Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 78
Tled by Serena Love
Unedited
Chapter 78: Luzhu
The summer heat gradually receded.
A few days ago, the crown prince passed a message to the government to let them handle the troublemakers impartially. The merchants that wanted to make trouble retracted into their turtle shells. Only the owner behind the largest restaurant in Beijing, Zuixiao Building, was unwilling.
After the street food market became famous, all sorts of diners went to the street food market to wander around, no matter dignitaries or ordinary people. The restaurant's business has suffered a loss, but it was not very serious. After all, most people still come to the restaurant to have banquets. However, this is not about profit, but about respect.
The forces behind other restaurants will fear the crown prince, but the Zuixiao Tower will not. The owner behind them is Prince Kang, the younger brother of the Emperor. Why should he be afraid of the crown prince?
Originally, they didn't intend to fight against the Lin family, but Prince Kang felt that the crown prince did not give him any face when he came forward to protect the Lin family's street food market.
The people under him would naturally not resort to those tricks to suppress the Lin family's limelight and directly attack the shops, but they started from the food itself. After some investigation and discussion, they finally found a suitable handle.
Lin-shi has passed the morning sickness stage and returned to a vigorous state. It just so happens that the street food market needs to add new shops and food items. She plunged into the market again and was busy personally. Sometimes, she even lived directly in the inn on the street.
Although Lin-shi said that she would pay attention to her body, Jiang Shuyao was worried that she would be busy all day long despite her pregnancy, so he planned to go to the street food market to see her quietly.
Jiang Shuyao hurried there before the evening and took Zhou-shi, who was bored in the mansion.
It was just before the meal, the street food market had not yet become lively. There were not many people when Jiang Shuyao and Zhou-shi went to the street food market.
The weather has cooled down. Some cold drinks have been withdrawn, and new foods have replaced them, such as braised meat, Oden, and so on.
Jiang Shuyao and Zhou-shi tried the taste one by one. After the last taste adjustment, the food became more in line with the preferences of this era. Zhou-shi kept praising them while eating.
The two of them didn't tell Lin-shi that they were coming. Naturally, they thought that Lin-shi didn't know, but the shopkeeper recognized Jiang Shuyao. He turned around and told the steward, and the steward told Lin-shi who was resting at the inn.
Lin-shi likes the atmosphere of the street food market. She goes out for a walk every night to relieve her weariness. But now, when she heard that Jiang Shuyao is here, she immediately dispelled the thought of going out for a stroll and stayed in the inn to rest.
When the street food market became lively, Lin-shi still did not come out.
Jiang Shuyao went to the inn, took a look, and saw that she was resting on the bed with her bun removed. It didn't look like Lin-shi planned to go out, so she was relieved.
The inn was well-furnished, and the conditions were not much worse than her wing in the Xiangyang Mansion. She was not happy at home, so Jiang Shuyao did not persuade her to leave the inn.
After bidding farewell to Lin-shi, Jiang Shuyao left the inn and met with Zhou-shi, who just had a good meal. They were about to go home, but before they stepped out of the street food market, she suddenly heard a noise.
Jiang Shuyao frowned, with an ominous premonition in her heart.
She seemed to be in bad luck. When she didn't come to the street food market, it was calm. But when she came, there were people making trouble.
This time was not a small mess like last time. Today, Prince Kang sent a competent officer over. Without any scheme, he bought the cook from the Luzhu shop and went around the market, shouting out the food and ingredients sold in the market.
Originally, the diners came here enthusiastically to try something new, but they encountered this as soon as they arrived at the shop door.
"The food sold here is all dirty ingredients: pig intestines, pig lungs, and hearts!" The Luzhu shop's cook carried a large plate in his hand and threw it into the street. The bloody heart, lungs, and intestines fell to the ground. Very smelly.
Before pig intestines and pig lungs were put into dishes, special attention should be paid to the processing. Fat needs to be torn off from the intestines, then it was constantly scrubbed and then blanched to remove the strange smell. The same is true for pig lungs. After blanching, the water in the pot is turbid. However, when the unprocessed ingredients were thrown in front of the diners, the impact was really great.
"These things are too much to be fed to the dogs, but they are sold in dishes. Isn't this fooling everyone?" The cook got a stink on his body. He took a cooked Luzhu and passed it forward. "Look, everyone. Can you see what these are made of?"
Everyone looked into the bowl and saw that the bowl was piled up with chopped and sliced reddish-brown ingredients. Except for butchers, only a few people knew what these were.
