Chapter 51: Let’s do a big one with the Tea-flavored Spare Ribs!
The meals in the small building are simple and elegant.
The rice, each grain distinct and fragrant, was served first with a cold dish: a dish called "Snow Reflecting Danxia," which refers to tomatoes mixed with sugar.
The leaves of shiitake mushroom and Chinese cabbage are plump, one brown and one green, not only plain in color but also light in taste.
In the middle was a bowl with a jade plate hung on a gold hook.
The name sounds nice, but it’s actually just bean sprouts and tofu, which is a hot soup after all.
"Thank you for your hospitality, sir. We were so engrossed in our conversation that we forgot the time. I'm really hungry now." The leading merchant's stomach was growling.
"Lady, why don't you have dinner together?" another person nodded in agreement.
Although the food was a little bland, I was so hungry that I didn't care.
"Miss Gui is the master chef. She told me to soak the ribs in water to remove the blood beforehand, just waiting to show off my skills." Xie Yuan said with a smile, "It's just a coincidence that I ran into you all, so you guys intercepted me."
"Oh?" If it weren't for the etiquette, everyone would have been unable to restrain themselves from picking up their chopsticks.
Just think of it as a vegetarian meal, it can fill your stomach.
If, as Young Master Xie had said, they added another dish, they would have been happy to show their support. Regardless of whether it tasted good or not, they would have pretended to give sincere praise.
After all, they still hope that Lady Gui can lend them a helping hand.
Even the boat captain didn't believe that Guizhier had any good skills.
A wandering man might be able to roast some wild game, but he can't make a fine meal of three dishes and a soup.
"Tea-flavored spareribs, sorry to have kept you waiting!" Guizhier served the dish herself.
A delicious dish, its unique aromas hit you before you even see the dish. The strongest aroma is the rich, mellow aroma of pork ribs, followed by the charred aroma of the sizzling pot.
"Wow, the heroine is quite skilled!" everyone exclaimed.
The pork ribs are fried in sugar until golden, then steeped in tea and simmered over low heat before being served. The thick sauce is topped with fried tea leaves.
"If all this is the first spring tea, it would be too extravagant." The leading merchant was shocked by Gui Zhier's generosity and felt heartbroken.
It was as if eating a piece of pork ribs would cost half a string of copper coins.
But he was still attracted unconsciously and licked his lower lip.
When you take a bite of the meat, your tongue first feels the crispy skin, followed by the tender meat soaked in juice.
The light aroma of tea lingers faintly at the tip of your nose.
As he chewed, the aroma of tea gradually spread, neutralizing the greasiness of the ribs. The leading merchant ignored his manners and shoveled down a mouthful of rice.
"Good, delicious." I couldn't even utter a single word of the compliment I had prepared in my mind.
This tea is so worth it!
The most intuitive manifestation is the scramble for food and the interweaving of chopstick shadows on the food table.
"Brother, please be merciful and leave a piece for me." A man pounced on it like a hungry tiger and took it quickly.
"Brother Li, why don't you try this mushroom and Chinese cabbage? The best meal is a combination of meat and vegetables." Another person easily took the lead and grabbed the ribs.
Whether it is white rice or brown rice, as long as it is added with this tea-flavored pork ribs, people can eat it with relish and have one bowl after another.
Gui Zhier and Xie Yuan looked at each other, and everything was said without words.
The meal was a great pleasure for both the host and the guests.
Everyone simply decided on a time for action and began to make preparations separately.
Before leaving, Guizhier reached into her arms.
"I almost forgot. Thank you very much for setting up the stage and letting me perform this play." She handed the brocade sachet filled with herbs to Xie Yuan.
Without Young Master Xie organizing the party, even if she was craving for the first spring tea, she would not be able to find a way.
Besides, today's lunch is particularly bland, just to highlight the tempting taste of the tea-flavored spareribs.
Young Master Xie, you are really thoughtful.
Xie Yuan stood by the window, watching Gui Zhi'er's back as she walked away in the rain, dressed in red. Her back was graceful, like a red lotus in full bloom, bright and moving.
"It's just a small matter, not worth mentioning." He raised the corner of his mouth slightly.
It was a cool night when the rain stopped.
Pier No. 3 was dark and there was not a soul on the shore.
