122 Summer Cold Food
◎Several graceful figures are dancing with the swaying of the cart shaft!◎
Song Jinyi was stunned. Had she seen such a person before? How could she not know him?
She began to doubt her memory. The person in front of her did look somewhat familiar, but for a moment, she really couldn't remember where he was.
The housekeeper outside the door was so frightened when he heard the old man inside excitedly calling "young friend" that he almost stumbled.
Seeing Song Jinyi's bewildered expression, Old Master Yue stroked his beard, laughed heartily, and said, "In Yaowang Valley, Sun Moon Lake, my wife once made fish sashimi and even borrowed a white fish from me... My friend, do you still remember?"
"It's you?!" She finally remembered, but she didn't expect that the father-in-law she met on Yaowang Island turned out to be of such an identity!
Old Master Yue laughed heartily upon meeting his “old friend”, appearing very happy, “After not seeing you for a few years, your cooking skills have improved greatly.
"Today's birthday banquet is so unique that it really surprised me."
Song Jinyi also relaxed, a smile on her face: "I didn't expect to see you again in the capital. I am also very happy. Seeing that you are in good spirits now, I believe your health has improved a lot?"
"Thanks to Doctor Yu's medical skills, he's recovering well!"
Old Master Yue has an open-minded personality. He and Song Jinyi had been close friends regardless of age difference in Yaowang Valley. Now, by chance, they met again and chatted for a long time.
After the housekeeper reminded him that it was getting late, Old Master Yue was still not satisfied. Suddenly he remembered something and said excitedly, "By the way, Madam Song, I have always been thinking about your skill in making fish sashimi!
"Thirty miles west of Beijing, there's a lake. The water is clear and sweet, and the snow-scaled fish and red-tailed dace found there are incredibly tender. One day, when I have some free time, I'll invite some friends and we can go fishing together at the lake.
"Madam Song, please use your unique skills to prepare a fish feast for the fish you caught! How do you think?"
Song Jinyi smiled and replied, "I am honored to be invited by the old master. I am waiting for you at any time."
******
Thanks to the Yue Mansion's birthday banquet, the sales of grape wine have skyrocketed, and many nobles want to invite Song Jinyi to organize birthday banquets.
Faced with the invitations that came flying in like snowflakes, Song Jinyi didn't intend to accept them all. Instead, she pushed the selected invitations in front of Zhang Yao and said, "The Wang family in the south of the city is marrying off their daughter. They want to hold a banquet with 200 tables. You can accept it."
"Me?!" Zhang Yao's eyes were filled with astonishment. Song Jinyi's words flashed through her mind again and again. How could this be possible? "Master, the Wang family is also a respectable family. Two hundred tables... I... I'm afraid I can't..."
"Why not? You're already a master chef in charge of the theater. How are you lacking in terms of heat control, seasoning, and overall control?"
She looked at Zhang Yao seriously, "Don't forget, who was it that promised me that he would be the 'greatest' chef? Hmm? Now, it's just a small family with twenty tables of banquets, and you're scared?"
Zhang Yao blushed and stammered, "I'm not scared, it's just..."
"There's nothing to be so sure about." Song Jinyi interrupted her, "Even if the sky falls, I, your master, will support you! Don't worry and do it boldly! From now on, you will be responsible for everything from menu planning, ingredient procurement, kitchen scheduling, and serving procedures.
"I'll just watch from the sidelines and won't intervene unless necessary." She patted Zhang Yao's shoulder. "Every banquet will be your battlefield. Do you want to surrender without a fight?"
Zhang Yao took a deep breath, and a strong spirit of not giving up surged in her heart. She couldn't always rely on her master and wait for the hungry birds to be fed. She had to carve out a world for herself.
She replied firmly, "Master, I will do it!"
******
Time quietly slipped into the end of April.
The weather in Beijing had already taken on the unmistakable heat of early summer. The sun had become scorching, and even the breeze was warm. As the diners ate their steaming meals, a thin layer of sweat inevitably formed on their foreheads.
At this moment, a conspicuous small wooden sign was hung at the entrance of Juxing Tower with two big words written on it: "New Cold Food Arrived".
"Liangpi? Cold noodles?" A passing diner paused curiously. "Sounds so refreshing on such a hot day! Let me see what this new food is."
Mix high-quality high-gluten flour with water to form a smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for half an hour. Place the risen dough in a large basin of clean water and knead and knead it repeatedly like washing clothes.
Then filter the washed batter water with fine gauze to remove impurities, pour it into a large basin and let it settle.
Carefully pour out the top layer of clean water, leaving only the thick layer of "slurry" at the bottom of the basin.
Prepare a special large flat plate and brush it with a thin layer of cooking oil to prevent sticking.
Scoop a spoonful of the settled batter, pour it into the gong, shake it gently to spread a thin layer of batter evenly, and steam it over high heat.
In just a few moments, you can see the slurry solidify into a transparent or milky white color and form large bubbles.
In the eyes of Cui Xiuxiu and others, this magical scene was like a magic trick.
