Chapter 43, The 43rd Inn: Braised Pork I've Been Missing
Yunyin pursed her lips and said, "Can I say no? Let's make it clear first, it can't be free. If you don't charge me, then I'll find someone else to make the furniture."
Fu Wang sighed and said, "Can't you give me a chance to show my skills? Aren't we good friends? Talking about money is too hurtful to our relationship."
Yunyin shook her head and said, "Even close brothers keep clear accounts. Even friends shouldn't keep taking from each other. I want to be your friend for a long time and don't want to have conflicts over money."
Fu Wang: "Alright, alright, I'll take your money. You buy the timber yourself, and I'll pay you ten coins a day." Seeing that Yun Yin still wanted to object, he said, "This price is fair. Ask Qian Si's men if this is the daily rate. They're doing manual labor, while I'm just doing some light work. This money is enough."
Yunyin had no choice but to agree, saying, "Alright, it's settled then. I'll ask Qian Si if he has any timber merchants to recommend."
After resting, Yunyin went home and got the braising liquid that had been preserved in ice. This braising liquid was the one she had used to cook for Xia Yan before. At that time, Xia Yan's wife said that she could take anything left in the kitchen, but of course she didn't take everything. She only took the braising liquid that she wanted the most.
Heaven knows how long it's been since she's had braised food. Spices in Da Zhao are just too expensive for her to afford. She's still in debt, so she can't afford to buy spices to braise meat. She can buy some spices to braise meat when she earns more money in the future. For now, she'll just mooch off Xia Yan.
As soon as the braising liquid was heated, the entire kitchen was filled with a stimulating aroma. She planned to braise a lot of things to send to Luo Man and also to Xia Niangzi. Since she was so generous, she should send her more things.
Fu Wang was sitting in the shade of a tree enjoying the cool air when he smelled the fragrance. He got up and walked to Yun Yin's side, asking, "What are you doing, Lady Yun?"
"Make some appetizers, or snacks." Yunyin put in the blanched pork knuckle, pork belly, and pig tail that she had prepared that morning, along with some Sichuan peppercorns and ginger. Then she said to Fu Wang, "You can try it later. Although it's not very spiced, the flavor is already quite good. I've been wanting to eat it for a long time. It's really delicious, and I'm sure you'll like it too."
Upon hearing this, Fu Wang raised an eyebrow and said, "Then I'll look forward to it and see just how delicious it is that you've been thinking about it so much."
As the aroma of the braising sauce wafted through the air, passersby frequently glanced over. Some couldn't resist the scent and ran up to Yunyin's stall to sniff, asking, "What is my wife cooking? It smells so good. Are you selling it?"
Yunyin smiled apologetically: "I'm so sorry, these are gifts, not for sale. Besides, I just started cooking them, and they'll take all afternoon to cook. Otherwise, I could share some with you to try."
The man was initially disappointed when Yunyin said she wasn't selling, but when she said he could try it, he immediately found a place to sit down and said, "Anyway, I'm free this afternoon, and I can go to Long'an County later. Since my wife is willing to let me try it, I'll wait. If I don't get to try it, I won't be able to sleep well for the next few days."
He didn't know that after tasting it, he craved it even more and couldn't sleep well for several days. His friend wondered what was wrong with him, and when he found out the reason, he teased him, saying, "Why don't you give more money and have the young lady make you one?"
The man sighed, “Alas, I heard from that woman that the seasonings are too expensive, and it’s not worthwhile to make and sell them. She can only make them for herself or to give away. I didn’t think of that at the time. If I had known, I would have given her more money to buy a portion, since she was going to eat it all herself anyway.”
At this moment, the man had no idea what his feelings would be in the future. He also sat down under the shade of the tree to wait. He turned his head and saw Fu Wang. He grinned and said, "Young master, are you also here to wait for a bite?"
Fu Wang glanced at him and said calmly, "Of course not."
"My name is Wang Yu. May I ask your name, sir?"
"Fu Wang".
Wang Yu chuckled and said, "It seems that you are a man of few words, but I am a man of many words, so we complement each other perfectly."
"I wonder what other delicious food Lady Yun can make. How come I never noticed there was a food stall here before? I heard that she will open an inn in the future, right? Then I can stay here when I come to Long'an County, and I can eat delicious food. The place is also spacious."
Wang Yu rattled off a whole bunch of things, and Fu Wang only occasionally hummed in response. Even so, it didn't stop him from talking. He would drink some water when his mouth got dry and then continue. Fu Wang would glance at him, but he acted as if he hadn't seen it and continued to introduce the situation at their school. Fu Wang knew who he was on good terms with and who he didn't get along with.
Fu Wang rubbed his forehead and sighed, "Young Master Wang, can your friend stand you?"
Wang Yu stopped talking and said, "Ah, they're used to it, aren't they? Every time I talk, they go about their own business. Fu Langjun can also do his own business. Don't worry about me. I just want to talk."
Is that all? Fu Wang was very puzzled. He shook his head and ignored Wang Yu, letting it go in one ear and out the other. He picked a piece of linden wood from Yun Yin's firewood pile and began carving it with his carving knife, accompanied by Wang Yu's muttering.
By the time Yunyin's meat, chicken, and duck were all braised, Fu Wang had also finished carving the rabbits. He had carved three rabbits, two large and one small, making a perfect family.
When Yunyin brought over the sliced braised meat, she saw the three rabbits and praised them, saying, "Your rabbit carvings are so beautiful and lifelike. It seems your woodworking skills are indeed as good as you said."
