Chapter 77, Inn No. 77: Roast Duck and Taro Rice

The person welcomed in by Ma Hao found a corner to sit down, sipping the tea that was served while looking around. Seeing that there were still quite a few guests coming to eat at this hour, he couldn't help but frown. He listened to everyone chatting, but no one mentioned the roast duck.

He couldn't help but wonder, wasn't this supposed to be the place where Peking duck originated? He had arrived so early, yet not a single person had ordered it. He was starting to worry that the information might be wrong.

He noticed Ma Hao's gaze out of the corner of his eye, stopped looking around, and continued waiting for his dishes to be served.

The food was served very quickly at Yunlai Inn. He had only finished a bowl of tea when all the dishes were on the table. He picked up the squirrel fish with his chopsticks and tasted it. The slightly sweet and sour taste amazed him. Even though he didn't get to eat the highly praised roast duck, he believed that the news couldn't be wrong.

He quickly finished his meal, paid, and got up to leave the inn. Yunyin watched his departing figure, slightly surprised, and shrugged at Ma Hao, saying, "Looks like I was being too cautious. I was worried he was here to cause trouble."

His previous behavior really seemed like he was there to cause trouble. Unexpectedly, the man finished his meal quietly and left. Yunyin said apologetically, "I misunderstood him. Next time he comes, I'll bring him some snacks to make amends."

Ma Hao watched the man's disappearing figure and shook his head, saying, "I think it's right for Lady Yun to be careful. I feel like I've seen this person somewhere before, but I'm not sure where."

Upon hearing Ma Hao's words, Yunyin turned around to look, but the man was already out of sight. She said, "I understand. Everyone should be careful these days. If nothing happens, it won't cause any problems. But if he has any ill intentions, we have so many people here."

Ma Hao nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll tell the brothers not to let anyone cause trouble."

After seeing all the guests off, Yunyin and the others finished their meal and prepared to close up shop. After closing the doors and windows, she led Heidou to the yard, fed it, patted its head, and said, "Heidou, it's time for you to guard the house again."

Black Bean rubbed against her leg, whimpered twice, and then ran off to eat its dinner.

Yunyin squatted to the side and watched. After Heidou finished eating, she gave it water, packed her things, and carried the hot water back to her room to wash up.

After washing up and drying her clothes, Yunyin comfortably lay on the bed and looked at her food notebook, trying to find out what dishes she could make in winter.

Actually, hot pot is the best thing to eat in winter. Even without chili peppers, there is a clear broth hot pot. Mushroom soup hot pot is also delicious. She happens to have a lot of mushrooms stored up, so she will cook a chicken soup mushroom hot pot and another mutton soup hot pot.

Just as she was engrossed in her imagined hotpot, she heard Black Bean's barking outside. Black Bean was very intelligent; it usually wouldn't bark unless it spotted a stranger, let alone bark so urgently.

Yunyin immediately put down the booklet, got dressed, picked up her whip, and pushed open the door. She saw other people coming out of the house, and a figure lying on the ground with Heidou barking at him.

Yunyin stepped forward and touched Heidou, then looked at the person on the ground and said, "Get up, or don't blame me for being impolite."

The person lying on the ground cried out "Ouch!" and slowly got up. Yunyin saw through the firelight that it was the same person who had come earlier that day. She had thought she had misunderstood him, but it turned out he was planning to sneak in at night.

Yunyin swung her whip to entangle the man, "Speak, who are you, and what brings you here?"

The man's legs trembled as he stammered, "Spare me, Lady Yun, spare me! I didn't do anything wrong. I just missed my place to stay and came here to find somewhere to live. I heard you also have lodging here."

Before Yunyin could speak, Ma Hao suddenly said, "Wait, I remember now. I saw this person in the county town. I met him when I came out to buy horse feed. He seemed to work for some shop. I only glanced at him from afar and didn't pay much attention. It was only when I saw him bending over that I remembered he was also greeting customers at the time."

The man was surprised that someone recognized him. He quickly covered his face and turned his head to the side so that Ma Hao could not see him clearly.

Yunyin tightened her whip, her tone even colder, "If you don't speak, I'll send you to the authorities. You should know what the consequences are for wandering around outside after curfew."