After it cools down completely, gently peel off the thin, flexible and translucent cold skin and fold them up one by one.
As for the ingredients, there are shredded carrots, shredded cucumbers, gluten... Song Jinyi reminded Cui Xiuxiu and others to make sure what the customers want and what they don't want.
Just like Song Jinyi herself doesn’t like shredded carrots. When she ate cold noodles in her previous life, she didn’t want to see even a single shredded carrot.
Finally, pour the soul garlic sauce on it and you’re done!
As for cold noodles, they are much easier to make than cold skin.
In addition to the traditional alkaline noodles, Song Jinyi also made cold noodles with spinach, which were green and looked very refreshing.
As for the taste, there is more room for creativity than cold noodles, including shredded chicken cold noodles, sesame sauce cold noodles, and vegetarian cold noodles.
When the first bowl of red oil cold noodles with translucent red oil, rich side dishes and crystal texture was brought out of the kitchen of Juxinglou, the unique aroma mixed with the aroma of vinegar, garlic, and the burnt aroma of chili oil instantly captured the sense of smell of all diners!
"Wow! This smell! It's so sour and spicy, it's appetizing, and it smells delicious!"
The cold noodles are slippery and slightly elastic as soon as they enter your mouth. They are cool and each piece of cold noodles is soaked in the sauce, which is very tasty. By the end, even the side dishes have been finished!
The cold noodles are even more refreshing. The noodles, after being cooled, are chewy and springy, paired with tender shredded chicken and crispy cucumber. The savory and fragrant dish has a lingering aftertaste. It's both satisfying and refreshing, making you want to slurp it up.
"Hey, man! Another bowl of cold noodles! More chili!"
"I didn't even break a sweat after eating this cold noodle. It was so comfortable. I'll only eat this cold noodle in the summer from now on."
******
In summer, the days are long and the nights are short, and there is little leisure time. Zhang Yao, Li He and Ruer heard that there would be a bustling event in the city tonight, so they did not go home immediately after finishing their work, but went to Nanxun Gate.
At the Nanxun Gate in the capital, a large foreign merchant caravan was slowly entering through the tall and majestic city wall.
Leading the way were a dozen tall Bactrian camels. They walked steadily with copper bells tied around their necks, and their steps made a heavy and distant "ding-dong-ding-dong" sound that echoed in the arched space of the city gate.
The camels, carrying huge, bulging packages covered in colorful felt, exuded a scent mixed with dust, leather, and some strange dried plants.
What really caught everyone's attention were the several ornately decorated carriages of varying styles in the middle of the caravan. Unlike the typical Central Plains style, these carriages were crafted from dark hardwood and carved with intricate geometric and vine patterns. Their roofs were raised at the corners, adorned with strings of small silver bells.
The most eye-catching one was an open-top float, the roof of which was covered with layers of light purple gauze as thin as smoke, fluttering gently in the breeze.
Through the veil, several graceful figures can be vaguely seen dancing with the swaying of the cart shaft! They have a kind of unrestrained and wild beauty, looming under the veil.
The most amazing thing is their hair, which is a dazzling golden color.
They wore extremely brightly colored dance dresses, embellished with glittering silver flakes and fine silver chains. Their bare feet stepped on the carpeted floor of the carriage, and thin gold chains with countless small bells were wrapped around their slender ankles.
Every spin, every step, and every raise of the arm brings with it a crisp and pleasant "ding-ling-ling" sound, like broken jade falling on a plate!
“It’s so beautiful!”
"What's the origin of this caravan? It's so grand!"
The crowd let out exclamations and gasps, especially the young men, whose eyes were wide open.
Li He, Ru'er, and Zhang Yao were also squeezed into the crowd. Ru'er excitedly pulled Li He's arm, her face flushed with excitement: "Ah He! Look, look! The blonde dancer in the red dress in the middle dances so well! So beautiful!"
She said to Li He, "It would be great if we could invite them to perform in our theater. I'm tired of the only storytellers and opera singers in the theater. If we had these exotic dancers, who knows how many distinguished guests would come to our theater."
Li He was also attracted by the gorgeous scene before her and nodded subconsciously: "It's pretty good."
A few inconspicuous carriages at the end of the caravan slowly drove into the gate.
Li He's gaze was originally lingering on the graceful dance of the float's veils, but she inadvertently glanced at the carriages. The window curtains of one of the carriages were accidentally lifted by the wind, revealing the profile of the person inside.
The man had golden hair that was more dazzling than the dancer's. He seemed to sense the gaze and suddenly glanced over - a pair of dark green eyes.
In an instant, the smile on Li He's face froze.
Ru'er was still immersed in excitement and did not immediately notice the abnormality of the people around her. She kept chattering and did not see Li He respond for a long time. She turned around and found that Li He looked unhappy.
"Hey? What's wrong with you?" She finally realized that something was wrong with Li He.
Li He came back to his senses and shook his head to indicate that it was nothing.
The tail end of the caravan passed through the city gate and merged into the bustling streets of the capital. That figure also disappeared among the crowds of people and vehicles.
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