Most of the diners who come to the street food market are not extremely poor people, and they will not consider using offals to make food. The poor people want to taste meat and will not buy offal, just because they do not know how to deal with it. Offal has no meaty smell, only a disgusting smell.
At this time, the shop next door selling lo-mei also stood up and sighed, "Not only does your shop sell those dirty ingredients, mine too. Look at what these are, chicken feet, pig's feet. Who knows what these claws and hoofs of poultry have stepped on. They are the dirtiest parts of the whole body. But now they are used to make food and put in our mouths."
The diners looked at each other.
"When I ate grilled skewers a few days ago, I seemed to have some meaty ingredients but not meat, but they tasted good. I didn't ask what they were. If these..."
"But the store is not deceiving us. As long as we ask, they will tell us the ingredients. A few days ago, they fried rice in front of everyone. They are not afraid of their craftsmanship being learned."
Some don't mind, but some people who are particular about eating are a little bit mindful.
"Pork, lamb, chicken, duck, fish, and there are so many meat. Why choose disgusting ingredients?"
"Exactly, is it that these ingredients are cheap, so the Lin family wants to make some unscrupulous money?"
This is a matter of concept. The staff sent by Prince Kang has been investigating here for a long time and finally caught such a small handle. For those who are arrogant and expensive, using dirty ingredients in dishes is an insult.
A group of people couldn't help arguing while feeling that something was really happening, and at the same time feeling that it was worthless.
"Okay, don't eat it if you don't like it!" It was the first time that Zhou-shi met someone making trouble. She couldn't bear to hear people slander the Lin family so much. She squeezed out of the crowd and said, "What kind of crooked hat are you using!"
She had a sharp look in her eyes. She spotted Prince Kang's men at a glance, and said to them, "I ask you, did the Lin family stuff these to your mouth to eat or cheat you to eat these? If you like to eat, you can eat it. If you don't like to eat it, don't act as if it's too serious. "
She followed Jiang Shuyao to learn how to cook, and she also studied the handling of ingredients. Pointing to the ingredients on the ground, she said, "These ingredients look dirty, but they need to be cleaned and processed a lot when they are served. It takes a lot of work, and the taste will be as good as meat. On the contrary, there is a unique fragrance, and the price is low. You said that the Lin family makes black money. It's incomprehensible!"
She can't accept it when Jiang Shuyao was using these ingredients for cooking. Still, after Jiang Shuyao showed her, her heart was completely clean. When she finished eating, she fell in love with using these ingredients for cooking.
"I think you are talking nonsense here because you don't know how to eat. The most important thing in eating is the taste, not the fineness of the ingredients. The ingredients are not important. If you don't understand this, I think your restaurant is open for nothing!"
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Prince Kang's men were taken aback, "Don't talk nonsense! Who opened a restaurant? We are not in this business!"
Zhou-shi ignored him and continued, "Furthermore, you said these things are dirty, isn't it because they are cheap? At this time, you thought it is nauseating. Why don't you say it is nauseating when you eat monkey brains, antlers, and goat whips? Hm?"
[T/N: Monkey brains, antlers, and goat whips (penis) are Chinese medicine ingredients, usually for men's (ahem) function.]
The material of Zhou-shi's clothes made her looked like a noble lady, but when she spoke so sturdily, Prince Kang's men couldn't help but sweat again and again. They were momentarily mute.
"If you asked me, I don't care what the food is made of or how it's made. What's the meaning of these fallacies? Let's just taste the flavor." She snorted and said with disdain, "Do you think the people eat the same as you? What you eat is not rice. It's nonsense."
Zhou-shi ran over and said to Jiang Shuyao, "Sister-in-law, we don't have to waste a lot of time with them. We just cut these Luzhu and braised meats into small bits, and if people are curious, they will try something new. I promise they will want to eat a second bite."
Prince Kang's subordinates sneered at Zhou-shi's statement. These ingredients are so dirty. They believe that no one wants to taste it, no matter how delicious it is.
Jiang Shuyao had this intention. After Zhou-shi's words, she called the steward. The steward asked the waiters to bring out a few small bowls. Each small bowl had various stew. The same goes for the lo-mei, which cut up some chicken feet and small pieces of trotters for diners to taste.
After the food came out, Zhou-shi went to the front again, squinting at Prince Kang's subordinates sarcastically.
Prince Kang's men didn't care about her and didn't think anyone would be willing to taste the food after seeing the ingredients.
