41 Eating Lamb in Autumn
◎One-sided token of love◎
"Oh my God!" Zhu Ming was almost screaming to the sky.
"Liuguang, in a few days, you will be competing in a Cuju match against the Liao envoys. I've agreed with the Crown Prince that you will lead the Imperial Guards in a rehearsal today."
"It's less than half an hour until the agreed time. Why are you still dawdling here instead of going to the palace?"
"What's the hurry?" Xie Linchuan walked into Zao Wang's gold and silver shop and sat lazily on the armchair.
"Leaving from the southern section of the Imperial Street, you can ride a horse to the palace gates. There's no delay."
Zhu Ming muttered, "We have to go early. We can't let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wait for us."
Although the Crown Prince was benevolent and humble, he was still the heir apparent, second only to the emperor and above everyone else. No matter how bold they were, could they surpass him?
Zhu Ming glanced around and was dazzled by the display of gold, silver and jade jewelry.
"Look at you, you don't usually come to this gold and silver shop, but you came today."
Xie Linchuan had already ignored him and waved to the person standing next to him with a bow.
The man came over holding a wooden box, bowing and nodding, and said attentively:
"My Lord, I have used all the gold you requested."
Slowly opening the wooden box, a brilliant golden light pierced the eyes.
Stretching across the center is a gold hairpin adorned with apricot blossoms and pearls. The slender handle, with its twisted curves, resembles a delicate branch.
Two five-petal apricot blossoms, one fully open, the other slightly open, adorned the handle, each woven from hollowed-out gold threads, a magnificent display of intricacy. The stamens themselves were embellished with tiny gemstones.
A few pearls were hung on the two golden tassels, scattered sparsely, which added a touch of elegance to the golden hairpin's gorgeousness.
Zhu Ming is an expert, his eyes lit up: "Wow, this hairpin is so exquisite."
If you want to understand the trick, just make a face and smile with good intentions:
"Tsk tsk, you know what I mean, boy. Women just love these gold and silver things. Once you give them something, they'll definitely get the job done!"
Xie Linchuan smiled slightly and did not comment on Zhu Ming's words.
After putting the wooden box away, he said to the shop owner, "Go to the Prince of Dongping's Mansion to collect the reward!" He strode out of the door and stepped on his horse.
——
"Hey—" Outside the Xinghua Restaurant, Wang Huiniang stopped the carriage and called to the house, "Huzi, come out and move the meat!"
Jiang Qinglan was braiding Tuantuan's hair. Upon hearing this, he also took the little girl out to see.
Wang Huiniang and Hu Zi each lifted one foot and carried down a large black thing covered with fur and skin.
It turned out to be a black goat.
It must have been killed not long ago, as it was covered in blood. A trickle of blood was still dripping down the sheep's feet, but Hu Zi raised his hand and it flowed back.
Jiang Qinglan's eyes seemed to be on fire. He quickly turned his head away and covered Tuantuan's eyes.
Wang Huiniang laughed at her, "I know you have this habit of daring to eat but not to look. Go away quickly. I'll divide the meat with Hu Zi and Yue Niang and call you later."
After saying that, he carried the sheep and went into the house.
Although it sounds a bit hypocritical, there is no way - Jiang Qinglan really can't overcome it.
She was a modern urban beauty, accustomed to buying pre-packaged chicken, duck, fish and meat in supermarkets. But here, she was forced to see bloody things, even being butchered alive.
Once, Wang Huiniang wanted to kill a chicken and asked her to grab the chicken's feet.
But as soon as the knife touched its neck, the chicken started to struggle desperately. The scene was so horrific that she was so frightened that she dropped her basket and ran away.
I don’t know how Wang Hui Niang was killed later.
At this time, Tuantuan was bold and shook off Jiang Qinglan's hand: "I want to see the mutton being divided!" and went straight to the backyard.
Jiang Qinglan stayed at the front, changing the water in the osmanthus branches inserted diagonally on the counter, and then wrote out tomorrow's menu.
Specially recommended dishes: Cumin lamb leg skewers, braised lamb shanks, and carrot and lamb chops rice.
Since the autumn menu was added the day before yesterday, the food served has been updated and diners have been coming more and more enthusiastically.
Dishes like white pepper pork belly and old chicken stew were sold out before nightfall. Later customers got anxious and complained, "Mrs. Jiang, why don't you make more?"
Jiang Qinglan could only smile apologetically: "Sorry, sorry, the pot in our backyard is only that big, it can't hold any more."
"But rest assured, my dear guest, the blacksmith shop is already making a new cauldron for us."
The guest had no choice but to leave with resentment.
