Ancient Foodie Survival Guide

Lin Cheng's heart was broken, but Jiang Shuyao at the other end of the capital was heartbroken.

Mrs. Xiangyang handed a message saying that it was the pepper seeds that Jiang Shuya asked her to find before, but she was not sure whether it was the kind she said.

Jiang Shuya wished to grow wings and fly back to the Boss House in Xiangyang immediately, and forbeared it abruptly. When Xie Xun came back, he flew in front of him regardless of etiquette to share the good news with him.

Xie Xie had just returned to the house, still wearing complicated and heavy official uniforms. He was a little tired, but watching Jiang Shuyao running towards him with his skirt from a distance, the exhaustion disappeared for a moment.

He stood at the gate of the courtyard, unconsciously catching a smile: "What are you running?"

Jiang Shuyao couldn't wait to say: "I asked my mother to let the caravan going to sea find peppers. She just sent a letter to say that there is news!"

She was happy, and Xie Xun was also happy, the corners of her eyes and eyebrows were stained with brilliance: "Chili?"

"It tastes similar to cornel oil, but it tastes much better." Jiang Shuyao explained.

She smiled and raised her head to look at Xie Xun, only to notice that he was extraordinarily handsome today.

This was the first time she had seen Xie Xun wear an official uniform. Compared with the old days, he looked so energetic, calm and steady. When he looked down at her, the tail of his eyes rose slightly, and he was a little gentle.

She met Xie Xun's gaze and suddenly felt a little hot on her face.

She hurriedly looked away and fanned her face: "The sky has really gotten hot recently."

Xie Xun didn't notice it, so he replied, "Yes, I will go back to the room to take a shower and change clothes first, and then I will come to you later."

After he walked away, Jiang Shuyao stared at him from the back for a few more times.

The heat on her face has not yet dissipated, and she is puzzled. She has only changed her official uniform. How did Xie Langjun suddenly become Lord Xie yesterday, like two people.

After Xie Xun took a shower, she changed into regular clothes. When she found Jiang Shuyao, she stayed cool in the rocking chair as before. Seeing Xie Xun's dress, she was inexplicably relieved.

Xie Xun didn't know what she had missed, and asked what she had just said.

Jiang Shu said: "I want to visit Boss Mansion tomorrow morning and take a look at Boss Mansion in Xiangyang."

Xie Xun nodded: "It just so happens that I will be fine tomorrow, so let's go with you."

Jiang Shuyao sat up, the joy on his face turned melancholy: "But I haven't thought about what the restaurant will do, so I don't know how to discuss with my mother?"

Xie Xun sat down on the high chair next to her and said, "Why can't you think of what to eat and sell? In my opinion, it's great to take it out at will."

Jiang Shuyao shook his head: "No, I wanted to make some cheap and delicious food, but found that it is not cheap to process the ingredients and seasonings. Moreover, I originally intended to make portable food for pedestrians to hurry. Now I have tried several times. I found that the cold is not as good as the hot one."

She said by saying, "Ms. Ge once persuaded me not to stick to the point of carrying convenience, but if my food is sold in restaurants, how is it different from ordinary food? So what you said let me do something Things that are good for the people will not endure."

Xie Xun couldn't help but chuckle when she heard her doubts. The night breeze was so clear that his laughter became clearer and clearer, causing Jiang Shuyao, who was frowning and thinking, to loosen his brows.

"You are trying to make a difference." Xie Xun said, "Tomorrow I will take you to meet the common people, I think you will understand what to do."

＊

The next day, Xie Xun waited in front of the east wing early.

Jiang Shuyao didn't let him wait, so he packed up casually and went out with him.

Perhaps remembering that Xie Xun said that she would accompany her to go out, she wore more simple and plain clothes than usual, thin shirts and silver hairpins, crisp and generous, except for the charming face that didn’t match her, she married ordinary business people. There is no difference between the head lady.

Accompanied by Xie Xun, Jiang Shuyao made things easier, and went straight to the Fuyang Mansion after leaving the residence.

Lin originally planned to send the pots of chili peppers to Xie Guogong's mansion today, but Jiang Shuyao came here in person.

She was very happy, and a little worried, and told her: "Why don't you have ladies who run out in two days or two, you can restrain yourself. Just go back to your natal home by yourself, how can you call my uncle over?"

"Mother, don't worry about it." Jiang Shuyao glanced at Xie Xun, "Xie Boyuan took the initiative to follow me."

Lin was pleased to touch Jiang Shuyao's hand upon hearing the words: "I didn't expect my daughter to be good at it."

