Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 41 Love at first sight

He was actually quite interested. After all, women have always been enthusiastic about shopping, regardless of the era. The batch of flour that Shen Jinwen had given them had already been used, and its quality was even better than that of the flour bought from the grain store, being much finer.

However, considering that she still needed to prepare ingredients for lunch, she worried that Xu Xinting wouldn't be able to manage alone. Seeing Xu Qingmeng's expectant face, she thought about it and finally decided to let Xu Qingmeng go by herself.

Shen Jinwen's grocery store is located in the most bustling part of East Street, which suggests that Shen Jinwen's identity is not simple. After all, it is not easy for him to find such a good location in such a short time and not be afraid of trouble from others.

When Xu Qingmeng arrived at the door, she was truly amazed; the shop was at least 300 square meters.

"Young Master Shen, this shop is quite large!"

Shen Jinwen: "It's alright. I bought six shops before and had them renovated. They're still stocked with goods, so I've opened all the doors. But after the business opens, the middle door will be kept closed all the time, and there will be counters on both sides, which will make it easier to manage."

Xu Qingmeng listened and nodded, secretly admiring Shen Jinwen's business acumen and meticulous planning.

The shop is filled with a dazzling array of goods, from daily necessities to exquisite ornaments, and even some exotic items, making it a feast for the eyes.

"Young Master Shen is truly ingenious. This general store not only has a wide variety of goods, but its layout is also extremely sophisticated. It will surely attract many customers," Xu Qingmeng exclaimed sincerely.

Shen Jinwen smiled modestly, "Madam Gu is too kind. I do have some thoughts of my own."

Shen Jinwen told her to browse around on her own, and to take whatever she liked, as it would be sold at the opening price.

Xu Qingmeng didn't stand on ceremony and soon took a lot of things, quickly making her way to the dried goods section.

Xu Qingmeng saw all sorts of dried chili peppers, as well as rare daylily buds, tea tree mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, kelp, and even white fungus.
Shen Jinwen happened to come over and saw Xu Qingmeng's eyes light up. He said, "I told you before that some friends brought back some good things from various places, but the quantity is not much. These are just one kind in a bag. I invited you in advance so that you could see if there is anything you want."

"Young Master Shen, these are all good things, and they can be used to make different delicacies. These chilies are also excellent for cooking."

"That's good. I'll discuss it with that friend later and ask him to bring more next time. Half of these can be given to Madam Gu. The rest will be used to attract customers when the business opens. I hope Madam Gu will understand."

Shen Jinwen had invested so much money, so of course he wanted to make a splash. Naturally, he needed to have some rare items to offer, just in case he encountered someone as discerning as Xu Qingmeng.

Xu Qingmeng said she could understand; the bags of dried goods were small, but each bag of dried chili peppers looked to weigh at least ten pounds, and there were five or six different varieties, each with an endless supply.
There were quite a few others left, so in short, Xu Qingmeng gained a lot from this trip.

To express his apology, Shen Jinwen gave Xu Qingmeng all these things at the purchase price. Xu Qingmeng didn't refuse and later thought she would invite him over for a meal.

Aside from these rare foods, Xu Qingmeng bought everything else for her family, but didn't buy anything for herself.

However, she still bought quite a lot, and she definitely couldn't carry it all herself, so Shen Jinwen had someone find a car to help deliver all the things to their home.

On the way back, Xu Qing dreamed that it would be great to have a hot pot meal.

Xu Qingmeng has been here for at least a month, and this is the first time she's had such a craving.

In modern times, hot pot is one of her favorite things. The hot, fragrant broth, with all sorts of ingredients cooked in it, is simply divine. As she walked down the street, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva, her mind filled with images of slices of meat bubbling in the hot pot, fresh and juicy vegetables, and bouncy meatballs.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the tranquility of the market. Xu Qing was so engrossed in her dream that she was pushed by someone and lost her balance. Just as she was about to fall, Lin Yichen reacted quickly, stepped forward, and reached out his arm to steady her.

At that moment, time seemed to freeze. Lin Yichen's gaze met Xu Qingmeng's in the air. He saw her clear, autumn-water-like eyes and her cheeks slightly flushed with panic.

Xu Qingmeng's hair fluttered in the wind, and a few strands brushed against Lin Yichen's fingertips, causing a slight, imperceptible tremor.

Lin Yichen's heart raced at that moment, and he felt an unprecedented surge of emotion.

A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Qingmeng's eyes, followed by gratitude.

"Thank you, young master," she said softly, her voice as clear and melodious as a nightingale's song.

Lin Yichen smiled slightly and released her arm, but the ripples in his heart could not be calmed for a long time.

"You're too kind, young lady. Please be careful while you walk," Lin Yichen said.

Xu Qingmeng smiled awkwardly, secretly annoyed that her true foodie nature had come out, and she had actually lost in thought at this moment.

She thanked him, nodded, and turned to leave.

Although Xu Qingmeng had left and the market had reopened, for Lin Yichen, the whole world seemed to consist only of that fleeting glimpse of Xu Qingmeng.

He knew that he had fallen deeply in love with this sudden romance, falling in love at first sight and unable to extricate himself.

Xu Qingmeng's figure was like a ray of light, illuminating every corner of his heart.

Xu Qingmeng didn't pay much attention to it, treating it as just a minor incident.

Xu Qingmeng was still thinking about her hot pot, so she went and bought a lot of fresh vegetables and a fish. Since she didn't have any fish balls, she could make fish balls herself, which would also be very delicious. She also had some beef at home. Actually, it would have been even better if she had some tripe, but unfortunately, she didn't.

After buying her things, Xu Qingmeng hurried back, as she had already wasted a lot of time and needed to keep an eye on business at noon.

When Xu Qingmeng arrived home, He Shi and her people had already finished the preparations. Xu Qingmeng planned to make braised pork today, and she had already told He Shi before she left that each person should have five pieces, cut into slightly larger pieces.
After the braised pork was put into the pot, I started frying the tofu.

Blanch the tofu in boiling water with a little salt to remove the beany taste. Heat a frying pan, add some lard and melt it. Once the oil is hot, place the tofu in the pan and fry until golden brown. Remove the fried tofu and place it in a bowl for later use.
First, prepare the seasoning sauce for braising the tofu. Take an empty bowl, add an appropriate amount of water, salt, and soy sauce, then add a spoonful of sugar for seasoning. Finally, add cornstarch slurry.
Heat oil in a large pot, add minced scallions, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add a handful of dried chili peppers to the right, and finally add the pan-fried tofu cubes. Stir gently, then pour in the prepared sauce and mix well. Cover the pot and simmer for a while. Finally, sprinkle with chopped scallions for color and aroma, and the tofu is ready to serve.

Finally, I stir-fried some simple greens, and that completed today's set meal.

(End of this chapter)