However, even more popular than the pork belly and chicken was the lamb. Jiang Qinglan hadn't put up the "Cumin-seared Lamb" sign at the time, but many people still came to ask for it.
Jiang Qinglan knew that in history, the people of the Song Dynasty loved mutton so much that they almost ate all the sheep.
“The sand is clear, the grass is soft, and the lambs are fat; their fat goes well with the wine”[1], “Cold mutton is like cream, and river fish is like cut jade”[2]. These poems about mutton are common in Song Dynasty literature.
When Su Shi was transferred to Huizhou, he was short of money, so he bought cheap lamb spine to cook, and the dish of lamb ribs that is popular today was created.
Since customers have needs, how can the store not respond?
Wang Hui Niang immediately went to the countryside to buy sheep. She first bought one to check the quality. If the response was good, she would order a large number directly from the source.
Jiang Qinglan calculated that it was almost time, so he opened the curtain and headed to the backyard. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yueniang was just coming out with a basket, and they ran into each other head-on.
Zhang Yueniang said, "Madam, earlier, Chunjie from the He family across the street came over. She said she wanted to buy porridge, but she brought a bunch of radishes instead."
Jiang Qinglan took a look and saw that the bamboo basket was filled with white radishes, each as big as an adult's fist.
There was some mud on the roots, but round dewdrops were still hanging on the green tassels.
It seems that this radish was just pulled out of the ground.
She asked curiously, "Wow, such a big basket, can Chunjie carry it?"
Zhang Yue Niang explained softly, "She and her sister carried it here, and they were both sweating profusely from exhaustion."
"I see some scratches on the bottom of the basket. I'm afraid the two sisters couldn't lift it and had to drag it for a while."
"I asked them to stay for a drink before leaving, but Chunjie said they had to go out because their little brother was asleep at home. We had to go back quickly before he peed and got his butt rotten."
Jiang Qinglan knew that the He family's little brother was only a few months old and was usually taken care of by Chun Jie'er and her sisters. The white radish was a token of the He family's gratitude for the braised chicken legs.
As he pondered, he caught a glimpse of Zhang Yueniang's brows furrowed slightly, looking very worried. Jiang Qinglan knew that she was thinking about her own child from the trivial matter of the baby's urination.
For a mother, there is nothing more painful than losing her child.
Yue Niang... is so pitiful.
Jiang Qinglan couldn't bear it, and didn't want to see Zhang Yueniang indulge in sadness, so he changed the subject:
"I was just having trouble figuring out what to serve with our mutton soup. These white radishes are perfect. Hurry up and chop them up, and I'll start stewing them right away."
After saying that, he quickly tied on an apron and put on his armband.
In fact, today was the first time Jiang Qinglan bought and ate mutton. In addition to responding to the needs of diners, he also had another plan.
Purchasing the two shops of the Xinghua Restaurant, plus the piece of land behind it, cost nearly a thousand taels of silver, but it was still a good deal.
Especially the land. The original owner fell seriously ill, and his daughter sold the land at a low price to pay for her father's medical treatment.
Jiang Qinglan planned to demolish the dilapidated house on the land and rebuild a new yard.
Wang Huiniang had been looking for people these days, and was about to start work. They would be busy for a while. They would use this sheep as a starter meal.
It was almost the beginning of the morning hour, people from the night market had not arrived yet, and the lunch market had already ended, so it was the quietest time of the day.
Jiang Qinglan's mutton dinner is almost ready.
She untied the apron around her waist, shook it gently, hung it on the wooden rack, and invited everyone to eat.
When it comes to something as delicious as mutton, different places have different ways of eating it.
People in the northwest love to grill, people in Yandu love to shabu-shabu, and people in Sichuan and Chongqing like to drink mutton soup during the winter solstice, which means they won’t be cold all winter.
Now, they had a whole flock of sheep, so they just made a big hodgepodge.
Lamb kebabs are indispensable.
Pieces of mutton, a mixture of lean and fat, were threaded onto bamboo skewers and flipped over a small charcoal fire.
It was grilled with a sizzling smell, and both oil and smoke were coming out.
Sprinkle a handful of cumin from time to time to ensure that each piece of meat is evenly coated.
The braised lamb shanks are covered in red date sauce, which is really tempting.
It is not easy to make this dish.
The sauce is made by stir-frying rock sugar, ginger slices, soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorns and dogwood, and flavored with white pepper, tangerine peel, and green onions. Then add white wine and simmer over low heat.
It took a full hour to complete the task.
Not only is the finished product bright in color, but each tendon has absorbed the broth, making it soft, tasty, chewy and cute.
