Chapter 75 A Hot Potato, Anyone Who Takes It Is a Fool
Tender and flavorful braised mutton, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside stir-fried spicy shrimp, and delicious and nourishing Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup...
With the delicious food before him, Master Ding had no time to wonder what Song Wanjun was up to, and eagerly picked up his chopsticks to enjoy the long-awaited meal.
Just like Ding Tianci, the moment he tasted the braised mutton, Old Master Ding was once again amazed by Sheng An's culinary skills and hurriedly shared it with his beloved grandson: "Tianci, this mutton tastes really good. You're weak, so eat more."
Ding Tianci is also a filial son. He personally served his grandfather a bowl of clear stewed turtle soup: "Grandpa, this soup tastes excellent and feels very comforting when you drink it."
Mr. Ding happily took it, picked up the spoon and took a sip, his eyes immediately lighting up: "It is indeed extremely delicious!"
In this clear stewed turtle soup, Sheng An only added a suitable amount of salt, without any other seasonings, focusing on preserving the original flavor and perfectly retaining the freshness of the turtle.
"Grandpa, there's also this black chicken soup. It contains some qi-tonifying herbs, giving it a faint medicinal aroma that balances out the greasiness of the chicken soup."
Over the past few years, Ding Tianci had suffered enough from medicinal soups and was initially somewhat averse to this Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup. However, he tried it with a try-it-out attitude and was surprised to find that the taste far exceeded his expectations.
If all medicinal herbs could be cooked into delicious food with other ingredients, he could eat medicine like food every day!
"Hehe, okay, if you like it, drink a couple more bowls, it's good for your health."
Grandpa Ding chuckled in agreement. Seeing his grandson talking to him and even putting some stir-fried spicy shrimp into his bowl, he kindly reminded him, "Your spleen and stomach are still very weak, so you shouldn't eat too much of this kind of stimulating food."
Ding Tianci was a little embarrassed, and with a quick turn of his chopsticks, he put the shrimp into his grandfather's bowl: "Then Grandpa, eat more for me."
Mr. Ding smiled and agreed, eating several in a row until his lips were bright red from the spiciness.
Watching the two people who seemed to have completely forgotten about him and were behaving like a loving grandfather and grandson, Song Wanjun took a deep breath and suddenly realized that Old Man Ding had become so unfamiliar.
Seeing the grandfather and grandson eating so heartily, as if they hadn't had anything good to eat in eight hundred years, Song Wanjun, who was full of worries, temporarily put aside his anxiety, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating a dish of vegetables.
As he took a bite, his pupils constricted slightly. He glanced at the vegetables on the plate with a puzzled look, chewed them unconsciously a few times, and his eyes revealed undisguised shock.
Even the most ordinary vegetable can be so delicious!
Song Wanjun suppressed the shock in his eyes and reached for another plate with his chopsticks, which contained braised pork with a bright red color and distinct fat and lean meat.
He dislikes greasy food and would never have touched this dish before.
Song Wanjun ate the braised pork with some hesitation, but it was soft, tender, and not greasy. It melted in his mouth and left a lingering aftertaste.
His pupils dilated in shock once again. Before Song Wanjun could even react, his chopsticks reached into the braised pork dish for the fifth time.
Master Ding saw it clearly, and with a smile like that of Maitreya Buddha, he teased, "Brother Song, Madam Sheng's cooking skills are the best I've ever seen. I hope you didn't come here for nothing today?"
Song Wanjun silently put down his chopsticks, a hint of reserve showing on his still serious face: "Not bad."
Grandpa Ding didn't care about his stubbornness and happily added another bowl of Eight Treasures Black Chicken Soup for his beloved grandson.
Seeing that the grandfather and grandson were about to finish the soup, Song Wanjun's lips twitched, and he calmly handed his bowl to Shuyan beside him.
Shu Yan, observing the guest's expression, immediately understood what the guest meant. He stepped forward and filled a bowl with chicken soup, secretly amused.
No wonder farmers often raise two pigs at the same time; after all, food tastes better when everyone is vying for it.
The meal lasted a long time. For the first time in Song Wanjun's memory, he ate until he was stuffed, which even he found unbelievable.
The Ding family grandfather and grandson were also stuffed, especially Ding Tianci. Seeing the half-eaten braised chicken with secret sauce and half a plate of salt and pepper ribs on the table, he immediately ordered Jianying to pack them up.
He can't eat dinner without these two delicious dishes.
Master Ding watched with a smile, not seeing anything wrong with it at all.
Song Wanjun's eyelids twitched as he watched, not because he thought the Ding family grandfather and grandson "knew how to manage their lives," but because he was secretly annoyed that he had been a step too late.
Upon realizing this, Song Wanjun's expression froze, and he subconsciously got up and moved away from the dining table, as if the leftovers on the table were a monstrous flood.
Master Ding did not notice Song Wanjun's unusual behavior and said to Shuyan in a friendly manner, "Go to the kitchen and see if there is any more chicken. If there is, can we pack it up and take it with us?"
Shu Yan hurriedly said, "Master Ding, please wait a moment, I will go and take a look right away."
After saying that, he hurriedly went to the kitchen.
Not long after, Sheng An arrived.
Shuyan followed behind, carrying a tray with two tightly wrapped oil paper packages on it.
Ding Tianci didn't stand on ceremony and had Jianying take the tray. Then, with a big smile, he suggested to Sheng An, "Your roast chicken is really good. You can roast some and sell them separately. If you price one at five taels of silver, people will buy it."