Jiang Shuyao and his wife were in harmony. She felt a little bit depressed, and she also brought a little vigor on her body, and asked her servant to present the potted chili plant.

Jiang Shuyao was so excited, Xie Xun wanted to talk to her when he saw it, but because of Lin's presence, he could only endure it.

Lin looked at his cold face and felt uneasy. He always felt that he could not be in love with his daughter who had escaped from his own family. I am afraid that he would be unwilling to accompany her today.

After Xie Xun worshipped Mrs. Xiangyang, he went to the front yard to talk to Mrs. Xiangyang.

Lin looked at his distant back, sad and incomprehensible.

As a mother's worries, Jiang Shuyao didn't understand. When the next person held the potted chili plant, she jumped up excitedly.

Is there anything happier than a spicy person seeing peppers?

She pulled Lin's sleeve and said, "Mother, this is it!"

Seeing her reaction so much, Lin felt helpless: "It's OK, what about it?"

Jiang Shuyao smiled embarrassedly, and asked, "Mother, is there only this pot?"

"Of course not. I just heard what you said, and I don't know if what the caravan found is what you want, so I only brought a pot to Beijing. This is rare, and the caravan brought back not many seeds. In coastal areas, wealthy merchants often make bonsai with this object for viewing, but I don’t think it is as good as a flower." Lin waved, "Come on, let the gardener come in."

The maid responded and soon brought in a gardener, whose voice was obviously a commoner from the coastal area, and stood restrained after saluting the Lin family.

Jiang Shuyao didn't understand business, and said to Lin: "Mother, you can let me have more chili peppers, it will be of great use in the future."

Although Lin spoils her, he still has to ask: "What's the use of planting this thing?"

Jiang Shuyao talked about the deliciousness of chili. When Lin asked her how she knew it, she said that she had heard that Emperor Taizu had found this thing and praised it.

Lin was skeptical, and arranged for the errand.

Even if the pepper is not as Jiang Shuyao said, but a little money was wasted, if this little money can make her daughter happy, of course she will not be stingy.

Jiang Shuyao was very excited at the moment, and he went through the famous Sichuan cuisine and Hunan cuisine in his mind, and flashed a series of spicy and enjoyable snacks, and finally thought of his ambitious goal of improving the food in his dynasty, and finally remembered the business.

"By the way, mother, I have an idea of ​​doing business and want to talk to you."

Lin glanced at her as if he didn't know her anymore: "Business? You haven't even touched an abacus from your birth to now, why are you suddenly interested in doing business?"

Of course it was Xie Xun's idea, and the original intention of doing business was not in the business itself, but in order to restore Lin's fighting spirit.

Jiang Shuyao smiled and said, "Because my cooking skill is always useful, isn't it? I don't know how to do business, so I came here to ask my mother."

She shared her thoughts with the Lin family: "Mother, you have used countless delicacies from Jiangnan to the capital, but have you ever seen a cooking method more novel than mine?"

As a woman who has been in shopping malls for many years, Lin's first reaction was to think about the feasibility of this business. She shook her head and said, "There are many restaurants in Beijing, and it is difficult to get ahead."

"We don't compete with restaurants. We are restaurants and sell to ordinary people. Anyway, my skill is to make delicious and innovative ideas with cheap ingredients."

When Lin's face moved slightly, Jiang Shuyao couldn't help but feel pleased when he saw this. Waiting to continue persuading, he heard Lin spit out two words decisively: "No!"

She turned around, her face solemn: "You are the third wife of Xie Guogong's mansion, how did you give birth to these messy thoughts? If you want to handle the farm shop, how many mothers do you want, but this matter, I will never agree."

Jiang Shuyao's smile froze on his face.

Lin's refusal was beyond her expectation. She was confident that Lin would be interested, and maybe she would regain her strength and enthusiasm to return to that Lin's family, but she didn't expect Lin to be so disagreeable. Agree.

"Mother, what does this have to do with being the third wife of Xie Guogong's mansion? Isn't it just being a restaurant? What's the difference with Jingshou shop, I—"

"It's a big difference. It's a housekeeper's job to deal with the shop. All the ladies only need to order. How many do you think are serious in doing business? Seriously in business, you have to show your face, you have to be stinky, and you have to plan. , Who wants to marry this kind of lady?"

"But... mother, how could it be as serious as you said." Jiang Shuyao was the first time he heard this kind of argument.

She looked indifferent, Lin looked anxiously, and roared: "What do you think your father and I are doing from a loving couple to now?"

