Chapter 20 Roasted Pork: The famous roasted pork actually originated from the hands of a monk...
While stewing the tofu, Lu Qiong also took down the cured meat from under the eaves of the main room. There was still half a piece left, which would be perfect for today.
Lu Xuan brought over a large bunch of garlic shoots, also known as "garlic scapes." During the Song Dynasty, people liked to cut tender white garlic shoots into one-inch lengths, stir-fry them with salt, and then add vinegar and water to pickle them in earthenware jars. Lu Qiong had also pickled a jar yesterday, and the rest was just enough to stir-fry with cured meat.
Since the meat was hard to cook, she put the cured pork in the pot to boil first, while Lu Xuan assisted by chopping garlic and washing the garlic shoots.
The two worked together quickly and finished. Lu Qiong cut the cooked cured meat in half and then stir-fried it in oil. The salty aroma of the meat filled the air.
Thinking back to the approaching Lunar New Year, every household would cure meat and make sausages, leaving the balconies greasy with oil. It's the same here; meat is cured on the winter solstice, but she's curing meat in the summer because she wants to eat it.
Lu Qiong ladled the last spoonful of stir-fried meat onto a plate and called out to the courtyard, "Xuan'er, come and take the plate!"
"Good!" A loud voice echoed into the main room.
The tofu, which had been stewing for a long time, was soft and tender. When the broth was ladled onto the rice, it emitted a faint fragrance. Lu Qiong liked to eat the rice that had been soaked until soft, especially when paired with a slice of salted cured meat on a hot day, which made the rice even more delicious.
The houses in Tongjifang were made of blue bricks and green tiles, with a gentle slope on the roof. They were much more comfortable than the thatched houses in Shangyuan Village, but they couldn't withstand the summer heat. After just one meal, the two of them were covered in a fine sweat.
Lu Xuan ate the last piece of cured meat with the tofu soup, then placed the plain porcelain bowl on the table with a "clatter," smacking her lips as if still not quite satisfied.
Lu Qiong has been so busy lately that she hasn't put much thought into her meals. She works at Lu Ji's restaurant with Sister Yang, and when she gets home, she's so tired that she can't move her hands and feet and just wants to rest. So she just eats hastily every meal.
Seeing how easily Lu Xuan was appeased, she suddenly felt a little guilty and frowned slightly: "Xuan'er, what would you like to eat tonight?"
Lu Xuan seemed about to nod, but then shook her head, remembering something: "Sister, you don't need to worry about me like this. Right now, the important thing is the business at the shop and the poetry gathering. Do you have any ideas, sister?"
The poetry gathering is also Lu Qiong's biggest headache. She was so happy to take on this business, but now she is just as troubled.
Yingtian Academy has over three hundred students, and that's excluding those on vacation. It's like she's single-handedly organizing the vegetarian feast at Xiangguo Temple.
Lu Qiong only did a rough count. The types and quantities of pastries, as well as the teacups and saucers, were enough to trouble her. She also needed to consider the poetic aspect. How could she connect the tea and pastries with poetry?
Seeing her frown, Lu Xuan also felt worried, but she still comforted her gently, stroking her hand: "Sister, don't worry anymore. If you're not sure what to do, I'm here for you. Even if I can't do it, you can ask Sister Yang. Sister Yang is an expert now. She can calculate in advance how much flour and sugar the shop needs every day."
Lu Qiong felt a warmth in her heart. In places she couldn't see, Lu Xuan was also growing up. Originally, she wanted to handle all the matters by herself, but now she wanted to bring Lu Xuan along, hoping that she could come up with more ideas.
Seeing her older sister's relieved smile, Lu Xuan knew that her older sister had never treated her as an adult. She sighed inwardly, thinking that everyone was in charge of the household by the age of eleven or twelve, but only her older sister treated her like a child.
Lu Xuan unconsciously tightened her grip on the plain brocade purse at her waist. In the past two years, her sister-in-law had been getting married, and she wondered how she was doing in Shangyuan Village.
