Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Where is my chicken? Who fucked me...
In principle, it is definitely wrong to let a stranger into a restaurant and stay overnight after curfew.
But perhaps it was the warm and gentle air on the summer night, or perhaps it was the beautiful starry sky, or perhaps it was the tall Jinwu Guard who was lazily leaning against the pillar at the back and staring at this side, which gave Duan Zhiwei some sense of security.
Duan Zhiwei lowered his guard a little tonight.
The child was born very well, with a round face like a plump white jade ball, big, clear eyes with upturned corners, which made adults feel pity for him.
But Duan Zhiwei was still a little hesitant. After all, besides her and Yuan Shenji, there were also Aunt Duan and the others in the restaurant. What if...
Seeing her hesitation, the child said, "If you don't want to, that's fine. I'll stay here for one night and leave tomorrow morning."
He huddled dejectedly in a small building next to the restaurant, looking extremely pitiful.
If there was anything more pitiful, it was that he took out a small piece of cold and hard steamed cake from his arms and started to gnaw on it silently. Then, mist began to gather in his eyes, and a tear slowly slid out of the corner of his eye. He then raised his sleeve and wiped it away silently.
Duan Zhiwei felt inexplicably guilty.
She hadn't been able to sleep for several days because she had not treated the bronze mirror well in the beginning. Now, a child as big as a rambutan or a wolf cub was huddled in her own storage shed, crying and eating bread, which made her heart wrenched.
Duan Zhiwei was about to speak when Yuan Shenji raised his hand and held her shoulder: "It's okay, let him in."
He watched Duan Zhiwei struggling for a long time, and knew that she was kind-hearted but was afraid of causing trouble to the people in the restaurant, so he made a decision for her: "Auntie and the others are in another courtyard. Let's lock the door of the moon hole in the middle. If anything happens, I'm here."
He looked at her with a serious gaze, which inexplicably made Duan Zhiwei feel at ease.
She turned around and called to the child who was still chewing the steamed buns: "That little boy over there."
The child immediately threw away the cake in his hand, put on his huge bag and ran over, his ill-fitting robe swaying. He looked up at her expectantly, "What's the matter?"
Duan Zhiwei: “…”
The child's expression changed faster than the summer weather. She didn't react for a moment and was stunned for a while before she said, "You can stay here tonight. Your mother and father should come to Xuanyangfang to look for you tomorrow."
The child nodded obediently: "Then where shall I sleep?"
In order to help the newlyweds cultivate their relationship, everyone in the restaurant moved to another courtyard. Only Yuan Shenji and Duan Zhiwei were left here. She tidied up the storeroom where Zhen Hui used to sleep, laid out straw mats and bamboo mats, and fumigated him with Atractylodes macrocephala to drive away mosquitoes.
The young man was very polite. He put down the bag, clasped his hands together, and saluted Duan Zhiwei in a formal manner: "Thank you, Madam Duan, for your hospitality tonight. Ah Li is willing to repay your kindness in the next life."
That's not necessary. Duan Zhiwei quickly waved his hand and watched him hide the huge bag in the innermost part of the warehouse, so he asked, "Are there any valuables?"
Ah Li scratched her head in distress: "It's a plump chicken that my sister bought at the East Market today. I'm afraid I didn't get enough."
Duan Zhiwei said, "Chicken? Won't it get suffocated if you put it in the bag? Take it out. I have a rabbit hutch in the backyard where you can temporarily put the chicken for a night."
Ali quickly opened her arms to stop her: "No, no, my rooster likes to stay in the bag, and I'm afraid it will get lost."
"Our restaurant is very safe and nothing has ever been lost..."
Before Duan Zhiwei could finish speaking, Ali yawned and yelled that she was sleepy, then pushed Duan Zhiwei out.
Ali locked the door, threw away the bag that she had just treasured so much, and opened the hood that covered her head tightly. The hood was used to keep out the wind in winter, and there was cloth wrapped around the hood. It was really hot to wear.
He threw his hood to the ground, and his fluffy hair exploded.
He straightened the two tufts of fiery red hair beside his ears, and then shook his two pointed ears.
As if feeling hot again, he took off his large and ill-fitting robe, revealing his large, fluffy, and furry fiery red tail.
