Chapter 55: Is this your pet?
After Lin Xiaoyue returned to the yard and got another pot of hot water for Liang Jingyao, she hurried back to prepare lunch. Although it was still early, she had to steam rice and cook dishes, which would keep her busy for the whole morning.
In the kitchen, she lit a fire on the earthen stove, then scooped a few spoonfuls of water into the big pot, then cut a piece of pork belly into pieces and threw it into the pot, added ginger, garlic, fennel, and poured some wine. When the foam floated on the water, she used a large iron spoon to skim off the foam.
After cooking the meat, Lin Xiaoyue first washed the rice and poured it into the big pot on the other side, and then found a larger wooden rack. Because the wooden rack was large, it could be placed on top of the iron pot, so even if something was steamed on the wooden rack, the rice would not be pressed too hard.
She opened the cover and took out the bacon she'd cured yesterday. She washed it, cut it into slices, and arranged the slices one by one around the shape of a plate on two plates. She cracked three eggs into one plate, and she simply steamed the other to use in a stir-fry tonight. After placing the two plates on the wooden rack, she covered the pot with the tall lid and left.
The weather has been good these days, and the radish strips have been dried very well. Lin Xiaoyue took a handful and planned to eat them at noon.
While the dried radish was soaking in water, Lin Xiaoyue also cut winter bamboo shoots and potatoes. She thought they would taste good, so she put them all into the pork belly that had been cooking from the beginning.
It takes a lot of time to stew the pork belly, so Lin Xiaoyue picked up a pen and paper and began to design the new Jueweilou. The two main features of Jueweilou are luxurious decoration and delicious food, so she wanted to add some modern elements on the basis of luxury. Rich people like new and interesting things, and being different makes them look more classy!
Yangming Town has a very good geographical location. As it is right next to the capital, it has benefited a lot from the capital. Once it becomes famous, even high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital will come here to eat. So Lin Xiaoyue drew several sketches in a row and would discuss them with Manager Wang when she met him.
Time flies when you're concentrating on drawing. The aroma of the meat in the pot filled the entire kitchen. After Lin Xiaoyue put her sketch into her space, she opened the lid and poked the meat with chopsticks. The meat was already quite tender. She added a little salt and stirred it in. She scooped out a spoonful of broth and tasted it. It was just the right saltiness. Then she lowered the heat and let the meat continue to simmer.
Anyway, Liang Jingyao and Zhan Ying haven't come back yet, so Lin Xiaoyue put on her backpack and planned to go to the cellar to get some more radishes to dry. Because her energy will be dispersed after the Jueweilou branch is established, so she wants to take advantage of the time now to dry all the radishes that can be dried in the cellar.
After running back and forth to the cellar several times, Lin Xiaoyue finally emptied all the radishes in the cellar. Then she washed the radishes in the yard and began to cut them into strips and add salt. In this way, when the moisture of the radish strips was removed, she could collect the dried radishes and put them in an empty porcelain bottle.
When Liang Jingyao came in, he saw Lin Xiaoyue going back and forth to dry the radish strips. He washed his hands, walked over and said, "Master Lin, you're really quick and cut so many radishes! Leave this to Zhan Ying and me. Go take a rest!"
Lin Xiaoyue stretched her waist and said with a smile: "I brought up all the radishes from the cellar. After these are dried, I will dry the others. The weather is good these days, so I have to hurry up and dry them. I may have to take care of my own things in a while."
Liang Jingyao turned around and asked curiously, "Oh? What's going on? Do you need my help?"
Lin Xiaoyue didn't want to talk about her job as the owner of Jueweilou for the time being. Firstly, she wanted to have her own privacy. Secondly, Liang Jingyao was expelled from the capital, and she didn't want to say too much about the capital, so as not to provoke Liang Jingyao to recall the bad past.
She shook her head and said, "What big deal can a girl like me have? I've been in the valley for a long time and I just want to go out and have some fun. Brother Liang, don't worry about me. I'm thick-skinned and will definitely tell you directly when I need your help!"
Liang Jingyao looked towards the kitchen where the aroma wafted from, and couldn't help but sigh, "Master Lin's cooking is so delicious that even the princess covets it. I'm so lucky to have met you first. Otherwise, where would I have found such a good helper? If one day Master Lin wants to open a restaurant on his own, I'm willing to help him with everything I have!"
Lin Xiaoyue did have the idea of starting her own business, but the owner of Jueweilou gave her too much, so she decided to be the shopkeeper for a while. If she was happy, she would continue to do it. If she was not happy, it was not a contract to sell herself, so she could just leave.
"Thank you, Brother Liang. If that day ever comes, I will definitely not be polite to you! Besides, we still have the big grape business to run. For the time being, I will not consider starting my own business."
Liang Jingyao nodded. "Okay, I'd love for Master Lin to stay! My men have already gone to Tianhe Country, and I believe they'll be able to bring the grapes back soon!"
Lin Xiaoyue was extremely happy when she thought of grapes. This was probably the thing she was looking forward to most at the moment!
She said cheerfully, "That's great! I'll go stir-fry some vegetables!"
As she said that, she went back to the kitchen and took out all the stewed meat from the big pot. Because she put a lot of dried radish, potatoes and winter bamboo shoots in it, it filled two large bowls!
After cleaning the big pot, she fried some cabbage. The cabbage cooked very quickly, so she made two trips back and forth to bring the stewed meat and the bacon and steamed eggs in another big pot to the table. The cabbage in the big pot was already cooked.
"Brother Liang, you and Zhan Ying, stop busying yourself and wash your hands and get ready for dinner!"
Liang Jingyao responded from outside, and then prepared to come in to help serve the food.
Zhan Ying didn't dare to let his master serve the food, so he went into the kitchen first and said, "Master Lin, don't worry about it, I'll do it!"
Lin Xiaoyue was a little surprised by Zhan Ying's address. If she guessed correctly, Zhan Ying should have known about Cheng Feng. Cheng Feng and he worked together for Brother Liang, so they could be considered brothers. Didn't he hate her at all?
"Zhan Ying!" Lin Xiaoyue called out to Zhan Ying, who was about to leave with the dishes. "Brother Liang is very angry about Cheng Feng's matter. What do you think?"
Zhan Ying was of course reluctant to lose a brother, but he was also always upset about the princess revealing his whereabouts without the master's knowledge. Fortunately, although the princess was willful and unruly, she did not hurt the master in the end. But what about next time?
"Cheng Feng is no longer fit to stay with the master!"
Lin Xiaoyue raised an eyebrow, looked Zhan Ying in the eye, and asked, "What do you think about Cheng Feng saying bad things about me everywhere, even reporting it to the princess, making her jealous and coming here?"
Zhan Ying didn't evade his gaze and directly expressed his thoughts, "Zhan Ying only obeys the master's orders. Cheng Feng has broken the rules and will be punished. Master Lin, please don't mind!"
At this time, Liang Jingyao walked into the kitchen with a laugh, "Hahaha! Don't make things difficult for Zhan Ying. He and Cheng Feng have completely different personalities. There are eleven Silver Slash Guards in total. Their training is ten thousand times more difficult than Cheng Feng's. They are my sharpest swords!"
Lin Xiaoyue's eyes flashed with surprise. In that case, is Cheng Feng your pet? Only pets would become arrogant and suddenly bite their owners!
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