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“Bring your parents here when it’s winter. I’ll stock up on charcoal. We’ll keep every room warm and drive away the dampness in the new house.”

“I don’t know if they will come.”

“Xin’er is getting married. Won’t they come?”

“They said they would. We’ll return to my parents’ house on the fifteenth, but we won’t stay overnight.”

“Your sister-in-law is foolish. You’re better off now, but instead of currying favor with you, she treats you poorly.”

“She’s holding me back because she knows my parents will depend on her in their old age. That’s why she treats me this way.”

“Women can also be filial to their parents and support them in their old age. If it doesn’t work out, we can bring your parents here in the summer and winter. Your brother and his family can care forthem for half a year, and we can take care of them for the other half. They’re not so old that they can’t move. She won’t have a chance to mistreat them. She’s putting on a show now, but we’re not afraid of her. If she dares to mistreat the elderly, we won’t spare her.”

“Hehe. you’re tough because you have money.”

“Stick with me, and you can be tough too. You have money now, a hundred times more than her. I’ll support you.”

“Haha, you’ve lightened my mood with your words.”

“I’ll have my servant girl bring you mooncakes tonight. If you want cakes, I’ll make them for you in the morning when you leave.”

“No need for that. Mooncakes are fine. You work hard every day. Enjoy some rest during the festival.”

“I’m still young. Why rest? Even when I’m old, I’ll stay active. If you don’t move, your bones will stiffen.”

On the fifteenth day of August, business at Qiao’s Small Eatery was booming. Everyone wanted the best offerings for the Moon Goddess Festival, and as the festival drew nearer, items were selling out quickly.

The mooncakes Qiao Mai made were not available in her shop. She had a box sent to the Mayor and another to Assistant Qiu.

He was deeply touched to receive mooncakes personally made by Madam Qiao, even after just a few transactions.

Though the Mayor was not particularly interested, he was pleased. He realized that even with the same ingredients and recipe, his pastry chef couldn’t compare to Madam Qiao’s creations. There was always that extra touch of perfection in her offerings.

Qiao Mai was oblivious to all this. She never compared her pastries to those from the Qian family.

Wang Jiaru was thrilled when she received the exquisite cake. It was too large for her, so she called her family to share it.

She had wanted to get the recipe, but Old Mister Wang discouraged her.

Realizing that the Qian family had made the first move, she was so furious she wanted to argue with Mayor Qian.

However, when she thought about it, she realized she could always buy them in the Capital if she ever craved them. She decided not to dwell on it further, knowing that she had plenty of other business matters to attend to, keeping her busy.

Thinking about her relationship with Qiao Mai, she couldn’t help but smile. She considered it easy to gain access to her recipes.

When she is free, she could stay at Qiao Mai’s house and learn more.

As the Moon Goddess Festival approached, the Qiao family prepared for a

festive meal. After an early breakfast, Shopkeeper Lu took her daughters and a cart of gifts to return home. Lunch at the Qiao household was simple due to their absence.

The six kitchen maids started bustling about, and Qiao Mai spared no expense on delicacies.

She made sure her children didn’t miss out on delicious food. In the future, she doesn’t want them to feel left out when they visit others’ homes.

However, she didn’t spoil them either. Every five days, the kitchen maids prepare a meal of coarse grains.

Anyone picky about their food would be punished, including Ling’er.

Whether it was sweet potato porridge, brown rice, cornbread, or other simple dishes, everyone had to eat their fill.

The Lu family lived in their new house, rotating through a variety of meals every day. They never had the same dish twice and always returned for meals promptly.

Ruxin felt like she didn’t want to get married anymore. After marriage, she wouldn’t have the opportunity to enjoy such delicious meals.

The two cooks, who had learned numerous recipes from Qiao Mai and had access to a rich variety of ingredients and spices, became more motivated.

They kept developing new recipes to delight everyone’s taste buds.

Ten days before the Moon Goddess Festival, Qiao Mai placed an order with the carpenters to create a large, round table that could be easily assembled and disassembled.

The owner of the carpentry shop personally crafted it and didn’t charge her as long as she agreed to let him sell similar tables to others.

Qiao Mai agreed without hesitation. Thus, on the night of the Moon Goddess Festival, a beautiful and practical rotating round table appeared in the courtyard of the Qiao household.

The family gathered around it, laughing and talking. The kitchen maids kept serving dishes until the table was full.

Qiao Mai took little Ling’er and asked Yue Hong and the others to have their meal on the side. Even the dishes prepared for the servants during the festival were excellent.

Yuan Jiaqi reached out to take Ling’er, saying, “Let Daddy hold you.”

Qiao Mai nodded at him. “Come on, everyone, let’s raise our cups. This year marks our second Moon Goddess Festival together. Cheers to a joyful holiday!”

“Happy holiday!”

They all stood up, clinked their bowls, and then dug in.

The children ate earnestly and attentively while the adults peeled shrimp and crab.

Qiao Mai noticed that it was inconvenient for Yuan Jiaqi to hold the baby while eating, so she peeled some crab meat and placed it in his bowl. As she fed Ling’er, she asked Shopkeeper Lu.

“How was it when you went back to your family?”

Shopkeeper Lu glanced at Yuan Jiaqi and replied, “It’s the same as usual. They take the things I bring, but it doesn’t change much.”

“I’ve thought about it, but my parents are unwilling. I told them today, and they’re afraid my brother won’t be able to hold his head up if they come with me.”

“What’s the big deal? It’s the daughter’s wish to have her parents with her. It’s not that your brother is being unfilial.”

“The villagers can be quite gossipy.”

“We live for ourselves. Let others say what they want. If you take their words to heart, it can be harmful. If you don’t, they’re just a bunch of busybodies.”

“That makes sense, but my parents care about it.”

“Have you told them about the house?”

“No, I haven’t mentioned it. I don’t want to make trouble. If my sister-in-law finds out that the house is in my name and that you all live here, she’ll insist on bringing her whole family over.”

“Is your brother scared of her?”

“Not really, but he doesn’t want to confront her. She’s relying on having several brothers in her family. I’ve never been afraid of her. Dealing with her family is just a matter of me saying a word.”

“We can always have a showdown.”

While discussing this, she placed the peeled crab meat in Yuan Jiaqi’s bowl.

She admired him as a good man who never complained and always helped with whatever he could, even going so far as to compete to hold the baby.

She had never heard him complain, and he was always willing to do whatever was needed. In truth, she could accept being a real coupled with him, and sometimes, when she saw him, the thought crossed her mind. However, the desire to be in a real marital relationship wasn’t very strong.

After all, they were only living together and didn’t share much emotional connection. Their interaction was primarily based on cooperation and practicality.

Shopkeeper Lu watched their interaction and thought they were a good match.

However, her smile dimmed as she thought of the Feng family.

Feng Yinshi delivered their holiday gift to the shop yesterday, and as he left,

Shopkeeper Lu handed him her own box of mooncakes as a token.

Though it was just one box of mooncakes, there were quite a few in it. Mooncakes in the city cost a hundred coins per piece, so this box was worth several taels of silver, not inferior to the gift from the Feng family..