It's time to admire the autumn chrysanthemums and enjoy plump, tender crabs. Hundreds of pots of chrysanthemums have already been brought to the estate, and the carefully cultivated famous flowers in the greenhouse are also on display. Lady Hou has sent out invitations to all the ladies to come to her residence to admire the chrysanthemums.
Wang Yan couldn't go back home during this vacation, so Fatty Wang came and took her to the main kitchen.
After practicing for two months, Lu Qi finally perfected the flavor of the previous dish for all sides.
Now, looking at each tofu box, the thickness and the degree of opening are all uniform, which is a basic skill.
Speaking of the fillings alone, Lu Qi has discovered several different kinds that can complement the bean flavor, enhance the aroma, remove any fishy smell, and not overpower the taste.
Wang Yan admired his dedication to research; no wonder her grandfather was willing to impart all his knowledge to Uncle Lu Qi back then.
Following Wang Pangzi all the way to the main kitchen, Lu Qi had just put the large crabs in the pot to cook and then took them out.
She greeted him with a smile and told Wang Yan to wait and try the new dishes at the Autumn Chrysanthemum Banquet.
Honey-braised crab is a sweet-tasting crab. It is prepared by boiling the crab in salt water until the shell turns red and then taking it out.
Split the crab legs open, remove all the crab meat, and keep only the crab shell for later use.
Chop the crab meat into small pieces, beat a few eggs in a bowl, add two spoonfuls of honey, and stir well again.
Next, place the crab meat on the crab shell, pour the egg mixture evenly over the crab meat, and place a piece of lard on top.
Finally, steam it in a pot. Remove it as soon as the egg mixture solidifies; do not overcook it.
Modern people mostly eat salty crabs, so sweet crabs are rare, which Wang Yan really enjoys.
Ten were steamed in total, but Lu Qi brought five to her alone as a "test dish".
Then Lu Qi sat on the small stool next to her and watched Wang Yan finish eating with longing eyes.
"Yan'er, look, it's time for the banquet again. When are you going to let your uncle try our new dishes?"
Wang Yan couldn't help but laugh. In her memory, Uncle Lu had always been a very serious person, and even her own father was afraid of him.
Where have I ever seen anyone so pitiful, speaking in such a soft and gentle voice?
"I forgot to bring the recipe. How about we try Eight Treasure Gourd Duck this time?"
"Okay, okay!"
But it's too late today. Wang Yan's holiday is tomorrow, but she can do whatever she wants tonight.
Lu Qi couldn't wait any longer and called her over, wanting to try the dish, but the process was quite complicated and couldn't be finished in a short time.
Wang Yan needs to go back now, otherwise the old woman guarding the courtyard will close the gate.
So Fatty Wang took Wang Yan back to the main courtyard of the Marquis, and said he would come to pick her up early the next morning and take her to the kitchen.
They can only be delivered to the hanging flower gate; the cooks in the inner courtyard are not allowed to enter easily.
The next morning, Wang Yan got up, washed up, and went to the main kitchen by herself.
Fatty Wang was about to lead his men to the back door to load vegetables and fruit.
Uncle Lu didn't go back at all yesterday; he spent the night in the small room behind Fatty Wang's house.
Seeing Wang Yan approaching at this moment, he was incredibly excited.
"Honey, what vegetables do we need? Eggplant, cucumber, lotus root, and tofu? Do you want soft tofu, firm tofu, or tofu pudding?"
"Duck, fresh duck. Chestnuts, salted egg yolks, ham, duck gizzards, duck liver, dried bamboo shoots, shrimp, glutinous rice. Did Uncle Lu soak the glutinous rice yesterday?"
"I soaked it. I soaked a whole basin of it yesterday."
Wang Yan handed him the Mountain Food Diary with a smile, and then went with Fatty Wang to the back door to collect today's fresh vegetables and fruits.
After Lu Qi took it, he was so engrossed that he moved a small stool and sat on it to study how to make Eight Treasure Duck.
Vegetable and fruit farmers deliver their produce through the south corner gate, as do people from the village who deliver flowers, meat, or grain.
The gate is quite large, wide enough for a car to pass through, and it's quite lively early in the morning.
Baskets of vegetables and meat were unloaded from here and then transported by the kitchen staff to the main kitchen, where they were further distributed, with some going to the smaller kitchens.
People came and went, it was very noisy. The steward who kept accounts checked each item one by one with a notebook. Basically, everything was settled on the spot. A dozen or so servants were running around non-stop, helping to transport things.
Wang Yan watched for a while, then got bored and squatted down by the door to wait for Fatty Wang to order the food.
His father had to wait until the last basket of vegetables was delivered before he could leave, just like a bookkeeper or steward.
At that moment, a young man dressed in mourning clothes groped his way in, wanting the gatekeeper to inform her.
Before she could even open her mouth, she was scolded, "Go away, what are you doing here dressed in mourning so early in the morning?"
Yang Liu was dizzy from the yelling, and tried to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.
"My father has unfortunately passed away. He was the elder brother of Yang, the second wife of the family. I hope that you, madam, can inform her of this."
Sigh, after saying that, the gatekeeper could no longer scold him.
“You’ve gone to the wrong gate. This is the South Corner Gate. Turn to the left, and the East Corner Gate is where you communicate and travel.”
Yang Liu bowed, turned and ran away, knowing that wearing this outfit would bring bad luck to others.
The old woman at the East Corner Gate, upon hearing this, didn't dare delay and immediately relayed the message inside.
Since Gu Xiao was not home, the Second Madam sent someone to find Gu Ting.
Gu Ting was shocked upon hearing this. His uncle Yang had been perfectly fine just a while ago, the arsenic poison had been neutralized, and he seemed full of energy. How could he suddenly be gone?
Yang Liu suppressed her tears and explained what had happened. It turned out that her younger sister needed to go up the mountain again to offer incense money as a way of fulfilling her vow after her wedding.
However, Jiang Lanling accidentally twisted her ankle and stayed at the clinic for a few days.
Uncle Yang had no choice but to go up the mountain himself. Unfortunately, he was caught by bandits, who, seeing that they couldn't rob him of any money, simply took his life.
The script sounded more and more familiar to Gu Ting. He quickly told her that Aunt Yang had arrived in the countryside, gave her some instructions, and then couldn't pay attention to her anymore.
She hurriedly went out to find Gu Xiao.
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