Chapter 96 Crispy Duck - Close the Shop After This Meal

Linjia Village.

Aunt Liu sat on the edge of the bed, and by the moonlight, she looked at her son, who was sleeping soundly and knew nothing about the matter of increasing taxes, and silently shed tears.

Her husband passed away early, and over the years she has worked like a man, relying on the four acres of land allocated to her by the village, working from dawn till dusk, and gritting her teeth to raise her two children.

But now, taxes have suddenly increased so much. Four mu of land now requires four shi of grain, plus the poll tax. Wu Tong is exactly fifteen this year, precisely the age to pay the poll tax. Even if you beat her to death, she simply couldn't afford both of these.

If they can't pay their taxes, they're doomed.

Aunt Liu's gaze fell on Wu Tong's sleeping face. The child must have been having a sweet dream, because the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.

Either way, I'm going to die. Rather than let my child be tortured to death by the government along with me, I might as well just die now.

The thought, once it popped into her head, spread wildly through her mind. Her hands trembled as she slowly reached for Wu Tong's neck.

As if sensing something in his sleep, Wu Tong frowned and slowly opened his eyes. He looked groggily at his mother, "Mommy's being naughty! If you don't sleep, I won't take you to the market tomorrow!"

When Aunt Liu noticed Wu Tong's movement, she immediately withdrew her hand and forced a smile: "Mom wanted to cover you with a blanket, and you can go to sleep once you're covered."

Wu Tong rolled over, about to go back to sleep, muttering to himself, "I'll sell the vegetables and use the money to make new clothes for my brother and mother..."

Aunt Liu felt a pang in her heart. She gently patted Wu Tong's back and hummed the lullaby she used to use to lull him to sleep, her voice choked with emotion, but she tried her best to remain calm.

Aunt Liu was frugal; even at night, she wouldn't turn on the lights unless there were special circumstances. That's why Wu Tong didn't see her tear-streaked face.

The sudden increase in taxes has put immense pressure on the people of Qingquan Town. Many families are cutting back on spending, preferring to eat coarse rice at home rather than go out to eat. The two restaurants owned by the Lin family, which were once packed with customers, are now deserted, with only a few tables occupied at noon.

Lin Yao frowned as she looked at the few customers in the restaurant that could be counted on two hands.

After lunch, Lin Cheng brought the workers from the workshop and the snail rice noodle shop to the restaurant.

Lin Yao looked at the dozen or so people and said, "Everyone has seen how well the store has been doing lately."

Lin Yao cut to the chase, her gaze sweeping over the group. "With taxes increasing and people running out of money, it's unlikely that restaurants will be able to recover. I've decided to close both shops and the workshop first."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed panic.

"Master, this... this is closed?" Wang Xiaoyu's voice was filled with disbelief. She had followed Lin Yao from the beginning, from setting up a stall to opening a restaurant. She knew how much Lin Yao valued these shops, even though she herself had put a lot of effort into them.

Lin Cheng added from the side, "Don't panic, everyone. The closure is only temporary. Once this period passes and things stabilize, we might be able to reopen."

But these words did not reassure the group much. Ah Zhu, Ah Fu, Su Niang, and Zhao Niangzi exchanged glances, all seeing the worry in each other's eyes.

They were all bought by Lin Yao from slave traders, and they signed life-or-death contracts. In principle, they were Lin family members in life and in death. But now that the shop is closed, they have no work. Are they really going to eat the shopkeeper's food for free?

“Boss,” Ah Zhu spoke first, “the shop is closed, what can we do? We can’t just sit around doing nothing and take advantage of you. If there’s no work, I’ll go chop firewood in the mountains or work as a porter at the docks, I can at least earn some food…”

Lin Yao interrupted him, "You're overthinking it." Lin Yao softened her tone and a smile appeared on her face, "When I bought you, I said that no one in this world is born lowly. Since you've followed me, I won't abandon you."

The restaurant business is bad, and they still have to prepare ingredients every day. If they keep going like this, they will only lose money. It would be better to take a break for a while and wait and see.

