Chapter 43: Roast Duck. (Two in One)...
As they were talking, the faint aroma of seafood wafted from the kitchen. Chen Yan paused, sniffing the aroma. "Kumbu?"[*1]
Yesterday the shop served mushroom and pork soup, and today at noon the dish was kelp and tofu soup. It was fresh and refreshing, not expensive but very palatable and comforting.
Chen Yan was just wondering if Lin Zhi had made kelp and tofu soup again when the sizzling sound of oil pan and stir-frying came out.
He shook his head, certain that this wasn't soup, or even kelp. The kelp sent to Bianjing for sale was all dried, soaked and used for salad dressing, soup, or medicinal purposes. He had never seen it used for anything else.
Chen Yan pricked up his ears, trying to guess what Lin Zhi was doing. But before he could come up with an answer, he saw Lin Zhi lift the curtain and lean out: "Dad, Mom, come here and get it."
"I'll do it," Chen Yan said, feeling embarrassed to take advantage. He stood up, lifted the curtain, and entered the kitchen. The hot air, mingled with a salty aroma, hit him in the face. He froze in his tracks, staring intently at the food in the iron pot. "...Fried rice?"
"It's seafood fried rice." Lin Zhi smiled as she served the fried rice and then handed the tray filled with fried rice to Chen Yan. She turned around and filled several bowls of soup, picked them up and followed him out. "Come and try it. Our dinner tonight is seafood fried rice with mushroom chicken soup."
"Seafood fried rice? Hey, isn't this dried squid? It can actually be used to make fried rice?" Song Jiaonian looked at the fried rice in front of her, very surprised.
"I originally wanted to roast the pork belly," Linzhi said helplessly. "But I didn't know the dried squid Dad bought was so small that it wouldn't work well with the pork belly."
"I'll just use it to make fried rice." Linzhi explained the production process. First, heat the iron pan, then put the dried squid in it, press it with a spatula and fry both sides until golden brown, then cut into dice and set aside.
Lin Zhi even got up and went to the kitchen to get some extra dried squid, and asked Song Jiaoniang to taste it. "Don't tell me! The size Dad bought isn't suitable for cooking, but it's perfect as a snack!"
Song Jiaoniang pinched a piece and tasted it: "It's really delicious!"
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "It tastes pretty good just eating it straight up. I think if I add some sesame seeds and sesame oil, and a little sugar and salt to adjust the flavor, it would be even better, right?"
Lin Zhi said this, and she also thought so. She thought that small dried squids were cheap at the moment, and she could use them to make some hand-shredded dried squid as a snack, a treat, or as an appetizer for later meals.
She made a note of this and urged the three of them to try it quickly. Hearing this, Lin Sen and his wife, as well as Shen Yan, all lowered their heads to examine the fried rice before them. They saw the egg-covered rice, mixed with emerald green vegetables, orange-red carrot cubes, and squid granules. The colors were bright and tempting, making their mouths water.
"I was just about to ask, why is this fried rice different from the ones I've seen before?" Lin Sen scooped up a spoonful, his face showing surprise.
With the popularity of iron pans, fried rice has long been one of the common staple foods in shops in the market. The most classic of them is "golden rice", which, as the name suggests, is made by adding eggs to rice and frying it until it is golden.
Lin Sen used to be the manager of a silk and satin shop, and he often ate it when he was out doing chores, so he knew what golden rice looked like very well.
But the fried rice in front of me clearly used eggs, but it looked completely different. The eggs weren't golden, coated in rice, nor were they a single, large ball. Instead, they were strands of eggs!?
Chen Yan also noticed the difference in the eggs, and even felt that not only the egg shreds were like this, but also the aroma of the fried rice was like this, just like spider silk wrapped with silk threads, leaving no escape for the nasal cavity, and could only greedily absorb the fragrance.
The aroma of the ocean surged like a wave, and the overbearing fresh fragrance went straight into the nasal cavity, expanding its territory unscrupulously.
"This isn't scrambled eggs, it's egg floss?" Lin Zhi curved her eyebrows and smiled, "Try it first, and you'll know."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yan scooped up a spoonful and put it into his mouth without hesitation. The already rich aroma doubled the moment the fried rice entered his mouth. The rice grains were crisp, the egg was soft, and the squid was chewy.
As the teeth collide with the fried rice, the aroma of squid, eggs, rice, green onions, and meat... is like the navy, army, and air force gathered together, working together to raise their spears of battle towards the taste buds.
The squid pieces are so small that they seem to have no presence on the battlefield, but their firm and chewy texture and strong flavor are like a catapult, delivering the delicious taste to every part of your tongue.
