The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 244 You Sing
Lady Jiang, the wife of the Marquis, sat regally in the main seat of the Peony Pavilion's flower hall, surrounded by stars like the moon.

She was wearing a long, blue silk gown with a stand-up collar embroidered with golden peony patterns.

Her hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with several exquisite gold and jade hairpins.

Oval face, slender eyes, and relaxed eyebrows.

Her whole being exudes an air of nobility with a touch of elegance.

As the First Lady of the border town, the women surrounding her were divided into two circles.

A circle consisting of the women of the border town military commander and above.

The other group consisted of several noble ladies from Huaiqing Prefecture, all around thirty years old.

Their main task today is to befriend Lady Hou.

Before the banquet even began, a burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

A woman, adorned with jewels and exceptionally cheerful, stood with her hands on her hips, mimicking the shrew's defensive posture:

"Oh dear! I'm just a very ordinary person, and I came here today for the wine and meat at Zuixiangju! I heard from the front that we can drink as much wine as we want today, so ladies, don't be shy! We women from the Northwest should also learn from the men and eat meat and drink wine heartily, how about we get drunk?"

Her suggestion immediately drew laughter and scolding from the women.

"You're already at the point where you're looking for a wife for your son, are you planning to get drunk on purpose to find an excuse to beat up your husband?!"

"Hahaha, why drink wine if you want to get drunk! Madam Hou, I'd like to trouble you to have the kitchen send over a few jars of sorghum liquor later! Let's give this Northwestern woman some courage!"

Jiang smiled broadly:

"Drink up! Sorghum liquor and wine, drink as much as you want! But I suggest you save some room for meat. My lord is a very picky eater, but he has great confidence in the taste of this secret-recipe roasted rabbit."

A noblewoman from Huaiqing Prefecture asked with a face full of curiosity:

"I ate rabbit meat once when I was a child, during a short stay at the estate with my older brother. At that time, I only thought it had a strong fishy smell and the meat was burnt! I never thought that roasted rabbit would be served in such a refined setting today. It must have something special about it!"

The wives of the military commanders in the border town are the most qualified to comment on the taste of roasted rabbit.

Mrs. Tian Jiu responded enthusiastically:

"The crispy roasted rabbit at Angmen Biancheng has a secret marinade recipe that makes the aroma permeate from the skin to the meat and even into the bone! During the five-day trial operation, everyone who tried it praised its delicious taste."

"Where did we find such a skilled chef? If we find the food delicious, we should definitely ask him to open another restaurant in Huaiqing Prefecture!"

Just as Madam Tian Jiu was about to explain, a low chuckle came from the women's circle in the border town.

The sound wasn't loud, but it drew everyone's attention.

The laughing woman pretended to cover her mouth with her embroidered handkerchief, looking as if she had a big melon in her hand, and slowly said:
"Ladies, you may not know, but our chef is truly skilled! She used to slaughter pigs for ten years, and her family's culinary tradition is making pig soup! After arriving in the border town, when there were no pigs to slaughter, she returned to her old trade and opened a mutton soup restaurant next door. Perhaps she was born with a talent for cooking these kinds of meats."

"That sounds impressive! Pigs and sheep, and now they're roasting rabbit! Not bad, not bad at all. If we like what we eat, we'll definitely tip the chef!"

The woman waved her hands repeatedly: "That chef has amassed a considerable fortune through his skills; he probably wouldn't care about such a paltry reward."

"What? You can get rich as a cook?"

"Madam Hou, isn't Zuixiangju a business arranged by the Quartermaster Department? Does this head chef have some kind of powerful background?"

Jiang didn't know much about Gan Minglan's personal information.

Zhao Muyun rarely returned home to discuss important military matters.

Adding to the fact that there had been constant warfare for the past six months, he and Jiang hadn't seen each other for several months. She hadn't really wanted to attend the opening of Zuixiangju.

Not long ago, after the eldest son of a concubine, Zhao Rui, came to the border town, he actually started studying diligently after returning home.

She was eager to know what had happened in the border town during those twenty-odd days.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find out.

That's how the trip to the border town came about.

When asked about her head, she felt a little embarrassed and could only turn her questioning gaze to the woman with a pear blossom makeup on her face.

A servant whispered in her ear, "The military commander's new concubine is said to be very favored."

Concubine?

When did concubines become part of the diplomacy of wives?
Jiang frowned, her gaze lingering on the concubine who had the face of a principal wife and wore distinctive makeup.

The favored concubine, Lady Lü, naturally noticed her doubt and disdain, and replied with a smile, her expression unchanged:
"I have heard this chef say that a chef who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier! He not only has excellent skills in slaughtering pigs, but he can also kill Hu people and Tatars on the battlefield."

From the general to the soldiers guarding the city gates, everyone praised her as the guardian deity of the border town! Back in her hometown, she was called 'Pork Beauty,' but now everyone calls her 'Jade-Faced Rakshasa'!

The baby-faced, spoiled mother exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! It's her! She's actually a butcher!"

Several noblewomen from Huaiqing Prefecture were momentarily dazed.

That wicked woman who caused her own son to cry for his parents, and who was supposedly protected by General Zhao, was actually just the daughter of a pig butcher.

This explains why the wicked woman possessed such brute strength.

The butcher must be fat and strong!

But something seems off.

Someone asked, "How could a butcher be compared to Xi Shi? Was her skill in killing the barbarians genuine or just a facade?"

Mrs. Tian Jiu was somewhat dazed.

It was clearly a compliment to Captain Gan.

Why is everyone's reaction a little off?

Her husband was promoted in the last six months; before that, he spent his time associating with the wives of centurions.

They are usually very direct when they gossip about others.

Poor her, she didn't know what it meant to be praised to death.

They had no choice but to rush to speak well of Gan Minglan:
"Captain Gan is not only handsome, but also extremely capable! Ang's wife has been saved by Captain Gan several times on the battlefield! From killing the Hu leader at Jinzhou Pass to transporting grain to Yuyang City, and setting up an array to defeat tens of thousands of Tatar troops, Captain Gan's military achievements are unmatched by all the Guan Army in the entire border city combined!"

The baby-faced, spoiled mother led the applause:
"What a glorious pork seller! What a majestic jade-faced demon! She's truly living up to her reputation!"

"I imagine that all the wives of the brigade commanders have great respect for Captain Gan. I wonder if you could introduce him to us?"

"Yes! This heroine of the border town is a role model for us all. Now that we're here, how can we not meet this heroine?"

Even Lady Jiang, the wife of the Marquis, became interested:
"Indeed, as the ladies have said, our gathering at Zuixiangju today is thanks to Captain Gan. I'll have the steward go and invite him. I think Captain Gan should be able to give me, the Lady of the Marquis, some face, right?"

Madam Tian Jiu's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat, and she secretly groaned inwardly.

(End of this chapter)