After eating and drinking to their heart's content and taking a short nap, everyone felt extra energetic when they set out on their journey in the afternoon. The three strong men originally planned to pass the five carriages in front and return to Beijing first, but in the end, "one should be grateful when receiving a favor, and one should be soft-hearted when eating a favor", and they thought that since they had eaten the meal, it would not hurt to protect them all the way, and then go their separate ways at the next intersection, so they continued to stay behind the convoy.
Shopkeeper Lin seemed to be still ill and would cough occasionally, which attracted the handsome man to look at the carriage frequently, but he could not see anything because of the bamboo curtain. After walking for more than an hour, the subordinate named Luo Tietou came up to the man while burping and said in a low voice: "Boss, when are we going to stop camp? I'm hungry."
The man just glanced at him calmly without answering. The subordinate named Zhao Liu then teased him, "It's only been a short time since we had lunch. Why are you hungry again?"
"The burp I burped smells so good. After smelling it, I feel hungry again and want to eat more." Luo Tietou burped as soon as he finished speaking, and his mouth was immediately filled with the smell of bacon. It is said that food eaten into the stomach will start to stink within a quarter of an hour, so burps will also stink. However, the dish made by Shopkeeper Lin is completely different. After two hours, the rich aroma still remains in the mouth and stomach, and even the hair and clothes are covered with the aroma of the dish, which is unbearable.
In fact, Zhao Liu was also hungry, and couldn't help but look at the handsome man.
"Keep on your way and stop talking nonsense." The man said expressionlessly.
The two looked at each other and sighed together. After another hour, when they saw that the sun was about to set, they ran to the front of the caravan and suggested loudly: "There is an open valley here where we can camp and rest. Why don't we camp there? Going forward is a dense forest with many wild animals. It is quite dangerous."
"Then let's stay here for one night." The servant named Xiao Zhu was not an ungrateful person, and he quickly asked the driver to stop the carriage.
"What are we having for dinner tonight?" Luo Tietou asked anxiously before the carriage stopped.
"What we eat is none of your business." Xiao Zhu puffed his cheeks.
"No," Zhao Liu came out from behind and said jokingly, "We could have ridden away first, but we have protected you all the way. Is it not too much to have dinner with you?"
Just as Xiao Zhu was about to taunt back in revenge, he heard a hoarse but gentle voice coming from the carriage: "Thank you, brothers, for your support along the way. It's only natural for me to treat you to a meal. How can it be too much?" As soon as the words fell, Shopkeeper Lin jumped out of the carriage and wrapped his headscarf carefully to prevent his long black hair from fluttering.
"Thank you very much, Manager Lin." Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou burst into laughter. Shopkeeper Lin is very polite in his dealings with others, which makes people feel comfortable.
The handsome man also cupped his hands and said seriously, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Lin."
"You're welcome." Lin Dan smiled, "Don't eat too much for dinner, and the flavors can't be too strong, otherwise it will cause stomach discomfort. How about we just have some burritos?"
"Of course, thank you, Manager Lin." The handsome man had no objection, but his two subordinates were a little disappointed. They have been eating steamed buns for many days in a row and have long been tired of it. Both wraps and steamed buns are made of wheat and taste almost the same, so it would be better for them to continue eating bacon. They have good stomachs and won't feel uncomfortable. But no matter what they thought, seeing that their leader had already agreed, the two naturally did not dare to raise any objections.
Lin Dan nodded slightly to the others, then took the two little girls to the woods to pick wild vegetables. It had just rained in spring a few days ago, and the soil was still wet. All kinds of wild vegetables were sprouting greenly, all over the mountains and fields. The three servants stayed behind to fetch water, chop wood, build the stove and make the fire. The two strong men originally planned to lie down and rest for a while, but their leader glared at them and they had to get up and help with the work.
A few minutes later, Lin Dan and two little girls came back, each carrying a basket full of wild vegetables, including bamboo shoots, mustard greens, mushrooms, toon, etc.
The three servants built two stoves, each with two large pots on it. The water in the pots had already boiled and was bubbling. Lin Dan asked the little girl to wash the vegetables while he took out a bag of brown cubes from the carriage.
"What is this?" Luo Tietou leaned over to take a look, his face full of curiosity.
"This is dried tofu, a specialty of Bashu. It is smoked using the same method as bacon and has a savory and salty flavor." Lin Dan explained slowly.
Luo Tietou picked up a small cube and smelled it. It indeed had the flavor of cured meat and beans, and the taste was very unique.
"Have you been to Bashu?" The handsome man who was usually taciturn actually took the initiative to speak: "The road there is difficult to travel."
“The road to Shu is difficult, harder than climbing to the sky.” Lin Dan chuckled, “But after walking through the difficult road, you will find that Bashu is a perfect place, with beautiful mountains, beautiful waters, beautiful people, and even more beautiful food.” To her, a place with delicious food is a land of abundance, so Bashu is truly a land of abundance.
The handsome man nodded, a hint of smile flashing through his cold eyes, "The food in Bashu is indeed delicious."
"It seems that you are also a foodie." Lin Dan rolled up his sleeves to prepare the ingredients. He cut the cooked and drained bamboo shoots, blanched mustard greens, mushrooms and dried tofu into cubes and set them aside. The two little girls were in charge of kneading the dough, and from time to time they asked Lin Danshui if there was enough.
"Add a little more. The dough is too thick, and the pancakes won't be thin or fine enough, which will affect the taste." Lin Dan instructed the two little girls to knead the dough, and then took out the lard that had been sealed for a winter and used it to stir-fry the diced vegetables. The lard melted in the pot, making a crackling sound. A rich aroma wafted into the air, making everyone swallow their saliva.
