How delicious is Dongpo pork?
For the teachers and students of Langyun who traveled through time, this was not a rare dish.
But obviously, this dish has great appeal to the indigenous people.
Cooking techniques I've never seen before, special spices I've never used before, and perfect control of the heat.
Maybe it's not just right, but it's enough to make the indigenous people marvel.
Thinking about how Fu Yun could write a fu just for a pack of instant noodles before, I don’t know what new subject matter will appear this time.
He watched helplessly as the place was crowded with people coming in and out. Among them were high-ranking officials, and of course ordinary people. Normally, these two types of people would never eat in the same place, but now they obviously didn't care about much.
Wang An didn't mind this lively scene. He came from the countryside and most people in the village ate together. The more lively the better.
But Shi Mo was a little uncomfortable.
Although he was born into a merchant family and could not compare with those scholarly families, the Shi family was at least wealthy, so Shi Sanlang was naturally well-educated and was willing to give him everything he wanted. He also liked quietness and hated noise the most.
The restaurant is very noisy now. I didn’t think much of it at first, but after I actually walked in, I felt uncomfortable.
But since I have decided to treat my new junior brother to dinner today, and I chose the place myself, I can't go back on my word.
So Shi Mo didn't say anything and kept smiling until the Dongpo pork was served on the table.
But Wang An, who had been working as a carpenter in various places since he was young, was very good at reading people's expressions. He could tell Shi Mo was feeling uneasy. He glanced around, then quickly looked away and whispered, "Brother, let's not order anything else. Let's go back after we finish this."
Shi Mo was puzzled: "Why?"
Wang An wasn't one to beat around the bush, so he said directly, "This place is noisy, I'm afraid Senior Brother won't like it. Anyway, we're here to try the delicacies of the immortal Dongpo, so a fresh meal is all that matters."
Shi Mo knew that this was his junior brother talking to him, and he couldn't help but laugh, and said softly: "Junior brother is right, I really like quietness."
"Then shall we leave after we finish eating?"
Shi Mo wanted to nod, but at this moment, the chopsticks had already brought the piece of meat to his mouth.
Open your mouth and bite down.
The next second, the movement stopped.
He widened his eyes unconsciously.
The reason why pork is cheap is that there is always a strange smell in pork that is hard to describe. Even though it is fat and delicious, it is far less popular than other meats.
Shi Mo came here at most to join in the fun and try something new, which was a "check-in" activity, and he did not have too many expectations about the taste of the meat itself.
After all, it's just pork, what else can you do with it?
Especially since the meat was still bright red and the sauce was even a bit black, which was really hard to accept for the people of Qi who were used to stewing.
But now, after just one bite, Shi Mo suddenly understood why the immortal Dongpo, who was able to write beautiful words and sentences, would eulogize this dish.
It’s delicious, really delicious!
It is soft and tender when eaten, rich but not greasy. I don’t know what kind of spices are used to cover up the original strange taste, replacing it with an intoxicating aroma and a faint smell of wine.
It clearly looks like it has skin and meat together, so it should be difficult to eat. However, this piece has a crispy fragrance, especially the skin, which is extremely soft and sticky. It seems to melt in your mouth after chewing it a few times. Even after swallowing it, the fragrance will still linger on your lips and teeth.
Shi Mo couldn't help but take a bite of rice, and then wanted to applaud!
This is simply a great tool for eating!
Especially with a little bit of broth, it’s absolutely amazing. How can there be such a perfect combination of stewed meat and rice!
He kept all these feelings in his heart and did not say them out loud.
It’s not that he was shy to exclaim in amazement, but because his cheeks were so full that he had no time to speak or comment.
This made Wang An, who was waiting for a response, a little confused: "Senior Brother?"
Shi Mo took the time to look at him: "Hmm?"
"After we finish eating this, shall we go?"
I thought the other party would agree immediately, but unexpectedly, Shi Mo shook his head like a rattle: "Leave? When did you say you wanted to leave?"
Wang An was slightly stunned: "Brother, don't you like Jing?"
Shi Mo said seriously: "You heard wrong, I just like a lively atmosphere."
Wang An: ...Oh.
Then Shi Mo added another piece of meat and said, "Senior Brother is treating you to a meal today. Please eat more and don't be polite."
Only then did Wang An notice that the piece of meat Shi Mo had given him was the last one.
...When did the CD action take place?
Is it true that my senior brother eats so fast?
