128 One Fish, Three Ways to Eat
◎It's not surprising how to teach those noble people to pay me money obediently?◎
Sister Jinyi, are you making the marinade?"
Li He looked at the big pot in front of Song Jinyi, which was bubbling with steam. The dark brown marinade was bubbling inside, emitting a rich aroma.
The food bowl beside it was filled with various ingredients: potato peels, dried tofu, lotus root slices, kelp...
Holding a long spoon, Song Jinyi replied in a flat tone: "Well, prepare a new dish - braised vegetarian dish." Her voice was calm, but revealed an indescribable fatigue.
Li He looked at her while looking at the marinade in the pot, "Sister Jinyi, since that day, you have launched seven or eight dishes in a row and have not even slept at night.
"You should take a rest. Leave these things to us." Cui Xiuxiu nodded and wanted to take the spoon from her hand, but was rejected.
"I'm fine." Song Jinyi continued, "The marinade hasn't been finalized yet. Maybe we'll have to add something else later, so I have to adjust it myself."
"There's no need to rush in the next few days..."
Everyone was trying to persuade her, but she seemed to be oblivious.
Li He sighed softly. Ever since the guy who looked like Xie Wuyang left, Sister Jinyi has been distracted.
At the beginning, he fell into the sea and his life or death was unknown, which made Sister Jinyi sad. Now he suddenly appeared and left without saying a word, which made Sister Jinyi sad again.
What a bad thing!
But before, Sister Ruolan was able to persuade Jinyi. Now, unless she figures it out herself, no one can persuade her?
Just when Li He was worried that she would collapse from exhaustion, an invitation was delivered to Juxing Tower.
It was Old Master Yue from the Yue Mansion who invited her to go fishing at his villa on the outskirts of the city.
Song Jinyi wanted to decline, but when she thought of the old man's influence in the capital and the future development prospects of the restaurant, she readily agreed.
The carriage traveled along a suburban road. The maple leaves on both sides of the road had begun to turn red, burning like flames in the sunlight. In the distance, the mountains rose and fell, the forests were dyed red, and the air was filled with the fragrance of grass, trees, and earth.
When we reached halfway up the mountain, it was difficult for vehicles to pass through, so we had to walk up.
Song Jinyi asked the coachman to wait for her here.
She carried her tools and headed straight up the mountain. As she walked, her eyes were drawn to an unremarkable depression on the side of the road. The sparse vegetation there formed a sharp contrast with the lush autumn colors around it.
What’s even more strange is that even on a cool autumn day, there is a faint layer of mist floating above the depression.
Song Jinyi walked closer to take a look out of curiosity.
As soon as she got close, a faint smell of sulfur entered her nose. She squatted down, pushed aside some dead grass, and found that the ground was slightly moist and the soil was warm. She could even see a few tiny bubbles coming out of the ground!
"This is……"
Her heart racing, she quickly memorized the location and continued up the mountain as if nothing had happened.
Old Master Yue's villa is built on a platform at the top of a mountain, offering a wide view overlooking the autumn scenery of the entire Beijing suburbs. The old man is in good spirits, sitting by the lake fishing.
Seeing her coming, he greeted her with a smile: "Song girl, come! Accompany me fishing for a while! We'll have the fresh fish we caught for dinner!"
Song Jinyi took the fishing rod handed to her by the servant and sat on the stool next to the old man.
The lake is as calm as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds and the red leaves around it, which is a beautiful sight.
"Girl, the bait needs to sink to the bottom. I don't want you to just sit there with the fishing rod in your hand!" Old Master Yue suddenly spoke up, his tone teasing. "You look so absent-minded, you're not like the smart girl I know."
She then realized that her float had been dragged around by the fish, but because she was distracted, she missed the best time to lift the rod. She hurriedly reeled in the line, but the fish had already escaped.
She looked at the empty hook with some regret, put the bait on it again and threw it down.
Turning around, she saw Old Master Yue squinting at her and saying meaningfully, "Young man, it's normal to have things on your mind. But if you let your worries cloud your vision, you'll miss the wonderful scenery and opportunities before you."
He glanced at the lake meaningfully, "Just like that fish just now, it was clearly hooked, but because you were absent-minded, it slipped away in vain."
Song Jinyi was stunned and couldn't respond.
"People," the old man continued slowly, his eyes far away, "have been through a lot in their lives, and when they encounter a little setback they give up. Isn't it a pity? Now is only the prime of life, and there are many more days to come."
Song Jinyi felt a little sad after hearing this. Some things cannot be convinced by a few words from outsiders. Suddenly, her fishing rod sank!
"Hurry up and lift the rod!" the old man shouted.
Song Jinyi instinctively pulled hard! A plump crucian carp broke out of the water, gleaming silver in the sunlight!
Old Master Yue laughed heartily, "Tonight, we have fresh fish soup to drink!"
