Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Braised Pork with Osmanthus and Hawthorn. (Two in One...
Several students looked surprised. After all, the four dishes that had just been served were all the ones they had eaten at noon. They had heard Tao Yingheng mention on the way that this shop had just opened and did not have many dishes.
Although they had enjoyed the meal very much, it lacked some surprises. They were wondering what the next dish would be, but they never expected that the dish that came up would be a new one.
Hou Sheng picked up a piece of duck meat with chopsticks before everyone else. The duck meat had skin on, was shiny and oily, and looked very plump and delicious.
The moment you bite into it, you will find the skin is soft and glutinous, the duck meat is firm, and every time you suck it, rich and mellow gravy will squeeze out.
The sweet and wonderful taste instantly impressed Hou Sheng, and his eyes lit up as he ate.
Dr. Li loves the taro inside even more. The taro, cut into large pieces, has been stewed until it is dense, absorbing the aroma of the meat and melting in the mouth.
He took a bite of taro and a bite of duck, and ate three or five pieces in a row without feeling greasy at all.
Everyone's chopsticks were flying, and the duck meat and taro in the casserole disappeared between their lips and teeth at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Dr. Li and others were still not satisfied, so they extended their chopsticks to the other dishes on the table.
Just then, his eyes swept over the price tags on the walls on both sides and he was immediately shocked. "Huh? Minced meat and tofu for nine cents a portion!? Wait, how can the price be so low? Let me tell you, many restaurants in Bianjing City can't compare to the delicious food here!"
"That's right." Gao Yanei agreed with Dr. Li's words. "With this kind of cooking skills, he should be working in places like Helelou and Yuxianlou. Why is he opening a foot shop in the city? What a waste of his skills!"
Doctor Li's mouth twitched, and he didn't respond. He thought to himself: This student Gao is indeed one of the most famous officials in the Imperial College. He started talking about places like Hele Tower and Yuxian Tower with shockingly high prices.
A cash-strapped fifth-rank official like him would at most meet up with his colleagues once or twice a month to drink a cup of tea, order a few side dishes, and watch a performance or two for entertainment. He was reluctant to even order proper dishes.
As for the students, they were speechless. If the chef really went to that restaurant, would they still have a chance to eat there? Everyone skipped the topic and either talked about the day's homework with the people around them or speculated about what the next dish would be.
Song Jiaoniang, who had been listening to the noise from the front, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that everyone was satisfied. Just then, Lin Zhi served the dishes and brought them to Song Jiaoniang: "Mom, the dishes are ready."
"Here we are." Song Jiaoniang picked up the dishes, lifted the curtain, and walked out. She and Lin Sen, one in front and one behind, first placed the dishes on the table, then cleared the table of dishes that had been eaten. She bowed slightly and said, "Braised pork with osmanthus and hawthorn. Please enjoy."
After saying that, the couple retreated.
Walking straight back to the kitchen, Song Jiaoniang couldn't help but feel proud and said in surprise, "Sister Zhi, you didn't see that they all sat up straight as soon as the dishes were served!"
Song Jiaoniang recalled everyone's reactions and then thought about what Gao Yanei and others said, and she felt even happier.
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "Yes, yes, please keep an eye on it. If there's any tea or wine missing, please come and get some."
"Mom knows!" Song Jiaoniang patted her chest to reassure her daughter.
Although she was an embroiderer and the old lady was already old when she served her, she still understood everything. These things were easy for her to do and extremely simple.
Meanwhile, the people outside also looked suspicious. Dr. Li sniffed the aroma and his eyes fell directly on the braised pork with osmanthus and hawthorn.
Golden osmanthus flowers, bright red hawthorns, and amber-colored pieces of meat are piled together, surrounded by a glossy and sticky sauce, which is very appetizing to look at.
There was only one problem—Dr. Li's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly, and after a while, he couldn't help but exclaimed, "Is this pork?"
The five dishes just served are cold shredded chicken, minced meat tofu, fish-flavored eggplant, stir-fried lamb with green onions, and home-roasted taro duck.
There is no doubt that minced meat tofu uses pork, but the pork is cut into minced meat and then stir-fried with bean paste until it is finely minced, so there is no fishy smell at all.
In addition, there are many dishes using minced pork in the market, so people can accept it.