But Wang An was still quite touched, at least his senior brother left the last piece for him.
But before he could even take a bite, he heard Shi Mo say, "Waiter, bring another bowl!"
Wang An hurriedly said, "Brother, please don't spend money. This little bit is enough for me."
Shi Mo just smiled but didn't say anything.
After Wang An put this strange black and red meat into his mouth, he calmed down and never mentioned the cost again.
Not to mention one bowl, he can eat two more!
This scene also happened to other diners.
Start with fame, fall in love with aroma, and stay true to taste.
All in all, delicious.
The sound of eating could be heard everywhere inside and outside the restaurant.
However, when paying the bill, Shi Mo discovered that the person keeping accounts and collecting money behind the counter was the servant of his eldest brother.
This made Shi Jia Sanlang suddenly realize that he had been busy with Master Mo all this time and had never inquired about his eldest brother's whereabouts...
Could it be that big brother is quietly doing something big?
So Shi Mo stood up and walked towards the counter with Wang An.
The waiter said without even looking up: "We don't take credit, take reservations, or deliver. I hope you will forgive me."
Shi Mo smiled and said, "Then tell me first, where is my brother?"
When the servant heard this, he immediately stood up. Seeing that it was his own third son, he hurriedly bowed and wanted to apologize.
But Shi Mo just waved his hand: "Take us to see my brother."
The servant hesitated for a moment, because Shi Yun had said that he should try not to let outsiders know that he was the owner of this restaurant, but Sanlangjun was obviously not an outsider.
So the servant turned aside and led Shi Mo and Wang An to the back hall of the restaurant.
As expected, I saw Shi Yun.
But at this time, Shi Jia Dalang was not resting in the study or the main hall, but was standing outside the kitchen with a few strong servants, with a dull expression and motionless.
Seeing someone coming, he just glanced at them and gestured to ask them to keep their voices down.
The three of them immediately slowed down their pace and quietly moved over.
Shi Mo was the first to step forward, and went straight to his brother's side, whispering: "Brother, what are you doing here? It's so smoky and hot, it must be uncomfortable."
Shi Yun said softly, "Catching a thief."
"What thief?"
"The cookbook thief."
As soon as these words came out, Shi Mo blinked in surprise.
Wang An, however, quickly grasped the meaning: "Could it be the recipe for Dongpo Pork?"
Shi Yun nodded.
In fact, this is nothing new. After all, cooking is also a skill. Since it is a skill, it involves the issue of inheritance.
For example, when Wang An was doing carpentry work before, the old carpenter didn't think about teaching him at first. It was Wang An who begged and persuaded, and stayed with the old carpenter as an apprentice for a long time, before the old carpenter was willing to teach him the real skills.
The same goes for the chef. Which chef doesn't have a few specialties and unique skills? These should all be passed down to the family.
The origin of Dongpo pork is poetry, but the poetry does not describe the detailed cooking method.
Although Wang An only took a quick glance at the kitchen, he could see that the cooking utensils used were different. Judging from the aroma, he was afraid that the ingredients were also very different.
If this gets leaked, it would be like losing the most valuable thing in the family.
It was certainly a big deal, no wonder Shi Yun came here in person.
Shi Mo obviously thought of this as well and couldn't help but frown.
But soon, Shi Yun said calmly: "But I don't mind whether he steals this recipe or not. I didn't come here to stop him from stealing."
Shi Mo was stunned: "Why is this?"
This time, Shi Dalang didn't say it explicitly. He simply lowered his head and whispered in his brother's ear, in a voice only they could hear: "The recipe was given by the immortals, and immortals never think of keeping it secret."
Speaking of this, Shi Yun couldn't help but remember what the fairy named Lin had said to him before.
"I'm not giving this to you to make money. Of course, if you can make money, that's your ability. You don't have to share it with me. I don't want it. I only ask of you one thing, and that is to spread this delicious food and make it flourish."
Lin Meng said these words sincerely.
After all, her mission is to exchange food culture.
But to Shi Dalang, this was exactly what fairies would do!
Shi Mo had seen Lang Yun with his own eyes and knew what they had done.
What ordinary people consider to be wealth and prosperity is nothing in the eyes of immortals.
He quickly understood what his elder brother meant: "The immortal is trying to benefit the people, so what is he doing here?"
Shi Yun said, "The recipe can be made public, but stealing is another matter. I will find the thief and bring him to the government office."
