Chapter 22 (8th update upon entering VIP) Scallion-flavored Blue Crab
Chapter 22 Scallion-Flavored Swimming Crab
Wang Sumo slept in the hammock all night, wrapped up like a cocoon.
But it's warm and comfortable.
Except for a bizarre dream I had just before waking up.
I dreamt that the old man and Master He were going to fight. Master He said he had mastered the tenth move of the Longevity Gentleman Sword, and the old man also said that the Cloud Piercing Mountain Breaking Hand was about to break through and he could break two mountains in the future. Anyway, the two of them had to spar.
As the two continued their sparring, they got closer and closer to the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
She suddenly had a bad feeling. Mustering her courage, she spread her arms to protect the front of the Eight Treasures Pavilion. "You two, take it easy!"
But the two of them still demolished the Eight Treasures Pavilion!
Yes, the old man's Cloud-Piercing Mountain-Splitting Hand technique demolished the Eight Treasures Pavilion right through her!
Wang Sumo suddenly woke up from his dream.
But because I was in the hammock, I couldn't sit up and almost fell off; luckily, the hammock spun around once and then I was firmly in place.
Wang Sumo then reached out and touched her forehead, letting out a long sigh of relief—thankfully it was just a dream.
If she really demolishes the Eight Treasures Pavilion, she could cause a huge scene that would kill the old man and Master He.
Dreams are always the opposite of reality; Bazhenlou is still perfectly fine; this is Qingyun Mountain, and Bazhenlou is still quite far away.
This bizarre and fantastical dream...
It must be because I heard Old Master He talk about his and my grandfather's experiences when they were young yesterday, and it left a very deep impression on me.
"Miss Wang, are you up?" He Qingque's voice came from the courtyard on the first floor.
Wang Sumo glanced at the sky outside the window. He Qingque was indeed punctual. Every day at this time—no, it should be said that all the disciples of Qingyun Manor were punctual. She now understood: it was because Elder He demanded that the sword reflect the person; the person must first be self-disciplined for his sword to possess righteous energy.
"Almost there~" Wang Sumo swayed leisurely in the hammock. Although she was awake, she didn't want to be separated from the bed yet, since the hammock was also a bed.
He Lin shouted from the garden, "Then I'll leave breakfast in the garden. Remember to come down and eat. I'm going to the kitchen to check on the swimming crabs. They've already been sent up the mountain!"
"Okay," she said languidly.
"I'll be going now~ I'll be back in a bit!"
They really are very dedicated!
Wang Sumo reached out and touched her forehead, briefly blocking out the sunlight. In the languid atmosphere, she suddenly thought—actually, there should be a handyman in the Eight Treasures Restaurant, so that she and Lao Qu wouldn't be so tired.
These small, running errands are left to the odd-job workers, who are willing to do them for a paycheck.
She can stay in bed a little longer.
How wonderful!
He Qingque gave her a suggestion: once they returned to Bazhenlou, they would hire a handyman first!
*
After Wang Sumo finished breakfast, He Lin returned carrying a bamboo basket. "The swimming crabs are here!"
The bamboo baskets were full of swimming crabs.
Wang Sumo looked down; they were all still alive. Tingshui wasn't right on the coast, but it wasn't far either. Transporting swimming crabs here was troublesome, but there were still quite a few; they were still very common on the other side of Tingshui.
Swimming crabs are not the same as hairy crabs, so they don't need to be tied up.
Stir-fried crab with scallions also requires cutting the crab in half, which is different from steamed hairy crab.
The best time to eat hairy crabs is at the end of September or the beginning of October. They can be steamed with ginger and then served with Shaoxing wine and crab vinegar for a different flavor.
Right now, swimming crabs are in line first.
Beside him, He Lin asked in a low voice, "Miss Wang, are we really going to make soup with crucian carp and tofu?"
"Otherwise what?" Wang Sumo looked at him.
He sighed softly, "I really feel it's a shame to waste such perfectly good pets. If you want to make fish soup, why don't I go down the mountain and buy some fresh ones? Let's not eat them..."