Jiang Shuyao was completely stunned by the words, she looked at Lin in amazement: "It's not because of the backyard..." She always thought it was Xiangyang Boxi who was tired of the old, and the two had different personalities. She didn't expect this to be the reason.

Lin looked down, his voice was flat, as if he had long been numb: "Man, when you marry you, I like you to be neat and ingenious, praise you as a woman and don't let your eyebrows, and once the days pass, you will be covered with copper. It’s very scheming, and I hate that you have earned this family business because you are rolling among men."

"Mother..." Jiang Shuyao felt sore in her heart and grabbed her sleeve.

"Enough." Lin interrupted her, "Don't think about it anymore. Before you got married, you were ridiculous. It was your mother's bad decision to protect you. After you marry, all the previous temperaments will be put away by me. You Do you think it's the Boss Fu Fu who can indulge you and protect you?"

Jiang Shuyao didn't care about business or not, but he pityed Lin's experience and looked at her weepingly.

Lin's heart softened for a moment, but still hardened his heart: "Okay, that's the end of this matter. Go and see your father."

This was driving her away. Jiang Shuya wanted to say a few more words, but when he saw Lin's face he faded.

So when Xie Xie saw Jiang Shuyao again, she was just like she was aggrieved.

He whispered: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Shuyao told him Lin's refusal, of course he didn't mention the mother and daughter's heart-wrenching words.

"This business can't be done, let's find another way." She looked disappointed.

Xie Xun knows how much she expects to open a restaurant these days, but now she is disappointed. In addition to her thoughts, her hopes for regaining fighting spirit should be lost.

He was not a stupid person, he quickly figured out the key points, and understood Lin's thoughts better than Jiang Shuya, who had listened to Lin's reprimand.

Thinking about how Jiang Shuya was crying when he was drunk that day, he couldn't help but sigh, and said to Uncle Xiangyang: "Father-in-law is still busy with business, Bo Yuan won't bother."

Then he patted Jiang Shuyao's hair bun, and whispered: "Let's go, let's go see mother-in-law again."

"Why are you going?" Jiang Shuyao asked, but Xie Xun didn't answer her.

When he went to Lin's yard, Lin saw them going back, very confused, and looked at Jiang Shuyao and hoped she could explain it to herself.

But Jiang Shuyao didn't know what Xie Xun wanted to do, so he could only look at Xie Xun.

Xie Xun coughed and said, "My son-in-law has something to say to his mother-in-law."

Lin's eye knives flew towards Jiang Shuyao. Jiang Shuyao was so confused, he tore at Xie Xun's robe.

After Xie Xun said these words, he didn't say much. Although Lin's temper was dry, he was still a family member. He had a good ability to guess his mind by looking at a person's face.

Jiang Shuyao didn't move, didn't realize that he should go too.

Seeing Xie Xun's serious expression, Lin put away the kind and charitable appearance that he had put out, and said to Jiang Shuao: "You go down too."

Jiang Shuyao looked at Xie Xun and Lin again, and left reluctantly.

As soon as she left, there were only Lin's confidantes left in the house. Lin asked, "What do you want to say?"

When she asked this sentence, she had a guess in her heart, fearing that Xie Xun was here to question her. In order to pack Jiang Shuyao into Xie Guogong’s mansion, the Boss of Xiangyang had inferior methods. After crying, making trouble, and hanging himself, he deliberately asked the queen to marry him. He was determined to tie Jiang Shuyao by his side. It was normal for him to have anger and resentment.

She felt guilty, and she couldn't help but feel short of breath facing Xie Xun.

Seeing her expression, Xie Xun knew that she wanted to make a difference, and went straight to the subject: "My son-in-law wants to talk to my mother-in-law about my marriage with Shu Yao."

Sure enough, Lin's heart shuddered, and he squeezed the handkerchief tightly.

She spoke with difficulty: "It is indeed the Boss Fu Xiangyang who can't help it at this time--"

Before she finished speaking, Xie Xun suddenly bowed and bowed to her.

Lin was taken aback, stopped talking, and listened to Xie Xun's warm voice: "Is it really true to worship your father-in-law when you marry her? I will make it up now. I hope my mother-in-law will forgive me.

He slowly said: "I treated Shu Yao badly before, and after getting married, I ignored her. I never had a good face to her. At that time, I had grievances in my heart and I didn't want to be an ordinary couple who respected her as a guest."

"But now I know what kind of woman she is. I hate what she has done, and blame myself for making her wronged. It is a matter of love, and no one has said carefully through the ages. I don't understand what it is, but I thought, if it was when I was When I met her, I never had any misunderstandings and calculations, and I would definitely not end up in this situation. I would definitely go to the door to marry her as my wife and give her respect and protection."

