Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 21 Lost Weight
Xu Qingmeng knew this was extra and not included in their wages, so she said it directly.

"Uncle Li, calculate how much money it will cost to build the stove, and I'll pay you back in the end."

“It’s not that difficult. Any man can do it. It’s just a matter of course. Why would we ask for money? Besides, we have plenty of blue bricks. It just takes some time, but not much effort.”

Xu Qingmeng quickly said, "That won't do. One thing at a time. We can't let everyone work for nothing."

"Really, no need, really no need." Li Quan scratched his head, afraid that Xu Qingmeng would keep talking, and went straight to work.

Xu Qingmeng didn't press the matter further, so she simply informed Madam He. Madam He, however, seemed unsurprised and said...
"Don't worry about it. After all, the big steamed buns and the goose at noon were prepared in large quantities just for them. Even they themselves at home might not be willing to eat this well. He'll definitely be embarrassed to ask you for money again."

After hearing what Madam He said, Xu Qingmeng understood a bit, but still felt it wasn't quite right, so she suggested...

"Otherwise, when they leave at night, pack some braised dishes for each of them so they can take them home and eat with their families."

"That's fine, but just pack some vegetables, don't pack any meat. Don't be too generous," Mrs. He reminded her.

Xu Qingmeng nodded; she understood this principle.

In the afternoon, Li Quan ordered someone to bring a cartload of blue bricks.

Xu Qingmeng and Madam He tidied up the kitchen together, organized the things, and in less than an hour, a large stove and two small stoves were built.

"Add some firewood, and it'll be ready to use by tonight," Li Quan said, wiping the sweat from his face.

Xu Qingmeng quickly thanked her.

Li Quan waved his hand and went to work in the front hall.

At this moment, Madam He was cleaning the pig intestines in the yard. After all, there would probably be even more people today after last night, so Xu Qingmeng would prepare more.

In the evening, the workers needed to eat before going home. Since they still needed to sell braised food, Xu Qingmeng steamed a pot of steamed buns, some with wheat flour and some with cornmeal. She was just about to stir-fry a few dishes when customers came in to inquire.

"The braised food is ready. Yunyi, please take care of your Uncle Li and the others. Qingmeng, hurry up and cook a couple more dishes. I'll go sell the braised food in the front." Madam He said as she tidied up.

Gu Yunyi said, "Mother, let's pack some steamed buns and braised dishes for Uncle Li and the others to take back and eat. The front hall is busy and may not be able to take care of Uncle Li and the others. They can also take them back and share them with their families."

He thought this method was feasible, but since they had agreed to eat there, she still needed to ask Li Quan and the others for their opinions.

Xu Qing dreamed of how many people there were yesterday, and was also worried that Madam He wouldn't be able to handle things alone in the front hall, so she thought this was better.

When Madam He came to the front yard, she told them Yun Yi's idea, and Li Quan and the others' eyes lit up.

"Is this really okay? I was thinking of shamelessly asking Auntie for some to try later," the young men said, scratching their heads.

“My wife bought some yesterday, and the kids ate it. They’ve been talking about it ever since yesterday, and they want more today.”

Li Quan said somewhat embarrassedly, "I can't accept this food and gifts, it's really..."

"Hey, what are you saying? We're just trying to save trouble. We're glad you don't mind."

And so, the dinners for the next few days were decided.

It was getting dark, and Li Quan and the others were about to head back. Xu Qingmeng had already prepared dinner for them, and Gu Yunyi just needed to wait in the kitchen to get it for them. Xu Qingmeng and Madam He were already busy in the front hall.

Every night, Li Quan and his family would bring back dinner prepared by the Gu family. These hearty and juicy meals were always a hit, and the families would discuss how generous the Gu family was. Li Quan's wife, eating the braised food he brought back, couldn't help but sigh...

