Chapter 84 The Snail Rice Noodle Incident

The next day, just as dawn broke, Lin Yao went to check on the snails in the basin. After soaking in salt water overnight, the snails had expelled a lot of mud and sand, leaving a thin layer of mud and sand at the bottom of the basin. She poured the snails into clean water and rinsed them repeatedly until there was no more sediment at the bottom of the basin when she changed the water, before taking them out to drain.

In the kitchen, Wang Xiaoyu was adding firewood to the stove when he saw Lin Yao carrying in snails. His eyes lit up: "Master, are we really making snail rice noodles today?"

“Of course it is.” Lin Yao poured the snails into a large basin, picked up scissors, and cut off the tails of each snail one by one. “If you cut off the tails, the broth can seep in, and it will be easier to suck out the meat when you eat it.” She cut quickly, and in no time, she had piled up almost half a basin of cut snails. Looking at the full basin of snails, she suddenly decided to set aside half of them and make stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots.

Zhao Niangzi, who was standing to the side, had already chopped the pork bones into large pieces, blanched them, put them into a clay pot, added enough water, brought them to a boil, and then simmered them over low heat. The bone broth gradually turned milky white.

Lin Yao poured in most of the cut snails, then grabbed a handful of star anise, bay leaves, and cardamom, wrapped them in gauze, and threw them into the pot. "These bones need to be stewed for two hours to extract the flavor from the marrow so that the soup will be flavorful."

While the bone broth was simmering, Lin Yao prepared the remaining snails. She blanched them in boiling water, saying, "These will be used to make stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots."

She poured some rapeseed oil into the wok, and after the oil was hot, she threw in a few crushed garlic cloves and dogwood leaves. After the aroma was released, she first added the pickled bamboo shoots and stir-fried them until fragrant, and then added the snails.

"This dish needs to be stir-fried quickly over high heat so that the snail meat is tender." She added two spoonfuls of soy sauce and a little sugar, and finally drizzled a spoonful of rice wine to remove any fishy smell and enhance the aroma. After stir-frying for a while, a sour, spicy and delicious aroma spread, even more intense and direct than the soup flavor of snail rice noodles.

Wang Xiaoyu watched from the side, swallowing hard. Lin Yao served the stir-fried bamboo shoots and snails into a blue and white porcelain plate. The bright red broth coated the bamboo shoots and snail meat, making it look incredibly appetizing.

Just as the stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots was finished, the bone broth in the casserole was almost ready. Lin Yao took out the gauze bag, added three large spoonfuls of chili oil to the casserole, and slowly stirred it with a long-handled spoon. The red oil spread along the surface of the soup, and the aroma immediately intensified. She then sliced ​​some ginger, garlic, and dogwood, sautéed them in the hot oil until fragrant, and poured them into the casserole, stir-frying them together with the snails. She then poured in rice wine to remove any fishy smell, and the aroma of the wine mixed with the snails wafted out of the kitchen, attracting frequent inquiries from the customers in the front hall.

Now, Liu Xu is very adept at handling customer inquiries, answering questions while also promoting the dish: "This rich aroma is the snail rice noodles the shopkeeper mentioned yesterday. But today we've also made a new dish called stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots! It's truly a heavenly delicacy, one that will leave you wanting more. It's just a pity that we didn't receive many snails today. The shopkeeper said that to thank everyone for their patronage, anyone who orders snail rice noodles will receive a small dish of stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots. Would you like to order one?"

Those who had tried the stir-fried pork belly with pickled bamboo shoots yesterday naturally wouldn't miss such a good opportunity and eagerly ordered the dish. The rest, who didn't know what pickled bamboo shoots were, planned to wait and see.

In the kitchen, the preparation of the snail rice noodle soup has entered its final stage.

"The pickled bamboo shoots need to be stir-fried to be flavorful." Lin Yao started another pot, poured in twice as much oil as she usually does for stir-frying, and then poured in the thinly sliced ​​pickled bamboo shoots. The aroma of sour and spicy flavors filled the air. She kept stirring until the bamboo shoots were glossy with oil before taking them out and setting them aside.

The dried bean curd sticks and fried peanuts were prepared last night. The dried bean curd sticks were soaked in warm water until soft, then dried and cut into small pieces before being deep-fried. They were taken out the moment they puffed up, turning golden and crispy, crumbling at the slightest touch. The peanuts were slowly roasted over low heat until fragrant, sprinkled with a little salt, and made a crunchy sound when chewed.

The snail soup in the casserole was boiling. Lin Yao tasted the soup and added a spoonful of rock sugar to the pot to neutralize the spiciness.

