47 A Wave of Flattery
An hour later, Ji Zhao was full of admiration for Shen Yao.
She only told him the cooking method of all the dishes once.
But Shen Yao really did a good job.
Especially when he cut the vegetables, his movements were as graceful as flowing water.
It was pleasing to the eye.
At lunch, when they found out that the four dishes that afternoon were all made by Shen Yao, everyone's jaws dropped.
"Third Brother, how do you know how to cook?" Second Sister-in-law Shen could not help but ask.
"I only learned it today." Shen Yao smiled. "But it's still because Ah Tao taught me well."
Ji Zhao, who was suddenly cued, smiled sheepishly.
"It's mainly because you're smart. You understand immediately." Ji Zhao smiled and praised him.
Zhao Lanhua saw exchange of looks between them and smiled happily.
After the family happily finished their lunch, Zhao Lanhua suggested that Ji Zhao follow Shen Dashan and the others to the county to sell fish.
"Ah Tao, wait a minute!" Zhao Lanhua hurriedly returned to the central room. She took off the bamboo hat hanging on the wall and put it on Ji Zhao's head. "The weather is getting hotter. Don't get tanned!"
"Got it. Thank you, Mother!"
"That father and son pair are clumsy with their words. Remember to negotiate the prices when you sell the fish later. The county city is short of ingredients now. Remember to raise the price!"
"Okay." Ji Zhao nodded obediently. "Mother, don't worry. I'll remember everything!"
"Alright, go quickly and come back early!"
Around 1:45 PM, the three of them arrived at the Shen Ji pastry shop.
"Father, Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law, why are you here?" Eldest sister-in-law Shen warmly welcomed the three of them into the hall and greeted them with a smile. "It's too hot today. Quick, drink some mung bean soup to get rid of the heat!"
She had left the mung bean soup in the deep well for more than an hour. It was cold and refreshing.
After drinking a bowl, Ji Zhao narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
"Ah Tao, do you want another bowl?" Eldest sister-in-law Shen walked up to Ji Zhao and asked with a warm smile.
"No need, thank you, eldest sister-in-law!"
"What are you thanking me for? We're all family," Eldest Sister-in-law Shen said happily and quickly took out some pastries to serve them.
"Eldest wife. Is Dalang not at home?" Shen Dashan asked softly after drinking two bowls of green bean soup.
"Father, Dalang went to the Qin residence to deliver pastries!" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen smiled proudly. "Ever since Old Madam Qin ate Ah Tao's mung bean ice cake and full moon cakes, she needs more every few days. This morning, the shop was not busy, so Dalang himself went to deliver them to her door."
"That's good!" Shen Dashan nodded slightly. "Business is difficult in this year. You and Dalang have to put in more effort!"
"Father, don't worry. We understand!"
"By the way, Third Brother and I caught a lot of fish today." Shen Dashan pointed at the tall wooden bucket and said softly, "Leave two for Dalang to eat. Sell the rest to a restaurant later!"
"Alright!" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen quickly said, "Last time, the second-in-charge of Hongxing Restaurant took the wild chickens that our family sent over. I'll go with Father later?"
"What about the shop?"
"It's fine. I'll get Chunyan to come out and keep watch!"
After a while, Sister-in-law Shen led the three of them to the largest restaurant in Dingyuan County.
After 2 pm, the Hongxing Restaurant was still bustling with noise and excitement.
Eldest Sister-in-law Shen led them to the back door of the restaurant and happened to meet the anxious-looking second manager of the restaurant.
"Second Manager, what happened to you?"
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48 Jin Ji Yu Kuai
When the anxious second manager saw who it was, he frowned and sighed.
"Chef Dong of the restaurant suddenly injured his hand. A customer ordered Chef Dong's specialty dish. I was just worrying about it!" The second shopkeeper said in distress.
"What specialty dish?" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen asked curiously.
