Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 79 Lotus Leaf Lunch Box
In the kitchen, Xu Qingmeng asked Gu Yunyi to help lift a large bucket of oil and pour it into a pot. She was thinking of making some finished products first and having Shen Jinwen take them away. With so many things spread out in the house, there was no room to even step.

Pour various seasonings and spices into the oil pan and simmer over low heat. Soon, the aroma begins to waft out.

"Little sister, is there anything special about this oil?" Wang Cuiqin, the eldest sister-in-law of the Xu family, walked into the kitchen with great curiosity.

Sister-in-law, these seasonings and spices will make the oil even more fragrant.

Xu's eldest sister-in-law, Wang Cuiqin, is a cooking enthusiast and quite skilled. She was very interested in this novel method and wanted to sit down and watch, but since it might be a secret recipe for chili oil, she hesitated, walking in and then walking out again.

Xu Qingmeng saw through it and said, "Sister-in-law, it's alright, there's nothing you can't see, it's just rendering some oil."

"Is it really okay?" Wang Cuiqin asked as she moved closer.

"can."

Xu Qingmeng scooped a large spoonful of hot oil and poured it into the prepared chili powder.
With a sizzling sound, a mouthwatering aroma was instantly released. After two consecutive steps, the chili oil was finally ready, much to Wang Cuiqin's amazement.

"Last time your second brother brought them back, everyone thought they were delicious. Now that I see, with so much oil in them, it would be strange if they weren't good. And these sesame seeds, seasonings, spices, just look at these chili peppers, everything is top-notch."

"Of course! Who would put this much oil in their chili peppers normally? With so much oil, how could it not taste good?" Mrs. He said, making an excuse.

"Sister-in-law, you like this too? Then let's use it to cook a few dishes tonight."

Wang Cuiqin and He Shi exchanged a glance and shook their heads: "I know your cooking skills. You've been busy all day, so let me cook tonight. You haven't had your sister-in-law's cooking in a long time."

"How can that be? You're a guest, how can I let you cook?" Xu Qingmeng shook her head.

Madam He replied, "We're all family, and you've had a long day. It's alright."

“That’s right, that’s right, otherwise why wouldn’t you treat your sister-in-law as family?” Wang Cuiqin said.

Xu Qingmeng listened to their back-and-forth and stopped arguing. However, Gu Yunyi glanced at them without leaving a trace. He had just seen them whispering to each other for a while and frequently looking at him. He wondered what they meant.
As evening fell, just as darkness was falling, Shen Jinwen and his men came to knock on the door.

Xu Qingmeng and the others still had some items to pack, so Shen Jinwen directed his men to help them.

He stood in the courtyard talking to Madam He.

“Auntie, when I first arrived, there were many people chatting in front of your house. They were mostly talking about how the restaurants were opening, and some of the dock workers were saying that they hadn’t had a proper lunch. Some even said that the restaurants hadn’t been open for two days and their food was tasteless.”

After saying that, Shen Jinwen smacked his lips and said, "Don't even mention them, even I miss your family's set meals and braised dishes."

"How I wish I could open the shop! Every day I delay means one less day of income. But the shops outside aren't finished yet, and it will probably be a few more days before we can open," Mrs. He replied helplessly.

Shen Jinwen was inevitably a little disappointed. He was a glutton, and ever since the Gu family restaurant started serving set meals at noon, whenever he was at the grocery store, he would ask the shop assistant to pack the set meals to take back to the store to eat, wishing he could eat them every day.

Xu Qingmeng happened to come out and overheard their conversation, so she said, "Mother, the weather is gradually getting warmer now, so there's no need to stay indoors. Before, when we wanted everyone to know that the Gu Family Restaurant had reopened, we set up a stall at the entrance!"

"Mengniang means we should still set up the stall at the entrance tomorrow." "Exactly."

Mrs. He thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible, but we haven't bought the ingredients yet, and we're afraid we won't be able to make it to tomorrow morning's business. Without tables, the lunch set meal might not be feasible."

Xu Qingmeng had also thought of this, but it wasn't entirely without a solution. They could make it into boxed meals, so people didn't necessarily have to eat in the restaurant; they could take it away.

"But what is this boxed lunch?" Mrs. He asked, puzzled.

Xu Qingmeng explained, "Mom, a boxed lunch is a meal that is packed in a box so that people can take it with them. It's similar to a wooden box or a ceramic container."

After thinking for a moment, Mr. He nodded: "That's a novel idea, but the cost of the wooden box and ceramic is not low!"

Xu Qingmeng frowned and pondered, "That's true!"
In modern society, disposable lunch boxes are everywhere, but in ancient times, finding similar packaging boxes was not an easy task.

Furthermore, the cost of wood and ceramics is too high, so that's definitely not an option.

She paced around the courtyard, her eyes suddenly lighting up. Turning to He Shi, she said, "Mother, we can use lotus leaves. They have a pleasant fragrance, and using them to wrap food will add a unique aroma."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. He's eyes lit up: "That's right, there are plenty of lotus leaves in the ponds around here. But will it be okay to wrap food in lotus leaves? Won't it leak?"

Xu Qingmeng said with a smile, "Lotus leaves themselves have a certain degree of water resistance, which can wrap the rice very well."

If the lotus leaf is not wrapped tightly enough or the lotus leaf itself is damaged, some soup or ingredients may leak out.

To prevent this, ensure the lotus leaves are intact and wrap the rice tightly, or use multiple layers of lotus leaves to increase the tightness of the wrapping, then wrap it up with lotus leaves and tie it securely with string. This will prevent leakage.

Shen Jinwen, who was listening nearby, also found it novel: "That's a good idea. It's convenient and interesting. Those diners will definitely find it novel."

Gu Yunyi walked over at this time and said after hearing their discussion, "This method of wrapping food in lotus leaves is good, but we also need to consider the cost. Although lotus leaves do not cost money to buy, they still require manpower to collect and clean them."

Xu Qingmeng nodded: "That's true. But we can have the children in our family pick lotus leaves as a small reward. This way, we can save costs and give the children some pocket money."

"This method is feasible, so let's start business tomorrow."

The chili oil had already been packaged, and Shen Jinwen was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"Alright, if anyone asks me again later, I'll just say this. But let me make it clear first, you have to save some of that lotus leaf-wrapped rice for lunch tomorrow and some of the braised dishes for the afternoon. I'll give the shop's staff a little treat."

He nodded repeatedly, then watched Shen Jinwen and his men leave.

Xu Qingmeng's work was also finished. The remaining chili peppers were to be used to make two other sauces tomorrow. Shen Jinwen was asked to take them to the shop to test the waters. Xu Qingmeng stretched and left the kitchen to He Shi and Xu's sister-in-law Wang Cuiqin.

(End of this chapter)