The better the food, the finer the texture.
Hu Yulin had tasted many delicacies from jade plates, but he had never seen such inferior cooking skills. Seeing Rongxi's stunned and ashamed face, I felt pity for him.
I didn't expect that the son of a minister would live such a poor life.
There are no healthy servants or beautiful maids to surround him, no delicious food to eat. There are only staggering old servants and ignorant children to serve him. Even the food he eats is tasteless. It is really sad.
He was about to speak when he saw Rong Xi stand up and say with a smile: "Brother Xuanshi, if you don't mind, you can wait for a moment and I will cook it myself."
The dishes cooked by Mr. Liu were really not good enough to serve guests. Rong Xi felt very ashamed and wanted to cook the food himself.
After a day of conversation with Hu Yulin, Rong Xi gained a deeper understanding of this world. Liu Weng and Zishi have never set foot outside Linxi, and their horizons are not as broad as Hu Yulin's, so they are not suitable for deep discussion of candidates.
To express gratitude, I cooked food for the guests myself, just as a way of returning the favor.
Unexpectedly, Hu Yulin was extremely surprised when he heard this, and immediately asked, "How can Dalang be good at cooking?"
He was curious and wanted to see how Rong Xi cooked, so he followed him to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, the Liu family's grandfather and grandson were eating from their bowls. When they saw the two young men coming, they immediately put down their bowls and stood up to greet them.
"Does my lord have any instructions?" Liu He asked nervously.
Because Rong Xi did not like to be served by others when he ate, the Liu family's ancestors and grandchildren did not serve their master like other servants when he ate.
Seeing Rong Xi and Hu Yulin coming, Liu He was frightened, thinking that he had not fulfilled his duties as a servant and had angered his master.
"Where is the pork trotter? Mr. Liu, go get it." Rong Xi instructed Liu He, and asked Liu Zishi to bring rice wine, light sauce, tangerine peel, red dates and other auxiliary ingredients.
Seeing that his lover was going to show off his skills, the young Liu was extremely excited. He ran to find accessories, and the brown hem of his clothes with patches fluttered in the wind.
Hu Yulin was amazed when he saw this. Judging from the expressions of the Liu family’s grandparents and grandchildren, they seem to be looking forward to Dalang’s cooking skills.
He had tasted countless delicacies and was not very much looking forward to Rong Xi's cooking skills. But seeing the son of an official tending the stove himself, especially for a businessman like him, Hu Yulin was deeply moved.
Even if the food is not good, the taste will be extraordinary because of the sincere friendship.
After the pig's trotters were brought in, Liu He picked up some firewood and added more fire to boil the water in the pot.
Rong Xi puts the pig's trotter in a pot and boils it in water until it is soft. Then, keep the pig's trotter and drain the water. Cover it with rice wine and clear sauce. Take tangerine peel and red dates, put them into a pot and simmer over low heat.
"Brother Xuanshi, please wait a moment. If you feel hungry, have some cold food." Rong Xi said with an apologetic smile.
Hu Yulin didn't feel hungry. He just wanted to know how good Rong Xi's cooking skills were. Even though he had to wait for several hours, he didn't feel annoyed.
Moreover, Rong Dalang is knowledgeable and well-informed. If it were not inappropriate, he would like to stay overnight, sleep on the same bed with him, and talk with him.
The two discussed business in the study. Hu Yulin was amazed at his wonderful ideas. Every time he listened to them, he felt enlightened and was full of admiration.
In his previous life, Rong Xi was born into a wealthy family. His father was a well-known researcher and his mother was a leader in the business world. He inherited the wisdom of both of them, and surpassed them even more.
"Dalang has great ambitions, Xuanshi is far inferior to him." Hu Yulin was convinced and praised him repeatedly.
The people in the capital are stupid and short-sighted, and they mistake pearls for fish eyes. Regardless of Rong Dalang's talent and learning, his open-minded and broad-minded mind and broad horizons have far surpassed many of his contemporaries.
"I don't deserve it. My theories are superficial and cannot compare to Brother Xuanshi's real talent and hard work." Rong Xi said modestly.
This is true. Although he knows a lot about theory, when it comes to practice, he will be dizzy and at a loss, and will not know what to do.
The time has come and the pig's trotter is cooked.