After a while, Chen Yan let out a long breath.
Just when he was wondering if his reaction was a bit too much, he heard the same exhalation sound from Lin Sen and Song Jiaoniang.
The three of them looked at each other and couldn't help laughing. However, Lin Zhi tilted her head with a spoon in her mouth, looking at the three people who suddenly laughed in confusion.
She was about to speak when she suddenly remembered something and looked towards the door: "By the way, Tao Lang went back?"
"No...right? He should still be chatting? Uh?" Chen Yan looked back, only to see that the shop door was empty. He was stunned: "Where is he!?"
At the same time, Tao Yingce, who was far away in the Tao Mansion, also cried out in surprise: "Where is he? Where is Yan'er?"
He had just returned to the mansion and was about to find Chen Yan who had sneaked away to complain, when he learned from the servant: Yan Ge'er has not come back at all!
Tao Yingce: “…”
Tao Yingce: “???”
Suddenly, the whole Tao residence was in chaos.
The old lady who got the news rushed over and was so angry that she wanted to hit her grandson with her cane: "You keep saying that Si Lang is confused. You are such a grown man, and you can still lose Yan Ge'er!"
"Mom, Yan'er is not a child anymore. He must have gone out to relax." Mrs. Shen was worried about both her son and her nephew, and seeing this, she wanted to persuade the old lady.
"Yes." The aunt who was supporting the old lady nodded when she heard this. "At this age, she loves to play. I think she must have gone to a restaurant to watch a play and drink. Who knows..."
The old lady put a little pressure on her hand to stop her daughter from talking. She knew in her heart that her daughter did not like Chen Yan and was determined to get her own sister Jin and Si Lang together.
But she only saw the advantages of her own family, but never thought about it carefully. Silang's academic performance was mediocre, and it would be difficult for him to pass the imperial examination. If his wife's family was useless, his future official career would be difficult.
However, Chen Yan had no parents, no sisters, and no brothers, so Sister Jin had been able to be the head of the household. Furthermore, the Shen family was wealthy, and Yan'er was close to the family, so he probably wouldn't have objected to Sister Jin's small dowry.
After much deliberation, the old lady felt that there was no better candidate than Chen Yan. However, after finally convincing her eldest daughter-in-law, she never expected that her own daughter would hinder her, which really made her depressed.
Just as the old lady was about to speak to smooth things over, Tao Yingheng curled his lips and said, "Aunt, please stop talking nonsense. Brother Yan is not that kind of person..."
Tao Yingce pulled his brother and said with a smile, "Mother and Aunt are right. I was overly worried. I think Yan'er must have just met Dr. Dai and was in a bad mood, so he went out to relax. I'll take people to look for him outside and talk to him later. It's our fault for disturbing Grandmother and Aunt's rest."
Compared with the outspoken Heng'er, Tao Yingce's words seemed much more organized. He pointed out the reason and refuted the aunt's opinion.
After saying that, he pulled Heng'er out. Seeing this, Madam Shen hurried forward and urged the servants in the house to prepare the carriage.
The aunt's face turned pale and red, and she looked at the old lady with grievance. But the old lady ignored her and went back with a sullen face.
The aunt's face was really green now. She walked back while complaining: "Our family has good upbringing, so of course there is no such thing. But who knows what kind of person that fatherless and motherless person is? Maybe he is just pretending..."
The more she talked, the more she felt that Chen Yan must be a hypocrite. Otherwise, why would he not take the imperial examination and instead work as a clerk under Ce Ge'er? Maybe he was afraid that if he took the imperial examination and the results were not good enough, he would lose face, so he wanted Ce Ge'er to protect him.
As the lady thought about it, she wished that Chen Yan would be caught in the brothel and embarrassed.
The next second, someone came to report: "Brother Yan is back."
Tao Yingce rushed to the door and saw Lin Sen turning around and getting on the donkey cart: "Uncle Lin?"
"Good evening, Tao Lang." Lin Sen nodded at him, greeted Shen Yan, and then took the car back.
"You were just at Linzhiji."
"Yeah." Chen Yan nodded. "I went in right under your nose and thought you would come back soon, but when I turned around, you were gone."
“…”
"I also had squid fried rice inside, it was so delicious, much better than the fried rice outside!"
“…………”
"Look, Sister Zhi gave me some fruit and asked me to bring it back to eat."
“………………”
"You didn't realize that you're only looking for me now, right?" Chen Yan squinted at him, watching Tao Yingce's expressionless face as he walked briskly towards the yard. When he got there, he said stiffly, "Half of that fruit belongs to me!"
