Divorced woman with child travels through time

Business at the market was still booming. Before Chen Wenfang had even finished setting up her stall, people heard that ordering 50 jin of fried rice would come with a free jin of freshly made chili sauce, so many acquaintances came over.

"Madam Chen, we've been buying this for so many years, can't you give me some chili sauce instead? I heard it's quite special."

"Yes, of course we'll give you a gift, since you're such a loyal customer. But don't rush, wait a moment while we set things up," Chen Wenfang reassured her.

After everything was set out, Wang Erniu spoke first. He had a loud voice, so he said, "To thank our regular customers for their patronage during this period, Chen's Dim Sum is giving away a small jar of our newly made chili sauce with every pound of dim sum we buy. This offer is valid while supplies last, and it's only for one day. Everyone can try it and see if you like it. Please give us your feedback and suggestions. Thank you all."

"Great! Madam Chen is so generous!" the onlookers echoed.

After Wang Erniu finished speaking, he started calling out to people, and passersby began to buy by the pound. Normal people would buy something when they went to the market, and Chen Niangzi's pastries were not expensive. Buying a pound would give away chili sauce, so it was like getting chili sauce for free. Soon, more and more people started buying.

Chen Wenfang's side was busy but organized. The pastries were all weighed and packaged, stacked one pound at a time. Of course, some were also made and placed in tofu boxes. Some customers liked to see and weigh them on the spot. After selling for a while, seeing that everyone was busy, Chen Wenfang took five pounds of fresh chili peppers and Dazhuang to Ouyang Mansion.

Passing by a restaurant, I thought I might as well go in and recommend this fresh chili pepper. The owner of Chunfeng Restaurant, surnamed Dai, naturally recognized Chen Wenfang and greeted her politely, "Madam Chen, what brings you here? Are you perhaps treating us to a meal?"

"No, these are freshly grown chilies from my field. They're very crisp, spicy, and delicious when stir-fried, and they go very well with rice. I wonder if the owner would be interested in ordering some?"

"This is too much trouble for you, madam, but my guests are all distinguished and do not like spicy food, so please do not bother."

"No problem, no problem, sorry to bother you, boss, goodbye!"

"Please take care, my lady."

Dazhuang was indignant. "Important people don't need to eat this. What kind of people are they!"

"It's alright, I just went to the wrong place," Chen Wenfang comforted her. "Let's go to Qiuyue Tower across the street."

It just so happens that Chunfenglou and Qiuyuelou are directly competing with each other. Chunfenglou focuses on elegance and luxury, requiring reservations to secure a seat, while Qiuyuelou has a large open floor on the first floor, catering to all sorts of people, and its dishes are mainly affordable and economical. Chen Wenfang was wrong from the start.

As expected, Manager Zhang of Qiuyuelou was very interested. Chen Wenfang only gave him a jar of chili sauce, but he immediately opened it and tasted it. After looking at the fresh chilies, he pulled Chen Wenfang aside to discuss how to cook with these chilies.

"Madam, you are truly an extraordinary person. How did you grow this? I wonder how to cook these chilies?" Manager Zhang asked politely.

"Not at all, it was just a coincidence. It's easy to use, like a side dish," Chen Wenfang said modestly.

"How about you cook a dish for me, my wife? Let me see it."

"Alright, Manager Zhang, please take me to the kitchen."

"Please." Qiuyuelou's kitchen was fully equipped, but Chen Wenfang wasn't one to do things herself. She said, "Boss Zhang, your chef looks like a master. I'd like to make some stir-fried pork with chili peppers. Why don't you let him help me chop it? His knife skills are definitely better than mine."

Shopkeeper Zhang smiled and said, "Sure, Chef Wu, I'll leave it to you."

Chef Wu was a good man. Following Chen Wenfang's request, the chubby Chef Wu smiled and cut a plate of marbled pork. Chen Wenfang then asked him to chop two cloves of garlic and slice some ginger. When she saw the big pot, she hesitated for a moment, but decided to just start cooking herself. Chef Wu went to start the fire. Chen Wenfang first picked out the fatty pieces and put them directly into the pot to render the fat. Then she added the lean meat and stir-fried it until it was slightly browned, then took it out. Using the oil in the pot, she added the garlic and ginger slices and sautéed them until fragrant. Then she added the chili peppers and stir-fried them until they were just cooked. She added the pork, salt, and soy sauce, stir-fried it for a while, and then served it.

While Chen Wenfang was stir-frying the meat, people would come over to check on her every now and then. Once the garlic and ginger were fragrant, the kitchen was packed with people. After the chili peppers were cooked through, a pungent aroma wafted out, and the kitchen was completely surrounded.

"What's that smell? It smells so good. Old Zhang? Where is he?"

"Oh, it smells so good! What is this dish? Bring me a plate."

"This smells delicious! What's this, buddy?"

It was almost noon, and there were already customers outside. There were three pots in the kitchen, and Chen Wenfang's cooking was perfect. When they learned that it was a new ingredient, the customers clamored for a plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers. Manager Zhang hurriedly told the waiter to go and serve it.

Chen Wenfang brought the plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers to Manager Zhang and asked him to try a bite.

Manager Zhang didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a piece of meat and ate it. His eyes lit up, "Madam Chen, your cooking skills are quite extraordinary. I wonder if you would be interested in staying and becoming our head chef?" Upon hearing this, Chef Wu, who was standing next to him, looked dejected.

Chen Wenfang looked at him amusedly and said, "Mr. Zhang, please stop joking. What do you think of these chilies? Would you like to order some?"

Manager Zhang snapped out of his daze and smiled apologetically at Chef Wu, saying, "How much are the chilies, madam? To be honest, this is the first time I've ever seen you cook like this. It's so fast and tastes so good."

"It's not expensive, fifteen coins a pound," Chen Wenfang said with a smile.

“This isn’t expensive at all. Madam Chen, our vegetables usually only cost a few coins per pound. This is too expensive.”

"Hey, this isn't a vegetable. You have to think about the flavor. It's a side dish. You can put a few of these chilies in any dish. Look at this plate of stir-fried pork with chilies. How much meat and how many chilies do you get? How much money can you make selling one plate? But this is different if you're selling in bulk. It goes with everything, especially meat dishes. The taste is absolutely amazing," Chen Wenfang explained.

"But that's true. Adding these chilies really does make the meat taste much better. Well then, considering how you taught us to cook, I'll order ten catties of chilies as a thank you." Manager Zhang was a generous man. Although he thought the chilies were expensive and didn't look very appealing, they didn't usually cook dishes this way, so he decided to use it as a way to thank Madam Chen for teaching them how to cook a dish. A proper dish like this would cost several taels of silver to learn.

Chen Wenfang noticed it too, but didn't take it to heart. He figured it would become clear once the customers ordered more. He told the shopkeeper to go to the stall to buy chili peppers, and then asked the shopkeeper to pack up the dish to send to the Ouyang family.

The customers outside were urging them to hurry up, and Chen Niangzi wanted to take the food she cooked away. There was no other way, so Manager Zhang asked Chef Wu to cook a few more plates of stir-fried pork with chili peppers, and also asked him to leave the chili peppers that Chen Wenfang had. Chen Wenfang only kept three catties, took the money, and left with Dazhuang.