Chapter 45 Get the Secret Recipe
Zhang Yunniang was carrying a basket of vegetables in one hand and two pieces of meat in the other. She wanted to carry Niu Niu on her back, but Niu Niu didn't want her to suffer too much.
In the end, Niu Niu returned home holding the corner of her mother's clothes.
Zhang Yunniang was originally worried that the little girl would be too playful and might run away on the way because she saw something new, but she didn't expect Niuniu to be too obedient. If she was asked to hold the corner of her clothes, she would really not let go.
I waited until we all returned to the house we rented, and Niu Niu was still holding it.
"Okay, you can let go and go play by yourself." Zhang Yuniang said softly.
Gu Zhao hadn't seen her all morning, so he said anxiously, "Niuniu, I found a great place. It's really fun. Come with me!"
Niuniu's face was moved when she heard this, but she still shook her head and said, "Third brother, go play first, I'll find you later."
"What's the matter?" Gu Zhao didn't understand why his friend suddenly stopped playing with him.
"I have something I want to ask my father." Niu Niu said seriously.
Gu Zhao disagreed: "What can I ask?"
Niu Niu took out the dark yellow paper that had been crumpled into a ball.
When Gu Zhao saw that it was paper, he immediately exclaimed, "How old are you? Why do you want to ask Dad for advice? How come you are the same as your elder brother, that old pedant!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar voice came from behind him: "Third brother, who do you say is the old scholar?"
Gu Zhao was so frightened that he almost lost his soul: "Big...Big brother, why are you walking so quietly!"
Gu Yan glanced at him unhappily and said, "You yourself are not making progress, and you are trying to stop your younger sister from making progress. Have you finished the homework that your father assigned to you a few days ago?"
Gu Zhao had been having fun with Niuniu around the house these days and had long forgotten about his schoolwork. When the living devil mentioned this matter to him, his face immediately wrinkled.
Gu Zhao was taken away by Gu Yan.
Gu Mingda had heard the children's chat a long time ago. He turned around and said to Niuniu with a smile, "Is there anything you want Dad to help you with?"
Niu Niu trotted over and showed the piece of paper to Gu Mingda as if she were presenting a treasure.
The paper is obviously quite old and has gone through many twists and turns, which is why it looks so weathered now.
Gu Mingda took a casual look at it. The first time he read it, he felt that it was all nonsense.
"Dad, what's written on it? The grandfather who sold it to me said it was a secret food recipe worth a fortune!" Niu Niu said innocently with her big black eyes open.
Gu Mingda asked: "Didn't you see it?"
Niuniu nodded and said, "I looked at it, but I don't recognize many of the words."
Gu Mingda picked up the little girl from the ground.
Niuniu sat on her father's lap, watching him teach her word by word: "This word is 'liao', this word is 'lu'..."
As Gu Mingda was teaching, the voice suddenly stopped.
Niuniu didn't know what was going on and kept asking, "Dad, why don't you teach me anymore? How do you pronounce this word?"
"This word is 'wrinkle'." After answering his daughter's question, Gu Mingda hurriedly called Zhang Yuniang over.
Zhang Yuniang was completely confused.
Gu Mingda carefully asked his wife how she got the paper.
After Zhang Yunniang finished explaining the whole story, she couldn't help but complain, "This old beggar is really bad. I don't know where he picked up this piece of waste paper from. He even deceived a child."
Gu Mingda shook his head slightly and said, "It's not really a lie."
Zhang Yunniang was illiterate, but after marrying Gu Mingda, she learned a lot of words from her husband. Upon hearing this, she took the paper again and said, "I looked at it before. Although it is densely written, it is all nonsense, either doggerel or numbers. Could it be some amazing secret recipe?"
Gu Mingda said: "This piece of paper uses the Fanqie rhyme method, and there is indeed a secret recipe hidden in it."
Zhang Yunniang was shocked when she heard this, and couldn't help but look at Niuniu who was standing next to her like a silly little girl.
“It’s a marinade recipe.”
Gu Mingda spread out a piece of white paper and reproduced the original appearance of the secret recipe on the paper by comparing it with the white paper.
