Chapter 36 Stewing and Braising Broth
In short, carpenter Yang had no time to think about his dissatisfied old father. He grabbed a large chopstick with his left hand and a large spoonful with his right, his mouth practically lingering on the taste of the delicious food.
Jiang Zhi looked at it and smiled faintly.
But soon, she couldn't laugh anymore, after all—
If she didn't rush to order more food soon, even she, the boss, wouldn't get to eat! The appetites of these starving ghosts far exceeded Jiang Zhi's expectations!
*
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Jiang Zhi also tasted each dish, watching everyone eat and drink with satisfaction and happiness.
Before everyone left, she smiled and served each of them a bowl of tofu pudding.
Let them take it home and walk around slowly, while they drink some tofu pudding to help them digest and cut the saltiness!
The three carpenters left first; they had other workers to go with them to do work at someone else's house that afternoon!
However, before leaving, although Old Yang kept grumbling and refused to lower his stubborn head, Little Yang had already quietly pulled Jiang Zhi aside and discussed it with her with a smile.
Finally, the two successfully signed the agreement:
If Jiang Zhi ever needs a carpenter's help with any work in the future, Lao Yang and Xiao Yang will definitely take it on with guaranteed quality and quantity!
But they only had one condition: meals had to be provided!
This treaty wasn't entirely unexpected for Jiang Zhi. To be honest, even if Da Yang and Xiao Yang hadn't brought it up, she would have subtly encouraged its formation.
But if it's something someone else proposes, it will naturally be more advantageous to her.
Therefore, Jiang Zhi's already good mood today was even better. She tried to purse her lips, but still couldn't suppress the faint smile that was hard to hide.
*
Unbeknownst to her, there were more than just one or two people secretly watching from behind.
Sitting in his chair, Gu Yuan lazily nudged the man beside him who, despite being full and satisfied, hadn't managed to display his full potential and was radiating a low-spirited aura. He chuckled and mocked him.
"What? Someone's skills at charming young girls have failed him now? He has to resort to beating up You Yi to vent his anger?"
You Yi was a little touched, but looking at the cold, piercing gaze beside him, he hesitated to move.
However, his initial感动 (feeling of being moved) quickly faded, and he only heard Gu Yuan continue to hurl profanities.
"Hey, you surnamed You, can I at least tell you how old you are? I thought I was standing next to Little Twist! Oh, no, Little Twist is so well-behaved, unlike you..."
As he spoke, Gu Yuan lazily crossed his legs and casually scooped up a mouthful of sweet tofu pudding from the side.
She casually patted the little twisted dog's fluffy head, then rolled her eyes slightly at the two children whose intelligence was roughly equivalent to that of kindergarteners, feeling that her hopes of making friends with these two huskies were dashed.
You can't hide your feelings when you like someone, and you still act like a little kid every day, making a fool of yourself in front of the person you like!
My own sister is almost being taken over by someone else, always calling me "sister" and forgetting she even has a brother. Meanwhile, this brother is still acting like a silly goose.
Gu Yuan sighed, starting to ponder and wonder: Did these two have their intelligence was given to the two stern and unsmiling elder brothers of the You and Pei families?
As she pondered, she felt a bit sleepy after eating and drinking her fill, so she simply swayed back and forth on Boss Jiang's special bamboo chair, stealing a moment of peace and quiet!
*
After Jiang Zhi had asked the guests to leave, she was greeted by the three childish kids.
That's right, while Pei Ye and You Yi were stomping on each other's feet, Jiang Zhi had already silently changed their nicknames in her mind.
These two probably don't even have the average IQ of kindergarteners from Jiang Zhi's era.
While Jiang Zhi was still silently complaining in her heart, Gu You and the other two were already wishing they could throw that Pei man out to curry favor with Boss Jiang!
Hey Pei, are you the one pursuing someone, or am I the one pursuing someone?
Gu Yuan almost wanted to roar.
Finally, Pei Ye noticed the glares his two classmates were giving him, and after a moment's thought, he knew what to do.
He stood up lightly from the sofa and casually took over the tidying up work that Jiang Zhi was doing.
Then, while chatting with her, he acted like a dutiful husband and father, cleaning up the leftovers and dishes left by everyone.
Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Gu and You quietly withdrew from the house, closing the door behind them.
*
After everything in the house was finally tidied up, Jiang Zhi quietly told Yan Mo to take the two children to rest, while she went to the room to unpack everyone's congratulatory gifts.
That's right. Except for Yan Mo, who was too busy and just started working today to send a gift, everyone else left a congratulatory gift to wish Jiang Zhi a prosperous opening.
Of the three members of the Yang family, Old Yang gave a wooden storage rack. The light brown wood was polished and sanded, and upon close inspection, the wood grain was still clearly visible. It would be exceptionally practical placed in the kitchen!
Xiao Yang gave Jiang Zhi 20 sets of wooden chopsticks! They were all made of ordinary wood, but before he left, Xiao Yang specifically told her that he had made them by hand over the past two days and even polished them slightly to make them easy to use!
Jiang Zhi didn't show it on her face, but she had already started making plans in her mind!
