Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 186 Double Ninth Cake

Of course, there are many variations of Chongyang cake, but since there are no suitable molds available at the moment, we can only teach this simpler one.

Although Jinxiuxuan's business is not as good as before, it still attracts wealthy young ladies and ladies from Quan County as always because it offers drinks that are not available elsewhere, as well as simple cakes made by Xinting.

Jinxiuxuan's business is still doing well, but its traditional dim sum has declined somewhat.

At noon, business is not so busy, and the kitchen also gets a break.

As Xu Qingmeng spoke, she steamed the Chongyang cake. As before, everyone learned together, and whoever made the best cake in the end would receive it.

Everyone nodded in agreement. "You can rest whenever you want. After the shop is closed, you can stay in the kitchen to practice more."

"Yes."

"Everyone has worked hard during this time. I brought some gifts from the capital city, which are already inside. You can share them after you finish eating."

Upon hearing this, everyone became excited, and the entire kitchen became lively. Even the girls working on the drinks were very happy.

Xu Qingmeng called Xinting aside, gave her some instructions, and then paid extra for the manager to add some dishes for them at noon before leaving to return to the restaurant.

Before leaving, Xu Qingmeng glanced at the other side of the street. There were indeed quite a few customers, but she also knew that this was how business was, there was always competition.

She glanced at it briefly before looking away, quickening her pace.

Gu Yunyi is currently injured, and she is also pregnant, so they cannot do everything themselves. Besides, they will be moving to the prefectural city soon, and Xinting will be going with them regularly. Chen Niangzi and the others must be able to handle things on their own.

In Xu Qingmeng's opinion, they were still lacking in some aspects. Although they did work hard, they lacked innovation. As a result, once others made similar pastries, they were helpless.

They still just follow the established procedures, but it's something they need to figure out for themselves.

Given Xu Qingmeng's current situation, it's impossible for her to devote all her energy to just one shop.

When Xu Qingmeng returned to the entrance of Gu Family Restaurant, she was surprised to see wisps of smoke coming from the kitchen. Why were they still not eating so late?

Xu Qingmeng hurriedly pushed open the door, but the scene that greeted her left her stunned.

The courtyard was full of people, some sitting and some standing. Hearing the commotion, they all looked over at her.

Being stared at by so many people at the same time, Xu Qingmeng's mind went blank for a moment.

However, it was only for a moment, and he quickly recognized familiar faces among the group.

"Father, eldest brother, second brother."

Xu Qingmeng's face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly went to greet her.

"Hey, slow down, don't walk so fast, take care of yourself," Mr. Xu hurriedly said.

As Xu Qingmeng walked, she glanced around. The remaining strangers, aside from those who had initially sized her up, were now all looking at her with friendly eyes.

They were all older people, and I imagine they were chatting with Old Man Xu when she was interrupted as she pushed open the door.

Xu Qingmeng didn't recognize them, but assuming they must be elders, she bowed and went to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Mrs. He and Mrs. Xu were busy at work. There were already quite a few stir-fried dishes on the table, covered with plates. Mrs. Xu was still cooking when Mrs. He looked up and saw her.

"Mengniang? You're back? Is everything alright at the shop?"

"Well, it's nothing serious," Xu Qingmeng said, then smiled at her sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, thank you for your hard work."

"What are you saying? We're all family." Sister-in-law Xu shook her head.

Xu Qingmeng washed her hands and hurried over: "Sister-in-law, you go and rest, I'll take care of the rest."

"How can that be? You're pregnant now, you can't be so polite. Sit down, I'll do it. Don't tell me you don't like my cooking," said Sister-in-law Xu.

"What are you saying, sister-in-law? How could you? I've been looking forward to eating your cooking for ages," Xu Qingmeng said ingratiatingly.

"You, go sit down."

Helpless, Xu Qingmeng then leaned closer to Madam He and asked in a low voice, "Mother, who are those people in the courtyard? Are they relatives? They don't seem very familiar to me."

Mrs. He glanced outside, shook her head, and said softly, "I don't recognize any of them either."

What?
Xu Qingmeng was stunned, her eyes wide open.

Looking at Xu Qingmeng like this, Madam He chuckled and said, "What are you thinking? What I mean is that we didn't know each other before, but these people are all from Shiqing Village. I don't know where they heard about Yunyi, but as soon as you left, they brought gifts to visit you."

"That guy, who seems to be the village chief's son, chatted with Yunyi inside the house for a long time."

Shiqing Village is the ancestral home of the Gu family. After Gu Hongxin moved there, Gu Yunyi's branch gradually became familiar with Shiqing Village. In addition, Gu Yunyi also contributed money to help establish a private school, which increased their interactions.

Once people start visiting each other, even if someone is sick or has other ailments, they will come to see him. Not to mention, Gu Yunyi also achieved the top honor in the imperial examination. You can't say that people are trying to curry favor with him, but they will still come to congratulate him.

Soon, Sister-in-law Xu had finished cooking all the dishes. Sister-in-law Xu's cooking skills were quite good. Although they were not as good as Xu Qingmeng's, they all looked pretty good. There was fish, meat, chicken, and a few stir-fries.

Knowing there were many people, Sister-in-law Xu made sure the portions of each dish were generous, and the staple food was large white steamed buns that Mrs. He bought from outside.

Finally, Sister-in-law Xu chopped two cucumbers and made a cold dish, completing a hearty lunch.

"Sister-in-law, thank you for your hard work."

"What are you saying? We're family, we shouldn't speak like outsiders."

There were too many people, and the table couldn't accommodate everyone, so Yun Sheng and Yun Mo didn't sit at the table. He Shi, Xu Qingmeng, and Xu's eldest sister-in-law also didn't go out.

Old Xu, accompanied by his two sons, greeted everyone and filled the table to the brim, showing no sign of timidity.

Xu's eldest sister-in-law saved a portion of each dish. He Shi and Xu's eldest sister-in-law, along with the two children, ate in the kitchen, while Xu Qingmeng prepared a portion for two people and went to the side room to eat with Gu Yunyi.

As soon as Xu Qingmeng entered, she saw Gu Yunyi half-lying down, holding a book in his uninjured hand. Upon seeing Xu Qingmeng enter, he calmly tossed the book onto the inside of the bed.

Xu Qingmeng chuckled: "Pretending, you can see it all."

Gu Yunyi blushed: "Wife, can't you just pretend you didn't see it?"

(End of this chapter)