Upon hearing this, Sheng An thought to himself, "No wonder he is the heir of a great merchant family; he was born to do business."
However, she did have this idea.
The secret-recipe roasted chicken is suitable for all ages. If it were sold as a single item at Shengyuan, there would definitely be no shortage of people willing to pay for it.
Sheng An thanked Ding Tianci, regarding him as a major customer of the roast chicken: "Thank you for the suggestion, Young Master Ding. I will consider it carefully."
Ding Tianci was indeed very pleased, feeling that Sheng An had a good business sense.
At this moment, Song Wanjun walked over, his expression as serious as ever: "Madam Sheng, may I speak with you alone?"
Sheng Anxin said that he had arrived, and at the right moment, a hint of doubt appeared on his face. Then he said very politely, "There is a tea room next door. If you don't mind, Mr. Song, please go there."
Master Ding was somewhat worried, but he couldn't say anything and could only watch the two of them go to the tea room next door.
Looking at the relaxed and carefree woman opposite him, Song Wanjun couldn't help but admire her in his heart.
Despite his young age, he possesses superb culinary skills and a remarkable talent for business.
Most people wouldn't imagine turning a garden residence into a restaurant that generates a steady stream of money, specifically targeting wealthy individuals.
This woman is no ordinary person!
With this thought in mind, Song Wanjun took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "Madam Sheng's cooking skills are quite good. May I ask who your teacher is?"
Sheng An shook his head and told the truth: "I am self-taught and have no teacher."
In this time and space, there is indeed no master of hers.
Song Wanjun's expression remained unchanged, but his tone was skeptical: "Madam Sheng is so young, yet her cooking skills are better than those of famous chefs who have apprenticeships. Even if she is exceptionally talented, it is hard to believe."
Sheng An shrugged and replied bluntly, "If Master Song doesn't believe me, there's nothing I can do. Besides, I don't need to gain your trust, do I?"
As a chef who runs a business, she neither harms society nor threatens others. Whether she has a master chef or not, it doesn't affect the fact that her cooking is delicious.
Only someone with nothing better to do would delve into the details of her teacher's lineage.
She doesn't bother with people like that.
Song Wanjun understood Sheng An's implied meaning, and his expression became increasingly serious, clearly indicating his dissatisfaction.
Sheng An didn't care whether he was satisfied or not, and said with a smile:
"I wonder if Mr. Song was satisfied with this meal. If he was, please help spread the word. If Mr. Song visits Shengyuan again in the future, I will definitely give you a good price."
Song Wanjun's lips twitched, and he began to doubt whether the woman had good eyesight.
Was he a member of the Song family in Jinling, someone who needed money?
Seeing that Sheng An was completely unreserved and that he couldn't detect anything unusual about her, Song Wanjun cut to the chase and asked:
"Madam Sheng, I heard that you cured Ding Tianci's health through dietary supplements. This involves medical principles. Did you also teach yourself that?"
Without giving Sheng An a chance to argue, Song Wanjun continued, "Your father-in-law was seriously ill and bedridden for several months. Since you married into the Xu family, he has recovered without any medicine. Isn't that a coincidence?"
Sheng An frowned, looked directly into Song Wanjun's eyes, and corrected him:
“My father-in-law did not recover without medicine. My husband emptied our savings to treat him. The reason he recovered was that his condition was not incurable. If you don’t believe me, Mr. Song, you can ask the doctor at Rongchuntang.”
At this point, she paused and began to talk about Ding Tianci's illness:
"Young Master Ding suffers from nausea and has been unable to eat normally for a long time, which has gradually weakened his body. This has also caused his stomach and intestines to become extremely weak, making it impossible for him to digest the food he eats. This has created a vicious cycle, and his health is getting worse and worse."
I'm not a doctor and don't know how to treat illnesses, but I do know that in his case, as long as he can eat, his health will improve. So initially, the food I prepared for him was all light, easily digestible liquids.
Young Master Ding is still young, and his digestive system isn't completely unusable, so the liquid food he ate didn't put a serious burden on his stomach and intestines, and naturally he didn't vomit like before.
After saying that, Sheng An looked at Song Wanjun and said, "Medicine and food share the same origin. I don't understand medical principles; I just know how to cook."
There are some things she can't explain clearly; she can't exactly say she has "magic," can she?
Song Wanjun couldn't find any flaws in Sheng An's words, but subconsciously felt that she was hiding something.
After a long silence, his expression was no longer as serious as before, and his tone was more somber and hopeful:
"If...if someone is born weak and has a poor appetite, similar to Ding Tianci's previous symptoms, does Madam Sheng have a solution?"
Sheng An shook his head and said truthfully, "I am not a doctor, and based solely on Mr. Song's vague description, I really cannot give any good advice."
Being born weak and having a poor appetite, isn't that just a congenital deficiency?
This kind of illness can be cured with dietary supplements, but it will take a long time.
However, Sheng An felt that the person Song Wanjun mentioned was not simply someone with congenital deficiencies; otherwise, given the Song family's background, finding several skilled doctors for recuperation would have been a piece of cake.
The fact that Song Wanjun rushed to Qingzhou City overnight, hoping that this insignificant person could have a solution, shows that he was desperate and grasping at straws. That person's health must be at its last gasp.
Sheng An wouldn't be foolish enough to take on such a hot potato.
Moreover, given Song Wanjun's cautious demeanor, that person's identity is definitely not ordinary. If you take over, you might end up being a scapegoat.
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