But they are Prince Kang's subordinates, who are used to living a good life. Naturally, they don't understand ordinary people's life. Those who come here are either greedy or desperate to find good and cheap food. They care more about the taste of food.
If you can buy something as delicious as meat for less money, only a fool would be unwilling.
Someone stood up and picked up a bowl of stew.
The sauce is still hot, the soup is clear and not muddy, and the marinade is fragrant. Inside there are pig intestines, pig lungs, and fried tofu slices. The marinade consists of garlic, soy milk, and a layer of cilantro. It doesn't smell bad, but there is a strange fragrance.
The few people who tasted the dishes looked at each other, stretched out their chopsticks, and tasted each item.
Although the internal organs on the ground have been cleaned up, they still smell, so when they put the Luzhu in their mouth, they naturally still have doubts and responses in their hearts.
But as soon as it entered their mouth, their mind changed.
It is very chewy. There is some intestinal oil left in the stew, and it tastes mellow and rich. There is a scent, but it is not smelly at all. It is a strange and plump fragrance. Then came the pork lungs, which were tender and thick, chewy meat and fragrant. The intestine is full of soup. It is transparent and not sticky, and the edges are still a bit crispy, but the inside is very watery and soft. The soup is a bit salty, garlicky, and spicy. The medicinal scents of various spices are fused together, and the rich scent hits people in the face.
They put down their chopsticks, frowned, thinking about how to describe the taste.
Seeing someone ate it, Prince Kang's men suddenly felt a bad feeling. For them, eating needs to be expensive. If these cheap ingredients can be delicious and attractive... he dare not think about the consequences.
Over there, some people are rushing to eat the braised chicken feet and pig's feet. The taste of braised meat is easy to describe. No matter what the diners taste, there is only one word: Delicious.
The leaders of Prince Kang had no idea that things would develop in this way. How did the people went completely against their expectations?
Why would anyone want to eat chicken feet? It looks strange and disgusting.
The leader was not convinced. He squeezed into the group and took a bowl of chicken feet. The chicken feet were boiled until soft and melted in the mouth. The stewed pork skin and other gummy ingredients were also put in the same stew. After being boiled, everything eas melted in the brine, and the marinade became sticky and easy to stick on ingredients.
When the chicken feet entered his mouth, he shook, thinking of the strange appearance of raw chicken feet, but the next moment, his mind was blank.
The chicken feet are very tender. The brine will have enveloped the skin and meat until it melts in the mouth. When you sip it gently, the meat could be slurped. The mixture of sticky marinade and meat exudes a delicious herbal scent in the mouth—a bit salty, fat but not greasy, and rich in sauce.
This... is this the taste of chicken feet?
Not reconciled, he picked up another pig trotter and put it in his mouth.
Compared with chicken feet, pig's feet have a firmer taste. The skin is elastic, and the meat is soft and waxy. The leaner meat is soft, and the fatty aroma spreads in the mouth. It is a bit thicker than the pork belly. The fragrance is not worse than meat.
He was stunned and wanted to move his chopsticks more, but the shopkeeper stopped him.
"We just ask everyone to have a taste. If you want to have a good taste, please enter the store." The shopkeeper laughed, "You can take it away. We also have braised elbows and braised pork belly. It is just right to take it back for a drink."
The leader almost fainted by his completely failed plan, and he nodded faintly. He didn't react until he got out of the crowd and was overtaken by his men.
Zhou-shi looked at them from a distance and felt very happy in her heart. When she was about to return to find Jiang Shuyao, she was suddenly stopped by a bright and beautiful woman with a big belly.
The woman looked at her up and down and gave a very satisfied smile, "I think you are very talented. How about doing business with me?"
This woman is Lin-shi.
Since she recruited Sun Niangzi as a cook, Lin-shi found another pleasure in life, other than running a food business—recruiting women to work for her.
The shipping business has the Lin family's own arrangements, but the food business is different. She can't be the only one to worry about, so she has been recruiting staff recently.
Zhou-shi went out today with only one hairpin, even though her clothes are more expensive, but now it's dark. Lin-shi did not see her identity, and because she was hiding from Jiang Shuyao, she didn't dare to dangle in front of her. She only thought that Zhou stood up and spoke uprightly, and she remembered Jiang Shuyao's advice. Zhou-shi seemed to have a lot of experience in the ingredients, so she started to solicit her.