"Jin Ji Yu Kuai." The second manager was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. "In the entire Dingyuan County, other than Chef Dong, I'm afraid no one else knows how to make this dish..."
"I do!" Ji Zhao, who was in the crowd, said quietly.
"You know how to cook?" The second manager was extremely excited when he heard those two words. However, when he saw Ji Zhao's young face clearly, he frowned again. "You really know how to cook?"
"Second Manager, can I borrow the kitchen?" Ji Zhao asked instead of answering. The smile on her face was confident and flamboyant.
When Ji Zhao walked into the restaurant's kitchen, she finally understood what the difference was.
She estimated that the kitchen was at least 50 square meters.
"Ah Tao, do you really know the method of cooking Jin Ji Yu Kuai?" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen looked at the confident Ji Zhao worriedly and asked softly.
"Actually, this dish is not difficult to make." Ji Zhao smiled. "Eldest Sister-in-law, don't worry. I will definitely make it well!"
"There are records of this dish in the Qi Min Essentials Technique," Shen Yao suddenly said. "If there are too many orange peels in Jin Qi Yu Kuai, it's not aesthetic. Therefore, foxtail millet is added, which adds the golden color and gives it its sweet taste."
"That's right. Actually, the main point of this dish is the ingredients. Seven ingredients are indispensable." Ji Zhao nodded in agreement and looked at Shen Yao with even more admiration. Indeed, knowledgeable people are the most charming~
"To make this dish, you need seven ingredients, but there's one missing in the kitchen." Ji Zhao suddenly faced the restaurant's second manager and smiled. "Since this dish is the head chef's specialty, the ingredient that's missing should be the head chef's secret recipe. Can I trouble the second manager to get the chef to send that ingredient over?"
Chef Dong, who was resting in the backyard, could not help but sneeze!
Immediately after, the second manager arrived in front of him.
After understanding what had happened, Chef Dong hurriedly returned to the kitchen.
When he saw Ji Zhao, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Second Manager, do you really believe this girl?"
"Chef Dong, you need seven ingredients to make Jin Ji Yu Kuai. The one you secretly made should start with the word white..." Ji Zhao suddenly spoke, but then stopped abruptly.
"I didn't expect you to be an expert, little girl."
"Chef Dong, you flatter me." Ji Zhao smiled. "Eldest Brother has always been on good terms with the second manager. That's why I stepped forward. I just wanted to resolve the second manager's urgent problem."
"Sure!" Chef Dong laughed heartily when he heard her implication. Then, he took out a small white porcelain bottle from his pocket and threw it to her. "Try it, but the amount inside is only enough for one try."
Ji Zhao smiled confidently. After washing her hands, she began to make this famous dish.
She picked out a medium-sized bass from the water tank and cut it down. After removing the bones, skin, and washing it, she began to slice the fish.
Seeing her swift movements, the contempt in Chef Dong's eyes gradually turned into admiration.
Every piece of fish was as thin as a cicada's wing, and the patterns on it were especially beautiful.
Immediately after, Ji Zhao began to add ingredients.
The most important step in making Jin Ji Yu Kuai is to learn how to make the Jin Ji sauce.
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49 Very Good
The method was not difficult. The most important thing was to mix the appropriate amount of seasoning.
The Qi Min Essentials Technique describes the recipe in detail. The seven ingredients required are garlic, ginger, salt, white plum, orange peel, cooked chestnut meat, and rice.
Among them, the most difficult one was the white plum. The white plum had to be soaked in salt water for the night. The next day, it had to be placed under the sun. Only after repeating this dozens of times could the white plum be obtained.
After Ji Zhao prepared the ingredients one by one, she chose half of the fish slices and boiled them in the water.
"The dish is already complete. Why are you scalding the fish? Won't this ruin the taste?" Chef Dong couldn't help but ask with a frown when he saw her actions.
Ji Zhao explained with a smile, "Jin Ji Yu Kuai can be eaten both raw or cooked. However, it depends on the person. If it's a guest with a weak stomach, it's best to boil it."