The curfew in Da Zhao was strictly enforced. In addition to prohibiting people from walking in the market at night, there were also patrols on the official roads. If anyone was caught, they would be punished according to the law unless they had a written document.

Judging from his appearance, Yunyin knew he definitely didn't have any documents. Sure enough, upon hearing her words, he trembled with fear, knelt down, and begged for mercy, saying, "Madam Yun, please spare me! I'll tell you everything."

"I work at Yuelai Restaurant. My boss sent me here to steal Lady Yun's secret recipe."

It turns out that their owner was a local from Long'an County. His business was originally quite good, but since Manxiangju opened, his business has become increasingly worse. His owner racked his brains every day trying to figure out how to save his business.

After hearing that Manxiangju had added new dishes, business was booming. His boss also wanted to learn how to make roast duck, but unfortunately, he was not skilled enough and could not compare to the recipes at Yunyin. The roast duck he made had a fishy smell and was not as good as Manxiangju.

Their owner learned that Manxiangju's roast duck came from Yunlai Inn, and thought that if he could learn it, he would definitely be able to surpass Manxiangju. So he specially sent the shop's chef to learn the technique, but he did not expect that the attempt would not go well.

The man lowered his head and stopped talking, regretting that he should have stayed there when he first learned that it was a place to stay. But by the time he heard about it, it was too late, and he could only try to sneak in. He never expected there to be a dog here.

Yunyin stared at the man for a long time, then gestured to Ma Hao, "Tie him up and take him to the woodshed."

After the others were tied up and sent away, Zhang Lin asked Yunyin, "What does my wife plan to do with him?"

Yunyin: "Naturally, we should hand it over to the authorities. Since it's a curfew, the government should be able to handle it. Zhou Chang is in charge of security around the county town, so we can leave this to him and he can resolve it quickly without us having to do anything else."

Although this person came to steal the knowledge, he hasn't actually succeeded yet, so they can't do anything about him. However, breaking the rules is different. Why shouldn't Yunyin do something that is perfectly legitimate?

Yunyin said to Ma Hao, who had returned, "Tomorrow, go to the county government office and talk to Zhou Chang about this matter. Also, tell the owner of Manxiangju that I'm worried Yuelai Restaurant might use other means to warn Gao Pengxing."

Ma Hao nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, Madam Yun, I will arrange it tomorrow." He paused and continued, "Madam Yun, you should still arrange for someone to keep watch at night. I'm worried that Black Bean alone won't be able to detect it in time."

Yunyin looked at the people behind Ma Hao, pondered for a moment, and said, "Alright, let the two of them take turns keeping watch at night. From now on, your safety at night will be in your hands."

Watching the person who went to keep watch at the counter, Yunyin once again thanked Fu Wang for leaving the person for her. When he returned, she would definitely thank him properly.

Seeing that the matter had been resolved, Cheng Yong stroked his disheveled hair and comforted Yunyin, saying, "Miss Yun, don't worry. With us here, we will definitely prevent anything from happening here." Fu Wang had repeatedly reminded him before leaving, and he didn't want Fu Wang to nag him when he returned. He also liked Yunyin's cooking very much and didn't want anything to happen to her.

Yunyin said to Cheng Yong, "I know, I was just thinking that since roast duck is so popular in the county, should we have someone raise more ducks next year?"

There is plenty of water here, which is quite suitable for raising ducks. Villages near Pingjiang and Pingxi can raise ducks here. Cheng Yong looked around at the environment and said, “This place is indeed quite suitable for raising ducks. You can discuss it with them. In the past, people thought that ducks didn’t taste as good as chicken, and duck eggs had fewer uses. But since you started making roast duck and preserved eggs, more people have started raising ducks.”

"Once you sign a contract with them, there will definitely be more people willing to raise them."

Yunyin thought of the duck blood she had made before, which everyone at the inn loved, and she nodded, saying, "I'll think about it carefully."

After saying goodbye to Cheng Yong, she returned to her room and looked at the notes on the table. She searched for other ways to cook duck. Besides roast duck, she remembered that she had also recorded how to make braised duck.

