24 Beef Noodles with Drunken Shrimp
◎Xinghua Restaurant◎
Jiang Qinglan did not "abscond with the money", but wanted to change from a sedentary businessman to a traveling businessman to make more money.
She planned for two days and booked the shop under the Bazi Bridge.
When Wang Huiniang also moved to Jiangmi Lane and her life gradually got back on track, she was ready to announce her new plan.
That day, Hu Zi came back from Qingping Academy after school and came to the Jiang family courtyard to feed the big yellow dog as usual.
He grew up in the countryside and loved playing with kittens and puppies.
As soon as he arrived at Jiangmi Lane, he tamed the big yellow dog.
It just so happened that Jiang Qinglan and her sister were having a headache about feeding the dog, but Hu Zi was enjoying the job.
Hu Zi had fed the dog and was about to go home when he saw Tuan Tuan standing on the street, waving at him:
"Brother Huzi, don't cook tonight. My sister said, when auntie comes back, you two should come over here and we can eat beef noodles together."
Wang Huiniang works outside every day, and Hu Zi does all the housework.
However, it was not easy for him to cook rice for a young boy, so it was hard to tell whether the rice was delicious or not.
They had been busy with the move these past two days, and he and Wang Huiniang were just dealing with it casually.
Hu Zi scratched his head, his sour Confucian air returning: "Teacher said, no merit, no reward..."
Tuantuan blinked his eyes that looked like black grapes:
"Oh, you went to feed the big yellow dog, but you helped us a lot, but you still don't get any credit?"
"Besides, you don't know how delicious the noodles my sister makes are."
She began to describe vividly:
"A large piece of beef, two fingers wide, smooth and chewy noodles, and a spicy and crispy red broth. I pick up a large piece with my chopsticks and slurp it up..."
As he was speaking, there was a slurping sound. It was Hu Zi sucking his saliva.
He suddenly woke up from his dream and quickly covered his mouth. Looking down, he saw a water stain on his clothes.
Immediately, his face turned red like a monkey's butt.
So embarrassing!
Hu Zi grabbed his clothes and ran out of the yard like a fly, leaving a sentence in the wind:
"Okay, we'll come over when Mom comes back."
…
Jiang Qinglan invited Wang Huiniang and her son to come over to discuss the plan of opening a restaurant with them.
However, she had been busy with the shop leasing procedures for the past two days and had no time to prepare the banquet.
On the other hand, Wang Huiniang and her son were friends of the sisters. Friendships should be sincere, so there was no need to prepare dishes that looked good but tasted bad.
After thinking it over, she decided to have beef noodles.
In modern times, beef noodles are a roadside snack and are not considered presentable.
But at that time, cattle were very valuable as farm laborers, so beef was a valuable food and was also a good treat for friends.
Moreover, Hu Zi is at the age where he doesn't have enough to eat, so he must have enough carbohydrates and meat.
It seems that beef noodles are very suitable as dinner.
But which one to do? Jiang Qinglan hesitated for a moment.
Beef noodles have different flavors in different places.
For example, Lanzhou beef noodles, also known as Lanzhou ramen throughout China, are known for their freshness and cleanliness. They emphasize the principles of "one clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow"—clear soup, white radish slices, red chili topping, green cilantro, and yellow noodles.
This noodle itself has no taste and no special seasoning, it relies entirely on the delicious flavor of the soup base.
The most special thing about Langzhong beef noodles is that the soup base is black and paste-like.
Every noodle is wrapped in this black stuff.
This is because, when making the base soup, a lot of spices and seasonings are added, as well as a lot of wet bean powder.
In this way, the original soup becomes viscous, quite similar to Henan's Hu La Tang.
The paste is full of rich ingredients, which are wrapped around each noodle, allowing diners to better appreciate the rich and fragrant red sauce.
The fragrance brought by the soybean sprouts in the base is balanced by the oiliness of the glutinous noodles.
Eventually, this beef noodles became a delicacy that the people of Langzhong could not stop eating.
But what Jiang Qinglan made in the end was Chengdu beef noodles.
Because this kind of noodles does not rely on the soup base like the above two types, but relies on chili oil for its flavor.
Chili oil is easy to carry. A while ago, she was making oil-braised skewers and added some butter to the leftover base, making it into small cubes like hot pot ingredients. Now, she can take it with her whenever she wants.
I still have some braised beef and handmade noodles from yesterday. I cut up some more beef and put a few handfuls of noodles in water to float a few times, and then the beef noodles are ready.
In all processes, seasoning is crucial——
Although Chengdu beef noodles are based on chili oil as the base flavor, other seasonings are also indispensable.
The base ingredients include soy sauce, vinegar, salt, Sichuan pepper powder, etc.
Even for ordinary condiments, the amount of each one is very important, which can make them complement each other.
In addition, the special chili oil in the noodles must contain both red oil and a mixture of Sichuan peppercorns, dogwood, and other solid sediments. This is how it looks and tastes good.
Next, scoop up a large spoonful of noodle soup and dilute the various seasonings in the bowl.