However, looking at the uneasy expressions of the people in front of her, Lin Yao knew that they still couldn't stay in the restaurant with a clear conscience.

She pondered for a moment and said, "If you feel you've taken advantage of me, then come to Linjia Village every day to find me and dig wild vegetables for me. If you don't want to, you can stay in the restaurant or workshop. I won't force you."

As long as they have work to do, they have value. Upon hearing this arrangement, everyone finally showed expressions of relief.

Of course, these were all said to the people Lin Yao bought. As for Wang Xiaoyu and Wang Zhi, who were both free, that was not something she could arrange at will.

Wang Xiaoyu naturally followed Lin Yao. As her master's disciple, she went wherever her master was.

As for Wang Zhi, he certainly won't stay.

His position as an accountant was just a front. Now that the situation over there is becoming increasingly tense, and their true intentions will soon be revealed, there's no point in him staying in this small town any longer. So even if this girl hadn't brought it up today, he would have left in a few days anyway.

Before leaving, however, he had to bring some food for his old friend. It wouldn't be right to go empty-handed; he was doing this for his elderly father who was living far away, not for his own enjoyment.

Thinking this, Wang Zhi spoke up: "Ah Yao, do you have any ready-made food in your restaurant? I think your pickled vegetables and braised meats are pretty good, and I'm thinking of taking some with me. It's not that I'm just greedy, but I'm going to stay with an old friend, so I can't go empty-handed. Bringing some home-cooked food will make us seem closer."

Seeing his composed expression, Lin Yao knew that he probably had plans to leave. Since they had met, she replied, "Yes, there are some freshly pickled green beans and bamboo shoots, as well as cured meat and sausages in the storeroom. They are all presentable items."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhi smiled with satisfaction: "Not too much, just enough for two meals. With your skills, you're sure to be praised when you go out."

After packing up what Wang Zhi wanted, Lin Yao looked at the remaining dishes in the restaurant and decided to cook a big meal to encourage everyone.

The more difficult the times, the more we need a boost of energy.

Lin Yao walked around the kitchen, where there were still many fresh ingredients that hadn't been processed yet, including pork belly, chicken, duck, fish, and some vegetables that she had just bought a few days ago. She clapped her hands and said to everyone, "These leftover vegetables are just sitting there anyway, so I'll cook a big meal for everyone today."

Ah Zhu was the first to cheer: "Great! I haven't had the shopkeeper's cooking in so long!" Su Niang and Zhao Niangzi also laughed, and the worries in their eyes dissipated a lot.

The remaining ingredients from both shops were gathered together. Wan Chunsheng cooked snail rice noodles, and Wan Chunlai fried stinky tofu. The pork belly was given to Su Niang to make braised pork, and the fish and vegetables were given to Zhao Niangzi to prepare.

Lin Yao then led Wang Xiaoyu to start preparing today's main event—crispy duck!

She personally buys all the ducks in the kitchen every day; they're plump and perfect for making crispy duck. She first soaks the ducks in clean water for a while to remove the blood.

An hour later, Lin Yao put the duck into the boiling water to blanch it, and a layer of foam quickly rose to the surface.

She skimmed off the foam with a spoon, turned the duck over to ensure it was heated evenly, and after a few moments, took it out, rinsed it with cold water, and dried it again.

Next, Lin Yao prepared to shape the duck.

She used bamboo skewers to hold the duck legs and body in place to prevent them from deforming during frying. Then she hung the duck in a well-ventilated place to dry for half an hour, allowing the skin to become dry. "The drier the skin, the crispier it will be when fried," she told Wang Xiaoyu.

After drying the ducks, Lin Yao poured a lot of oil into the wok. She was making more than one duck today, and if there wasn't enough oil, the taste would be poor.

Lin Yao put the duck into the pot and slowly deep-fried it until the duck was golden brown and reddish, and the skin had a crispy texture.

"Now we need to fry it again to make the skin crispier," Lin Yao said, taking the fried duck out to drain the oil. After the oil temperature rose, she put the duck back into the pot and fried it quickly for a few moments before taking it out.

