Chapter 35 Mixed Braised Chicken Offal
Jiang Zhi's dishes are now ready.
Over there, the guests Jiang Zhi had invited were still changing.
*
You Yi sat in the clothing store, looking helplessly at yet another new outfit for his brother Pei.
His dear father, please come back and save him from this constant torment!
He, who called himself a clever fellow, could naturally tell that his brother Pei had definitely fallen for Boss Jiang's delicious food!
He was already in a great mood when Jiang Zhi told him last night that she was going to have a small family dinner tomorrow and invited Pei Ye to attend!
Although You Yi was secretly laughing at Pei Ge's love-struck mind like a peacock spreading its tail last night, he didn't take it seriously.
This morning, You Yi, who was sleeping like a log, hadn't woken up from his morning dream when Pei Ye dragged him over, still half asleep, and forced him to open his eyes wide.
You Yi initially thought something serious had happened, but it turned out that this bastard brother was only doing this kind of work to let him pick out a set. You Yi was already cursing on the spot.
However, under the pressure of his elder brother's authority and that big fist, he didn't dare to show it. He could only try his best to flatter Pei Ye while secretly making a move to escape.
Then Pei Ye grabbed him by the collar and brought him back.
At that moment, he felt like banging his head against the wall to teach Pei Ye a lesson for being so unreasonable.
But after looking at Brother Pei and then at his own weak self, he gave up on the idea.
Finally, feeling tormented by his love-struck mind, he could only silently raise his hand, cover his eyes, and give Pei Ye a series of perfunctory "uh-huhs" with a blank expression.
*
In short, after Jiang Zhi counted all the dishes one by one, and then prepared to serve the rice, waiting for the guests to arrive,
Looking up, what came into view was a flamboyantly dressed Pei.
Well, there's also a guy named You who was dragged over, slumped over like a dead pig, staring blankly into space with lifeless eyes.
*
However, what Pei Ye himself didn't know was that Jiang Zhi only glanced at Pei Ye's outfit, and even without You Yi muttering complaints next to him, Jiang Zhi could tell that this guy must have dressed up nicely!
He neatly straightened the collar of his innermost silk shirt. Then he wore a moon-white robe over it. Clothing in this era always favored a connected upper and lower garment at the waist, and his was no exception, yet he somehow managed to exude a dashing and debonair air.
The dark brown trim along the hem of his robe contrasted beautifully with the pale white blouse, making him appear exceptionally spirited.
Of course, as a fashionista who has been dressing up for a long time, Pei Ye would not forget to hang a jade pendant at his waist. It made a jingling sound when he walked, and it also made him look more dignified.
Jiang Zhi, without any attempt to conceal it, began to look him up and down, her only intentions, aside from her appreciation of beauty, were to calculate his money.
A silk shirt costs at least two strings of cash, which is equivalent to one-third of Jiang Zhi's family's current net worth...
Jiang Zhi glanced at the jade pendant, which looked rather unremarkable, and saw that its translucent luster meant it was worth far more than she could ever afford in her lifetime…
*
Having mentally calculated everything on the abacus, Jiang Zhi was filled with resentment towards the rich. She lowered her head slightly, concealing her eyes, which were already reddening.
Leaving aside the clothes on her back, the jade pendant hanging from her waist was a family heirloom she had seen at the market before. It was of similar quality, and she vaguely remembered that it had sold for about a hundred strings of cash.
No, Jiang Zhi silently turned her head away, decisively grabbed Gu Yuan's hand, and went to coax her with a smile.
After all, if she kept watching, she was afraid she would get conjunctivitis.
*
Pei Ye had no idea about the twisted and complicated thoughts in his beloved's mind, nor did he know that she had gone from appreciating appearance to resenting the rich.
He was also feeling a little sad.
"Youyi, you said..."
He called out softly, through gritted teeth, to his brother who was only focused on the food. When he realized he couldn't get his attention back, he simply and subtly moved his foot away from its original position.
