Chapter 30: Crispy pork belly with tender meat and the more you chew, the more delicious it becomes! ...

"Have you heard? South Gate... there was almost a fight!"

"I know about this. My second uncle's cousin's helper happened to be out of town at the time."

"Hey, tell me what happened."

"It's said... Commander Cai didn't pay the money at Yaoyue Tower, so the courtesan came to collect the debt herself!"

Rumors were like chubby, frost-proof little sparrows, flying around the eaves and cracks in the walls, and when they found some grass seeds and millet, they happily pecked at them.

On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, we celebrate the Little New Year.

A man wearing a deerskin hat was queuing in front of Guiji Braised Food Shop, holding portraits of the Kitchen God and his wife.

"Send the young lady a statue of the Kitchen God to bless her with plenty of food and clothing in the coming year." He pricked up his gossipy ears while cracking melon seeds.

"I brought some candied melons for the young lady." The woman stamped her feet, deliberately showing off her newly made cotton shoes.

"Why don't I see Aunt Cai today?" She looked around.

This question is quite interesting, and every ear that pricked up its ears could understand its meaning.

Aunt Cai was a regular at Guiji Braised Food Shop. A cold wind rustled the shop's sign, but Guizhier paid no attention to the clamor outside; she was concentrating on scraping the coarse salt off the pork belly.

Next to the stove is a small homemade oven, and the crispy pork belly sold today is fully formed thanks to it.

Guizhier was very careful when cutting the meat. He used the knife to cut to the very end of the fat without cutting through the skin.

She spread the marinade evenly and used thin willow branches to secure the meat.

Wipe the surface dry, brush it with a layer of white vinegar, sprinkle it with a layer of coarse salt, and then start baking!

The oil and flames were moving, and Guizhier kept a close eye on the oven.

If you eat it a second earlier, it won’t be fragrant enough; if you eat it a second later, it will be burnt.

"Sizzle." The charcoal fire flickered, and oil splashed.

The roasted pork belly is a large piece with a crispy skin and looks greasy, which makes people's appetite grow.

The last step is to sprinkle seasoning on it to make the skin crispy and the meat tender, which becomes more fragrant the more you chew it!

The wooden rack hammered by the carpenter is filled with treasures carefully stored by Guizhier.

This bottle of pepper was obtained from a trade with a Persian merchant on a ship, and that bottle of cumin was collected from a farmer's home in a horse farm in southern Xinjiang.

Some people hesitated for a moment and failed to buy it in time, but then accidentally got it again and got the complete package of marinade ingredients, and they were naturally excited in their hearts.

"Just help yourself with the seasoning." Guizhier smiled happily.

A good cook will always become generous if she meets diners who appreciate her cooking skills.

She cut the oil paper for packaging and was about to lift the curtain and shout "opening" when the noise outside became even louder.

"Auntie Cai, I wish you a happy new year." The woman in new cotton shoes raised her voice.

Rumors spread quickly. Yesterday at the South Gate, the city defense commander General Cai was seen arguing with the courtesan from Yaoyue Tower, causing quite a commotion.

In the end, it was the thugs from Yaoyue Tower who invited Aunt Cai over to calm the farce.

Facing all the stares, Aunt Cai kept a gloomy face and said nothing.

Her lips were tightly pursed, the wrinkles on her face formed unhappy arcs, and every step she took was firm and powerful.

Want to make fun of her? No way!

"Everyone is busy during the New Year. If we have a wedding, we have to invite everyone." The man who was eating melon seeds also chimed in.

This sentence stirred up a hornet's nest.

Aunt Cai's face turned from gloomy to cloudy, almost dripping with water.

"How come I don't know who's getting married?" She raised her neck and cursed, "You want to divorce and remarry? Aren't you afraid that your she-devil will tear you apart?"

"Hey, what does this have to do with me?" The man who was eating melon seeds blushed.

He was timid for a moment and regretted not controlling his gossipy mouth.

"Hmph." Aunt Cai swept the entire team with her sharp eyes like a god of war. The people in the queue looked up and down, and averted their eyes.

