Chapter 51, The 51st Inn: Roasted Rabbit

Was something wrong with her senses? Why did she feel like Fu Wang was trying to please her? What was he trying to do?

Yunyin kept staring at Fu Wang's figure, thinking and thinking but still couldn't figure it out. She stopped worrying about it and waited for Fu Wang to sit down before asking directly, "Do you need something from me?"

Fu Wang paused, surprised, and asked, "Why do you ask that?"

Yunyin stared intently at him and said, "I feel like you've been acting strange lately. You're too concerned about me and too considerate, almost like you're asking for a favor."

Upon hearing her words, Fu Wang rubbed his forehead and said, "No, I didn't ask you anything. Isn't it good that I care about you?"

"Hmm, it feels pretty good." Yunyin carefully reflected on her time with Fu Wang over the past few days, and nodded earnestly, "It's so good to have friends. Thank you, Fu Wang."

After a moment of stunned silence, Fu Wang slowly said, "I'm also very happy to make you feel happy."

After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "May I call you by your name? You can call me by my name too, how about that?"

"Fu Wang?"

Fu Wang looked up at her and said, "Yes, Ayin."

Yunyin exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you calling me Ayin?" It had been a long time since anyone had called her that, and she was still a little unaccustomed to it.

Fu Wang looked at her and said, "Is it not okay to call me that?"

Yunyin touched her cheek and said, "It's possible, but let me get used to it."

"Well, you'll get used to it eventually." Fu Wang turned his gaze back to the front. The sky was slowly darkening. At this moment, only he and Yun Yin were under the tree, chatting about the past and some interesting things. No matter how lively it was in front, it wouldn't disturb them. Looking at Yun Yin's smiling face, Fu Wang felt that this was fine too. If she didn't understand, so be it. He had plenty of time.

After the barbecue, Yunyin's bamboo fungus and mushroom soup was ready. The soup was fresh and clear, with no off-putting smell at all. If you taste any off-putting smell, it means the bamboo fungus wasn't prepared properly. When cooking bamboo fungus, you need to remove both ends, otherwise it will have an off-putting smell, and the soup will taste strange. Of course, using only the stem in the middle of the bamboo fungus will make the soup taste even better.

The freshness of the mushrooms and the bamboo fungus blend together, making the whole bowl of soup fresh but not greasy. After eating barbecue, having a bowl of this soup will instantly make your stomach feel comfortable. The mushrooms are soft and smooth, and the bamboo fungus is tender and crisp. The combination of smoothness and crispness creates a rich texture.

Yunyin cooked a big pot and served a big bowl to the guests at that table, saying, "You should also try it. I just picked bamboo fungus today, and it tastes especially good."

The guest, regaining his senses, asked, "Is this a gift for us?"

Yunyin smiled and said, "Yes, I'll send some for you to try."

He said embarrassedly, "You are really too generous."

Yunyin smiled but didn't say anything. She walked over to Fu Wang and asked, "How does the soup taste?"

Fu Wang tasted it carefully and said, "It's very fresh, a different kind of freshness than stewed chicken soup. It tastes great."

Yunyin: "After that, I added this dish to the menu. I'm afraid I'll have to take a walk in the bamboo forest every morning and evening to see if any bamboo fungus has grown."

As the two were chatting, the customer approached Fu Wang and said, "Young Master Fu, you said you're a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), right? I wonder if you could take my job?"

Seeing that Fu Wang had something to say, Yunyin got up and gave them her seat, while she continued to grill some meat skewers. These skewers needed to be sold out today, otherwise they would easily spoil tomorrow.

The food stalls were filled with smoke and laughter, creating a lively atmosphere. Even passersby who hadn't planned to eat there were drawn in by the hustle and bustle, packing up their things and heading towards Yunyin's stall. As more and more people arrived, Yunyin's skewers sold out quickly, so she simply called Zhang Lin and Zheng Guilan over, and the three of them grilled skewers together, which was just enough to satisfy their needs.

After all the skewers were sold out, Yunyin was exhausted. She returned to the big tree to rest, drinking ice water and letting out a long, contented sigh. When she met Fu Wang's concerned gaze, she smiled and said, "That felt so good. Have a drink too."

Fu Wang sat down and looked at the ice cubes in her glass, saying, "It's getting late, you should eat less ice."

Yunyin shrugged and said, "It's too hot. You have to eat ice cream on days like this." She didn't mention that she also eats popsicles and ice cream in the dead of winter.

"You accepted his order?"

Fu Wang shook his head and said, "No, taking their orders is too risky, so I don't plan to take them."

Yunyin tilted her head and thought for a moment before asking, "What do you think about us working together?"

Fu Wang: "What does A-Yin want to collaborate on?"

She pointed to the inn still under construction and said, "Once the inn is built, there will definitely be people staying there, and some people may want to transport or send things. The post station is quite far away, so you can arrange for someone to stay here to expand your business."

"I remember you don't have any security escort agencies in Long'an County, right?"

Fu Wang nodded: "Indeed, no. Our escort agency is located in Mianzhou, and we usually take on business there. We had considered setting up an escort agency in the county, but we don't have enough manpower to expand it fully."

Yunyin clapped her hands and said, "Look how convenient it is! You can set up your escort agency here, and you can take on business from nearby towns in the future. Moreover, I often have caravans coming from Chang'an and the Western Regions. It's perfect."

Fu Wang smiled and said, "Ayin's suggestion is good. So how do you want to cooperate?"

