Chapter 26 Crispy Pork Belly She Likes to Eat the Snacks He Brings
Although the snack of fried stinky tofu tastes delicious, some people find it difficult to accept and think that the smell is really unpleasant, especially students who always like to dabble in some elegant things.
The oil-paper bag was still hanging in the air, and several people nearby who were curious about the fun took a few steps back.
"This is?"
Wei Jinyun naturally didn't reach out to take it. She paused for a moment, racking her brains to think over and over again, but she couldn't understand Lord Lu's sudden behavior.
Why did he buy her stinky tofu?
Lu Lan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she whispered, "For helping solve the case, it's a routine reward... so, here you go."
Zhan Wenxing, who was drinking lychee water at the fragrant drink stall, heard this and immediately sprayed the drink in the face of Jing Liulang who was standing next to him.
"What? There's a hole in your mouth!"
Jing Liulang shook the drink off his face and said, "Go back and compensate me."
Zhan Wenxing coughed so hard he couldn't breathe, his face flushed. "Oh my god, if the prefect knew I was rewarded with fried stinky tofu for helping me catch the thief, I'd jump right out of my chair."
Under the shade of the camphor tree, Lu Lan stood in front of Wei Jinyun, her lowered shadow blocking the afterglow in front of her.
"The fake lawyer?"
Wei Jinyun replied subconsciously, but still did not reach out to take it.
"Um."
Lu Lan nodded. "I've already reported your name. Once the government investigates the case, I'll give you a reward."
"A reward?"
Wei Jinyun's curious eyes suddenly curved into crescents, and even his tone became cheerful. "Excuse me, Lord Lu, how much is the reward?"
"This man has a long history of deception, and he has deceived not only people from Pingjiang Prefecture, but also others."
Lu Lan held the oil-paper in her hand and stretched it into the air. "If approved, I'll give you about ten strings of silver."
There was a moment of silence.
"Lord Lu, for the sake of Pingjiang Prefecture, this is what we ordinary people should do!"
Wei Jinyun took the oil-paper bag and looked up at him, her dimples puffing up in joy. "Oh, how can I feel so embarrassed? Lord Lu, you are so wise that you immediately brought that fake lawyer to justice. I was just a blind cat that stumbled upon a dead mouse. Look at you, you even came all the way here. How did you know I like to eat fried stinky dried tofu... Sister Ling, do you like stinky dried tofu?"
Ten strings of money, ten strings of money fell from the sky for her!
Wei Jinyun held the fried stinky dried tofu in her hand, unable to let it go. Seeing the stinky dried tofu was like seeing a handful of golden copper coins.
The stern Lord Lu in front of her suddenly looked particularly majestic in her eyes. Pingjiang Prefecture was indeed a good place. The police and the people cooperated, and they even gave rewards.
“I love stinky tofu.”
Wei Fuling took the raccoon from Wei Jinyun's hands, rubbed its head, and smiled like her sister with her eyes narrowed into slits.
The cat seemed to understand what was said and meowed.
It seems that she likes to eat this.
He was not mistaken.
She took the snacks he bought for her.
Very happy.
The corners of Lu Lan's mouth curved up slightly, but he quickly suppressed it.
"One more thing."
He held up the bamboo basket in his other hand and said, "This is the bamboo basket I accidentally took home yesterday. Now I'm returning it to..."
"I have left a lot of these bamboo baskets at the Lu residence. You don't have to return them to me, sir."
Wei Jinyun shook his head sincerely.
"That."
Lu Lan nodded and immediately put his hands behind his back, "Then I won't return it."
Zhan Wenxing was puzzled by this scene and ordered another bowl of lychee water, scratching his head not far away.
"Sir, I would like to ask you something."
Wei Jinyun took out a bag of shrimp chips wrapped in oil paper from under the cart. She thought for a while, then bent down and took out another bag.
"speak."
"I have some broken porcelain tiles on top of my wall, but I'm afraid they're not going to be very effective. You're knowledgeable and experienced. How can I reinforce the wall in this situation? Should I add something else? If a thief comes in at night, is there any way to detect him as soon as possible?"
She had noticed an unusual noise in the yard last night, like something banging against something. Even a wild cat or a weasel couldn't have made such a loud noise, and it also knocked down a lot of broken porcelain pieces.
Well, maybe it's people.
Although this was just a guess and there was no evidence, there were only her grandmother and sisters at home. If it really was a thief, it would be terrible. She had to take good anti-theft measures.