Looking at the various seasonings and medicinal materials in the recipe, Zhang Yuniang had to believe that her family had hit the jackpot again and really got a secret recipe for braised food.
"The fact that someone used such a troublesome method to record it shows that this recipe is obviously very important. It's a pity that its descendant seems to be useless. After many twists and turns, it fell into the hands of that old beggar, who treated it as waste paper." Gu Mingda sighed.
Zhang Yunniang said, "My husband, I have never heard of the method you mentioned. I guess many people don't understand it. Such a good stew recipe is wasted."
Gu Mingda nodded and said, "Not many people know about the rhyme method of fanqie. I only found out about this method when I read a miscellaneous book by chance."
After Gu Mingda finished speaking, he carefully explained to his wife what the fanqie rhyme method was. Although Zhang Yunniang seemed to understand it not quite, she listened very carefully. Even Niuniu was learning with full attention.
"Husband, I will go out again in the afternoon and gather all the ingredients above. We will also stew a pot and try what kind of divine delicacy it is that is worthy of being passed down in such a complicated way." Zhang Yunniang said with a smile.
Gu Mingda was naturally cautious and said, "If you buy everything at once, it might attract attention. It's better to buy it in several times... It's not safe for a weak woman like you to go out alone. Well, I'll go with you to buy after my college exam is over."
Zhang Yunniang did not force herself to make the finished product immediately according to the recipe. Now there are many people living in this house. If the recipe is learned by others, she would regret it deeply.
Zhang Guangzong and his wife in the backyard started making a noise again.
Zhang Guangzong looked at the bowl of meat soup and rice on the table, his face suddenly filled with displeasure, and he said, "Are you a millstone? You only know how to turn it after you push it. I told you to prepare meat soup, but you only prepared meat soup, and you didn't even buy some green leaves?"
Zhang Guangzong has always been very picky about food. Although he likes to eat meat, he finds it very greasy if he eats only meat.
Little Cai shrank her neck in fear and said, "No... no money to buy vegetables..."
Zhang Guangzong's dissatisfaction immediately reached its peak: "I gave you so much money, how come you spent it all so quickly? You spendthrift woman, how do you manage the family?"
Little Cai had no choice but to explain what happened today.
It would have been better if she didn't explain. After she explained, Zhang Guangzong was so angry that he slammed the table.
"You useless thing! A beggar can cheat you out of your money! Twenty cents can buy a pound of meat, but you let him cheat you!" Zhang Guangzong cursed.
Little Cai explained weakly, "My husband, I asked that old beggar to cheat Zhang Yuniang... She must have suffered a loss..."
The same bed can make two different people sleep together. After hearing this, Zhang Guangzong's anger subsided a little and he said, "You are still useful."
Little Cai added: "But I really have no money now. I don't know how to buy food for tomorrow."
Zhang Guangzong glared at her, but he also knew that some money could not be saved, so he handed over a handful of copper coins with great reluctance and reminded her: "Spend sparingly."
Looking at the small amount of money, Madam Cai said with a bitter face, "My husband, vegetables and meat are expensive in the city. I'm afraid that I can't eat anything good with this money..."
Zhang Guangzong slapped her and said, "If you can't eat it, don't eat it! Spendthrift woman, no amount of money will be enough for you to spend!"
Little Cai was hit again. She covered her face and was stunned for a moment, then suddenly said, "Husband, do you remember the family next door to the inn where we stayed before?"
When Zhang Guangzong mentioned the inn he stayed in before, he became furious and wanted to slap Xiao Cai again, but he held back and asked, "Who is the family that raised a stupid son?"
Little Cai nodded and said, "Their family is in need of a child bride, and the people in the city are generous and willing to give this amount."
Little Cai made a "cross" gesture.
Ten taels of silver is nothing in the city, but it can solve the urgent needs of this couple.
Little Cai continued, "Niuniu has been raised by Zhang Yunniang and her husband for such a long time. She is fair and tender, and looks like the fairy child in the New Year pictures. The fool's parents must be satisfied. We may even raise the price."
(End of this chapter)
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