She flipped through the pages and found a detailed record with the recipe written very clearly. She could take this opportunity to make roast duck as well, and with plum sauce, it would have a different flavor from roast duck.

Unlike Peking duck, roast duck is not as strict about the type of duck. Peking duck requires plump ducks to taste good, while roast duck does not require plump ducks; ordinary ducks are also acceptable.

Actually, Zhang Lin mentioned when he went to collect ducks that many families' ducks weren't that fat, so he could only select the best of the best, and many ducks were unusable. If she were making roast duck, these ducks could be used.

After thinking things through, Yunyin put down her notebook, fell asleep peacefully, and dreamed of the aroma of roast duck.

As dawn broke, Yunyin got out of bed, touched the thin blanket, and frowned, saying, "It's time to change to a thicker blanket."

She would have to wait until the cotton came in before she could get a thicker quilt. Fortunately, the cotton would be ready to be harvested in a few days. She would take care of the Yuelai Restaurant first and then focus on harvesting the cotton.

Yunyin locked the door, went to fetch water to wash up, and after cleaning herself up, she called Fang He. The two of them stood by the field practicing martial arts together. Looking at the vast expanse of white cotton fields in front of them, she felt very satisfied.

Fang He looked at the cotton plants across the way and asked, "Master, can we grow this cotton in our village?"

Yunyin nodded to Fang He and said, "That's fine. If there are many seeds, each family can plant quite a lot. If there are few seeds, each family can plant less. Next year, when there are more seeds, we can plant more."

Fang He smiled so broadly that her teeth were showing, "That's wonderful! Our village will finally have something to keep us warm."

Seeing that her movements were all messed up, Yunyin quickly stopped her, saying, "Alright, focus on practicing martial arts. This isn't something a little kid like you should be thinking about." Children should be carefree. Fang He isn't even ten years old yet, and Yunyin is worried that she'll grow up before her hair turns white. It seems she should make more delicious food for her to nourish her.

After finishing his breakfast, Zhang Lin went to the noodle stall in front of him. Yunyin said to Ma Hao, "Be careful on the road, and come back soon."

Ma Hao grabbed the man from Yuelai Restaurant and headed towards the door, saying to Yunyin as they walked, "Don't worry, Lady Yun, I'll definitely take care of this for you." He glared fiercely at the man in his hand, then rode his horse and led the group towards the county town.

Yunyin turned back to the kitchen to prepare the dishes for the day. Sitting beside her, Zheng Guilan asked, "Yunniangzi, won't the people from that Yuelai Restaurant cause us trouble? What if their owner causes us trouble? They're more familiar with the people in the government, aren't they?"

Yunyin: "Let's leave this to the people at Manxiangju. After all, they are also restaurants in Long'an County, so it won't affect me. Besides, I only caught the person who broke the law, and the people at Yuelai Restaurant can't reason with me."

While Yunyin and Zheng Guilan were chatting, the people from Manxiangju arrived to pick up the goods. She handed the chicken and duck that had been packed in the kitchen to Gao Erlang, saying, "This is today's chicken and duck. By the way, you can tell your boss that I'm planning to make some new ducks soon. See if he's interested in trying them."

Gao Erlang's real name was Gao Liang, a name that always reminded her of sorghum. Hearing that he was the second oldest in his family, she called him Gao Erlang. He was Gao Pengxing's nephew, someone he trusted. He was going to take over the business of Manxiangju in the future, and Gao Pengxing sent him to get to know people and familiarize himself with the affairs.

Gao Liang took the wooden bucket and basket, and upon hearing Yun Yin's words, his eyes lit up. "What delicious food has Lady Yun made this time? I'm not tired of roast duck yet, and you have something new to eat? That's wonderful. I wonder if I can try some too?"

Yunyin smiled and said, "Of course you can come along. I'll do more."

Gao Liang left happily with his things, just as Zhao Qian arrived in his carriage. Seeing Yun Yin standing by the roadside, he slowed down, jumped off the carriage, and said, "Miss Yun, we meet again."

Yunyin looked at the familiar person and smiled, saying, "Why are you here to pick up the goods today?"