The pot of mutton soup in the middle was bubbling with steam, and was used to dip the tenderest mutton and various mutton offal.
The fragrance was everywhere. If it wasn't for the pot built in the yard, the iron would have made people sneeze.
Jiang Qinglan called everyone: "Hurry up and sit down, this mutton must be eaten while it's hot!"
Zhang Yueniang was probably very self-conscious about the difference in social status and had always been shy about it, but the others were always open and generous.
Tuantuan came forward and sat down on a small bamboo chair.
She stared with her big eyes like black grapes, coveting the lamb skewers, lamb legs, lamb meat and lamb soup with eager eyes and greedy mouth.
"Is anyone else here? Can we start eating?"
Hu Zi clapped his hands and laughed, "Oh, I've been craving this mutton all afternoon!"
Opening the small lid on the bamboo steamer, rows of plump white mutton dumplings are revealed, each with a big belly, looking very proud.
She picked one up with her chopsticks and gently bit into it. Immediately, a soup with the aroma of mutton and green onions came out.
Fragrant, fresh, soft and hot!
Hu Zi stuffed the dumpling into his mouth and chewed it hastily, but ended up hissing and gasping from the burn.
Seeing this, Tuan Tuan burst into laughter and said to himself, "Let the dumplings cool down first. I'll try this carrot and lamb chop rice."
When the lid of the small copper pot was lifted, one could see crystal clear rice grains mixed with long strips of yellow and orange radish.
Buried among them were countless juicy lamb chops.
The best part is that this lamb chop is made up of three layers of lean meat with a thin strip of fat sandwiched between them.
It tastes neither woody nor greasy. Paired with sweet radish and shiny rice, it is absolutely delicious.
Seeing that Tuantuan had transformed into a glutton and finished a bowl of lamb chop rice, Huzi also laughed at her:
"Silly girl, you've filled your stomach with rice, where's the mutton hotpot?"
Tuan Tuan mumbled, "Don't be afraid, I have a big belly!"
Jiang Qinglan just wanted to laugh, but when he turned around, he saw Zhang Yueniang still standing there awkwardly.
He pulled her to sit down, picked up a dumpling for her, and said with a smile: "This is what you made, try it."
Jiang Qinglan is from the south and is not good at making noodles. Now she doesn't care about the noodles and dumplings in the store.
Zhang Yue Niang pursed her lips, whispered "thank you", and ate the dumplings silently.
But she seemed restless. After taking a few bites, she eagerly poured everyone a glass of honey pomelo tea she had made.
While chatting and laughing, some people ate dumplings, while others ate lamb chops with rice.
Only the mutton soup stewed with white radish was served, and everyone had a bowl and ate their fill.
After the meal, everyone hurried to clean up the dishes.
Tuantuan was full and seemed to have gained weight. She slumped in the bamboo chair, her eyes blurry and her head tilted downwards.
——Good guy, after eating and drinking, he feels lazy again.
Jiang Qinglan patted her red apple-like face and called Hu Zi over:
"The white radish we ate just now was sent by Chunjie'er's family across the river. You two can scoop up a bowl of mutton soup and give it to them. It's our way of returning the favor."
Tuantuan was still confused and rubbed his eyes hard with his two chubby little hands.
Hearing this, she muttered:
"Oh, mutton is so expensive, and white radish is cheap. If we do business like this, won't we lose a lot?"
Jiang Qinglan smiled slightly, determined to give the two children some moral education:
"In business, sometimes you need to be clear about the calculations, and sometimes you need to be a little vague."
"To be neither flattering to those above you nor arrogant to those below you is to be a gentleman."
"Chun Jie'er and her family have had a harder time than we do, but they sent us white radishes, so we have no choice but to return the favor. This kindness can't be measured by the amount of money."
But she did not mention the chicken legs she had given.
Tuantuan was completely bewildered after hearing all this sermon.
Hu Zi's mind was very clear.
He was quick and nimble, and immediately scooped up a bowl full of mutton soup with meat and radish.
They put the food in the same bamboo basket and asked the fat boy to get up from the bamboo chair. Then they went out and crossed the bridge.
At that time, Zhang Yue Niang was picking green onions in the field behind. After hearing those words, she was stunned for a while.
…
The moon is above the willows, and thousands of lights are shining brightly.
In Lin'an, the evening market is the busiest. Not only the Imperial Street, but even the Slanting Street is packed with tourists.
The black-sailed boats on the Chunbo River also carried passengers, slowly sailing through the rippling water.
The Xinghua Restaurant was bustling with people.
The gentlemen were discussing the Liao envoys' arrival in Beijing, while the young ladies were discussing the lotus crowns now popular among the ladies in the palace.
