Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Buying Seasonings Zhao Jinshan said: "Yu Anshan...
Several adults in the room ate a bowl each, and then County Magistrate Li finished first. Chen Cang had a good eye and wanted to help serve, but County Magistrate Li said he would do it himself.
Chen Cang saw that he had put more noodles in the second bowl and was afraid that there was not enough noodles, so he hurried out.
The adults need to eat for a while. If they cook it now, they can have more later. Chen Cang said, "Madam Lin, there are eight people in the room. Each of them needs another bowl."
Lin Qiuran was thinking about the grown men and needed to make more, but she didn't expect it wouldn't be enough. She nodded. She still had some dry noodles, and the water would boil quickly. When the noodles were cooked, Chen Cang sent them over.
After the people left, Sun and Lin Qiuran continued to eat. To be honest, Sun had never had any delicious noodles before, but the noodles with fried sauce were very delicious. There were some cucumber shreds and bean sprouts in it, and each noodle was covered with meat sauce.
Honestly, even without the sauce, this noodle would still be delicious cooked in clear soup. The noodles are very chewy and even after being rinsed in cold water, they still hold together well.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Cang returned with a large basket of dishes and chopsticks. "The adults have finished eating. Madam Lin's cooking is impeccable. This is it!"
Chen Cang gave a thumbs up.
Lin Qiuran was also happy. A chef likes to be praised for their dishes, but she had to be humble. She said, "I just made this casually. Brother Chen, there's not much noodles left, but I still have the sauce."
There is definitely not enough food for one man in Chencang.
Chen Cang waved his hand nonchalantly, "It's okay, I'll just add some noodles and mix it in. You still have to cook tomorrow morning, so go back and rest. I'll wash the dishes."
Lin Qiuran nodded, "Then Brother Chen, take your time eating."
Chen Cang urged Lin Qiuran to go back and rest. After they left, he kneaded some dough and rolled out noodles. There was still some of each sauce left, so he mixed each one with the noodles and tasted them carefully.
The stew is very fragrant, especially the meat sauce. I have never eaten it before, and this one has the least leftovers.
There was only a handful of noodles left from Lin Qiuran's cooking, so Chen Cang cooked some and compared them with the noodles he made. It wasn't that he wanted to boost others' morale and diminish his own prestige, but his noodles were indeed much worse than Lin Qiuran's.
Chen Cang finished the noodles made by Lin Qiuran first, then put down his chopsticks and said, "Hey, why is it different?"
He stared blankly, completely baffled. Lin Qiuran was making noodles today, and he watched, but he was putting so many things in there, including the soup he'd made that morning. It was truly incredible, using up several large bones from chicken and duck, yet they weren't even on the table, not even in a proper place.
Logically, County Magistrate Li would blame him, but after Chen Cang said that, County Magistrate Li not only did not blame him, but was happy instead, saying that Lin Qiuran was smart and knew how to cook.
He could try this method next time, but he also saw Lin Qiuran put something else in the noodles and dishes. It was not from the inn kitchen. It looked like a jar filled with brown powder, but he didn't know what it was. When the person left, he took the thing with him and hid it.
What on earth is that?
Chen Cang finished the remaining noodles and cleared away the dishes, still unable to figure out why. He couldn't taste the flavor in the food, he just thought it was delicious. There was still some chicken and duck stewed in the casserole, but the broth was gone and would spoil if left, so he took them away. However, the meat left from the stew was tasteless and not very tasty.
After a whole night, Chen Cang still didn't understand what Lin Qiuran put in the dishes. Instead, he couldn't sleep because he was thinking about all sorts of things at night, and he didn't get up in the morning.
Early in the morning, Lin Qiuran came to the kitchen to make breakfast. After breakfast, Sun went back to Xiaojiazhuang and would probably be back before noon.
Chen Cang was not at home. Lin Qiuran looked at the things in the kitchen. There were still some leftover vegetables from yesterday, and the meat had not been bought yet.
It’s okay without meat. Lord Zhao and the others ate a lot last night. People go to bed early these days, so they probably won’t be hungry in the morning. Just eat something light.
There was still some meat floss left, so Lin Qiuran made some dumpling soup and a few egg pancakes. Not bothering with the trouble, she even fried some scallions in oil before making the egg pancakes, which made them more fragrant than other pancakes.
Lord Zhao and his companions left after breakfast. Wang Zhubu also took the time to come over and give Lin Qiuran his wages. The total amount, including yesterday's wages and today's wages, was eight cents of silver.
He also told Lin Qiuran to do a good job.