"I..." Zhou's mouth wanted to explain, but Lin-shi carelessly interrupted her.
"You don't need to give me an answer right away." She dragged Zhou-shi to a higher place. "Look at this street food market, such a long street, so many shops, and there is an endless stream of diners. I will ask you, wherein Beijing you can find a second place like this?"
Zhou-shi shook her head.
"Do you know why I fancy you?"
Zhou-shi continued to shake her head.
"Just because of the look I saw just now, I suddenly thought of myself. Back then, eh, not back then, just a few months ago, I was still languid, shrinking in the mansion all day to spend my time like a walking dead. Now, when I'm looking at this street, I can't remember how I felt a few months ago. There is only comfort and pride in my heart. I don't know why, but I feel that you can see both my shadow in the past and now."
"This lady..."
"I know you would think that I suddenly fell in love with you. It sounds ridiculous, but I have always been like this. I believe in my instincts. Once, my sister and I ran to the pier and seized a shipyard when the master's house was arrested. The momentum and intuition are the same as today. When my daughter wrote to me mentioning the idea of a restaurant and a street food market, I had that intuition again, and sure enough, I did something again. Now my intuition tells me that I can be bigger and stronger in this industry and even change the appearance of the food industry, so I choose to follow my intuition."
Zhou-shi did not speak this time and listened quietly.
"When my daughter wrote to me telling me that these weird ingredients can be used in food, I really had a hard time believing it, but I chose to believe her. I wondered if it was really successful, wouldn't it be possible to change something? People can't eat it. These can be eaten from meat. Like the shops in the docks, the poor people only care about fullness, not deliciousness. But I can let them use the same copper to buy both filling and delicious meals. Seeing them ate happily and satisfactorily, my heart is extremely satisfied and happy." She watched the people wearing common clothes hesitate to walk into the market, counted the copper plates, and bought some meaty food to take away, and have a smile on her face. "This is not the same as making silver. Even if the Lin-shi family ruled shipping back then, I was not as happy as when I listened to the people's praise on the day the market opened."
She patted Zhou-shi, "Would you like to be with me? The wages are guaranteed to be sufficient, and you don't need to sign a contract. You don't need to look at people. You just need you to keep the kind of comfortable, happy, and hopeful heart with me. Keep the Lin family's food successful."
Zhou-shi looked at her, and suddenly she felt like the first time she saw the letter from Lin-shi. A little excited, a little longing, and it seemed that there was a beam of light that illuminates her dim world.
"Alright."
Lin-shi took her hand and said, "Good!"
The two of them had not continued to speak, but a faint question came from behind them.
"......What is good?"
Jiang Shuyao looked at their holding hand and the bright smile on their faces. She felt a little speechless and a little confused, "Mother, second sister-in-law, do you know each other?"
Lin-shi blinked and didn't react for a while, "Second... second sister-in-law?!"
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Zhou-shi scratched her head and said in embarrassment, "You have never given me a chance to introduce myself..."
Jiang Shuyao approached, and the two quickly let go.
"Mother, why did you run out again with your big belly? What can I do if so many diners crowd you?"
Lin-shi shrinks her neck guiltily.
"And second sister-in-law, just now I heard my mother say something about not signing the contract to work. Why did you agree?"
Zhou-shi shrank her neck with the same guilty conscience.
Jiang Shuyao didn't want to wait for their explanation but said, "It seems that you both misunderstood the identity of each other. Now that you know, the misunderstanding can be clarified."
The two nodded.
Jiang Shuyao turned her head and said to Zhou-shi, "Second sister-in-law, let's go back to the house." Then pretending to be fierce, and said to Lin-shi, "Mother, if you run around like this, I will get angry."
Lin-shi mumbled, "I know."
Jiang Shuyao bid farewell to her and led Zhou-shi away.
Zhou-shi clan followed her obediently, and when they were walking away, she suddenly looked back. Her gaze collided with Lin-shi, who was staring at her.
Two women with similar fate to some extent saw each other's eyes at this moment and couldn't help but smile at each other.
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[T/N: Luzhu Huoshao is one of the most well-known traditional Beijing street foods. Long considered a luxury, the cuisine is especially prevalent in Beijing. The main ingredients are pork, pork lung, pork intestines, pork liver, tofu, and some may add fermented bean curd or chives. It is usually served with a kind of flatbread called "Bing".]
[T/N (2): This should be the last chapter with "weird" internal ingredients. Sorry if it's a bit gory! LOL]
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