"To say that I have been so affectionate towards her nowadays, and my mother-in-law can hardly believe it. My son-in-law can only swear to God that I will indulge her in the future, respect her and pity her, and wish her everything will be true and live up to her life."

Lin looked at him blankly, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Xie Xun was also a little bit ashamed after confessing his confession. He coughed and turned to the subject: "Mother-in-law is not in good health, and Shu Yu is very worried. I want to help her solve problems, so mother-in-law doesn’t need to worry about opening a restaurant to do business. I proposed it."

Now Lin was completely stunned, unable to react after a long time, and said for a while: "Did you propose?"

"Yes, I just want her to be happy." Xie Xun said, "The wife I want is not a decoration, let alone a lifeless puppet. She is free and unruly. For me, it is the life of a married couple. ."

Lin's face changed a few times, and in the end only unspeakable entanglements remained.

Xie Xun pondered for a few breaths, and then said something that transcended: "I know that my mother-in-law doesn't believe me because of lessons learned, but I have seen people's hearts over time, and I hope my mother-in-law will give me a chance to prove what I have said."

Lin did not speak for a long time, when Xie Xun thought she would not speak anymore, she slowly uttered a word: "Okay."

"Xie Boyuan, you are an upright gentleman, remember to do what you say."

Xie Xun tried again and turned to leave the house.

The room fell silent, Lin was sitting upright. Her long-term lack of appetite made her thin and haggard. At this moment, she looked at the tea cup stubbornly and didn't know what she was thinking, and it was heartbreaking.

The mother walked forward quietly and whispered: "Madam."

Lin did not answer, and tears suddenly slipped from his eyes.

The mother was shocked: "Madam...Miss, why are you crying?"

Lin wiped away his tears and said, "Nothing, Niang Fu, I am happy."

＊

Jiang Shuyao was uneasy outside the house. Seeing Xie Xun came over, he quickly asked, "How is it?"

"Well, it should make sense."

"what did you say?"

Xie Xun avoided her sight and hesitated: "Just like this...what? I said I want to show you the days of ordinary people, let's go now."

"just now?"

"It's almost noon, it's a good time." He settled a problem, felt comfortable, strode forward, "Let's go."

Jiang Shuya hurriedly chased him up: "Hey, Xie Boyuan, wait for me."

The two got on the carriage and drove all the way to the outer city. After reaching the outer city, the streets were narrow and crowded. Xie Xun led Jiang Shuya out of the carriage and walked all the way south.

Jiang Shuyao followed him and asked curiously: "Have you been to these places?"

Xie Xun said helplessly: "Do you think that officials can handle political affairs by sitting in the hall all day?"

Jiang Shuyao shut up, and Xie Xun was afraid that someone would squeeze her, so he pulled her to his side to protect her.

When arriving at a small shop, Xie Xun said, "This is the most famous restaurant nearby, try it?"

There were no empty seats in the restaurant. Jiang Shuyao looked at a large group of people standing beside him carrying bowls of noodles, guessing that the taste should be very good, and said: "Okay."

Xie Xun ordered a bowl of noodles, and the lady boss made it quickly. Maybe she hadn't seen such a handsome young man for a long time, and she didn't know where to find a lame stool for him.

Xie Xun thanked him, did not sit down, brought a bowl of noodles and stood aside, and said to Jiang Shuyao: "Eat and see."

He was holding the bowl, and Jiang Shuya ate it directly with his hand. He picked up a chopsticks noodle entrance, and found that the noodles were not as delicious as he had imagined. , There is meaty but not fragrant, but a bit fishy.

But watching the people around me snorting, suspecting that she had tasted it wrong, she took another bite, and the taste was still the same.

Xie Xun put the bowl down and left. A thin black boy next to him immediately grabbed the bowl and poured it into his mouth.

Jiang Shuyao puzzled: "This..." She also saw it when Xie Xun paid the bill just now. A bowl of noodles is not expensive, but it is enough to cut a small piece of meat. The people are willing to spend the money but cannot eat the corresponding delicacy. It stands to reason. It should be unpleasant to come, but business is still hot here, which is really hard to understand.

Xie Xun said, "Didn't I tell you, you will know what to do after seeing it."

He led Jiang Shuya to the direction of the wharf again, and all work at the wharf relied on his strength, and he had to eat well in the afternoon to be vigorous. So people here are more willing to spend money, usually a bowl of rice with stew, or dried bun with fish soup.