However, looking at the dish in front of him that consisted of large chunks of pork stewed directly, Dr. Li couldn't help but look shocked.
At the time, a famous person wrote a joke: "Huangzhou's pork is good, but the price is as cheap as dirt. The rich won't eat it, and the poor can't cook it."[*1]
What this means is that pork is cheap, and rich people despise it and don't like to eat it. Poor people don't despise it, but they don't know how to cook it, so they always make it with a strong fishy smell and are hard to swallow.
Everyone knows that pork is not a dish that can be enjoyed in formal dining settings, so officials, especially fifth-rank officials like Dr. Li, honestly speaking, have not seen such large chunks of cooked pork on their tables for many years.
Seeing this thing in the shop, Dr. Li felt a mixture of emotions. Just as he was hesitating, he saw Tao Yingheng beside him raise his hand and pick up a large piece with chopsticks.
"Tao Lang, this is pork." Gao Yanei widened his eyes and couldn't help but raise his voice.
"I know, it's pork." Tao Yingheng answered with gritted teeth, looking at the tempting braised pork with indignation.
Everyone was so shocked that they looked sideways. Gao Yanei's body stiffened, and he looked at Tao Yingheng in disbelief: "You - you, are you sick?!"
"You are sick." Tao Yingheng blushed and glared at Gao Yanei.
Then he looked at the others: "I know you have doubts in your hearts, but try it. I do prefer lamb... but this pork, the pork made by Sister Zhi is different from the ones sold outside. It's delicious, very delicious!"
If Tao Yingheng really looked down upon the pork dishes made on the road, he would not have asked the chef in the mansion to try to make that damn fried pork slices after returning to Bian Jing, and even ate it until he vomited. He would not have asked Shunzi to buy it as soon as he learned that Linzhi had opened a shop.
After saying this, he turned his gaze to the bowl of red-braised pork. The red-braised pork sauce was bright in color, and the indescribable rich aroma directly hit his face, rushed into his nose, and rushed straight to his brain.
Tao Yingheng's Adam's apple rolled, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, then put the braised pork into his mouth, closed his eyes and savored it carefully.
The braised pork is incredibly soft and glutinous. The moment it enters your mouth, the fat layer melts into a rich soup, exploding between your teeth with a wonderful aroma of sauce.
With a little force from his teeth, the tightly adhered pig skin and chewy pork began to bounce in his mouth, causing Tao Yingheng to subconsciously take a mouthful of rice and chew it with satisfaction.
The others, watching Tao Yingheng eat, couldn't help but gulp. Aside from Gao Yanei and Dr. Li, the rest of the students headed for the braised pork, enjoying themselves with a mouthful of it and a bite of hawthorn.
Dr. Li also raised his chopsticks.
Dr. Dai next to him exclaimed, "Brother Li wants to try it too?"
Dr. Li glanced at him, then raised his chin and motioned him to look at Gao Yanei.
The other students had already started eating, but Gao Yanei and his two followers remained oblivious. If they didn't eat, wouldn't they look like they were one of Gao Yanei's sworn brothers?
Gao Yanei couldn't help but sneeze.
Dr. Li smiled and said, "Besides, I haven't eaten it in years. I miss it."
He and Dr. Dai are from the same hometown. Both of them are officials who came from the countryside. Being able to reach the fifth rank is a matter of honor for their ancestors.
While Dr. Li was feeling proud of himself, he gradually forgot about his childhood life. He started to imitate his colleagues in terms of food, clothing and other expenses, and he became more and more indulgent towards his children.
He glanced at Gao Yanei and suddenly remembered that his own children had never eaten pork and had never even seen farmers planting rice in the fields.
Dr. Dai was slightly startled and realized that Dr. Li had not finished speaking. He glanced at Gao Yanei calmly with a slightly solemn expression.
He remained silent, then picked up a piece of braised pork. Dr. Dai was ready to recall the bittersweet taste of the past, but as soon as he put the pork into his mouth, his hand tightened slightly and his eyes widened.
Recalling the bitter past and cherishing the sweet past… ?
No, pork can be this delicious? Then what was all that crap I ate for the past twenty years?
Dr. Dai's mind went blank. When he came to his senses again, he found that he had not only finished the whole piece of braised pork, but his chopsticks were constantly dancing in his hand, and he was fighting with others for the last few pieces.
