Chapter 55 Gastrodia elata and Chicken Soup: Moving Preparations!

Because the shop already had many semi-finished products such as bed boards and pillars, and Lin Yao's desired bunk bed style was simple, requiring no carving or engraving, the process was simple. Xu Mu and the other two worked together skillfully, sawing wood, chiseling tenons, and splicing in one go.

In less than an hour, Xu Mu and his two apprentices had finished making the bed. Of course, more importantly, hunger spurred them on. As the new bed was erected against the wall, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen.

Lin Yao peeked out from the kitchen and saw that Xu Mu and the other two had finished and were resting. "Master Xu, dinner is ready!" Lin Yao took off her apron and instructed Wang Xiaoyu and Su Niang to bring the dishes to the front hall.

As soon as Xu Mugang sat down, Zhang Fan and Zheng Dao eagerly picked up their bowls and chopsticks.

The three dishes on the table looked incredibly appetizing. The stir-fried cabbage with pork belly was glistening with oil, and the tofu with scallions was a beautiful mix of white and green. But the most eye-catching dish was the large plate of fish in the middle. The roasted fish with perilla was still steaming hot, with dogwood and spices sprinkled all over it, making it incredibly fragrant.

Zhang Fan first spotted the tender tofu in the grilled fish, picked up a piece of tofu soaked in the broth, and squinted his eyes in bliss after taking a bite: "This tofu has absorbed all the fish broth, it's even fresher than meat!"

Xu Mu picked up a slice of fish belly meat. The meat was white and tender with a hint of charred aroma. The spiciness of perilla and the aroma of dogwood exploded on his tongue. Qingquan Town is located in Jiangnan, with a well-developed water system. These people have been fishing and catching shrimp in the river since they were young. Grilled fish is not a rare thing. They just skewer it with tree branches and grill it over a fire. They eat it to enjoy the freshness of the fish meat. He never thought it could be done like this.

Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, Yang Ya strode into the shop. He had closed a big deal that day and was there to pack some food to take home and celebrate with his family. As soon as he entered, he was hit by an irresistible aroma. Looking around, he saw the steaming hot food on Xu's wooden table. "Old Xu, what's this rare stuff?" He leaned closer, staring intently at the grilled fish, unconsciously swallowing hard.

Ah Zhu hurriedly explained, "This is grilled fish specially made by the shopkeeper to treat Chef Xu. It's not available for sale yet, but you can..." Before he could finish speaking, Yang Ping plopped down next to Xu Mu, "Old Xu, give me a bite!"

Xu Mu hurriedly blocked the iron pot with his body, placing chopsticks horizontally on the side of the pot: "Go away! This fish isn't even enough to fill these two kids' teeth, why are you getting involved?"

Xu Mu's words had no effect whatsoever. Yang Ping swiftly grabbed a piece of fish tail meat, took a bite, and nodded repeatedly, "Delicious!" Ignoring Xu Mu's glare, he snatched two more pieces before stopping. Finally, he wiped his mouth and said, "A-Zhu, pack me a serving of braised pork and two pounds of braised pork offal! By the way, when do you start selling grilled fish?"

By this time, the front hall had gradually filled with guests. Everyone was already drawn by the aroma and kept looking around. When Yang Ping asked a question, they all perked up their ears.

Just then, Lin Yao came out of the kitchen carrying freshly cooked side dishes. Seeing this, she smiled and replied, "Don't worry, everyone! Tomorrow I'll go to the blacksmith to make a special grilled fish platter. Once the dish is ready, we'll have sour and spicy, garlic, and fragrant spicy flavors all available! Please come and support us then!"

Upon hearing this, the diners cheered, with one smacking his lips and saying, "Just the smell makes me impatient to eat!"

After paying, Yang Ping glanced at Xu Mu again. Xu Mu noticed Yang Ping looking in his direction and, thinking he was going to snatch it again, quickly protected the remaining fish and glared at him fiercely.