Fu Wang smiled and said, "Why would I lie to you? If I say I can do it, then I definitely can."
"Here, have this rabbit. You can keep it at home as a decoration."
Yunyin took the rabbits and stroked them. Their bodies were smooth from being rubbed together, not prickly at all. Each rabbit had a different expression; some had their mouths wide open, others had their eyes squinted. She loved them and put them in her pouch, saying:
"What else can you do? Besides rabbits, what else can you carve? Can you carve a horse?"
Fu Wang: "Of course, whatever else you want, I can carve it for you."
Wang Yu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but say, "Miss Yun, stop talking, or the meat will get cold."
Upon hearing this, Fu Wang finally couldn't help but say, "You're the one who talks the most here, yet you complain that others talk too much."
Wang Yu pretended not to hear this and stared longingly at the plate of meat, asking, "Miss Yun, can we eat now?"
Yunyin decided to talk to Fu Wang later. She put the soaked meat on the table and said, "It hasn't been soaked long enough, so the flavor might not be strong enough. You guys try it first."
Wang Yu first picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks. It was salty and fragrant, with the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns and the spiciness of spices. The meat was also coated with broth. When he took a bite, the broth splashed out, and the salty and fragrant sauce filled his mouth. He couldn't help but hiss, stimulated by the numbing sensation, but he really didn't want to let go. He ate the piece of meat clean in one go.
He ate pig's feet again. He doesn't usually eat these things, but the pig's feet that Yun Niangzi made looked really tempting. He took a bite and they melted in his mouth. The skin and meat seemed to melt in his mouth, making him reluctant to eat them so quickly.
While eating, Wang Yu asked, "Miss Yun, is it really not okay to sell this? It smells so good! It's absolutely perfect with rice. If you made it and sold it, your business would definitely be even better than it is now. The aroma is so strong, I dare say that no one who passes by here can resist being attracted by it."
Yunyin rolled her eyes at him and said, "It's naturally delicious with so many spices, and besides, I don't sell this braised food; my business is doing very well."
"And do you think spices are cheap?" Yunyin snorted. "If I weren't making them to give away, I wouldn't have braised so many."
Not only are spices expensive, but meat is also very expensive. Look how long it used to be before Zhang Lin could eat meat. If it weren't for Yunyin's cooking skills and the support of some wealthy people, she doesn't know how long it would have taken her to earn enough money to build a house. Is money so easy to earn?
Wang Yu sighed and said, "Then I won't be able to eat it in the future."
Before Yunyin could speak, Fu Wang said, "It's good enough that you can eat today, don't be greedy."
Wang Yu said, "Okay, I won't say anything more. I'll eat, alright?"
Yunyin shook her head and said, "You guys eat slowly. I'll go tidy up. I still have to go to the county town later."
Fu Wang looked up and said, "I'll take you there. It's inconvenient for you to be carrying things."
Wang Yu said, "Let me take you there. I've already driven my carriage, and it's parked by the roadside. It's probably inconvenient for Lady Yun to use a carriage to deliver things. I've eaten your food for free today, so it's only right that I give you a ride."
After thinking for a moment, Yunyin said, "Alright, then I'll trouble you."
Just as she turned around, a cold voice came from behind her: "Madam Yun, may I have a word with you in private?"
Yunyin turned around and looked at her, puzzled. "Madam Wan, you're here for dinner today too? It's not dinner time yet."
Fang Leqiao shook her head and said, "I have something to discuss with you, Madam. Is now a convenient time?"
Yunyin wiped her hands, took off her apron, and said, "It's convenient, let's talk over there."
Fu Wang glanced up at Fang Leqiao, but didn't notice anything amiss. He lowered his head to continue eating, but when he reached for his chopsticks, he found that all the meat on the plate was gone, leaving only one chicken wing. He frowned and said, "You're fast enough." Then he picked up the chicken wing and started eating.
Wang Yu laughed and said, "You have to be quick and decisive when eating, otherwise you won't get to eat much. Young Master Fu still lacks experience and needs to learn more from me."
On the other side, Wan Leqiao stood there, occasionally tugging at the hem of her dress, but after a long while she still didn't say what was going on. Seeing that she was really conflicted, Yunyin said directly, "Madam Wan, just say what you have to say. If I can agree to it, I will naturally agree to it. If I can't do it, I won't do it even if you tell me."
Wan Leqiao seemed to have finally made up her mind. After taking a deep breath, she said, "Miss Yun, I wonder if you could teach me how to make braised pigeon?"
"I know this is presumptuous. Culinary skills are related to a person's inheritance, so naturally I can't just tell others. But I really want to know how to make this dish. I can give you two strings of cash as tuition."
"Of course, it would be presumptuous of me to offer money, but I really want to learn how to make this dish. Could you please teach me, Madam Yun? I'm so sorry."
Wan Leqiao bowed in greeting, but Yunyin quickly stopped her, saying, "Madam Wan, there's no need to be so polite. Please rise."
Wan Leqiao looked at Yunyin expectantly: "Does Lady Yun agree?"
Yunyin was a little curious. So, she had been coming here to eat so often these past few days just to learn how to make this dish? She asked, "Why did you suddenly want to learn how to make this dish?"
When she cooked for Xia Yan before, Wan Leqiao didn't take her seriously, and she didn't think of herself as an obstacle. After all, Yunyin had already rejected Xia Yan's offer, so Wan Leqiao shouldn't have cared so much.
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