Wang Sumo couldn't help but laugh, but she didn't tell him that this was the food her husband had brought her for the journey; because he had put it in the fish pond, it suddenly became a precious thing.
No, it's because He Lin has been looking at it every day and has developed a deep affection for it, and he can't bear to part with it.
“My pets are just for eating, you know,” Wang Sumo teased him.
He Lin was stunned: !!
He Lin: (*￣△￣*)
"Send it to Nanshan Garden first," Wang Sumo instructed.
"Okay." He Lin did as instructed.
Besides the swimming crabs, He Lin also brought the tofu, scallions, ginger, and garlic she wanted; everything she needed was provided.
"Then I'll head over first." He Lin said goodbye and left the garden.
Wang Sumo clapped his hands, brushing away the mud and dust that his fingertips had just touched the bamboo basket.
"Miss Wang." He Lin had just left when the voice came from behind.
Wang Sumo turned around and saw that it was He Huai'an.
"Young Master?" Wang Sumo asked in surprise.
He Huai'an bowed and said, "I originally wanted to come and see Miss Wang yesterday, but it was too late and I was afraid of disturbing her rest, so I came this morning. I heard that my great-uncle was in a very good mood yesterday and ate a whole plate of food. This is the first time in several months that he has done so. I should come and thank Miss Wang first."
In this Qingyun Manor, none is more courteous than He Huai'an.
“Young Master, you’re too kind. Since I’ve agreed to come to Qingyun Manor, I will naturally do my best. I’ll be happy if the food suits Master He’s taste. So Young Master, please rest assured, Bazhenlou will ask Qingyun Manor for money. Bazhenlou doesn’t come to our door, but since we’ve come, we’ll naturally charge a hefty price.” Wang Sumo said deliberately.
He Huai'an knew she was joking, so he smiled and said, "Thank you, Miss Wang."
Wang Sumo paused, then suddenly remembered the spice that Lu Wenqu had mentioned hiding in the alchemy room.
Master He has retired, and Qingyun Manor has been handed over to Master Huo.
With such a large estate as Qingyun Manor, and the affairs of the martial arts world, including the dungeon within Qingyun Manor itself, it's impossible for Master Huo to oversee everything, big or small, all by himself.
Now that He Huai'an is working alongside Master Huo to handle matters inside and outside Qingyun Manor, these minor details should all be dealt with by He Huai'an and shouldn't reach Master Huo.
If she wants this spice, she should ask He Huai'an.
Since it's just a spice, not some kind of magic pill, and now that He Huai'an is here, she should just go with the flow.
"By the way, young master, I have a favor to ask." He suddenly changed the subject.
Although surprised, He Huai'an remained calm and said, "Please speak, Miss Wang. I will do my best."
Wang Sumo smiled and said, "Yesterday, on my way from Lianfeng Pavilion to Zhenxiu Garden, I passed by the alchemy room in the manor. I was looking for a few spices that were recorded in the books, many of which were used as medicinal materials in the past. The collection in the alchemy room of Qingyun Manor is certainly not comparable to that of ordinary pharmacies. I would like to go to the manor's alchemy room to see if they have the spices I am looking for."
Instead of trying to hide it, let's get straight to the point.
She traveled all over the world in her Eight Treasures Pavilion, originally to collect spices.
Since the spices are in the alchemy room of Qingyun Manor, she can simply ask Qingyun Manor for them.
He Huai'an originally thought that Bazhenlou had encountered a thorny issue and wanted to use Qingyun Manor's name to act. Bazhenlou had helped Qingyun Manor so much, so even if it was a difficult matter, he couldn't refuse.
As long as it doesn't violate the code of honor among江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world).
But Wang Sumo suggested going to the alchemy room to find some medicinal herbs...