In the end, Dr. Dai grabbed the last piece amid the resentful gazes of the students and put it into his mouth triumphantly... cough cough cough!
He cleared his throat, and another suspicion dawned on him. He glanced up at the swaying door curtain, then at Tao Yingheng: "Mr. Tao, tell me the truth, which restaurant's chef did you pay a huge price to hire?"
Just from this one dish, Dr. Dai could see the chef's superb skills, and several famous chefs came to his mind.
Dr. Dai believes that this could never have been made by an ordinary foot shop chef!
Tao Yingheng rolled his eyes and said, "Why should I invite anyone else? This is what Sister Zhi cooked!"
Then, he looked at the other students and asked, "The dishes you had earlier were the same as what we had for lunch, right?"
"That's right."
"The minced meat tofu tastes exactly the same, no problem." The students nodded one after another, not realizing that the shop had changed its chef.
Song Jiaoniang, who came forward to deliver the dishes again, heard the argument and said with a smile as she placed the dishes on the table, "My dear, the cook in our shop is my daughter, no one else's."
"Your daughter!? Doesn't that mean..." Dr. Dai could hardly hide his surprise. He looked Song Jiaoniang up and down, and saw that the woman helping in front of him had black hair, a clean face, and looked very young.
Dr. Dai calculated that the girl was probably only in her twenties. "A female chef in her twenties? How could she be so amazing!"
Tao Yingheng couldn't help coughing, "Master Dai, what are you talking about? Sister Zhi is even younger than me!"
????? ?????
Dr. Dai's grip loosened, and the chopsticks fell onto the table with a clatter.
Everyone around was silent for a moment, then exclamations broke out one after another. The sound reached the kitchen, and Lin Zhi was also a little confused. Could it be that there was something wrong with the braised lamb?
Linzhi carefully recalled the process of her preparation. She chose the freshest lamb belly and lamb legs, with just the right amount of fat and lean meat. After cutting them into dice, she washed off the blood on the surface with clean water and drained off the excess water.
The key point is the latter part. Linzhi first stir-fries the bean paste until it is fragrant, and then adds spices such as onion, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, galangal, angelica, cumin and fennel to stir-fry until fragrant.
When the scallions are stained with a light red sauce, you can put the drained mutton into them and stir-fry until the skin shrinks and the mutton changes color.
At this time, add wine, sugar color and water, season with seasoning and simmer for more than half an hour.
Linzhi thought about it, but couldn't find any problem. She put down what she was holding, lifted the curtain and looked out, wanting to hear the reason for everyone's exclamation.
Coincidentally, Song Jiaoniang also turned around and came back.
Seeing her daughter still fuming, she said, "There's a gentleman over there who doesn't believe you're old enough and even doubts that we hired someone to cook."
Lin Zhi laughed dumbly, turned around and went back to the kitchen, and placed the two freshly fried vegetables in Song Jiaoniang's hands: "I know you feel sorry for me, mother. Don't be angry, how about I go out and scare him later?"
Song Jiaoniang had been thinking this, but her daughter's mention of it made her unhappy. She snorted, "If someone shows up with suspicion, you'll just go out and let them take a look? My daughter isn't someone they can just see whenever they want! If he keeps talking nonsense, I'll tell him off!"
Everyone in the main hall was still amazed at Linzhi's age. Some of the curious ones even asked a few more questions and were even more surprised to learn that Linzhi's family was from outside the area.
“Pork can actually be cooked this deliciously!”
"Look at this sauce... My family only uses boiled pork, but the meat tastes so bad..." Many students have eaten pork before, and when they recalled the difference between the two, they shook their heads and were shocked.
For a moment, only Gao Yanei and his three followers, who resisted pork to the end, noticed the mutton pot.
The three of them had just been tormented by the aroma of the braised pork with osmanthus and hawthorn, and when they smelled the meaty aroma of mutton, their mouths could not stop saliva.
They swallowed their saliva, picked up the chopsticks and stuffed big pieces of mutton into their mouths, then grimaced and panted because of the scorching temperature.
But the mutton flows into the mouth with a little bit of soup. Just that little bit of fresh and fragrant taste is enough to make the mouth reluctant to give up this piece of plump mutton, and not want to spit it out at all!
