Chapter 19, Inn No. 19: Steamed Pork and Steamed Ribs
The clattering sound of the copper coins was extremely pleasant. Yunyin counted them and strung them together. After counting all the copper coins, there were a total of three strings of coins, plus four hundred loose copper coins.
Yunyin calculated the costs and deducted the taxes. The profit was 500 coins. She was very satisfied with earning that much; it wasn't for nothing that she had worked so hard to make so many bowl-shaped rice cakes and green rice dumplings. Actually, bowl-shaped rice cakes and green rice dumplings didn't earn as much as cold noodles, but they were simpler and more convenient to make, so she could accept earning less.
She put the large bag of copper coins back into the money box. With this money, she now had 5 strings and 900 coins. Although she still had to pay taxes, she didn't actually have that much money left, but at least she saw a glimmer of hope.
The most profitable item here is mushroom sauce. Every time Luo Man buys mushroom sauce from her, it's dozens of jars at a time. Naturally, she also hopes to sell more mushroom sauce. However, the caravan that passed by this time consisted of people who had been stranded by bandits. They were in a hurry to go back and didn't want to carry any unnecessary burdens.
Fortunately, several caravan members tasted her mushroom sauce and were very satisfied, planning to buy more from her to take with them on their next trip to the Western Regions.
Although she hadn't decided to buy immediately, Yunyin still held out hope, as she had at least expressed interest. Besides, her food stall had reopened, the bandit problem had been resolved, and she didn't need to worry about not having business if she continued selling food.
The next morning, Yunyin got up from her simple little bed. She touched the thin mattress, which was covered with straw. Now that she had some money, it was time to make a bed and buy some quilts.
She had asked before, and the cheapest wooden bed cost 500 coins, while the more expensive ones were even more expensive. Yunyin hadn't been willing to spend that much money on a bed before, so she just made do with a makeshift bed made from wooden planks.
Now that things have settled down and I've saved some money, it's necessary to use some of it to improve my life. Otherwise, what's the point of making so much money?
After washing up, Yunyin gave Zhang Lin money and asked him to go to town to buy meat and a bed. Today was Qingming Festival, the last time they could cook, and she needed to prepare some dishes for the sacrifice.
Holding the meat that Zhang Lin bought, Yunyin took out the rice flour that she had previously fried and ground, poured it into a bowl, and added ground spices such as star anise and cinnamon. She then stirred it thoroughly to make steamed meat powder.
Next is marinating the meat. Cut fresh pork belly into thick slices, add the prepared seasonings and marinate for a period of time. After marinating, pour in the prepared steaming powder and stir. Then it can be steamed.
The ribs are processed in the same way. As for the vegetables underneath, there are quite a few that can be used. She used to use potatoes more often, but unfortunately, Da Zhao has not yet discovered potatoes, so she can only use other vegetables. Taro and lotus root are good choices, but Yun Yin has a more suitable choice, which is mugwort.
Wash the freshly picked mugwort in the morning thoroughly with water, or you can use salt to wash it to remove impurities and bitterness. Then blanch it quickly and put it in cold water to lock in its bright green color.
Then add sesame oil to coat the mugwort leaves evenly, then pour in steamed meat powder and spread it evenly on the mugwort leaves, and steam them in a pot for a while.
Finally, top the steamed pork with steamed mugwort leaves, steam for a few more minutes, and then pour in the prepared scallion and ginger sauce. A delicious steamed pork dish is now ready.
Yunyin inverted the steamed pork onto a plate, where the pork slices were neatly arranged. Each slice was coated with rich rice flour, the pork was marbled with fat and lean meat, and the rice flour was glossy. The aroma alone was enough to whet one's appetite.
She picked out a piece and tasted it. It was tender and fragrant, the meat was fatty but not greasy, and it was steamed to perfection, melting in her mouth. The seasoning of the steamed meat powder was also excellent, sweet and delicious, making her mouth water.
After eating a piece of steamed meat, Yunyin picked up some mugwort leaves from inside. The mugwort leaves, having absorbed the oil from the steamed meat, also became oily and tender. With each bite, the soft and powdery texture was infused with the unique fragrance of mugwort leaves, making it an absolutely delicious combination with the steamed meat.
Steamed mugwort leaves are delicious on their own, but when paired with steamed meat, they absorb the aroma of the meat, making the flavor of the mugwort leaves stand out even more, giving this steamed meat dish a unique taste.
After Yunyin tasted it, she let Zhang Lin try it as well. He also praised it highly. As for the steamed pork ribs, she didn't put any vegetables underneath, so it had a different flavor from the steamed pork, but it was still very delicious.
After tasting the two dishes, Yunyin took the steamed food and sacrificial items and went to the riverbank with Zhang Lin to perform the sacrifice.
Neither Zhang Lin nor she had the graves of their relatives here; they could only pay their respects by the river to express their feelings.
Yunyin lit incense and burned paper money. Soon, the riverbank was filled with smoke. She took out the prepared dishes and green rice dumplings, solemnly kowtowed three times, and recounted her experiences over the past few days.
Watching the incense gradually burn, she wiped away her tears and whispered, "Grandma, Dad, I'm doing very well here. You don't need to worry about me. I'll do even better in the future."
After the ceremony, Yunyin checked that there were no remaining sparks, took the dishes from the offering back to the food stall, and by then it was already broad daylight, and pedestrians were already passing by on the official road.
Yunyin quickly took out the signboard and hung it up. She then opened the simmering bone broth, and a fragrant aroma wafted out. She called to Zhang Lin, "You can cook the noodles today. Let me see how good your skills are."
