Braised beef offal with radish sounds simple, but there's a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Xu Milu's stewed beef offal actually has some Cantonese influences, similar to the preparation of oden.

Fennel, star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger slices, and dried tangerine peel are ground into powder in a gauze bag. Then, boiling water is poured into a pot, and pork and chicken bones are added and simmered slowly.

Once the broth is clear and has a slightly sweet taste, simmer it over low heat for an entire afternoon until the offal is tender and the radish inside is soft and juicy. Then, scoop it out and place it in a bowl, sprinkle with cilantro, a few chili threads, a few drops of sesame oil, and a drizzle of chili oil. Finally, pour a hot bowl of the rich broth over the offal. The broth is thick, the meat is tender, and the chili oil is vibrant—it's incredibly fragrant.

The constable, as if stunned by the aroma, sat down blankly, his eyes fixed on the bowl in Xu Milu's hand, muttering:

"Oh my god, it smells so good! How can it be so delicious? Offal is so filthy that many wealthy families don't eat it. I used to cut up pig offal to eat at home, but it was either unbearably fishy and stinky or as hard as glue. How can this bowl of offal be so delicious, young lady?"

"There's a lot to learn in this pot. It's like if you've been a yamen runner your whole life, no one can beat you when it comes to the skill of beating people with a cane. I've painstakingly studied recipes, and if I don't cook it well, it would be disrespectful to these ingredients."

Xu Milu brought over another plate of crispy fried small fish and handed him chopsticks:

"Try it."

The constable was somewhat embarrassed: "Young lady, you don't know, we wandering spirits can only eat if someone makes offerings to us. Even if we could get a meal for free, we wouldn't need these chopsticks—"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Milu handed the chopsticks forward. The constable instinctively reached out to catch them, but instead of falling through the air, the chopsticks were caught firmly in his hand.

"!!"

The constable's eyes widened, his ghostly face displaying a comical, bewildered expression: "I, this, how—"

“My shop is different from other places. These dishes are very beneficial to the dead. After you eat this bowl of rice, go back and appear in your wife’s dream to tell her where the money you left behind is hidden.”

Xu Milu walked back behind the counter, her expression somewhat indifferent.

“If you weren’t still thinking about your wife and two children at home, I wouldn’t let you into my restaurant.”

She hates gamblers, and she also hates people who leave a mess for their families and then run away.

The constable was overjoyed, thinking he had encountered a true deity. He repeatedly bowed and thanked him, then picked up his chopsticks and began to eat his meal like an ordinary person.

...

The moment the beef offal entered his mouth, the yamen runner took a deep breath.

The tender beef tripe had been simmering for quite some time, and it was bouncy and smooth. With one bite, the hot and spicy broth would burst onto your tongue, making you feel hot and spicy, which was very pleasant.

The beef intestines were fatty, but the owner of this shop seemed to have washed them carefully. Not only did they not have any fishy smell, but even the fat inside tasted amazing. Biting through the casing, the scalding juice and rich fat soaked in, giving people an indescribable sense of happiness.

The beef ears were cooked through, with some translucent meat on them. The cartilage inside made a "crunch" sound when you bit into them. They were both numbing and spicy. Chewing them with some cilantro made your mouth feel full of fragrance.

Then there's the radish, all slices two fingers thick, as if it'd been simmering in the soup for ages. It had absolutely no tough fibers inside, just soft, steaming hot, melting into radish puree with a single bite, followed by a sip of the spicy soup—

"ah……"

The yamen runner's spirit couldn't help but let out a sigh of enjoyment.

A large bowl of braised beef offal with radish and a plate of crispy fried small fish were quickly devoured by the spirit of the constable. The ghostly aura around him became more and more solid. Originally, it was floating like a cloud of mist, but now, apart from the marks on his neck, it actually looked somewhat human.

"Thank you so much for your great kindness, young lady. I, Li Dahu, can only repay you in the next life."

The constable's spirit naturally sensed the change in his own soul, which meant he could visit his family in dreams again. He couldn't help but bow deeply once more.

“When I get back, I will appear in my family’s dreams and ask them to bring over the book that my father left me. You are so kind, so very kind, young lady.”

He seemed afraid that Xu Milu wouldn't believe him, so he repeatedly swore oaths: "If you don't believe me, little lady, I'll make a vow here and now. If I don't keep my promise, may I suffer all the punishments of the eighteen levels of hell and never be reincarnated!"

"Why do I need you to swear an oath? If you owe me money for food, I'll chase you down to the underworld to get it back."

Xu Milu waved her hand, glanced at the scene outside, and said, "It's getting late. If you want to send a message in a dream, go quickly and don't be late."

Li Dahu bowed and thanked him again before slowly leaving.

Several more wandering spirits arrived one after another, most of them having nothing to exchange for anything. Only one little woman, who had been tormented to death by her mother-in-law, said that her ancestors had been immortals. She exchanged a piece of amber containing a seed, which she carried with her as a burial item, for a meal. In the end, she left satisfied.

What are you doing outside? Why don't you come in?

Xu Milu watched as Mo Xuan peeked in from the doorway but refused to come in, and couldn't help but feel curious:

"It's getting late, I should go to sleep. There's still some radish stewed with beef offal in the pot, it's still warm, do you want some?"

Mo Xuan crossed his arms, looking troubled: "Young lady, when I was the king of Dongting Lake, although I didn't eat any marrow nectar or anything like that, I still received delicacies from the land and sea from my subordinates. How can I possibly swallow this dish made from cow offal!"

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!