99 Stinky Tofu
◎Did the toilet explode?◎
Seeing that the other party had come here with ill intentions, Song Jinyi was really thinking about how to deal with it, but she heard Zhang Yao beside her sternly say: "Huang Yan, you traitor, how dare you come to Juxing Tower?!"
Song Jinyi's eyes turned and her gaze moved between the two of them.
"Junior sister, what you said is strange. Juxing Tower is open to welcome guests, so why shouldn't I come? Besides, don't I care about Master? I heard that Juxing Tower has undergone major changes. I think he was caught off guard and was deceived by the villains."
As he spoke, he glanced around and his eyes fell on Song Jinyi meaningfully.
Zhang Yao said nothing, just sneered.
Huang Yan knew Zhang Yao's temperament well, so he wasn't annoyed. Instead, he turned his attention to Song Jinyi and said, "Juxinglou used to cater to wealthy families, and they sold things like bear paws and abalone. How did they fall to selling such low-class food now?"
Song Jinyi narrowed her eyes, her mind clear. The most important thing right now is business, not quarreling. She said calmly, "Opening the door for business, everyone who comes is a guest, whether they are nobles or ordinary people, as long as you are willing to show me the face, it is my honor.
"Why? Do you only cook for the rich and powerful and look down on ordinary people?"
These words shifted the conflict to the ordinary diners and Huang Yan. Huang Yan's face suddenly turned pale, but he was not good at arguing, so he was speechless for a moment.
The people in the queue behind him thought he was troublesome and pushed him away, saying, "If you don't want to buy it, just go away. We will decide whether it tastes good or not."
"That's right, that's right. I can smell the fragrance from far away even though I'm blocked here. I'm from Shu, and I know this chili is authentic the moment I smell it."
…
Huang Yan's expression changed again and again. Seeing Zhang Yao looking at him with a look of anticipation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Since you're here, I want a bowl too."
He wanted to try what this hot and sour noodles tasted like.
Although Zhang Yao disliked him, she knew what was important and she would miss out on this business that was delivered to her doorstep.
She made the hot and sour noodles, brought them to Huang Yan, and said unhappily, "Try it."
Huang Yan looked at the bright red and oily vermicelli in front of him, but still had doubts in his heart, so he took a chopstick with some caution.
The moment it entered his mouth, the sour and spicy taste exploded on the tip of his tongue, the vermicelli was smooth and chewy, the soup was rich and mellow, and the sour, spicy, numb and fragrant flavors blended perfectly, stimulating his appetite.
He stared at the empty bowl in disbelief. As a chef, he had made and eaten many top-notch dishes, but today, after tasting the hot and sour noodles, it was like a side dish for someone who was used to eating big fish and meat.
An inexplicable emotion surged in his heart. He looked at Song Jinyi's hands and watched her steps, vinegar, chili oil... Suddenly, his eyes went dark.
Zhang Yao crossed her arms and blocked his way. "What are you looking at? Now that you've tasted it, why don't you leave quickly?"
Huang Yan knew that his junior sister was on guard against him. If he sat down any longer, she might not even do business and would just stand there in front of him.
He left in embarrassment.
The restaurant was packed with diners, all praising the food as they ate. A long line formed outside the restaurant. Passersby who hadn't tried it yet, seeing the people enjoying the meal inside, couldn't wait to try this amazing hot and sour rice noodle.
For several days in a row, the upstairs was bustling with activity.
Compared to the hustle and bustle upstairs, the downstairs seems much quieter.
Lady Li, who was buying preserved fruit, fanned herself with a large palm-leaf fan and whined, "I knew Juxinglou wasn't renting to us at such a low price out of good intentions. Look, everyone's already renting it to them."
Across from her, Butcher Zhang, who was selling braised meat, was slurping hot and sour noodles. He wiped the red oil from the corners of his mouth and said, "Madam Li, if you feel it's not good, you can just tell Manager Song and leave.
