The Prime Minister’s Little Wife

Chapter 41: Getting What She Wanted

Xu Zhizhi brought her younger siblings to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.

Manager Li had been waiting eagerly at the entrance.

As soon as he saw Xu Zhizhi, he immediately called a waiter to inform the young master.

He warmly asked, “Miss Xu, have you eaten yet?”

While leading Xu Zhizhi to a private room.

Nangong Yunhao, upon hearing that Xu Zhizhi had arrived, arranged for someone to take Wang Shishi to the backyard where he was staying.

He hurried out and happened to meet them at the door.

As they walked in together, he quickly said:

“Miss Xu, the braised meat you made is delicious. Since your noodles aren’t ready yet, how about we launch the braised meat first?”

Xu Zhizhi couldn’t help but admire the wisdom of the ancients. “Everything is up to you, boss.”

Xu Zhizhi first asked if the ingredients for the braising sauce could be prepared. Nangong Yunhao glanced at the list and, though some were hard to find, he assured her he could get them.

He curiously asked, “Two of these are quite rare, even in Luocheng. How did you know about them?”

Xu Zhizhi replied without changing her expression, “The recipe mentioned them. I used ingredients I picked from the back hills. There aren’t many there, so it’s fine for personal use, but not for large-scale production. That’s why I asked if you could find them.”

Xu Zhizhi continued, “As long as we have the braising sauce recipe, we can develop a whole series of dishes.”

“Oh? There’s more? Tell me about it,” Nangong Yunhao asked excitedly.

Xu Zhizhi listed a series of dishes that could be made with the braising sauce: pig’s head meat, pig’s feet, pig’s intestines…

There were also tofu-based dishes, chicken, duck…

Nangong Yunhao was thrilled to hear about so many new dishes, but he expressed that he couldn’t accept pig’s intestines, thinking no one would order such a dish.

Xu Zhizhi then asked Manager Li to buy some pig’s intestines. She would cook them and let him taste before making a decision.

They were already business partners, with Xu Zhizhi receiving 20% of the profits. This time, it was mainly about deciding which dishes to put on the menu.

By the time they finished discussing, the pig’s intestines had been bought.

Xu Zhizhi got up and went to the kitchen to teach them how to clean the intestines.

Once cleaned, they could not only be used for braising but also prepared in many other ways.

The first step was to use scissors to cut off the fat around the intestines. If scissors weren’t available, a boning knife could be used to scrape it off, or it could be torn off by hand, though that was more labor-intensive.

The second step: Take a small dish of flour and put it in the basin with the intestines. Do not add water. Rub the intestines with your hands. The flour effectively adheres to the surface of the intestines, absorbing the slime, which is the dirtiest part.

Finally, add an appropriate amount of salt and rapeseed oil, rub several times, and then rinse with clean water.

This method of cleaning pig’s intestines leaves no odor at all. It’s easy to master and makes the cleaning process effortless.

By the time they finished cleaning the intestines, Xu Zhizhi had also prepared the braising sauce.

She put the intestines into the pot to cook.

Once done, she served some to Manager Li, who personally took it to the young master to taste. The rest was left for the chef and waiters to try.

Nangong Yunhao was surprised. Something as undesirable as pig’s intestines could be turned into such a delicious dish.

In the end, they decided to promote pig’s intestines as a new dish.

By then, Xu Dahu and his parents had finished shopping and came to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion to pick up Xu Zhizhi and head home.

After bidding farewell to Nangong Yunhao and Manager Li, they took the younger siblings and left.

Nangong Yunhao needed to hurry back to Luocheng to make arrangements.

He left some people behind to continue searching for his cousin, while he prepared to return to Luocheng early the next morning.

He asked Wang Shishi if she wanted to go back to Luocheng with him.

Wang Shishi agreed without hesitation.

Returning to Luocheng was her long-cherished dream.

Now that she finally had the chance, how could she refuse?

Qingzi was also thrilled. They were finally leaving this godforsaken place.

Nangong Yunhao sent a carriage to take the mistress and maid back to fetch their belongings.

Wang Shishi had enjoyed considerable freedom in the countryside, with no one to restrict her movements. She could go wherever she pleased.

This was why the money her mother had prepared for her, which was supposed to last a lifetime, had run out in less than a year.

A significant portion had been spent on investments—not in business, but in men.

She wanted to return to Luocheng, but she didn’t dare to go back empty-handed, nor was she willing to.

So she had spent money on impoverished scholars, hoping they would pass the imperial exams and become high officials, allowing her to become an official’s wife.

Now that she had the chance to become the noble concubine of a young master from a prestigious family, she quickly packed her things to return to Luocheng.

If not now, then when?

She left many of her used items for Old Lady Wang.

To this remote village, those were truly valuable items.

Old Lady Wang, delighted with the many good things she received, didn’t care where Wang Shishi was going.

As for Jin Zijun, well, he was forgotten long ago.

Jin Zijun only realized she had left days ago when he went to ask her for money to prepare for the imperial exams.

Since she often came and went by carriage, her departure didn’t cause much of a stir.

Wang Shishi had come quietly, and now she left quietly, not taking a single cloud with her.

By the time they returned to the small courtyard where Nangong Yunhao was staying, it was already dark.

After dinner and washing up, Qingzi helped Wang Shishi with her makeup. Qingzi’s skills were quite good, and Wang Shishi was naturally beautiful.

When Nangong Yunhao finished washing up and entered, he was stunned by the sight of Wang Shishi sitting on the bed.

Wang Shishi, seeing him captivated, was extremely satisfied. This was, after all, their wedding night.

“Husband, it’s late. Let me help you rest.”

Nangong Yunhao had no objections.

Holding the warm, fragrant jade in his arms and feeling the smooth skin under his palm, he couldn’t help but feel his heart stir. This feeling was truly wonderful.

Nangong Yunhao had thought he would have to wait until they returned to Luocheng and held a wedding ceremony…

But as an experienced man, he used all his skills…

Wang Shishi’s voice was sweet, soft, and coquettish, like a young fox spirit.

The slightly raised tone at the end was like a little claw, scratching at Nangong Yunhao, making his whole body tingle…

The next day, Nangong Yunhao looked at Wang Shishi, who was exhausted and listless, feeling that he had lost control the previous night.

But he was indeed in a hurry to arrange the new dishes at various branches. While routine matters were handled by the managers, this was no ordinary new dish. So he set off for Luocheng as planned.

After a quiet day, it was time for Xu Dahu’s wedding.

The bridal sedan, accompanied by music, entered the Xu family’s gate. Wang Daya stepped out of the sedan and was carried inside by Xu Dahu, dressed in wedding attire. After bowing to heaven and earth and the elders, she was escorted to the bridal chamber.

Outside, it was bustling with activity. Xu Dahu, dressed in his wedding attire, was going from table to table toasting.

Wang Daya, wearing her wedding dress, sat on the bed in the west room of Xu Ershu’s house, listening to the lively sounds outside, a smile playing on her lips.

She had finally married into the family as she wished.

In the village, it was customary for everyone to attend weddings and funerals, bringing their entire families.

Since everyone did this, it was a case of “if you don’t go, you lose out.” Besides, the Xu family had recently come into some money.

The banquet was lavish, with each person at the table getting a chicken leg and a pig’s trotter, clearly portioned out, one per person.

(End of Chapter)