22 Crucian Carp Soup

◎The kids next door are crying with envy◎

Old Feng had a smile on his face, his eyebrows arched, his loose eyelids drooped slightly, and his face was kind. He said in a clear voice, "Madam Song, long time no see."

It had indeed been a long time since we last met. Song Jinyi had not expected to see an old friend here. Feeling happy, she asked with a smile, "I didn't expect to meet Mr. Feng here. Did you come here to eat?"

"The best soup in Yunzhou belongs to the Liu family restaurant..."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and Old Feng said, "A few days ago, I was craving the chestnut shortbread made by Madam Song, but when I went there, I found out that Madam Song was no longer there. They did hire a pastry chef, but unfortunately, he wasn't even one-tenth as good as Madam Song, so I decided not to go.

I thought I would never have the chance to taste Madam Song's dim sum again in this lifetime, and I felt very regretful. I didn't expect to meet Madam Song today. It can be said to be fate. I just heard Madam Song said that she was going to open a shop. I wonder where she plans to open it? I will definitely go to support her when the time comes.

Song Jinyi scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "To be honest, I am indeed planning to open my own store, but I haven't decided what it will be, let alone the location."

"Mrs. Song makes excellent dim sum, why don't you open a dim sum shop?"

Song Jinyi gave a bitter laugh. "Locals in Yunzhou, or outsiders who have come to Yunzhou, everyone knows that the most famous dim sum in Yunzhou is at Zui Liu Xia. I'm just a retailer, so I don't dare to compete with the bright moon."

"Madam Song, why do you have to compete with Zui Liu Xia? While it has its merits, Yunzhou has a vast network of streets, covers an area of ​​thousands of acres, and has hundreds of thousands of households. Not everyone can afford to try its snacks.

The dim sum you made at the tea shop before was just as good as this one in terms of taste and appearance, and the price was half of this one. Ordinary people would be happy to choose yours. I think it would be great for you to open a dim sum shop and carve out a niche for yourself."

If it weren't for the bet with Song Zhangye, perhaps Song Jinyi would really open a dim sum shop, prepare the snacks every morning, sell them early in the afternoon, and spend the rest of the time strolling around the market and buying something, living a happy and leisurely life.

Unfortunately, she couldn't. She told Old Feng about her difficulties: "You don't know, I must earn a thousand taels in three months. If I can't come up with something new and make something unique in Yunzhou, it will be impossible to achieve this goal."

"Why is it so?" Old Feng looked at Song Jinyi in surprise, stroking his gray beard and saying, "One thousand taels? That's hard! Even century-old shops in Yunzhou like Zui Liu Xia, Liu Xiang Ju, or Ying Chun Lou can hardly guarantee they can earn three hundred taels a month, let alone other shops."

Old Feng took a sip of tea and asked seriously, "Mrs. Song doesn't look like someone who values ​​money as much as her life. I wonder why this happened?"

"Because the money I used to open this shop was all borrowed, if I want to pay it off completely, I must earn one thousand taels within three months, otherwise I will have to work like a slave for others and have no freedom," Song Jinyi said half-truthfully.

She did not intentionally hide it from Mr. Feng, but Song Zhangye told her not to expose the Song family, so she concealed the matter.

Mr. Feng was shocked and asked anxiously, "Are you involved in usury?"

Song Jinyi knew he had misunderstood, so she shook her head and explained, "No, it's just that I have an agreement with someone and I have to fulfill it. I can't go into details, so I hope you can forgive me."

Since she said so, Mr. Feng stopped asking questions and said after a long silence, "Just now I heard Madam Song muttering to herself, what kind of business in the world can be prosperous every day all year round? I have an idea."

Song Jinyi was struggling to make a decision. This Mr. Feng was not only a food connoisseur, but also a walking foodie. She attentively picked up the teapot and poured tea for Mr. Feng. She asked sincerely, "You've tried all the delicious food in Yunzhou City, and you must have unique insights. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Mr. Feng narrowed his eyes, raised the corners of his mouth, and said meaningfully: "The answer is in your hands."

Song Jinyi lowered her head and looked at her hands. She had just poured tea for Mr. Feng and then refilled a cup for herself. While waiting for Mr. Feng to give an answer, her fingers unconsciously pinched the teacup.

Song Jinyi stared at the teacup in her hand, thought for a while, and asked uncertainly, "Is this tea Mr. Feng is referring to?"

Mr. Feng just smiled and said nothing.

This problem is not back again

Song Jinyi asked in confusion, "Why would Mr. Feng say that? There are so many twists and turns behind the tea business in Yunzhou. I'm just a fledgling businessman, and the tea houses won't give me face. Tea drinkers who love to drink tea are even more picky and won't buy my story..."

Although Song Jinyi stopped talking, there was still something in her heart that she didn't say: "You must know this."

Mr. Feng raised his teacup and said with a smile, "I'm just answering your previous question. You asked, 'What business can be run regardless of season, status, gender, or gender?' This is my answer.

As for your question just now, I've already answered it before. Tea stalls can be found everywhere in the streets and alleys of Yunzhou City. Even with big shops like Zui Liu Xia and Liu Xiang Ju, these small stalls still have a place. Do you know why?"

Old Feng shifted his gaze and looked at the street.

Song Jinyi's eyes then fell across the street.

Mr. Feng continued, "Everyone loves to drink tea, but not everyone can drink the delicious Zui Liuxia tea. I only mentioned tea, not the type of tea.

