Chapter 57 The 57th Inn Opens
Yunyin went into the kitchen. The dishes for the banquet had been prepared. Today was the opening day, and in addition to the mooncakes delivered from outside, each table would also receive a plate of small mooncakes and a serving of cold noodles.
Yunyin prepared eight dishes: two cold dishes, two hot dishes, a soup, and a dessert. No additional dishes were ordered today; only banquet dishes were available. After today's busy period, Yunyin would continue to cook according to the seasons, making whatever was available.
If guests wish to book a banquet, she has prepared two different options for them to choose from. Yunyin took out the menu from the shelf and looked at it, quite satisfied with the paintings by Song Shi.
Previously, in preparation for the opening, she asked Song Shi for help. Yunyin really liked the picture of Chang'e flying to the moon that he had drawn before. Last time he didn't charge her, so this time she asked him to help draw a picture book. After much persuasion, Yunyin finally agreed with him that she would give him 100 coins for each picture he drew.
To make the paintings lifelike, Yunyin cooked all the dishes on the menu. After tasting them, he was full of inspiration, and every painting he made looked mouthwatering.
In this banquet set at ten strings of cash, when he painted the fish sashimi with minced meat, he not only depicted the finished dish but also the pavilion, lotus leaves, and the fish appearing and disappearing in the shadows. Looking at this painting, it doesn't resemble a menu at all; rather, it's a work of art.
After the cold dishes, we moved on to the hot dishes. The braised lion's head meatballs and the soft-shelled eel were also different styles. One was bold and grand, while the other was as elegant as a Jiangnan beauty. Each dish not only depicted the food but also the scene, making you want to become a person in the painting and eat your fill.
Yunyin put down the two picture books. The guests outside also arrived together. Seeing that it was almost time, Yunyin invited them to sit down and then went to the kitchen to cook.
For the cold dishes, she prepared two that were quick and easy to make: a cucumber salad and fish jelly. The fish jelly could be made in advance and chilled in a well. These two dishes were not complicated to make, but the garnishes required carving. One dish required carving two fish and lotus leaves and flowers, while the other dish required carving flowers.
When Yunyin wasn't busy, she taught Fang He to carve simple flowers. Now that Fang He can carve them, she can make the remaining fish, lotus leaves, and lotus flowers herself.
Selecting a red radish, Yunyin first drew on the radish, and then carved it with a carving knife.
Fang He saw Yun Yin carving and immediately stopped what she was doing, got up and went to watch. The fish body was quickly carved out, and every scale was clearly visible. After finishing the fish body, she was already carving the fish tail. The fine lines that emerged from the tail made the whole fish come alive.
Looking at the finished fish, Fang He said, "Miss Yun, when can I make this too?"
As Yunyin worked, she said, "I will teach you after you have learned how to carve all the different kinds of flowers."
Fang He hummed in agreement and went back to continue carving her flowers.
After quickly completing the necessary plating and decorations, Yunyin took out a white plate, placed the sliced fish jelly on it, then added fish-shaped lotus flowers and other decorations, and finally put the dipping sauce on the side. This cold dish was ready to be served.
Yunyin called Zheng Guilan to bring the dish over and go stir-fry some hot dishes. She quickly stir-fried the eggplant and green beans in oil over high heat, added the sauce, reduced the sauce, and turned off the heat. By the time the eggplant and green beans were cooked, the steamed pork with rice flour was also cooked.
When Zheng Guilan returned and served the two dishes, the guests were still discussing the dish. Not only was the presentation exquisite, but the fish jelly also had no fishy smell at all. One of the diners stopped Zheng Guilan and asked, "How did you make this, Lady Yun? Why can't I taste any fishy smell when the fish is cold? I also can't taste any spices."
Zheng Guilan put down the dishes and shook her head, saying, "I don't know either. You'll have to ask Madam Yun. If you like Madam Yun's cooking, you're welcome to come often."
At another table, Wang Yu shook his head and said, "Why think so much? As long as it tastes good, that's all that matters. I really love Yun Niangzi's cooking. She has never disappointed me, not even with the simplest fish jelly."
Shen Rong agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "Yun Niangzi's skills are indeed remarkable."
Xie Yan looked at Shen Rong, wanting to say something in rebuttal, but he couldn't refute her words, so he could only eat quietly.
Zheng Guilan returned to the kitchen and relayed the diners' words to Yunyin, saying excitedly, "Yunniangzi, they're all praising you, saying that everything you make tastes delicious and your plating is an art form. They don't even want to eat it. Some guests even asked why your fish jelly has no fishy smell at all. I told them that if they like it, they can come often."
Yunyin praised Zheng Guilan's wit. Actually, there was no secret recipe. Star anise and cinnamon can certainly remove the fishy smell of pork and fish skin, but they can also ruin the freshness of the fish. So she chose mild spices such as licorice and old ginger. The combination of the two can effectively remove the fishy smell.
Of course, there's no need to tell this to the diners. If they like this dish, they can come often, and she has many other dishes for them to enjoy.
Yunyin's last dishes were braised fish and three-delicacy mushroom soup. Each table was served one fish, which she had fried in advance. She then stir-fried the ingredients and braised the fish, making it quick and easy to prepare. The dessert was also made in advance: mung bean cakes. After finishing the dishes, you could have some sweet desserts and a cup of tea, and that would conclude the meal.
When Yunyin brought the mung bean cake over, they had just finished eating. One of the diners said, "Miss Yun, the dishes you made today are far inferior to the last time."
Yunyin smiled and said, "Today we've prepared special dishes, one guan per table, so there will be some choices of dishes. If you'd like to try other dishes, I have a menu here for you to take a look at."