He Huai'an's eyes relaxed slightly. "I see. Miss Wang, please feel free to take any of the medicinal herbs in the medicine room if you need them. Qingyun Manor emphasizes self-cultivation and rarely uses elixirs as an adjunct. However, because we are often surrounded by sword energy, injuries are inevitable. Therefore, most of the herbs in the medicine room are wound medicines used to stop bleeding and heal wounds, and there are very few precious herbs. Nevertheless, Qingyun Manor's wound medicines have a good reputation in the martial arts world."
"Oh, right." Wang Sumo suddenly remembered, "No wonder whenever we drive the Eight Treasures Pavilion to a slightly larger town, we see shops that specialize in selling Qingyun Manor's wound medicine. And they only sell wound medicine. Qingyun Manor's wound medicine is not only famous in the martial arts world, but it seems that ordinary people and government offices also have some?"
Hearing her mention this, He Huai'an smiled. "What Miss Wang said is indeed true. Qingyun Manor has many disciples, and its monthly expenses are not small. Qingyun Manor's wound medicine formula is special and is more effective than wound medicines outside. Therefore, this part of the income is also an important part of supporting the daily operation of Qingyun Manor."
"I see." Wang Sumo understood.
Every martial arts sect has its own foundation for survival.
Otherwise, just wandering the world without a source of income, relying solely on passion, would not be enough to support the operation of such a large Qingyun Manor.
The fact that Qingyun Manor became a powerful martial arts family without resorting to robbery, fraud, or collecting protection fees suggests that it must have other strong sources of income.
The government and yamen purchased their wound medicine from Qingyun Manor, which brought them considerable profits.
In addition, given Qingyun Manor's reputation in the martial arts world, other sects and wandering knights would be willing to lend a hand.
This is just one of the properties of Qingyun Manor.
Qingyun Manor cannot stand in the martial arts world by relying solely on passion.
Another example is Jinwei Escort Agency.
Jinwei Escort Agency makes its living by escorting goods; the better its reputation, the greater its fame in the martial arts world.
Chief Escort Yang's martial arts skills may not be among the most outstanding in the martial arts world, but the Jinwei Escort Agency values loyalty and keeps its promises.
Moreover, during the escort mission, as long as it's confirmed that the shipment won't be affected, they'll always lend a hand to anyone in need; therefore, even those not involved in the martial arts world have heard of Jinwei Escort Agency. When there are goods to be escorted, they naturally choose an escort agency with a good reputation and credibility in the martial arts world.
Just like the wound medicine from Qingyun Manor, with the prestigious name of Qingyun Manor, there will be a steady stream of business...
Wang Sumo understood.
“I just happened to be going to the medicine room. Would Miss Wang like to come with me? It would be a good opportunity to discuss the matter of Qingyun Manor with her,” He Huai’an invited.
Wang Sumo checked the time; it was still early and wouldn't delay lunch at Nanshan Garden. With the spices in hand, this trip was complete, except for Lu Wenqu, who was stuck in the dungeon and unwilling to come out.
Wang Sumo did not refuse, "Then I will trouble you, young master."
He Huai'an bowed politely, "Miss Wang, please."
Throughout their journey, He Huai'an would recount their shared history with Wang Sumo at every stop.
Compared to the journey He Qingque led her to Zhenxiu Garden, He Huai'an was always gentle and refined, attending to every detail, from small things like "Miss Wang, be careful on the steps" to big things like the origin of the scenery they passed by.
For example, “Miss Wang, look, this is the Wenque Pavilion, but it used to be called the Sixue Pavilion. My great-uncle inscribed the words and had them carved on a stone tablet and placed here to remind the disciples in the mountains. Coincidentally, one day, my great-uncle invited the abbot of Lingxu Temple, Daoist Liaochen, to give a lecture in the mountains, right here in the former Sixue Pavilion.”
"Many disciples came at that time, but strangely enough, a blue bird landed on the stone tablet and did not leave even as people came and went. It seemed to have a spirit and was listening attentively to the teachings. It stayed there for several days without missing a single day until the day Master Liaochen left."
"Later, my great-uncle told Master Chen that this place should be renamed Sparrow Hearing Pavilion. It means that when the blue sparrow comes, it will also listen to the teachings here. Sparrow Hearing Pavilion means that Master Chen's Taoist skills are so profound that even the blue sparrow is engrossed in listening."