Gao Yanei couldn't help but fan the mutton until the temperature of the mutton gradually dropped, and he could finally bite it without any scruples.
Harder, harder!
The thick sheepskin and lean mutton resist the invasion of teeth, and countless delicious gravy bursts out instantly, making the tongue tremble and the appetite become stronger.
"Huh...delicious."
"Mmm... wow, it's delicious."
The attendant couldn't help but sigh, and Gao Yanei couldn't help but slam his palm on the table: "This is what should be done——"
Why not cook pork? Mutton would be great!
Gao Yanei was heartbroken and felt that the chef had taken the wrong path.
His exclamation finally attracted the attention of others, and countless eyes fell on the mutton pot.
"Hey, hey, hey, everyone, eat quickly!"
"This mutton is also very delicious."
As more and more people came to try the mutton, Gao Yanei didn't have time to think about it and picked up the chopsticks to pick up the mutton.
Then two refreshing side dishes and a soup were served, and finally there was tea and Chongyang cake after the meal.
Linzhi listened attentively to everyone's continuous praise, but no one mentioned ordering Chongyang cake. She felt a little disappointed, and then laughed, thinking that she was too impatient.
Eat food one bite at a time and walk the road one step at a time.
Linzhi thought to take it slow, it was only the second day of their opening!
After thinking about it, she washed her hands and left. Lin Zhi crossed her arms and greeted everyone, then asked if they had any complaints or suggestions about the dishes.
Everyone was stunned when they saw that the person coming out of the kitchen was a young girl with a round face and rosy cheeks, who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old.
After Dr. Dai confirmed again and again that the meal was indeed cooked by her, he sighed with admiration and said bluntly, "You are still young, and you have such cooking skills. Being a female cook in this foot shop is really burying your talent."
"Every year, the Guanglu Temple selects a group of people skilled in cooking from the public. The best ones are recommended to the Shangshi Bureau. Why don't you give it a try?"
Doctor Dai glanced at Lin Sen and his wife and added, "If you don't want to be a court lady in the palace, why not stay in the Guanglu Temple and study for two or three years? Then you can either marry a wealthy family or become a chef in a famous shop in Bianjing. Wouldn't that be better than toiling away all day like you do now?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Sen and his wife subconsciously looked at their daughter. In fact, the couple had mentioned a similar idea on the way, but was rejected by Lin Zhi.
"Thank you, Dr. Dai." Lin Zhi smiled and gave the same answer: "I don't want to be inferior to others, nor do I want to be a slave. I just want to run my own business and be the boss of my own business."
Dr. Dai was slightly surprised. There were so many people in the market who were trying their best to send their children to marry into wealthy families as slaves, but the girl in front of him was so smart at such a young age.
He subconsciously looked at Lin Sen and his wife, only to see them both answer in unison, "Whatever Sister Zhi wants, it's up to her."
Dr. Dai laughed dumbly. "I'm sorry for speaking too much. I hope you three can forgive me."
Dr. Li paid the bill and left with a group of students. They bumped into two people as soon as they walked out the door.
Several people looked at each other and were stunned at the same time.
Dr. Dai stared at the familiar figure and gritted his teeth: "Chen Yan."
When Chen Yan saw everyone, he was also slightly startled. After a while, he bowed and said, "Master Dai, Master Li."
"Humph, you are not qualified to call me Master."
"...Hello, Dr. Dai?" Chen Yan blinked and changed the way of addressing him, and saw that Dr. Dai's face became even darker.
Dr. Li laughed dumbly: "You... just this morning you were still talking about Chen Lang, and now you are like this, it's really..."
"Who's talking about him?"
“Why is Shen Lang here… Oh, you just got off duty?”
"Yes, I just happened to have a case on hand." Chen Yan touched his nose, "Brother Tao and I just finished our research and are about to go back."
As soon as they walked out of the Dali Temple gate, they noticed several carriages parked in front of the Linzhiji gate. Then they found that the Linzhiji gate was closed and there was a faint light coming through from inside. The two felt strange and came over hand in hand to check the situation.
I never expected to meet Dr. Dai, Dr. Li... and Brother Heng?