Actually, the so-called Jin Ji Yu Kuai was raw fish slices.
This dish mainly tested knife skills and condiments.
"I see." Chef Dong was enlightened. Then, he asked humbly, "May I ask who this your master is?"
"Grandfather is good at cooking, so I have been influenced since I was young." Ji Zhao casually made up an excuse and then looked away guiltily.
"May I ask where your grandfather is now?"
"Grandfather has already passed away." Ji Zhao lowered her eyes slightly and said softly.
"This... I'm really sorry."
Chef Dong hurriedly apologized.
Ji Zhao had done the restaurant such a huge favor. The second manager was grateful and directly accepted the large bucket of fish sent by the Shen family.
Fifteen taels of silver!
Shen Dashan could not hide his excitement. He carefully put the silver into his pocket.
After returning to the pastry shop, Eldest Sister-in-law Shen took Shen Dashan to buy things nearby.
Shen Yao brought Ji Zhao to the small kitchen in the backyard.
"What... what's wrong?" Ji Zhao, who felt inexplicably guilty, blinked nervously.
"Give me your hand."
"Huh?" Although she didn't understand, Ji Zhao still obediently stretched out her hand.
Shen Yao carefully examined the wound on her finger and asked with a frown, "Your finger is injured and you came into contact with salt just now. Does it hurt?"
"Uh... it seems to hurt a little?" Ji Zhao finally remembered that her finger was still injured!
Shen Yao gently grabbed her hand and treated her wound again.
"...Thank you." Ji Zhao smiled gratefully.
"I heard that Grandpa Ji has never cooked." Shen Yao suddenly exposed the lie she had just told and asked softly, "Not only are you good at cooking, but you also seem to know some martial arts?"
This morning, by the pond, she had only used one move to subdue the burly Shen Lang.
It left a deep impression on Shen Yao.
"I..." Ji Zhao blinked nervously, then asked with a smile, "Is that bad?"
"Third Brother, Ah Tao, it's getting late. Let's go home quickly!" Shen Dashan's voice suddenly sounded.
Ji Zhao responded simply and walked around Shen Yao to the front hall.
Shen Yao looked at her back and smiled silently.
This was good.
Zhao Lanhua was very happy to know that the fish had been sold for fifteen taels of silver!
What made her even happier was that her old man had actually bought her a silver hairpin.
"Why are you spending this money?" Zhao Lanhua said with disdain, but she could not stop the smile on her face.
"Lanhua, you're so beautiful!" Shen Dashan suddenly grinned at her and smiled sheepishly.
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50 Sunrise
When Zhao Lanhua was young, she was considered a flower in this village.
Although she was over 40 years old now, she looked very young because her skin was naturally fair.
Now that she had a silver hairpin, her face looked even gentler.
"I didn't expect Ah Tao's culinary skills to be so good." After listening to the entire story, Zhao Lanhua asked in surprise, "So it's all thanks to Ah Tao that we could sell so many fish today?"
"Yes, you can say that." Shen Dashan drank a big bowl of sweet water and nodded slightly.
"Ah Tao's luck is really good!" Zhao Lanhua could not help but sigh. "At noon, Sister Guihua came over. I heard that the fish from the other two shops were not sold at a high price! Uncle Village Chief is having a headache!"
"I noticed it this morning when I was catching fish. Other than the big fish that Third Brother caught, the others didn't get as many good catches. They're too small and not easy to sell."
Fish that were too small did not have much meat and could not be sold for a high price.
When Ji Zhao heard this news, she had an idea.
"Are you saying that we should collect all those small fish?" Zhao Lanhua frowned in confusion after hearing Ji Zhao's suggestion. "Ah Tao, why do you need so many fish? Besides, those fish are too small to sell!"
"Mother, I understand." Ji Zhao smiled and nodded. "The county city is lacking in ingredients, and those small fish don't have much meat. Of course, it's not easy to sell them. But what if we process them a little? We might be able to earn a sum."