There was still some stir-fried pork with garlic shoots left on the table. Lu Qiong put it back in the pot to prevent dust from falling on it.
Xue'er also satisfied her cravings, lying flat on the floor tiles, basking in the sun with her four legs in the air.
Lu Qiong bubbled the soap pods in the water, then used a loofah to wipe away the oil stains on the surface of the porcelain bowl. Looking out, she could see that the sun was shining brightly in the courtyard: "Xuan'er, take all the bedding out to air it in the sun while the weather is nice."
Lu Xuan casually ruffled Xuan'er's hair, then went to the bedroom to move the bedding. The clothes rack in the yard was already set up. She just needed to toss the bedding and clothes aside and smooth them out.
The rainy season in Bianjing is about to end, and the sweltering heat will follow. More and more people are talking about selling ice on the streets. Everyone is looking forward to refreshing summer drinks and loathing the hot weather.
As evening falls, Lu Ji Food Shop becomes increasingly crowded with customers.
It was hot, so everyone came out at night to cool off. Along the way from the bridge, the bustling places included restaurants and Lu's Restaurant. Unfortunately, the small shop couldn't accommodate so many people, so Lu Qiong and Pei Yu had to make four long benches and place them next to the threshold.
Shen Erniang also became a regular customer of Lu's restaurant. Perhaps because they had similar personalities, Lu Qiong also became close to her, often sitting together and chatting while holding a bowl of water.
However, with more customers at Lu's restaurant these past few days, Shen Erniang has been coming less often, allowing Lu Qiong to focus on managing the shop and preparing for the poetry gathering. Before she knew it, only seven or eight days remained.
She leaned against the wooden cabinet with one hand, noting down the ingredients and items she needed to buy. The tea for the poetry gathering was selected from common flower teas, with different flower names corresponding to different imagery, making it easier for the students to compose poems...
"Manager Lu, a bowl of cold noodles!" A regular customer called out as he entered the room and then sat down near the door.
Lu Qiong readily agreed, then turned around and saw that Sister Yang was kneading dough, so she didn't disturb her. She took out two ounces of wide noodles from the bamboo basket, arranged them in a bowl, mixed them with sesame seeds, minced garlic, chopped green onions, soy sauce, and vinegar, and finally drizzled hot oil over them. She then added side dishes according to the diners' tastes.
As the weather gets hotter, cold noodles are more popular than other soup noodles, and even bayberry juice, which has been neglected by diners for a long time, is selling better than before.
Diners are always looking for something new; one day they might prefer bean water, and the next they might love perilla drink—it's unpredictable.
As soon as Lu Qiong placed the dish on the table, a customer brought up the matter: "Tomorrow is the Xiangguo Temple market. It's been a while since we've seen Manager Lu go. Are you going this time?"
During his time in Bianjing, Lu Qiong only visited Xiangguo Temple once, right after he moved there. He was so engrossed in his business there that he didn't want to leave. How could he have imagined that he would be able to open a shop today?
The trolley that Pei Yuxin paid a lot of money to bring was also left idle; this "lot of money" was relative to that time.
Lu Ji's daily turnover can now reach over a thousand coins, and even after deducting costs, it still yields five or six hundred. They have the surplus to expand the shop, but that's not a problem for now.
After a moment's thought, Lu Qiong responded with a smile, saying to the diner, "Thank you for your kindness. We will also be there tomorrow, but we will be closed for one day."
She hadn't had a single day off since opening the food stall, it was even more tiring than a regular job, and she wanted to take a day off. Besides, going to Xiangguo Temple would also enhance the stall's reputation, so why not?
That evening, after closing the shop, Lu Qiong called Yang Jie'er and Xuan Jie'er together. Before she could explain what it was about, Lu Xuan clapped her hands impatiently and said, "Did we get paid today?"
