After cleaning the iron plate on the cart, Jiang Hua lit the charcoal stove. While waiting for the iron plate to heat up, Jiang Hua took the potatoes into the kitchen to blanch them until they were just cooked through.
She then soaked it in water, and after the iron plate was heated, Jiang Hua poured in the soybean oil she had bought from the town.
"Huahua, why did you pour so much out?" Aunt Liu looked at the oil jar, which was now a third empty, with a pang of heartache. What kind of food could use so much oil?
We usually use lard at home and rarely have spare money to buy soybean oil.
“Auntie, you have to be willing to give up something to gain something. This doesn’t taste good with lard,” Jiang Hua said, then looked at Liu Tianming: “Brother Tianming, you have to keep a close eye on things. This stall will be yours to manage later.”
“Jiang Hua, I remember you,” Liu Tianming nodded from the side.
After the oil was hot, Jiang Hua took the soaked potatoes out of the water, drained them, and poured them onto the hot plate.
The potatoes sizzled as they touched the hot plate, releasing their aroma.
Since the potatoes have already been blanched until just cooked through, they usually only need to be pan-fried on a griddle for another ten minutes or so, until the surface is golden brown and the inside is soft.
Seeing that the wolf-tooth potatoes were almost done, Jiang Hua went into the kitchen and took out the chili powder and cumin powder she had prepared earlier.
"Huahua, what's this?" Aunt Liu asked, looking at the two bowls of seasonings, chopped scallions, and pickled cowpeas that Jiang Hua had taken out.
"Should we add these more? It smells nice enough now."
The courtyard was already filled with the aroma of wolf-tooth potatoes, and even Jiang Jingyi came out from the inner room to wait.
"Auntie, it tastes even better when mixed together." As she spoke, Jiang Hua had already ladled some potatoes into a bowl.
Then sprinkle on chopped green onions, chili powder, and cumin powder, add a small spoonful of hot oil from the hot plate, stir well, and then add pickled cowpeas to cut through the greasiness.
"Auntie, you should try some." Jiang Hua handed them the mashed wolf tooth potatoes.
"Huahua, these wolf tooth potatoes you made are so delicious, and the chili powder you sprinkled on them smells so good!" Aunt Liu exclaimed.
"Yes, Jiang Hua, are you really going to hand this business over to us?" Liu Tianming asked uncertainly while eating.
There's no one selling this at the market. If they were to sell it, they would be the first in the entire market.
"Yes, I'll make it for you as a way of thanking you for helping me all this time," Jiang Hua nodded.
"Just do it the way I just did. Don't be stingy with the oil. Change the oil every day, or you'll get an upset stomach," Jiang Hua said after thinking for a moment.
Liu Tianming and Aunt Liu nodded quickly. Of course, although the soybean oil was not cheap, it would be dangerous if the guests ate it and got sick.
They understand that the little money they save isn't enough to cover the losses.
“Jiang Hua, isn’t the seasoning the most important thing?” Liu Tianming asked again.
When I worked at Guangfulou before, I also went into the kitchen, but I never had the same conditions as Jiang Hua. It must be her exclusive secret recipe.
“I can sell this to you,” Jiang Hua said.
These spices were all taken from the space and blended together.
Grinding white snakes into powder is possible in this era, but not as comprehensive as this.
"So what price are you planning to sell it to us for?" Liu Tianming asked shyly, rubbing his hands together, already somewhat eager to try.
"I'll sell it to you for ten coins a pound. As for the wolf tooth potatoes, you can set the price yourself, whatever you want for a serving." Jiang Hua chose a compromise price.
"Okay." Liu Tianming nodded hurriedly. He had never thought about doing business before, and now he found it all very interesting.
"Huahua, thank you!" Aunt Liu said to Jiang Hua earnestly.
"Auntie, don't say that. You were the ones who helped me first. Besides, I even caused Brother Tianming to get fired."
Then, Jiang Hua explained the steps they needed to pay attention to to them again, and then let him try it out himself.
"Jiang Hua, is this alright?" Liu Tianming handed Jiang Hua the portion he had made to taste.
"Okay, sure." Jiang Hua nodded after eating a piece.
"After the wolf tooth potatoes have been sold for a while, you can buy some tofu, cut it into small pieces, and make a hot plate tofu dish to sell together."
"Okay, Jiang Hua, I'll remember it all." Liu Tianming secretly noted it down.
The two tried making it many more times in the yard until they had eaten all the potatoes that Jiang Hua had bought last time.
"It's alright, I'll take some back and share them with the neighbors, and ask them to patronize my business," Aunt Liu said, looking at a large bowl of cooked wolf-tooth potatoes.
Before leaving, Aunt Liu seemed to remember something and said again:
“Huahua, you went out yesterday, and that young master gave Lin Shuyan a thousand taels of silver to thank her for saving his life.”
"Then Lin Shuyan handed over a thousand taels of silver to the village chief, saying that since the ginseng came from Black Wind Mountain, everyone should have a share of the silver."
"Is Madam Xu really willing to let her take out the money and distribute it?" Jiang Hua asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sigh, I'm puzzled too, but they agreed anyway, and now the whole Xu Family Village is protecting Lin Shuyan." Aunt Liu also didn't understand.
"The entire Xu Family Village received a share?" Jiang Hua recalled what Village Chief Lu from Shili Village had said yesterday—that Xu Family Village was distributing silver. This must be what happened.
"No, only our two families don't have it," Liu Tianming said.
"If we don't have it, we don't have it. We don't care about those two taels of silver," Aunt Liu said dismissively.
"The main problem is that Lin Shuyan told that young master you were unwilling to give him the ginseng to treat him. When I heard that, I was furious," Aunt Liu said angrily.
"What I'm worried about now is that young master will hold a grudge against Huahua because of Lin Shuyan's words. How can we, ordinary country folk, possibly fight against those high-ranking officials and nobles?"
"Really, how could I have ever thought Lin Shuyan was so understanding?"
Of course, it's because of her "leading lady" aura. For example, the fact that Madam Xu was able to get her to give away a thousand taels of silver is all because of this.
To be honest, everyone in the show is just a tool; their existence is solely to highlight the female lead and drive the plot forward.
"Alright, Auntie, don't worry about it so much. I'll be careful," Jiang Hua comforted her.
Aunt Liu then returned home with Liu Tianming, still grumbling and cursing.
"Liu, why are you pushing this little cart back again? Did that wretched girl find it unpalatable?"
When Madam Xu, who was sitting in the courtyard, saw them push the cart back again, she couldn't wait to ask with schadenfreude.
"This is the cart we use to set up our stall," Aunt Liu said, frowning.
"Setting up a stall? What are you selling?" Madam Xu became interested and immediately stood up from her recliner, curiously looking over through the fenced yard.
"Wolf tooth potatoes, Mrs. Xu, would you like to try some?" Aunt Liu went into the kitchen, took a bowl, and scooped some out.
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