Chapter 893: Chapter 903: Such Good Pigs_1 Chapter 893: Chapter 903: Such Good Pigs_1 “`
“But this might be too much… What if those people can’t afford it?” Qiao Xiaomai still didn’t accept the silver.

“Don’t worry, since they’ve come today, they can surely spare these two hundred taels of silver.”

Those truly short of money wouldn’t come.

“Hurry up and take it, there’s a lot to do today. You should get to it,” urged the head of the valley.

After some thought, Qiao Xiaomai reached out and took the thick stack of banknotes, which required both hands to hold.

Now that her Spiritual Spring water had actual effects, these banknotes totaling over twenty thousand taels of silver, spread over more than four hundred people, came to about fifty taels each.

Fifty taels for a meal of her cooking indeed wasn’t expensive.

Having made this calculation, Qiao Xiaomai felt relieved. She took the banknotes back to Mai Yuan, where she lived with Tong Sanlang, and put them in her space. Then, she grabbed a couple of plates of dried fruits and headed to the kitchen.

The dried fruits were prepared by her during the summer, and now they could be used to make fruit tea with the Spiritual Spring water.

They’d be just right for when that group of students returned.

Before long, Tong Sanlang arrived with his helpers. He had them move tables and chairs to the open space behind the Zhuxiangju and Mai Yuan. Originally intended for pond construction, this spacious and vacant area was now perfectly suited for laying out the banquet.

The cooking stoves had been set up, and the big pots were in place while Wang Tiesheng and his wife returned with enough vegetables, chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep.

From then on, it was bustling with activity–slaughtering pigs, butchering chickens, preparing kimchi–the servants left by the students were all marshaled by Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang.

The head of the valley sat on the heated brick bed for a while but soon grew restless. He stood up and wanted to tour the manor.

Accompanied by Qiao Changshun, when the two came around to the pigsty, the head could no longer walk on.

The pigsty was very clean, and the twenty piglets inside were spotless, their bodies a pinkish hue, round and plump.

“These pigs are raised really well!” He clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze full of admiration.

“Yes, they’ve been fed with great care.” Qiao Changshun was very pleased to have his livestock praised, especially by someone of the head’s status, with a smile nearly reaching the roots of his ears.

“How about it, shall we slaughter one and make a roast suckling pig later?” suggested the head of the valley.

Qiao Changshun “…”

His smile stiffened, then he looked at the head in disbelief.

The head had praised the pigs, but was it because he wanted to eat pork…
The head looked calm, “I think the meat looks good, let’s have one, how much silver?”

Qiao Changshun “…”

He rubbed his large hands, “I’ll have to ask Xiaomai about that.”

His carefully raised piglets were about to become roast suckling pigs before growing up.

It hurt his heart.

“Alright, let’s go find Xiaomai,” the head immediately agreed.

So, the two of them went to the backyard and found Qiao Xiaomai busy with preparing the pig offal.

After hearing the head’s proposal, Qiao Xiaomai was somewhat surprised, “But I don’t know how to roast suckling pig…”

This kind of major dish, she had neither the opportunity nor the intention to make before.

“It doesn’t matter, I trust your cooking skills, just figure it out,” the head was quite trusting of Qiao Xiaomai.

Qiao Xiaomai “…”

She had been feeding these pigs with Spiritual Spring water for over a month. Although they were still small, the taste would definitely be good.

If the head wanted to eat, then she’d make it.

She called over Tong Sanlang and had him catch a piglet.

When making Mooncakes before, she had ordered several large ovens, and now she could try roasting the whole pig in the oven.

With the Spiritual Spring water, no matter how it was cooked, it couldn’t taste too bad.

“`