Finally, top with snow-white handmade noodles and add sliced braised beef, and the beef noodles are ready.
On a summer night, there is a cool breeze.
Hu Zi and Tuan Tuan scrambled to carry the noodles out to the courtyard. The four of them sat on either side of the table, each holding a bowl of noodles and slurping them.
The advantage of handmade noodles is that they are chewy and elastic and will not become mushy even after long cooking.
Coated with chili oil, it is hot, slightly spicy and fragrant.
It is really wonderful to eat noodles like this.
Jiang Qinglan took a few bites and suddenly remembered: "Oh, there is another dish." He hurried to the kitchen and brought it out.
It turned out to be a dish of cooked drunken shrimp.
There were eight or nine large prawns in the ceramic bowl, each of them was plump and meaty, and yellow-orange in color.
When the lid is opened, the rich aroma of wine hits you in the face.
In modern times, drunken shrimp is a famous dish in the south of the Yangtze River. Live shrimps are stewed in Huadiao wine and then eaten raw after they stop jumping.
In the past, Jiang Qinglan never ate raw food, but he had seen others eat it.
After arriving in this time and space, considering the lack of antibiotics, it was difficult to treat a stomach upset. Even though Tuantuan mentioned it several times, she refused to eat raw food.
Today, because the shrimp were fresh and Wang Huiniang and her friends loved them, she bought a smaller amount. She used a strong enough wine to marinate them to kill bacteria and reduce the possibility of infection.
Now, all the prawns are immersed in the brown sauce, creating a layer of light brown between the shells and the meat.
Some are still shaking, giving people the illusion that the shrimp are still alive.
Three lemon slices, four dried plums and two laurel leaves are dotted on the surface, with rich colors and blended aromas, which stimulate people's appetite.
This light Jiangnan flavor goes perfectly with the spicy beef noodles.
Soon, Hu Zi ate up the huge bowl. Seeing the drunken shrimp coming again, his eyes suddenly brightened up more than stars.
While the two children were eating, Jiang Qinglan called Wang Huiniang into the house and said bluntly:
"Sister Hui, as a tradeswoman, you have to travel every day. Not only is it hard, but you also have to be separated from Hu Zi."
"My restaurant is about to open and I need some help. How about I give you one ounce of silver a month and Huzi one coin a month to work in my restaurant?"
"Sister is a capable person. She has connections with masons, bricklayers, maids, and women. Huzi is also quite strong. After he finishes school, he can help carry water, drive the carriage, etc., okay?"
Wang Huiniang thought that a monthly salary of one tael would provide a stable income without having to travel far and wide. Moreover, Lian Huzi would receive money.
How could she not respond to such a great opportunity?
She immediately grabbed Jiang Qinglan's hand.
…
The next day, the two went to the shop under the Bazi Bridge to have a look. This place used to be a bun shop, but the owner had given up the lease because the business was not doing well.
The shop wasn't big, with only room for seven or eight tables in the front hall. Fortunately, it had everything: a stove, a well, and even a small vegetable garden in the backyard where they could grow some green onions.
The two of them discussed and made a decoration plan.
Wang Huiniang had been a money-maker for many years, and although her connections were mostly with cooks and embroiderers, she could also find good decorators if she asked around.
She said very maturely:
"Carpenters and painters are no problem. I'll definitely find someone who can do the job well and cheaply."
"We need to come up with a name for this shop soon. We need to get the wine curtains ready and the sign up soon, so we can attract more customers soon."
Jiang Qinglan smiled and said, "I already had an idea for this."
She picked up a branch from outside and wrote four words very carefully on the dusty table:
Xinghua Restaurant.
Wang Huiniang knew a few words, but knew nothing about poetry or books.
Seeing this, she glanced at the shady green trees outside and said blankly:
"This road is mostly lined with locust trees and willows, but I've never seen an apricot tree. What's the meaning of this name?"
Jiang Qinglan raised the corner of his mouth, revealing a look of longing:
"It is summer now, and the spring flowers are dying."
"Next spring, warm winds and drizzling rain will bring the first bloom of apricot blossoms all over the fields."
"In the early morning when the rain has stopped, there will surely be vendors hawking apricot blossoms along the street. Let's buy a few and place them on the counter of a restaurant. Isn't that a joy of the marketplace?"
I listened to the spring rain in the small building all night, and sold apricot blossoms in the deep alley tomorrow morning.
I write casually on a piece of paper, and share tea with my friends in front of the sunny window.
Putting aside the sad diplomatic affairs, Jiang Qinglan's initial imagination of the urban life in the Song Dynasty came from these two lines of poetry by Lu You.
Now, although she has been working hard for a long time to make a living, she still has the poetic spirit of a cultured person in her heart.
Being in the situation, how can you not create it with your own hands?
Jiang Qinglan smiled slightly.
【Author’s words】
The initial inspiration for this article came from these two lines of Lu You's poem. The pure music "First Rain in Lin'an" is also very appropriate for this article.
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