Chen Yan rolled his eyes but didn't stop him. He opened the food box and handed half of the Chongyang cake to Tao Yingce.
When Mrs. Shen came over, she saw her son and nephew already sitting together, drinking tea and eating fruit. She was both angry and amused, reaching out and tapping Shen Yan's forehead: "Look at what you've done. You're such an adult, but you don't know how to be cautious."
Seeing this, Tao Yingce hurriedly handed over the Chongyang cake and said with a smile: "Try it, Mom. This is what I ordered in advance. It was made by Sister Zhi."
Madam Shen took a bite and her eyes lit up: "It's really good. Is this girl running a fruit shop?"
“No, it’s a restaurant.”
"With your skills, I think you should open a fruit shop."
The mother and son exchanged a few words, and the topic inevitably turned to the aunt. Mrs. Shen's face darkened when she mentioned the aunt, and she no longer looked like she was trying to figure out Shen Yan's thoughts. She said bluntly, "I didn't like your aunt in the past, but I thought Jin Jie'er was a good person, and getting married was a matter for the family, not for everyone, so I tried to match them up."
"It's a pity that I was confused. This marriage was supposed to bring two families together, but she had to deal with such a mother!" Madam Shen thought about the words from the maid and was so angry that her teeth itched. She said, "Yan'er, and Ce'er, you should also talk to your brother and stay away from your aunt in the future. Don't let her target you."
Tao Yingce and Shen Yan understood the implication of Madam Shen's words and responded in unison. Among them, Shen Yan bowed and said, "I know my uncle and aunt have been worried about my marriage for a long time, but I don't want to discuss marriage until my family feud is avenged."
Madam Shen opened her mouth, but she couldn't say a word of persuasion - after all, Shen Yan was fighting for family revenge, for her brother and sister-in-law!
Putting aside the thoughts of the Tao family members, Lin Zhi and Song Jiaoniang were looking forward to Lin Sen's return so that they could go to the night market as a family.
Linzhi sat on a small stool, occasionally looking up at the corner of the street, then lowering her head to stroke the thin bamboo tube in her hand.
Before Song Jiaoniang could ask what the bamboo tube was for, the two heard the sound of hooves and wooden wheels on a donkey cart.
The mother and daughter looked together and saw Lin Sen waving at them.
The family quickly arrived at the night market and walked in the direction Song Jiaoniang had asked about. After only a few steps, Song Jiaoniang exclaimed, "Is that the one up ahead? What a grand shop!"
Linzhi looked up and saw that the shop was five rooms wide and two or three stories high. There were swaying signs on both sides and a lantern hanging high in the middle. The shop name could be seen clearly from across the street corner.
As the three of them got closer, they felt the scale of the place was astonishing. Not only were there a constant stream of customers, but there were also no less than twenty waiters inside, all dressed in purple shirts, square scarves on their heads, silk shoes and clean socks, looking quite respectable.
The family of three was secretly shocked, and when they saw the price, they took a deep breath at the same time!
It turns out that the Chongyang cake gift boxes sold by this store are divided into three grades: high, medium and low. The high-grade one costs 988 wen, the medium one costs 588 wen, and the low-grade one costs 288 wen.
Not only was the price expensive, but when Linzhi asked to order one, the receptionist shook his head and said that the gift boxes were only sold to regular customers, and new customers had to order a minimum of twenty.
There was no choice but to buy in bulk, and ninety-eight cents only bought four small pieces.
After leaving Pan's Fruit Shop, the family went to several other fruit shops. Most of these shops only sold gift boxes to regular customers. New customers would order at least ten pieces, while some, like Pan's, would order at least twenty or thirty pieces.
"It's worthy of being the Bianjing City. Look! Even the Double Ninth Festival cake is so exquisite." Lin Sen returned home and put the bags in his hands on the table. He recalled what he had seen and heard just now and couldn't help shaking his head.
Especially after tasting the food, his heart ached even more: "No? This Pan Ji's food isn't delicious either. It's not as good as this one called Sibaozhai!"
"Pan's is well-known, so it's normal for the price to be a bit higher." Lin Zhi was very calm when he heard this. "It's called brand premium."
Then, she tried the Sibaozhai that Lin Sen mentioned. It was soft and sweet, with the red bean paste and jujube paste mixed just right. "This Sibaozhai is really good. Can I see the price? Well, it's not bad either, four small pieces for sixty-eight wen."