She poured the soaked dried rice noodles into boiling water, stirred them with chopsticks, and once the noodles were cooked enough to be easily broken, she immediately scooped them into cold water to cool them down, making them smoother and more chewy. She put the cooled rice noodles into a bowl, which was already lined with pickled bamboo shoots, dried bean curd sticks, pickled cowpeas, and greens. She then poured in the piping hot snail broth, sprinkled on fried peanuts and chopped green onions, and a bowl of delicious snail rice noodles was ready. A small dish of stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots was also placed on the side, creating a charming contrast.

As the group carried the snail rice noodles out, a customer smelled the aroma, immediately frowned, covered his nose, and shouted at the waiter, "Did you spill the swill bucket in your shop? This smell is too strong!"

Wang Xiaoyu blushed and was about to explain when Lin Yao stopped her. She placed the tray on the empty table and announced loudly, "Gentlemen, please forgive me. This is our newest snail rice noodle dish. The pickled bamboo shoots inside are freshly pickled this spring. It smells a bit pungent, but it tastes delicious. Today is the first day of sale, so it's a special introductory price of only thirty coins, plus a free dish of stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots. Would you like to try it?"

A peddler carrying a load on his shoulder pole had just entered when he was choked by the smell and sneezed. When he heard Lin Yao say that she was giving away stir-fried snails, he immediately went over and said, "Is what you're saying true, miss? I've seen similar food in the Lingnan area. It has this strange smell, but it's really delicious! Give me a bowl!"

Some customers were not impressed. One customer dressed in silk said, "What good thing needs to attract people with a bad smell? It's probably just leftovers that can't be sold."

“This gentleman’s words are biased.” Xu Zhiheng put down his chopsticks and pointed to the snail rice noodles in his bowl. Lin Yao had instructed Azhu to serve them to this table in advance. “This food looks rough, but it is actually very particular. The bone broth has been simmered for two hours and the pickled bamboo shoots have been pickled for half a month. The taste is incomparable to ordinary food.”

The peddler was already slurping up the soup, sweating profusely from the spiciness but unwilling to stop: "This is the taste! The kick of the pickled bamboo shoots and the freshness of the snails are all in the soup, even better than what I've had in Lingnan! Shopkeeper, give me another plate of stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots, that would be the perfect combination!"

The old man at the next table, his mouth watering at the peddler's food, hesitated before saying to the waiter, "Give me a bowl to try too. If it's not good, I won't come back next time." When the snail rice noodles were served, he carefully picked up a strand, blew on it, and put it in his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise. The slippery rice noodles, coated in piping hot broth, were sour and spicy with an indescribable freshness. The moment he chewed on the pickled bamboo shoots, he felt a surge of energy. All his previous disgust vanished. "Unbelievable! I've never seen noodles that smell so bad but taste so delicious!"

Seeing everyone enjoying their meal so much, the guest dressed in silk felt a little embarrassed, but still stubbornly said, "A bunch of country bumpkins, treating every strange flavor like a treasure."

Lin Yao's expression turned cold. She had initially thought that everyone had different tastes, and it was normal for some people not to like the taste of pickled bamboo shoots. But this person's own dislike was one thing, but how could he belittle other customers like this? She said in a deep voice, "To each their own. If you don't like this pickled bamboo shoot, sir, you don't have to order it. Why belittle my customers? Ingredients have no inherent value, and everyone has their own preferences for sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors. So what if they are country folk? They work with their own hands, eat with peace of mind, and live honestly. They are far more respectable than some people who are all show and no substance but have narrow minds."

These words carried weight, and the front hall fell silent immediately. The customer in the silk robe blushed and paled in turns, as if he had been slapped in the face in public. He forced a smile and said, "I was just saying it casually. How dare you, a shopkeeper, talk back to your customer like that?"

“I run a shop and do business, but I will not tolerate anyone looking down on others here.” Lin Yao’s eyes were clear and bright, showing no intention of backing down. “My shop is small and cannot accommodate such a distinguished guest as you. If you feel wronged, you are welcome to find another restaurant.”

Xu Zhiheng added from the side, "Manager Lin is right. The way of eating is to follow one's heart, and there is no distinction between high and low, noble and base. This gentleman's words just now were indeed inappropriate and made him seem petty."

The peddler put down his bowl and chimed in, "That's right! We're eating heartily, what's it to him? So what if we're just country bumpkins? He may be dressed smartly, but he's not as kind-hearted as us rough folks!"

Seeing everyone siding with Lin Yao, the customer in the silk robe immediately lost his confidence. His lips moved, but he didn't say anything. Feeling the strange looks from those around him, he couldn't bear the embarrassment any longer. He abruptly stood up, flung his sleeves, and said, "Hmph, what a lousy shop! They look down on people!" With that, he turned and walked out without looking back.

Seeing that he left so decisively, Lin Yao assumed he was just a picky diner. She cupped her hands to the guests and said, "I apologize for the commotion. This little incident has spoiled everyone's enjoyment. I will send each table a dish of stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots as an apology."