As the cold wind blew, only the ropes swayed slightly, and the empty little wooden boat on the river rocked slightly, making a creaking sound, adding a bit of eeriness.
The only source of warmth was a fire in the tent in the warehouse.
"Hello, brothers!" "Top five!" "A great house!" The guards were in high spirits, and the sound of finger-guessing games rang out as they toasted each other.
His face gradually turned red and his body swayed without him realizing it.
"Boss, do you want me to go out for a walk later?" the skinny monkey asked with his tongue sticking out.
"Go to hell!" Yuandunzi slapped him on the head. "The entire little wharf is owned by the Su family. Which blind bastard dares to cause trouble?"
During the day, they were afraid of being checked by the master, so they had to follow the rules and take turns to guard. It was already night, and patrolling was not as exciting as gambling with dice.
Little did they know that a dark shadow had been hiding outside the tent and observing for a long time.
I saw the black shadow holding a thin tube and quickly lifting a corner.
"Whoosh." With a gentle blow, the ten fragrant soft muscles dispersed like smoke and mist, floating silently into the tent.
"I can't take it anymore. You guys play first. I'm sleepy and want to take a nap." The skinny monkey yawned with his mouth open and sleepy eyes.
No one responded to him.
The tent was silent, and several guards had fallen into a deep sleep.
"Okay, I guarantee you'll sleep like a dead pig." The black shadow pulled down her veil, and it turned out to be Gui Zhier.
The drugs exchanged by the system must be of high quality.
She instructed the people behind her, "You guys transport the goods first. There will be people waiting on the boat with a red ribbon tied to it by the water."
After saying this, she sneaked away again, keeping watch while choosing a suitable place to set the fire.
It is necessary to include the storage areas of the first spring tea and create the illusion that the goods are damaged and the tea is dead, but the impact should not be too great to avoid harming innocent people.
The wind was cold, but the merchants were filled with excitement.
"If we're going to do it, let's do something big. Then we can tell our wife that we're not cowards!" The leading merchant encouraged himself in his heart.
Fortunately, in order to prevent the goods from getting damp and mildew and to increase ventilation during transportation, tea is mostly loaded in bamboo baskets.
It is very light to hold.
The traveling merchants were not pampered old men, they just carried their shoulder poles and ran in small steps.
Late at night, when everyone is asleep, the riverside is filled with the fishy smell of mud.
In the shadows, the boatman on the small ferry had a sharp gaze. Seeing several merchants sweating profusely, he did not ask any questions but silently took the goods and placed them in the cabin.
Using a pole to push the boat forward, he gently rowed the boat and it disappeared silently into the darkness.
Guizhier, who stayed behind to finish the work, simply measured the wind direction.
"Swish." He lit the tinder and threw it onto the combustible material he had prepared. In an instant, flames raged and crackled.
"Shipmaster, please keep an eye on it. I'll go wake up the guards and put out the fire."
"Yeah." The captain remained silent and scattered charred and broken tea leaves and bent and deformed broken bamboo baskets around to fake the scene.
Guizhier put on a black veil, took out the antidote and ran straight to the tent.
Before setting the fire, debris outside the target area had been cleared away to ensure that the fire would not spread.
Even if no one puts out the fire, it's not a big problem.
But if you want to perform, you have to do it completely.
"There's a fire, there's a fire!" Guizhier blew the antidote into the tent and shouted at the top of her lungs.
Thick smoke billowed up, and a huge heat wave was about to erupt, as if it was about to cause an even greater tragedy.
"What's going on?" Yuandunzi, who was awakened from his sleep, was shocked and rushed out of the tent in panic.
"Boss, it's over, it's over!" Skinny Monkey and his younger brothers were also dumbfounded.
"Idiot, do you need me to tell you that?" Yuandunzi angrily slapped him on the head again, "What are you all standing there for?"
The wind helped the fire burn more fiercely, and a red light was already rising.
"Oh, hurry up, put out the fire!" The skinny monkey was about to pick up the bucket and basin.
Unexpectedly, Yuandunzi sneered.
"Save his grandpa's legs! If you don't run, you'll burn to death here too." He spat on the ground. "You only get a few copper coins a month, and you really expect me to work hard for you?"
He turned around and ran in the opposite direction.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Seeing that things were not going well, the younger brothers ran away in panic.
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