Chapter 16 Fifth Sister-in-law, we're going to get rich! ...
What are the proper ways to eat West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce?
The correct way to eat it is to fill a bowl with rice, put a little soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar in a dish, pick up a piece of fish, dip it in the sauce, put it in the rice, throw the bowl and chopsticks out, and then go out to buy a KFC.
—This is a joke that Lu Xiaoqi once saw online.
Curious, she wondered, "Is it really that bad?" So, during a trip to Hangzhou, she went straight to a restaurant and ordered a dish. She discovered that, well, the vinegar was good, the fish was good, and West Lake was West Lake. But when these three wonderful things were combined, it wasn't so wonderful anymore. It was sour and fishy. Not bad enough to throw the plate away, but definitely not to her taste.
After finishing her meal, Lu Xiaoqi saw another comment online: "The reason why West Lake Vinegar Fish is still alive and well is thanks to curious people like you."
She was speechless and choked with emotion. From then on, she gave up the idea of trying it again and settled down to eat popular local Hangzhou dishes such as Longjing Shrimp and Song Sao Fish Soup.
Now, Sister-in-law Song said she would make her a West Lake Vinegar Fish dish. Lu Xiaoqi blinked, looking rather uneasy.
What if it doesn't taste good? Would it hurt Song Wu's enthusiasm and confidence? Should she pretend it's delicious? But what if the customers give it a ton of bad reviews? For a moment, she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.
Zhao Feiyan asked curiously, "Why is Xiaoqi troubled?"
Lu Xiaoqi asked tremblingly, "Have you ever eaten Fifth Sister's sweet and sour fish?"
Zhao Feiyan shook her head: "Fifth Sister-in-law bought fish a couple of days ago, but said that the fish needed to be starved for a few more days to remove the muddy taste, so she hasn't cooked it yet. Don't worry, Fifth Sister-in-law's cooking skills are superb, it will definitely be delicious."
She looked at her waist with some annoyance, realizing that she had gained a little weight in the past two days.
Lu Xiaoqi was somewhat comforted by her.
That's true. West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce was once a dish served at state banquets, and it's said that this dish was indeed incredibly delicious decades ago. However, for some reason, its reputation has gradually declined to what it is today.
Just as she was lost in thought, the dishes were served.
Song Sao's fish soup, celery stir-fried with lily bulbs and cashews, and sweet and sour fish were all delicious and visually appealing. Song Wu Sao had mastered the cooking techniques here and even learned many new dishes, such as celery stir-fried with lily bulbs and cashews, which she learned from a recipe on her phone.
Nowadays, Zhao Feiyan's phone is dominated by shopping channels, while Song Wusao's phone screen is forever stuck on the food channel.
Lu Xiaoqi picked up a piece of celery with her chopsticks. It was delicious, crunchy, and had a refreshing aroma. The lily bulbs were also very sweet.
I would give eight out of ten points.
After taking another spoonful of Song Sao fish soup, her eyes widened in delight.
It's smooth and tender on the palate, with a slightly refreshing tart aftertaste that makes you want to eat a second spoonful immediately. She had eaten this dish in Hangzhou before and thought it was just okay, but it didn't leave the same lingering fragrance on her palate as she did now.
Is this the level of the emperor's rigorous selection process?!
As expected of the founder's creation. I'd give it eleven out of ten!
"Fifth Sister-in-law, if you open a shop and the queue doesn't last at least half an hour, I'm not Lu!" Lu Xiaoqi praised again and again, "And even dishes that aren't fish are just as delicious!"
Song Wu Sao beamed with joy at the praise and pushed the sweet and sour fish in front of her: "Try this one too. I'm not bragging, but back in Lin'an, if I said I was second to none when it came to making this dish!"
Lu Xiaoqi's smile froze instantly.
She looked at it intently; the dish looked quite appealing. Sister-in-law Song used a whole fish. The sauce was glossy and slightly viscous, its color not as dark as the ones she had eaten before. The fish had a head and tail like an arched bridge, and was sprinkled with dried osmanthus flowers, which looked like scattered gold flecks against the dark sauce.
A thought arose in her mind: Perhaps... it really isn't bad?
Lu Xiaoqi solemnly picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, thinking that she must bring out her best acting skills, and even if it didn't taste good, she had to say it was good against her will!
