Chapter 15 Reencounter with Aunt Zhao
After giving the lamb leg a gentle massage, Jiang Zhi thought the massage was quite thorough, and then took out her most secret treasure from her bosom.
Today, while shopping, Jiang Zhi not only bought all sorts of strange and unusual antique-style equipment, but also found a treasure.
She pulled a sachet from her sleeve, which contained some black granules.
She lightly touched the product to her finger, smelled it, and looked satisfied, but involuntarily sneezed.
That's right, she found cumin powder!
The process of finding it was quite amusing.
In this dynasty, there were very few seasonings available. At least Jiang Zhi only knew about things like Sichuan peppercorns, salt, and fermented bean paste.
Jiang Zhi once thought that there was something wrong with agriculture in this era, which caused everyone to focus on growing various staple foods and had no intention of eating well!
To my surprise, when I checked the incense shop this morning, I was astonished to find that, not only were there natural sweet and savory ingredients like rose petals, almonds, cloves, and dried tangerine peel, but also Sichuan peppercorns and cumin, all ground into powder and mixed into the incense powder, giving off a unique flavor.
Stunned and speechless, Jiang Zhi inquired about the matter from passersby, and by the end, her lips twitched.
In short, it boils down to this: the imperial family and nobles of the previous dynasty had a particular fondness for pungent smells, so various seasonings were categorized as "fragrant powders." In today's relatively prosperous era, people certainly don't have the experimental spirit to pour fragrant powder directly into rice, so…
And that's how this scene came about.
*
In short, although the process was quite bizarre, the result was gratifying.
Jiang Zhi finally found a place to buy seasonings. She took the opportunity to buy a small box of the seasonings she needed, using the sachet that the shop gave away for free.
Jiang Zhi thought about this aimlessly for a moment, but her hands remained as nimble as ever.
Cumin powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, sesame seeds, and other seasonings that enhance the aroma and flavor were carefully poured onto the surface of the lamb leg according to the specified amounts by Jiang Zhi!
Then, using the leftover seasoning residue from before, Jiang Zhi directly used her hands to give the lamb leg a gentle massage!
After estimating that the massage time was about right and the lamb leg had absorbed the flavor, Jiang Zhi picked up the oil paper and hemp rope that had been placed aside earlier, wrapped the seasonings and lamb leg tightly in the oil paper, and tied it tightly with hemp rope to ensure that the aroma of the seasonings could be further infused into the meat.
After working so hard for so long, the lamb leg is finally almost done.
The next step is to bake it.
Jiang Zhi had also learned the Western cooking method of placing a hot plate on it and then directly putting the meat on the hot plate to sear it until it was partially cooked.
But compared to this, Jiang Zhi still prefers the Chinese method of roasting food by directly building a fire with fruitwood or pine wood.
While this roasting method does require a higher level of skill from the chef, a skilled chef can bring out the full flavor of the meat and bring out the juices in every bite.
Coincidentally, Jiang Zhi was very good at roasting a whole lamb back then!
Pei Ye's family always used smokeless charcoal, but as for the stove, probably because Pei's parents never overestimated their son's cooking skills, they never prepared any firewood.
So the firewood for cooking these past two days was bought from the old man selling firewood at the village entrance by Pei Ye, at Jiang Zhi's request. It was all ordinary firewood, characterized by its easy ignition and long burning time.
However, the firewood used for roasting things is different.
But Jiang Zhi was prepared!
When she bought the mutton, she had already thought about the firewood problem in advance.
There weren't many people selling firewood at the market. Even in Shucheng, a relatively prosperous area, people didn't waste their money on things that were within their means. Most families with men would send them up the mountains to chop firewood. Families without men would usually go up the mountain to chop firewood themselves.
Unfortunately, Jiang Zhi couldn't do that!
First, although Jiang Zhi is a food vlogger, she really can't chop wood!
Secondly, although she has traveled through time, Jiang Zhi still holds some modern views on money, such as spending money when needed and spending it when appropriate. So compared to running to the barren mountain and braving the scorching heat to chop firewood for an hour, Jiang Zhi said: she would rather spend some money!
However, although Jiang Zhi is willing to spend money, she will never waste it!
She walked toward a house with a clear goal in mind.
Jiang Zhi is someone who loves to explore. In the short few days since she arrived, she has almost become familiar with the entire alley and has chatted with all her neighbors.
The old lady Sun on the west side loves to brag about her precious grandson, and the old man Wang on the east side loves to listen to gossip everywhere... Jiang Zhi has always been willing to be clever and charming in front of her elders, so she naturally won a good impression among her neighbors, who were even willing to tell her all sorts of gossip.
At the same time, Jiang Zhi also sensed the personalities of the people: Aunt Sun loved to show off, and Uncle Wang was idle and lazy...
If she were to buy firewood from these people, not to mention whether the price would far exceed Jiang Zhi's expectations, she wouldn't be too confident about the quality.
After all, barbecue must be cooked over fruitwood; you can't fake it with some rough branches and rotten leaves. If it gets wet, Jiang Zhi will be in real trouble.
However, Jiang Zhi has already thought of a good candidate!
*
She skipped and hopped to the familiar alley and gently knocked on the door.
When the faint sound of footsteps came from inside the door, Jiang Zhi had already struck a pose and smiled sweetly at the inside.
"Aunt Zhao, I've come to see you!"
The person Jiang Zhi was going to invite this time was the husband of the kind Aunt Zhao, whom she had met as soon as she transmigrated, namely Uncle Zhao who sold lemons.
*
After some discussion, Jiang Zhi and Uncle Zhao successfully reached a perfect agreement!
Jiang Zhi paid with copper coins, and Uncle Zhao would later go up the barren mountain to cut a whole basket of dry fruitwood for her and deliver it to the Pei family.
After finalizing the deal, both of them were beaming with joy.
Jiang Zhi's requirements were very detailed, down to the thickness of the firewood, but Uncle Zhao agreed to them all at once, which made her very happy.
As for Uncle Zhao, the wheat harvest season had already passed these days, and he could only grow some vegetables at home to pass the time. Who would have thought that he could find a small business with extra income? How wonderful!
Besides, it's not difficult for Uncle Zhao to make such a small request, is it?
*
Having finished her business, Jiang Zhi hummed a song, waved happily to Aunt Zhao and Uncle Zhao, and prepared to return to the Pei family.
But unbeknownst to her, upon hearing the address the woman mentioned, Aunt Zhao had some doubts.
While she was busy with her hands, she glanced at Uncle Zhao, who was tidying up his things beside her:
"The house I introduced to this girl a few days ago was clearly not the one she just mentioned! Why is she thanking me for introducing the house to her back then?"
As she spoke, Aunt Zhao became increasingly confused, and her hand movements slowed down in bewilderment.
Uncle Zhao was still busy packing up his tools for chopping firewood on the mountain. He didn't even turn his head, just waved his hand and casually said something.
"Oh, old woman, don't think so much. Maybe they're just being polite! I'd better head up the mountain now so it doesn't get too hot later..."
Aunt Zhao thought it over and agreed, so she waved her hand, said a few words, and went back to making her scallion tofu.
"That's right, you should go and come back soon..."
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