Now that Inspector Lu, who was good at catching thieves, was in front of her, both the tone and the expression he used when speaking to her seemed extremely kind, it would be a waste not to take these anti-theft measures.
Lu Lan lowered his head to meet her eyes and answered patiently, "Broken porcelain pieces spread out loosely won't stop someone with a motive. Your wall isn't that low, so first have the craftsmen pack the broken porcelain pieces on the top of the wall closer together, and then mix in some sharp-edged iron scraps. Just buy some of these and use the leftover scraps from making farm tools. There's plenty of these in blacksmith shops, and if they're mixed in with the porcelain pieces, it'll be even more prickly when you step on them."
"Of course, you can also dig a shallow trench half a foot wide at the base of the wall and fill it with gravel. If someone approaches at night and steps on the gravel, it will make a loud noise that can be heard in the courtyard. After locking the door at night, if you hear any noise, don't rush out. Hide in the dark and ask for advice. If something is wrong, shout a few times outside the wall. The neighbors will hear you and help you... And these past few days, I've asked the night watchmen to go to the front of Tianqing Temple more often."
Lu Lan remembered that day, she was accompanied by her two younger sisters and her grandmother. Her dim sum stall seemed to be doing good business, perhaps it had been targeted by someone with ulterior motives.
Which thief is it?
Just as Lu Lan was thinking, two oil-paper packets were suddenly stuffed into his arms, the amount of which was equivalent to four portions of his snacks.
Wei Jinyun approached Lu Lan and said gratefully, "This was freshly fried this morning. I didn't see you at the tea party yesterday, so I was worried you didn't get to eat it... Thank you for your idea, too."
"No problem."
Lu Lan tightened her grip on the oil-paper, but replied calmly, "If there's any more activity during the next few nights, you can report it to the government office during the day."
She also gave him some snacks.
Still two packs.
The job was done, and Lu Lan didn't know what to say to her for a moment, so he turned around, mounted his horse, and went home.
"Sir, please take care."
Wei Jinyun responded hurriedly, "Sir, would you like me to see you off?"
Today is probably the happiest day since I returned to Pingjiang Prefecture.
The two younger sisters were admitted to a good private school, and they received ten strings of cash and a bag of fried stinky tofu.
The more Wei Jinyun thought about it, the more proud he felt.
"Assisting the crime solver."
Lu Lan looked at the person in front of him. She had been laughing non-stop since he gave her the fried stinky tofu. He glanced at her face, then quickly looked away. He cleared his throat and said, "You can call yourself me."
She smiled so happily, so he could bring her some snacks when he passed by in the future.
Lu Lan thought about it and hung the bamboo basket back to its original place.
"Okay, sir, take care!"
Wei Jinyun did not forget to wave towards Lu Lan.
Otherwise, why would everyone think that Lord Lu is so good and even come personally to inform her that there is a reward.
This Lord Lu.
It's really good.
Lu Lan kept one of the two bags of shrimp chips given by Wei Jinyun for himself and distributed the remaining bag to his subordinates behind him.
"Sir, your bamboo basket."
Zhan Wenxing pulled the reins with one hand and clamped the shrimp chips with the other, biting them with a crunching sound.
"When you pass by a mountain pond, buy a fish bag."
"I just said it was used to hold fish."
Jing Liulang's hands were not tied to the horse, and he used the brute force of his legs to drive the horse, holding the shrimp chips in both hands, "You will have to compensate me for my clothes later."
Zhan Wenxing's face wrinkled, puzzled. When did the rule about helping to solve a case become one where one could refer to themselves as "I" come into being?
Wei Jinyun used a bamboo stick to pick up two pieces of stinky dried tofu each, gave one to each of her sisters, and then pushed her cart to the market to pick out delicious dishes for her banquet.
"Miss Wei."
Wu Sheng called out to her.
"Hmm?" Wei Jinyun turned around and glanced at him, still chewing the stinky tofu in his mouth.
"You, what do you think of this Lord Lu?"
Wu Sheng held Tang Yin's arm tightly, and the grip became tighter and tighter.
"Very good, a very nice person." Wei Jinyun replied and went to buy half a pig with his sister.
"Brother Wu, you can't treat me as if I were made of wood."
Tang Yin pulled his arm out of Wu Sheng's grasp with all his strength. "If I can't hold the pen tomorrow, it's your fault."
Wu Sheng stared at the backs of the three sisters of the Wei family.
She really likes men with meat on their arms.