Zhao Qian scratched his head and said, "Madam Luo said I was more familiar with you, so she sent me."

Yunyin handed Luo Man's portion of roast duck and salt-baked chicken to him and said, "Go back and tell Sister Aman that I'm planning to make a new kind of duck. Ask her if she wants it. It tastes different from roast duck."

Zhao Qian nodded repeatedly and said, "I will tell Madam Luo."

After Zhao Qian drove off in his carriage, Yunyin was finally able to make roast duck.

Roast duck is different from Peking duck. Peking duck only needs to be air-dried, but roast duck needs to be marinated. The opening is tied up, air is blown under the skin with a bamboo tube, and the skin is scalded like Peking duck. It is then set aside to dry while the marinade for Peking duck is prepared.

The sauce is made with one spoonful of five-spice powder, one spoonful of sand ginger powder, and seasonings such as scallions, ginger, garlic, salt, and sugar. Finally, sesame paste is added. This sauce is then spread inside the duck and rubbed repeatedly to infuse the flavor before sealing the opening with bamboo skewers.

After marinating, apply the crispy skin glaze all over the duck, just like you would with roast duck. Then set the duck aside to air dry.

The biggest difference between roast duck and Peking duck is the marinating process. In addition, Peking duck is boiled in hot broth and roasted from the inside, while roast duck is roasted entirely. This results in two completely different flavors.

Yunyin hung the marinated ducks one by one on bamboo poles and set them aside to air dry.

The ducks were taken to air dry, and Yunyin went to the field to pick some radishes and cabbages. She had planted a batch of radishes and cabbages before, and although it wasn't the time of Frost's Descent yet and the radishes and cabbages weren't as sweet, they were still fine for making pickles.

Wash the radishes and cabbages thoroughly, remove any dead or withered leaves, cut off the radish greens, and place them on a winnowing basket to dry. These are good things; they can be used to make sauerkraut.

Of course, the most suitable vegetable for making sauerkraut is mustard greens. Yunyin didn't grow this vegetable before, but the nearby villages grew a lot of it. Every year when the mustard greens ripen, every household makes sauerkraut so that they have vegetables to eat even in winter.

Yunyin naturally wanted to do it too. She planned to sell the roast duck, buy some mustard greens from the villagers, and cook together.

Make kimchi today, it's quick and we can eat it tomorrow. Kimchi with roast duck rice, plus a fried egg, is a perfect match.

Making kimchi is simple, but making it delicious requires a lot of effort. The amount of salt and sugar to add, as well as the preparation beforehand, are all essential.

Yunyin is going to make three kinds of kimchi this time. Two of them will be pickled directly, while the other will need to be sun-dried and then pickled.

She cut the washed radish and cabbage, separated them, and used salt to draw out the moisture. She then rinsed them with cooled boiled water to remove the salt, put them in a jar, added cooled boiled water, peppercorns, ginger, garlic, salt, and sugar, and finally poured in rice wine. She sealed the jar and placed it in a cool place, where it would be ready to eat in about three days.

Yunyin soaked the radishes and cabbage, then got some more radishes, diced them, salted them to draw out the moisture, washed them clean, put them in a winnowing basket, and put them in the sun to dry. She used them to make a cold dish the next day.

The sun at this time is no longer as scorching as in the sweltering summer, so the dried radishes dried in this weather won't lose moisture quickly, and they taste very crisp when eaten cold.

After drying the radishes, Yunyin put away the raisins and persimmons she had dried earlier. The persimmons were already quite soft to the touch; after being sealed in jars and stored for a while, they would develop a white frost on top, making them both beautiful and delicious.

Yunyin went to the warehouse and took out the persimmon peels that had been dried earlier. She layered the persimmon peels with the dried persimmons, and soon filled several jars. Zheng Guilan saw this, washed her hands, and came over to help. The two of them packed all the dried persimmons together.

Dried persimmons need to be stored in a well-ventilated and dry place. Yunyin called Ma Hao and the others to put these dried persimmons back on the shelves in the warehouse, where they would be less likely to come into contact with moisture and would be easier to preserve. She labeled the jars with names and dates so that she could check them later.

