A/N: an error on my part led to a blank chapter. Hence, I'll just release a new chapter early on!
Thank you again kabkwmx for the votes!!
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Over the course of three months, there were many changes that occured in Da Li.
Of the many happenings in the country, two news in particular took North Wind district by the storm.
One was the fact that the White Moon Sect suddenly disappeared without trace. A middle rank sect that made its mark by bullying and oppressing the lower middle class citizens and extorting money to bribe corrupted officials, everyone was relieved when news of the sect's disappearance was spread.
The other was the new restaurant that had opened up in North Wind. It had suddenly appeared and business errupted quickly. Now, in only a few months, the Guànquè Lóu Restaurant or Stork Pavillion Restaurant had quickly become renowned in the country. In fact, many cultivators and fighters who came to attend the Autumn Tournament had made it a point to make a journey to visit the restaurant.
At the Stork Pavillion Restaurant, the workers were busy moving about in the kitchen. The arid air was filled with the smoky smells emanating from what the cooks had made in the silver iron woks.
As the manager shouted brisk instructions and the new orders that streamed in, a worker carrying a tray of grilled fish entered. The fish were delivered fresh every morning, swimming without a care of their future before being gutted and sliced. The bloody corpses were then cleaned and placed between two large rectangular metal wire racks, that were as long as a man, before grilled atop charcoal made from pear blossom wood.
Charred at several places that were licked by the flames, the fish emerged from racks crackling and smoking with evidence of crispy flavourful fish skin. The fish were occasionally basted with oil, Wujian Red rocksalt, white Ema peppercorns and a secret spice mix, ensuring that the flavours seeped into the fishes which were ocassionally turned around so that both sides were charcaol grilled to perfection. When the customers used their chopsticks to press upon the fish, the charred crispy skin would crack, revealing the moist white flaky flesh of the fish.
Yet, what brought the customers in wasn't just the freshly grilled fish that could only be found in the North Wind lakes. It was the assorted sauces to drench the fish in that the customers could choose from.
Once the freshly grilled fish was brought in, the servers were quick to open the two metal racks. One server expertly flipped the metal rack so that each grilled fish landed on an individual rectangular tray that had a candle burning below. Piping hot, the smoking grilled fish laid upon different assortment of vegetables like sliced lotus root, bamboo shoot and shitake mushroon. Immediately, the different chefs would take their woks and poured the different sizzling hot flavours upon the fish.
Of which, the infamous grilled fish flavour that was the bestseller was the Spicy Fragrant Grilled Fish. Cooked in red oil, fermented black beans, red numbing peppercorn, dried red chilli and an assortment of chopped fresh North Wind Chilli and garlic, the sauce was an addiction sinilar to drugs. At the sight of the sauce that dribbled all over the grilled fish, making a sizzling sound as each crevice of the fish was filled with the sauce, many customers drooled. As the customers stared at the chefs and workers who looked on impassively, they wondered how they managed to work daily without dribbing all over the food before them. If it was them, the job would have been like working in hell on earth.
Many who tried the Spicy Fragrant Grilled Fish cried at the burning sweet, spicy, sour, salty taste. Mouths swollen red and numb yet they could not stop eating. The fragrant chilli and spices were like opium. If they had not seen the cooking process through the open concept kitchen, the customers would have suspected some hanky panky. With every bite of the fish, one could only gulp and try not to swallow their tongue as the sourish, spicy flavour coated their tongue while the moist flaky flesh of the fish spread the flavour around. When eaten with white rice, every pearly grain glistening in the light, no one could stop themselves from licking every grain, every drop clean off their chopsticks and bowl.
Regular customers who were the first few patrons of the restaurant would know better than to order one fish to share among their friend. Each man to himself, one fish for each person. Even a first time customer would end up leaving the restaurant with broken friendships as chopsticks flew to grab as much of the fish as possible.
There, it would take the beautiful Manager of the Pavillion to help dissipate tension.
In fact, there she was, trying to mediate once more.
"Young Master Gu. Please release Young Master He."
