6 Fried Chicken Wings
◎Walking around Zhongwa, I saw a Cuju advertisement◎
Jiang Qinglan was daydreaming.
Although his face could not be seen clearly, the young man had a tall and straight figure, like a pine or bamboo, and the gold and jade inlaid on his tail leather belt sparkled in the sunlight.
Jiang Qinglan couldn't help but smile. This guy should be a handsome guy.
Wang Huiniang's focus was on Qian Junjun: "This bitch! She's using your name, I'm going to tear her mouth apart!"
As he said this, he was about to rush out.
"Forget it." Jiang Qinglan held her back.
Outside the door, the old lady and her husband had already boarded the carriage. Madam Qian's face was flushed as she quickly glanced into the yard.
Unexpectedly, her eyes met Jiang Qinglan's. Knowing she was guilty, she lowered her head and hurriedly caught up with the carriage.
Wang Huiniang glanced at Jiang Qinglan, indignant and puzzled. "I saw a sign on the carriage saying 'Dongping Prince's Palace'. If we go there, we will be extremely rich."
Xie Shan, the first King of Dongping, rose from humble beginnings. When the previous emperor was still a minor military official, he recognized his talent and pledged his loyalty until his death. He later fought alongside the previous emperor in many battles, making significant contributions to the Song Dynasty.
Today's Prince of Dongping, Xie Yan, is the only son of Xie Shan. Although he has no military merit, he is also a trusted official of the court and is favored by the emperor.
The Prince of Dongping's Palace is indeed a place of immense wealth and prosperity.
Jiang Qinglan smiled: "I just like to make a little money in this market. If she wants to go, then let her go."
Fortune and wealth are sought in danger, and the richer and nobler one is, the more dangerous it is. If the master is happy, he will reward you with gold and silver, but if he is unhappy, he will chop off your head.
From the moment she discovered she had traveled through time, she decided to stay away from these princes and powerful officials. She didn't want to lose her life for the sake of wealth and fame.
Wang Huiniang was a shrewd person who would tell lies to different people. After hearing what she said, she just went along with it: "Yes, you have skills, and you will make a fortune sooner or later."
Since the main character didn't care, why should she care? She changed the subject and said:
"The day after tomorrow, I have a job. Mr. He, the squire of Hetang Village, is having a birthday party. He's going to have a three-day banquet, cook three meals, and pay ninety cents a day. It's a bit far, though; it's in the countryside. What do you think?"
Jiang Qinglan had set up a stall before, and compared to that, the 90 wen she earned as a cook wasn't a good value. And it was in the countryside, so far away, and taking Tuantuan with her... After some thought, she refused.
"Thank you, Sister Hui. My sister is young, and it's such a long journey, I'm worried she won't be able to handle it..."
Wang Huiniang was cheerful and cheerful, and she wasn't upset. "It's okay. Whenever you want to do it, just come find me. My home is in Jinshui Alley, north of Wulin Road. If I'm not here, just leave a message."
After bidding farewell to Wang Huiniang, Jiang Qinglan began to plan.
In the past few days, I have earned nearly seven cents of silver from selling candied fruit skewers, plus the two cents and ten coins I earned as a cook, a total of nine cents and ten coins.
She spent about twenty wen on toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other necessities. She and Tuantuan each bought a pair of socks, spending ten wen.
This amount of money, plus the little bit she had with her when she left the Lu Mansion, might be just over one or two taels.
She had inquired about it the past few days and found that, like any modern metropolis, housing prices in Lin'an were very high. Even a small courtyard house, even in a remote area like Yuhang Gate, would cost several hundred taels of silver.
She didn't even dare to think about buying a house.
However, as long as she didn't go to the Imperial Street, she could rent a small single room in a slightly more remote place, such as Wulin North Road, where Wang Hui's mother's hometown was, for seven or eight cents of silver, which was enough for her and Tuantuan to live in.
It's not good for the two girls to stay in the Buddhist temple all the time. It's not convenient for them to take a bath or anything like that.
The most important thing is that whether you eat vegetarian meals in the temple or cook your own meals using the temple’s stove, you cannot cook meat dishes.
How could she survive eating vegetarian food every day? Not only could she, who was still growing, not even she could stand it.
However, she thought about it and decided not to rent a house yet. She only had so much money, so she had to make it work instead of spending most of it.
So how does money make money? Of course, it's through business. To do business, you have to go where there are many people.
Today was the last day of the temple fair, and Jiang Qinglan observed that Jianlong Temple was noticeably less crowded than the previous two days. Where else was the crowds? Naturally, it was the night market in Lin'an.
The book says that during the Tang Dynasty, night markets were limited to a few commercial areas and were places for the entertainment of the rich and powerful. However, during the Song Dynasty, night markets truly belonged to the citizens.