Some people also say that the duck soup made by Madam Jiang is the best, not fishy or smelly, and even the one from Pan’s Restaurant is inferior to it.
In Lin'an City, Fengle Tower is a leader among high-end restaurants, and most of its customers are dignitaries.
Pan's Restaurant is the leader among affordable restaurants. Ordinary people like to have a meal there when they go out to eat.
Jiang Qinglan felt a little proud as he listened to the diners boasting.
While she was in the crowd, she was suddenly stopped by a young man: "That's not right, Madam Jiang, why do I smell mutton soup in the room, but it's not on the menu?"
The guest had broad shoulders and a broad back, and was wearing a white cross-collared robe, which made him look particularly tall.
His eyes were extremely bright, yet extremely gentle, unlike Xie Linchuan's, which made people dare not look directly at him.
Maybe it's because he always has a smile on his face, and he has a kind of elegant charm.
Jiang Qinglan smiled apologetically, "My dear, you have a good nose! Today, our shop has just received some mutton, and we're still trying it out. Tomorrow, we'll be serving new dishes: mutton soup, mutton offal, and mutton legs. I'll let you enjoy them all at once!"
It turned out that this man's surname was Xue, with a single given name, Qi. He was originally from Lin'an, but had been doing business in the north for many years and had just returned.
Historically, the Song Dynasty imported large quantities of mutton from the Liao Kingdom, and even during times of hostility, the mutton trade between the two countries continued uninterrupted.
In this time and space, the best mutton in Lin'an all came from the Liao Kingdom. Xue Qi had lived in the north for many years, and his nose for mutton was as sensitive as a dog's.
At this moment, when he heard Jiang Qinglan say this, he felt that the old duck soup and sesame spinach in front of him no longer smelled good.
The next day, he put aside all his business matters and came to the Baji Bridge early. But he didn't know that someone had arrived earlier than him.
…
Mutton hotpot is different from the Sichuan hotpot which is heavy in oil and spiciness, but emphasizes freshness.
The base soup is made only with lamb bones, lamb fat, and white radish as the main ingredients, supplemented with ginger slices, celery stalks, orange peels, pepper powder and other seasonings to remove the fishy smell.
The soup made in this way is pure white and delicious, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.
If you add some celery leaves and drink it directly, it will have a rich meaty flavor and is very nourishing. It is also wonderful when used to cook mutton offal or hot pot.
Because the soup base is light, the selection of ingredients is extremely important. They must be fresh to maximize the flavor of the mutton.
The goat Wang Huiniang chose was a black goat raised by a village farmer. The tenderloin slices were cooked through in a single simmering pot of broth, leaving it tender and smooth without being too dry or mushy.
The dish Jiang Qinglan served to Princess Baoqing and Yang Song consisted of the inner thigh meat from the lamb's hind leg. The lean meat had a hint of fat, giving it a slightly crispy texture, making it a truly excellent hot pot dish.
But compared to meat, Princess Baoqing still prefers mutton offal, especially mutton tripe.
The basket of mutton offal was bubbling in the pot. She stared at it eagerly, almost sticking her head into the pot.
The whole pot of soup has everything——
The sheep bones that have been stewed for a long time and turned slightly yellow, the sheep offal that has been cooked for a while, the lamb that has just been put into the pot, the snow-white and soft radishes, and the green and tender celery.
The steaming milky white mutton soup splashed directly onto her face. She had forgotten her princess's nobility and delicateness at this moment, and took a deep breath.
"It smells so good, Madam Jiang, what's with your brain and hands? How can you make such delicious food?"
"No wonder Brother Liuguang always says you are so clever."
Jiang Qinglan smiled but remained silent, but he was a little surprised:
Flowing light? “With the laurel-lined oars and the orchid-lined paddles, I row the clear river water against the flowing light.”[3] Both “clear river water” and “flowing light” refer to the clear river water on which the moonlight floats.
How could a man like Mr. Yan choose such a fancy name?
Thinking in my head, I said: "I haven't seen Mr. Yan for a long time. What is he busy with?"
He hadn't been here for about two months since the Ghost Festival, so she asked casually.
How could she know about Xie Linchuan's plans?
In ancient times, there was a saying that men and women could not meet before marriage. The so-called "meet before the wedding, don't see each other after marriage" is true.
Xie Linchuan had tried his best to endure this, but he still came here secretly a few times.
Yang Song had been instructed earlier, and he rushed to say, "Mr. Yan has been busy with errands lately. He asked me to tell you that he will send a large gift in two days to congratulate Madam Jiang on the completion of your new home."