Well, he can also practice it.
Wei Jinyun went to the Changmen market today and did a lot of shopping. If Wei Fuqiu hadn't stopped him, he would have brought back a whole pig.
The two persuaded him for half a day, and finally brought back three pounds of pork belly, two pounds of spare ribs, a roast chicken, a shad, and a basket of small fish.
When I returned to the shop, I saw Meng Ge'er moving a stool and sitting by the river, fishing and eating shrimp chips with Zhang Renbai.
The lotus flowers by the river were in full bloom. Dragonflies flew over the lotus petals, circled a few times, and then landed on some water plants in the two people's wooden barrels.
"Sister Wei is back."
Meng Ge'er dropped his fishing rod and ran to her side to help her push the cart. "Brother Renbai and I caught some fish. Come and see."
Two wooden barrels were neatly placed together. In the one closer to Meng Ge'er, whitebait and minnow popped their heads out from time to time. On Zhang Renbai's side, a few shrimps jumped out and a dragonfly stood on the water plants.
"cough."
Zhang Renbai touched his head and smiled lightly, "Meng Ge'er caught some good fish."
"yes."
Wei Jinyun nodded, but saw that there were cake crumbs where Meng Ge'er was, which meant someone must have made a nest for him in advance.
At noon, the group came to collect the debt. Zhao Xiangping followed the lawyer's advice and went to the government office with him again to inquire about the divorce documents. Zhang Renbai volunteered to help him take care of Meng Ge'er.
Now that Wei Jinyun and Zhao Xiangping were coming from the east and returning from the west respectively, he showed the wooden barrel to Wei Jinyun and carried it to find A Niang.
The lawyer was still standing next to Zhao Xiangping and had not left.
It was getting late, and Zhao Xiangping didn't continue making braised duck today. She hung the last basket of duck blanks on the beam. Just as she was about to take a break, her eyes glanced at the corner of the wall behind the mud stove, and her steps suddenly stopped.
In her line of work, she was always busy with stove ash and grease. During the day, she was too busy to clean the shop, but at night, she would tidy up the entire shop and wipe down everything that needed to be wiped.
There was a newly printed footprint behind the corner of the mud stove. Zhao Xiangping looked for it when she went out, but it was not there.
She was immediately horrified.
"It's a man's."
Zhan Ziming noticed Zhao Xiangping's expression, followed her gaze, walked to the footprint, and gestured a few times with his palm.
He glanced at Meng Ge'er, who was talking to Wei Jinyun and others not far away, and whispered to Zhao Xiangping, "Sister Xiangping, go check inside the house to see if there's any money stolen."
"No need to go inside."
Zhao Xiangping's voice was as soft as a sieve, and her fingertips trembled as she lifted a green brick behind the mud stove in the shop.
The earthenware jar was still there, but it was originally half full of copper coins, but now it was empty.
"It's only been two hours since I left the shop."
She rubbed her brows and said, "I made this hiding place for the money myself. Even Meng Ge thought it was just a pile of coal slag under the bricks. No one knew about it."
"Aunt Zhao, are you sure no one knows about this?"
Wei Jinyun appeared behind them without them noticing. She glanced at the jar and said, "There's so much mud on it. I think you've been hiding money here for a long time. Think about it..."
Zhao Xiangping's face changed drastically.
"He, he."
She trembled, almost losing her balance, and immediately covered her face with her hands and said sadly, "Is he still a man?"
This was the money she had saved for two months, and she hadn't even given it to the debt collectors. This half jar was for her to keep for winter clothes for herself and Meng Ge'er!
Aunt Zhao changed the door lock two days ago, and Zhang Renbai spent the entire afternoon fishing at the door with Meng Ge'er.
Wei Jinyun looked up at the wall.
The wall is not very low, but if you are nimble enough, you can climb up it.
And he could also clearly know when Aunt Zhao left.
"Sister Xiangping, we'll report it to the police, don't worry."
Zhan Ziming supported Zhao Xiangping, who was about to faint from crying, and felt a special pity in his heart. "My brother is from the Inspection Office, and he will definitely catch the thief!"
She cried, but not loudly, for fear that her son who was still playing outside would hear her. She could only cover her mouth and sob softly.
But he could feel her body trembling sadly.
As her lawyer, he naturally had to understand her full energy. He knew that the man had left her with so much debt and was now trying to steal her hard-earned money.
What a beast!
"Miss Wei, please help me take care of Sister Xiangping. I'll be back soon!"