Hu Yulin was watching from the side. When he saw Rong Xi pouring in chopped green onions, dogwood and sake, he immediately felt that the color and taste were both perfect and his appetite was aroused.
The pork trotter was stewed thoroughly, with flavors blending well together. Young Liu leaned against the door, staring at it eagerly.
Servants had never had access to such delicacies before. Liu Zishi had been taught about it by Liu He and knew the reason, but he could not resist the temptation and his mouth was drooling.
But suddenly he heard his husband calling him forward.
The young man glanced at the pottery jar and listened attentively to Rong Xi's instructions.
"You and Mr. Liu can share the rest of the jar."
Liu Zishi's eyes were as bright as stars. Seeing that the man only took two pieces of pork trotters and gave the remaining two to himself and his grandfather, he was extremely moved and bowed repeatedly.
"The gentleman is kind! The gentleman is kind!"
Hu Yulin, however, couldn't wait any longer. He sat down at the table and picked up his chopsticks to taste the food. The pig's trotter melts in your mouth, soft but not greasy, tender as cream, and the rich flavor blooms on the tip of your tongue, seeping into your heart and intoxicating your mind.
It's so delicious, no matter how long it takes, it's worth it.
Rong Dalang surprises people everywhere. For such a person to live in Linxi is a real waste of God's gift.
Hu Yulin was filled with emotion. After finishing the whole pig's trotter, he felt only half full. In fact, the stomach is full, only the spirit is empty.
"Da Lang's cooking skills are even better than Wang Gong's chef Ding." Hu Yulin praised Rong Xi so much that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Rong Xi is good at cooking because of his past life. As an adult, he lived alone, became passionate about food, and devoted himself to study for several years. Although it looks good, it is far inferior to what a real chef would do.
"It is my honor that Brother Xuanshi can enjoy himself."
By the time they had eaten and drunk their fill, the moon was already at its highest point in the sky. Hu Yulin made an appointment with Rong Xi and was reluctant to leave.
In the following days, Hu Yulin visited Rong's house many times and had a very pleasant conversation with Rong Xi. He also prepared coal, stone and loess and transported them to Rong's house.
In the open space in the yard, the coal stones were crushed into powder and stood opposite the pile of loess.
Liu Zishi came over with a bucket. The wooden bucket shook slightly, and some water overflowed, wetting the surface of his shoes. The young man didn't care at all. He placed the bucket next to the coal pile and asked excitedly, "Sir, what do you do with the water?"
He spent more than ten years in boredom, aimlessly and doing nothing. Since my husband came, my strong body has finally been put to good use, and I can use all my strength to the fullest.
Rong Xi was about to mix the coal and soil himself, but Hu Yulin stopped him and said with a smile, "Why do you need to do it yourself, Dalang? Just call me."
After he finished speaking, he called over two strong servants, both of whom had strong arms and good physiques.
Rong Xi appreciated his good intention and did not refuse. He calmly instructed the two men to mix the coal and soil evenly according to the proportion, and to dig a hole at the top of the pile, working from top to bottom.
When adding water, in order to avoid leakage, he did it himself and poured it slowly with a ladle.
When the coal soil was soaked and became a little sticky, Rong Xi took a new coal tool and inserted it deeply. The crown was filled with coal soil and the shape was formed. He then moved it to a clean open space and gently twisted the mechanism. The cylindrical coal ball fell to the ground roundly with twelve holes on it, neatly distributed.
Everyone in the courtyard was surprised.
"This shape is so strange!" Hu Yulin squatted down to observe it carefully, not caring about his robe dragging on the ground, and reached out to touch it.
He was quick-witted and immediately understood Rong Xi's intention when he saw this.
This shape will make it easier to burn, avoiding the accumulation of solid coal balls and the weakening of the open flame.
"Da Lang is very creative, Xuanshi admires him!" Hu Yulin stood up and praised.
Rong Xi personally demonstrated the use of the coal ore, and everyone knew it. Liu Zishi found this interesting and did not want to tire Rong Xi, so he said, "Sir, let me be your servant."
Rong Xi was weak and frail, and although he had been exercising recently, he was still not as strong as Liu Xiaonian and the two servants. So he handed the coal utensils to them and moved to the corridor to drink water and rest.