Looking at the densely packed bottles and jars on the shelves, dried fruits and vegetables, and various kinds of wine on the ground, Yunyin felt very satisfied. Like a little squirrel, she worked hard to store all kinds of food and make full preparations for the cold winter.

After tidying up the warehouse, Yunyin locked the door and came out. She returned to the lobby and, looking at the empty hall, asked Cheng Yong, "Have fewer people been coming to eat lately?"

Cheng Yong flipped through the ledger and looked at it. "It's a bit less than before, but the number of passing caravans is about the same. The students are fewer. It's the end of the month now, and the county school has exams, so many students aren't going out anymore. It should get better after these few days."

Yunyin: "Yes, I forgot. Song Shi told me before he left that he wouldn't be coming to paint during his next day off because he had to prepare for his exams."

"Then I'll recommend my new roast duck to them after their exams. I can also make more dried radish. The students at the county school are probably tired of mushroom sauce; it's time for them to try a different kind of pickle."

Cheng Yong: "There shouldn't be a shortage of dried radish in the county, I don't know if they like to eat it."

Yunyin wasn't worried. Different people make dried radish with different textures, and dried radish is much cheaper than mushroom sauce. Many people who are short of money can afford it. It's a cheap product and it's great to eat with steamed buns.

"I plan to eat the radishes in the field after the first frost. They're especially delicious when stewed with mutton then. As for now, I'll have Zhang Lin go and buy some."

"What does my wife want me to buy?" Zhang Lin had just come in from the courtyard carrying pots and pans when he heard Yunyin call his name. Without even putting the things down, he quickly said, "I'll go in a bit."

Yunyin told him to put the things back in the kitchen, and when he returned, she said, "I'm planning to have you go to town later to buy some radishes and cabbages. I'm planning to make a lot of pickled vegetables and dried radishes."

Zhang Lin wiped his hands and said, "Okay, I'll go check out the surrounding villages this afternoon. I'm sure I can buy a lot."

Yunyin: "You drive the cart there. By the way, see if anyone grows taro. If so, buy some too. Taro can be stored, so you can buy some from several places and store some for us."

Zhang Lin nodded in agreement. After finishing his meal, he went to the stable to fetch the horses, loaded them into the carriage, and headed towards the nearby village.

After Zhang Lin left, Yunyin wanted to make some more pickles when she noticed someone coming to eat. She saw that the person was a stranger, dressed differently from people from the Central Plains. He had various long braids on his head, wore a shawl, and the patterns on his clothes were different from what she usually saw. There were also several men following behind him. She perked up and went forward to greet him, saying, "Please come in, guest."

The man in the lead looked around and said in surprise, "When did a restaurant appear here? I didn't even know."

Yunyin smiled and explained, "It's about this year's events. I suppose the guest didn't take this route this year."

He placed the knife on the seat, gestured for his brother to sit down, looked at Yunyin, then at Cheng Yong at the counter, and said with his head held high, "Bring one of each of your signature dishes."

Yunyin pointed to the sign behind her and said, "Our specialty here is various seafood, and we also have different dishes made with chicken, duck, fish, and meat."

She told him about the dishes she had recently cooked. The man was surprised that this small restaurant had so many dishes, many of which he had never heard of before. He first ordered the signature dishes, pickled fish and squirrel fish, then ordered braised pork, which was good with rice. He also ordered two servings of steamed pork with rice flour, which he heard was very popular, and a lot of vegetarian dishes.

After Yunyin finished ordering, she asked Cheng Yong to greet them while she went back to the kitchen to cook with Feng Hai.

Cheng Yong served tea to the group and casually said, "Guests, you're heading to Chang'an, right? Is it really worth going to Chang'an in this weather? I've heard it's going to be a harsh winter this year. If you're going to Chang'an, you should go sooner rather than later, otherwise you might have to spend the winter there."

The leading man paused slightly in his tea-serving hand, then beckoned to Cheng Yong, "Young master, come and speak with me. May I ask where you obtained this information?"

Cheng Yong sat down at his table. "It was someone here who knows astronomy who told you this. I'm just reminding you that if it really is a cold winter, you should prepare early. It would be unfortunate if you were stranded on the road."

