Men, listen, grab the top of the mountain and stand in the center position

Dinner was a feast. Braised lamb, braised pig ears with garlic and oil, cubed white radish cooked in braised pig offal, two plates of cold Persian vegetables, meat patties made from chopped pig head and flour, Persian egg soup, steamed buns, and rice.

Wangshu took a deep breath and said, "It smells so good!" Ji looked at her lovingly, holding the bowl and asking with his eyes whether he wanted to eat the rice first or drink the soup first.

"Have a bowl of soup." Satisfied with the incomparable aroma of the pig, Wangshu vowed, "Daddy, next time I have a day off, I will make you the fermented black bean duck and salt-baked chicken I wrote about in my travelogue."

Ji's parents responded to everything.

After his parents politely said, "It's just a small dish, please help yourself," he took care of the guest and said, "Qin Xiuyuan, try it, don't waste it!"

Qin Xiuyuan ate to his heart's content. This girl's cooking skills were amazing. The two elders of the Ji family coaxed their only daughter, and the dining atmosphere was lively. Before he knew it, he used more and more bamboo chopsticks. He even tried Persian dishes for the first time, and he couldn't help but use his chopsticks again and again. Last night, he thought that he had bought so many unknown vegetables and had to throw them away. Now, they tasted great when made into soups and cold dishes. In the future, he asked Tang Bo to buy some and try them according to this method.

After dinner, all the guests were delighted. Ji's mother wiped her daughter's mouth with a handkerchief and said, "My husband, there's still half a pot of braised meat in the kitchen. Take some to your colleagues tomorrow. Xiuyuan, take some home too. It's hot, and the meat won't keep well."

"Qin Xiuyuan also canned this stew back home. I think we can make it multiple times for Luofu. After simmering it for an hour, Luofu is especially delicious!" Wangshu was so happy with the delicious white radish that tears welled up in his eyes. As he spoke, he picked up the bamboo chopsticks again and ate two pieces of white radish. "When my daughter read the travelogue, she thought the salt-baked chicken and fermented black bean duck described in the book were the most delicious in the world. Now she has changed her mind. Luofu is the most delicious!"

After wiping it again, Madam Ji touched her daughter's belly and felt relieved. "Shushu likes it. Let Xiaoxiao make it tomorrow!"

Qin Xiuyuan carried a handful of Persian vegetables and a pot of braised pork stew, handing them to Uncle Tang upon entering. Knowing he'd already had dinner, he explained the Persian dish and its recipe. "The Ji family's pork offal stew has a unique flavor, Uncle Tang, keep using some." He instructed him to follow Ji Wangshu's advice and make two more stews. "It helps with sleep, so for your health, Uncle Tang, use more."

Tang Bo had been with Qin Xiuyuan for over ten years, and they had a deep bond, as close as father and son. They could freely discuss many things, and he could sense from his words that he was in a very good mood. He couldn't help but feel happy for him: "It seems Xiuyuan is very satisfied with his fiancée!"

"The Ji family is harmonious, and everyone treats each other with pure hearts, sharing life and death." Xiuyuan, perhaps short-sighted, had never seen such loving care for their daughter in a family. The parents' eyes never left their beloved daughter, even after she reached marriage age and was old enough to be a mother. He briefly recounted a few things he had witnessed: Ji's father lovingly rubbing his daughter's legs and shoulders, racking his brains and words to please her; Ji's mother wiping her daughter's sweat and mouth, scooping soup and tying her hair, all in a way that was enviable.

Tang Bo was silent for a moment. It sounded like the Ji family's parents were doting on their daughter. "Xiuyuan is a man of great ambition. Is this girl a worthy wife for him?"

Xiuyuan did not hesitate. Looking at the Wu master who was worried about him, he made up his mind: "She is living a happy and fulfilling life. When her life was hanging by a thread last month, we planned for the worst... Now that she is better, the engagement remains unchanged. A gentleman's promise is as valuable as a thousand pieces of gold." Besides, his family was not wealthy, so how could he have the confidence to be competent?

My father had been helped by Uncle Ji to gain a foothold in the military camp, allowing the whole family to survive. When the two families married, Wangshu's health had been fluctuating, and my father wanted to repay him. Qin Xiuyuan should follow his father's wishes and repay his loyalty.

"The Ji family's parents are capable and manage the household well. Although their daughter is spoiled, she is well-educated and well-mannered. Xiuyuan doesn't underestimate himself, but he is just an ordinary military household. Although he has great ambitions, his future is promising. However, it is not uncommon for him to fail along the way."

My father died on the road to success. In life, great ambitions never guarantee great achievements. He simply gathered strength. If the wind came, he would ride it. If the wind didn't come, he would continue to work hard and wait, even though the wind might never come in his lifetime.

Tang Bo looked at the young man in front of him, wanting to say something, but his words were clumsy. "Xiu Yuan is the best in Old Tang's eyes!"