After hearing Ji Zhao's suggestion, Zhao Lanhua made a prompt decision!
"Alright, then what do you need? Mother will prepare it for you!"
"Fish, flour, eggs."
"That's all?" Zhao Lanhua was even more confused.
"These are enough." Ji Zhao smiled sweetly. "Many delicious foods are made in the simplest way."
"Alright, I'll get your father to go to the village chief's house later. Let's get five catties of small fish to try."
"Okay!"
At dusk, the sunset on the horizon was as brilliant as fire and extremely enchanting.
In the courtyard, Ji Zhao was focused on Ji Chen, who was writing on the sand table.
"Sister..." Ji Chen tried his best to write down two words. He looked up at Ji Zhao and obediently grinned, revealing two cute canine teeth.
Facing his pure and beautiful smile, Ji Zhao felt that her heart was about to melt.
"Chenchen is really amazing!" Ji Zhao generously gave him double the thumbs up. "You wrote so well!"
Ji Zhao's interest was also piqued. She squatted beside him, picked up a small branch, and seriously wrote two words.
"Chenchen, look. This word is our surname, Ji. The word beside it is Zhao. Actually, compared to the name Ji Ah Tao, Sister prefers the name Ji Zhao." Ji Zhao turned to look at him and smiled brightly.
"Zhao, meaning the sun shining." Shen Yao suddenly opened his mouth and said with a smile, "The word Zhao is very good."
"I think it's pretty good too~" Ji Zhao smiled back and said softly, "Moreover, Ji Zhao has a homonym that means 'good omen,' so that no matter what happens, I can turn misfortune into good luck!"
Shen Yao nodded slightly in agreement. Then, his gaze inadvertently landed on the sand table, and a trace of surprise flashed across his eyes.
"You can write?"
"I just wrote it for fun~" The guilty Ji Zhao was about to erase the name on the sand table when Shen Yao grabbed her wrist, making it difficult for her to move.
51 Watermelon
Ji Zhao swallowed nervously. "What... what's wrong?"
"I'm fine." Only then did Shen Yao realize that his actions were too abrupt. He quickly let go. "I just think that your handwriting is very good."
The words "Ji Zhao" were engraved on the sand table. They were bold, beautiful, and elegant.
Meeting his smiling eyes, Ji Zhao suddenly felt her heart skip a beat.
"Dinner is ready!" Zhao Lanhua stuck her head out of the kitchen and shouted loudly.
Ji Zhao quickly responded and pulled Ji Chen to the kitchen to wash his hands.
Shen Yao pursed his lips and smiled. He lowered his eyes and engraved the two words on the sand table in his mind.
In the hot summer, the days were long and the nights short.
Even though the Shen family had already finished their dinner, night had yet to fall.
Ji Zhao held Ji Chen's hand and walked to the temple at the back of the mountain.
At the pastry shop today, she asked Eldest Sister-in-law Shen to buy her a candlestick, red candles, and a handful of sandalwood.
"Earth God, your devotee, Ji Zhao, has come to visit you." Ji Zhao brought Ji Chen along and piously knelt in front of the statue of the local god, kowtowing three times.
She placed the candlesticks on both sides of the shrine platform and placed an incense stick into the clean three-legged incense furnace.
"Earth God, I once promised you that when I earn money, I will definitely help you reconstruct your golden body. Don't worry, I will definitely be a person who keeps my word! Now that I have no one to rely on, I hope you can protect me!"
Before leaving, Ji Zhao and Ji Chen carefully cleaned the entire temple.
After night fell, the black sky seemed to be covered with a black velvet cloth. The twinkling stars were like brilliant diamonds.
Shen Yao handed the peeled melon to Ji Zhao, who was leaning against the rattan chair and admiring the night.
"Thank you!" Ji Zhao quickly took it and smiled sweetly.
