Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 24 (Part 4)
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by unsaltedfish
Chapter 24 (4): Lou-mei
Xie Xun just left the house, and the lou-mei sent by Jiang Shuyao had been placed on the stone table of Qushui Pavilion.
Xie Lang lifted his wide sleeve and set down a jade-green chess piece, hesitating as he said, “This… does look rather good.”
Xie Li voiced his agreement, though his words sat oddly with his rigid, formal tone. “It smells quite good as well. I’ve heard third sister-in-law has a fondness for tinkering with delicacies. The last time she sent pastries to the main house, I was fortunate enough to taste a piece; their delicate sweetness lingers in my memory even now.”
The two were silent.
Xie Lang took a sip of wine, then suddenly reached out and picked up chopsticks. "Then I will try it." He was casual, but he didn't care about the duck wings and necks on the plate.
He picked up a piece of lotus root randomly. Before he put it in his mouth, he could smell a strong fragrance of the stew, savory and spicy, and a faint but rich herbal scent. It smelled incredibly delicious.
The lotus root slices were still warm, and when he put one in his mouth, the aroma instantly overflowed his lips and cheeks. This was Xie Lang’s first time eating food with such a rich and bold flavor. The spiciness of the marinated lotus root stimulated his sense of taste, making it more sensitive to the savory and numbing taste. Although it was a vegetable, it had a meaty scent and a complex flavor. Though, it was hard to tell what kind of meaty aroma it absorbed.
The lotus root slices were crunchy and crisp. The slightly bitter scent became stronger when chewed, but the lotus root slice itself was sweet, and the taste was rich. Not to mention, it also offset the irritation caused by the first bite, which was spicy.
Xie Lang swallowed the braised lotus root without saying a word and poured a glass of wine into his mouth. The slightly bitter cold wine flowed into his throat, then to his abdomen. Xie Lang couldn't help but sigh comfortably. How satisfying.
Xie Li was still waiting for him to comment. However, after Xie Lang finished drinking, he picked up his chopsticks once more. Not only that, Xie Lang unceremoniously went for the largest duck wing on the plate.
This was his younger brother, so he naturally understood him well. Xie Li had tasted Jiang Shuyao's cake and recognized her cooking skills, so he no longer hesitated.
If the lotus roots were so delicious, then the meat must be even better.
Xie Lang picked up a duck wing and began to gnaw it with difficulty. The stewed duck meat was tender and smooth but still retained its slight elasticity. It was delicious and fragrant after a bite. The rich aniseed and herbal ingredients made the duck meat not have any fishy smell—only a meaty taste. The marinade was delicious, with a salty flavor and spicy kick. Xie Lang couldn’t wait to eat all the sticky duck meat on these bones.
However, it was not easy to nibble with chopsticks. After he bit halfway, Xie Li, on the opposite side, had already bitten a duck neck and eaten two lotus root slices.
Xie Lang didn't care about his appearance anymore. He flicked his sleeves and ate at a rapid pace.
When Xie Xun arrived at Qushui Pavilion, he saw his two usually dignified older brothers fiercely gnawing on duck carcasses. His second brother, who usually paid a lot of attention to his appearance, actually had some marinade sauce in the corner of his mouth.
His elder brother, who was wont to put on airs, slammed the table. “Servant, bring another jar of wine.”
Xie Lang's cup was empty, and his spirit gradually came up because of the spiciness. He could only hiss lightly and briefly inhale. "Stop using that jar. Just get someone to bring my treasured Puzhong wine."
Xie Xun walked into the pavilion and only saw two or three lotus roots left on the porcelain plate.
Xie Li and Xie Lang lowered their chopsticks and simultaneously clamped a piece of duck neck together. The two were in a stalemate when Xie Xun coughed, frightening them into letting go.
Seeing that the person was Xie Xun, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they did not lose face in front of the servants.
"Third brother, why are you?" Xie Lang regained his usual cool, moonlike demeanor and asked while flicking his sleeve.
Xie Xun wanted to save them some face, but when he saw his second brother, he couldn't hold back and said, "Second brother, wipe your mouth."
Xie Li was more open, "Third brother, the meal made by sister-in-law is truly delicious. It's very suitable to pair with drinks."
Xie Xun sat on the stone chair between them, looked at the scattered dinner plates, and said, "You will regret it tomorrow; drink no more."
Xie Li thought so too and nodded in agreement. "Very well. Let's take a break and drink again next time."
"Though I wonder if sister-in-law can still make this dish again then?" Xie Lang asked tentatively.
Xie Xun replied, "I don't know."
Xie Lang said brazenly, "Then can third brother go back and ask sister-in-law? If she makes it again, please ask her to give us a share."
Xie Xun cast him a frosty look. A barely audible hum escaped his nose, the kind only someone truly attentive would catch.
Xie Li didn't notice anything. His third brother was usually stern and indifferent, so he was used to him not showing any emotions on his face.
"To think that sister-in-law is such an expert in cooking, it makes me envy third brother. The meal was so good we couldn’t stop ourselves—we drank several pots of wine, and now my belly’s still a little bloated.”
"Is that so? I didn't know it was so delicious." He hadn't even tried it before, humph!
It's a pity that he was accustomed to using a plain tone for more than ten years, so he didn't even know how to be passive-aggressive.
Completely oblivious, Xie Li continued to respond, "It was truly delicious," a remark that only deepened his anger and sense of grievance.
Xie Xun let out a breath. Suddenly he proposed, "Big brother and second brother, why don't we play chess?"
Xie Xun had superb chess skills, so Xie Li and Xie Lang both learned a lot every time they played against him. They were thrilled to hear his suggestion. After all, they used to invite him to play chess, but he always ignored them.
Xie Li first played against him, and Xie Xun killed him without giving him any chance.
"Third brother, I haven't seen you in a few days, but your chess skills have improved tremendously!"
Xie Xun's expression remained unchanged as he continued with his aggression, making Xie Lang's heart and liver tremble every time he moved a piece.
"Third brother, how come your chess approach and style changed so much?"
The two sighed.
Xie Xun said, "Stop talking nonsense, are you going to move?"
"Come on!" Xie Lang hurriedly responded.
It's a pity that Xie Xun never gave him any chance. In just two quarters of an hour, he tortured them into doubting life. They wished to sit in the pavilion until dawn.
Xie Xun was happy. He got up and wanted to leave, but Xie Li stopped him. "Third brother, what chess book have you acquired recently?"
Xie Lang added, "Or did you suddenly have an epiphany? Can you tell your second brother?"
Upon hearing those comments, Xie Xun felt very speechless. Although his two brothers were not old foxes in their official career, they also got mixed up in officialdom. How come they couldn’t even understand this little thing?
He had started to walk outside the pavilion, and the two brothers behind him were still calling him to share his tips and chess records.
Xie Xun couldn't bear it, he turned around and strode towards them, "You really don't know?"
The two of them saw him turning around and felt a sense of joy, "What don't we know?"
Thinking of his suffering from being tortured by these stinky chess addicts for many years, Xie Xun paused and said, "Your chess skills are really... really bad."
After speaking, he turned around neatly, with his back straight and ruthless.
The wind was cold, and in the Qushui Pavilion, the two chess fools were sitting opposite each other. Their postures were stiff, and they dare not accept the facts for a long time.
Feeling completely heartbroken…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dov9nv3f3Jk
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