in the imperial kitchen."
Cheng Hua'er chuckled softly when he heard this.
Cheng Qingwen watched this scene and waved to everyone, indicating that they should all go upstairs first.
He pulled Song Qiaoqiao to the backyard: "Jinghou has to make some contribution after eating Yuanxiao. Let's take out the cakes and let him try them to see if they are similar to those in the capital. If they are similar, we will make some contributions in the future.
Open a branch in Beijing."
"You saw that Jinghou's Yuanxiao meal was almost finished, and you were afraid that the two of you would have nothing to say, so why don't you send me some pastries to remind you."
Cheng Qingwen turned his head and looked at her in shock, almost swearing: "Are you the tapeworm in my heart?"
Song Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes, took out some flour and kneaded the noodles and said, "I don't understand you either. Some people are wary of everyone around their mother every day. They are afraid of having multiple stepfathers, adding younger brothers and sisters.
Forgotten. What about you? After Jinghou showed up yesterday, your face said that you wanted to watch the fun. What on earth did you think?"
"How did you know that I wasn't wary of him? I tried to stop him, but it didn't work. Besides, it's going to rain and my mother is getting married. What can I do?"
"Don't be ridiculous. As long as you hid the jade pendant last night or didn't tell Aunt Cheng about it, I would believe what you just said."
Cheng Qingwen took the pastry out of the mold and was extremely embarrassed when his lie was exposed: "Oh, it's the most basic truth to see through but don't tell."
"Okay, then let me ask you, do you really want to have more stepfathers?"
Cheng Qingwen stopped moving his hands, thought about it carefully, and then said: "This is not a bad thing, just let nature take its course."
She raised her eyebrows at the girl in front of her and put the cake into the pot to steam.
After hearing this, Song Qiaoqiao lowered her head and whispered softly: "I wish I could be so open-minded as you."
Cheng Qingwen heard this, and she had also heard Cheng Huaer say before that a matchmaker introduced men to Aunt Liu, but she didn't know why later they all became corrupt. From this point of view, Song Qiaoqiao should have a share of the credit.
By the time the cakes were brought out, Jinghou had already talked about the engagement party since he was a child.
"I was just wondering where the scent came from in the middle of the night. It turned out to be you."
Jinghou looked at the girl in front of him with loving eyes and said with a smile.
"Since you ate my grandma's Lantern Festival, you have to try the pastries I made and see if I can open a branch in the capital."
Jinghou looked at the fragrant crystal cake in front of him and asked doubtfully: "What kind of cake is this? Why have I never seen it before?"
Cheng Huaer glanced at his daughter and said with a smile: "This is the crystal cake made by Huanhan. Do you like it if you try it?"
Jinghou tasted a piece, and as soon as he took his mouth, a trace of surprise flashed across his face: "This pastry is quite delicious, but I have never eaten it before. Is it unique to Hua County?"
"No, this is what Huanwan figured out by herself." Cheng Huaer also took a piece of pastry and said.
"Your daughter is indeed as capable as you."
Hearing this flattery, Cheng Qingwen almost couldn't help but laugh: "You haven't said whether my pastry is qualified enough to open a branch in the capital."
"Of course I'm qualified. I happen to have a few shops under my name. You can open a few branches in the capital." Jinghou looked at the woman's hesitant face with a smile and said, "Don't worry, Hua'er, if you go to the capital,
I will definitely keep you safe."
Cheng Hua'er smiled and tapped her daughter's forehead: "She was joking, you didn't hear it."
Cheng Qingwen patted the flour on his sleeves and said with a smile: "My mother-in-law has a sharp eye. I won't mess around here anymore. I have to go to bed with Qiaoqiao."
After saying that, he pulled Song Qiaoqiao upstairs and into the room.
"My grandma and I discussed it and we decided to open on the 15th of this month."
"There are four days left, can we make it in time?"
Cheng Qingwen thought for a while and then said: "The furniture has been delivered, and the rest is just to buy materials. I will definitely make it in time."
"Okay, as long as you think it's late, it's no problem."
Cheng Qingwen was about to ask what it meant, but he immediately realized it.
When it first opened, I was definitely the main person making pastries, with Qiaoqiao and Lianzhi working nearby.
"There weren't many people when we first opened, so we probably don't need to do a lot."
"That's not certain. Didn't we discuss a few days ago that the whole store would be half off on the opening day? The discount only costs six cents for a pack of pastries. If you want me, I will definitely buy it and try it."
Cheng Qingwen sat on the bed, took a breath of cool air, and thought carefully for a while: "Well, tomorrow you and Lian Zhi go to the kitchen to make a pastry, and I will see if you really can't make it."
"Have you forgotten my chestnut cake?"
As soon as these words came out, Cheng Qinghan immediately thought of the chestnut cake that had no dough. It was really beyond her expectation.
"That Lianzhi..."
"Cloud cake."
The two of them said this in unison. Lian Zhi's Yun Pian Cake was either very sweet or very bland, comparable to Song Qiaoqiao's Chestnut Cake.
"I'm a little confused. I understand that Lian Zhi grew up in a wealthy family and doesn't know how to cook. What about you, why don't you know how to cook?"