Zuo Ling entered Shu Prefecture for no other purpose than to stock up on goods because she was greedy.
I didn't think of coming when I wasn't rich.
The thought of suddenly receiving a windfall makes my mouth water. I can't help but think of the sausages, bacon, pig's trotters, spare ribs, tongue, pig's ears, chicken, duck, and fish...
She could never get enough of preserved meat; she could eat it for the rest of her life and never tire of it.
Aside from preserved meats, even a simple bowl of noodles from any small shop in Shuzhou tastes different from those in other provinces.
Zuo Ling was a natural glutton; once she had money in her pocket, how could she resist?
Once she entered Shuzhou, she didn't go to big cities, but instead sought out small mountain villages.
It's the season for making preserved meats, and the smell of burning pine branches fills the air everywhere.
Find a hardworking and talkative villager, give him 200 yuan, and tell him that she has come to buy cured meat.
She charges 100 or 120 when others charge 70 or 80. She charges 150 when others charge 100.
Sichuan is a mountainous and densely forested region with little arable land. Although the villagers have enough to eat and wear, they are not wealthy. They readily accepted such a good deal.
The villagers knew that someone had come to buy cured meats, so they offered a higher price. Cured meats aren't difficult to make; if you're diligent, you can make a batch quickly.
A business opportunity that allows you to make money right at your doorstep is definitely not to be missed.
Zuo Ling parked the van in a secluded place without surveillance cameras and quickly received more than 2,000 jin of cured meat.
This process was repeated, and in the case of preserved meats, 15 or 16 tons were stockpiled, costing more than 4 million yuan.
One day, Zuo Ling was eating rice noodle rolls at a small restaurant in the countryside when she heard some news.
"The Huo family is so unlucky, how did they get into this mess?"
"I think someone is jealous of the Huo family's good business and is doing something underhanded."
"I think so too. Everyone in the surrounding area knows about the Huo family's banquets. Which village hasn't invited the Huo family for weddings and funerals?"
"It's over, someone's died, the Huo family's business is finished."
"Don't talk nonsense. The police are investigating. The Huo family is fine. It's not as serious as you're making it out to be."
...
After listening for a while, Zuo Ling understood that the Huo family was in charge of organizing weddings and funerals.
People from Sichuan are skilled at cooking; even a village woman can prepare a delicious and visually appealing feast.
The Huo family must have something special to stand out among the Sichuanese who are skilled in cooking.
Two weeks ago, the Huo family hosted a birthday banquet for an elderly person. During the banquet, dozens of people vomited, and two people died.
His reputation and business were completely ruined.
After finding out where the Huo family lived from the diners, Zuo Ling went directly to their door.
When Zuo Ling arrived, the Huo family was shrouded in gloom.
Old Huo, the patriarch of the Huo family, was squatting in the courtyard, smoking his pipe and puffing out clouds of smoke.
The courtyard was filled with sorrow that couldn't be dispelled.
When guests arrived, the Huo family was not pleased but alarmed, and everyone in the courtyard was speechless.
He glared at Zuo Ling, unsure whether she was there to cause trouble or to demand compensation.
After the auction sold for 10,000 yuan, Zuo Lingdao said:
"I heard that Mr. Huo is a master cook, so I came here because of his reputation."
Old Huo stood stiffly in place, his lips trembling, and his pipe trembling too.
After the incident, the eldest son took the blame for his father, Huo, and is still in police custody.
The Huo family members are not allowed to leave the town until the matter is thoroughly investigated.
After hesitating for a while, he asked, "Miss... what do you mean?"
"Eating? Eat well. I'll book a three-day banquet. I heard the Huo family's biggest banquet ever was 100 tables. I'll reduce it a bit, so we don't overwork ourselves, how about 80 tables, at a standard of 4,000 yuan per table."
4,000 yuan per table! Even in the city, 4,000 yuan is not a low standard, let alone in the countryside.
In the countryside, a minimum of 1,000 yuan is usually enough; 2,000 yuan is considered a sign of wealth.
When it comes to cooking, Old Huo's senses return, and his air of being the head of the household emerges. He taps his pipe:
"Young lady, you've heard about the Huo family, haven't you?"
Zuo Ling nodded: "I've heard about it. That's why I came."
Old Huo looked bewildered. He had heard about it, yet he still dared to come. Wasn't he afraid of causing someone's death from the food?
Zuo Ling smiled gently:
"The Huo family has been making banquets for many years without ever making a mistake. How could such a big mistake suddenly occur? I believe that Old Master Huo would not ruin his own reputation. It must be either the water or the seasonings. There must be someone sabotaging it."
Old Huo's eyes were slightly red. After the incident, he couldn't sleep for nights on end, having heard too much sarcasm and ridicule.
Some people were willing to believe in him, which seemed to breathe new life into him.
He opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Please sit wherever you like, young lady. The food will be ready in a little while."
The Huo family courtyard was well-built, with two courtyards, each containing five spacious and bright brick and tile houses, and three side rooms on each side.
Each courtyard has a small vegetable garden.
Zuo Ling entered the front yard.
Half of the yard is planted with vegetables, and the other half is paved with tiles, with a stone table, five stone benches, and a swing set.
Clearly, the Huo family was living a very comfortable life.
Zuo Ling hadn't visited the vegetable garden in a long time, so she looked around curiously.
After looking at the vegetable garden and trying out the swing set, we sat on the stone bench and waited for dinner.
Whether it was Huo's wife or daughter, she served Zuo Ling a cup of green tea, smiled shyly, and didn't say anything.
Remembering something, Zuo Ling said:
"I love spicy chicken, braised pork slices, and boiled pork intestines. Please tell your father-in-law."
The woman agreed and quickly walked towards the kitchen.
The first dishes served were Sichuan-style cold noodles, cold-cooked rabbit, "Three Great Cannons" (a type of glutinous rice ball), and bean chicken.
Don't underestimate a bowl of Sichuan-style cold noodles; there's a lot to know about choosing the right noodles.
If the rice noodles are not selected well, they will be chewy and lose their elasticity, making the jelly taste bad.
People in Sichuan like to use pea flour to make jelly. The ratio of flour to pea flour is very important. If there is too little flour, it will lack elasticity; if there is too much flour, it will be sticky and have a poor appearance.
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