Zhan Ziming was filled with anger and at this moment he really wanted to skin that thief alive.
"Aunt Zhao, let's catch him."
Wei Jinyun patted Zhao Xiangping on the back and whispered in her ear, "It's over, it will be over soon."
In addition to the basket of small fish that the three sisters bought for Li Nu at the market, the entire bucket that Meng Ge'er caught was also given to it.
Wei Fuqiu and Wei Fuling wrote a small letter of engagement for it stroke by stroke, tied it with a red string, and tied it to its back.
They carefully lowered it from their arms and placed it at the door of the shop.
"Welcome Mr. Meow Meow Yuanbao in."
The two sisters stood on either side of the raccoon, shouting together and bowing to it.
On the way back, the two of them were thinking about what to name the cat slave. When they returned to the shop, Wei Jinyun thought about the ten strings of money and hit his head - just call it Yuanbao.
Bring in wealth and treasure.
Today, I found the green-eyed cat Yuanbao. Not long after, Lord Lu brought the good news of a reward.
This is a lucky cat.
Lord Yuanbao smelled the scent of the small fish and was very considerate. He walked into the shop with his head held high.
At Wei Jinyun's invitation, Zhao Xiangping and her son had dinner at her shop. Zhang Renbai stood at the door for a while before being invited in. She said her sisters were taking an exam today and had asked about the questions he had usually answered for them.
Zhang Renbai smiled and walked in with his head held high.
Wang Qiulan was taught to stew the spare ribs with the lotus root, while Wei Jinyun took care of the pork belly.
Wei Jinyun first washed the fat and lean pork belly with well water, cut it into small pieces, and blanched it in cold water with some scallion and ginger segments.
The deliciousness of crispy pork belly lies in its bowl of honey sauce.
To prepare the honey, she scooped a few spoonfuls of honey with a spoon and mixed in half a bowl of mashed pear juice. The honey gradually began to bubble in the pot, and she occasionally stirred it with a bamboo chopstick. When the juice was thick enough to hold a thin string on the chopsticks, she sprinkled in a few pieces of crushed brown sugar.
On the first day of trial use of the new clay stove, Zhao Xiangping skillfully guided Wei Jinyun from the side.
After taking out the blanched pork belly, Wei Jinyun passed a wire through one end and hung the meat on the clay stove.
"When you're testing the stove for the first time, don't use hard wood. Use charcoal first. The fire is steady and won't burn the stove. There should be some space between the stove center and the hanging food. If the fire is too close, it will burn easily. If it's too far, the food won't be cooked through. Look at the height of the pork belly..."
Zhao Xiangping glanced at the pork belly on the wire and reached out to adjust it. "It's a little far away. It's just the right distance from the charcoal fire. Let's roast it on low heat first to let the fat in the meat seep out slowly. Otherwise, the meat will be overcooked before the skin gets crispy."
"A new stove is afraid of sudden changes in temperature, so don't burn the fire too strong. Wait until the stove is fully baked, and then it will be convenient for stewing or baking in the future."
She helped Wei Jinyun brush the pork skin with the first coat of honey, watching the oil droplets drip down the meat, and smiled, "When you hear the sizzling sound become more even, it means the stove fire is stable. You built this stove skillfully, and the crispy pork you make next time will definitely be more delicious than my braised duck."
"Aunt Zhao, please teach me more in the future. I'm looking forward to using this stove to make pastries."
Wei Jinyun took notes carefully.
When she was a child, she watched her grandmother use the clay stove. Her grandmother didn't let her touch it for fear that she would get burned.
At this moment, Zhao Xiangping took the lead in testing the temperature herself, still not allowing her to do anything, but just generously teaching her how to use it.
She is really amazing to be able to run a shop like this in front of Tianqing Temple on her own.
"Sister Xiangping knows a lot."
Zhan Ziming sat on a stool beside her, staring at her blankly.
Not long after he brought his brother back, he was invited in for a big banquet. Is there such a good thing in the world?
Miss Wei is now roasting pork belly seriously.
Zhang Renbai sat on a stool on the other side, his eyes full of admiration.
"Brother, do I have to dress like this?"
Zhan Wenxing sat beside Zhan Ziming, burning firewood. He was told to burn a pile of wood, not to cook anything, and to make the fire as big and vigorous as possible, illuminating the entire courtyard.
On weekdays, after finishing his shift, he would go home, wash up, and fall asleep. When he was on duty again, he would put on his official uniform. Even on his days off, he would lie at home and never go out, so he seldom wore casual clothes.