Only then did he feel comfortable. He yawned, curled up in a corner and closed his eyes.
The next morning, at dawn, Duan Zhiwei got up with the drum, stepped on the wet bluestone slabs, and removed the door of the restaurant.
Ah Pan was already boiling soy milk. When he saw her get up, he asked, "Why did you seal the middle door last night? I have to go around a long way to get here. It's a bit inconvenient."
Duan Zhiwei sheepishly recounted what happened last night.
Ah Pan likes children the most and said hurriedly, "It's just a child. What can happen to him? You are right. We can't let a child wander outside after curfew. It's too dangerous."
Customers came one after another to buy breakfast, and the aroma of Hu Bing and the heat from the stove drifted in the morning mist.
The weather was really hot, and Duan Zhiwei was thinking about making some noodles like sour soup and steamed buns to cool off. The butcher pulled a basket of chickens over and said, "Madam Duan, does the restaurant need chickens today? These chickens are raised by the water and are especially plump and delicious."
Duan Zhiwei touched the chicken and found it was indeed elastic and smooth, indicating that it was fresh chicken, so he immediately ordered a box with the waiter.
There was a faint sound of crying coming from the restaurant. The young man from last night came out barefoot wearing a strange hat and an ill-fitting robe: "My chicken... my chicken is gone."
The diners who were eating mung bean porridge in the hall and the diners who were queuing outside for soy milk and Hu pancakes all looked over.
He cried so sadly that he almost rolled on the ground. Duan Zhiwei felt that the people around him looked at him like a human trafficker.
So Duan Zhiwei had to bend down to comfort him: "How could that be? The restaurant was closed last night and no one came to steal the chicken."
The gold jewelry in her room and the chicken hanging in the corridor were not stolen, so how could someone come here specifically to steal a chicken?
Ah Li didn't answer, but just cried loudly. In addition to the diners, the neighbors all came to watch the fun.
Ah Pan hated to see children cry, so he wiped his tears with a handkerchief and said, "It's just a chicken. We'll just give it to you."
It is better to be lucky than to be early. The butcher had just delivered the meat and Duan Zhiwei hadn't figured out how to cook it before he lost one.
But what is lost is lost. She just wants this farce to end quickly and let the Chang'an people who are watching the show go home quickly.
Unexpectedly, this was not enough. Ali stopped crying and sobbed again, "I want a whole chicken, fried until golden, with crispy skin on the outside and tender and juicy inside..."
Where are you putting this little dish?
Duan Zhiwei felt that this sentence sounded familiar, as if someone had said it before.
Aunt Duan also got up and listened to what was going on. She pulled her aside and said, "Have you forgotten that Luotou Shi asked for food..."
Oh, I remember now, the legendary "No. 1 Taste in Chang'an".
Duan Zhiwei looked embarrassed.
The gourd chicken tastes good, but the preparation process is really too complicated. It needs to be marinated, steamed, and fried to achieve the effect of crispy and golden skin, and the gravy inside slowly flowing out and overflowing with fragrance.
Moreover, in this hot summer, the whole room becomes greasy after frying.
Ali, who was standing by, saw that she was unhappy and started to yell again.
Duan Zhiwei was simply afraid of him, and quickly agreed: "Okay, okay, gourd chicken is gourd chicken."
He stopped crying instantly, wiped his tears and said, "Don't forget to add a dish of coarse salt and peppercorns."
Duan Zhiwei: “…”
Yuan Shenji had already put on his armor and was ready to go on duty. Seeing her bitter face, he went up to her and pinched her cheek: "Why is your face wrinkled like a bitter gourd?"
When she told him the story, he laughed heartily: "Who made me a kind bride?"
Duan Zhiwei suspected that he was mocking him, so he went up to beat him up, and slapped his hand on his armor, which hurt a little.
The latter rubbed her hands and said, "I'll bring you some cheese cherries when I come back in the evening."
Then he rode away laughing.
She had no choice but to pick up the chicken and steam it in the pot reluctantly.
However, apart from crying loudly, Ali still played a role in other areas.
For example, to cheer up the depressed Pu Tao.
He picked up two long beans and jumped around to pretend to be a katydid. Finally, Pu Tao showed a smile that many people had never seen.