A sexy beauty wearing a slim long qipao with a high slit showing her long white legs looked at both men with soft fluttering eyelashes. Her exposed legs drew glances from the men while some of their eyes were glued onto the ample chest of Manager Mei Ren. Like her name, Mei Ren was a glamorous black haired beauty that turned heads. Many customers were of the belief that even if the food was terrible, customers would still flock to Stork Pavillion to feast their eyes on Manager Mei.
Young Master Gu frowned as he kept the other young man in a headlock while the other customers watched the show.
"Mei-er, you don't know these kind of people. They will do anything to cause trouble," Gu Li said as he further twisted the head of the man who was yelping in pain.
"You! You! Damn Gu! Wait till I tell Grandfather about this. You think your Gu family is so great?" yelped the man frantically as he grasped at the hands that kept him in a strong grip.
"Hah. If your grandfather is willing to stand up for you, then let him. I wonder if Mayor He knows that his eldest grandson is causing trouble by chasing skirts so openly and disrupting businesses as if he owns the damn district!" Gu Li shouted as he grabbed the writhing figure and threw him out of the restaurant.
Peace reigned once more as the other patrons moved on with snatching whatever they could from the hotplate at their table.
"Mei-er, ignore that hooligan. Mayor He is an upright man even if his spawns aren't. If He Xian tries to cause trouble, just let Gu family know. Even though we have stepped down as Mayors for the past decades, that does not mean we lack power." Gu Li snorted as he moved towards his table.
"Young Master Gu. Our master would like to thank you for your assistance. Here are our new offerings that have not been added to our menu. Please do us the honour of sampling the new Peach Blossom Snow Wine. It was made in-house by our master's own hands."
A dashing figure appeared sporting a cheeky grin and carrying a tray with two brown jars that were unopened. Many ladies at the restaurant could not stop their eyes from flitting to the handsome Manager Yun.
Gu Li laughed.
"I like how your master does things!"
Once he released the seal of the wine jar, a subtle fragrant aroma lingered through the air, snaking its way to every corner of the room. Without even drinking a sip, the other customers felt drunk on the sweet taste of cherry blossoms in winter.
Gulping down a cup, Gu Li's eyes sparkled as the other patrons looked on enviously.
"Really really good wine! This is part of the new menu?" his eyebrows raised. His jubilant and pleased mood apparent to all. Even with a sip, he could feel a warmth pooling in his chest.
Many who patroned Stork Pavillion were martial artists. And when they saw the warm aura emanating from the young man, they were shocked, to say the least. Wine that could help bolster one's cultivation was rare yet Stork Pavillion seems to be producing such a wine.
Immediately, loud clamours resounded from the many tables, intending to buy crates of the wine to bring back to their countries or to bolster them in the upcoming matches. The Autumn Tournament was drawing to a close and every ounce of energy that they could cultivate would push them one step further into the finals.
"Masters and mistresses. I fear you are mistaken. This wine is not one that bolsters cultivation. This wine merely warms the meridians in the body, only seeming to show a rise in cultivation. Should our Master succesfully complete the wine satisfactorily, we will definitely announce it to our customers." Manager Yun said with a foxy grin.
The patrons immediately calmed down in disappointment.
However, Gu Li knew that what was told was not the truth. The warmth he felt did resonate similar to the qi in the air.
At this, he once again wondered silently as he sipped the wine before him. Who could the owner of Stork Pavillion be?
***
A/N: I must admit. I mostly envisioned this novel to be a food porn novel with romance in between.
This chapter's food porn is based on Chong Qing Grilled Fish/ Si Chuan Grilled Fish.
Photos not mine.
Fun Fact:
Stork Pavillion's name was inspired from Wang Zhihuan's poem.
From the pavilion one sees the sun setting behind the mountains,
Unrelentingly toward the sea the Yellow River flows;
In order to see thousands of miles further afield,
To a higher level one must go.
(Written by Wang Zhihuan, translated by Betty Tseng)
Tang dynasty poet Wang Zhihuan (688 – 742 C.E.)
Source of info: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/11-poems-everybody-in-china-knows/