Pei Xia could accept this arrangement. If he were to sell the catch on his own, the fish would all die before he could finish.
So, by just focusing on increasing the sales volume, he managed to accumulate six taels of silver.
Qi Jiao brought back some news on this trip.
The Zhu family was hosting a banquet and needed to purchase a large amount of seafood.
Of course, although the quantity was substantial, it was far less than what the boat boss had bought.
Therefore, the seafood Pei Xia had caught in the past few days could be sold to the Zhu family.
Pei Xia made a mental note of this. When he went out to sea again, he targeted the seafood Qi Jiao had mentioned.
Two or three days passed in a blink of an eye. Before they knew it, it was the day of the Zhu family's one - month - old feast.
Qi Jiao was worried about being late, so she got up early.
After washing up, she changed into an old blue cloth dress and found a kerchief of Tang Guiniang's to neatly wrap up her jet - black hair.
By the time Qi Jiao finished getting ready, Pei Xia was already waiting for her in the courtyard.
Pei Xia carried a lantern and went to the kitchen to start a fire. Qi Jiao quickly steamed two bowls of egg custard. They ate a little to fill their stomachs and then set off.
It was still pitch - black outside, with only a wisp of moonlight shining on the world.
When they arrived at the Zhu family's gate, bright lanterns were lit in the courtyard, and people were already busy inside.
Because they had prepared the ingredients in advance, Pei Xia had delivered the fish, shrimp, and crabs the previous evening.
When they entered, a maid was slaughtering fish on the stone slab beside the well.
Madam Zhu was bustling in and out of the courtyard, coordinating things. Seeing Qi Jiao and Pei Xia arrive so early, she greeted them with a smile and led them to the awning built behind the house.
The huge awning was next to the kitchen. There was a large stove in the middle with two big pots side by side, and tall, round, and brown - yellow steamers.
There were piles of vegetables and fruits on the ground, as well as a large piece of red - and - white pork that had just been delivered, several live chickens, and several baskets of seafood... A long cutting board was set up under the eaves for easy chopping and food preparation.
Seeing that Madam Zhu had prepared everything as she had said, Qi Jiao called Pei Xia, and the two of them started to work on the dishes.
Before long, the women who came to help in the kitchen had all arrived.
Many hands make light work.
These women were all dexterous. Without Qi Jiao's assignment, they each took up the tasks at hand and got busy.
By the time the sun rose, most of the dish - preparation was done.
Qi Jiao asked Madam Zhu for paper and a writing brush. To avoid any omissions, she wanted to write down the entire plan.
Madam Zhu readily complied and quickly brought the paper and brush.
Qi Jiao simply lay on the cutting board to write. She made a rough outline in her mind and recalled the serving order.
The dishes for today's one - month - old feast were all carefully considered by her. There were six side dishes, six hot dishes, one soup, one sweet dish, and two main dishes.
There were a total of sixteen dishes, which was exactly the number for a local banquet.
The six side dishes included a colorful vegetarian platter, a marinated meat platter, three mountain delicacies, lotus flower pastries, candied sweet potatoes, and fried eggplant boxes.
The six hot dishes were stir - fried swimming crabs, salt - water shrimp, four - joy meatballs, braised abalones, tofu - skin buns, and stewed pork with preserved vegetables.
The soup was ginkgo and pork belly chicken soup, and the sweet dish was roasted autumn pears with osmanthus wine and fermented glutinous rice.
In addition, there were pan - fried sea bass and Sichuan pepper and minced chicken in a clay pot as the two main dishes.
After writing, Qi Jiao got up to check on the progress of the other kitchen helpers.
Suddenly, a sarcastic voice came, "Yo - isn't this the younger sister - in - law of the second mistress! A lowly servant girl. How come you're working as a cook in the Zhu family? And you're always with a man. You're so promiscuous."
Qi Jiao was so focused on the banquet that she didn't immediately realize who the younger sister - in - law of the second mistress was.
It was only when she heard "with a man" that she looked in the direction of the voice. It was a middle - aged woman cutting vegetables. Her eyes kept wandering between Qi Jiao and Pei Xia, with a shifty look.