"Damn, why does this lard smell so good?" Luo Tietou asked, sniffing.
Lin Dan used a spatula to stir the slowly melting lard and said in a gentle voice, "If it is refined properly, the lard will naturally be fragrant. I add clean water when boiling the lard, which can prevent the fat from burning and becoming bitter, and also make the boiled oil whiter and thicker. When storing it in a jar, add a spoonful of sugar and a few peppercorns to a pound of oil to effectively prevent it from becoming rancid, and it will not be a problem to eat it for four or five months."
While they were talking, the oil had been heated up. Lin Dan put in diced bamboo shoots, diced dried tofu, diced mushrooms, diced mustard greens and other ingredients, stirred them evenly with a spatula, and then sprinkled in sesame seeds and salt.
"We had too heavy a meal at noon, so let's have a lighter meal at night." She said slowly, "The three fresh foods are divided into three fresh foods from the ground, three fresh foods from the water, and three fresh foods from trees. Our dish is the three fresh foods of spring. Bamboo shoots, mustard greens, and mushrooms are all first-class fresh foods. They only need to be fried with lard and salt for a while, and they will be delicious enough. Do you know what people eat in spring?" She turned to look at the two little girls named Peony and Dujuan.
Peony and azalea scratched their heads and giggled. They were so busy drooling that they had no time to think about anything else.
Lin Dan stirred the diced vegetables and said softly, "Spring is all about freshness. This is the season when everything comes back to life. Everything is new and fresh. Smell the air filled with the fragrance of flowers. Isn't it fresh too?"
"Delicious!" The two little girls nodded with a smile, and then asked, "What do we eat in summer?"
"Summer food is all about refreshing. The hotter the weather, the more refreshing the food should be, so that the stomach and intestines are comfortable. In the morning, have a bowl of sweet green bean porridge with a few pieces of mint jelly; at noon, have a bowl of cold noodles with bright red chili oil and emerald green cucumber and green onion shreds; in the evening, drink a pot of sake with a few cold dishes, and drink a bowl of sour plum soup at night. The day will pass refreshingly like this, how comfortable is it?"
The two little girls licked their lips and asked, "What do we eat in autumn?"
Lin Dan put the stir-fried three-fresh vegetable cubes into a ceramic basin and continued, "The key to eating in autumn is to replenish. A bowl of peanut and barley porridge in the morning can replenish blood and qi. At noon, stew a pot of well-cooked old hen with dried chestnuts. The sweetness of the chestnuts penetrates into the salty and fresh taste of the chicken, leaving a lingering fragrance on the teeth and cheeks for a long time. In the evening, cut the old pumpkin into sections and steam it with fermented black beans. The sweet taste can spread to dreams. Eating sweet and nourishing food in autumn can regain all the energy lost in summer labor, and you can have a good winter."
"Is this what it means to gain weight in autumn?" The two little girls suddenly realized, and then asked, "What should we eat in winter?"
"Winter food is all about warmth." Lin Dan placed five palm-sized frying pans on the fire, wiped the bottom of the pans with diced pork fat, slowly poured the batter in, and with a slight turn of his wrist, he had made a pancake in less than two breaths. He then turned the pan upside down on a clean ceramic basin, and the pancakes fell out by themselves, tender and white, stacked one on top of another.
Lin Dan's wrists flew up and down, and five pans were greased and pancakes were spread out one after another. In a short while, dozens of pancakes were made, and they were almost exactly the same in size and thickness. At the same time, she continued, "It's very cold in winter, so the food you eat must be warm, so that you can feel comfortable. During the Chinese New Year, the whole family would gather together to make dumplings, chatting and laughing, having a great time. When you take the cooked dumplings out of the boiling water and eat them while they're still hot, your stomach and heart will be warmed. Fried meatballs, braised pig's trotters, and steamed shad are all steaming and smell so good..."
Lin Dan couldn't help laughing when he thought of that scene.
The two little girls ran away, covering their mouths, for fear that their saliva would flow into the pot.
Three strong men had gathered around her at some point, listening to Lin Dan talk while watching her cook. Shopkeeper Lin is not only an excellent cook, but also speaks very pleasantly. All he talks about is food. Listening to him feels like enjoying a feast, and one feels extremely satisfied, but of course also becomes even hungrier.
The handsome man stared at Lin Dan for a long time, with complicated light flashing in his eyes. When Lin Dan looked over, he lowered his head as if nothing had happened.
Soon, the pancakes were ready. Lin Dan washed and cut the wild onions into sections, and took out the sweet and spicy sauce, garlic sauce, spicy sauce, etc. that he had pickled himself, and put them on small plates one by one. He said, "Okay, let's eat."
Everyone cheered and crowded around the pottery basin to grab food. The palm-sized white pancake is wrapped with diced vegetables and put in your mouth, and your taste buds are filled with the rich aroma. The diced bamboo shoots are crisp and refreshing, the diced dried tofu is soft, glutinous and salty, and the juice of mustard greens and mushrooms blends in the sweet crust, creating a strong and fresh flavor. If you feel the taste is too bland, you can add some wild onion segments and sauces. Salty, fresh, sweet, spicy... all melt on the tip of your tongue, as if you are holding the whole spring in your mouth.
The three strong men were stunned after taking just one bite, then quickly stuffed the rest of the burrito into their mouths, and then rolled another one, and another one... The spoon for scooping the diced vegetables did not stop, and it was like a whirlwind.
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