"This one is delicious too." Song Jiaoniang handed over the one from Baoyuefang. "They only have two kinds. The gift box one is 168 wen, and the loose whole piece is 68 wen."
Linzhi was immediately impressed after taking a bite. This shop was ingenious. Unlike other shops that simply put the nuts on the surface, they rubbed the nuts into the rice cake, making the texture more distinct and stronger. "This one is really good, the taste is very special!"
"And this one has the lowest price."
“The taste of this place is OK…”
The three of them picked and chose, and ultimately decided that Sibaozhai and Baoyuefang were the tastiest. Then Song Jiaoniang became concerned about another question: "How much does it cost to make our Chongyang cakes? It takes a lot of ingredients to dye them in so many colors, right?"
"It's just spinach, pumpkin or something like that, not worth much." When Lin Zhi mentioned the raw materials, Song Jiaoniang immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
The three of them calculated and calculated again, and finally decided on a price: "Let's start at two yuan, two yuan and twenty-nine cents."
"I'll make a large piece in the shape of a longevity peach and sell it for 68 wen. I'll also pack it in a food box and sell it for 158 wen."
After a pause, Lin Zhi added, "Besides, we're newly opened anyway, so if anyone asks, we'll start selling from one."
Linzhi did what she said. The next day, a wooden rack was set up in front of the shop door, a notice for selling Chongyang cakes was posted, and samples were placed on the small table.
Meanwhile, Song Jiaoniang had also gone to the drink shop next door. She first introduced the drinks she had prepared, and then said, "Madam Yu, if you want to give them to friends and family, the 68-cent birthday peach variety is festive and cost-effective. If you're giving it to an old customer, choose the 158-cent variety. It's guaranteed to be beautifully packaged, and you can even write a blessing message on it."
"Also, I've discussed this with Sister Zhi and I'm giving you a 20% discount. The birthday peaches are 55 wen, and the gift box is 126 wen."
When Madam Yu heard the price, she was so delighted that she paid immediately and ordered eight boxes of birthday peaches and twenty-two gift boxes. Then she curiously asked about what happened last night: "Sister Jiao Niang, did you entertain the master last night?"
Madam Yu was afraid that Song Jiaoniang would mind, so she quickly added, “Actually, I heard some noise yesterday, and when I came out, I happened to see a few three-horse carriages parked in front of your house.”
Song Jiaoniang suddenly understood and nodded with a smile, "Indeed, that's true. The two people who came yesterday were doctors from the Imperial College. They are my friend's mentor and friend. They knew we had just opened our business and came to look after it."
"So those are... the doctors and students of the Imperial College?" Song Jiaoniang said it calmly, but Madam Yu's heart was in turmoil.
Even though their shops are right next to the Dali Temple, perhaps only the three top shops can entertain the high-ranking officials there. As for drink shops and steamed bun shops like theirs, they can only entertain minor officials at best, and most of them are petty clerks and runners.
Look at Linzhiji Restaurant. It has only been open for two days and it can already entertain officials of the fifth rank.
Moreover, judging from what Song Jiaoniang said, their friend was also a student at the Imperial College? To be able to invite a fifth-rank doctor to try something out, he was clearly no ordinary person.
Where did the Lin family come from?
The more Madam Yu thought about it, the more frightened she became. Her enthusiasm for Song Jiaoniang increased even more. She even said that next time, diners who had dined at Linzhiji could save two cents on tea at Yinzipu.
When she mentioned this to Shopkeeper Wu, he didn't even complain. He served her tea and water, and even massaged her shoulders: "She's worthy of being my wife. My wife has the best taste in the world!"
Song Jiaoniang returned to the shop in triumph and happily handed the deposit to her daughter: "Look, Madam Yu is really straightforward. She paid the money right away."
"Besides." Song Jiaoniang glanced at her daughter's expression and quickly brought up Yu Niangzi's idea. Finally, she asked, "What do you think, Sister Zhi?"
Seeing Song Jiaoniang's nervous look, Lin Zhi couldn't help laughing: "Isn't this good? But we can't let Yu Niangzi's family pay alone."
Song Jiaoniang nodded repeatedly: "I think so too."
Lin Zhi was happy to see this happen: "Our shop is a food shop, and Yu Niangzi's shop is a beverage shop, so it just so happens that they complement each other."
"Mom, please discuss this with Madam Yu. In addition to the specials, our customers can get a two-cent discount on drinks. Or, if they buy regular-priced drinks at her place and then dine here, they can also get a two-cent discount."
"Or if you spend a certain amount of money, you can provide coupons, free meals, or even Chongyang cakes?"