Zhang Lin washed his hands, took the dough, and said, "Don't worry, Lady Yun, I've already practiced it. You can leave it to me."
This was something Yunyin had decided long ago. From now on, Zhang Lin would be in charge of cooking noodles in the morning, while she would still be in charge of lunch and dinner, so that she wouldn't have to be busy from morning till night every day.
Zhang Lin only needs to be in charge of the food stall in the morning, and can go to work in the fields in the afternoon.
Yunyin watched as he stretched the noodles, and there was nothing wrong with it. The noodles he stretched were chewy and smooth, and he also controlled the cooking time and heat very well. She took the noodles Zhang Lin handed her, took a bite, and then said, "It tastes good. From now on, you will be in charge of cooking noodles in the morning."
Zhang Lin nodded repeatedly and said, "Don't worry, Lady Yun, I can do it." Zhang Lin was excited, hoping to receive praise from the guest and also to share more of the burden with Yun Yin.
As the two were talking, a passerby smelled the aroma of bone broth and followed the scent to the food stall. He glanced at the stall and asked, "Boss, how much are these noodles?"
Yunyin greeted the man and said, "Plain noodles and scallion oil noodles are both 6 coins, and fried sauce noodles are 8 coins."
Zhajiangmian is a new noodle dish launched by Yunyin. It uses her homemade mushroom sauce and is mixed with other seasonings, making it a very fragrant noodle dish.
The flavor of Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) is rich and savory, giving those who prefer a stronger taste an option. Those who like a lighter flavor can choose Yangchunmian (plain noodles) or scallion oil noodles, while those who prefer a stronger flavor can opt for Zhajiangmian.
Yunyin explained the differences between the various types of noodles to the customer, who then ordered a bowl of plain noodles.
As soon as the noodles were served, he smelled the aroma of meat. He turned the noodles over and, although he didn't see any meat in them, the bowl was quite oily. He took a sip of the soup, and the hot soup instantly dispelled the chill he had picked up that morning. He drank several sips before finally picking up a piece of noodles and putting it in his mouth.
The noodles are tender and elastic, and the rich wheat aroma blends perfectly with the bone broth, making you unconsciously fall in love with the dish.
He quickly finished the whole bowl of noodles and drank all the soup, but still felt unsatisfied. He hurriedly called Yunyin over and said, "Shopkeeper, give me another bowl of noodles with soybean paste."
Yunyin quickly asked Zhang Lin to make another bowl of noodles with soybean paste. After eating the bowl of noodles with its rich and flavorful sauce, the man nodded and said, "It tastes really good. Shopkeeper, do you sell this soybean paste?"
Upon hearing that a customer had come to her door, Yunyin immediately put down what she was doing, sat down in front of the man, and said, "Of course I'll sell. How much would you like to buy?"
It turned out that this person was on his way to visit his daughter in Long'an County. He was attracted by the aroma when he passed by, so he sat down and ate two bowls of noodles.
Yunyin told him the price, and although he thought it was a little expensive, he still spent the money to buy two jars of mushroom sauce and left.
As the old man left, more and more people came to Yunyin's food stall, all attracted by the rich aroma of the bone broth. Yunyin also took the opportunity to introduce the other dishes at her stall to everyone, saying that if they happened to be passing by at noon in the future, they could also come here for lunch.
The morning was spent cooking and selling noodles. Yunyin sat down to rest for a while and prepared the ingredients for lunch. At this time, Fu Wang, whom she hadn't seen for several days, rode over on his big black horse.
"Miss Yun, it's been a long time. I'm here to eat your cooking again." Fu Wang dismounted and handed her a food box, saying, "These are some snacks I bought from the county town. You can try them."
Yunyin took the food box and said apologetically, "You've come to support my business, how can I let you spend money? Since you've given me some snacks, please try some of my snacks too."
She placed a plate of green rice dumplings and a plate of rice cakes in front of him, saying, "Try them, they taste pretty good."
Fu Wang looked at the tempting emerald green rice dumplings, then at another plate of crystal-clear bowl cakes, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "So these pastries were made by Lady Yun. I saw them in the county, and they were very popular. Unfortunately, when I wanted to buy some to try, they were already sold out."
Fu Wang picked up a piece of green rice dumpling and ate it. The sweetness of the red bean paste made his eyebrows and eyes unconsciously relax. He pursed his lips and said, "The pastries made by Lady Yun are very delicious. They are sweet but not greasy. They are the taste I like."
He picked up another piece of bowl-shaped rice cake and ate it. The slightly sweet taste satisfied him, but he still preferred the sweetness of green rice dumplings. He finished all the cakes and said to Yunyin, "Miss Yun, can I pack the green rice dumplings to go? I want to take them with me after I finish eating."
Yunyin was surprised that Fu Wang not only liked fish but also had a sweet tooth. She smiled and said, "Of course! By the way, I made a new dish. Would you like to try it?"
Fu Wang nodded and said, "I have faith in Yun Niangzi's cooking skills. Then bring a plate of pickled fish and the new dish you mentioned."
"Okay." Yunyin grabbed a fish from the water tank, quickly cleaned it, sliced it into evenly thin slices, and then took a handful of pickled cabbage to start making pickled cabbage fish.
As for the steamed pork and steamed ribs, they were already steaming in the pot, and the steaming white vapor filled the kitchen, filling the entire space with the aroma of steamed meat.
Fu Wang also smelled the aroma and took a deep sniff. The fragrance was so enticing that even though he had just eaten some snacks, he was still captivated by it. He waited expectantly for her new dish.
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