"But Master Liaochen said it should be called Wenque Pavilion."
Wenque Pavilion?
Wang Sumo was also curious, "Why?"
He Huai'an laughed and said, "Master Liaochen said that when I lecture in various places, others listen to me, but here, I hear that all things have a spirit. There are countless ways of the Tao, and I have my own way of understanding, and it also has its own way of understanding. It listens to me here, just as I observe it here, listening to the sparrows in the pavilion."
Wonderful!
Wang Sumo couldn't help but sigh softly.
He Huai'an continued, "Later, my great-uncle had the place renamed Wenque Pavilion, a name inscribed by Daoist Liaochen."
After hearing the story behind it, and looking at the Wenque Pavilion, Wang Sumo seemed to become more open-minded.
He Huai'an continued, "All living things can hear the Dao. As for Daoist Liaochen, after this incident, the place for lecturing is no longer limited to where people's hearts are. In the mountains, in the forests, in the valleys, and in the rivers, one can hear the Dao in the vast universe."
Wang Sumo nodded, "It is indeed shocking."
"Miss Wang, watch your step on these steps," He Huai'an reminded her.
Along the way with He Huai'an, Wang Sumo heard many interesting anecdotes. In comparison, He Qingque's mind was indeed only filled with plain sugar buns.
Wang Sumo smiled.
Traveling with He Huai'an was anything but boring; the journey to the medicine shop seemed to shorten. Soon, the medicine shop came into view.
But today, the medicine shop is bustling with people, a completely different scene from the one I passed by before.
He Huai'an noticed her confusion. "Miss Wang, you may not know this, but Qingyun Manor has its own secret formula for wound medicine. If it is all prepared outside, the formula may be leaked or lost; if it is all prepared in the manor, the transportation, manpower, and communication remain unchanged. Later, after a long period of trial and verification, the method of preparing the wound medicine was changed."
"Young Master," the passing disciples all bowed and greeted him.
He Huai'an smiled and nodded, then gestured for her to come over, "Miss Wang, this way."
After Wang Sumo entered the room with him, the disciples in the pill room bowed and greeted him.
He Huai'an continued, "So now, the preparation of wound medicine is done from both ends. The proportions of the key medicinal materials are all done at the manor, which reduces the manpower required for preparation and transportation. The prepared medicinal materials are then distributed to various places, where they are prepared by local people. In this way, even if the formula is leaked locally, it cannot be completely restored."
"Good idea." Wang Sumo genuinely thought so.
"It was all figured out little by little. The most important thing is that people recognize the prestigious reputation of Qingyun Manor and will not buy from places other than Qingyun Manor's shops. Therefore, there are also counterfeit goods circulating in the market, but those who buy them are mostly not people from the martial arts world."
After He Huai'an finished speaking, they arrived at the second floor of the medicine room. From the second floor, they could see the bustling scene of medicine preparation.
"Miss Wang, I'll be staying here for a while. I'll have someone take you to the medicine warehouse; you can take the medicine yourself." After He Huai'an finished speaking, he called a disciple to take Wang Sumo there.
Qingyun Manor does not produce other elixirs, so its warehouse is relatively simple.
Following Lu Wenqu's directions, Wang Sumo painstakingly located the medicine storage area. Although there weren't many medicinal herbs, the less important ones were indeed piled up haphazardly, covered in dust, just as Lu Wenqu had described.
After searching for a while, Wang Sumo finally found the place Lu Wenqu had mentioned, and then saw the bottle of chicken gizzard lining in the cabinet.
The other bottles had been covered in dust for a long time, but this bottle, though covered in dust, still had some clues if you looked closely.
But right now, apart from Wang Sumo, no one here will look closely.
Lu Wenqu means it's right next to the chicken gizzard.
Wang Sumo looked at the stickers on the front of the bottles one by one and finally found a flavor that she was not very familiar with.
Is this it?
Wang Sumo opened it and smelled it.