When Song Jiaoniang heard this, she suddenly had an idea: "Then we can serve the soup by itself, or change it to a set meal with a drink?"
"Yes, this is a great idea!" Seeing that Song Jiaoniang had a new idea, Lin Zhi praised her repeatedly and intended to let her mother think more about it.
After all, compared to Lin Sen, who has to deal with goods in and out and settle accounts every day, Song Jiaoniang just has to attract customers, serve tea and water, and clean every day. The work is trivial and there is no sense of accomplishment.
Lin Zhi initially advised Song Jiaoniang to do her own thing, but it was obvious that the other two people in the family were busy, and Song Jiaoniang was not willing to do that at all.
Lin Zhi felt it would be a great thing if she could draw some inspiration from this and teach Song Jiaoniang to cheer up.
Song Jiaoniang lowered her eyes in thought, her mind spinning with excitement. She muttered something about going to talk to Madam Yu later, then looked at the busy father and daughter. "Jie Zhi, these ducks you and your father made...are you adding a new dish today?"
"No, I'm not adding any new dishes today. These are what I plan to sell when we officially open tomorrow."
After the three-day discount period, the most challenging moment for everyone will come. Linzhi decides to use new products with the ultimate aroma to lure diners.
At first, she planned to use pork trotter rice, but Lin Sen had not yet contacted a suitable shop, and it was not easy to get a stable supply of high-quality pork trotters. In addition, officials nowadays still had a certain resistance to pork, so Lin Zhi had to settle for the second best and chose roast duck rice.
Since it is roast duck rice, the most important thing is of course the roast duck!
Lin Zhi reached out to take the duck that Lin Sen had slaughtered, deftly cutting off the head, neck, and feet. She replied casually, "I tried out the oven in the back after it was built, but I've never properly baked anything. I plan to bake a few today to test the temperature so I can be prepared for tomorrow."
Song Jiaoniang responded hesitantly, sitting on a small stool and watching the father and daughter's actions. Lin Sen was in charge of slaughtering the duck, draining its blood, and removing its feathers, while Lin Zhi was in charge of removing its head, neck, and feet, taking out its internal organs, and then cleaning the duck.
The two of them have been working on this for some time, especially Lin Sen, who has become quite proficient from being unfamiliar at the beginning.
After the duck was cleaned and drained, Linzhi prepared the spices and sauce. She reached into the duck's body from its tail, spreading the spices and sauce evenly over every inch. She lifted the duck to spread the spices and sauce throughout its entire length, then added onions, ginger, garlic, and other ingredients before finally sewing the duck's belly shut.
Then, Linzhi picked up a small bamboo tube, placed one end against the duck's neck, and blew air into it hard.
Song Jiaoniang's eyes widened, and Lin Sen stared at his daughter's actions with his mouth wide open in horror: "Wait, wait, wait—Sister Zhi, what are you doing!?"
While blowing air, Linzhi smoothed out the wrinkles on the fat duck's body until the duck became round and plump.
She held up the blown-up duck and said with a smile, "That's how I blow the duck. Dad, you try it."
Lin Sen looked at the chubby duck expressionlessly, took a fat duck with gritted teeth, glanced at the snickering Song Jiaoniang, and blew air into it.
"Dad, use some strength."
“…” Lin Sen felt aggrieved, but it was useless.
"Dad, your hands should stroke and stretch the duck skin at the same time."
“…………” Lin Sen’s face flushed red, and his hands were still following the instructions of his daughter.
"Dad, it's too slow, hurry up!"
“………………” After Lin Sen blew one, another one was stuffed into his hand. He continued to blow it dejectedly.
Lin Zhi skillfully stuffed the fat duck with marinade and sewed it up, while urging, "Hurry up, hurry up, we'll be done in two more."
Song Jiaonian couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.
Just then, a voice called out from outside: "Uncle Lin, Aunt Song, Sister Zhi? Is anyone in the room?"
Song Jiaoniang was avoiding Lin Sen's assassinating gaze. Upon hearing the voice, she subconsciously stood up, lifted the curtain and said, "Hey, hey, hey—oh, why are Chen Lang and Tao Lang here?"
Chen Yan and Tao Yingce stood there in a daze, their gazes passing through the curtain lifted by Song Jiaoniang and falling on Lin Sen, who was holding the duck and blowing on it until his face flushed red.
“…”
“…”
“…”
"This is cooking, don't look at me like that!" Lin Sen put down the duck and jumped in anxiety.
"We didn't say anything."
"Yes, they didn't say anything."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