Shi Mo rolled his eyes. "Stealing is wrong after all. Not only is the thief morally corrupt, but those who instigated him to steal are also despicable. As long as they deny it, they won't be investigated by the government."
"What do you want, Third Brother?"
Shi Mo smiled back at him, and his face, which had regained its fair complexion, looked particularly pure and kind.
At this time, the cook in the kitchen didn't know that he had been targeted by his boss.
The cook carefully wrote down all the ingredients with a charcoal pen, and also wrote down the order of steps one by one, but his hands were still shaking.
This was the first time he did something like this and he had no experience.
He was chosen by the restaurant to be the chef because of his honesty and loyalty.
But no matter how loyal and honest one is, he will be dazzled by real money.
What's more, the ones who wanted the recipe this time were the Zhong family of Weiguo, the most powerful family in Weiguo. They offered a box of gold at once, which was probably more money than he could earn in his lifetime. How could he not be tempted?
This heart is moved, and then it turns black.
He didn't care that this was an important item for the restaurant, nor did he think that he was giving Qi's things to Wei. He only thought about the box of gold.
If you make a big fortune in this, you can buy houses and land, have beautiful wives and concubines, and have everything you want in your life.
So he took a deep breath, sorted out all his things, especially the cleaned wok beside him, put it in his arms, covered it with his thick coat, and was about to go out.
As a result, he didn't walk far before he saw Shi Yun with an expressionless face.
He was already nervous, and now he was even more panicked after seeing his boss, and subconsciously let go.
"Bang!"
The wok hit the stone floor directly, denting the edge.
The Shi family's eldest son, who had just been calm and composed, immediately twitched his eyes. He felt very distressed and said through gritted teeth, "For this pot, two taels of silver will be deducted from your monthly salary!"
But how could the chefs nowadays care about two taels of silver?
He just laid on the ground, his eyes rolling around, trying to figure out how to explain this.
Shi Yun had already spread out his hands and said to him calmly, "Hand it over."
The cook's eyes darted around: "Boss, I, I am..."
Shi Yun interrupted him directly: "Hand it over."
The cook tried to struggle a little longer.
Then Shi Yun continued, "If you behave yourself, I won't send you to the authorities. Otherwise, I'll break your legs right now."
This is how things are in this world. Some people cannot be persuaded by nice words, but threats are the most effective.
The cook didn't dare to struggle and obediently handed the copied document to Shi Yun.
Shi Mo, who was standing nearby, also tiptoed to take a look.
It turns out that what was recorded was a recipe!
Wang An frowned and stared at the cook, looking disappointed.
He remembered this person because when he was studying with Master Mo, this person also came to learn to read and they even talked.
Unexpectedly, after teaching him a lot of things, he ended up being such a thing.
Wang An gnashed his teeth and said, "When you see profit, you forget your principles. You are a wolf from Zhongshan."
Shi Mo turned around and looked at Wang An, his face showing satisfaction: "Junior brother, you have made great progress. You can scold people so elegantly now."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere disappeared and Wang An was left in a state of confusion.
But the cook didn't dare to explain himself and could only plead, "I have an eighty-year-old mother at home and a baby who is not even a month old. Please spare my life, sir, and don't send me to see the officials."
Shi Yun frowned. "I remember when you came here, you said you were in your early thirties and unmarried. But you have an eighty-year-old mother? As for the child, if you're not married, how can you have a child?"
The chef who failed in playing the victim: ...I can’t respond to what you said.
Shi Mo, on the other hand, didn't care about any of this. Instead, he smiled and asked him, "It sounds like it's not easy for you either. So, I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself now, okay?"
The cook nodded quickly, "Just tell me, sir. I'll go through fire and water for you."
However, considering that the man had just been talking nonsense and no one believed his oaths, Shi Mo didn't take it seriously. Instead, he said, "You can take this recipe and sell it to whoever you want, but there's one thing: all the money you make must be given to the restaurant. If you do a good job, when we send you to the government office, we can plead for you and see if you can get a shorter sentence."
The cook was stunned, his eyes widened, his face full of expression saying “Okay, you are actually robbing your fellow thieves!”
Wang An, who had not heard the conversation between the Shi brothers, was also surprised.
But the two brothers were very calm, and the cook knew that he had no other choice but to nod and agree.
Therefore, in the following period of time, not only the Zhong family of Weiguo, but also many other caravans in Fenghe County set their eyes on this piece of fat meat and wanted to take a share.