"If you don't want to rent it, there are plenty of people who can rent it. I just want to open a pancake stall for my wife."
Although Madam Li said this, she only hoped that others would share her hatred of the enemy and find a way to attract the diners from the upper seats, but she didn't really want to vacate the seats below.
When she first moved in, she did the math and realized that in this location, she could earn an extra two hundred taels a year, and the rent would be about the same as before. Only a fool would move in.
Seeing that the other merchants were not on her side, she could only shut up in disappointment.
Butcher Zhang didn't forget to say to her, "This hot and sour noodles is really good. Do you want to buy some and try it?"
*****
Song Jinyi made the seasonings into packets, and one packet came with each serving of vermicelli. She didn't need to do it herself, as Zhang Yao and the chef in the building would take care of it.
Song Jinyi had some free time and went to various markets to look for people during the day.
But Shengjing City is so big that it is undoubtedly a drop in the bucket. Zhang Yao advised her to publish a missing person notice in the tabloids.
It’s just that Shengjing’s tabloids are just like Weibo in the previous life. If you want people to see it, you have to spend money to sell trending searches.
Although she is now a shareholder of Juxing Building, she lives and eats for free at Manager Zhang's place, so it is not easy for her to advance the dividends. She can only wait until she gets the dividends next month and then publish the advertisement.
As for the restaurant, although the hot and sour noodles are delicious, it is a delicacy that you will inevitably lose interest in if you eat too much.
Song Jinyi recalled the most common food in the snack street in her past life...
The status of stinky tofu is as firm as a rock. In the past, stinky tofu was available in almost every snack street.
The tofu used in stinky tofu is different from traditional tofu. It is more like bean curd foam, a firmer one.
She went to the morning market early in the morning and picked out 100 kilograms of high-quality soybeans with plump, shiny grains. She soaked the carefully selected soybeans in clean water until they absorbed the water and became as round and plump as pearls. Then she removed them and drained them.
The following steps are no different from traditional tofu making: grinding, filtering, and leaving the dregs in the bag while the pure and delicate soy milk flows into the large vat.
This process requires meticulousness to ensure that there is no residual bean dregs in the soy milk, so as to ensure that the stinky tofu has a delicate taste.
Pour the filtered soy milk into a large pot and simmer over a firewood stove. Stir constantly to prevent the soy milk from sticking to the pot and burning.
As the temperature rises, a layer of fine white foam appears on the surface of the soy milk, and the rich bean aroma becomes more mellow. When the soy milk boils, keep it on low heat for a while to cook it thoroughly.
The next step is to add the gravy.
Song Jinyi prepared the brine by herself the night before, and slowly poured it into the soy milk according to a certain proportion, stirring it gently.
The soy milk gradually solidifies and forms pieces of tofu pudding.
While waiting for the tofu pudding to solidify, Shopkeeper Zhang arrived. He stepped into the yard and stared at the stone mill and water tank in the yard for a moment. He asked in confusion, "Madam Song, are you making tofu?"
Vermicelli is not sold in Daxia, but tofu can be found everywhere.
Song Jinyi took a clean handkerchief and wiped her hands. "I'm going to make a tofu snack. It will be ready tonight and you can taste it tomorrow."
Shopkeeper Zhang knew her abilities, and walked around the yard with great interest. He looked left and right, but couldn't see anything special. Wasn't this just ordinary tofu?
He came tonight to talk to her about something, so he stopped delving into the tofu and said to Song Jinyi, "I came here today because I have something to discuss with Madam Song.
"Last month, there was a drought in Zhongzhou, and the harvest was completely destroyed. The imperial court also requisitioned grain to Zhongzhou for disaster relief, causing grain prices to rise. So, I wonder if vegetable prices should go up a bit, too."
Song Jinyi looked embarrassed. "We have just accumulated customers, and we want to raise the price. I'm afraid they won't agree."
Shopkeeper Zhang sighed deeply and said with difficulty, "It is precisely because I know they won't agree that I came here to ask Madam Song to find a solution."
