Chapter 79 Braised Chicken Upon hearing this, the student pondered for a moment, and finally…
Upon hearing this, the student pondered for a moment and finally agreed. It wasn't just because of what Yao Lang promised; what truly moved him was Yao Lang's mention that Su Zhihan had already prepared banquets for Master Peng and several other middle-class families.
"However, I cannot make this decision alone; I need to discuss it with others."
“I know what to do. Just let me know in advance, and I’ll bring you two dishes as a lucky charm.”
“Okay.” Zhang Xuezi readily agreed. It had taken them several months to save up enough money to reserve a mid-range table at a restaurant.
The group had been arguing endlessly about whose house to book the banquet at, and had not yet come to a decision. If this cook, Su, really had the abilities that Yao Lang described, then they would have really gotten a great deal.
Ultimately, it's a matter of mutual benefit and needs.
Zhang Xuezi made up his mind, and the next day after class, he called his two classmates and told them that he had ordered two dishes, inviting them to his home for dinner and to discuss the matter of ordering food.
"Why did you order food? It's such a waste of money."
“Brother Zhang, Brother Fang is right. It’s not easy for us to scrape together this money. Why not go to the braised food shop next door and order some chicken feet and chicken frames to eat with some wine? Why bother ordering this dish?” Another classmate chimed in.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuezi waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "I've already placed the order, how can I cancel it at the last minute?"
The students standing nearby happened to see the thriving Jiang's braised meat shop and nodded in agreement, casually asking, "By the way, I remember the braised meat rice you brought earlier was from this shop, right?"
"Yes, it's theirs."
"I think I saw someone carrying their flag on the street before. I remember they do takeout... Let's order a couple of portions later." Fang Xuezi glanced at Jiang's Braised Meat Shop, feeling itchy to try it.
This Jiang family's braised meat shop was extremely prosperous, offering a wide variety of food, both expensive and inexpensive. The wealthy could buy a whole pig's trotter and devour it with gusto; the poor could pick up a chicken carcass, pair it with a couple of ounces of wine, and slurp it down to their heart's content.
Fang Xuezi and his companions had heard of the shop, but it was far from their residence, and they had never been there before.
“We’ll talk about this next time.” Zhang Xuezi smiled slightly, leading the two of them home while giving Yao Lang a wink: “The schoolmaster’s birthday is coming up soon, so we should probably finalize the banquet arrangements.”
Upon hearing this, the other two men immediately looked worried. They had inquired about the prices of restaurants in the capital beforehand, and thought that the money the three of them had pooled together would be enough to buy a top-class banquet. However, when they went to make a reservation, they discovered that the prices of top-class banquets varied drastically depending on the ingredients and tableware used.
The kind they had initially chosen would cost at least thirty strings of cash, but the three of them could only afford to book a mid-range banquet, and not even one of the most famous restaurants in the capital.
“I was thinking, why don’t we ask my family for some…” one of them suggested in a low voice.
"What do you want? Given the circumstances of our three families, it's already a miracle that we can scrape together enough money for our education. How could we possibly ask for more? Any more... we'd probably have to sell our land and houses."
Fang Xuezi shook his head repeatedly. In the eyes of the villagers and the county, they were already the pride of heaven to be able to study at the Imperial Academy. Their families all hoped that they would pass the imperial examination, enter officialdom, and then rise to prominence and make a lot of money.
Initially, the three were full of confidence, gathering together to dream of passing the imperial examinations, entering officialdom, ascending to the imperial court, making grand pronouncements, influencing the winds and rains, and wielding power.
But once they entered the Imperial Academy, they realized that they were not geniuses at all. Not to mention that there were countless people more intelligent and talented than them, many of whom were not only exceptionally talented but also came from prestigious families.
Over the years, they lost their initial ambition and only hoped to smoothly enter officialdom. Here, "smoothly" does not simply refer to passing the imperial examination, but rather to their future career path after passing it, which is known as "holding an official position."
Once a candidate passed the imperial examination, they were qualified to serve as an official. However, this did not mean that they could be immediately assigned to an official position. Instead, they had to wait for the Ministry of Personnel and other relevant departments to conduct selection and assessment to determine their specific official position and appointment.
During their waiting period for selection, they needed to prepare various materials at home and undergo qualification reviews and assessments by different departments. Every year, a number of successful candidates failed to pass the examinations and had to become re-elected officials.
These candidates who were selected for the imperial examinations, although qualified to serve as officials, had no income and could only remain in a "waiting" state, which could last from one year to two or three years.
For those from wealthy families, this might be a good opportunity to study diligently, but for these few from impoverished backgrounds, becoming election officials would mean a difficult future.
Therefore, they turned their attention to Xue Zheng and others, intending to cultivate good relationships with their superiors in advance, so as to find a way out for the future.
"It's something we can't help but do." Zhou Xuezi followed Zhang Xuezi into the house, and after settling into a chair, he smiled wryly and lowered his voice, saying, "I have some bad news..."
"What news?"
"I heard that Fan Xuezi and his friends also plan to send a banquet to Xuezheng."
"Although Fan Xuezi's family isn't a wealthy one, compared to our family... they are still much richer."