Duan Zhiwei saw through the window that Pu Tao finally smiled, and he felt relieved. He comforted himself: "It's just a gourd chicken in exchange for Pu Tao's good mood. It's a good deal."
After breakfast, the lotus vendor, dressed in shorts, came to the outside of the restaurant with a shoulder pole and shouted. Duan Zhiwei heard it in the kitchen and hurried out.
The old man wore a bamboo hat with the brim pulled down low. Half of his face was red from the sun. He rested in the shade under the eaves of the restaurant, took off his bamboo hat and fanned himself with it twice. "Madam Duan, I'm sending you the first lotus pods of this year. However, it's only July, so the seeds are not that full yet."
Duan Zhiwei quickly offered the old man a glass of cold drink with both hands: "Uncle, you have worked hard in this hot weather. I know that the lotus seeds are not strong enough in July. However, I cannot resist the customers' requests for lotus seed drink, so I have no choice but to ask you to pick them in advance."
She went to her purse to get some money, and the old man took the opportunity to sell her a deal: "The ladies in the restaurant are all pretty, and the lotus flowers are in full bloom. They were just picked this morning. Would you like to pick a few to wear as hairpins?"
There were bamboo baskets hung at both ends of the carrying pole, filled with fresh green lotus leaves. On the side, a few pink lotus buds were about to bloom, and a few dewdrops rolled down from the centers of the flowers.
It really brings some coolness in the dull summer air.
Duan Zhiwei was more interested in lotus leaves than lotus flowers. She said to the old man, "Uncle, I want all your lotus flowers and leaves!"
She went back to the fire room, took out shallots, ginger, peppercorns, plums soaked in wine... in short, used all kinds of spices to massage the chicken all over its body, spread them evenly on the chicken, and marinated it for half a day to allow the chicken to fully absorb the essence of the spices.
Duan Zhiwei then carefully wrapped the whole chicken in a lotus leaf and secured it with cotton thread to prevent any scent from escaping. He then asked the little wolf to go to the backyard to fetch a bucket of well water and make mud.
Aunt Duan was sitting by the well, tying a lotus flower into her hair bun. She was disgusted by the wet mud on the ground and said, "Why is the ground covered with mud?"
Children like to play with mud, and Pu Tao also joined in. The two of them mixed a pile of wet mud. Duan Zhiwei squatted down and carefully wrapped a layer of mud around the lotus leaf.
"What is this for?" Pu Tao asked curiously.
Duan Zhiwei spread the mud evenly on the lotus leaf to prevent uneven heat dissipation: "Make lotus leaf chicken, it will be very fragrant when baked."
She put the muddy chicken into the stone kiln to bake.
After roasting for half an hour and simmering for a while, Duan Zhiwei took out the chicken with two thick towels wrapped on his hands. The mud had been roasted hard and turned into a large gray lump.
Everyone looked somewhat embarrassed.
It's not a famine, who wants to eat mud?
Duan Zhiwei picked up a stone and threw it at the mud. The mud was not very solid and broke into pieces after being hit. The white hot air inside, accompanied by the fragrance of lotus leaves, instantly filled the entire backyard like a surging wave.
"What a nice smell!" Rambutan sniffed.
The little wolf, who had always been steady, also swallowed his saliva.
The lotus leaf was roasted until slightly charred, and the edges were slightly curled. When the lotus leaf was peeled open, the chicken inside was golden and shiny.
Duan Zhiwei washed her hands with well water and began to tear the chicken apart. The meat was tender and juicy, and fell off the bones easily. The fat and juice from the chicken dripped down her fingers onto the lotus leaves.
"Come on, everyone, try it." She wiped her hands and called everyone to eat together.
Everyone picked up their chopsticks and started eating without hesitation. The fragrance of lotus leaves and the mellow aroma of chicken spread between their lips and tongues. The chicken was quite fat, but it didn't feel greasy at all. It was really wonderful.
Duan Zhiwei felt that this lotus leaf chicken would definitely become the top item on the summer menu.
She was quite satisfied to see the lotus leaf chicken being baked in the stone kiln.
The cave was empty, with only the flames from the wood licking the cold stone walls in vain.
"Where's my chicken?"
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