There is no shortage of fish at the wharf, and the fish soup is not expensive, but it tastes like soil, so I only took a sip of Jiang Shuyao and didn’t want to drink it again.

Xie Xun ordered a bowl of stew again, which was a lot of portion, but the taste was still mediocre, probably with **** and garlic, and the smell of the meat was not too strong. The stew is put in soy sauce, but the soy sauce is not fermented well, the taste is very ordinary, and the stewed meat is not much better. Even so, this is also considered a delicate meal here.

Jiang Shuyao had a vague understanding. No wonder Xie Xun didn't have to focus on cooking with cheap ingredients, because even the most common meat could not be handled well by ordinary people.

Only then did she realize that this was an era when the iron pot was only invented, and even the upper class did not eat fine food, let alone the people.

It's no wonder that Ge Qingshu even persuaded her to sell a hamburger in a restaurant. It is true that the people here have a single cooking method, even if the infrastructure has kept up, the food has not developed.

Jiang Shuyao said: "I understand, let's go, let's go back, I have so many ideas."

Xie Xun was amused by her again, and the two returned home and bought two steamed buns on the way to cushion their stomachs.

Back to Xiangyang Bofu, the meal is over.

Jiang Shuyao was at ease everywhere. He went into the big kitchen and looked around, thinking about the stew he had eaten today, his heart moved.

It just so happened that there was a piece of fat and thin pork belly hanging on the chopping board. It could not be better to make braised pork.

The skin of the pork belly is the essence, and it must be left. The gluey layer of the stewed pork belly is sticky, and the taste is mellow.

Cut the pork belly into a square Mahjong tile shape, the size is right, the big one is not tasty, and the stew is not crispy, and the small one loses the satisfaction of filling the mouth full of meat.

After cutting, marinate to remove fishy, ​​then heat the pan to heat oil, saute **** slices, garlic, pepper and star anise, pour in pork belly and stir fry, transfer to casserole, add white wine, soy sauce, rock sugar, and simmer slowly for half an hour.

When the cover was uncovered, the whole room was full of fragrant meat.

The braised pork that comes out of the pan is very crispy, neat and square after being coded, all crystal clear, like jade in color.

It is enough to heat up the leftover rice at noon, one meat and one rice.

Jiang Shuyao asked the maid to call Xie Xun, and the two sat opposite each other. There was a plate of fragrant braised pork in the center. The color was brown and red, bright but not oily, and the sugar color was even.

Xie Xun could not help but sigh when he saw such a beautiful pork belly for the first time, and was even more surprised when he caught the meat with chopsticks.

The pork belly is extremely soft and tender, so crisp that it melts in just one clip, and the square pieces of meat tremble between the chopsticks, glowing with oil, which is called the tongue to produce fluid.

Putting it in the mouth, the teeth just touched the fat, the meat melted, sweet and soft, fat but not greasy, the meaty fragrance spreads in the mouth, long and endless, the more the taste, the more mellow.

With a bite of steaming white rice, the meaty aroma and the fragrant rice flavor are neutralized, which is fragrant but not greasy.

The skin of braised pork in brown sauce is not like pigskin at all. Instead, it looks like unmelted glue. It is soft and waxy. It is firmer than crispy and delicate fat and has a sticky, mellow meat. Scent.

The pork belly with such a flavor can't help but be handled gently when the chopsticks are put down, and it is less gobbled up when you eat.

When he had eaten two pieces of braised pork, Xie Xun learned Jiang Shuyao to pour a spoonful of sauce onto the white rice, stir it slightly, the sauce was brown-red, thick and fragrant, mixed with the white rice, even white rice Also wrapped in sauce is oily and shiny.

The meaty aroma of the pork belly is completely integrated into the sauce, with a strong fatty meat aroma, but not oily, salty and suitable, sweet but not greasy, the rice sticks to the sauce, and each rice becomes sweet and salty.

This taste can hardly be waited for people to take a large bowl of white rice, pour it on the thick and viscous sauce, stir and stir, and eat it all.

Xie Xun said in surprise: "The pig meat can make such a taste."

"Don't look at the meat, you don't have a lot of thoughts when you do it."

Xie Xun thought this was her inspiration today, and said, "This kind of food is not suitable for restaurants."

Jiang Shuyao shook his head: "No, braised pork rice is more suitable. A large bowl of coarse grain rice, topped with braised pork and sauce, and marinated eggs with green vegetables, is full and relieves hunger."

Xie Xie nodded and asked Jiang Shuyao to take the rest of the pot to Lin's taste. With this plate of pork meat in front, he persuaded that Lin would definitely think about opening the restaurant. ,,