Afu had noticed this person long ago. Seeing him slink away, she went up to Lin Yao and said, "Manager, when he came in, he was full of complaints about our restaurant. He kept saying the place was too small and there were oil stains on the tables." Afu was furious. "That's utter nonsense! Chunlai did all the cleaning in our restaurant. How could there be oil stains? I think he's more like someone sent by another restaurant to tear down their signboard."

“Brother Afu is right.” Xu Zhiheng walked to the counter without anyone noticing, startling the two people who were talking.

Lin Yao asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

Xu Zhiheng said, "That man is Li Siliang, the young master of Xiangmanlou."

Lin Yao pondered for a while before remembering the matchmaker's visit to propose marriage before the New Year. She pursed her lips and said, "So it was him."

"Is Miss Lin very dissatisfied with him?" Xu Zhiheng asked, noticing her displeased expression.

Lin Yao shook her head: "What's this talk of satisfaction or dissatisfaction? I'm not going to marry him. I just think he's incredibly rude, talking nonsense in someone else's restaurant." Her eyes darted around, and she laughed out loud, "Could it be that you feel embarrassed by my rejection and are coming to vent your displeasure? Well, that's exactly what you said, you're as petty as a needle."

Seeing that she was laughing carefree and didn't seem to care about the matter, Xu Zhiheng smiled along with her.

Jin Yu watched from the side, feeling puzzled: What are you laughing at? But speaking of which, the other day my lord insisted on going to Xiangmanlou. Was it just to see what Li Siliang looked like? I really don't understand him anymore.

Xu Zhiheng left the restaurant in a good mood and bought malt candy for the children on his way back to the martial arts school.

"Why is my lord in such a good mood today?" Jin Yu couldn't help but ask.

Xu Zhiheng paused, "Aren't I in a good mood every day?"

Jin Yu shook her head: "No, ever since you came out of the restaurant, my lord's lips have been drooping."

Xu Zhiheng slowed down his fanning motion, his mind filled with Lin Yao's composed and respectful demeanor when speaking to Li Siliang earlier that day, but he said aloud, "Perhaps it's because the snail rice noodles I ate today suited my taste."

On the other side, Li Siliang, who had fled in disgrace, felt that he had lost face and could not swallow his anger. When he returned home, he threw a tantrum and smashed cups, dishes and flower pots all over the floor.

The maids and servants standing by didn't dare to step forward to persuade him. They could only secretly invite Chun Tao, who was usually the most favored by Li Siliang, over. Although Chun Tao was still nominally the young master's concubine, she was extremely favored by him. It was feared that after the young master married his principal wife, he would elevate her to the status of a concubine.

Chun Tao already knew what had happened that day on the way, but she was still shocked when she saw the mess on the ground. "My lord, please calm down. You'll hurt yourself if you get angry." As she spoke, she gently patted Li Siliang to calm him down.

Li Siliang slapped Chun Tao's hand away, his chest heaving violently, the veins on his forehead throbbing: "Get angry and hurt yourself? The humiliation I suffered in that shabby shop today was more disgusting than swallowing flies! A lowly woman selling food dares to talk back to me in public? And those country bumpkins even joined in mocking me, do they really think I, Li Siliang, am easy to bully?"

Chun Tao squatted down and slowly picked up the broken pieces, her voice still as gentle as water: "Why should my lord get angry with those uncouth people? They deserve nothing more than cornbread and arguments in small restaurants. They can't compare to your noble status."

As she picked up the shards of porcelain from the ground, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Li Siliang's expression had softened slightly, and continued, "That Manager Lin is just a country bumpkin. What does she know about etiquette? She probably saw that the young master was dressed so well, so she deliberately said some tough words to put on a show and try to appear capable in front of those poor scholars."

"Show off your skills?" Li Siliang sneered, grabbing the teacup on the table to smash it again, but Chun Tao gently pressed his wrist down.

“Think about it carefully, my lord,” Chun Tao said, taking the teacup and placing it back on the table. “What foundation does that little shop have? It’s just relying on a few novel dishes to fool the villagers. If you’re really angry, you can simply stop going there in the future, or find a few people to go and support her. Doesn’t she like to care what customers say? She can manage one person, but what about a group?”

Chun Tao had long heard that her master had hired a matchmaker to propose marriage to Lin Yao for her young master. Today, her master suddenly said he wanted to visit the young lady's restaurant. She was worried that if he saw her youth and beauty, he might change his mind and want to marry her. That would make her life miserable. While her master didn't have a wife, he could tolerate her, but if he did, not only would his wife not tolerate her, but her master wouldn't let her stay in the mansion to avoid causing trouble. She was determined not to let her master have his way.

Li Siliang's eyes lit up, his anger gradually turning into a sinister glint: "You're right. Why should I personally deal with such a nobody? A food vendor dares to tell customers what to do? Does he think he's some kind of noblewoman?"

