Chapter 48 True and False Ginseng

Wen Zhenyi smiled and nodded, then stood aside: "That's natural."

Master Cheng picked up the chopsticks, picked up the noodles and started eating. He felt the difference after just one bite. The noodles were very chewy and the soup was even more delicious.

County Magistrate Lei and his companions looked at the bowl of noodles and originally thought it would not taste good, but when they saw that Mr. Cheng not only finished the noodles but also drank up all the soup, they were amazed.

Mr. Cheng looked at the empty soup bowl and said, "Your noodles are a little too little."

Wen Zhenyi smiled and asked the maid to take away the soup bowl: "You still have a birthday banquet to eat. If you eat too much later, you won't be able to eat at the birthday banquet."

Mr. Cheng’s previous uncertainty has now turned into anticipation: “Let’s get started quickly!”

Wen Zhenyi signaled the maid to open the lid on the table.

The maid came forward and opened the lid of each plate, revealing the birthday banquet inside.

Everyone in the hall was silent, looking at the things on the table with their mouths wide open.

Wen Zhenyi stood next to a dish and began to explain to them: "This dish is called Qingshui Baicai. It doesn't have a drop of oil and tastes fresh and elegant." (Qingshui Baicai is a very famous dish at state banquets!)

Boss Song looked at the flower-like vegetables and didn't know how to start. "Is this cabbage?"

"Yes, this is a dish made with cabbage hearts. There are many ways to make it, and this is one of them." After saying that, he walked towards the second dish: "This dish is called Changsheng Jidi."

"Isn't this ginseng? Little girl, you're using ginseng to trick us. That's not very kind of you!"

"Uncle, why don't you try it and see if it's ginseng?"

The man picked up a small root with chopsticks and tasted it in disbelief, and his face changed instantly.

Mayor Meng looked at him and asked, "Is it ginseng?"

He shook his head: "No, but it tastes like ginseng."

Wen Zhen nodded. "There is a small amount of ginseng in it, but I made it into the shape of ginseng. I also hope that all the guests who eat this dish will live a long life."

Magistrate Lei looked at the ginseng on the plate and said, "What a masterpiece!"

Master Cheng pointed at the plate of peaches presented by the Golden Monkey and asked, "What is this dish called?"

"This dish is called Golden Monkey Offering Peaches. The hericium you see is made from the finest Hericium erinaceus."

As soon as Wen Zhenyi introduced a dish, the guests couldn't wait to pick up a piece of food with chopsticks and taste it, as if they were afraid that it would be eaten up if they were late.

"This dish is duck rolls with wine and egg yolk. We use fresh duck, remove the bones, wrap the duck meat with salted egg yolk, and steam it in a pot."

County Magistrate Lei picked up a piece and examined it carefully: "Is this duck meat?"

Wen Zhen nodded: "Yes. It is fresh, fragrant and tender, and has the effect of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidneys."

As soon as she finished speaking, the plate of duck rolls with wine and egg yolk was empty, leaving only the decorative vegetables.

Master Cheng ate something and mumbled, "Go on."

Wen Zhenyi pointed at the boiled beef and the cheerful dish and said, "These two are home-cooked dishes. One is spicy and refreshing, and the other is rich in fruity flavor."

"Thousand-layer vegetarian clothes are made with bean curd skin, which tastes spicy and fragrant."

She glanced at the surrounding tables and saw that the situation was the same as the main table. After she finished her introduction, the plates were empty.

Mr. Shen was quite reserved. Although he often ate the food cooked by Wen Zhenyi, this was the first time he had seen such exquisite dishes. "Girl Wen, what are these made of?"

Wen Zhen saw that she was pointing at the carved flowers used for decoration on the plate and said, “Grandpa Shen, this is a pear flower made of pears.”

"Can I eat it?"

“Yes.”

When he heard her say that the pear blossoms were edible, he immediately took one and put it in his bowl, but in the blink of an eye, the remaining pear blossoms were gone.

Boss Song was too busy to talk now: "Can I eat anything else?"

Wen Zhenyi looked at them with amusement: "Some of them are carved from fruits. I can't guarantee whether they are delicious or not. Some are carved from vegetables. Don't eat them."

Those who originally wanted to grab things now sat back in their chairs obediently.

She was about to introduce the highlight of the day, which was also the dish that took the longest time to prepare. When she opened the lid, a fresh aroma filled the entire hall.

Master Cheng had already eaten enough today, but when he smelled this, he couldn't help swallowing: "What is this?"

"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. The name of this dish has a very interesting story behind it."

"What a story."

"Why don't you all eat while I tell you."

"Okay, okay." Everyone couldn't wait to get a bowl.

Wen Zhenyi finally spoke, "Legend has it that there was a chef in a wealthy family whose cooking was unpalatable, and none of his family liked it. So he recruited skilled cooks from all over the world. And there really was one chef who, in a clay pot filled with rice wine, arranged discarded delicacies from the land and sea in order, then added dried bamboo shoots and mushrooms, and finally topped it off with the finest ham and steamed it."

"The aroma of the steamed rice wafted over the wall, and a monk from a nearby temple was attracted by the aroma and climbed up the wall. The chef saw this and named the dish 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall'."

Master Cheng ate the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in his bowl and said, "It's really interesting. This bowl of soup really contains all the delicious foods in the world."

Wen Zhenyi smiled and said, "Dear guests, please enjoy your meal. There will be a dessert of osmanthus stewed bones later. These are the twelve dishes for today. I hope you all enjoy your meal!" After she finished speaking, she stood up and left.

Shen Hanxing looked at the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in the bowl. It was really an interesting story.

Cheng Lesheng looked at his friend who was eating without any image, opened his fan and said with a smile: "Ladies and gentlemen, are you willing to accept the loss of the bet?"

Meng Yongchun licked the corner of his lips. This bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was absolutely amazing. "I'm convinced. Tell me, what do you want to eat?"

Lei Jiayang looked at the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in the casserole. If his stomach didn't allow it, he would have another bowl. "Where did you find such a great chef?"

Cheng Lesheng flicked his fan and said, "Of course I have my own way. I just want to ask if you accept it."

"I admit defeat. Cheng Lesheng is truly amazing. We are willing to accept defeat." Song Yi was truly convinced this time.

Lei Jiayang looked at Shen Hanxing who was eating quietly on the side: "Hanxing, did you know this a long time ago?"

Cheng Lesheng said without fear of provoking hatred: "Not only has he known about it for a long time, he can eat it every day."

"What?" Everyone was shocked.

Meng Yongchun looked incredulous: "Han Xing, when did you become so rich?"

Chen Hanxing put down the bowl in his hand: "When can I eat these things every day? It is thanks to Le Sheng that I can eat these things today."

(Changsheng Jidi, Duck Rolls with Wine and Egg Yolk, Golden Monkey Offering Peaches, Thousand Layers of Plain Clothes, and Osmanthus Stewed Bones are all from the Wanshou Banquet in the Manchu-Han Banquet. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is from the Tianlong Banquet in the Manchu-Han Banquet.)