"I'm afraid... when we send the banquet over, not only will they not remember us, but we might also make a fool of ourselves and become a laughing stock."
Upon hearing this, Fang Xuezi, who had just taken his seat, immediately changed his expression: "Really? This... no one brought a banquet in the past two years, why are Fan Xuezi and the others joining in this fun this year?"
"God knows."
"Could it be that you know our plans?"
Listening to his classmates' words, Zhang Xuezi couldn't help but feel worried. He took out a bowl and chopsticks and placed them on the table, then took out a wine pot and cups and poured a cup of wine for each of his two classmates. After clearing his throat, he slowly said, "Actually, the reason I invited you two here today is precisely for this matter."
"Um?"
What does this mean?
"Brother Zhang, do you have any good ideas?"
“Actually…” Zhang Xuezi sat down and slowly began to explain. He didn’t say that he had gotten a good deal and was persuaded by Yao Lang. He only said that he felt that ordering dishes at the restaurant was too expensive and not cost-effective, and thought it would be better for everyone to hire a cook together.
"That...is indeed a good idea."
"But we don't have any connections in the capital. How can we find a cook? Should we go to a broker's? But we don't know how skilled the cooks the brokers recommend are..."
“I have someone in mind,” Zhang Xuezi said to the two men. “I’ve heard that this cook has previously prepared banquets for middle-class families in the capital. His skills are quite good, and the prices are not too expensive, around ten strings of cash per table.”
"Ten strings of cash? That includes the cost of ingredients..."
"Yes, fifteen strings of cash should be about right!"
“If that’s the case, then the price will indeed be much cheaper.” Fang Xuezi calculated the price and was immediately tempted. If they could finish the banquet within 20 guan, it would not only be within their budget, but they would also save a lot of money. In the future, the three of them would not have to be so stingy as they are now.
Zhou Xuezi's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but ask, "Who is this 'stove person' you're talking about? Have you ever eaten their food?"
"Far away yet right before my eyes."
"It's the daughter of the owner of that Jiang's braised meat shop on the street!" Zhang Xuezi said happily when he saw that the two were interested.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Zhou and Fang's expressions changed. Zhou Xuezi's eyes widened: "What? The girl from the braised meat shop?"
Fang Xuezi shook his head repeatedly: "Those braised meats from the shops cost tens or hundreds of coins, how could they be served at an official banquet?"
"Brother Zhang, have you been scammed?" The two didn't think that Zhang Xuezi had been paid to speak on behalf of someone. After all, this matter concerned the future of the three of them, and no one would risk their future for a little money.
No, no.
“I had the same idea.” Zhang Xuezi waved his hand repeatedly, but before he could speak, he heard a knock on the door and Yao Lang’s voice: “Zhang Lang, Zhang Lang? Are you there? I’ve brought the dishes you ordered.”
"They're here." Zhang Lang got up to open the door and explained to the two of them, "I ordered two dishes and wanted to teach you how to make them."
Immediately afterwards, he turned around and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for bringing it over, Brother Yao."
"It's nothing." Yao Lang glanced at the other two people in the room out of the corner of his eye, then deftly opened the food box and took out the dishes inside: "A lotus leaf duck, a braised chicken, and this sugar crispy pastry, which Han-jie gave you as a gift."
After Yao Lang interrupted, the room became very quiet.
Although Zhang Xuezi already knew that Su Zhihan had cooked for middle-class families and had heard people talk about it, he was not on the guest list when Su Zhihan hosted a dinner party last time, so this was the first time he had seen her cooking skills.
As Yao Lang lifted the lid of the food box and placed the two main dishes and snacks on the table, an indescribable aroma wafted out.
Not to mention Zhang Xuezi's stunned expression, the other two also looked up in surprise.
"Take your time eating. Put the empty plates in the food container later, and I'll clean them up then." Yao Lang was very satisfied with the three of them's reaction, secretly giving himself a thumbs up. He smiled and gave them instructions before leaving.
Once Yao Lang's footsteps faded away, Fang Xuezi and Zhou Xuezi could no longer contain their excitement and leaned forward to look at the three dishes on the table.
On the far right is the lotus leaf duck. The lotus leaf laid on the plate is slightly curled, and the clear duck soup inside allows you to see the veins of the lotus leaf at the bottom through the soup. The whole golden duck lies in the soup, with scattered coriander, scallions and peppercorns on its body. The red, green and yellow colors intertwine and reflect each other, gleaming with an enticing sheen.
In the center is braised chicken, with whole shiitake mushrooms and large chunks of chicken piled on the plate. The surface is slightly browned, and the thick broth is soaked into it, slowly dripping down the surface.
On the far right is the 'gift' sugar crisp, a round pancake sprinkled with sesame seeds and sugar granules, slowly baked in a pan until fluffy and crispy, emitting a faint sweet aroma.
Just by looking at their appearance, the three dishes in front of them were already very tempting, not to mention the aroma that wafted over them was even more enticing, making the three of them unable to stop swallowing their saliva.
Zhang Xuezi swallowed hard, then waved his hand casually, saying, "Come on, try it, or the food will get cold."
"Um……"
"Yes, yes, try it quickly." Zhou Xuezi gulped down his saliva. He reached for the wooden chopsticks on the table and hurried toward the dishes.
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