Tang Jiu stretched his neck to look into the jar, but Lin Dan pushed him away, saying jokingly, "Take it easy, don't fall in, or I'll stew you too."

Tang Jiu was amused and looked at her with burning eyes: "The soup you make is completely different from the soups made by others."

Lin Dan said slowly, "The "Lüshi Chunqiu·Original Flavor" says: The origin of all flavors is water, and five flavors and three ingredients, nine times boiling and nine changes... will become the ultimate taste. These three pots of soup I use clear and sweet mountain spring water, and secret spices, made from Nanshan pine wood. I add one ingredient every time it boils, add ingredients nine times, boil nine times, and increase the flavor nine times, and finally form a pot of soup, which is naturally different from others. The taste can be salty and sweet, and the fragrance can be strong or weak. This pot of marinade is made using my own 'Strange Fragrance Enhancement Method', so it is naturally richer than ordinary marinade."

Lin Dan put the chicken, duck, and pork elbows into the food box, cut the large piece of pork belly into slices, prepared the dipping sauce, and continued, "Old marinade is better, so we need to keep adding fresh ingredients. You can take these cooked foods home and eat them slowly, as a thank you for your care these days."

“You’re welcome.” Tang Jiu was polite, but he stretched out his hand obediently to take the food box. At the end he said, “I remember you put pork skin in to cook earlier, how come it’s gone?” Braised pork skin was also one of his favorites, so he had to ask one more question.

Lin Dan pointed at the elbow and pork belly, and chuckled, "See? I fried both the elbow and pork belly. The outer layer has a charred skin, which protects the tender meat inside, so that it is not rotten in the marinade. But the pig skin is fresh and has not been fried. After a few hours, it has already turned into thick gelatin and blended with the marinade. A good marinade should be both fragrant and sticky. Where does this stickiness come from? It depends on the rich fat and gelatin. If I don't melt the pig skin, how can I make the new marinade taste like the old marinade? If you like, I will fry the pig skin next time before throwing it into the pot. After the marinade is done, let it cool down and wait for you to take it."

Lin Dan talked about food all the time, and every word he said contained secret techniques that others would never be able to learn in their entire lives, which made Tang Jiu fascinated. He swallowed his saliva and emphasized, "Then remember to braise more pig skin. I'll come back to get it next time. If you have any trouble here, go to the Ministry of War to find me. I'm on duty there."

Lin Dan did not ask about Tang Jiu's identity at all, nor did he feel nervous about making friends with an important person. He just smiled and nodded, and sent the person away.

Seeing that she didn't ask, Tang Jiu actually showed some disappointment on his face. He walked out and kept looking back from a distance with a complicated expression. When he reached the entrance of the alley, he saw a few people running out of the casino opposite, shouting, "Why is that fragrance gone? Who is cooking? It's so damn tempting! Let's go, let's stop gambling and go home to eat!"

After a while, everyone in the alley opened their doors to look at each other, with greedy looks on their faces. This wonderfully fragrant marinade is truly extraordinary.

Tang Jiu then slowly walked away with the food box, shaking his head and laughing as he walked. Passersby kept whispering behind him: "Who was making braised food just now? Did you smell it? It smells so good!"

As soon as he entered the yamen, Tang Jiu saw Zhao Liu, Luo Tietou and others gathered together eating. There was a faint sweet smell coming from them, which was very tempting. Zhao Liu raised his chopsticks and called out, "Hey, boss, you're finally here. We can all eat now."

"You took Yan Langqing's lunch box again? I've told you many times not to let her in no matter what she says, and don't take her things. Did you turn a deaf ear to my words?" Tang Jiu's happy expression was immediately replaced by irritation.

On his table stood an exquisite food box with its lid opened. Inside, jade-white thin-walled porcelain bowls contained four dishes, both meat and vegetarian, in unique shapes. Zhao Liu and others also received a food box, which contained more dishes, but the presentation was not sophisticated enough. I guess it was a bribe specifically for them.

As the saying goes, "A man who has received favors will be grateful, and a man who has eaten has a soft mouth." Zhao Liu and his friends often eat the delicacies sent by Yan Langqing, and they can't help but say a few good words for her: "Boss, you should marry Yan Yuchu. You love to eat so much, and you are picky about food. If you don't marry Yan Yuchu, who else do you want to marry? Even the imperial concubine has agreed to your marriage, hasn't she? We want to marry Yan Yuchu, but he is too high for us. You can't find another wife with such good cooking skills even if you search with a lantern. Why are you being so pretentious? Go and propose marriage!"

Tang Jiu stared at the exquisite food box for a long time and sneered, "Take this food box too. If she sends you food next time, you can eat whatever you want. I won't care."

Just as everyone showed their overjoyed expressions, they heard the leader continue to say: "Just a little bit, you won't have any share of the food boxes I brought from now on."

The food box brought by the leader must have been prepared by the chef of the marquis's mansion. How can it be compared with the chef of the imperial kitchen? Several people nodded in agreement quickly, "Okay, okay, from now on, we will be responsible for helping you eat the food boxes sent by Chef Yan!" After saying that, they ran over quickly and took away the exquisite food box on Tang Jiu's table.

"It's settled." Tang Jiu bent down, took out a jar of good wine from under the table, broke the mud seal and poured himself a glass, then opened the food box that Lin Dan had sent him, and brought out a plate of steaming braised chicken. He then opened the lower layer and brought out a plate of braised duck, and the next layer below that brought out a plate of braised pork elbow, and the last layer had a plate of sliced ​​braised pork belly, each slice cut very thinly, sprinkled with some sesame seeds and chopped green onions, and served with a dish of bright red garlic chili sauce. The indescribably strong aroma of the braised food filled the air, and it was so domineering.