Haha!
Wang Sumo didn't notice that the smell was too strong, and she coughed twice from the sudden choking.
Lu Wenqu was a descendant of the Tianxiang School. The simple methods of identifying spices were nothing more than these few. At that time, he must have been storing chicken gizzards when he curiously opened it and smelled it.
After all, this is Qingyun Manor, and the possibility of easily smelling poison in a place like the medicine room is almost nonexistent.
But I must say, after the pungent smell just now, there seems to be a special woody aroma and a sweet aftertaste.
There are also some that resemble camphor, but are not camphor...
The words on the front of the medicine bottle were a bit blurry; only the character "仁" (ren) could be vaguely seen, but it didn't seem to be a rare medicinal herb.
The Tianxiang Sect has been studying spices for a long time, and Lu Wenqu must have thought this flavor was special, but he couldn't quite place it.
Hmm, maybe he was starving while hiding in the medicine room and everything smelled so delicious that he was dizzy.
Before getting up, Wang Sumo looked at the bottle of chicken gizzard lining again, hesitated for a moment about whether to take the bottle of chicken gizzard lining along with Lu Wenqu.
But then she thought, if Lu Wenqu could get He Ping to give her the brocade pouch, and he himself wanted to stay at the manor, then he must have a way to get this bottle of chicken gizzard.
If she were taken to the dungeon rashly, she might easily be discovered...
"That's settled then," Wang Sumo said, getting up.
We got the items, and the purpose of this trip was achieved.
Inside the medicine room, He Huai'an was still talking to the people around him. Wang Sumo did not go forward to disturb him, but asked a disciple from the manor to relay the message later.
But He Huai'an still saw her, went up and chatted briefly, and then had someone take her to Nanshan Garden.
He Qingque had given her directions before, on the second floor, so she knew roughly which direction to go. With someone leading the way, she arrived quickly.
He Lin had been waiting at the small kitchen for a long time and had also asked around, and was told that Miss Wang and the eldest young master had gone to the medicine room.
He got a little bored while waiting, so he played shuttlecock outside the small kitchen.
Several fellow disciples were together, not afraid of disturbing Master He.
Upon seeing Wang Sumo arrive in the garden, He Lin immediately stopped playing. "You've finally arrived! Those crabs are practically dying of waiting."
Wang Sumo blinked. "Wouldn't it be even faster to die if we didn't wait?"
He Lin: (⊙o⊙)…
He Lin was stunned; it seemed so.
Seeing Wang Sumo enter the small kitchen, He Lin quickly followed, "I just went back to Zhenxiuyuan and brought all your tools. You said last time that you were used to using your own tools."
Humorously, he suddenly became incredibly clever, which is quite impressive!
He Lin scratched his head sheepishly, but he was actually happy.
"Get the crabs out." Once he got into character, Wang Sumo suddenly became efficient.
He Lin had assisted her yesterday, and now they were working together smoothly, even finding it exciting. He would do whatever Miss Wang asked him to do.
You can't go wrong!
Scallion-flavored swimming crab, braised pork belly, and crucian carp and tofu soup.
Let's go through them one by one.
Sometimes, when the old man has a poor appetite, if a bunch of dishes are served and the table is filled with a chaotic array of dishes, his appetite might just vanish in an instant.
So, although there are three dishes today, we will serve them one by one.
It's the same principle as yesterday when I only made one dish: tofu with scallions.
Leave something to enjoy, but don't overdo it.
"Should we fish them all out?" He Lin had already fished one out.
"Brush it first." Wang Sumo took the swimming crab from his hand. He Lin was startled. Was he that bold? Wasn't he afraid of getting pinched?
But Wang Sumo clearly picked up the rope next to him with great skill and tied it up in no time. Then, seeing the crab placed in the water, he started brushing it with a small brush.
She herself didn't need to tie the crab; she was just pretending to be a fool for He Lin.
"Wow~" He Lin indeed provided emotional value, but the next second, the cleaned swimming crab was placed on the cutting board, and Wang Sumo pointed the cleaver in his hand at the middle and cut it in half with a snap.