Each one promised a large sum of money, and when the cook took it back, the Shi family accepted it calmly.
On the other hand, the reputation of Dongpo pork is growing bigger and bigger.
Many people followed the immortal's example and wrote poems and lyrics for it. Some even described it as "the best meat in the world", which is enough to prove how much impact this dish brought to the people of Qi, who were used to eating only two methods: steaming and boiling.
There are even famous chefs who have sent in invitations, wanting to come and observe.
At the same time, the price of pork in Fenghe County began to rise.
This made the villagers who went to the city to do odd jobs before the New Year discover that, hey, the city people are so picky. They used to eat lamb and chicken, and they had to carefully choose the good ones, but now they have started eating pork?
It turns out that pork cannot be bought at a good price, so we have to slaughter the pigs at home and eat them.
As a result, the price of pork in the city has more than quintupled!
This little pig is really out of reach!
As a result, many villagers quickly ran back to the village and told everyone not to cook their own pigs, but to send them to the county town to sell for money!
No matter why, Fenghe County City is changing almost every day. Today there is a papermaker and tomorrow there is a charcoal pencil maker. It is normal to have some changes.
As a result, many villagers carried their own pigs to the city to sell.
For a time, pigs were expensive and the harvest was abundant.
And this is just the beginning.
The restaurant really followed Lin Meng's plan step by step and displayed the delicacies described by Mr. Dongpo one by one.
At the same time, the restaurant's reputation became more and more famous.
There are also some troubles that come with it.
For example, recipe leaks.
When Wang An came to class that day, he saw several restaurants on the road that had put up signs saying they were going to make Dongpo pork.
This made him frown, and after arriving at the school, he found Shi Mo and told him about it.
Unexpectedly, Shi Mo was not panicked at all, but rather very calm: "It's normal. They got the recipe, so naturally they can find out that other people have it too. Businessmen are profit-driven, so in order to make more money, they naturally want to cash out early."
Wang An frowned: "Just indulge them like this?"
Shi Mo smiled and was about to speak.
Then I heard a commotion outside.
Although this school was opened by Master Mo for ordinary people, most of the subjects taught were practical knowledge and students came from all walks of life, but everyone who came here was very well-behaved and never made any noise.
In fact, many times, they are more pious and serious than ordinary students, simply because they know better than anyone how rare it is to be able to read and write, and naturally they will not give it up easily.
Such a commotion as this is really rare.
So Wang An immediately walked to the window and looked outside, and saw many people heading towards the door.
This made him wonder, "What happened?"
Shi Mo smiled gently. "I've been discussing this with Master Mo these days. We're planning to start a new course in the academy. The location is easy to find, right in the back hall."
Wang An looked surprised. "The back hall...besides the side rooms, there's the kitchen. Where else can we teach?"
Shi Mo smiled and said, "If you want to spread the immortal cooking skills, you naturally have to be in the kitchen."
Just one sentence made Wang An's eyes widen.
It wasn't that he was surprised that there was a cook in the school. After all, from the moment he entered here, Master Mo told them that in Fenghe County, where everything was in ruins, all walks of life were useful, regardless of their status.
In the past, some people looked down on craftsmen, but now they still try their best to make money in factories.
What really surprised Shi Mo was that this cooking skill was actually related to the fairyland!
Soon afterwards, Wang An thought of another thing.
The Shi brothers had never revealed the background of the restaurant before, but now it seems that it is about to be revealed.
So Wang An asked, "Dongpo pork, too?"
Shi Mo nodded.
Wang An continued, "So, you gave the recipe away because you guessed the immortal was willing to teach you the secrets of cooking?"
Shi Mo nodded again.
Wang An looked at him and let out a breath.
But he soon remembered that if this happened, then the money he had spent on the recipe would just be... buying waste paper.
So Wang An asked cautiously, "Since Senior Brother already knew about this, did you deliberately lure those merchants into the trap?"
Shi Mo smiled and said slowly, "The cook can be sent to the authorities, but it's hard to punish them. I'll just teach them a lesson with money. After all, greed has a price to pay. I'm also teaching them a lesson and letting them experience setbacks." Then, Shi Mo said, "I've already told the county hospital to stock up on medicine. I'm afraid there will be quite a few people suffering from heart attacks who need treatment today."
…
Wang An looked at Shi Mo's still innocent face and suddenly looked up at the sky.
Nowadays, don’t mess with anyone, especially scholars.
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