A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Chapter 449 Tea Garden

The dining hall for guests was a narrow room with six tables arranged vertically in front and behind.

Each table is paired with two long benches, made of yellow wood and coated with a layer of clear varnish.

The space next to the table is only wide enough for one person to pass through.

Gu Xixi walked through the front hall and into the back kitchen. The back kitchen was very small, and with only three or four people inside, it was difficult to even turn around.

However, the kitchen has two stoves and is fully equipped with pots, pans, and utensils.

Gu Xixi walked around the shop inside and out, and then went around to the back wall to take a look.

The windows are intact, and there is no obvious damage to the exterior walls.

It's clear that the owner cherishes everything in the shop.

Overall, this small shop is sufficient for Gu Xixi to start her restaurant business.

Ya Zi followed along, saying, "The shop owner said they're not taking any of the shop's belongings with them. It's all included in the room rate, so it's like you're buying the shop now and getting everything inside for free. Since you're looking for a restaurant, these things are perfect for you, aren't they?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xixi also felt that this deal was very worthwhile.

Although the tables and chairs in the shop are a bit old, they are still in good condition and can still be used.

She had just checked all the kitchen utensils, and most of them were still usable.

Before the new store opens, all that's needed is to repaint the tables and chairs and repaint the interior and exterior walls of the shop.

At most, you'll need to buy a few more bowls, chopsticks, and other utensils yourself, which definitely saves a lot of trouble.

Gu Xixi walked around the shop inside and out, even seeing the spider webs in the corners clearly.

She then stopped in her tracks. "This shop is nice, and the price is within my budget. However, buying a shop is no small matter. I want to go back and discuss it with my family. I'll definitely get a response within three days."

Ya Zi smiled and nodded, "Alright, you're a regular customer of ours, so don't worry about this shop. We won't let anyone else buy it within three days, so you'll have time to prepare."

Gu Xixi smiled slightly, "Then thank you in advance. I will prepare to go to the brokerage as soon as possible to hand over the work."

On my way home, there were far fewer vegetable stalls on the roadside than when the weather was warmer, making the place seem rather desolate.

She bought a piece of soft tofu on the way. The vendor wrapped it in dried lotus leaves and tied it with thin straw rope, making it very convenient to carry.

Gu Xixi suddenly saw a little girl squatting by the roadside, with two baskets of cabbages on the ground in front of her.

The little girl was wearing a thick cotton-padded coat, wrapped up like a dumpling, and was shivering from the cold, huddled in a small ball in the corner.

Gu Xixi felt a pang of pity. She saw that the cabbages looked fresh and vibrant, and were seasonal vegetables that could be stored for a long time.

She plans to buy more so that, in addition to what she can eat herself, she can also add a fresh vegetable to her hot pot skewer business tonight.

"Young lady, how much will it cost if you sell these two baskets of cabbages together?"

The little girl hugged her arms and looked up, her face red from the cold, but her eyes were bright and sparkling.

"Let's buy them together? I'll give you a discount, it'll be 150 coins!"

She hesitated for a moment, "Two baskets of cabbage weigh fifty pounds. How many people are in your family, sister? Can you eat that much?"

Gu Xixi laughed and said, "This cabbage can be stored for a long time, and I sell snacks at a stall, so I can use it all up."

The price of the cabbage sold by the little girl was already very fair, so Gu Xixi didn't haggle and counted out 150 coins.

The little girl took the copper coins, her hands trembling even more with excitement, and she counted them.

She looked up at Gu Xixi and suddenly became even more excited, "Sister, I've met you before! Do you remember me? It was in the summer, a few months ago, you bought the snails I dug up!"

Upon hearing the mention of snails, Gu Xixi remembered, "Oh, it's you! What a coincidence!"

Gu Xixi had mixed feelings, but she didn't ask the girl why she was setting up a stall alone in the freezing cold.

Every family has its own troubles, so what other reason could a young girl be setting up a stall? It's all about survival!

The little girl smiled and picked up the vegetable basket, saying, "There are so many cabbages, it's hard for you to carry them all home by yourself. Let me help you take them home."

Gu Xixi quickly stopped her, "No need, it's cold, you should go home early."

The little girl had already slung a vegetable basket over her shoulder in the blink of an eye. "It's alright. I was supposed to sell all my vegetables by the afternoon, but thanks to you, sister, I was able to close up shop before noon today. It's only right that I deliver them to you."

Seeing her reach for another vegetable basket, Gu Xixi quickly snatched it away.

"It's quite heavy, I'll take one too, let's go."

After taking a couple of steps, the girl said, "Sister, I forgot to tell you, my name is Mi Duo. What's your name, sister?"

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "Mi Duo? That's a very nice name. My name is You You, but you can also call me Sister Youzi."

Mido looked up and smiled sweetly, calling out in a clear voice, "Sister Yuzu!"

How old is Mido this year?

"Me? I'm ten years old."

"Do you also live in the eastern part of the city?"

“My home is outside the East Gate. We have a few acres of land, so we grow some vegetables to sell in the city.”

……

The two chatted and laughed all the way, and time seemed to fly by. Before long, they arrived at Gu Xixi's house.

Youguo and Xiaolan came over and took the two baskets of cabbage. Mido waved and said, "See you later, Sister Youzi!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already run several steps away.

Gu Xixi had originally wanted to invite her to stay at home for some snacks, but at this moment she could only smile and shake her head.

For lunch, Gu Xixi made a big pot of mixed stew.

The bone broth base contains sliced ​​pork belly, boiled quail eggs, cabbage, fried tofu, lotus root slices, mushrooms, and other ingredients.

Different dishes require different cooking times, so they should be added to the pot at different times.

Finally, after all the vegetables were cooked, add a handful of sweet potato noodles to the pot.

Once cooked, sprinkle with chopped green garlic shoots for added flavor, and it's ready to serve.

Each person gets a large bowl, with both meat and vegetables, and the soup is steaming hot.

The sliced ​​meat was stewed in bone broth, resulting in a tender and flavorful dish. The quail eggs were rich and aromatic, the cabbage was sweet, the lotus root slices were crisp, and the tofu was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, bursting with juicy goodness with every bite…

The flavors of several vegetables blend together, yet each has its own distinct texture.

All the vegetables were soaked in the rich broth, and when eaten with soft pancakes, it was so delicious that you didn't want to lift your head.

The family sat in the main room, eating vegetables with different textures and occasionally taking a sip of the fragrant and hot soup.

Everyone was sweating profusely as they ate, and Madam You even unbuttoned the collar of her padded jacket because of the heat.

Anyway, the whole house is full of my own women, so there's nothing to hide.

"It's so hot! This stew is perfect for when it gets cold. A couple of bites and I feel all warm! I think it'll get even colder in the future, so it'll be good if we eat this more often. We can cook more cabbage and radishes, and we won't have to eat meat slices every day, saving us from having seven or eight dishes!"

Gu Xixi found it amusing. To make this stew delicious, the key lies in two things: a good broth base and the preparation of each ingredient separately, so that they can blend together when cooked in one pot.

Mixed stew is not simply boiled vegetables; according to Ms. You...