To Jiang Qinglan, Xie Linchuan and Lu Fei were both to be avoided whenever possible. If one had to decide who was better, Xie Linchuan was only slightly better than Lu Fei.
She asked just now, but it was just a casual response, and she didn't really care about what he was busy with.
Hearing Yang Song say this, she smiled and said, "The new house has just started construction, I'm afraid we have to wait until winter."
…
The first bowl of mutton offal came out of the pot. Yang Song scooped it up with a bamboo slotted spoon and placed it in Princess Baoqing's bowl filled with sesame paste, chives, and fermented bean curd.
Princess Baoqing hurriedly put it into her mouth.
It is indeed a top-quality black goat!
Whether it is mutton or mutton offal, even if it is stewed in this way, there is no fishy smell.
The mouth is full of rich and fresh taste, and the slight sweetness brought by the white radish can relieve the greasiness brought by the strong meat aroma.
What she particularly loved was the lumps of meat with skin, bones and tendons.
The skin is glutinous, the tendons are soft, and the meat is tender. One bite satisfies all three tastes.
It is refreshing, lingering on your lips and teeth with a long aftertaste.
At this time, take another sip of honey grapefruit tea, which is sweet and warm.
Oh, she felt at this moment that Brother Liuguang was just a cold and sarcastic person.
Although Mr. Yang, who served her attentively, looked stupid, he was actually very smart and seemed to be a good person.
…
Jiang Qinglan greeted Yang Song and the other two, and went to take care of Xue Qi. Sure enough, he brought all the mutton soup, mutton, and mutton offal.
After chatting for a while, she felt that this person was a little different.
When ordinary people eat, they only talk about the taste. If there is more, they will ask how it is cooked.
Jiang Qinglan always answered questions, never holding back. When it came to food, theory and practice were two completely different things. She wasn't afraid of anyone stealing her skills.
But what Mr. Xue said was about the secret business matters such as where the mutton was bought and the purchase price of spices.
But he is a very good talker, always smiling and following your words. By the time you wake up, your words have been completely deceived.
Jiang Qinglan even suspected that he might have been sent by a competitor.
Then she thought about it and felt it was impossible. She ran a small business and there were no similar restaurants nearby, so it shouldn't bother anyone.
Let’s put this matter aside for now.
The mutton banquet was sold for several days and the response was very good.
The most amusing thing was that one diner, who was so irritated by the food that he couldn't resist the temptation, just grabbed a lamb chop and a stream of blood flowed from his nose. He refused to let go and took another bite of the meat before pinching his nose.
Princess Baoqing was in a similar situation; after several meals, her gums were swollen. She still wanted to eat, so she asked Yang Song to tear the meat into small pieces and put them into her mouth bit by bit.
Soon, Princess Anguo heard about the mutton banquet and sent Suqin to invite her, saying that she wanted to eat her freshly grilled mutton skewers.
In the past few months, Jiang Qinglan has been to the Princess's Mansion several times, and gradually, the two became familiar with each other.
That day, after the lamb skewers were grilled, Jiang Qinglan was about to leave when the eldest princess suddenly said, "Madam Jiang, wait a moment." After saying that, she gently pushed her onto the rose chair.
Jiang Qinglan lowered her head and felt something being inserted into her hair.
The golden step-shaking ornaments are dazzling, brilliant and complex.
The princess smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work these days. This hairpin is for you to wear and play with."
Jiang Qinglan was a little dazed.
Since she came here, she has always dressed simply. Even though she has money, she has never touched gold or jade.
One reason is that she was a divorced woman and a female householder.
At this time, divorced people tended to dress in a more neutral style, neither like young girls nor as women, and especially not wearing gold or silver jewelry.
But more importantly, she was particularly afraid of trouble. She was too lazy to do things like applying powder to her face or styling her hair.
In her previous life, she traveled around the world in T-shirts and jeans.
Once, when I attended an academic conference, my supervisor scolded me for dressing too casually.
At this moment, when the golden hairpin was put on her head, she only felt it shaking and she didn't know how to move.
Just as he was about to open his mouth, his hand was held.
The eldest princess smiled sincerely: "Don't refuse!"
After a pause, she said warmly, "From now on...you must come to my place often."
Jiang Qinglan had no choice but to agree with a smile.
…
After bidding farewell to the eldest princess and getting on the carriage, Jiang Qinglan immediately took off her hairpin.
Two apricot blossoms, golden all over, with round pearls sparsely dotted on the tassels.
Jiang Qinglan felt uneasy.
What does it mean when the eldest princess gave her a hairpin?
【Author’s words】
Looking at the steamed bun in my hand, I am thinking about mutton.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