"Eh? Brother Heng, why are you here?" It was Tao Yingce who spoke. He looked at Tao Yingheng, then at Gao Yanei, and then at the group of students standing nearby. He felt strangely relieved. "...Are these all your friends? You actually have so many friends!?"
Tao Yingheng's face flushed red as he looked at his brother, whose eyes were filled with the expression 'my son has grown up'.
There were some gossipy students around, and they all looked over at him. Hou Sheng curved his eyebrows and said, "Yes, we are friends."
Tao Yingce was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He first pushed Gao Yanei aside and said to the other students with a pleasant face, "Thanks to you all for taking care of my younger brother. I will treat you all to a simple meal later."
Several students readily agreed, and one even said with a smile that they should treat us next time: "Mr. Tao already treated us to lunch today, so it would be awkward to ask you to treat us again."
"Hey, why are you so polite? You are all still students, and I am already working in the government, so of course I am the one inviting you." Tao Yingce laughed and told everyone not to be polite.
Listening to the conversation between his brother and the students, Heng Ge'er's expression was like a palette, just weird.
Hearing the commotion outside, Lin Zhi leaned out and asked in surprise, "Hey? Chen Lang, and Tao Lang... why haven't you gone home yet so late?"
"Sister Zhi." Chen Yan had no choice but to repeat what had just happened. Lin Zhi suddenly realized and asked, "You haven't eaten yet? Come in and fill your stomach."
"May I?"
"Of course." Lin Zhi opened the door and invited Chen Yan in. "It's just that I don't plan to be open tonight, so I don't have many dishes, okay?"
After saying that, she was about to raise her voice to call Tao Yingce.
Seeing this, Chen Yan hurried ahead and said, "Ah, don't worry about him. Brother Heng has made a new friend, and Brother Tao is very excited. I think we can at least have a few conversations over a cup of tea!"
Lin Zhi: “…”
She glanced at Tao Lang who was talking to the students, and had to admit that Chen Yan was right. After all, both sides had changed the subject and started talking about Heng Ge'er's embarrassing moments.
Linzhi shook her head, observed a minute of silence for Hengge'er, and then decisively closed the door.
At the same time, Lin Sen had already walked over and pulled Chen Yan to sit down: "Come on, come on, sit down quickly. It's not easy for you to be on duty at the Dali Temple. How can you not go back at this time!"
Chen Yan smiled and sat down, shaking his head: "This is what we should do. If we can do a little more, it will also give the victim's family peace of mind sooner, and also let the victim know about it in the afterlife."
"Well said!" Lin Sen heard this and stood up to get some wine from the house. He poured a glass for Chen Yan and said, "Come on, let me toast you!"
The two talked about the Dali Temple incident. They first mentioned Mrs. Lu from Hu's Spice Shop, and then mentioned the predecessor of the shop, the Rong siblings who ran the Liurong Restaurant.
When Song Jiaoniang heard the two of them mention the Rong siblings, she interrupted, "Speaking of which, Madam Yu was talking to me about this a couple of days ago!"
"What's wrong?"
"It's said that Miss Rong got married half a month ago...and they haven't even settled down in their house yet!"
"Isn't this too outrageous?" Lin Sen was also hearing Song Jiaoniang say this for the first time and was shocked.
According to Lin Sen and his wife, Rong Xiaoniang should first buy a house to settle her younger brother, and then start preparing for the wedding.
After all, the engagement was made, and the man and the woman still had to make their own preparations. It would have taken at least two or three months, but who would have thought that they would get married in just half a month.
The more Lin Sen thought about it, the more puzzled he felt. "She's not a slave, how could she be so hasty? What about her wedding clothes and dowry? It would take at least a month or two to prepare them, wouldn't it?"
"I heard from Madam Yu that she rented everything she could. She even didn't prepare her wedding dress herself, but used something that cost only three or five strings of cash."
Song Jiaoniang sighed as she spoke: "You are such a nice girl, why is she in such a hurry to get married? It's really hard to understand."
After a pause, she continued, "And Rong Xiaolang, earlier Rong Xiaoniang said that she was selling the house to support her brother's education, and the remaining money would be used as a dowry. But Madam Yu said that her husband had seen him on the street, and it seemed that he had not yet gone to school!"
When Chen Yan heard this, his brows were furrowed. He quickly took note and planned to ask around tomorrow to see if there were any other questions.
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