armyinform Chapter 71, 4th Floor, Owner of Fanglou
Chapter 71, 4th Floor, Owner of Fanglou
Song Jiaojiao understood perfectly. After all, stir-fried snails were better suited for drinking with alcohol, while crayfish were delicious no matter how they were prepared.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the next day arrived quickly.
By the time the rooster crowed for the second time, Song Jiaojiao had already washed up, eaten breakfast, and set off with snails and crayfish.
Before setting off, Song Jiaojiao checked the crayfish. She didn't find any dead ones.
As the sun rose, the orange sunlight streamed in from the front, illuminating Song Jiaojiao's carriage.
An hour later, Song Jiaojiao arrived at the Sifanglou restaurant. It was still early, and the waiter had just opened the door when he saw Song Jiaojiao coming. He immediately snapped out of his daze and hurried to call Manager Wang.
"Manager, manager, Madam Song is here!" the waiter shouted.
Manager Wang, who had just served breakfast, hurriedly put it down and rushed out to greet the guests, not even having time to glance at the breakfast that had been left unattended.
"Oh my, Madam Song, you've arrived early today. Have you had breakfast yet?" Manager Wang greeted Song Jiaojiao with a smile.
Seeing that Manager Wang's clothes were still a bit disheveled, Song Jiaojiao figured he must have just woken up.
"Did I disturb Manager Wang?"
"No, no, Madam Song can come anytime, and I'm always available," Manager Wang quickly replied with a smile.
"I won't beat around the bush. I've brought this fresh food with me today, and I need to borrow your kitchen and the women who wash vegetables." Song Jiaojiao stated her purpose directly.
Upon hearing this, Manager Wang's smile widened even more. "This way, this way, please. I'll arrange for someone to come right away."
Song Jiaojiao and Xu Da followed Manager Wang to the kitchen. She asked Xu Da to teach the kitchen helper how to clean crayfish and how to remove the shrimp veins. Xu Da had gained experience in the past two days, so he was perfectly capable of teaching them.
Song Jiaojiao brought the snail meat inside. Today, Song Jiaojiao planned to make two flavors of crayfish: spicy crayfish and garlic crayfish, as well as stir-fried snail meat.
Just as Song Jiaojiao was preparing the ingredients she would need, a carriage with an unassuming exterior but a luxurious interior slowly arrived in Yunshui Town.
Guards and servants sat on the side of the carriage. The servants looked up and saw the wooden archway that read "Yunshui Town".
He exclaimed with delight, "Young Master, we've arrived at Yunshui Town!"
The person in the carriage stretched and replied lazily, his voice still carrying a hint of fatigue, "Finally arrived. Sitting in a carriage all day, my back is about to break."
As soon as he finished speaking, a fair hand lifted the curtain. Wang Ziyi looked at the backward Yunshui Town. If it weren't for the frequent good news coming from here, he probably would never have come to such a backward place in his life.
……
Song Jiaojiao poured a lot of oil into the pot, the kind that makes you feel bad just looking at it. She heated the oil over high heat until it was about 70% hot, then added the cleaned and drained crayfish and fried them until they changed color. She then took them out and set them aside.
Once all the crayfish are fried, pour out the oil, leaving only a spoonful. Sauté scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then add star anise and spices. Pour in the fried crayfish, stir-fry evenly, then add enough boiling water to cover the crayfish. Add a bowl of white wine, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Song Jiaojiao didn't stop; she went to another pot and prepared to make garlic sauce.
At that moment, a waiter came and called Manager Wang away, but Song Jiaojiao, who was busy, didn't notice.
Half an hour later, the spicy crayfish and garlic crayfish were served one after another, leaving only the stir-fried snail meat as the last dish.
It was getting late, and customers were starting to arrive at the restaurant. Even the heavy curtains couldn't block out the aroma of crayfish. Regular customers of Sifanglou knew from the smell that Sifanglou was about to launch new dishes.
Just as Song Jiaojiao finished preparing all the dishes, Manager Wang returned.
"Manager Wang, I've finished preparing these dishes. Please try them," Song Jiaojiao said, wiping the sweat from Manager Wang's brow.
"I have to take it upstairs for others to try today, so Madam Song will have to wait a little while." Manager Wang's face still showed undisguised delight.
Song Jiaojiao didn't say anything, after all, she was only concerned with preparing the dishes. Suddenly realizing he didn't know how to eat them, she said, "Wait, Manager Wang, I haven't told you how to eat this dish yet."
Song Jiaojiao picked up a crayfish and began to demonstrate, making sure that Manager Wang really understood before stepping aside.
Manager Wang took out plates and put a portion of each dish on them. Fortunately, Song Jiaojiao made large portions, and there was still a lot left in the kitchen. Manager Wang brought the dishes up and let the chef taste them himself.
Wang Ziyi and his entourage arrived at Sifanglou after braving wind and rain. Even before entering, they were greeted by a strong fragrance, a scent they had never encountered before in the capital. Wang Yu, seeing his young master's demeanor, immediately knew what he was up to.
"Waiter, what are you cooking? It smells so good! Bring it to us first," Wang Yu called out to the waiter.
The waiter hesitated, then stammered, "Sir, you may not know, but this dish is not from our restaurant."
Wang Yu was taken aback by the waiter's answer.
Not from this store?
What do you mean it's not from our store? The smell is clearly coming from the back.
"What do you mean it's not from our restaurant? Didn't this smell come from your kitchen? Are you afraid we can't afford it?" Wang Yu asked in surprise.
"No, no, it's like this, sir. Madam Song is here today. Every time she comes, the shop has new dishes, so that's why I said these dishes aren't from the shop," the waiter quickly explained, afraid of ruining the shop's reputation.
Wang Yu glanced at Wang Ziyi, who nodded in agreement. Wang Yu then said, "Go and call your manager. My young master needs to speak with him."
Seeing that the people in front of him were all rich and powerful, and that he couldn't handle them, the waiter nodded and went to the kitchen.
As soon as Manager Wang came out, he saw Wang Ziyi and knew that this was his boss. Every manager under the Wang family's businesses had a portrait of Wang Ziyi.
He quickly stepped forward and said, "Boss, you've arrived."
Wang Ziyi looked at the shopkeeper in front of him and couldn't see anything special about him.
"Hmm, what's going on in the back? It smells so good!"
Looking at the customers arriving at the shop, Manager Wang said, "Master, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest in the private room and I'll tell you everything slowly."
Wang Ziyi thought this wasn't the place to talk, so he nodded and followed Manager Wang upstairs.
He had barely sat down when he asked, "Manager Wang, can you tell us now?"
Manager Wang bowed respectfully and said, "That was Madam Song cooking a new dish. Lately, all the new dishes in our shop have been made using Madam Song's recipes. Although Madam Song is a woman, none of the dishes she makes have been bad."
"Oh, is it really as good as you say?" Wang Ziyi still didn't quite believe that a woman could have such abilities, and if she had such abilities, why would she live in such a backward place?
Manager Wang knew that few people would believe him just by talking; they would only believe him after seeing it with their own eyes.
"Yes, I never utter a single lie."