Uh, He Lin swallowed hard, and suddenly looked at Wang Sumo with a hint of unfamiliarity.
Don't mess with women, especially women who are cooks.
“These areas need to be thoroughly cleaned, and you need to scrub them several times,” Wang Sumo said, and He Lin nodded in agreement.
Finally, Wang Sumo looked at him with a smile, "You can do the rest."
He Lin was so frightened that he quickly did as instructed!
With He Lin's help, the speed increased significantly. He Lin would swipe one, and she would swipe another, and He Lin would shudder.
While cutting the crab, mix the starch with water.
Then mince the garlic, shred the ginger, and dice the dogwood, and place them in a preparation dish for later use.
The old manor owner couldn't eat too many crabs. Crabs are inherently cold in nature, so he could only eat one or two, but he could prepare four or five for later use.
The first time was chaotic for He Lin, but by the fourth or fifth time, He Lin had become quite adept at it.
Wang Sumo dipped each halved crab into the starch water she had prepared earlier and coated it with a layer of starch.
Once the iron pot next to me is heated up, I decisively add oil.
As the oil heated up, He Lin suddenly felt as if he were about to enjoy a delicious feast.
Wang Sumo quickly coated each piece of cut crab halves with starch, and then placed the coated crab halves into the oil pan to fry.
While frying, shake the pan to ensure the crabs are heated evenly.
Unlike other ingredients, seafood has its own natural umami and saltiness. When it comes into contact with oil in a pan, the seafood flavor is first released by the hot oil.
When you shake the wok, the hot oil soaks into every part of the blue crab, then you stir-fry it continuously. Soon, the crab shell begins to change color little by little.
Seeing the swimming crabs being repeatedly stir-fried until golden brown on both sides, Wang Sumo put down the iron wok and quickly added the chopped garlic, ginger, and dogwood seeds, all in one smooth motion. Then he added salt, bean paste, and sugar, completing the process in one go.
When He Lin saw the white sugar being put into the pot, his eyes lit up. "White sugar?"
"White sugar can enhance the flavor," Wang Sumo said simply, then grabbed a large bowl of rice wine from the side. The sizzling sound masked the boiling oil from the pan, and the aroma of the wine seemed to turn into mist and waft over.
He Lin took a big sip of the aroma of the broth before Wang Sumo put the wooden lid on.
Wang Sumo found it both amusing and exasperating.
While the pot was simmering, Wang Sumo started washing the scallions.
As the name suggests, the flavor of scallion-flavored swimming crab is dominant.
However, scallions are easy to overcook, causing them to soften, change color, and lose their texture, so they are not added to the pot when braising.
Divide the scallions into two parts: one part into sections and the other into scallion flowers. The section should be about the length of your index finger, and the rest should be chopped into scallion flowers.
Once the stew is ready, lift the wooden lid, and the aroma of seafood soaked in various broths will waft out, making your mouth water.
Lift the wooden pot lid, add scallion segments and stir-fry. Scallion segments cook very easily. Stir-fry evenly to let the aroma of scallions blend with the crabs that have absorbed the broth.
Wang Sumo used her chopsticks to pick up half of it to try.
Yes, just right!
He Lin sat by, "eating" with his eyes.
Waaaaah~
He Lin used to not eat crabs, but now he understands why seafood is so popular on dining tables in many places.
The natural sweetness of this food cannot be replicated by any other ingredient, no matter how it is cooked.
They complement each other and enhance each other's flavor; too much of either would be excessive!
Right now, he clearly heard Wang Sumo say, "Just right!"
Perfect!
He Lin really liked this word. Beside him, Wang Sumo used a large spoon to scoop the crab into a white plate, clean and simple, then sprinkled some chopped green onions on top, making it a dish that was rich in color, aroma, and flavor.
"Take it to the old man."
[Author's Note]
I'll give out red envelopes to the first 100 people!
————
Let's try our best and see if there are any more today! I'm going! [Sprinkling flowers]
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