If he were to wear something, he should wear something formal. Why does he look so pretentious like his brother, like a sour scholar?
When he caught the fake lawyer a while ago, he felt that the mother and daughter next door were really pitiful, so he introduced his brother to them.
The man ran away, so my brother should just need to help write a divorce document, or say a few words on her behalf at the government office, and the matter would be over. It would only have to be approved by the government office.
There's no need for him to run here every day, there's no need for him to eat pickled duck and pickled goose for dinner every day at home, and there's no need for him to take off his official uniform to catch thieves!
He just walked to that station in his official uniform and scared the thief to death!
Never mind, the eldest brother is like a father.
He was raised by his elder brother, who was very talented in literature and could have taken a higher-level exam, but in order to support him, he became a lawyer to earn quick money.
Make a fire!
The crispy pork belly was divided into two portions, one with Wei Jinyun's homemade honey sauce, and the other with Zhao Xiangping's honey bean paste.
After fine oil beads oozed out of the meat, Wei Jinyun followed Zhao Xiangping's instructions, took the cooled honey juice, and brushed it on the meat skin with a bamboo brush.
The first time she brushed it on, oil splashed up. She waited patiently for a moment, then brushed it a second time, a third time... until the skin was covered with a beautiful honey color.
I think if she can get the right temperature for the crispy honey pork belly this time, she will be able to gradually adapt to the temperature when making shortbread in the future.
As the rich aroma of meat gradually filled the yard, Zhan Wenxing was assigned a new task.
"Your skills in making this crispy pork belly are so good, Aunt Zhao, you must have made a lot of money!"
He shouted and roared, afraid that no one outside the yard could hear him.
I didn't expect that Lord Lu usually taught him to shout and train new recruits like this, and Miss Wei also did the same.
"It's not bad, it can provide Meng Ge'er with food and clothing."
Zhao Xiangping echoed the words, "At the end of the month, a few guan of gross profit won't be a problem."
Aunt Zhao had cried herself hoarse that night, and her voice wasn't loud. Wei Fuqiu and Wei Fuling sighed and repeated her words twice.
When a child cries, his voice is extremely clear and even brighter than that of an adult.
"But I see you're dressed simply. I suppose you've saved your money?"
Zhan Wenxing drank two sips of tea and whispered in Zhan Ziming's ear, "Brother, why don't you shout..."
"Your brother's voice is meant to defend others. Who will support the family if he damages it?"
"I'll just support you in the future."
Zhan Wenxing pursed his lips and said, "I will be seventeen after the New Year's Day. Lord Lu is very kind to us and gives me lucky money every day. I don't want you to support me."
"Keep shouting."
Zhan Ziming laughed and ruffled his brother's hair. "Who needs you to support him? Just follow Master Lu and learn from him."
"oh."
Zhan Wenxing lowered his head and responded, smoothed his hair, and continued shouting.
"What...it's under the mattress next to your bed. You're not afraid of getting hurt."
call.
Finally finished shouting.
Zhan Wenxing took the bowl handed to him by Wei Jinyun, which was filled with the crispy pork belly she had just cut.
He looked up at her.
Next to the burning fire, her eyes were bright, as bright as Lord Lu's eyes.
But he was puzzled as to why Lord Lu bought her fried stinky tofu.
He picked up a piece of roasted pork belly with chopsticks and took a bite.
When you take a bite, there is a crisp "crunch" sound, and the crispy roasted meat slices break apart and crumble into crispy crumbs with a sweet fragrance between your lips and tongue.
The meat layer is soaked in salty and fresh flavor, and still holds a little juice. The place where the fat and lean meat meet is so soft and smooth that it melts on the tip of the tongue, but it is not greasy at all.
The best part is the layer of honey, which is half-charred after being baked over charcoal fire. The sweetness is mixed with a subtle salty base, mixed with the unique warm fragrance of honey, and entangled with the crispy skin and plump meat.
After chewing it for a while, the fragrance made his tongue tremble, and he couldn't help but take another big bite.
tasty!
I really want to bring it back and let Lord Lu try it.
When the bonfire died down, it was already midnight. The yard, once filled with the aroma of meat, was completely quiet.
“Ouch!”
A shout broke the silence, and with a "bang", a figure fell heavily to the ground.
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The author has something to say: Jinyun: [Throws flowers] Ten strings of money!
Mr. Lu: She likes to eat [starry eyes]
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