First, Qin Xiuyuan thought of Ji Wangshu's remarks about food and smiled. "The Ji family doesn't emphasize rules; they just follow their hearts, which makes them very easy to get along with. The Ji family's daughters need servants every day. Uncle Tang, when you have time, please buy one or two servants who are good at taking care of women and preparing for the Kitchen God." He thought, rubbing his bloated stomach. "Well, some handyman skills would be best, and they'd also be sweet-talking."

...Can she take care of people, cook meals, fight, and coax people? "Are the Ji family planning a wedding?" Tang Bo was a little confused. The Ji family valued daughters, so the family had to make preparations. Such an all-round good maid was not easy to find...

Qin Xiuyuan comforted him, "Not really. The Ji family has no such intentions recently. Having a maid can save us a lot of chores."

He guessed that the Ji family wouldn't mention marriage for a year or two, or even three or two years. The Ji family had originally considered canceling the engagement, firstly because they loved their daughter dearly and couldn't bear to be separated from her; secondly, Ji Wangshu was born with a deficiency, and he was the only son, so having children was paramount...

There is no point in thinking too much about the real predicament.

Enjoying the love of her parents and the entire family, Wangshu's life was filled with plenty of food and sleep. Every day, after receiving her pay, she and Taotao would shoulder their backpacks and run out hand in hand, both dressed as men, their hair pulled up in simple buns, their half-worn, cross-collared robes tied tightly around their waists, and they would grab their wallets and hit the streets to buy things.

In addition to daily meals, Xia Mimi brought home several broods of chicks the following month. Xia Mimi now had her own flock of chickens, and her days were busier. Last month, she bought a puppy and named it Xiao Wangcai.

She happily brought home various pork cuts, cooking or steaming them in different ways every day. The aroma was so fragrant that the children next door would drool. Every day, attracted by the fragrance, they would sit at the foot of the wall, intoxicated and smelling, unable to pull themselves away. Xia Xiaoxiao had to share it with the neighbors once or twice.

The cunning and resourceful would barter. Over time, they would occasionally bring in eggs, knitted cloth shoes, and home-woven fabric. Ji's father's colleagues also enjoyed the treats. Some would also bring in surplus items from home: beans, peanuts, rice, and flour grown at home, to name a few. Some would even offer money. In reality, few ordinary families could afford to spend as much as the Ji family. Every household had many children, and expenses were high. The men were the breadwinners, while the women were the homemakers, primarily responsible for housework and childcare. Life was austere.

With Wangshu's guidance, Xia Xiaoxiao calculated the cost of the marinade ingredients, the labor involved, and a three-tenths profit margin, estimating the value of the items offered in exchange. She had a mental scale, never hesitating about how much to scoop from the bowls brought to her. Luckily, the water was cheap, and preparing a large pot was easier than preparing smaller portions. As for the braised meat, she used both of her newly purchased large pots to keep it from spoiling. A cold dish of braised meat was a delight to serve at home as a side dish, and now that it was profitable, she felt even more motivated to do her job.

That day, Ji's father brought home a rose-breasted parrot. Its throat and chest were orange-red, its nape and sides gray-green, its back and shoulder feathers bronze, and its tail feathers long and tapering in the middle. Its feathers were extremely lustrous. Its eyes rolled around in the large aviary. Everyone gathered around and exclaimed, "What a beautiful parrot!"

This was truly a rare find! A treasure only the rich could afford. Wangshu lay on the table, head tilted, staring intently at the parrot, thinking about training it into a chattering parrot, then selling it for more money! It was as if she could hear the crisp clang clang of gold coins, a constant flow of them. She had so much money she could never spend it all, riding a Ferghana horse, traveling with a few handsome men, and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

…The pure-blooded Persian boy in the city becomes more and more beautiful the more you look at him.

"These were captured by a relative of a colleague who went into the mountains to raise and watch the young birds. They sent five in total. His mother's birthday is next month, and he wanted to ask Xia Xiaoxiao to prepare a braised dish, so he sent Shushu the parrot."

Father Ji looked at his daughter's obsessed face, looked at his wife with great pride, and blinked his eyes: Shushu likes it so much!

My daughter used to run over to watch the chicks drinking water every day without fail. But the chicks will grow up slowly, and when they grow up, they lose their childish charm. This cycle repeats over and over again. After four trips, she turned her lip and said, "They won't be cute or pretty when they grow up!"

Soon, they changed to paw at the newly weaned little Wangcai, training him to stand at attention, sit at ease, and move left, right, forward, and backward. If he did well, he would be rewarded with a piece of meat. If he didn't obey or resisted, he would be skipped for one meal. If he didn't behave, he would be skipped for two meals! Poor little Wangcai had to bow down to the demands of life all day long, and was scolded until he barked. He was so tired that he lost his love for life.

What may be poison to one may be honey to another. Ji's parents were overjoyed. Their daughter's vigor and vitality were more important than anything else. However, they couldn't help but feel a hidden worry, fearing that Xiao Wangcai would grow up and displease others.

Thinking of a group of dogs at home... running around...

Now that he has this little parrot, Ji's father feels at ease. The bird doesn't take up space, and his daughter is happy too. It's a win-win situation! Plus, with the weather getting hotter, having this parrot indoors keeps his daughter happy and helps her avoid going out to cool down.