He gripped Chun Tao's chin, his tone fierce, "I'll make sure she knows that not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can open a shop in this town."

Chun Tao leaned against him and said in a sweet voice, "My lord is wise."

The next day, when the restaurant opened, Afu initially thought that the popularity of the snail rice noodles from the previous day had attracted a large number of customers, and he was initially very happy. However, it turned out that these people had come to rob the restaurant.

Zhang Ou and his group of eight sat at two tables. After sitting down, each of them ordered a bowl of snail rice noodles, as well as stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots and stir-fried pork belly with pickled bamboo shoots. The table was full of dishes made with pickled bamboo shoots.

Zhang Ou picked up a piece of stir-fried pork belly with pickled bamboo shoots, chewed it twice, and then spat it onto the table. "Waiter, are you pickling these bamboo shoots with swill? They smell so sour!" He spoke loudly, deliberately making sure that the customers at the surrounding tables could hear him.

The henchman immediately chimed in, "Exactly! I don't think this snail meat is fresh either. It might have been picked from a stinky ditch. What if we get a stomachache from eating it?"

Afu's face turned red with anger: "Our pickled bamboo shoots are all pickled with well water, and the snail meat is also caught by the children from clean streams. The water is changed every day to remove the sand, so how could it not be fresh!"

"Oh, you dare to talk back?" Zhang Ou slammed his hand on the table. "I've eaten more delicacies than you've ever seen. Would I lie to you? Quickly call your manager over and tell her that a customer complained the food wasn't fresh, and have her come and apologize in person!"

Hearing the commotion, Lin Yao took off her apron, wiped her hands, and came out from the kitchen. She glanced at Zhang Ou's table, assuming that since it was Zhang Ou's first time tasting sour food, he didn't know it tasted like this. Her tone was calm: "What do you find not fresh, sir?"

Seeing that she was a young woman, Zhang Ou became even more arrogant: "Nothing here is fresh! This pickled bamboo shoot has a weird taste, and the snail meat is bitter. I think you're just trying to fool people with this junk!"

Lin Yao's expression changed. "The dishes in our shop are all made fresh on the same day. The sourness of the pickled bamboo shoots is a unique flavor after fermentation. And the bitterness of the snail meat that you mentioned is impossible. These snails are kept in clean water in the backyard before being cooked. We would never use stale snails."

Zhang Ou didn't care what she said and slammed his hand on the table: "You little wench, you've got a sharp tongue! I said it's not fresh, and that's final!" He winked at his henchmen behind him, "Get rid of all this junk, so we can't fool anyone anymore!"

Several henchmen immediately stood up noisily, reaching out to overturn the table. Ah Fu and Ah Zhu, who had been standing beside Lin Yao in case of any unforeseen circumstances, grabbed the edge of the table and pressed it down. Lin Yao was furious: "In broad daylight, you dare to smash up the shop?"

"So what if it gets smashed?" Zhang Ou retorted, "Your shop serves spoiled food and deserves to be smashed!" Just as he finished speaking, a man in shorts entered the shop, and Zhang Ou's henchman immediately stopped him: "This shop uses spoiled pickled bamboo shoots to cook. Eating there will definitely give you diarrhea. Do you still dare to go in?"

The man paused for a moment, looked at Zhang Ou and his group's fierce appearance, and smelled the sour aroma in the shop. After hesitating for a while, he turned and left.

Several more customers wanted to eat, but Zhang Ou and his group coaxed and scared them away. A regular customer couldn't stand it anymore and frowned, saying, "What are you doing? Manager Lin's dishes are very clean. We've been eating here for so long and we're fine."

Zhang Ou glanced at him sideways: "Who do you think you are? Aren't you in cahoots with this shopkeeper, taking bribes to help scam people?"

Another henchman went even further, spewing vulgarities: "Look at what you're wearing! You probably can't afford proper food, so you're eating this rotten pickled bamboo shoots!"

The regular customer, his face flushed from the scolding, ultimately held back, shook his head, and left. The shop already had few customers, and after this commotion, it quickly emptied out, leaving only Zhang Ou and his group in the empty shop.

Lin Yao's face was so dark it could drip water. These people were deliberately trying to cause trouble and ruin her business. "What exactly do you want?"

Zhang Ou crossed his legs and slowly picked his teeth: "I don't want anything, I just can't stand you using spoiled food to cheat people. Either you close down right now, or you obediently kowtow three times to me to apologize, and I might spare you."

"Don't even think about it!" Lin Yao said without hesitation.

Hearing the commotion in the kitchen, Zhao Niangzi handed Xiaoman over to Wang Xiaoyu and quietly slipped out the back door to report to the authorities. However, when she returned with the constables, the men were already gone from the shop.

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Author's Note: [Peeking while covering face] Please add this to your favorites~