"What is your name, sir? My name is Zaxi. Please tell me your name in detail."

Cheng Yong explained the matter to Zaxi in detail, and the more Zaxi listened, the more he felt that this matter was of great importance. His brother behind him also frowned and asked him, "Brother, are we still going to Chang'an?"

Zaxi pondered for a long time, then sighed and said, "What will we do with the things we brought if we don't go to Chang'an? Besides, the cold winter may not affect us there, so there's no need to worry so much."

When Cheng Yong heard him mention his hometown, he quickly asked, "Are you from Nanzhao or Tubo?" Their group was dressed in a mixed style, with both Nanzhao and Tubo influences, making it difficult to distinguish them by their clothing alone.

Zaxi nodded to Cheng Yong and said, "We are from Nanzhao. Every year we transport a batch of goods to Chang'an. We didn't expect to encounter such a cold winter this year. We don't know if it will affect our hometown."

Upon hearing that he was from Nanzhao, Cheng Yong relaxed and comforted him, saying, "Then you don't need to worry too much. Even if it's winter in Jiannan Road, it won't affect your hometown. You just need to pay close attention to the weather on the road." He remembered that Zaxi had just said he was going to Chang'an to sell goods and asked curiously, "What are you going to Chang'an to sell?"

After being comforted by Cheng Yong, Zaxi finally felt relieved. "We're going to Chang'an to sell ham. The ham from our hometown is especially good. Besides the people of Nanzhao eating it themselves, we also select a batch to sell to Chang'an. We can make a lot of money from it."

Yunyin, who had just entered from outside the courtyard, overheard this question: "You sell ham?"

When Zaxi saw Yunyin, his attention was immediately drawn to the fish in her hand. He swallowed hard and said, "Yes, the ham from my hometown is especially famous. Haven't you heard of it?"

Yunyin had heard of the fame of Xuanwei ham from Yunnan and Jinhua ham in modern times. She wondered how the ham he sold tasted.

She put the vegetables down, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "I wonder if you sell your ham?"

Zaxi asked in surprise, "You want to buy ham?"

"Do you only sell your ham in Chang'an?" Yunyin stared at Zaxi and asked, "If it's delicious, I plan to buy more."

Zaxi finally realized what was happening and said to his brother beside him, "Go and get a ham so that my wife can have a good look at it."

The man quickly came over from outside, holding a ham wrapped in oiled paper. It was shaped like a pipa (a Chinese lute), with a brownish-yellow skin that was very thin. When cut open, you could see that the meat inside was very tender, with a reddish color and a glossy sheen.

Yunyin cut off a piece and tasted it. The meat was indeed very tender, oily but not greasy, and very fragrant. At the end, she could taste a hint of sweetness. It was no worse than the ham she had eaten before.

She put down the ham and began asking about the price, "How much is this ham?"

Zaxi didn't expect her to actually want to buy them. "It's fate that we met you today, so I'll give you the price in Nanzhao. Two strings of cash per leg. How many do you want?"

Yunyin knew that a leg weighed about 10 jin (5 catties). She calculated that it was 50 wen more expensive per jin than fresh meat, which was not a very expensive price. She smiled and said, "Then thank you very much. Give me five."

Zaxi took the silver from Yunyin, examined it carefully, and found nothing wrong. He then asked his brother to bring her four more hams. Having sold five at once, the group relaxed and enjoyed their meal.

Yunyin was also very happy to have bought good ham, and asked Zaxi, "Do you go to Chang'an every year around this time?"

Tashi: "Yes, every year during this festival we slaughter the black pigs we raise, and use the hind legs to make ham. After smoking, it is aged in a cellar for three years before it is sold. So don't be fooled by the high price, because it takes three years to make, so the price is not that expensive."

Yunyin naturally knew that the price was actually quite cheap. The ham she used when making Yan Cai before was made by locals and cost two strings of cash. She said to Zaxi, "I mainly want to know if you go to Chang'an every year, so that I can buy ham from you again in the future."

Zaxi was surprised that she had already planned for next year. He grinned and said, "Don't worry, we'll pass through here again next year. Your food is so delicious, even better than what I had in Chang'an last year. We'll pass through here again next year just for this food."

