In public, Qin Shao couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on a woman. With Shopkeeper Du acting as a mediator, Li Ying managed to slip away unscathed.
She went to explore the town's market on her own. Since there had just been a heavy rain, there should be many farmers selling the mushrooms they had picked.
As expected, there were many more stalls selling mountain produce in the town.
Li Ying was generous with her money and bought all the shiitake mushrooms and black fungus.
This was a great opportunity for her stir - fry stall to diversify its menu.
If there were only the monotonous seafood dishes every day, the laborers might develop gout sooner or later.
Mushrooms were inexpensive and easy to obtain. They were high in protein, low in fat, could boost the immune system, and provided various vitamins. They were the perfect choice.
She also bought three chickens. When she got home, she quickly deboned them. She even asked for some clean chicken feathers and made a light dreamcatcher, which she hung above Mianmian's bed. The little one giggled with delight.
Mao Mao's leg had recovered quite a bit and could stumble around a bit. Li Ying tied the remaining chicken feathers into a cat - teaser.
Although the little sick cat still looked disdainful on the surface, it held the cat - teaser with its two paws and let out a "purring" sound, clearly very satisfied.
Granny Sun helped her wash and stem each shiitake mushroom. Besides the ones needed for today's cooking, the rest were strung up with hemp ropes and hung under the eaves. Seeing Li Ying bustling around with the chicken meat, Granny Sun couldn't help but worry.
"A Ying, three chickens are really not cheap. After they're cooked, there won't be much left... If you still sell the dishes for three copper coins, won't you lose money?"
However, it wasn't appropriate to raise the price. Otherwise, the villagers might not feel comfortable.
Li Ying was well - prepared. She put a pot of mushroom - stewed chicken on the stove and smiled confidently.
This dish was for her and Granny Sun to share. If she sold such a high - end dish for three copper coins in her stir - fry stall, she would surely make a loss.
However, if she minced the chicken, mixed it with some shrimp paste, added an egg, yellow rice wine, and oyster sauce, and then stirred it into meatballs to stuff into the shiitake mushrooms, it would not only reduce the cost but also make the dish more delicate, looking good and tasting delicious.
The chicken giblets stir - fried with scallions, ginger, and chili would also be a great dish to go with rice.
As for the remaining chicken frames, chicken heads, and chicken feet, they could be cut up and boiled into chicken soup. Nothing would be wasted.
While explaining to Granny Sun, Li Ying rolled the stuffed shiitake mushrooms in a thin layer of starch and put them in the pan. She fried them over low heat until both sides were golden brown.
The chicken mince with shrimp paste became more elastic and delicious. The shiitake mushrooms brought the unique aroma of mountain delicacies, which surprisingly blended well with the seafood flavor of the shrimp paste. All she needed to do was add some farmhouse salted sauce and an appropriate amount of sugar and simmer for a while. Each meatball would be coated with a thick sauce. The rich and flavorful dish was very appetizing.
The chicken giblets were blanched, washed, and pre - marinated in the old soup to get a base flavor.
This old marinating soup had been used three times. Nourished by various meats, its aroma had become much more complex than when it was first made.
After the marinated chicken giblets cooled down, they were cut into small pieces. The chicken hearts were firm, the chicken gizzards and intestines were crispy, and the chicken livers were soft and melted in the mouth. With one bite, there was a rich texture.
The dogwood, scallions, and garlic contributed their spicy and fragrant flavors. After taking a sip of the thick soup floating with a layer of golden chicken fat, one would feel completely satisfied from the tip of the tongue to the spleen.
With the big mule, she no longer had to worry about not being able to push the bamboo cart. So she decided to go all out. Besides the usual seafood stir - fries and seaweed jelly, she also packed two buckets of chicken giblets and stuffed shiitake mushrooms.
Li Ying looked at the full buckets with satisfaction. Well, this finally looked like a proper lunch - box stall.
As soon as these two new dishes were introduced, they were very well - received. Her changing menu in recent days, especially the donkey - meat pancakes that the laborers took to work in the town, had attracted a lot of attention. Many of today's customers had come specifically to try something new.
Li Ying greeted the customers warmly. All the coarse porcelain bowls were piled high with dishes.
"Sir, take your time. Come again if you enjoy it!"
She was so busy that she wished she could split herself into three. A customer on the opposite side paid but didn't leave in a hurry. He greeted her with a smile.
"Lady Li, don't you recognize me? I'm a clerk from Deji Hall. The shopkeeper specifically told us to come and support your business!"
Li Ying looked up and indeed saw several familiar faces from Deji Hall. Everyone was holding their own lunch boxes and waiting in line obediently.
One clerk took a bite of the stuffed shiitake mushroom. The thick meatball filled half of his mouth.
The chicken was plain and tasteless on its own, but when mixed with shrimp paste, it became extremely delicious. The well - cooked shiitake mushroom was soft and smooth. With one bite, some meat juice oozed out.
He puffed out his cheeks and gave Li Ying a thumbs - up vaguely.
"Lady Li, make more dishes tomorrow! From now on, we brothers will come here for lunch every day!"
The other clerks also nodded repeatedly. Li Ying thanked them and naturally agreed with a smile.
Maybe it was time to go all out and expand her business.
There was a crowd in front of the mule cart. Li Ying was calculating whether she should take advantage of the momentum and open a shop. Naturally, she didn't notice that not far away, Qin Shao, looking disheveled, was secretly watching the bustling scene. He spat on the ground angrily.
"This is really strange, big brother. That woman just gave birth to a useless girl, but it's as if she's suddenly enlightened. How much money must she be making!"
Qin Jin's face was as cold as ice. He stared at Li Ying coldly, his expression obscure, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
"Big brother, what's wrong with you? Say something!"
Qin Shao didn't get a response from his elder brother and was still confused.
It was Qin Jin who, after Li Ying closed her stall, straightened his clothes and walked towards her gracefully.
"My lady."
He called out affectionately, and Li Ying was so disgusted that she got goosebumps all over.
"Stop it. We're already divorced. I'm not your lady."
The look on her face, as if he were a rat in the gutter, made Qin Jin feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.
He forced a smile and said, "My lady, I've wronged you. But after all, we're a married couple. There's a deep bond between us. Please stop being angry with me, okay?"
His words were so absurd that Li Ying was actually amused by anger.
"Qin Jin, are you trying to reconcile with me? Where's your integrity as a man? Have you fed it to the dogs?"
Li Ying's words were harsh. Qin Jin's face turned ugly, but he managed to maintain his composure and continued to persuade her.
"My lady, I can't bear to see you struggling to make a living in the wind and rain, showing yourself in public. I've sincerely repented. Please give me a chance to make up for my mistakes, okay?"
Li Ying sneered again. "I think you're just jealous of the money I'm making. Now you're begging me for a chance to steal my money, right?"
Her words hit the nail on the head. The impatient Qin Shao immediately flew into a rage.
"Li Ying, don't be ungrateful!"
He subconsciously clenched his fist. Before he could swing it, a figure suddenly blocked in front of Li Ying.
"This is our territory at the dock. We won't tolerate wild dogs barking."
Lu Xunguang stood firmly in front of Li Ying without giving an inch.
Qin Shao recognized him at a glance as Li Ying's "lover" and started shouting.
"Folks, look. This woman can't wait to be with her lover just one day after divorcing my elder brother! The morals of the world are really declining. She's so shameless!"
Rumors could be deadly. If it was proven that this woman had an affair first, even though they were already divorced, she would have no way out!
Sure enough, the looks of the villagers at the dock towards them instantly became subtle.