As soon as the food box was opened, the aroma seemed to grow legs and waft straight into my nose.
Even though Master Zhao had been keeping a stern face, he couldn't help but crane his neck and peek inside.
Inside the food box were rows of bright red, tempting pieces of braised pork, their color rich and their aroma enticing—just looking at them made one's mouth water! Unlike the dish made by my own cook, which was dark and tough, looking like it had been pulled out of a cesspool.
Moreover, just by smelling the fragrance, you know it must taste amazing.
"This...this is really made from that sweet pear?" Master Zhao asked in disbelief.
"Absolutely true! I bought it from her stall myself, there's no mistake," the servant replied hastily.
Mr. Zhao picked up his chopsticks with some skepticism, took the largest piece, and put it in his mouth.
It's fatty but not greasy, melts in your mouth, and has no fishy smell of pork. Instead, it has a unique aroma that leaves you wanting more.
Master Zhao was completely stunned. He had lived most of his life and had tasted all kinds of delicacies. But this braised pork had a flavor that amazed him!
Butler Zhao breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, glad that he had a backup plan and sent someone to buy it, otherwise the master would have thought he was lying!
He winked at his subordinate, who understood and quickly embellished the story of Gan Li selling braised pork at the dock. As he listened, Master Zhao's heart sank, his brows furrowed, and he felt both longing and fear.
How could a country woman make such delicious braised pork! If she opened a restaurant, would my Wanshun Restaurant even survive?
But if I had this prescription in my own hands...
"No! I must get my hands on this secret recipe!" After a moment, Master Zhao slammed his fist on the table and said fiercely.
But what method should be used?
He was at a loss and paced back and forth in frustration.
Steward Zhao seized the opportunity to suggest, "I think it would be better to let Scholar Chen handle this matter again. He was the one who found out how to make ice with saltpeter last time, so maybe he has some ideas."
Master Zhao slapped his thigh: "Good, go and call him here quickly."
With a single word from the master, the servants would run themselves ragged. In less than a quarter of an hour, Chen Danian had already appeared at Wanshun Restaurant.
...
Chen Danian entered Wanshunlou, saw Master Zhao, and bowed with a beaming smile.
"Uncle Zhao, did you call me here today because of my marriage with Juan'er?"
Master Zhao's face stiffened, and he waved his hand with a forced smile:
“My dear son-in-law, haven’t we already been instructed to prepare for this? There’s no need for us to worry about it. I’ve called you here today for another matter.”
He pointed to the braised pork on the table: "Want to try some?"
Seeing that he was making excuses again, Chen Danian cursed inwardly, "That old fox! Every time I ask about the wedding, he says he's preparing, preparing!"
It's not like a princess is getting married. It's a widow getting married. What does she need to prepare? Just put on a veil, bow in the hall, and that's it, isn't it?
However, he naturally wouldn't dare say these words in front of Master Zhao. Besides, he had already smelled the delicious aroma coming from the table and his mouth was watering. When Master Zhao invited him to eat, he picked up his chopsticks.
He picked up a piece, put it in his mouth and savored it carefully. His eyes lit up immediately: "It's delicious! What is it made of? It doesn't taste like mutton."
Butler Zhao said, "It's made from pork."
"Pork?" Chen Danian was even more surprised. He picked up another piece and ate it even more carefully than before.
After swallowing, he gave a thumbs up: "I can't taste any pork at all, and to me, this tastes so much better than braised lion's head meatballs. No wonder it's Wanshunlou!"
"Uncle Zhao, in my opinion, why are you afraid of Bai Fulai? With this dish, Bai Fulai is no match for you!"
Master Zhao snorted and said with a forced smile, "This wasn't made by Wanshunlou."
The flattery backfired... Chen Danian suddenly realized why Zhao had looked so grumpy and like his mother had died when he came in.
He chuckled awkwardly and asked cautiously, "Then could it be that Baifu made this?"
No, not exactly.
Chen Danian breathed a sigh of relief.
Master Zhao glanced at his expression and sneered, "It's made from sweet pears."
"What?" Chen Danian's eyes widened in shock. It was made by Gan Li? This answer was unacceptable to him!
He wasn't stupid; he knew that Gan Li wouldn't send him a dish to eat because of her relationship with Master Zhao. The only possibility was that Gan Li was using it for business.
That bitch, she's been with me for so many years, and she's been hiding it so well!
Seeing his expression, Master Zhao realized he was unaware of the matter. While inwardly cursing him for being stupid, he was also somewhat satisfied.
Being a little stupid is good; being a little stupid means you'll be more obedient.
Master Zhao said, "I won't waste any more words with you. Can you get your hands on the recipe for this braised pork?"
Chen Danian glanced at him and said with a forced smile, "My uncle instructed me to do everything in my power to accomplish this. However..."
"But what?"
"However, Juan'er and I haven't seen each other for a long time, and I miss her very much. Uncle, could you please let me see Juan'er?"
Master Zhao frowned slightly, but then he thought of that prescription…
He nodded: "She was sick before, and I didn't want her illness to affect you. Now that she's better, you should go see her."
Upon hearing this, Chen Danian was overjoyed!
Although Zhao Juan came to my house last time, she left in a hurry, and I didn't even get to say a few words to her.
Moreover, Zhao Juan's attitude was very strange, and the fact that the marriage could not be moved forward for a long time made him feel uneasy.
He was always worried that all the things he had done for the Zhao family would end up being for nothing!
Now that he has this opportunity, he should try to appease Zhao Juan and get her to urge Master Zhao to finalize the marriage arrangements as soon as possible.
...
At the Zhao family home, Zhao Juan was feeding the fish in the lotus pond, looking quite content.
A young maidservant came running over excitedly, shouting, "Miss, Young Master Chen is here!"
"Da Nian?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Juan immediately forgot to feed the fish, spilling the fish food all over the ground.
She excitedly got up to greet them, but then something occurred to her, and her face stiffened. She sat back down, but she was actually quite restless.
She didn't want to see Chen Danian, but she was also reluctant to send him back. After struggling for a long time, she finally instructed the maid, "Have someone bring him in."
As soon as Chen Danian entered the courtyard, he saw Zhao Juan sitting by the lotus pond. She was wearing a pink dress, which made her skin look as white as snow. Her originally ordinary appearance was now more beautiful.
His heart skipped a beat, and he rubbed his hands together, about to step forward, when Zhao Juan gave him a cold glance: "What are you doing here?"
Chen Danian's smile froze instantly, and he looked at her in confusion:
"Juan'er, I've come to see you. Last time you left in such a hurry, we didn't even get to say a few words. I miss you so much. Don't you miss me too?"
As Zhao Juan listened to his sweet words, she would have been overjoyed in the past, but now she felt a mix of emotions, her mind filled with memories of her time as Gan Li.
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