Honestly, with just the first two dishes, Sister Song Wu's restaurant would definitely be a hit.
As for the fish in vinegar sauce, let her make it if she wants... Hmm, what does this taste like?
The first sensation was a refreshing, slightly sour taste that made her mouth water and her taste buds instantly awaken. This was followed by a savory flavor, tinged with a hint of sweet and sour, which, combined with the smoothness of the sauce, spread from the tip of her tongue to her stomach in an instant.
She hadn't even tasted the texture of the fish before she couldn't resist swallowing it all.
Lu Xiaoqi's eyes widened in surprise: "This, this, this...it's so delicious!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than she picked up her second chopstick before she even realized it, this time managing to savor it carefully. The fish was tender and smooth, with an even more intense freshness and no muddy taste whatsoever. Towards the end, a subtle aroma of crab meat even lingered in her mouth.
Coincidentally, Yuwen Kai also remarked, "This reminds me of the crabs I ate in Yangzhou."
People from all walks of life in the Jiangnan region, regardless of their wealth, love to eat crabs. These northerners were initially not used to it, thinking there wasn't much meat, but after eating it a few times, they also fell in love with it, finding it incredibly fresh and sweet.
Sister-in-law Song laughed: "This is the essence of this dish. People in Lin'an love to eat crab, but crab is a precious thing and can't be eaten all the time. So I came up with this method to make the fish taste a bit like crab, and it has indeed become very popular."
Later, other chefs also figured out her method, but they could never replicate the taste of her cooking.
Perhaps, this really is a natural talent!
Lu Xiaoqi ate with great satisfaction, devouring the food like a whirlwind. Once she finished, her senses returned, and she felt as if she had discovered a treasure.
"Fifth Sister-in-law!" She put down her chopsticks, rushed over, and grabbed Song Wu's hand tightly, extremely excited: "We're going to get rich!"
......
Getting rich is still just a dream, but spending money is the present reality.
After Lu Xiaoqi paid the cleaning company an initial payment of 150,000 yuan, she now only has 500,000 yuan left in her account. In the past, this amount would have been enough for her to stay at home and not work for a year, but now it feels like a drop in the ocean.
Besides, all of this has to be repaid!
The cleaning company was very efficient; they had prepared a plan before receiving payment.
Lu Xiaoqi glanced through it and saw that there were relevant cleaning measures and detailed treatments for stone roads, waterways, and wooden buildings. Overall, it looked quite professional, so she felt relieved.
On that day, she took Yuwen Kai, Song Wu Sao, and Zhao Feiyan to Qinghe Ancient Town. The other party's cleaning equipment had already arrived and was parked in the square at the entrance of the ancient town, looking quite impressive.
"We've been waiting for you," the manager greeted her with a hearty laugh.
The entrance to Qinghe Ancient Town is a gate similar to a parking lot gate. After entering, there is a large parking lot, and then you walk further in to reach the main tourist area. Now, this gate is basically just for show; it's easy to go around it, but a sense of proportion is still necessary.
Lu Xiaoqi took a deep breath: "Okay, let's begin."
After three years of closure, Qinghe Ancient Town has finally been bustling with activity again.
Hearing the commotion, the nearby residents rushed over to see what was happening. Some even wanted to go inside, but were stopped by the cleaning company staff who said they needed their employee IDs to enter. So they could only gather around the square outside and discuss the commotion.
"What's going on in this town? Why are there so many people all of a sudden?"
"I asked, and they said it was a cleaning company that came to clean."
"It's reopening again?"
"Probably, otherwise why bother cleaning?"
"Tsk tsk, which big boss has too much money to spend and is doing this again? I'm afraid he'll lose a lot of money again."
The jokes from some people elicited laughter from those around them. Most people weren't optimistic about the town's development, thinking that whoever took over must be either a fool or had been scammed. They were happy to see the spectacle.
"You've been scammed, haven't you?"
Someone scoffed, "Our little county isn't valued by the city, and the old train station is gone. We have no transportation, no development—who would come all the way here?"
The onlookers nodded in agreement.
"If it really opens, I bet it won't last a year."
"A year? A year is considered good. This thing is incredibly expensive. I'd guess six months at most!"
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