Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 43
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Azure
Chapter 43: Hot Dry Noodles with Sesame Paste
In addition to the few colleagues from the East Palace, who had deliberately dressed up to disguise themselves, Xie Xun and Jiang Shuyao also dressed up. After all, it is inappropriate to wear silk satin to the dock.
Jiang Shuyao asked Bai Zhi to find linen cloth and make a dimly colored dress. She wrapped her hair in a cloth, and her face was plain without makeup. She looked like a peasant bride.
Xie Xun's clothes were also simple. As the two walked side by side, it appeared that the village's most handsome scholar had married the village chief's spoiled daughter.
The weather is too hot, and the sunlight is burning hot on the body. The rough men at the dock didn't care about decency. They took off their shirts and walked on the road shirtless.
Before they arrived, Xie Xun hadn't expected this, and he was suddenly alert when he saw a group of sweaty, shirtless men passing in front of him.
It's not that he didn’t trust his wife, but Jiang Shuyao's previous rumors were not fake. She really couldn’t control herself very much in front of males.
To not appear too suspicious, Xie Xun could only quietly tilt his eyes and stare at Jiang Shuyao from the corner of his eye.
It was okay if she didn't look at the men, but he felt wronged at first sight - Jiang Shuyao's eyesight fell on those men.
It was not Jiang Shuyao's fault. This team of bare-backed strong men walked in front of her. There was a lot of bronze-colored skin, and she subconsciously looked at them. It really had nothing to do with lust.
Xie Xun coughed.
Jiang Shuyao turned to look at him.
Xie Xun felt better. He knew that he was born handsome. He had never cared about his appearance before, but it gave him some confidence at this moment.
Don't look at them, just look at me.
Even though he thought so, his face was tense, as if he didn't come to see a restaurant opening, but as if he was coming to collect debts.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Shuyao was about to ask him what was wrong, but another bunch of shirtless men passed by before her eyes, and her eyes drifted away subconsciously again...
Xie Xun: ! ! !
"Cough! Cough!" He clenched his fist and coughed loudly.
Jiang Shuyao was taken aback, "Is everything alright? How come you are coughing like this?"
Xie Xun put down his hands and forced himself to calm down, "Nothing."
As soon as he finished speaking, another bunch of shirtless men passed by.
His heart was smashed up by anger. What was wrong with this group of people? Is it really so hot? It's not even summer yet!
He was exuding cold air all over like a walking air-conditioner. Jiang Shuyao didn't notice it, but the old sister who sold cakes laughed.
Hearing the laughter, Jiang Shuyao looked at the woman in the cake stall in confusion.
The woman winked at her, looked at Xie Xun, and then at the pair of shirtless men. Jiang Shuyao was stunned for a while and then reacted afterward. Xie Xun was probably angry?
Did he think that these guys were offensive, or did the common people's inattention look disgusting?
"Xie Boyuan." Ever since she decided to please Xie Xun, she called his nickname, but she didn't know that this name sounded intimate in Xie Xun's ears.
Only close friends and elders usually called him by this nickname, so every time she called him, Xie Xun felt a vague and delicate closeness between the two.
"Huh?" He calmed his expression and turned to look at her.
"Thank you." Jiang Shuyao said sincerely, "Normal high-ranking man wouldn't be willing to let their legally married wife come to these places, but you personally brought me here."
She was obviously dressed very plain and rustic, but her eyes became more and more beautiful. Xie Xun suddenly understood the group of men just now. It was really hot today. It was so hot that he was sweating all over, and his face was red.
At this moment, a group of children ran over from the end of the street with fish baskets in their hands. They chased each other and yelled like a gust of wind.
A pedestrian on the road couldn't avoid them. He was hit, but he said with a smile, "Heiyu, you are robbing Dashan's basket again. Let's see how your father cleans you up!"
They were used to bumping and jumping, but Jiang Shuyao is different.
Without even thinking about it, Xie Xun immediately reached out and grabbed Jiang Shuyao's wrist and pulled her to his side.
Jiang Shuyao was caught off guard. She couldn't stand firmly. Her forehead hit his shoulder, and she was hissing in pain.
Xie Xun was startled. Afraid that she would be angry, he asked quickly, "Does it hurt?"
Jiang Shuyao's forehead was still pressed against his shoulder, and Xie Xun panicked when she didn't immediately reply. As he was about to apologize, he could feel a sudden tremor from his shoulder.
