Chapter 86: What Is This Taste?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Wang family selling what she had in hand was more reassuring than selling it at the Broker Center. After all, Wang Jiaru’s character, coupled with her grandfather’s, made her willing to trust them.

Having had a good meal for lunch, naturally, dinner would be lighter.

Sweet potato porridge and side dishes made Old Mister Wang quite satisfied, especially the sweet potato porridge. It had been long since he last had it, and he found it delicious.

The next morning, as planned, Qiao Mai served them steak for breakfast.

After taking the first bite, Old Mister Wang’s mouth didn’t stop moving. The children at home didn’t compete with him for food; they only started eating after he was full.

This made him a bit embarrassed. After finishing his meal, he didn’t leave but sat on the side, watching the children eat.

“What a pity that the Great Ming Dynasty protects cattle. Otherwise, I really want to get a couple of cows and enjoy a delicious meal. It’s so tasty.”

“If you want to eat, come over. While I can’t let you have it every day, occasionally satisfying your cravings is still possible.”

Watching the children eat with relish, Old Mister Wang was full, but his mouth was watering.

“What’s for lunch?”

Qiao Mai was speechless. They had just finished breakfast, and he was already thinking about lunch.

She was also a bit worried. She didn’t know how to cook many dishes yet and was still learning. What to have for lunch? She used her mind to check the refrigerator.

There wasn’t anything particularly special in the fridge, so she checked the shelves. Finally, her attention stopped at the snail noodles.

That’s it!

Seeing her lost in thought, Old Mister Wang thought she was considering recipes and didn’t disturb her. Soon, Qiao Mai returned to her senses and smiled at him.

Why did it feel a bit mischievous? Why was he feeling a little scared?

“Old Mister Wang, can you eat food with a special taste?”

“What kind of taste?”

“The taste of pickled bamboo shoots.”

“Probably. Bamboo shoots seem to be a southern dish.” “Yes, I’ll make a pot of rice noodles. Can you eat it?” “Maybe?” Even he wasn’t sure.

“Alright, let’s have snail noodles for lunch today.”

Hearing the name, Old Mister Wang thought it should be delicious, so he happily nodded. Even Yuan Jiaqi couldn’t help but gulp.

After the children finished their meat, they went off to play, and Yuan Jiaqi finished last.

Qiao Mai only had two pieces and then started preparing the noodles for lunch.

The soup ingredients were all in the packaging bags; what she needed to prepare were some additional ingredients, which would be added to the soup as flavorful garnishes.

For example, pig’s trotters, deep-fried peanuts, deep-fried bean curd sheets, and also fried eggs and sausages.

Don’t be fooled by it being a bowl of noodles; its preparation process was quite elaborate.

Ling’er was already one year and one month old. Everyone coaxed her to walk in the courtyard, rewarding her with a piece of cake after a short distance.

This atmosphere made Old Mister Wang very pleased. He sat at the door, watching Qiao Mai cook, occasionally turning his head to watch the children.

“All these kids are good.’

“Yes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have adopted them. I only act when they seem promising.”

“How’s the flavor of the noodles you made?”

“I think it’s delicious, but I’m unsure if you can handle it.”

“What flavor is it, exactly?”

“It’s a kind of smell that’s stinky but tastes delicious when eaten.”

Upon hearing the word “stinky,” Old Mister Wang wrinkled his nose. “If we can eat it, we’ll eat it. If not, bring us some other food for the road.”

“Naturally, you can eat it. It has a sour and spicy taste. I made it mildly spicy

today.”

Finally, it was noon. With the ingredients prepared, Qiao Mai poured the broth from the packaging bag into the bowl. The smell was intense.

Sitting at the door, Old Mister Wang took a sniff and immediately choked. Holding his nose, he said, “I say, Madam Qiao, this flavor is too unique, isn’t

“But it’s very delicious. Trust me!”

To prevent the smell of the snail noodles from filling the house, they set up tables in the yard.