She couldn't wait to take a bite of the melon. The flesh was very crispy and the juice was abundant. It was very refreshing.
"I wonder if there are watermelons in the county city. After all, summer is the exclusive season for watermelons!"
"Watermelon?" Shen Yao raised his eyebrows slightly and shook his head gently. "I've never heard of it."
"Have you never eaten watermelons?" Ji Zhao was shocked. "Watermelons are usually round or oval-shaped, about this big~"
Ji Zhao explained as she gestured the size, "The skin of the watermelon is green and has black stripes on it. The skin is smoother. After cutting it open, there's pink or red flesh inside. The flesh is covered in black seeds. Have you really never seen it before?"
"Are you referring to western melons?" Shen Yao thought carefully for a moment before waving at her. "Come with me."
Ji Zhao hurriedly followed him. The two of them walked under the moonlight and arrived at the Shen family's vegetable garden at the end of Shanghe Village.
"Shen Yao, where are you taking me?" After eating all the melon in her hand, Ji Zhao could no longer suppress the curiosity in her heart.
"You'll know in a while." Shen Yao looked back and smiled. Then, he reached out his hand to her. "The path on the field is relatively narrow. Grab my sleeve and follow my footprints."
"Okay." Although she didn't know what was going on, Ji Zhao still obediently grabbed his sleeve.
The two of them walked for a while before Shen Yao suddenly stopped.
"Look, isn't that the watermelon you mentioned?"
Following Shen Yao's finger, Ji Zhao saw the big watermelon lying quietly in the vines. Her eyes instantly lit up. "There's actually watermelons here?"
She hurriedly wanted to go forward to see what was going on, but she staggered and fell to the ground-
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52 Five-Animal Play
The expected pain did not come. Ji Zhao opened her eyes nervously and realized that things were not simple-
At this moment, she was only an inch away from Shen Yao.
More importantly, she was lying on top of him?
The moment their eyes met, Ji Zhao felt her heart beating non-stop.
"I'm... I'm sorry..." Ji Zhao hurriedly stood up with an awkward expression on her face.
"It's fine." Shen Yao slowly got up and elegantly wiped the dust off his clothes. He asked gently, "Did you hurt yourself?"
"No, no injuries."
Ji Zhao subconsciously scratched her head and smiled sheepishly.
"But why are there watermelons here?"
"Many families in Shanghe Village have planted western melons, but these western melons are too watery. Moreover, they often go to the toilet after eating too much, so no one likes to eat it."
Shen Yao explained patiently.
Ji Zhao pondered for a moment and understood.
After all, to the people living in this era, filling their stomachs was the most important goal.
Compared to other melons that could fill their stomachs, watermelons were indeed not filling. Moreover, too much water would make people want to use the restroom. In this way, it would reduce productivity. No wonder watermelons were so unpopular here!
"Then can we pick this watermelon back?" Ji Zhao stared at the round watermelon and could not help but swallow.
"Yes." Looking at the innocent smile on her face, Shen Yao silently curled his lips and nodded slightly.
Ji Zhao was overjoyed. She quickly squatted in the watermelon field and carefully snapped the watermelon's vines.
"This watermelon is so heavy!" Ji Zhao said with a frown as she picked up the heavy watermelon.
"I got it."
Shen Yao easily picked up the heavy watermelon.
Ji Zhao silently gave him a thumbs up.
"When we get home, we'll put this big watermelon in the well and cut it open tomorrow after lunch?"
"Okay."
When Shen Yao heard the word "home", the smile in his eyes deepened.
The search for melons came to an end. Ji Zhao, who had returned to her room, fell asleep in a few seconds.
The next morning, when Shen Yao, who was copying calligraphy in the house, heard laughter coming from the courtyard, he curiously opened the window.
In the courtyard, Ji Zhao, who was wearing a light pink dress, was like an exquisite peach blossom, bright and beautiful.