Yang Ping chuckled at Xu Mu's possessive behavior, but wasn't annoyed. He patted his stomach and swaggered to the empty table to sit down. "Old Xu, you've always been this stingy since you were a child. How about I treat you to a couple of jugs of wine later?" He beckoned to Lin Yao. "Miss Lin, I heard you're looking to rent a house? There's a detached house on West Street. The front yard can hold a donkey cart, and the back yard has a well. It's perfect for you and your brother to live in."

Lin Yao was surprised that someone had brought her a pillow just when she was sleepy. "Great! My brother and I will go and see that house tomorrow."

As they were talking, Lin Cheng led Lin Song and Li Shi into the shop. Lin Cheng had a towel draped over his shoulder, clearly indicating that he had just finished work at the dock and rushed over.

Seeing the beads of sweat on Lin Cheng's forehead, Lin Yao quickly handed him a damp handkerchief: "Brother, wipe your sweat first. I've made some Gastrodia elata and chicken soup, and I'd like to take it to Grandpa Wu. Shall we go together?"

Lin Cheng took the handkerchief and wiped his face, then looked down and asked Lin Song, who was fiddling with his mini backpack, "Song'er, are you going?"

Lin Song is now setting up a stall at the dock with Lin Cheng, and he inevitably gets bored. So he asked Liang to make this small backpack so that he could bring his favorite toys and the snacks that Lin Yao made for him to the dock.

This bag is designed like a modern drawstring storage bag, but with two shoulder straps added to the back, making it look like a small backpack. It's small enough to be just right for Lin Song to use.

Lin Yao originally wanted to make a drawstring backpack, but because she didn't know much about this before she transmigrated, she couldn't figure out how to design it after thinking for a long time, so she had to settle for second best.

Fortunately, Lin Song liked it very much. He cherished it after receiving it and always carried it himself when he went out, never asking anyone else to help him.

When Lin Song heard his brother ask him the question, although he didn't know any Uncle Wu, he was happy to be with his brother and second sister, so he nodded without thinking.

Grandpa Wu's house was not far from the restaurant, and the group arrived in about fifteen minutes. Lin Cheng knocked on the wooden door, "Who is it?" Mai's voice came from inside. After a short while, the door opened a crack, and as soon as she saw who was outside, Mai quickly opened the door, "Oh, it's Cheng-ge'er, A-Yao!"

Lin Song hid behind Lin Cheng, only his round face showing. When Madam Mai saw him, she was even more delighted: "Is this your little brother? Look at how chubby he is, he's so adorable!"

Lin Song clutched Lin Cheng's clothes and called out in a clear voice, "Hello, Grandma Mai!"

Wu Zhongqiang's cough came from the inner room: "Old woman, who's outside?"

Mrs. Mai quickly stepped aside to let the three of them into the house: "Look at my memory, I was so happy! Come in quickly, it's chilly outside."

Wu Zhongqiang was sitting on a recliner in the yard when he saw Lin Cheng and his sister, and a look of surprise flashed in his cloudy eyes.

Lin Cheng placed the food box on the mottled octagonal table. When he lifted the lid, the aroma of gastrodia elata mixed with the rich fragrance of chicken soup wafted out. "Uncle Wu, this is gastrodia elata chicken soup that my younger sister made. Please try it; it's good for your health."

Wu Zhongqiang stared at the soup in the bowl, his brows twitching slightly. He didn't say anything, turned around and went into the inner room. When he came out, he had a clay figure wrapped in red silk and a small jar in his hand.

Wu Zhongqiang stuffed the red silk bundle into Lin Song's hand, saying, "Take this and play with it."

Lin Song took the red silk package, opened it, and found it was Mohele! This Mohele doll had its hair in two buns and looked adorable. After putting the red silk aside, its chubby little hands began to fiddle with it: "Thank you, Grandpa Wu!"

Wu Zhongqiang handed the small jar to Lin Yao, "This is amber candy. I bought it a few days ago but didn't eat it. Here, take it as a snack."

Seeing Wu Zhongqiang's awkward expression, Mai couldn't help but expose him: "You old codger, you're all toothless, why are you still eating candy?" She turned and stuffed the candy jar into Lin Yao's hands, "It was bought especially for you guys."