Zhong'an Bridge Night Market, Qinghefang Night Market... These night markets of all sizes are distributed in various places in Lin'an City. They are very lively and almost the same as modern times.
Tomorrow, she would go to the pregnant woman's home to deliver some candied green plums. She lived in Tianshui Lane, in the middle of Imperial Street, not far from the famous Zhongwa, so it was a good opportunity to visit.
In addition, Jiang Qinglan had another plan - since he wanted to do business for a long time, he had to consider obtaining a license and do it legally and in compliance with regulations.
Otherwise, as before, encountering the "urban management" would be disastrous. At the very least, they would face a fine, while at the worst, their "tools used in committing crimes"—the stall, pots and pans—could be confiscated. Even more serious punishments could include jail time.
Although she didn't know the specific process of applying for a certificate, she knew it would cost money.
Jiang Qinglan sighed: "Oh, I only have one tael of silver in my hand, and I have to spend money everywhere. How dare I rent a house? I'll just stay in the temple for now."
Jianlong Temple is far from the city, but fortunately there are many temples and nunneries in Lin'an City, so I can definitely stay there.
On the second day, they first went to Tianshui Lane to deliver the green plums that Madam Zhang wanted. From dusk on, Jiang Qinglan and Tuantuan strolled around Zhongwali.
During the day, it was just an ordinary street, with a few stalls and passers-by. But at night, she realized how bustling Zhongwa was.
Fireworks exploded in the sky with a "bang", and tourists were shoulder to shoulder on the ground.
A few young ladies came together to buy rouge and powder. They were bargaining with the stall owner for two cents.
Sometimes couples came together, the girl looking around excitedly, while the man, with his hands full of things, looked as if he had lost all hope in life.
Young boys carrying teapots ran all over the street: "My dear, would you like some tea?"
The tea industry flourished in the Song Dynasty, and high-ranking officials and nobles liked to make tea. The process was complicated, involving roasting, crushing, grinding, putting into the cup, pouring tea soup, and beating.
Like these young men, most of the tea they sold in the market was oil tea, which was large-leaf tea mixed with various nuts, fried in plenty of lard, and seasoned with onions, ginger, and other spices.
This tea has an oily aroma and a meaty taste.[1]
In front of the main gate of the tile house, several old ladies in bright red shirts and skirts, with flowers in their hair and heavy makeup on their faces, tried to look old and young, attracting the attention of tourists. However, they also pinched their waists and danced with their arms, telling funny stories like a machine gun, joking with each other, and making people laugh.
Jiang Qinglan inspected the market and came up with an idea: Wazi has all kinds of goods, and if she wants to do business, she can only innovate like the candied fruit skewers.
Tuantuan was having a blast strolling around the night market, skipping and hopping with excitement. But as night fell, he felt a little hungry. A small roadside stall was frying something, and the aroma was so strong that Tuantuan couldn't walk anymore.
Jiang Qinglan looked at her expression and thought to himself: Okay, I'll splurge and have a nice meal tonight.
Because he hadn't eaten meat for several days, Jiang Qinglan specially ordered meat dishes: four small meat buns, a plate of stir-fried pork with celery, and a few fried chicken wings.
Historically, the Song Dynasty had made a qualitative leap in vegetable oil refining technology compared to previous dynasties, so rapeseed oil became more common among the people. However, vegetable oil was still more expensive than animal oil.
Jiang Qinglan thought: No wonder these fried foods are more expensive than fried pork.
The roadside stalls were not as good as restaurants and were not as exquisite, but the ingredients were sufficient, which was exactly what Jiang Qinglan and her sister wanted.
The oil from the buns seeped out, soaking the fluffy white flour in oil. The stir-fried celery and pork was fragrant, and the vegetables were crisp and green.
The basket of fried food was even more golden, having been rolled around in the frying pan countless times. If you picked one up, oil would surely drip down.
Tuan Tuan hadn't eaten meat in the past few days, so he was really craving it. He looked around the plate of fried chicken wings, and finally took a deep breath: "Oh my God, it smells so good!"
Use your hands and chopsticks to carefully put it into your mouth.
Oh, first there's the rich aroma of oil, then the unique flavor of the chicken. Unlike other chicken recipes that are dry and tough, this one is tender and melts in the mouth. Every strand of meat is infused with flavor, and it's incredibly fragrant.
After devouring three of them like a glutton, she could finally identify the seasoning. It was slightly spicy and numbing, and they must have added Sichuan peppercorns when they were marinated. But why was there a hint of sweetness in the middle?
Tuan Tuan was puzzled, but Jiang Qinglan knew that this was because some sugar was added during the marinating process, which gave the fried chicken wings a sweet aftertaste.