Hu Yulin also became playful and made coal balls himself using coal tools. He was very excited at first, but after a few times, he felt pain in his arms and waist and stopped forcing himself.
He threw away the coal utensils, washed his hands, went to the corridor, stood opposite Rong Xi, and saw the joyful scene in the courtyard, feeling filled with joy.
The coal briquettes are delicate and cute, neatly arranged on the ground, like soldiers in armor, ready to rush to the battlefield and sacrifice their lives for the country as soon as the order is given.
"It just so happens that there has been no rain recently, so we can expose the coal briquettes to the sun for a few days to remove the moisture." Rong Xi said slowly, holding the lamp.
We will know the result once Jiang Gong makes his new tool.
Liu Zishi and two strong servants took turns working until the golden wheel became as big as an orange, and only then was the work completed. The coal briquettes are round and flawless, lined up on both sides of the courtyard, like ministers entering the court, standing quietly in the throne room.
It does have some cuteness and interest.
Hu Yulin has always had ambitions. He had thought about expanding his coal and stone business many times before, but he had never been able to find a solution. I had the opportunity to meet Rong Xi a few days ago, and my difficulties were finally relieved. This is truly a blessing from God and a blessing for the Hu family.
The most exciting thing was that he became friends with Dalang of the Rong family. It was not because of his status or family background, but because Dalang was as beautiful as jade, which made people yearn for him.
During the period when the coal briquettes were exposed to the sun, Hu Yulin traveled back and forth between towns and cities without ever touching the ground, working in the coal fields and mining coal. The amount of coal and stone is twice that of previous years.
His father Hu Yun heard about it and asked him secretly in the room.
"Coal mining has a fixed number every year. Why are you doing this?"
The room was filled with a faint scent of incense, and the books were neatly arranged with obvious signs of being flipped through, showing that the owner was a book lover.
Although Mr. Hu was a charcoal merchant, his yearning for poetry, books, rituals and music was no less shallow than others.
Hu Yulin originally wanted to wait until the task was completed before informing Hu Yun of the details. But since Hu Yun asked him personally, he had to answer.
"Don't be surprised, Aye." He wrote down the plan in his mind on paper, and now took it out and presented it to Hu Yun, explaining, "This is my plan, Aye, please take a look."
Hu Yun has entrepreneurial talent and is not a short-sighted person. One can understand his thoughts with just a quick glance. If the capabilities of coal and stone are really as good as what is said on paper, then the Hu family will definitely be able to reach a higher level!
"Yulin was very thoughtful and finally found this method. If this method can be successful, the benefits will be small, and the name of the Hu family will spread far and wide."
After Hu Yun finished speaking, he laughed out loud. The wild cat in the yard was frightened and jumped onto the wall, calling softly a few times, as if complaining about its grievances.
"This idea was thought up by my good friend. I have already exchanged ten strings of coins for it. Do you agree with it, father?" Hu Yulin told him frankly.
Upon hearing this, Hu Yun stroked his beard and pondered for a moment.
"The number of ten strings of cash is too ordinary." Hu Yun is not a narrow-minded person. Anyone with such a clever idea must be extraordinary. Ten strings of cash seems to be deceiving.
Hu Yulin told him what Rong Xi said, and Hu Yun sighed, "Ten strings of cash to buy out, not tied to the interests of the Hu family, and able to resist the temptation of huge profits, which is really admirable. Yulin, what is this person's name? Where does he live? Your father would like to make friends with him."
"Father, have you ever heard that the son of Minister Rong in the capital was mistakenly exiled to the ancestral home in Linxi?"
Hu Yun had been a businessman for many years and was well-informed about all the major and minor events in various parts of the Wei State. The Linxi Rong family was already famous in Mengshan County, and the story of Rong's son being exiled to Linxi had long become a topic of conversation in the city.
It’s just that Hu Yulin brought up this matter suddenly, could it be?
"The person you are talking about is actually the son of the Rong family?" As soon as he said this, he felt it was unbelievable.
Hu Yulin's eyes were narrowed and slightly curved, with a fox-like smile. Aye looked shocked. It was really not easy. It was really thanks to Dalang that I could see him today.
"Aye, it is Rong Xi, the eldest son of the Rong family."
The author has something to say:
Most of the dishes in the article are borrowed from Yuan Mei's "Suiyuan Food List" or found on Baidu.
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