Soon, a new roast duck was brought to Yu Si Niang’s table.
Maybe because the people at First-class Residence knew Mu Shuangshuang, Old Mrs. Mu decided not to bother Yu Si Niang.
Instead, she started instructing Mu Xiangxiang on a few things.
"Xiangxiang, when you et the Qin Family later, rember to be reserved, okay? Try to eat less during the al."
This was the first ti Old Mrs. Mu tried to control Mu Xiangxiang’s diet, which made Mu Xiangxiang a bit unhappy.
But she nodded as Old Mrs. Mu instructed.
"Oh, Mother, I got it, don’t worry!" Mu Xiangxiang said impatiently.
Despite this, Old Mrs. Mu didn’t get angry.
"It’s a relief you understand, Xiangxiang. You’re more sensible, unlike your second sister-in-law who acts like a starving ghost reincarnated.
Always diving into food without caring who’s present, not only disgracing our Old Mu Family na, she didn’t even manage to snatch enough at, born with a peasant’s fate."
Old Mrs. Mu seized the chance to criticize Mrs. Lin.
Mrs. Lin, right next to her, felt angry but dared not speak, trying to make herself as invisible as possible so Old Mrs. Mu wouldn’t notice her.
...
...
In the First-class Residence kitchen
Mu Shuangshuang was skillfully and attentively flipping the dishes in the iron wok.
Besides the necessary operations for the restaurant’s business, the steward had assigned a master chef and two apprentices to assist Mu Shuangshuang.
Mu Shuangshuang only needed to handle the stove, while one apprentice helped with the fire and the other was busy chopping and washing vegetables.
The master chef watched Mu Shuangshuang cook from the side.
"Please turn it down to low heat, I’m about to finish this dish." Mu Shuangshuang glanced at the lotus root slices in the wok and said.
"Miss Shuangshuang, what else do you need next? Just let us know, and we’ll handle it." The master chef asked Mu Shuangshuang.
The apprentice managing the fire quickly adjusted it, reducing the fla in the stove.
Including the stir-fried lotus root slices, Mu Shuangshuang had already cooked eight dishes, two servings of each. However, according to Xue Yi’s request, at least twelve dishes should be prepared, balanced between at and vegetables, with vegetables as the main focus and at as a supplent.
Old Mrs. Mu and Xue Zheng both preferred light dishes, her mother and Aunt Zhao Yun liked at dishes, so Mu Shuangshuang had to make the judgnt herself.
"I need flour, two cleaned chickens..."
Mu Shuangshuang listed a bunch of ingredients, all for making fried chicken, which she had made for Yu Si Niang and Mu Dashan last ti, both of whom found it delicious.
However, since it was just one chicken being fried, the couple was reluctant to eat much.
The master chef instructed the apprentice to prepare these, while Mu Shuangshuang continued cooking other dishes.
In the restaurant, the Old Mu Family waited impatiently for the Qin Family; even the ones who promised to co from the first household were nowhere to be seen. As the noon alti approached, Mu Dazhong started fretting, "Mother, could it be that the Qin Family heard about how our little sister eats more than a cow and decided not to want her? This waiting can’t go on, we should order so food and fill our stomachs first!"
"Nonsense! Your little sister doesn’t eat that much, no ivory cos out of a dog’s mouth." Old Mrs. Mu looked displeased.
"Mother, stop defending our little sister. She had three bowls of noodles for breakfast, and upon arriving in town, several pieces of sugar cake and ten at buns—neither I nor Fifth, both strong n, could eat that much. If that’s not a cow, what is it?" Mu Dazhong asked.
"Don’t try to argue with this old woman. Just because the Qin Family didn’t show up, you’re picking on your sister Xiangxiang. If you utter another word of nonsense, I’ll tear your mouth apart." Old Mrs. Mu didn’t care how her favoritism towards her daughter affected her other sons.
Mu Xiangxiang indeed ate a lot, but she wasn’t allowed to be criticized.
"Mother, don’t keep scolding my second brother. His words do make sense; the Qin Family promised to et at this hour, but they haven’t appeared. What does that indicate?
It indicates the Qin Family doesn’t regard our Old Mu Family well and doesn’t want to beco in-laws." Mu Danian said unhappily.
"Enough, say what you want to say later when we’re ho; there are so many people watching here, what does it look like?" Mr. Mu reminded them.
Then he added: "Your eldest brother and sister-in-law haven’t co either; let’s consider it as waiting for them. If the Qin Family truly doesn’t show up, we’ll go back and ask Nanny Li if sothing happened."
Mr. Mu spent his life farming, and values like keeping one’s word were deeply ingrained in his mind.
Although sotis he couldn’t think quickly enough and wasn’t decisive in managing family matters.
Just as Mu Dade hadn’t co yet, four figures from the Old Mu Family’s first household suddenly appeared at the entrance of First-class Residence.
Mu Dade walked in front, with Mrs. Jin beside him; both gave off an impression of wealth and importance as soon as they entered.
Mu Dade had never fard, his fair skin made him indistinguishable from city dwellers, and Mrs. Jin, not to be outdone, wore town’s finest costics on her face.
Behind them were Mu Dandan and Mu Yingying, dressed in the most fashionable flowing-sleeved fairy skirts in Qingshan Town. The style was imported from the Capital and only a few ready-made clothing shops in town made such dresses.
And they were quite pricey.
But those in the Old Mu Family who stayed in the village didn’t know this, they just saw the two girls and thought they looked exceptionally pretty.
Especially Mu Xiangxiang, she stared wide-eyed at Mu Dandan and Mu Yingying.
"Mother, are Dan and Ying deliberately dressed so nicely? Today’s eting is clearly mine; might Mr. Qin from the Qin Family end up liking the two of them?"
As soon as Mu Xiangxiang spoke, Old Mrs. Mu imdiately scrutinized Mu Dandan and Mu Yingying.
Both girls wore particularly festive bright red outfits, eye-catching indeed, and with their ability to dress up, they looked especially youthful and pretty.
In a crowd, they’d definitely stand out at a glance.
Old Mrs. Mu felt imdiately displeased.
Her daughter was here for matchmaking, to et her future husband, yet the two granddaughters overshadowed and outdid her.
Old Mrs. Mu stepped forward and said to the two girls, "What kind of nonsense are you two doing? Today is your aunt’s big day, not you two little vixens’!"
Mu Dandan and Mu Yingying looked aggrievedly at Mu Dade.
"Father, we said we shouldn’t wear bright red today, see, Grandma’s angry again."
Mu Dade’s expression wasn’t good, especially since Old Mrs. Mu was scolding his daughters in front of him.
"Mother, I told Dan and Ying to wear those clothes; they just t Landlord Zhou’s son in town, and if there are no unexpected issues, there’s a chance for our Dan and Zhou Family from town to form a match."
Mu Dade didn’t tell the truth; he had seen the Zhou Family but wasn’t interested.
He discussed with Mrs. Jin that they should at least match the girls to wealthy families from the county.
Families in town were too small; they weren’t good matches.
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