Song Jinyi was silent for a long time. The scattered tofu pudding gathered into a ball, and it looked like it would solidify within an hour.
Seeing that she remained silent, Shopkeeper Zhang was at a loss and called out, "Madam Song?"
"How much increase does Shopkeeper Zhang want?"
"A bowl costs three cents more."
After hearing this, Song Jinyi said, "The hot and sour noodles are already priced. Even if it's only a three-cent increase, some customers probably won't buy it. Why not add the money to something else?"
"For example, this tofu is originally priced at 25 wen. How about changing it to 30 wen before it goes on the shelves?"
Shopkeeper Zhang thought about it and agreed with this statement.
After seeing off Shopkeeper Zhang, Song Jinyi continued with her work, scooping the solidified tofu into a special mold.
The mold has many small holes at the bottom to allow excess water to seep out. A wooden board is placed over the tofu pudding, and then a heavy object is placed on top. After a period of squeezing, the water gradually drains out, and the tofu begins to take shape. At this point, the tofu has a firm texture and a smooth surface.
Cut the formed tofu into small pieces, place them neatly in a clay pot, pour in the secret marinade, cover the tofu with the marinade, and ensure that every piece of tofu is immersed in the marinade.
After a night, the tofu gradually absorbed the flavor of the marinade, its color changed from pure white to light green, and a unique odor began to emanate.
Zhang Yao was too tired the day before yesterday, so she asked for leave to go back and rest. She knew that the chef was going to make some stinky tofu, saying that it smelled bad but tasted good.
She was quite skeptical. How could something smell both good and bad? She thought the master was exaggerating. How bad could it smell? At most, it would smell like Chinese medicine.
——This thought lasted until the moment she stepped into the hospital.
Zhang Yao was carrying steamed buns and corn porridge from Xu's porridge shop in the east. When she was about to reach the gate of the courtyard, she smelled a strange smell in the air. What did it smell like?
Vegetables spoiled in the dog days of summer? Straw mats rotted by water? Garbage in the swill bucket?
The closer she walked to the yard, the more distinct the smell became, like the stench of decay that had been accumulating for a long time, mixed with the sour smell in her eyes.
She frowned, pinched her nose, and rushed into the house in one breath, "Master, Master, what's that smell? Did the toilet explode?"
Seeing that Song Jinyi looked calm, as if she didn't smell it, she loosened her hand that was pinching her nose. The smell went straight up her nose to the top of her head, as if someone was knocking on her head.
She tied a handkerchief around the Lord's mouth and nose.
Song Jinyi walked past her calmly and came to the yard, watching the carefully marinated stinky tofu finally being ready.
The stinky tofu she took out of the clay pot had a light sheen on the surface and was green with yellow in color.
Seeing that she was about to throw the stinky thing into the pot, Zhang Yao hurriedly pulled her hand. If this thing was thrown into the pot, would the pot still be usable in the future?
Turning around and seeing her calm eyes, Zhang Yao slowly let go of her hand.
Put the stinky tofu into a hot oil pan and fry it. As the oil temperature rises, the surface of the stinky tofu quickly becomes golden and crispy, and the originally restrained stinky smell instantly spreads and fills the air.
But at the same time, an alluring fragrance also quietly emanates.
Song Jinyi took out the fried stinky tofu to drain the oil, put it on a plate, poured spicy red oil and mellow soy sauce on it, and sprinkled a handful of green chopped green onions and fragrant sesame seeds on it.
At this time, the stinky tofu has a golden and crispy outer skin wrapped around the tender and smooth inside, and the color is attractive.
When you take a bite, there is a "crunch" sound, and the crispy skin forms a sharp contrast with the tender inside. The strong stinky smell is instantly transformed into a mellow and fresh fragrance in the mouth. The spicy taste, soy sauce, onion and sesame blend together, playing a wonderful symphony on the taste buds, which is endless aftertaste.
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