Finally, she sprinkled some salt and pepper powder on the ducks. And there you have it, fragrant and crispy ducks.

The crispy duck hadn't even been served yet, but its rich, savory aroma filled the kitchen. Lin Yao smelled it but wasn't entirely satisfied; it was a pity there was no cumin powder, as she felt it was missing something.

Lin Yao instructed A-Zhu and A-Fu to put several tables in the front hall together to form a long table, and directed everyone to place the prepared dishes on the long table. Although everyone was puzzled, they did as she said.

Soon, the long table was filled with a dazzling array of dishes: braised fish, grilled fish, pickled fish, snail rice noodles, stinky tofu, crispy duck...

Lin Yao looked at the table of food and nodded in satisfaction. "Today we're having a buffet. Everyone can freely choose what they like to eat, and take as much as they want! Let's eat!"

Crispy duck was the highlight of the long table. Everyone could smell the aroma coming from the kitchen, and sure enough, it was a hit as soon as it was served. The salty, crispy duck skin made a satisfying crunch with every bite, and the rich oil from the duck meat added even more flavor as you chewed.

Watching everyone wolf down their food, her previously heavy mood due to the shop's closure eased considerably. "Everyone, eat slowly, we've prepared plenty of dishes today," Lin Yao said with a smile. "Let's eat our fill today, so we'll have the energy to think about the future."

While munching on a duck wing, Wang Xiaoyu nodded and said, "Master is right! After this period is over, we'll reopen the shop, and it will definitely be more lively than before!"

As the days went by, the deadline for paying taxes drew ever closer, but very few families in any region were able to pay their taxes in full.

The government issued one demand letter after another, and the constables who came to collect the debts became increasingly violent, often resorting to beatings and verbal abuse, and even forcibly seizing the last remaining grain and valuables from the people's homes.

Finally, on a bleak autumn morning, in a small village on the northwestern border, a man whose last bag of rations had been taken from him by the constables raised his hoe and smashed it down on the constables. This single blow was like lighting a fuse, instantly igniting the pent-up anger in the hearts of the people.

"Rebellion! Rebellion!" someone shouted, and more and more people grabbed their farm tools and rushed out with the man. They had no weapons, no armor, only a burning rage driven to desperation.

Soon, the spark of this uprising spread like wildfire. From the northwestern border to the heart of the Central Plains, the flames of rebellion ignited everywhere.

Among these people who rose up in rebellion were many ordinary people who had been driven to desperation by exorbitant taxes and levies and only wanted to find a way to survive for themselves and their families. They shouted slogans such as "Equalize land taxes and reduce the number of people in the population," attacked government offices, and killed corrupt officials, creating a huge momentum for a time.

However, there were also some bandits and hooligans who took advantage of the chaos. They used the banner of rebellion but in reality burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of evil deeds. Wherever they went, the people suffered terribly.

In the court of the Great Yan Dynasty, the emperor was furious and issued a series of decrees to send troops to suppress the uprising. However, the waves of rebellion rose higher and higher, and the government troops were exhausted but could not completely quell the uprising.

In an instant, the Great Yan Dynasty was plunged into unprecedented chaos.

That night, Lin Yao sat in a rocking chair in the courtyard, gazing at the dark sky, her heart heavier than ever before.

A few days ago, she ran into Wu, the镖头 (bodyguard), whom she hadn't seen in a long time, when she went to the town's pharmacy to buy medicine.

Half a month later, he was injured again. When asked, it turned out that he had encountered a small group of bandits who had raided the village while he was escorting goods.

Wu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), couldn't stand by and watch, so he led his men in a fight with the bandits. Since the bandits were few in number, although they were injured, they successfully captured the bandit leader. When they handed him over to the authorities, the leader was still shouting that his older brother had slaughtered an entire village and would avenge him sooner or later.

Lin Yao was shocked to hear this. Yu Hang County was only three days away from them. After returning from the pharmacy, she immediately told the village head about it.

The village head immediately made the decision: the entire village would be relocated to the mountains the next day.

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Author's Note: Writing is hard work, please add this to your favorites! [crying emoji]