In fact, she said, these fried chicken wings were far inferior to modern ones. Specifically, they weren't coated in breadcrumbs, which made them less crispy. Also, there were no tomato sauce, lemon juice, or other toppings to help with the greasiness, making the flavor completely off.
If she ever has her own kitchen, she'll see if she can figure out how to make breadcrumbs. By then, Tuantuan won't even look down on the chicken wings here.
Just as I was daydreaming, I heard a few clangs and someone was beating a gong.
A group of young men in tight clothes walked down the street, some waving streamers, others shouting: "On the tenth day of the fifth month, the Cuju finals between Qiyun Society and Flame Team[2] will be held at Xishan Cuju Field. Welcome to watch!"
Jiang Qinglan was surprised and blurted out, "So there's a football match here too. Is it free?"
Tuan Tuan, who was chewing chicken wings with his mouth full of oil, laughed at her when he heard this:
"Sister, you're talking nonsense! The exhibition match in Wazili is free, but how can the match in Xishan be free? Besides, it's the final between Qiyun Club and the Flame Team!"
"The farthest spot costs four or five coins. There's less water this year, so there won't be boat races or dinghy competitions on May 5th. The entrance fee for the Cuju tournament will definitely be higher."
"You forgot, that year, the boat race was also suspended, so Daddy and Mommy took us to watch the Cuju competition."
Jiang Qinglan said "oh", but she was afraid that she would burst out crying if she talked about her parents, so she picked up a bun and stuffed it into her mouth: "Sister, you remembered it wrongly. Don't just eat the chicken wings, have a few bites of the buns too. If you eat it when it's cold, you'll get a stomachache."
As she spoke, she was thinking, "When I have enough money, I'll go to the Cuju stadium and take a look. I wonder if there's any sales space inside the stadium, or if they'll give me advertising sponsorship."
Hey, there are business opportunities everywhere. I must hurry up and get a business license. I’ll go tomorrow!
——
The Prince of Dongping's Palace was located near Fengyu Gate, not far from the bustling city. Yet, its backdrop, the vast West Lake, lent it a tranquil and secluded location. Therefore, no matter how bustling the city, the palace remained a tranquil haven.
The Lingquan Courtyard on the east side of the palace was even quieter, with only the insects chirping in the grass.
Xie Linchuan unfolded the drawing, spread it on the desk, and crossed his arms in deep thought.
The girl in the light red jacket walked lightly, carrying a heavy tray, but she made no sound as she walked. Her voice was gentle, "My Lord, the princess has ordered me to bring you food."
"I know. Just put it there." Xie Linchuan didn't even raise his head, his brows furrowed as he concentrated on studying the Cuju formation on the table.
The Flames were known for their aggressive offense, and their striker, Li Zheng, was best at volleying, but Qiyun Society's defense was impenetrable...
"My Lord, my maidservant's surname is Qian, and my name is Junjun. I followed you from Jianlong Temple the day before yesterday..."
The diagram of the formation was marked in great detail, so it was spread out on the desk, taking up a large area. Xie Linchuan was tall, and it was difficult to see clearly from a standing position, so he placed one hand on the table and hunched over to examine it carefully.
Well, if Li Zheng were to shoot a Feng Liuyan here[3], Qiyun Society would definitely send Zhu Zhen and Zhu Xuan to defend here...
He was just thinking about the key point when someone started nagging him in his ear, making him furious. Moreover, the sound was getting louder and louder.
Hey, why is the light getting dim? Xie Linchuan opened his eyes wide, but still couldn't see clearly. He waved his hand and said, "Hey, why are you standing so close? You're blocking the light!"
Qian Junjun only felt a huge force coming at her, and before she could react, she suddenly fell to the ground. Her butt hurt so much that she was almost in tears.
But this was not the time to cry. She quickly got up and knelt, wanting to apologize, but she heard a clear voice say:
"Hey, your clothes?"
When I looked up, I saw that Prince Xie was no longer studying the blueprint. Instead, he was frowning, with one hand on his chest and the other pinching his chin, staring at his chest with a playful look.
Qian Junjun's eyes lit up, and she knelt crookedly, looking somewhat pitiful. She lowered her head even lower to show off her impressive curves.
Of course, she had dressed up specially when she came, with a light veil covering her body and her breasts half exposed...
Qian Junjun's face suddenly turned red with embarrassment.
【Author’s words】
[1] This is a private establishment. This way of eating oil tea seems to have originated in the Ming Dynasty and is often seen in the novel "Jin Ping Mei".
[2] There was a Qiyun Society in history, and the Flame Team was created by me.
[3] The romantic eye is the goal.
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