Then, with another burst of force—
"ah--"
A bloodcurdling scream instantly startled the others who were waiting in small groups to start the meal once everyone had arrived.
Gu Yuan paused for a second, glared coldly at You Yi, and then continued to rub against Jiang Zhi with a smile, drawing her attention back.
The two continued whispering about how to make the food spicier and tastier.
The three members of the Yang family sat close together on the same bench, silently whispering to each other.
Yan Mo had a cub sitting on each side of her, and she was trying her best to curb their voracious appetites. But the two cubs, attracted by the scream, also stopped their urge to grab the chopsticks and eat their food in advance, and looked in the direction of the scream.
Only Pei Ye, who had caused the trouble, remained calm and quietly moved away from the screaming chicken, completely forgetting that he was the one who had accidentally blown it up.
As for You Yi, he was in a state of confusion and grievance.
He cried out in pain from the merciless kick, and then felt as if he were the embodiment of all the world's grievances when Gu Yuan glared at him with a light but cold gaze.
Then, Jiang Zhi finally managed to break free from Gu Yuan's conversation and walked up to the two elementary school kids with a light laugh.
Then, he simply moved a stool over, sat between the two of them, ripped open the bamboo basket covering the food, and loudly announced:
"Our Jiang's Restaurant is having a housewarming banquet today!"
*
Young carpenter Yang was chatting and laughing softly with his fiancée, a lovely young girl, when he heard the word "Let the feast begin." Like a sailor hearing a horn call, his eyes instantly fell on the table and he couldn't take them off.
At least he wouldn't receive any coquettish complaints from the little girl now. As the overly tempting aroma wafted out, the little girl's eyes began to be fixed on the dishes on the table.
The aroma of mutton, the smoky fragrance of tofu, the drunken aroma of pickled pork, the spicy aroma of chicken giblets, the braised aroma of bean curd sheets...
If a single dish here is amazing enough, then when all the dishes are placed on the table and their aromas collide with each other, the word "amazing" is not enough to describe it.
Pei, You, and Gu were all regulars who often came to Boss Jiang's place to freeload, and they were all silently stunned. Even You Yisheng, the least bright of the group, started to wonder if Jiang Zhi had been lazy and shirking her duties in the past.
Jiang Zhi said: Hmm... how could it not be?
*
All three of them were frequently tempted by Jiang Zhi's cooking skills, which led them to behave in this way.
Not to mention carpenter Yang, who had never experienced the temptation of such delicious food before, and his fiancée, a young girl.
My fiancée, a young woman, came to dinner this time wearing an outfit she had carefully chosen: a straight-necked, front-opening, short-sleeved jacket, a pleated skirt, and some small accessories in her hair.
The obvious gesture clearly showed how much importance he attached to this date.
Therefore, when she learned that Xiao Yang was going to take her to a banquet, she was inevitably a little unhappy and threw a tantrum in a spoiled and coquettish voice.
But at this moment, the pretty girl had no time to think about what had happened before; she unconsciously swallowed loudly.
*
But nobody cared about that anymore.
After everyone was simultaneously captivated by the aroma, as the first person started eating, the others finally snapped out of their daze, their eyes gleaming like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey, and rushed straight for the dishes they had their eyes on.
Old Yang, the carpenter, first took a liking to the braised pork.
He always enjoyed a drink, but Jiang Zhi hadn't put any wine on the table, so he could only glance around the table with a hint of disappointment before finally heading towards the glossy, red, and hearty dish.
He wasn't very hopeful when he picked up the first bite with his chopsticks.
It's just pork with fermented rice wine. He's eaten it at banquets all these years.
When that light and refreshing aroma of wine spread across his tongue, his furrowed brow instantly disappeared.
The outer skin of the meat was coated with a thin, translucent marinade. When you touched it with the tip of your tongue, it melted like honey-coated cotton. Then the meat inside immediately landed on your tongue, soaking up the broth and stewing until it was soft and tender. It was so tender that you didn't need to chew it much; just a light touch of the tip of your tongue seemed to melt down your throat.