Zaxi's brothers nodded repeatedly, their hands moving swiftly, and the dishes on the table were quickly devoured by them.

After finishing his meal, Zaxi noticed a security escort agency's flag hanging on the counter and asked curiously, "Miss Yun, do you still provide escort services here?"

Yunyin nodded and said, "I have a partnership with Weiyuan Escort Agency, so I can take on some escort orders."

Zaxi looked at his brothers and, seeing that they all agreed, asked, "I wonder if you could help deliver a message? I'm still a little worried about home and would like to ask your escort agency to send a letter back to inform my family that we may not be able to return until after spring, so they don't need to worry."

Yunyin looked at Cheng Yong, and seeing him nod, she smiled and said, "Of course, no problem. Come over and register your information, and we'll help you deliver the letter."

After Zaxi and the others left, Yunyin handed the letter and money to Cheng Yong, asking, "Are you able to go to Nanzhao?"

Cheng Yong nodded and said, "We have the necessary travel documents, so we can still go to Nanzhao. Of course, we can't go to Tibet from Dazhao, but going to Tibet from Nanzhao is not a problem. Tibet and Dazhao have a tense relationship, so we generally don't go to Tibet."

“Even the Nanzhao Kingdom is visited less often. Recently, the route to the Western Regions has been the most frequent. With more people, there is more business, and naturally, more money is made.”

Yunyin: "I see. So who do you plan to send?"

Cheng Yong: "Let the brothers from the Mianzhou Escort Agency make a trip. Delivering the message is not a difficult task; one person is enough."

Seeing that he had arranged everything in an orderly manner, Yunyin did not ask any more questions. She took out one of the hams she had just bought and put it aside, while hanging the other four hams on the beams of the warehouse to prevent them from being eaten by rats.

Seeing Yunyin bustling around so happily, Cheng Yong couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Are you so happy to have bought ham?"

Yunyin hummed a tune and said, "Of course, this ham tastes really good. I'm sure the ham mooncakes I make next year will be even better. I'm actually not very satisfied with this year's ham mooncakes. They're not as good as the ones I made before, even though everyone praised them. But when I make them again next year, you'll be able to taste the difference."

The same food made with ingredients of different qualities will indeed taste different. Of course, a skilled chef may be able to narrow the difference, but Yunyin is not a professional chef after all. She is still learning. The fact that she has this skill now is already a testament to her talent.

She needs to work harder to improve her culinary skills. Only when she can make delicacies from cabbage and radishes will her cooking skills be truly refined.

Cheng Yong didn't quite understand Yun Yin's strict requirements for herself. He only felt that the dishes Yun Niangzi was making now were already rare delicacies. He shook his head and said, "This ham is so expensive, it seems it can only be sold to the rich people in the county. Is Yun Niangzi planning to use this as the main dish?"

Yunyin shook her head. "The main dish is still fish. I put a lot of bass in the pond in the mountains. We live near water, so fish and duck are easy to get and fresh. The ham is just to add a different flavor."

As the two were talking, Zhang Lin returned in the carriage. Yunyin stopped talking with Cheng Yong and went to check the goods in the carriage. They had bought a lot of cabbage and radishes, as well as a lot of taro. Looking at the several large baskets of taro, she asked, "What's the price of these taro?"

"It's very cheap, only 3 coins a pound." Zhang Lin unloaded the goods, put the cart away, and continued, "We live near water, and the climate is humid, which is very suitable for taro to grow. Taro is a staple food for many families, so many people grow it. I took a walk around the village this time, and almost every household grows a lot of taro."

"Since we can't plant winter wheat this year, many families are planning to plant more taro next year. Yun Niangzi, should we plant some too next year?"

Yunyin picked up a taro to examine it. The taro here is generally small, but the yield is very high. Zhang Lin said that one mu of land can yield about 10 shi. Moreover, taro is drought-resistant and flood-resistant, and it is very easy to grow. It can be grown even in barren mountainous areas and is also a relief food in famine years.