Tang Jiu pinched the chicken claw and pulled lightly, and the whole chicken leg was pulled off. The tender meat was attached to the tender skin, and the rich juice was oozing with clear oil. It was salty and fragrant when you took a bite, and it was extremely delicious. The elbow was also stewed until it was tender, and the skin broke when you sucked it. The soft meat melted in your mouth, but the tendon still had a bit of toughness, and you could roll it into your mouth with a light roll of your tongue, and it had a slightly chewy texture. The pork belly was evenly fat and lean, full of sauce flavor, the lean meat was chewy, and the fat meat was soft and glutinous. After chewing it carefully for a few times, the juice of the fat meat was completely integrated with the tenderness of the lean meat, and coupled with the spiciness of the garlic and the hotness of the chili, the taste was simply wonderful!

Tang Jiu ate a few mouthfuls voraciously, and seemed to be choking. He quickly picked up the cup and took a big gulp of the liquor, then sighed with contentment. Feeling that the room was unusually quiet, he looked up and found that Zhao Liu and the others were completely stunned, staring at his food box with faint green eyes.

"Get out of the way!" he sneered.

"No, boss, where did you buy this braised food? It smells so good, doesn't it? Please let us have a taste!" Zhao Liu begged with a frown on his face.

The imperial meals brought by Yan Langqing were all served in exquisite small plates. The taste was sweet and light, and the quantity was small. One could almost finish a whole plate in one bite. It was delicious, but not satisfying. They are nothing like the chief's plates of braised food, which are all very meaty, fishy, ​​greasy, and the smell of meat is so strong that it is frightening. I grab a chicken leg with my hand, put it in my mouth, chew it, and then take a sip of throat-burning wine. The taste is so good that it can make you feel like heaven! This is the dish that rough men like to eat, it’s strong enough!

"Boss, boss, please give us a bite, just a bite! We will never accept Yan Langqing's things again, seriously!" Zhao Liu and the others gathered around, drooling over the dishes. The closer they got, the more tempting the aroma of the braised food became, making them almost bite their tongues.

"Get out of the way!" Tang Jiu said the same thing. He threw away the bones after eating and asked his servant to send the remaining pork elbows and pork belly home. He could heat them up and have them as a midnight snack.

Zhao Liu and his friends beat their chests and stamped their feet, wailing continuously, swearing to the heavens that they would never pay attention to Yan Yuchu again. They would not accept any goodies she gave them, and begged the boss to give them some braised food to try. The smell was so overbearing that it simply captivated their souls.

Tang Jiu shook off a few people and went straight to the military camp. Good things should be kept for yourself to enjoy slowly. Who would be willing to share them with you?

…………

After a dreamless night, Lin Dan got up early the next day. She kneaded the dough, covered it with a wet cloth to let it wake up for a while, then cooked porridge, cut side dishes, and prepared to welcome the guests. Most of the servants who had returned to the capital with her had left, leaving only Xiaozhu and two literate waiters, while Shaoyao and Dujuan were responsible for helping in the kitchen.

"Are we only selling noodles and porridge?" Shaoyao was surprised to see that the chef did not prepare any other ingredients.

"You need to eat light food in the morning. A bowl of porridge or a bowl of noodles is enough. Besides, those who get up before dawn are all hard-working people. They have to rush to work and have no extra money. A bowl of the cheapest white porridge or plain noodles is already the most they can afford. How can they order any dishes? We only sell noodles and porridge in the morning. At noon, we sell rice, noodles and vegetables according to the customers' orders. We close early in the afternoon and do not do business because there are several brothels and casinos nearby. It is very chaotic in the afternoon and evening." Lin Dan explained patiently.

There is a dock nearby, with merchant ships often coming and going. In order to facilitate the transportation of goods, there are several escort agencies. As more merchants came from the north and south, there were more brothels, casinos, and inns, and gradually a unique business circle was formed. Those who get up early in the morning are either porters, boatmen, or escorts, and none of them are rich. But at noon, all kinds of people get up and move around, including the poor, the rich, the gangsters, the white gangs, officials or wealthy businessmen who travel by water. There are all kinds of people, a mixed crowd.

Lin Dan was very satisfied to be able to open a restaurant in such a popular place, but she didn't know what the Yan family thought. They actually thought she would lose a lot of money.

Lin Dan smiled and shook his head. Seeing that it was almost dawn and the sound of footsteps could be heard on the street, he asked Xiao Zhu and two waiters to carry the large earthenware jars containing the marinade out to the door, and set up a few stoves underneath to simmer the sauce over a low fire.

"Remove the cloth strip, lift the lid, and stir it with a long spoon." Lin Dan instructed loudly.

Xiao Zhu did as he was told. As soon as he opened the lid, he felt dizzy and his saliva immediately flowed down, almost dripping into the soup. He quickly covered his mouth, turned his head, handed the long spoon to another waiter, and slurped, "Stir it quickly, I haven't had breakfast yet!"

"I haven't had breakfast either!" The guy swallowed quickly and started stirring. This stirring was incredible. The already overbearing aroma of the stew spread even more in all directions. The alleys, streets, and docks were filled with the smell. In an instant, the whole city was filled with the fragrance, making people nearby feel uneasy.