Of course, what Lao Yang found most delightful was the subtle, lingering aroma of wine that permeated the meat. It wasn't overpowering, but it was hidden in every nook and cranny, making you want to grab another piece after finishing one.
He smacked his lips, intending to slowly pick up a piece, when he was suddenly surprised to find that the group of people at the table were fighting over it again!
*
That's right, just as Lao Yang saw, the table was already in a frenzy of fighting over it!
Pei Ye's hands moved incredibly fast as he kept shoveling food into his bowl, not caring whether it was piling up like a mountain!
Jiang Zhi directly used a prop—a large spoon—to scoop several large spoonfuls of Yan Mo's dishes into her bowl, intending to taste them.
Yan Mo was the most at ease, with two little cubs on either side of him.
However, Gu Yuan and You Yi, who were sitting next to the two little ones, were too embarrassed to compete with the two children for food, but for convenience, they simply stood up and, with the speed of someone who had been single for twenty years, quickly scooped the food into their own bowls!
Even his son, the carpenter Yang, ate without any mercy, not giving his father a single bite, and instead focusing on himself and his young wife.
The old father was furious, but he couldn't say anything. While there was still some food left, he quickly grabbed some for himself.
*
At that moment, Xiao Yang really didn't care about his elderly father at all.
Or to put it another way, if it weren't for the little girl next to him playfully asking him to help him grab some food, he probably would have only had eyes for the dishes on the table!
There's no other reason, it's just that it's so delicious!
From the moment the lids were opened, the food on this table was incredibly tempting to Xiao Yang, a self-proclaimed foodie. It was like a mouse entering a pile of rice; the aroma was so enticing that even before the banquet was officially started, he had already decided on the dishes he wanted to eat the most.
It's not the pickled pork, nor the casserole lamb trotters, nor the fried pickled fish...
Instead, it was the appetizer that went well with the drinks—cold chicken giblets!
*
That's right. In fact, carpenter Yang's taste is similar to Gu Yuan's. He likes strong flavors, but unlike Gu Yuan, he doesn't like overly oily or greasy food.
Therefore, in Lao Yang's words, "Words are incredibly expensive! They're very picky!"
But from the first time he tasted Jiang Zhi's stall, he felt that it was a perfect match for his taste!
The flavor is strong but not oily, spicy and delicious...
He could hardly describe it.
That's why he became Jiang Zhi's regular customer, even dragging his fiancée along on dates every day just to come and eat some.
On the day I didn't get to eat it, I felt like I had no taste for food.
*
The cold chicken giblets dish that was placed in front of carpenter Xiao Yang was exactly to his liking.
Yan Mo bought the chicken giblets early in the morning. She was just as experienced as Jiang Zhi, so she always picked the best.
The chicken liver was dark red and looked as fresh as if it had just been cut out of the chicken's belly. The gizzard also felt very firm to the touch.
Even the chicken intestines, thanks to her charming smile, were given a preliminary rubbing by the not-too-busy boss.
Then it went through Jiang Zhi's exclusive recipe for braising.
The chicken livers were thoroughly braised, glistening with oil in a dark red color, but Jiang Zhi gently squeezed a few drops of lemon juice on them, subtly cutting through the greasiness.
The chicken gizzards, after being braised and mixed, fully brought out their original flavor.
Upon first bite, the sauce coating spreads across the tongue, carrying a hint of saltiness, aroma, and spiciness. Then, after a couple more chews, the chewy and crisp texture of the gizzard explodes on the tongue.
The more carpenter Yang ate, the more engrossed he became, chewing faster and faster until he was wolfing it down.
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Author's Note: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, updates will now only be on Saturdays and Mondays when there are no rankings! [Keep it up!]
Ah, I need to quickly go VIP and add more chapters for you all! I already have a considerable amount of drafts saved up!
October 2nd Update: Yay! We made the list this week! [cheering][cheering][cheering]
Update this Saturday! I've been updating daily from Friday to Wednesday. Hope you all enjoy your meals! [cheering][cheering][cheering]
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