Seeing that her eyes were shining and she didn't seem to be faking it, Lu Qiong said irritably, "I called you here to explain the store closure tomorrow."
After explaining to them, Lu Qiong pasted a piece of paper on the wooden door, informing the diners to move to Xiangguo Temple.
There were plenty of literate people in Bianjing, so she wasn't worried that they wouldn't understand. After sticking the paper firmly to the door with all four corners covered, she dusted off her hands and went back to sleep.
When I woke up the next day, it was the fifth watch of the night.
Lu Qiong pushed open a crack in the window. It wasn't fully light yet, and a chill ran through her. She quickly closed the window and pulled her thin shirt tighter around her shoulders.
Because she hadn't set up her stall for a long time, she couldn't fall asleep last night, tossing and turning on the bed. She only managed to drift off to sleep after listening to the night watchman ringing the bell from the first watch to the second watch.
However, that didn't stop her from making big money at Xiangguo Temple.
Breakfast shouldn't be a quick bite either, after all, today is going to be a long battle.
Lu Qiong cracked four eggs into a bowl, stirred them to make a batter, and when the oil in the pan sizzled, she spread the batter on it, flipped it over, brushed it with egg wash, flipped it over again, brushed it with egg wash again, and finally sprinkled sesame seeds on top, wrapped some shredded cucumber inside, making a simple pancake.
I made three portions in total, and I also brought one for Sister Yang.
Find all the low stools in the house, stuff them into the cart, and even set up a stove on top. We can make soup dumplings for Sister Yang, but they're a bit small, so we can only make one serving at a time.
After finishing all that, Lu Xuan washed up, took a few bites of the crispy on the outside and soft on the inside pancake, and then went out satisfied.
Lu Qiong held the handle and pushed the cart from behind, while Lu Xuan pointed the way from the front. They headed to Lu's House by the still-present moonlight.
Sister Yang arrived earlier than them, carrying boxes of steaming pastries onto the car one by one.
Since water was inconvenient at Xiangguo Temple, they only made cold noodles for the cold noodles. Lu Qiong kneaded the dough, Yang Jie rolled it into long strips and stretched it into thin sheets, and Lu Xuan was responsible for scalding it in the pot, then taking it out and rinsing it in cold water. The seasonings were to be prepared on the spot.
Once a bucket of cooled bean water was filled, the cart could no longer hold any more.
Fortunately, Lu Ji is close to Xiangguo Temple; it's just a few alleyways away.
Lu Qiong parked her cart in the inner courtyard, in the same spot where she used to set up her stall. Before, all you needed was a plank and a wooden frame to set up a stall, but now you often see carts like hers. However, many people still can't bear to spend money to build their own cart, thinking that their old wheelbarrows will suffice.
Soon their stall was set up, and Sister Yang put minced garlic and chopped green onions into the stove to fry. The aroma of garlic swept through the entire courtyard, covering the smells of other places, and it was quite similar to "stinky tofu" and "snail rice noodles".
It's not very friendly to people who dislike the smell of garlic, but fortunately the seasoning is made quickly and the smell is not so pungent once it dissipates.
Lu Qiong also started hawking his wares, promoting "Lu's Food Shop".
A worktable was set up at the stall, and all the food boxes had their lids open—flower-shaped, square-shaped, round… corresponding to chestnut cake, jujube cake, honey cake…
Each piece of her family's pastry is quite large, so she doesn't mind selling them for five coins a serving. Seeing that some people were watching but dared not approach, Lu Qiong came up with a solution.
She took a bamboo knife from the cart, cut a few pieces of pastry into small pieces, and arranged them on the empty food box. Her actions attracted a lot of attention.
Sister Yang was mixing noodles for a customer, not quite understanding what her boss, Manager Lu, was doing. Finally, she sprinkled a spoonful of hot oil on top, which sizzled and released a fragrant aroma.
A young woman was initially drawn in by the aroma of the cold noodles, but upon noticing the small pastries that differed from the other food boxes, she approached and asked, "Young lady, what are you doing cutting them so small?"