She put down the taro and said, "We can plant some next year. We have a lot of barren land, and the harvest from other crops is generally not good. We can try planting taro. Anyway, we have ditches and we don't lack water."

Yunyin asked Zhang Lin to move the baskets of taro to a shady place and lay them on the ground to dry. This way, the moisture in the taro would slowly evaporate, allowing it to be preserved better and, of course, taste sweeter.

There are too many taro to eat, so the rest need to be stored. However, taro has a high water content and is not as easy to store as wheat or rice. But drying it out will not be a problem for it to last through the winter.

Yunyin picked out some average-looking ones and put them aside, then said to everyone, "Let's have taro rice tonight."

Zhang Lin said with a bitter face, "Taro rice is tastier than wheat rice, but it's still not as good as steamed buns or rice."

Ma Hao glared at Zhang Lin, "You've only had a few good days, and you don't even want to eat taro rice. I think you should be punished by not eating dinner tonight."

Zhang Lin scratched his head and said, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have complained about the taro rice. I'll eat whatever Lady Yun makes. Please don't stop me from eating."

Ma Hao said fiercely, "Hurry up and help Lady Yun wash the taro. Don't you have any sense of propriety?"

Zhang Lin, thoroughly scolded by Ma Hao, quickly snatched the taro from Yun Yin's hand and began washing it vigorously at the well.

Yunyin patted Ma Hao on the shoulder and said, "Don't scare him, he didn't do it on purpose."

Ma Hao shrugged and said, "Yun Niangzi is too easy to talk to. We still need to keep a tight rein on them, otherwise they won't take you seriously. My elder brother asked me to take good care of you, so I naturally can't let him down."

Mentioning Fu Wang, Yunyin was curious about where he was now and when he would return. She asked, "Hasn't Fu Wang written to you?"

Ma Hao shook his head and said, "Sending messages is too much trouble. People who go out usually don't send messages back unless something major happens."

Yunyin expressed her understanding, and sighed, "I hope he can come back before it snows, otherwise we won't see each other again until next year."

Cheng Yong walked over and said, "Judging by the days, they should be on their way back. Don't worry, Madam Yun, they know this road well."

Yunyin's worries were of no use; she could only hope that Fu Wang's trip would be uneventful. Seeing that Zhang Lin had already washed the taro, she called Zheng Guilan to peel the taro together and prepare the ingredients for the taro rice.

Taro rice is actually quite simple to make. Peel the taro and cut it into cubes. Soak the mushrooms and dried shrimp, add minced meat, green peas and other ingredients to the pot and stir-fry. Add salt and soy sauce to taste, then pour the rice into the pot and add water to cook together.

This dish is perfect for when you're feeling lazy. A bowl of taro rice has both vegetables and rice, and it tastes delicious. When Yunyin takes it off the heat, sprinkle some chopped green onions on top for an extra touch of scallion flavor.

She took out bowls to serve rice, each containing a generous amount of taro. The taro absorbed the oil from the meat, becoming even smoother. The mushrooms and dried shrimp blended together to enhance the umami flavor, and the rice, soaked in the broth, became even more flavorful and thick.

She placed the taro rice in front of everyone, saying, "Look how my taro rice is."

Zhang Lin stared at the bowl of glistening taro rice, saying, "Miss Yun, I shouldn't have underestimated your skills. You can even turn radish into shredded swallow's nest. How could I say that taro rice isn't delicious? It looks so appetizing!"

The others also picked up their chopsticks and started eating. The rice absorbed the essence of various ingredients, making it very flavorful, with both salty and savory notes. The taro was soft, glutinous, and rich, and could be eaten as a meal or as a side dish.

Because of the taro, you can save a lot of rice, making it both delicious and economical.

After finishing a bowl of rice, Feng Hai went to get another bowl and said to Yun Yin, "Yun Niangzi, you'll be harvesting cotton in a couple of days, and you'll be in charge of their meals then, right? I think this dish is perfect. It's quick to make and tastes great, so I'm sure they'll like it."

Yunyin raised an eyebrow and said, "You guessed right. I plan to make taro rice and braised chicken with taro. That should be a decent meal."

Zhang Lin: "The starting point and the ending point are about the same, but the food is too lavish."