"I thought that the Gu family would fall into decline after Gu Hongxin's passing. Who would have thought that Madam He would bring such a capable daughter-in-law back to Gu Yunyi? Although she was quite fat before, she has lost a lot of weight recently. Moreover, she is very capable and can earn money for the Gu family. Madam He is really lucky. Gu Hongxin used to cook, but now her daughter-in-law does it."

Li Quan nodded in agreement. "She is indeed very capable. Back then, Madam He listened to the fortune teller and married this Madam Xu to bring good luck. Many people laughed at her family behind her back. But look at how long it has been, Gu Yunyi's health is getting better and better, and this restaurant has opened."

“Yes, this new wife of the Gu family is very skilled. This little food stall can't keep her busy. Who knows, she might open a restaurant in the future. You should cook well for her, and she'll definitely be able to find you for work in the future,” Li Quan’s wife said while eating.

Li Quan naturally agreed. His wife could think of so much just from eating this braised food. If she had tasted all the dishes Xu Qingmeng made, not only would every meal be different during the past few days of repairing the shop, but every day would also be different. He wondered what his wife would think.

Xu Qingmeng was unaware that someone already had high hopes for her future; she was currently planning how to reopen her business the next day.

With the front hall renovated, the kitchen and front hall are now connected, so Madam He no longer needs to run back and forth. Xu Qingmeng can also help out in this way.

Tofu pudding and soy milk can be kept warm on a small stove so they don't get cold, and you can also add other things.

At noon, Xu Qingmeng was thinking of adding some more set meals, since some of the workers who had already started work were asking if his restaurant was still serving lunch. In the past, everyone would eat out, but the food at the restaurants was not good and was ridiculously expensive, so they stopped eating out.

Now that Xu Qingmeng has good cooking skills and is honest and caring, and she is not far from the dock, even if she doesn't sell steamed buns at noon but only pies, people are still willing to come and eat. After all, working at the dock is all physical labor, and these pies are delicious and filling. If you come and eat them, they will still be hot.

They usually buy it in the morning and bring it with them, so it's naturally cold by noon. Although it doesn't affect the taste, it's never as good as hot food!

Xu Qingmeng thought that she could start selling set meals at noon. This would be more convenient. One meat dish and two vegetable dishes would be enough. If business was good, she could move to a larger shop and make a variety of dishes to see what customers wanted, meat or vegetables. Each serving would be just the right amount for one person, so that it wouldn't feel wasteful and would be affordable.

If a group of people are together, they can buy more dishes if they want to eat a variety of dishes, and they won't have leftovers. In fact, there are many such stores nowadays. Young people often get off work late, and it takes them a long time to buy groceries and cook. It's much better to spend 20 or 30 yuan to eat two dishes and have plenty of rice, without having to wash the pots and pans.

We can continue selling braised food as usual in the evening.

After hearing this, Madam He said, "Mengniang, isn't this too tiring? Look at you, you've already lost a lot of weight in such a short time."

"Mother, have you really lost weight?" Xu Qingmeng asked excitedly.

Mrs. He looked her over carefully. "It's true. The clothes were so tight before, but now they're much looser, and her face looks smaller too."

Gu Yunyi also looked at Xu Qingmeng at this moment. She did seem to have lost a lot of weight. These days, Xu Qingmeng got up early every day and was busy like a spinning top. She didn't eat much. It would be strange if she didn't lose weight.

Xu Qingmeng was still very happy after hearing this. She had been very busy these days. After washing up, she would lie in bed and fall asleep almost immediately, without having time to think about anything else.

Xu Qingmeng was still immersed in the joy of her weight loss and did not notice Gu Yunyi's gaze at all. However, Madam He did not miss her son's gaze.

She was still quite happy inside, because this way, she could have hope of holding her grandson.

Xu Qingmeng then brought up the steamed buns, saying, "Mother, we're basically reopening tomorrow. I'll have Yunyi write down the buy-ten-get-one-free promotion later."

"What does 'buy ten get one free' mean?" Mrs. He asked.

"How about buying ten steamed buns and getting one free, Mom? What do you think?"

“If it were me, I would definitely be willing to buy it,” Mrs. He said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)