Chapter 815: Going Home
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Manager Qin inspected the ginseng and was impressed by their high quality. He also noticed some Panax notoginseng, which should be harvested next year. The potential earnings from these herbs amounted to approximately 10,000 liang.
Manager Qin attempted to persuade them to expand their operation, and Qiao Xuan agreed in principle. However, they faced a challenge as they lacked additional staff to facilitate such an expansion. Furthermore, their plans to visit the capital in spring caused them to hesitate in scaling up their business.
Manager Qin found this situation quite regrettable.
After bidding farewell to Manager Qin, they proceeded to purchase meat.
Qiao Xuan intended to cook dinner in the evening.
They wanted to have a small celebration following their encounter with
Officer Qiao. It called for a special occasion.
Fortunately, they managed to acquire beef.
Beef was both expensive and rare in the market, making it a highly sought-after meat. Several restaurants had already purchased half of the stock, but Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were fortunate enough to arrive early at the stall; otherwise, they would have been left with nothing.
Since beef could be stored for a few days without spoiling, Qiao Shisan bought over 15 kg of meat, including sirloin, brisket, tendon, and breast.
“We have various spices at home. The tendon meat can be used for stew, the beef brisket and breast can be braised in brown sauce or stewed with radishes and tomatoes, and the sirloin can be enjoyed in a hot pot or stir-fried. Let’s have a beef hot pot tonight! And why not make some beef b.a.l.l.s as well?”
They decided to proceed to thinly slice the beef, preparing it for the hot pot by blanching it in a spicy or clear soup for a few seconds. The result would be tender and flavorful meat that would make anyone’s mouth water.
As for the beef b.a.l.l.s, they had a delightful bouncy texture with a smooth consistency. These chewy delicacies were perfect for the hot pot, adding to the antic.i.p.ation of the meal.
The mere thought of the flavorsome feast caused their mouths to water with antic.i.p.ation.
Shao Yunduan wholeheartedly agreed with Qiao Xuan’s excited suggestion, as they hadn’t enjoyed hot pot in a while and were truly craving it.
They also purchased a few pork bones and a piece of plum blossom meat. The pork bones were boiled to create a flavorful soup base for the hot pot. They chopped the plum blossom meat, mixed it with lotus root paste, shaped it into lotus root b.a.l.l.s, fried them in a pan, and planned to serve them alongside the hot pot.
Considering their dinner plans, they decided to postpone their visit to Zhang Village. They could make the trip in a few days’ time.
Back at home, Yang Xiaoni, Shao Sanlang, Taotao, and Qi were all thrilled to hear about the hot pot dinner. They eagerly got busy with preparations, adding to the excitement and antic.i.p.ation in the household.
Preparing the beef b.a.l.l.s required beating the beef into a meat paste, a task that demanded arm strength and endurance. Although they had done it before, this time it was Qi’s responsibility.
Interestingly, Shao Sanlang volunteered to take on the task, a.s.suming he could handle the physical demands. However, he quickly grew exhausted, unable to lift his arms. Qi couldn’t help but laugh at his brother’s predicament and effortlessly completed the job, surprising everyone present.
Poor Shao Sanlang, he even trembled as he tried to pick up food with his chopsticks during dinner. He didn’t make any further offers to help, unable to tolerate his shivering arms while attempting to eat.
The hot pot dinner featured a wide array of dishes. There were beef b.a.l.l.s, lotus root b.a.l.l.s, fish b.a.l.l.s, beef slices, squid, shrimp paste, egg dumplings, vermicelli, yuba, fried bean curd, shiitake mushrooms, lettuce slices, winter melon slices, yam slices, lettuce, wolfberry sprouts, and more. Additionally, they had fresh fire dragon fruits, oranges, and grapes.
The tender and delicious beef brought immense joy as they savored this rare and delightful dinner together..