Jiang Shuyao's laughter gradually increased, and she smiled tremblingly, "What are you so scared of? I am not made of porcelain. Making all this fuss." She looked up and smiled at him.
Xie Xun realized that there was something wrong. He looked up and found that everyone was looking at them. Even the kid who jumped up and down just now had stopped and stared at them.
His face was hot. He pulled Jiang Shuyao and hurried away.
After walking for a while, he realized that he seemed to be pulling something slender, soft, and warm like a jade...
Jiang Shuyao's wrist!
Xie Xun's palm suddenly felt hot and sore. He felt his right hand freeze, and he couldn't let go. His closed fingers wouldn’t open.
Jiang Shuyao was also surprised that Xie Xun took her wrist and walked all the way. She wanted to remind him, but she couldn't speak. She feared that her reminder would seem too deliberate.
She raised her head and looked at Xie Xun's back quietly. She felt that he seemed to have grown a bit taller, from a teenage boy to a man.
His right hand that was holding her wrist felt warm and strong. It felt good to be held by him like this.
The two people finally found the Lin family's restaurant. The street was crowded with people. Some didn't like to sit down and eat. They simply ordered a bowl of noodles and squatted down on the side of the street while eating, making it even more crowded.
For a little lady, it was strange to appear in this place.
Someone's eyes fell on Jiang Shuyao. Xie Xun tightened his hand and firmly pulled Jiang Shuyao. He stretched out his left hand and pulled her headscarf forward to cover her from the sight of others.
His movements were done naturally and smoothly.
"Business is booming, don't worry." Xie Xun said.
Jiang Shuyao nodded, "I am happy to see them eating happily."
Xie Xun chuckled lightly and took her to a shade, "Would you like to taste it?"
"Of course, I have to see how they are doing and if they are wasting my extremely meticulous recipes."
When the two came to the noodle stall, Jiang Shuyao looked around and found that Lin-shi implemented all of the plans described in the letter. Not only that, but she also improved upon them. The improved method is more suitable for restaurants of this ancient time.
She ordered two bowls of "re gan mian" or hot-dry noodles, including Xie Xun's portion.
Hot-dry noodles were different from ordinary fried noodles because the noodles used were alkaline noodles. The cinnamon burnt ash was placed on the pinewood, and the natural alkaline water was obtained by filtering it with boiling water many times. The alkaline noodles made like this were preserved easier, and they also had a light, alkaline fragrance when eaten.
After the noodles were rinsed and oiled, they put them aside. When the guests arrived, the cook quickly blanched the noodles in boiling water, shook their wrists, drained the water, put them in a bowl, and drizzled them with spicy oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic juice, etc. A variety of ingredients, topped with the best sesame sauce, scooped capers, diced radish, chopped green onions, etc., and the hot-dry noodles that seemed simple but complex were ready.
Because the seasoning cost was slightly higher, the hot-dry noodles were sold at the price of meaty noodles. However, the wharf workers were not short on money, and they were not stingy to pay for lunch in the afternoon. There were many who came to try a bowl.
Xie Xun took their bowls and chose a small table in the corner that happened to be only big enough for them to sit down.
The hot-dry noodles were slender and yellow. The sesame sauce was as shiny as oil. The diced radish was bright and orange, and the green onions were green. With a little stirring, the sesame sauce blended into the noodles, and the mellow aroma of the hot sesame sauce gradually overflowed.
The noodles were smooth, and they were very chewy because they were oiled after rinsing with cold water. The noodles are wrapped in sesame sauce. The mouthful of noodles was full of sesame flavor, mellow and rich, with a long aftertaste. The slightly bitter sesame sauce on the hot-dry noodles made it tasted delicious, somewhat spicy, but also sweet and fragrant.
Every bite gave out the sesame fragrance. The sauce was thick and slightly sticky, but the noodles were smooth and refreshing. The diced radish was sweet, and the beans were slightly sour. The side dishes were crisp and fresh, without any slightest greasiness.
You couldn’t eat hot-dry noodles too quickly, but had to wait for the mellow aroma to stay in your mouth for a long time. You couldn’t wait to chew it slowly in your mouth and taste it carefully.