"Mother, look, we have to slow down in this position," Ji Zhao explained with a gentle smile. "Follow my example~"
Ji Zhao bent her knees slightly. After her feet pulled away, she slowly spread her hands-
"What are you guys doing?" Shen Yao walked to the two of them curiously and asked softly with a faint smile.
"Ah Tao is teaching me an exercise!" Zhao Lanhua, who was in high spirits, said happily, "Third Brother, look, is Mother doing well?"
"I'm teaching Mother the Five Animal Play." Ji Zhao smiled and explained gently, "The Five Animal Play is a special cultivation technique that nourishes one's health. Every morning, when one wakes up to do the Five Animal Play, it will make one feel refreshed and energetic. Do you want to come along?"
"Okay."
Ji Zhao smiled gently and explained patiently, "The Five Animal Play is not difficult. When you use your hands and feet, you must learn to breathe. The Five Animal Play consists of one: bear, two: deer, three: bear, four: ape, five: bird."
Ji Zhao explained as she demonstrated, "After you finish the entire set, your body will sweat slightly. Do you want to try?"
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53 Please Accept My Knees!
After watching Shen Yao finish the entire Five Animal Play, Ji Zhao finally understood what it meant to be elegant.
"Shen Yao," Ji Zhao suddenly faced him and said with a serious expression, "please accept my knees!"
This man was really amazing. He could perform the Five Animal Play so well after only watching it once.
"Did you hurt your knee?" Shen Yao asked with concern. He subconsciously squatted in front of her, wanting to check her knee.
Ji Zhao, who did not know whether to laugh or cry, hurriedly explained, "Actually, the meaning of this sentence is that I admire you very much!"
"I see." Shen Yao smiled in realization.
Shen Yao was good-looking to begin with. His facial features were well-defined and his phoenix eyes were deep.
However, when he smiled, Ji Zhao finally understood what the phrase peerless young master meant.
When he smiled, his face could topple cities.
Unknowingly, Ji Zhao was infatuated.
It was only when Zhao Lanhua's voice suddenly sounded that Ji Zhao's thoughts were pulled out of her fantasy.
"Ah Tao, look at my hands. Is that right?" Zhao Lanhua asked happily as she performed the Five Animal Play.
"Mother, you did very well!" Ji Zhao praised generously. "But if you could raise your right hand a little higher, that would be even better?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes!"
Shen Yao, who had retreated to the side, looked at such a warm scene. His good-looking thin lips pursed slightly, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
An hour later, Zhao Lanhua, who had finished practicing the Five Animal Play, felt refreshed and energetic.
After breakfast, Ji Zhao followed Zhao Lanhua to the county city.
Shen Ji pastry shop.
Eldest Sister-in-law Shen had already tidied up the kitchen in the backyard.
"Sis, is Third Sister-in-law Shen that powerful?" Feng Chunyan looked at her sister's busy back and was a little angry with Ji Zhao. "Previously, Aunt Lanhua's favorite daughter-in-law was you, but now..."
"You're just a child. Don't talk nonsense!" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen pinched her sister's face angrily and said with a gentle smile, "Actually, Ah Tao isn't bad. I didn't know her well before, so I said those things about her to you..."
"I think Ji Ah Tao is too scheming. How long has it been? She actually made everyone in the Shen family look at her in a new light." Feng Chunyan pursed her lips and said, "She was hot-headed and wanted to come to the county city to set up a stall, but in the end, she made you work so hard... Aunt Lanhua is the same. Now, she's been coaxed by her until she doesn't know where to go, right? Sister, don't think that my words are unpleasant. It's not impossible for Ji Ah Tao to do business, but what right does she have to borrow the venue of the pastry shop?"
"Sis, don't forget that this pastry shop is the property that you and brother-in-law have been running for many years. If not for the fact that our Feng family produced more than 30 secret pastry recipes, how could the business of this shop be much better?" The more Feng Chunyan thought about it, the more she felt that it was not worth it for her sister.