Lin Qiuran was very dedicated in doing the job for which he was paid. He thought about what to cook for lunch and when Chen Cang came over, he asked him to buy vegetables and meat.
A large piece of pork belly for making steamed meat in a bowl, chicken and pork ribs for making soup, two carps, and eggplant and cucumber as the vegetables.
Chen Cang bought the things quickly. Sun had not come back yet, so he helped Lin Qiuran in the kitchen and also took the opportunity to see how Lin Qiuran cooked.
He asked Lin Qiuran what he was going to cook today. Lin Qiuran said, "Let's steam the braised pork, stir-fry some home-cooked dishes, and make some sweet and sour fish. We'll also have rice."
Eggplant is a good thing and can be eaten in many ways. During the hottest time of summer, you can just steam it and make a dipping sauce. Lin Qiuran can eat eggplant alone for a whole meal.
If Lord Zhao and others were still here tomorrow, Lin Qiuran planned to make an iron pot stew and make home-cooked dishes today. After all, the result was good yesterday, and she didn't want to change it immediately. It would be easy to make mistakes if she made something too novel.
Lin Qiuran said, "I'll make the broth first. Brother Chen, can you help me kill the fish?"
Killing the fish is easy. Chen Cang, a grown man, will definitely not let Lin Qiuran do it.
Chen Cang raised his knife and chopped the fish while watching Lin Qiuran's movements.
This soup isn't meant to be drunk; it's meant to have a savory, fresh flavor. So, aside from the scallions and ginger, nothing else is added. Simmer over low heat, skimming off the fat as you go. It takes about an hour and a half to simmer, and the resulting soup is a light yellow, clear, and bright color.
This is at the post station. If you have money to buy other things, you can put pigeons, river fish, seafood, and high-quality mushrooms in the soup, which will be more delicious.
Chen Cang watched for a long time and learned how to make soup, but he didn't know how to make other dishes.
Lin Qiuran was good at knife skills, but he couldn't learn the cooking temperature. He still used the two cans of powder in every dish, sometimes more and sometimes less, and he also added it when stewing meat.
After enduring for a long time, Chen Cang finally spoke, "Madam Lin, what did you put in there just now?"
Lin Qiuran was frying eggplant. She hadn't added any seasoning yet. The Thirteen Spices recipe was modified by Lin Qiuran herself to enhance the flavor and remove the fishy smell, making the spice taste less strong.
Since Chen Cang had asked, it was a good opportunity to show him. Lin Qiuran thought she could only work here for three days at most. If she stayed any longer, the county magistrate would be unhappy and would probably ask her to work harder for less. It would be better to let Chen Cang buy some spices. If the food tasted better, he wouldn't force her to stay.
Lin Qiuran is still making money, and this is still a long-term way to make money.
She didn't say anything, picked up a piece of eggplant and put it in the bowl, "Brother Chen, try it."
Chen Cang was a little skeptical, but he still ate it. He didn't know what was going on with this eggplant, but it didn't look rotten at all and didn't have that much moisture.
It’s really delicious.
Lin Qiuran saw him finish eating, then added some more spices, and after stir-frying it until it was dry and evenly mixed, he took out another piece and said, "Brother Chen, try it again."
Chen Cang finished eating, his eyes widening this time. He swallowed the eggplant and said, "Madam Lin, you didn't put some big shell powder in here, did you?"
He had heard of this thing before, and it was addictive!
Lin Qiuran was stunned and burst out laughing. She said helplessly, "Brother Chen, this is for the adults to eat. How dare I? Besides, even if I had the courage, I'm just a country woman, where can I get it? This is my family's secret spice. It makes the dishes taste much better. There are two kinds in total, and I will tell you about them today."
Chen Cang's expression was a bit complicated. He wanted to find out where to buy the family's secret spices, but he couldn't find a place to buy them. He couldn't bring himself to ask Lin Qiuran if he could sell them to him.
Lin Qiuran was not in a hurry. Seeing that the time was almost up, she served the dish and continued to make the next one. She smiled and said, "Brother Chen, you can serve the dish first."
Lin Qiuran went to get some rice. Today's rice was slightly different from yesterday's. She had seen some glutinous rice in the kitchen that morning, so she added some to the steamed rice. The steamed rice was sticky, glutinous, and moist, and smelled even more fragrant than yesterday's.
County Magistrate Li and several others were also there. For lunch, they had steamed pork with soy sauce, sweet and sour fish, stir-fried eggplant, fried eggplant boxes, stir-fried cowpeas, and mixed cucumbers, a total of six dishes, as well as the sour plum soup from last night. There were not many dishes, but the portion of each dish was very large.
