Chapter 39: You Have to Pay Her Wages

Upon learning that Wenyao was going to prepare two dishes for Mrs. Luo to taste, Mrs. Li and Mrs. Cai, following the instructions of their mother-in-law, though puzzled, obediently assisted Wenyao in the kitchen.

Mrs. Luo had married into a village more than ten miles away from their home. Both sisters had originally married into families with decent conditions, but later, as the Wen family supported Wen Xiuyi’s studies, their days grew increasingly strained. Eventually, helping Wen Xiuyi fill the gaps depleted almost all their family’s resources.

Mrs. Luo married into the Jiao family. The two families had been alike in status, but when Jiao’s second son went off to join the army, a difference emerged—after all, being a soldier brought a steady income, and it amounted to a considerable sum each year.

Later, Jiao Ming returned after five years of service, and the court gave him a thirty-tael bonus, improving the family's conditions even more.

The young woman betrothed to Jiao Ming came from a well-off family, considered moderately wealthy. She agreed to the match because the Jiao family's situation was favorable, uncomplicated, and Jiao Ming himself was ambitious; otherwise, with a five or six-year age gap between the two, the marriage would not have happened.

Given the bride’s family background, the Jiao wedding could not be handled carelessly. That was why they had specially hired a chef.

Banquets in the countryside prized substance above all, but flavor was important too. Typically, there were six-dish banquets: two cold plates, two vegetarian dishes, two main courses. Sometimes, there were eight-dish banquets, four meat and four vegetarian. Families with better means might serve a “perfect ten,” two cold dishes with four meat and four vegetarian. The Jiao family settled for a middle ground, opting for eight dishes.

Wenyao decided to prepare one meat and one vegetarian dish. Using ready-made tofu, she cooked a homestyle tofu, and with the marinated pork intestine she’d brought, she stir-fried a meat dish.

Before long, Mrs. Luo caught the aroma drifting from the kitchen. Her eyes lit up. Could this girl really be so capable?

At last, Mrs. Luo, full of anticipation, saw Mrs. Li and Mrs. Cai each bring out a dish.

“Aunt, please try them,” Wenyao said, gesturing to the plates. “This dish is called homestyle tofu. First, the tofu is sliced and pan-fried until both sides are golden. Then scallions, ginger, and garlic are sautéed in hot oil to release their fragrance, followed by the vegetables. Once the aroma is drawn out, the previously fried tofu is added and stir-fried, seasoned, and finally thickened with a starch slurry.”

Just listening to her description made Mrs. Luo’s mouth water. She took the chopsticks from Mrs. Li and tasted a piece.

The tofu, with its crispy golden surface, yielded to a tender bite inside. One taste was enough to make her reach for a second.

Mrs. Luo tried two pieces in succession before putting down her chopsticks, praising, “Delicious! Wenyao, your skills far surpass that chef’s.”

Wenyao smiled modestly and continued, “Aunt, this dish is unique to our family—you won’t find it anywhere else.”

“Oh? Is that so? Then I must give it a proper try.” Mrs. Luo replied, her face beaming, reaching for the next dish. But upon seeing what was on the plate, her expression changed.

“Wenyao, is this... pork intestine?” Mrs. Luo frowned. Pork intestine always carried a strong, unpleasant odor, and few families ever served it; even in times of thrift, she had never thought to make a dish of it.

After a moment’s hesitation, Mrs. Luo said, “Wenyao, let’s leave that dish aside.”

Wenyao was unhurried. Most people unfamiliar with pork intestine found it hard to stomach at first sight. She was not concerned.

“Aunt, this is actually today’s highlight. I’ve processed these pork intestines with a thorough method—eighty-one steps, in fact—so there’s absolutely no unpleasant smell. Moreover, before stir-frying, I treated them to ensure there’s no gaminess or off-flavor. I also added Chinese peppercorns for seasoning, making this a truly appetizing dish best paired with rice. Would you really not like to try it?”

Chili peppers were not available at this time, so Wenyao used peppercorns as a substitute to stir-fry the intestines. Though her family rarely ate such strongly flavored food, they did keep peppercorns in their pantry, or Wenyao wouldn’t have thought to make it.

Mrs. Luo was still hesitant. The Luo matriarch, seeing her reluctance, snatched up the chopsticks, took a piece, and popped it into her mouth.

The spicy heat of the peppercorns immediately filled her mouth, mingling with the aroma of the marinated meat and the chewy texture of the pork intestine. She nodded approvingly and asked, “Why haven’t you made this dish before?”

Wenyao shrugged. “I didn’t know we had peppercorns. It was only today, when Second Aunt was rummaging in the cabinet, that she found them.”

That ended the questioning. Peppercorns were seldom used in their house; they were simply kept in the cupboard.

“Try it—it’s really good with rice,” the matriarch told Mrs. Luo.

Seeing her sister eat it, Mrs. Luo finally took a piece herself, still hesitant. The spicy flavor made her frown at first, but after tasting the aroma, her eyes brightened.

Spicy as it was, it whetted her appetite, truly an excellent dish to accompany rice.

“Well, Aunt, what do you think? Isn’t it delicious?” Wenyao, seeing the old lady’s expression, asked with a smile.

Mrs. Luo nodded vigorously. “Wenyao, you’re amazing! I can’t believe you made pork intestine taste so good.”

Wenyao blushed modestly, “Oh, Aunt, you’re flattering me.”

The matriarch could barely stand to watch, almost rolling her eyes to the heavens.

But now that the tasting was over, the matriarch said, “Wenyao’s cooking is beyond compare. We’ve eaten at many banquets, but none have dishes like hers.

It’s up to you—if you’re satisfied, leave it to this girl. If not, you’d better look for another chef, and ask around for someone else who’s available.”

Mrs. Luo had no intention of searching for another chef. She thought Wenyao was perfect.

Her own family, someone she knew well, with excellent culinary skills—her dishes were not only delicious but appealing to the eye.

Most importantly, this girl knew how to manage a household; look at the homestyle tofu and stir-fried pork intestine—both made from inexpensive ingredients. A slab of tofu cost barely more than ten coins, and pork intestine, even less—often butchers couldn’t sell it and simply threw it out.

“What’s the point of searching? I think Wenyao is ideal. Wenyao, would you be willing to help your Second Cousin with the wedding banquet at my house?” Mrs. Luo smiled amiably at Wenyao, her eyes nearly squinting with joy.

Wenyao wanted to say she was willing, but before she could speak, the matriarch interjected, “Letting Wenyao do it is fine, but you need to agree on the pay first. She mustn’t work for you for nothing.”

Mrs. Luo cast an annoyed glance at her own sister, saying, “Sister, my dear sister, am I that kind of person? I would never mistreat one of our own. How about this—the chef we previously hired was paid a hundred and eighty coins a day. I’ll pay Wenyao two hundred coins a day. How does that sound?”