But this bowl of noodles was too delicious, spicy and delicious, salty and refreshing, and it was possible to taste the real sesame sauce in every bite. The mellow aroma made people feel simple and practical. It was very satisfying.
Xie Xun quickly ate his bowl of hot-dry noodles, but Jiang Shuyao couldn't finish hers even though it was the same amount as his. When she saw it, she asked, "Can I give you half of mine?" After that, she was afraid that Xie Xun would dislike her leftovers. After all, public chopsticks were used to pick dishes in this era, and Xie Xun was a noble son with a delicate and beautiful appearance.
Xie Xun, the noble son himself, looked like he just inhaled the storm at the dock. He reacted extremely quickly when he heard her words and pushed his bowl in front of her.
Jiang Shuyao: ...
She gave half of her bowl to Xie Xun, and Xie Xun continued to lower his head to eat wildly.
The cook who was resting on the side sneered, "This little scholar really eats a lot." Looking at the amount of food, the little lady's family must be a rich family in the town. However, this scholar is so beautiful. Spending more money to support him is also worth it.
Jiang Shuyao, a daughter of the Lin clan, the richest family in the world, was supporting her chin and watching Xie Xun eat the noodles clean and feeling satisfied.
Xie Xun wanted to scrape the sesame paste on his chopsticks and the side of the bowl, but Jiang Shuyao was there, so he abruptly resisted his instinct.
After eating, he felt inexplicably resentful and said, "You have never made this kind of noodle in the mansion before." His dull tone made it seemed like he was just casually chatting.
"There is a lot I haven't done. I will do it slowly later." Jiang Shuyao replied.
Okay. Xie Xun felt comforted. He wanted to live with Jiang Shuyao for a lifetime, so why bother about these things.
Jiang Shuyao was waiting to get up, but suddenly she heard a noise from the crowd.
When she took a closer look, she saw a person who was brilliant and generous. Who else except Lin-shi.
Since she arrived in this world, Jiang Shuyao only saw Lin-shi look like a helpless woman on the surface, but she was full of anger and dissatisfaction. She had never seen her like this, full of joy and vitality, like withered peonies that went full bloom overnight.
She walked into the restaurant violently, holding her pregnant belly, laughing loudly, and said to the steward, "Yes, yes, my daughter is capable. Only my Lin family can open this kind of restaurant."
She was taking care of herself and didn't forget to flatter her daughter.
"Okay, I was just taking a look. Today is the first day it opened. Everyone did a good job, but you can't just let it go." Lin-shi crackled with laughter and told them a lot of rules. She checked the food stalls one by one, asked questions, and gave advice.
Jiang Shuyao was startled by this Lin-shi, who looked like a complete stranger. But when Lin-shi got closer and closer, she suddenly awoke. She quickly slapped some silver on the table and pulled Xie Xun away quickly.
When she just told Lin-shi about her idea of opening a shop, it made her feel sad and annoyed. If Lin-shi saw that her daughter was mixing with a pile of stinky men to eat and also brought Xie Xun with her, wouldn't Lin-shi chase her away with a knife?
Xie Xun also thought about this. Fearing his mother-in-law's anger, the two quietly evacuated in cooperation. Just when they stepped out of Lin-shi's sight, they bumped into a bunch of similarly sneaky people.
Seven colleagues, including Lin Cheng, who had gathered and cautiously avoided Xie Xun: ...
Xie Xun didn't expect to see them here and asked suspiciously, "Didn't you go to the outskirts of the city to race horses? Why did you all come to the pier?"
"Uh..." Everyone was dumbfounded.
"Also, what's the matter with your clothes?" The seven people actually wore the same style of cotton robe, even in a similar color. The colors themselves were unremarkable, but when they made a long line, like seven twins on the street, it became conspicuous even though it was supposed to be inconspicuous.
Lin Cheng felt like he swallowed a mouthful of old blood in his throat and stiffly lied, "Hehe, these are the clothes we made for horse racing. Just like wearing the same color to play Cuju, team uniforms, team uniforms."
[T/N: Cuju is an ancient Chinese game thought to have been the earliest form of football. It is a competitive game that involves kicking a ball through an opening into a net.]
Looking at Lin Cheng's ugly and low-key clothes, Xie Xun was silent for a moment and said very solemnly, "If I promised to team up with you before, just forget about it."
If you enjoyed Serena’s work, buy her a ko-fi! 