Home-cooked meals are just like this, with large portions and not looking that exquisite, but Zhao Jinshan feels that home-cooked meals make people feel at home.
Zhao Jinshan was very satisfied with this meal. He even ate one more bowl of rice than yesterday. Today's rice was so delicious.
This was the dish he wanted: meat, but not fish or anything else. It would be awkward to serve chicken, duck, or fish. They were the officials who cared for the people. If they indulged in extravagance under the guise of inspection, they would be doing a disservice to the people.
As for why it tasted so good, Zhao Jinshan never thought about it in detail. It was probably because the chef’s cooking skills were good.
After dinner, Zhao Jinshan said, "Yu'an is a place of beautiful scenery. Even the cooking skills of the maids are better than those of ordinary people. County Magistrate Li, you have a good administration."
County Magistrate Li said modestly, "It is all thanks to you, my lord, that your followers have followed your example. Otherwise, I would not be where I am today."
County Magistrate Li did not dare to say that he had hired the chef at a high price. As long as Lord Zhao was satisfied, he would be in a good mood. He was always willing to discuss things with County Magistrate Yu'an in a pleasant manner.
This time, Wang Zhubu solved a problem for him. Madam Lin's cooking was indeed very good, but County Magistrate Li felt that the wage of four coins of silver a day was a bit too much.
After all, Chen Cang only earns one tael of silver a month, or four cents a day. If Lin Qiuran is asked to do it again tomorrow, it will cost one tael and two cents for three days. After only three days, it will be equivalent to a month's salary in Chen Cang.
Lord Zhao will probably have to stay for five or six days. If it's six days, that would be two taels and four cents. Which cook can earn that much in a month?
If he hadn't discussed it with Lin Qiuran, it would definitely not work. County Magistrate Li was an official after all, and his words were irrevocable. This was already agreed upon beforehand. Besides, Lin Qiuran would have spent the same amount of money to host a banquet elsewhere.
There is no room for regret.
So County Magistrate Li thought that if Lin Qiuran stayed at the post station, the monthly salary would be cheaper. As for Chen Cang... he was a distant relative of County Magistrate Chen, so it would be difficult to fire him, so it would be better to let him go somewhere else.
The canteens of the county government office and the county academy are all good.
The county magistrate asked Wang Zhubu to find time to ask, but Wang Zhubu said in embarrassment: "Sir, Madam Lin makes a lot of money hosting banquets, but I'm afraid she won't be willing to pay a month or two of salary."
County Magistrate Li said, "Add two more coins. If she lives in Xiaojia Village, she can stay at the post station if she comes to work."
If you live in the county town, you don't even need to buy a house. How much does a house in the county town cost? People should not only focus on the small profits in front of them. If you can get the attention of the elders, you may even get a reward. Isn't that more than making money by preparing banquets for other people's families?
Wang Zhubu sighed inwardly, "Then I'll go ask tomorrow."
If she worked at the post station, it would be fine to turn a blind eye and earn some extra money elsewhere when she was not busy. However, since she only wanted Lin Qiuran, she would not be paid even if her parents-in-law came to help, and naturally, she would not prepare a house for them. She said that she could live in the post station, but it was actually useless.
Wang Zhubu has already visited Lin Qiuran today, and he plans to ask again tomorrow.
There was still something to do in the afternoon, so after lunch and a short rest, County Magistrate Li and his men followed Lord Zhao out.
In the evening, Lord Zhao came back and drank hot fish porridge and ate a light and refreshing bowl of tofu with green onions, as well as chopped salted duck eggs and crispy scallion pancakes. Lord Zhao ate one pancake by himself.
Zhao Jinshan felt that the chefs at the post station were really good. The porridge they made was thicker than that made at other places, and they could even put fish into the porridge, which he had never seen before.
Each of them drank two bowls of porridge. After they finished eating, Chen Cang went to clean up the dishes. There was a lot of food today, so he ate in the kitchen with Lin Qiuran and Sun.
The fish slices were very tender and smooth, and the porridge was particularly sweet. Chen Cang had never tasted such porridge before. The scallion pancakes were also delicious.
In the evening, Chen Cang saw Lin Qiuran cooking. He watched from the side. Lin Qiuran didn't say anything, so he learned how to fry scallion oil and make scallion and ginger water. But without those seasonings, he would never be able to make Lin Qiuran's food in his life.
After holding back for the entire meal, Chen Cang couldn't help but ask, "Madam Lin, can you sell me those two jars of seasoning?"
The author has something to say:
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It's the end of the month, please give me some nutrient solution~[Panda Head][Cat Head][Let Me Eat][Sprinkle Flowers]
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