Song Jinyi stared at the lively fish in the fish basket, and suddenly an inexplicable emotion surged in her heart.
"Mr. Yue, I was distracted and missed the fishing trip. I will cook for you to make amends."
In front of the stove, she cut the fish into three parts: the head and half an inch of tender meat were cut off, the tail was reserved for other uses, and the fat middle part was sliced into thin slices as thin as cicada wings.
Before she came, Li He had prepared some medicinal herbs commonly used in herbal cuisine. She wrapped them in gauze and placed them in a clay pot along with the fish head, simmering them gently. As the gurgling sound grew, a steaming vapor of milky-white fish broth, with the delicate fragrance of Poria cocos, rose.
Song Jinyi spread the fish fillets flat on a celadon plate and explained to the chefs standing nearby, "Take the tenderest part of the crucian carp and marinate it with ginger juice and rice wine."
As her fingers flew, the snow-white fish fillets bloomed like petals on the plate, drizzled with specially prepared soy sauce, garnished with a few strands of tender yellow ginger sprouts and emerald green coriander, and finally poured with a spoonful of boiling hot chicken oil - with a sizzling sound, the aroma exploded, and a dish of "fried fish fillets" was ready.
The most amazing thing is the treatment of the fish tail. She cut the fish tail open, spread it flat, spread the meat stuffing mixed with shrimp paste on it, wrapped it with tofu skin as thin as a cicada's wing, and fried it lightly in oil. When it turned golden brown, she took it out and the fish tail was raised like a peacock spreading its tail.
The chopped water chestnuts in the filling crackle when you bite them, and the guppy dumplings are ready.
"Song girl's cooking skills are no worse than those of the imperial chefs in the palace. I'm in for a treat!" Old Master Yue sipped the fish soup, his eyes narrowed in delight. After finishing his meal, he asked casually, "But just now, when we were fishing, you were staring blankly at the southwest valley. I'm afraid you were simply distracted, weren't you?"
She put down her chopsticks and said seriously, "To be honest, I think the feng shui of that place is very good, and I want to open a small shop there."
"That shabby place is so far away from any village or shop that we have to get up in the middle of the night to transport the vegetables. Who would be willing to go to this desolate mountain to eat?" He elaborated on the disadvantages.
"Since that's the case..." Song Jinyi suddenly stood up and saluted. "I'd like to make a bet with you. If I lose, you can order a private dish from Juxinglou. As long as I can cook it, I won't refuse, and all expenses will be waived for three years."
Old Master Yue paused while stroking his beard. "Wow, girl, are you going to spend a fortune?" He suddenly leaned forward and said, "I don't know what Madam Song wants."
"If I win..." Song Jinyi smiled, "It would be enough if you could come and show your respect on the day the new store opens.
It's easy to say. Old Master Yue is such a great figure. If he were to show up in Xindian, it would be like gilding this desolate mountain shop! It could be the same star effect as in the previous life.
"Hahaha! Are you planning to use me as a living poster?" The old man suddenly clapped his hands and laughed. "But... Miss Song, what exactly is there on that piece of land? Is it worth your confidence?"
Song Jinyi smiled but did not answer, and said, "When the shop opens, my father-in-law will know."
******
But if you want to acquire land in the suburbs of Beijing, you can't do it without money and power. The power is naturally borrowed from Master Yue. As for the money, Song Jinyi invested all the dividends from Juxing Tower and Xilou in the past two years.
Shopkeeper Zhang knew that she had put a lot of effort into acquiring a piece of land, so he couldn't help but follow her to take a look out of curiosity.
When he arrived outside the city of Beijing, he looked at the wasteland in front of him in disbelief. He kicked the weeds under his feet, and a few yellow grasshoppers jumped out from the weeds, scaring him back.
He frowned, looked around again, and wondered, "This place is in the middle of nowhere, with no village in front and no shop behind. Forgive my ignorance, but I really can't see anything special about it."
Song Jinyi smiled and pointed to the ground, saying, "Please look carefully again."
Shopkeeper Zhang looked at her doubtfully, and seeing her determined expression, he squatted down and pushed aside a bunch of withered and rotten leaves. The soil under it was actually steaming slightly!
He scooped up a handful and brought it close to his nose. The pungent smell of sulfur immediately rushed into his nostrils. He immediately widened his eyes: "This, this is..."
Song Jinyi slowed down her voice and said, "You're right, it's a hot spring—"
Zhang, the shopkeeper, was shocked when he got the affirmative answer. Looking at the soil in his hands, he couldn't help but say, "This is a hot spring! When the time comes, we can build a few hot spring pools and charge ten taels of silver per person. It's not expensive..."
He was talking incessantly when he suddenly remembered that the land was not his, and he couldn't help but smile sourly.
Why doesn’t he have the ability to recognize the gem?
Song Jinyi scratched the wet ground with her toes and shook her head, saying, "To be honest with you, I don't plan to open a hot spring."