Only the woman wearing new cotton shoes looked disdainful and curled her lips.

In her opinion, the fact that Commander Cai was still unmarried at the age of over 30 had a lot to do with Aunt Cai's domineering style.

Which little girl isn’t afraid of meeting a shrewd mother-in-law?

The woman rolled her eyes and challenged him again, "Mrs. Cai, you came late today. I'm afraid you won't be able to get a number."

"No need to worry," Aunt Cai boasted. "I've already booked dine-in."

Then, amidst everyone's surprised or envious gazes, he walked straight into the house.

Aunt Cai was not bluffing, she did have a reservation.

She figured it out. After all these years of frugality, it would be better for her to eat and drink as she pleased rather than letting her son spend money on a vixen.

Letting a vixen in? Impossible!

"Auntie, please wait a moment. The century egg and lean meat porridge will be ready soon." Guizhier opened the door to welcome the guests with a smile.

She first said a simple hello, and then worked tirelessly to distribute food to the people in the queue.

The freshly baked crispy pork belly is so fragrant!

Everyone's eyes widened, their minds filled with imagination, biting into the layers of crispy skin, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside...

"Slurp." Someone was swallowing his saliva.

"Help yourself with the seasonings, everyone can add the flavors you like." Guizhier's enthusiastic tone was even more contagious.

"Hey! Can I really pick whatever I want?" The person who squeezed into the first position was very excited.

It looked as if he had prayed to God and received a good fortune.

"I want cumin and chili powder. No matter whether they are roasted or fried, you can't go wrong with these two." The visitor couldn't help but salivate, drooling.

Then he sighed regretfully, thinking that it would be great if there were no purchase limit. He also wanted to buy a bottle of tomato juice, which was sour and sweet.

"You can spell it in pairs." Guizhier said with a smile.

There was a huge crowd of people outside, and those who didn't get a ticket were staring at the long queue anxiously, fearing that it would be sold out by the time it was their turn.

Those who got it were overjoyed and couldn't wait to take a bite.

But Aunt Cai in the house couldn't be happy at all.

The crispy and tempting pork belly pieces are piled up like a small hill on the plate, with specially prepared perilla leaves and lettuce next to them.

The meat wrapped in vegetables is a combination of meat and vegetables, fragrant but not greasy.

"It's so expensive just by adding some side dishes and staple food." Aunt Cai kept muttering to herself.

She had known from the beginning that dining in was more expensive than retail, so she had never considered eating inside, but she was really angry yesterday.

After separating her son from the shameless vixen, Aunt Cai passed by a braised food shop and learned that it was open today. She was so excited that she paid a deposit.

She scooped a spoonful of meat porridge. The rice grains were cooked thoroughly and blended with the water into a soft milky white color.

The porridge is topped with not only chopped green onions but also shiny black preserved eggs, with shredded lean meat spread between the two. It is so delicious that you will never forget it after taking a bite.

"It's just too expensive." Aunt Cai continued to mutter.

This dish also reminded her of another little thing.

My son Cai Miao didn’t like eating eggs when he was young, but preserved eggs with old vinegar are a delicacy unique to the north. One egg costs two copper coins and is very precious.

"Don't be picky about food. Eating eggs is the only way for you to grow." Aunt Cai was very confused when faced with young Cai Miao's resistance.

My son said that preserved eggs have a strange smell. He feels like vomiting after eating them and gets small rashes on his body.

"You'll get used to it if you eat it more." Aunt Cai didn't believe it and suspected that the child was lying.

She chopped up the preserved eggs and mixed them into the dishes, but little Cai Miao refused to eat them. She then mixed them into the dumpling fillings, but little Cai Miao still refused to eat them.

"An egg costs two copper coins, but I can't bear to eat it. I'm leaving it all for you!" Aunt Cai slapped her son anxiously. "There's nothing strange about it. If you don't eat it today, don't even think about eating again."

Little Cai Miao frowned and swallowed it mouthful by mouthful.

If it weren't for eating eggs, how could my son grow up to be as tall and strong as he is now?

Aunt Cai smiled with satisfaction.

My son has always been obedient, and this time will be no exception.