Qiao Mai gave adults large bowls, while children got smaller ones. The idea was to let the soup soak into the garnishes, making them more flavorful.

Bowl after bowl of noodles was served on the table. The children sat there holding their noses.

Yuan Jiaqi was also embarrassed. Only Qiao Mai took a deep breath as she missed the smell.

The joyful eating began. Old Mister Wang was the first to give up.

Afraid of the smell? As long as it tasted good, what was there to mind? Even Madam Qiao did not say anything.

So, pinching his nose, he took a bite and then put his hand down.

“Eat quickly, it’s delicious. If you don’t eat, you’ll regret it.”

The children began eating with chopsticks, and their eyes brightened with the first bite.

Fried eggs, fried bean curd sheets, intestines, and pig’s trotters soaked in the soup tasted incredibly good.

No one was pinching their noses anymore except Yuan Jiaqi. He held his nose while eating and the child in his other hand.

“Eat first. I’ll watch the child. I’ll eat later.”

Qiao Mai immediately took Ling’er from him. Seeing little Ling’er imitating everyone pinching their noses, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Eat up. The stink isn’t the same as the other kind. The pickled green beans and pickled bamboo shoots are tender. I love fried eggs. One bite, and it’s fragrant, spicy, and satisfying. Eat quickly. Who knows how long it’ll be until next time?”

Yuan Jiaqi put his hand down and, with bated breath, took a bite, finding it surprisingly tasty.

From now on, if Qiao Mai said something was delicious, it definitely was. Never resist.

Old Mister Wang chuckled, “Do you have the recipe for this?”

“Yes, but people around here can’t handle this flavor. If you start a shop like this, others won’t be able to open their shops around you because it’s too stinky.”

“Indeed. Can we have this again next time?”

“As long as you don’t mind. It’s much easier than other dishes.”

The family ate snail noodles in the yard, causing distress among their neighbors. They thought the Qiao family was cleaning manure.

Why would they do it in the middle of the day?

The whole neighborhood suffered, unable to eat a proper lunch.

Madam Chen cursed inside the house. Her son couldn’t bear it anymore and went to the Qiao family to see what was going on.

He found an excuse and knocked on the Qiao family’s door, “Mr. Yuan, there’s a strange smell in this area. Is it coming from your place?”

This statement was already quite tactful. Yuan Jiaqi laughed, and Qiao Mai saw him, waving him over.

“Hao’er, come, sit down. Auntie will cook you a bowl of noodles.”

Chen Hao walked to the table, seeing everyone’s bowls. Suddenly, he understood. The strange smell was coming from the food they were eating.

He pinched his nose. The Qiao family wasn’t cleaning manure; they were making strange food.

Qiao Mai cooked a bowl for him and placed it on the table. “Eat while it’s hot. It’ll get clumpy when it’s cold.”

“Auntie, is this edible?”

“Of course. Can’t you see everyone else eating it? Eat with confidence. I guarantee you’ll want a second bowl after finishing the first.”

Chen Hao wasn’t as finicky as the rest. He put down his hand and picked up the chopsticks to eat.

Few people disliked the taste of snail noodles. Once they took a bite, the rest was just continuous eating.

Just as they ate, the neighbor on the right came over as well. Upon entering the yard and seeing what they were eating and then smelling the strong aroma, they understood.

Madam Qiao was making another new dish, and that’s where the smell came from.

They were about to bid farewell and leave when Qiao Mai stopped them, making them wait to taste it.

As expected, anyone who tasted it fell in love with this flavor.

They carefully smelled it and realized it was different from the smell of digging manure; the former had a fragrant stench, while the latter was truly foul.

After consuming the pungent-smelling snail noodles, everyone finally distinguished between the two types of odors and accepted this unique delicacy.

Old Mister Wang was delighted, laughing and clutching his stomach for quite a while.

After eating, they helped wash the bowls and chopsticks, cleaned the house and yard, and then finally sat in the horse carriage that had been waiting outside.

With a carriage of food prepared by Qiao Mai, they left the small town and headed to Wei City…

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