Lin Yao opened the small jar; the amber-colored sugar cubes gleamed warmly in the twilight, and the sweet aroma of maltose wafted out. She pinched off a piece and handed it to Lin Song, whose cheeks puffed out as he bit into it, his eyes curving into crescents: "So sweet!"

Wu Zhongqiang stopped talking, picked up his bowl and started drinking the chicken soup. After finishing one bowl, he had another half bowl. Seeing that Wu Zhongqiang was silent, Mai Shi stopped bringing up his shortcomings and picked up the soup that Lin Yao had placed in front of her to drink.

As soon as Mrs. Mai took a sip of soup, she understood why Wu Zhongqiang had finished his bowl so quickly. “Ayao’s soup is really delicious,” she said, adding a piece of chicken to Wu Zhongqiang’s bowl with a spoon. “The meat is also stewed until tender. Eat more and don’t waste Ayao’s good intentions.”

Seeing this, Lin Cheng wanted to add more soup for the two elders, but Madam Mai quickly pressed his hand down: "That's enough! The old man hasn't had such an appetite in a long time, he'll get too full if he drinks any more."

As the three siblings finished their soup with them, dusk had already fallen. Lin Yao got up to pack up the food box: "Uncle Wu, Granny Mai, it's getting late, we should go back to the shop."

Wu Zhongqiang nodded, leaning on his cane, and led them to the corner of the courtyard. Mai Shi then stuffed a bag of "Happy Dumplings" into Lin Song's backpack, saying, "To sweeten your mouth."

When the three returned to the restaurant, the lanterns under the eaves were already lit. As soon as Lin Yao lifted the curtain, she saw Jin Yu leaning against the counter, talking to Wang Zhi about something, which made Wang Zhi roll his eyes twice.

"Young Lady Lin is finally back!" Jin Yu hurriedly greeted her, gently placing the wooden box he was carrying on the table. "My husband said he was very sorry for not being able to attend the opening the day before yesterday, so he prepared a small gift to apologize." He opened the box, revealing a wooden Pixiu sculpture inside. Its eyes were wide open, its body was agile, and its tail feathers were carved in a clear and distinct manner, indicating that it was not cheap.

Many restaurants and taverns display such a feng shui ornament to attract wealth, but Lin Yao did not buy one. This was not only because she believed that it was better to rely on oneself than on heaven and earth, but more importantly because she had already spent all her money and could not afford to buy such ornaments.

Lin Yao was quite pleased to suddenly receive a Pixiu statue. As a businessperson, who doesn't like good fortune? "Young Master Xu, you've gone to so much trouble. This gift is truly invaluable."

Lin Yao instructed Su Niang to pack fried chicken and oyster omelets for Jin Yu. She looked at the food box and recalled Xu Zhiheng and Jin Yu's appetites from the previous visits. Feeling that it wasn't enough, she added a portion of pork belly and a portion of stir-fried pork belly with cabbage. Looking at the full food box, Lin Yao nodded in satisfaction. When she handed it to Jin Yu, Jin Yu's hand drooped slightly.

Lin Yao suddenly remembered that Xu Zhiheng loved spicy food, and hurriedly instructed, "The restaurant is preparing to serve grilled fish, both spicy and sour. When Young Master Xu has some free time, please be sure to come to the restaurant to try the new dishes."

Jin Yu's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly: "I will definitely pass on the message! My husband loves strong flavors, and upon hearing of such a delicacy, he will probably come to visit tomorrow."

After seeing Jin Yu off, Lin Yao placed the Pixiu in the most conspicuous place on the counter.

Money, come on! Money, come on! Money is coming from all directions!

When Jin Yu returned to the Xu residence carrying a full food box, Xu Zhiheng was sitting at his desk wearing an outer robe, with a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his left shoulder. As the study door was pushed open, the candlelight flickered in the night breeze, making Xu Zhiheng's bloodless face appear even paler.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Xu Zhiheng: Wounded and scarred in a corner no one cares about... [bursting into tears]