"Chunyan, aren't you thinking too much?" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen smiled helplessly. "Mother said a long time ago that the pastry shop belongs to me and Dalang. As long as we give them some retirement money every month, it'll be fine."
"It's true that it's like this now, but it's hard to guarantee that it won't happen in the future!" Feng Chunyan said earnestly, "Sister, don't despise my words. This old saying is good. Father and Mother dote on their youngest the most. Moreover, Third Brother Shen is an unsound person. It's hard to guarantee that Ji Ah Tao won't have designs on our pastry shop."
After Feng Chunyan's analysis, Eldest Sister-in-law Shen's mood fell to rock bottom.
At the end of the day, Zhao Lanhua brought Ji Zhao to the pastry shop.
"Mother? Third Sister-in-law." Eldest Sister-in-law Shen hurriedly went out to welcome them, but the smile on her face was a little pale and weak.
"Eldest wife, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Zhao Lanhua checked her forehead with concern and heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that she did not have a fever.
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54 Fragrant Dried Fish
"Mother, I'm fine," Eldest Sister-in-law Shen quickly explained. "Perhaps it's because the weather is getting hotter, so I feel suffocated."
"If you're really unwell, go see a doctor, okay?" Zhao Lanhua held her hand and reminded her earnestly, "We can't avoid treatment, understand?"
"Mother, don't worry. I'm really fine." Eldst Sister-in-law Shen felt warm in her heart after being cared for by her mother-in-law. "By the way, Mother, didn't you say that Ah Tao is coming to the county city to set up a stall? I've already prepared everything. Do you want to take a look?"
"Alright." Zhao Lanhua hurriedly nodded and turned around to call out to the dumbfounded Ji Zhao. "Ah Tao, let's go take a look at your stall."
"Third Sister-in-law, what business do you want to do?" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen asked curiously.
"Eldest Sister-in-law, I plan to sell some fried fish," Ji Zhao replied softly with a smile.
"Fried fish?" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen frowned slightly and was a little worried.
After all, the weather was getting hotter and hotter. The food that was fried would probably not be welcomed.
"This time, the village chief brought everyone to fish out a lot of fish from the pond. However, other than our family's luck, the fish that the other families fished out were too small. Therefore, we decided to set up a stall in the county city to try our luck and see if we can sell all those fish," Zhao Lanhua explained with a smile. "But when you taste Ah Tao's fried fish, you will be full of praise!"
When Ji Zhao walked into the kitchen in the backyard, Feng Chunyan was cutting the dragon whisker pastry.
At this moment, Ji Zhao suddenly thought of the plot in the book. She wanted to give her some pointers, but Feng Chunyan's attitude was a little strange.
"Sister Chunyan?"
"I don't have that many older sisters." Feng Chunyan pulled a long face and took out the dragon whisker pastry. When she passed by Zhao Lanhua, she only called her aunt indifferently. Her attitude was not as enthusiastic as before.
"Eldest wife, what's wrong with Chunyan?"
"Mother, she's fine. Don't worry." Eldest Sister-in-law Shen quickly changed the topic. "Let's go see Ah Tao, okay?"
Ji Zhao could sense Feng Chunyan's hostility.
She felt that it was baffling.
However, she was not a saint. She could not be so warm-hearted. Since Feng Chunyan's attitude was so unfriendly, she had no obligation to remind her.
Ji Zhao removed the basket from her back and took out the fish that she had prepared.
Early this morning, she had already cleaned up all the small fish. She quickly disemboweled them, cut off their heads, and emptied all their internal organs. Then, she washed them with water.
Then, she washed it twice with cooled ginger water before adding a suitable amount of seasoning wine to marinate it.
Ji Zhao turned around and picked up a large blue and white porcelain bowl. She directly added six eggs into it and completely mixed the egg liquid. Finally, she poured in some corn starch and added a little salt. She kept stirring it evenly.
"Mother, please help me start the fire now. The fire shouldn't be too big."