Novelty always arouses people's curiosity, and Lu Qiong seized on this point to further promote her products. She held up the food box for the lady to see: "These pastries are for tasting and don't cost money. If you like them after trying them, you can buy more."
Tasting? That sounds interesting.
People gathered around to watch, and some exclaimed that they recognized her as the manager of Lu Ji. Others asked what Lu Ji was.
While they were tasting the food, Lu Qiong took the opportunity to advertise her shop: "Lu's Food Shop is right next to Zhou Bridge. We have soup noodles, boiled water, and the pastries you're tasting now. The cold noodles next door are also from Lu's. If you prefer savory, you can add more meat, but it will cost an extra five coins. If you like sweets, try our pastries. If you prefer something milder, you can also get a bowl of 'bo tuo' (a type of flatbread) or some flower-shaped soup noodles..."
A pretty woman standing in the bustling city is a breath of fresh air, not to mention her clear speech and bright voice, which makes onlookers happy to gather around.
With so many people, there are always those willing to pay for the food. The free samples of pastries were quickly distributed, and Lu Qiong sold out several food boxes.
The taste is indeed good, and it has attracted many customers to the cold noodles. In particular, most people can't resist the tempting aroma while queuing up.
She pulled out a new sheet of oiled paper and packed up the Guanghan cake for the first lady to try it, adding a few extra portions of chestnut cake: "Take care, guest!"
The woman was an honest person; she smiled and said, "The pastries from Manager Lu's shop are really good. I'll come again next time."
In fact, Lu Ji Pastries have a hard time standing out among other food items; it's all thanks to Lu Qiong's marketing strategies. With a big reputation, even if the food is not tasty, there will always be curious people rushing to try it.
Yang Jie'er's culinary skills are the last resort to retain customers. With Lu Qiong's promotion, the number of people queuing up to buy cold noodles has increased even more.
Lu Xuan watched in disbelief, only able to help by handing out food and collecting coins.
Seeing the long queue of four or five people, some people became curious and grabbed the person at the end of the line to ask, "Young master, what are you waiting for here?"
The young man pointed to a group of people carrying pastries and said with his head held high, "These are all waiting for Lu Ji's cold noodles. You can also sample the pastries for free."
The auntie who was asking for directions looked ahead and saw that the young lady distributing pastries at the stall was none other than the girl from Zhouqiao!
She hadn't really approved of Lu Niangzi's offer to send pastries that day, but in just half a month, the young lady had made a name for herself, and people were actually willing to eat them for free and then pay for them in return.
What a careless mistake! Who would have thought she had such skill? It's all in vain now. The aunt shook her head, picked up the two loads of fruit, and hid in another courtyard.
When Lu Qiong packed up her stall, she received envious glances from the other stall owners. She had achieved her goal and was able to finish work early!
He intended to return immediately, but upon exiting the backyard, he encountered the abbot of Xiangguo Temple, whom others called Abbot Lingtong.
Lu Qiong also followed Abbot Lingtong, wanting to discuss the vegetarian feast with him: "Abbot Lingtong, please wait!"
Abbot Lingtong turned around and saw that it was the rising star Manager Lu. He jokingly said, "I have also heard of Manager Lu's reputation. What brings you here today?"
Lu Qiong hadn't found it strange that everyone was paying attention to her earlier, but now that she was singled out, she felt a little embarrassed. After calming herself down, she said to the abbot, "When will Xiangguo Temple hold a vegetarian feast? If there are any difficulties, please let me know."
Abbot Lingtong smiled kindly and said, "Manager Lu, you may not know this, but our temple has many monks with excellent culinary skills. The famous roasted pork we have recently become famous comes from our monks. Organizing a vegetarian feast is a small matter for our temple, so we are sorry to trouble you with this."
Monks? How could they be associated with roasted pork?
A note from the author:
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[Crying uncontrollably] My hands are shaking
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