As for the specifics, Madam Song’s ingenuity is what guides us. For example, the Peony Pastry we made that day was made to suit the local conditions, so that its taste was no less delicious than Zui Liu Xia’s. The same goes for tea.”

People in Xia love tea and drink it every day. There is also a saying among the people that the seven necessities of life are firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea, and none of them can be missing.

“No one is not fond of it, whether noble or humble; no one is not fond of it, whether rich or poor.[1]”

The streets were bustling with activity, but Song Jinyi was alone, as if she were in a quiet Zen room, comprehending her own truth.

A vendor carrying a load of watermelon passed by, shouting, "Watermelon for sale, watermelon for sale!"

In just a short moment, like a fleeting moment, her thoughts suddenly became clear.

Mr. Feng's words were like a sharp blade that cut through the fog in front of Song Jinyi's eyes. When Mr. Feng mentioned the Peony Pastry, it actually woke her up.

Song Jinyi felt ashamed and guilty, and bowed to express her gratitude: "I have benefited a lot from Mr. Feng's words. Thank you for your guidance. I am very grateful. If you need me in the future, I will definitely be there for you."

Seeing that Song Jinyi had made up her mind, Old Feng guessed that she had already thought about how to move forward. He stood up, picked up the wine pot, paid the bill, and walked into the crowd without looking back: "The old man will leave after dinner. When Madam Song opens the shop, remember to let her know.

My home is in the alley next to Li Ji's grain shop in the east of the city. If you can't find it, ask the shop owner. Remember to come!"

Song Jinyi shouted towards Mr. Feng's back, "Okay! When I open the shop, I'll definitely invite you over!"

Mr. Feng laughed out loud and his figure blended into the vast crowd.

Song Jinyi watched Feng Lao go away. She thought to herself, "Everyone says he's just an old man who loves nothing more than eating and drinking." She shook her head slightly, denying this statement. "He's clearly a wise man who appears foolish."

After finishing the soup, Song Jinyi followed the direction the person carrying the load had left, called the watermelon vendor, knocked around for a while, and picked out one that was not big in size and had a slightly dull sound. It must be a sweet and sandy watermelon seed.

******

After Song Jinyi returned to the Song Mansion and finished eating watermelon with Song Yunting, she thought of going to see Xie Wuyang first. She needed help to open the store, but Song Zhangye did not allow her to ask her family members for help.

How could she find such a cheap, hard-working, reliable and honest person in such a short time?

Fortunately, she still has someone of her own.

As she stepped out of the room, she suddenly remembered that Xie Wuyang was still a patient. How could she go to see a patient empty-handed?

She went to the kitchen and prepared to make crucian carp soup.

The milky crucian carp soup is the best way for patients to nourish their bodies.

She first washed the small crucian carp and drained the water, cut cuts on both sides of the fish body, and marinated it with green onion, ginger, cooking wine and salt to remove the fishy smell.

After a quarter of an hour, heat oil in a pan and add lard to melt. The sticky lard will stir up circles of oil in the hot pan, and the clear oil will soak the wall of the pan. The aroma of pork will gradually spread in the air.

When the eggs are not ready, beat an egg into the mixture and it will form in an instant. The kids next door will cry with envy.

How to make crucian carp milky white? The step of frying the fish is particularly important. She holds the fish tail and puts it into the pan head down to fry.

Fry the fish until both sides are golden brown, pour in hot water to cover the fish, add ginger slices and fried eggs and cook for a quarter of an hour, then add chopped green onions and salt to taste.

Song Jinyi left a bowl for Song Yunting. He took a sip from the bowl and praised loudly, "It's so delicious." His black eyes rolled around, and after thinking for a long time, he said, "It's as delicious as drinking a bowl of freshly caught fish soup."

Song Jinyi chuckled, put the remaining fish soup into a lunch box and went to Yunlan Garden.

After a few days of recuperation, Xie Wuyang was almost fully recovered. She handed the fish soup to him and added, "I made this fish soup for you."

Before Xie Wuyang even swallowed it, he said it tasted good and kept thanking Song Jinyi.

But Song Jinyi keenly sensed his low mood. His thanks just now were just a perfunctory response to her. She then asked how he had been staying there for the past two days and whether he was getting used to it.

Song Jinyi stared at Xie Wuyang's face for a long time, then asked seriously, "Are you angry with me?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Xie Wuyang's eyes. He turned his head slightly to avoid Song Jinyi's gaze and whispered, "I'm not angry with my sister. I'm just worried about her."

"What are you worried about me?" Under Song Jinyi's repeated questioning, Xie Wuyang confessed that he had not seen her for two or three days, and the people here did not allow him to look for her. He thought she had abandoned him.

"Sister, where is this place? Why did they arrest you?..."

His questions came one after another like jumping beans, leaving Song Jinyi at a loss as to which one to answer first.

She thought that Xie Wuyang's Chinese was limited and she couldn't understand complicated things, so she simply said that she owed this family money and would be caught to collect the debt.

She has already negotiated with the other party and will pay him back with the money she earns.

"I'm planning to open a shop. I'm not going to work for someone else like before, I want to be my own boss. I've been very busy these past two days, looking for a shop and employees..."

Xie Wuyang looked up and suddenly said, "I can help, sister."

Song Jinyi glanced at him, patted his shoulder and said, "If you want to come and help, you must have a good rest and get better soon so that you can come and help me sooner.