“How about Yi Jiu?” Yunyin smiled and looked at him. “You only need to leave one person here. After receiving the news, you can arrange for someone to come from Mianzhou. It’s still faster to get to Chang’an from here than from Mianzhou.”

"Won't 19 be too little?" Fu Wang said. "You have a lot to worry about. You need to understand the guests' situation, the goods they are carrying, and their value so that we can make the necessary arrangements and avoid any accidents."

Yunyin chuckled and said, "Of course I didn't do it. What do you think of Luotian?"

Fu Wang looked into the distance and saw Luo Tian and his four brothers working hard. He thought for a moment and said, "We can use him. After all, he is a member of Luo Niangzi's clan. We know him well and he has family. There's no need to worry. But if we're going to use him, we'll still need to bring him along."

Yunyin blinked her big almond-shaped eyes at him, and Fu Wang said helplessly, "I'll take them with me next time I go on a delivery mission, but then you'll be short-handed again, won't you?"

Yunyin waved her hand and said, "It's alright, I can hire people. Since you agree, let's sign a contract. Once my inn is built, I'll reserve a place for you too."

Fu Wang: "Okay, then let's do as you say."

The July weather was scorching hot, the air was thick and sticky, and breathing felt scalding. Yunyin wiped away the sweat dripping down her face and worked in the fields with Zhang Lin.

Many of the vegetables she planted earlier have ripened. The restaurant eats some every day, and she picked the rest and dried them in the sun. There was a large basket of eggplants, cucumbers, and cowpeas, but not much was dried. At least in winter, she wouldn't have to eat only pickled vegetables.

While Yunyin and the others were busy in the fields, Fu Wang was naturally not idle either. Since reaching a cooperation agreement with Yunyin, he had written to Wang Shitou, asking him to bring a few people over. Of course, his most important task now was to make furniture for Yunyin. The wood he bought was mainly willow and elm. Elm is relatively hard and suitable for making beds and tables, while willow is softer and perfect for making chests, cabinets, and stools.

When Yunyin came over with a basket of vegetables, Fu Wang had already sawed a lot of planks and piled them in a shady place. When she bought these woods, the merchant had already dried them, so they could be used directly to make beds.

Seeing that Fu Wang was very skilled, she didn't bother him. She tidied up the vegetables she had picked that day, drying what needed to be dried and making pickles what needed to be made.

When Wang Yu arrived with his friends, he was greeted by a lively scene. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Miss Yun, aren't you making lunch today?"

Yunyin looked up at the sky; it wasn't even noon yet. She turned to Wang Yu and asked, "Why did you come so early, Mr. Wang?"

Wang Yu snorted coldly, "I heard that Lady Yun made roasted meat yesterday. I wonder if we can have a taste today?"

Yunyin glanced at them and said, "We're not having any roast meat today, but we do have roast rabbit. Would you like some?"

Fu Wang went into the mountains early this morning and caught several rabbits. Yun Yin originally wanted to make the cold-cooked rabbit that she wanted to eat the most, but unfortunately, because there was no chili, the taste would definitely not be good. In the end, she gave up and made Cantonese-style crispy roasted rabbit instead.

The crispy skin glaze was the same one used when roasting pigeons before. As for the marinade, it was made with fermented black bean sauce, soybean paste, ginger, garlic, and other ingredients. After the rabbit skin was marinated and infused with flavor, it was scalded with hot water, then the crispy skin glaze was added, and finally it was roasted over charcoal.

Before Wang Yu and the others arrived, Yunyin had just started grilling the rabbit meat and asked Zheng Guilan to help keep an eye on the heat. It seemed to be almost cooked.

Wang Yu was surprised that he arrived at the perfect time. He smiled and said, "That's perfect. Bring us a roasted rabbit, some stir-fried vegetables, and a soup."

Yunyin replied, "I have some bamboo fungus here recently. Would you like to try it? Bamboo fungus and mushroom soup is said to be quite good."

Wang Yu said, "Since Lady Yun recommends it, then of course we have to try it." As he spoke, he pushed his friend to sit down and said, "Alright, sit down quickly. Trust me, Lady Yun's cooking is especially delicious. You'll want to eat it again and again."

His friend looked around and said, "Is it really that delicious? I saw you talking about it for days after you went back last time. Every time you had a day off, you dragged me here. I couldn't stop you."

Wang Yu chuckled and said, "It's really delicious. I brought plenty of money this time, so I must ask Lady Yun to make me a pot of braised meat. I'll take it back to school and eat it slowly."

Yunyin walked over to Zheng Guilan and asked, "Guilan, how are you?"

Zheng Guilan: "Yun Niangzi, come and take a look. I think it's almost cooked."

Yunyin glanced at the roasting rabbit on the charcoal fire and nodded, "It's ready, pick it up."

The two of them took the six rabbits down together. One of them was given in half to Fu Wang, and the rest were divided among the rest of the group. Yun Yin planned to sell the other five rabbits.

Looking at the roasted rabbit on the table and smelling its tempting aroma, Wang Yu swallowed hard and said, "Chen Rong, hurry up, don't dawdle."

Seeing that Shen Rong was still wiping her hands with a handkerchief, he frowned and said, "Everyone says Xie Yan is particular, but I don't think you're any different from him."

Shen Rong said helplessly, "I'm just used to wiping my hands before eating. I'm not as particular as Xie Yan, who has to consider the environment when eating. Isn't that tiring?"

Wang Yu agreed, "That's true. As long as the food is clean and tastes good, that's all that matters. Besides, although Yun Niangzi's place looks simple, it's still very clean. Alright, enough talk, let's eat quickly, or the rabbit meat will get cold."