"Alright!" Zhao Lanhua replied heartily. She immediately sat in front of the stove and seriously controlled the fire.
When the oil in the pot was completely heated, Ji Zhao smiled and said, "Mother, reduce the heat."
"Ah Tao? Aren't you going to take this opportunity to fry the fish? If you reduce the heat, won't the oil in the pot turn cold?" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen, who was standing at the side, raised a reasonable doubt.
"Sister-in-law, you might not know this, but this is the key to making this crispy fried fish."
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55 Quite Difficult
Ji Zhao's face was filled with a bright smile as she explained gently, "Actually, it's not difficult to cook crispy dried fish. The most important thing is to learn how to control the fire. If the fire is too small, it won't be able to cook the small fish. If the fire is too big, it will burn the small fish."
"Therefore, the best way is to heat the oil in the pot first and then let it cool. During this gap, we can cover the fish in batter. Then, when the oil in the pot is warm, we can start to fry it!"
Ji Zhao explained as she fried some dried fish.
Her hands moved very quickly. After a while, a big bowl of golden and crispy dried fish was already on the plate.
"Eldest Sister-in-law, try it?"
Eldest Sister-in-law Shen could not wait to taste a piece of dried fish. Then, her eyes lit up!
"It's really delicious!"
"Eldest Sister-in-law, if you like it, eat more." Ji Zhao smiled innocently and asked obediently, "Eldest Sister-in-law, did you buy the meat I asked you to buy?"
"I bought it." Eldest Sister-in-law Shen quickly brought over a small stool and took down the bamboo basket hanging on the beam. She lifted the layer of dark blue floral cloth and took out the fresh and high-quality streaky pork. "Ah Tao, take a look. What do you think of this pork belly?"
"It's very fresh!" Ji Zhao did not expect the quality of the pork belly to be so good!
As expected, the quality of food without additives would definitely not disappoint!
"But Ah Tao, did you ask me to buy pork belly to make something delicious?" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen asked impatiently.
"Yes." Ji Zhao nodded and began to process the pork belly.
She deftly peeled the pork belly's skin and cut the pork into slices that were about half a centimeter thick. Then, she stir-fried the peppercorns. When the fragrance of the peppercorns was completely stimulated and cooled down, she used a rolling pin to crush them into coarse grains.
She placed the sliced pork belly into a bowl and added the crushed peppercorns, sugar, salt, cooking wine, and chili powder to stir evenly.
"We'll deal with it in an hour." Ji Zhao smiled and turned to Elder Sister-in-law Shen. She suggested softly, "Eldest Sister-in-law, can you do me a favor?"
"Tell me?"
"Can you give this portion of dried fish to the second manager of the Hongxing Restaurant?" Ji Zhao had helped the second manager make the Jin Ji Yu Kuai. It could be said that she had helped him solve his urgent problem. Therefore, the second manager should have a good impression of her.
As the saying went, it was good to have a big tree to lean on. Ji Zhao wanted to borrow the big tree, Hongxing Restaurant, to lean on.
"Of course not." Eldest Sister-in-law Shen nodded vigorously. "I'll go to the restaurant with your eldest brother right now."
"Thank you, Eldest Sister-in-law."
"We're family, what's there to thank?" Eldest Sister-in-law Shen smiled nonchalantly. She placed the freshly fried dried fish into the food box and hurried out.
Zhao Lanhua, who was stuffing firewood into the furnace, suddenly asked, "Ah Tao, did you already plan to cooperate with Hongxing Restaurant?"
"Mother." Ji Zhao smiled and nodded obediently. "You won't disapprove, right?"
Zhao Lanhua thought about it carefully and said sincerely, "It's not that I don't approve of your business, but I hope you can settle down. I know your culinary skills are very good, and your dishes are especially delicious. However, even if you can't do business with Hongxing Restaurant, I hope you won't be discouraged."
After all, Hongxing Restaurant was Dingyuan County's century-old signboard. It was not easy to do business with them.