"Why?" Shopkeeper Zhang couldn't understand. If this hot spring wasn't used for hot springs, what else could it be used for?
Song Jinyi said: "We have no experience in running hot springs. This is a completely different model, and we have to spend a lot of time learning it. This is not the biggest problem..."
She broke off a branch and began to sketch a simple diagram on the ground: "To build a hot spring, you have to hire people to dig deep, build brick walls, and bring in fresh water from the mountain to adjust the temperature - without five hundred taels of silver, you can't even get a glimpse of it.
"Even if we bite the bullet and build three hot springs, these hot springs are for the nobles in the capital to soak in, and it will take several hours—" The branch drew a few equations on the mud, "We can only accommodate less than ten people a day.
"There are also the costs of firewood, herbs, and labor. The profit is not even enough to pay the well digger!"
Shopkeeper Zhang stared at the equation on the ground and scratched his head. "So, what is Madam Song going to do?"
She threw away the dead branches and said, "Of course, I'll just do my old job."
Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Zhang was stunned and said hurriedly, "Making food? This place? Just pulling the vegetables here would take a lot of effort. Wouldn't the labor cost be several times higher?
"Besides, this place, let alone nobles, even ordinary people...would they be so bored as to come here to eat?"
Although this place belongs to Song Jinyi, he regards her as a family member and does not want her to suffer any loss, so he gives her some kind advice.
She followed what Shopkeeper Zhang said and said, "It will increase several times, but if the food is basic, then the form will not be basic."
"What's the meaning?"
"This hot spring needs to be dug, but not for hot springs, but for scenic views. Dig a large pool, then build a stilt house in the style of Lingnan houses. It will be warm in winter and you can enjoy the water."
Shopkeeper Zhang added, "While it sounds quite interesting, I'm afraid it's not enough for those nobles in the capital..."
Song Jinyi smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've thought about it. Hot pot is the best thing to eat in winter. In addition to meat, hot pot also has vegetables. Fresh vegetables are rare in winter.
"Most of them are vegetables stored in the cellar in the fall. If there are fresh vegetables, will you eat them or not?"
"That sounds good, but even though the temperature here is high, it might be difficult to grow vegetables."
"So we have to build a shed and use tung oil paper to keep it warm. When the weather is good, the shed will be green outside and lush inside. It will be a beautiful sight."
Song Jinyi continued, "I've thought of other things, but I want something unique. I've got hot spring eggs, hot spring porridge, and steamed dishes..."
"That sounds novel."
Song Jinyi smiled and said, "It's not surprising. How can I teach those nobles to pay me?"
Ten days later, on the barren hillside, twenty or so men in shorts were sweating profusely. Some were using pickaxes to chisel away at the rocks around the spring, while others were pushing wheelbarrows to transport wood.
Song Jinyi, wearing a veiled hat, stood under a makeshift reed shed, checking blueprints with the foreman when she suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! Madam Song! I finally found you!"
【Author’s words】
Asking for a collection, Kang Kang's next book is pre-collected "Is the Number One Scholar in the Crematorium?"
Shen Wanqing was born in a humble family and has always been cautious and law-abiding. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was her love for Meng Jue, a new noble in the court and an important minister of the emperor.
Knowing the huge difference between them, she kept her love hidden deep in her heart. Until the day of the county lady's birthday banquet, she and Meng Jue had a love affair by chance, and Meng Jue was forced to marry her.
Everyone said that she was scheming and was willing to destroy her own innocence in order to get close to Meng Jue.
The mistress of the Meng family regarded her as a despicable person who would do anything to achieve her goals, and her sister-in-law regarded her as a bad woman who broke up her brother's good marriage, and made things difficult for her many times.
She had nothing to argue about, so she just behaved herself, abided by the code of conduct for women, was filial to her parents-in-law, managed the household business, and treated Meng Jue with respect, and their days passed in a dull and peaceful manner.
******
Meng Jue was a beautiful and elegant man with a jade-like complexion and golden appearance. Not only was he born into a noble family, he was also the new top scholar in the imperial examination. He had outstanding abilities and a bright future. Even the princess favored him. Everyone thought he would marry the princess, but unexpectedly he married a concubine's daughter of humble birth.
Meng Jue disliked his first wife because of the drugging incident at his birthday banquet, but as they got along, he found that she was gentle, diligent, docile, and committed to her duties. He gradually let go of their grudges and was willing to live a simple life with her.
Until one day, she realized the misunderstanding and handed in the divorce papers.
Later, he realized that the drugging incident was a misunderstanding.
Later, he discovered that his wife, whose eyes were once filled with admiration, now only had indifference and alienation in them.
Later, he realized that his wife was so capable that she could make his mother and sister dependent on her.
…
Meng Jue had a smooth life. He studied, took the imperial examinations, investigated cases... He never failed in his studies, but he suffered a crushing defeat in love.
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