She handed them the menu she had been holding: "There are two types of banquets available. If you would like to eat there, you can make a reservation in advance, and we will serve you on time."
"If you don't want to make a reservation, you can come and eat the special dishes every day. I will cook whatever fresh vegetables are available that day, according to the season."
The guest held a banquet menu worth ten strings of cash. Each dish was described as delicious and appetizing. He had tasted some of the dishes before, and seeing the pictures now reminded him of how amazing they were back then.
Realizing there were still many dishes he hadn't tried, he immediately said to Yunyin, "Miss Yun, reserve a portion for me. I want to try these dishes."
Yunyin smiled and agreed, wrote down his name and the time, and handed him the voucher, saying, "Keep this safe. I will collect a deposit of one guan. You can come over tomorrow."
The customer looked at the receipt and asked, "What if this receipt is lost?"
Yunyin: "We have recorded your information. Even if you lose your voucher, as long as you come in person, we can still serve you."
He carefully put away the receipt, nodded, and said, "Okay, I'll come back tomorrow." He turned his head and saw the cold noodles on the table, then asked Yunyin, "Miss Yun, do you sell these cold noodles?"
Yunyin nodded and said, "Of course, if you want to eat noodles or snacks in the future, you can go directly to the food stalls in front to buy them."
After the inn opened, she continued to operate the food stall in front of it. Zhang Lin still cooked and sold noodles for breakfast, and at other times she sold herbal tea, snacks, and jelly, so that passersby could take a break.
As for Zhang Lin's room, he also cleaned it up so that if anyone missed out on accommodation and didn't have enough money, they could still make do there for the night.
After they finished eating, Yunyin brought out the large mooncakes she had prepared that morning and said, "The Mid-Autumn Festival is in a couple of days. Today, I would like to invite everyone to try the mooncakes from our hometown. If you like them, you can buy some to take back as gifts for your relatives and friends."
While Yunyin was promoting her mooncakes, Xie Yan picked up one and took a bite. The taste of the nuts surprised him, and when he tasted the candied fruit, he frowned, immediately drank a cup of tea, looked at the words "Five Nuts" written on the mooncake, and shook his head, saying, "This mooncake is not my favorite flavor."
He looked at the mooncakes and saw that one of them had a lotus flower drawn on it with the words "lotus seed paste" written below. He carefully picked one up, took a bite, and tasted it. The fragrant aroma wafted over, and he nodded, "This mooncake tastes good."
Song Shi and Lin Hui, who were standing to the side, liked all of them. Lin Hui, in particular, was very fond of the five-nut mooncake. He ate several in a row and said to the others, "This five-nut mooncake is so delicious."
Xie Yan refused, saying, "I think lotus seed paste mooncakes are tastier."
As the two argued about which mooncake was tastier, Song Shi picked up a picture from the menu and began to admire it. Xie Yan saw this and asked, "Is this what you've been busy with these past few days?"
Song Shi nodded and asked, "What do you think of the painting?"
Lin Hui: "That's a great painting! Your painting skills have improved again."
Xie Yan nodded and said, "It's really good. When I came in before, I saw your drawing of Chang'e flying to the moon and I felt that your painting had improved. After seeing these pictures, I can see that you have indeed improved a lot."
Song Shi looked thoughtful. "What do you think about me selling paintings?"
Xie Yan and Lin Hui stopped arguing and turned to look at him, saying, "Why did you suddenly think that way?"
Song Shi looked at Xie Yan and said, "Didn't you say that I need to be able to support my family before I'm qualified to marry Lady Luo? I don't have any other skills. Now, looking around, the only skill I have is painting."
After thinking for a moment, Xie Yan said, "You can give it a try, but unless you have a great reputation, it will be difficult for your paintings to sell."
Song Shi said confidently, "I'm sure I can sell them."
After Xie Yan and Lin Hui finished their meal, they found Yun Yin and said, "Miss Yun, we want five boxes of mooncakes, a little of each flavor."
"Jingxuan can't come today, so I'll have to bring her one back myself." Xie Yan looked at the mooncake boxes on the table next to the counter and asked, "Do you have every flavor here?"
Yunyin was standing behind the counter doing the accounting. When she heard him ask, she nodded and said, "There are two of each flavor. One box costs 200 coins."
"If you don't want to buy this kind, you can buy them separately. Ham and mixed nuts with salted egg yolk are 20 coins each, lotus seed paste is 15 coins each, and red bean paste is 2 coins each."
Lin Hui looked at the red bean paste savory mooncake and asked, "Why is this so cheap? Only 2 coins?"
Yunyin stopped what she was doing, looked up at him, and said, "It's all about small profits and quick turnover. Besides, there are many red bean paste pastries in the county town. Mine isn't anything special. Moreover, 2 coins isn't cheap. If it weren't for the sugar, these mooncakes wouldn't even sell for 2 coins."
Xie Yan instructed the page behind him to take the box and handed the money to Yun Yin, saying, "Miss Yun, you are too modest. I have never eaten such delicious pastries in the county town. The price is indeed cheap."
Yunyin smiled and said, "Since you like it, you can buy more. I have prepared a lot. Didn't you want to give it as a gift? This pastry is a good gift for the Mid-Autumn Festival. It has a good meaning and tastes delicious."
Xie Yan said, "Miss Yun is right, they are indeed very suitable as gifts. Then bring one more box of each kind."
Yunyin wrote down the expenses, packed them up, and after seeing them off, Fu Wang came over and said, "Ayin, come here for a moment."
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