Qi Jiao recognized her. This was the elder sister of Qian Shi. She had taken a lot of advantages from the Qi family in the past.
Qi Jiao guessed that part of her money from being sold might have been used by Qian Shi to fill the holes of her natal family, and this elder sister of Qian Shi was one of the beneficiaries.
She and Qian Shi were just like two peas in a pod.
Qi Jiao was never one to take insults lying down. She sneered, rolled up her sleeves, and was about to step forward to argue.
However, the man beside her reacted even faster.
Pei Xia's eyes turned cold. He grabbed the basket of fish scales beside him and threw it at the elder sister of Qian Shi's feet.
The woman let out a scream. The bloody and slimy fish guts and scales got all over her legs.
The woman jumped around in a hurry and took two steps back. Unfortunately, she slipped on the ground and fell flat on her face.
The other kitchen helpers who saw her misfortune couldn't help but giggle. They only regretted that their hands were occupied and they couldn't clap in delight.
It was obvious how unpopular this woman was on a daily basis.
Pei Xia coldly warned, "A dog's mouth never spits out ivory. If you don't want your tongue, just keep talking nonsense! Jiao Niang is as pure as ice and snow. How dare you sully her good name?"
The maids and women helping in the kitchen started to discuss, all criticizing the woman. Why couldn't she just come and help quietly?
She had to be so mouthy and cause trouble. A scolding was just what she deserved.
The woman's face turned purple with anger. She groaned and got up.
She wanted to curse back, but when she looked up and saw Pei Xia glaring at her with a gloomy face, she didn't dare to say another word and scurried out in a hurry.
Seeing Pei Xia defend her like this, a hint of joy welled up in Qi Jiao's heart. Unconsciously, a gentle look appeared in her eyes. Her beautiful eyes fluttered, "Thank you for standing up for me."
Pei Xia felt half of his body go numb from that look. His ears turned red.
He looked up at the sky and found it clear. Well, the wind was also gentle.
After the elder sister of Qian Shi left, the atmosphere and order in the kitchen returned to normal.
Although Qi Jiao was the head cook invited by the Zhu family, she did everything herself and was capable of doing all kinds of rough work - although Pei Xia always took them over.
Everyone noticed this and their gossipy hearts were piqued. They looked at the two of them with smiles, "Look at these young lovers."
Qi Jiao blushed and turned to glare at Pei Xia.
Pei Xia just let it be and slightly curled his lips.
Although everyone chatted from time to time, their hands never stopped. They washed, cut, and prepared the food. In a blink of an eye, it was time for lunch.
Qi Jiao was standing by the stove, stirring the ladle. Madam Zhu in the outer courtyard quickly sent a message in, "It's time to serve the dishes. The banquet is starting!"
Qi Jiao looked calm. She told the women serving the dishes to serve the six side dishes first.
Madam Zhu was still concerned about the kitchen. Amidst her busy schedule, she managed to come over.
At this time, the women were filing out with the six side dishes. Madam Zhu took a look, and the side dishes on the plates were all carved into various flower patterns with fruits and vegetables. They were truly exquisite and fresh.
The colorful vegetarian platter was actually a whole picture of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, both realistic and artistic. It was so beautiful that one couldn't take their eyes off it.
Madam Zhu was in a daze for a moment. She couldn't help but clap her hands and beamed with joy, "How did you come up with such a wonderful plating, Jiao Niang? I've lived most of my life and only saw something like this once in the Deyilou in the prefectural city. Tsk, tsk, I really didn't expect it!"
A woman beside her echoed, "That's right. It seems so easy for her to do. I've watched carefully several times, but my hands just can't do it!"
This remark made everyone burst out laughing.
Qi Jiao also smiled. In fact, carving wasn't that difficult. It just required a lot of practice.
She was just being clever. After all, people were all sensory creatures. They just wanted to see something new and add some fun.
As the dishes were served one by one, the guests of the Zhu family were in awe and amazement. They were all staring with their eyes wide open.