She only remembered the opening, but there was actually a lot of stuff she hadn't bought yet, and these two items were just what she needed right away.
Yang's fiancée gave him a wooden carving of a small boat shaped like a gold ingot, which had a very auspicious meaning.
Jiang Zhi quickly placed it on the cabinet by the entrance, since she could barely be considered to be running a business, and she definitely wanted to "make a fortune"!
*
The remaining three were Pei, You, and Gu, plus the gifts given by Xiao Mahua.
That's right. Before the meal, Xiao Mahua also quietly walked up to Jiang Zhi and, with bright eyes, slipped a small box into Jiang Zhi's arms.
Because of this gift, Jiang Zhi was beaming with joy, and couldn't wait to show it off to someone at any moment.
But she couldn't show off in front of You Yi, Xiao Mahua's real older brother, so she could only secretly enjoy it in her heart!
While still reliving that exhilarating feeling, Jiang Zhi unwrapped the gift.
Gu Yuan, as always, was magnanimous. He presented a plaque with the inscription "Jiang's Restaurant" written by a renowned local calligrapher. The inscription was already carved into the brown pine wood, and the brushstrokes already showed signs of penetrating the wood.
Jiang Zhi was very satisfied and touched it left and right.
Gu Yuan's gift was indeed perfectly timed. With Jiang Zhi's current influence, she couldn't possibly afford to invite such a distinguished person. Firstly, these people don't care much about money; they value relationships. Secondly, even if they did care about money, Jiang Zhi was well aware that her budget was far from enough to hire a famous person.
She weighed the plaque in her hands, making sure she could lift it by herself, and then planned to borrow a ladder from her neighbor's house later to put the plaque back up herself.
And what You Yi gave...
As Jiang Zhi watched You Yi directing the servants to pile up a dozen bags of rice, two or three boxes of vegetables, and even half a pig in the yard, she fell into a moment of silence.
Well, Pei Ye, who was standing to the side, was also extremely silent.
Well, looking on the bright side, the intention is good, it's just the behavior...
With such a generous gift, Jiang Zhi almost thought she was about to open a rice shop!
Finally, Jiang Zhi silently directed everyone to put the things in a safe, low-lying storage spot. Then she went to the room to call Yan Mo, and the three of them worked together to clear the things out and cut up the pig.
The fatty meat is used for confit, and the lean meat is prepared for making cured meat, salted meat, or braised meat. Finally, each person is left with enough for two or three meals.
This well-intentioned but misguided act has finally been resolved.
*
Just then, the idiot who did this finally returned.
You Yi and Gu Yuan went out for a stroll before Pei Ye could pack his things.
Now that they've returned, the two of them are carrying a duck in each hand?
The three of them, looking a little tired after packing their things, sat down in chairs. Yan Mo was breathing softly, while Pei Ye secretly glanced at Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Zhi, on the other hand, was pondering whether there was any other mistake.
At that moment, as the two pushed open the door, they were greeted by three pairs of indifferent eyes.
Yes, it's mainly targeting a certain game; Gu Yuan was simply dragged into it.
Despite this, the two were still somewhat confused. You Yi had no idea there was anything wrong with his gift. Gu Yuan, on the other hand, was completely bewildered.
However, even so, You Yi had a strong heart. Although he was a little confused by the three people's gazes, he still bravely finished saying what he wanted to say:
"Old Li, the roast duck seller, is back! Want to buy one?"
*
Jiang Zhi was still a little stunned, while Yan Mo's eyes lit up.
She whispered an explanation to Jiang Zhi, whose face was clearly a little confused:
This old man Li is quite a legendary figure, at least in the small region of Sichuan.
No one knew where he was from, but all that was known was that he had an excellent skill in making ducks. He would appear in various towns at random times, bringing with him a steaming hot roast duck.
Almost everyone in town who sees it will buy one, for no other reason than that cheap and delicious meat is a rare find.
In short, after Yan Mo had talked on and on with Jiang Zhi for a long time, Jiang Zhi had roughly summarized his characteristics.
Cheap, delicious, and fragrant!
As she listened, she swallowed hard.
In an instant, I had a thought in my mind about what I would eat for dinner, such as a steaming hot, spicy and fragrant "Mao Kao Ya" (a type of roast duck)!
*
When the group arrived, a long queue had already formed at Old Li's roast duck stall.
The group showed no surprise and simply moved to the back of the line.
Jiang Zhi even heard Pei Ye let out a soft sigh, clearly indicating that the number of people in line was not as many as he had imagined.
Jiang Zhi was somewhat surprised.
She finally saw the true face of Old Li, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties or forties. He was chatting and laughing with the customers in front of him while taking roast ducks from the oven with ease.
While waiting in line, Jiang Zhi didn't idly do anything like the others; she was quietly gathering business insights...
For example, the meat market seems to be much larger than she thought!
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Author's note: Braised Peking duck, my absolute favorite!
Has anyone tried it?
P.S.: I will be updating six chapters daily this week until the end of the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays on the 8th.
If the number of favorites exceeds 200, I can immediately add more chapters!
So please take a moment to click and save this post! [cheering emojis]
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