Regardless of whether Xie Xun had come up with a way to dedicate a recipe to the emperor, the Lin family planned to open a shop selling cooked food sauces, which was somewhat similar to a chain store in later generations.
With new work, Jiang Shuyao and Zhou Shi were busy again.
However, Zhou was not as energetic and energetic as before, and often began to lose his mind when rubbing his face.
This state is not like when she started to indulge in emotional pain, but a deeper sense of loss.
Zhou Shi didn't want to talk about it, and Jiang Shuyao didn't ask about it deliberately, but just tried to use other things to attract her attention.
New recipes, new ingredients, new cooking methods... Often encountering these, Zhou will come out of the state of disappointment and concentrate on learning.
And for some reason, she always subconsciously wants to learn some hot and spicy recipes.
On this day, when Mrs. Zhou was practicing the mutton steamed buns taught by Jiang Shuyao in the third room, a maid rushed in in a hurry.
The maid panted and said something in Zhou's ear. Before she finished speaking, the porcelain bowl in Zhou's hand fell to the ground, making a harsh, crisp sound.
She lifted her skirt and rushed out without thinking.
Jiang Shuyao was startled, and hurried forward to ask the maid, "What did you tell her?"
The maid was also stunned, and when she heard the words, she hurriedly explained: "The slave did not say anything, the slave just said that the uncle has entered the capital, and now the grandfather is entertaining him."
"Uncle uncle?"
"General Zhou." The maid said, "General Zhou is going to Beijing to report on his duties."
Before they could figure out the situation, the Zhou family had already rushed to the main courtyard.
She has been married to Beijing Middle School for seven years, and it has been a long time since she ran away so happily.
The delicate bun was scattered, and the collar and skirt were folded.
She stood at the door of the main courtyard and did not move.
The maids looked at her curiously. Seeing Zhou Shi's different appearance, they secretly guessed whether she was going to make a scene again today.
Zhou Shi straightened her bun, smoothed the folds, and lowered her head to look at the shadow on the ground for a while.
The high bun and the Chinese dress are tall and beautiful, and she looks at the shadow with an unfamiliar feeling.
Suddenly, a loud and rough voice that was rarely heard in the capital came from the front: "Okay, no need to send it! Grandpa take care!"
People in the capital, even military generals are handsome Confucian generals, how can they be like the people in front of them, tall and mighty, full of beards, like a big black bear.
When walking on the road, there was a fierce wind, which caused the passing maids to retreat, obviously just saying goodbye, and the slap with the big fan was slapped as if it was going to hit someone.
When Zhou Shi saw this scene, he couldn't help but burst into laughter, and with a smile, tears suddenly fell from his cheeks.
"Brother." she called.
General Zhou's figure paused, and he fixed his eyes on Zhou Shi who was standing not far away.
His eyes became more and more round, and he said in disbelief, "Little sister?"
After Zhou's marriage to Beijing, the contact with her family gradually diminished. The capital city and Mobei are separated by thousands of miles, and letters travel slowly, and the Zhou family is not a literate person, so it is difficult to send their thoughts on letter paper, so they can only send her some Mobei soil rituals. But the capital is prosperous, and the food and clothing expenses are better than Mobei. There is a lack of the soil ceremonies they sent, so after they arrived, they didn't even send the soil ceremonies.
The two years when the Zhou family was married was when the ghosts were obsessed. General Zhou went to Beijing to report on his work and wanted to see her. He dragged some large and small bags, and was secretly ridiculed by the people of the capital. Forcefully suppressing his temper, he resisted abruptly.
They were incompatible with the capital in terms of appearance and temperament. The Zhou family never cared about them in the past, but now that the baby girl of the Zhou family is married to the capital, she has to think about her.
General Zhou asked the scouts who followed him to inquire about the news, and when he heard that the little girl was ridiculed by the ladies at the banquet and got angry and left the table, he guessed that they had made her lose face and be angry.
General Zhou looked at the dusty carriage he was dragging and sighed silently, the little sister should not want to see him.
Sure enough, he went to meet with Duke Xie, and the Zhou family did not see him in the future.
Now that a few years have passed, he has learned the lesson of the last time, came quietly, and walked quietly, but he did not expect that the moment he stepped out of the threshold, he saw Zhou who he had not seen in seven years.
Being close to the hometown is timid, not to mention facing relatives who have not seen each other for many years.
"Brother, are you leaving?" Zhou Shi asked.
General Zhou scratched his head, not knowing how to answer. When he opened his mouth, it was full of Beidi's accent: "No hurry, I will leave tomorrow."
Xie Guogong came out from the back and was a little surprised to see the Zhou family, but he was always kind, so he said: "You brothers and sisters haven't seen each other for a long time, don't rush to leave, General Zhou, why don't you sit in the mansion for a while longer? , a conversation between siblings."
The eldest brother of the Zhou family naturally wanted to talk to the younger sister, but he was afraid that his younger sister would not want to but could not refuse, so he said, "No need..."
However, Mrs. Zhou stopped him first: "Brother. Just stay, just sit for half an hour."
Xie Guogong did not disturb the brother and sister's conversation, and gave them the main room.
The elder brother of the Zhou family sat back on the passenger chair again. The chair is exquisite in workmanship, made of huanghuali wood, and the carvings are magnificent, but it is really small. He has a mighty figure, and he is very aggrieved when sitting on it, very uncomfortable, and feels that he cannot fit in here.
He raised his eyes to look at the opposite Zhou, with a bit of relief in his eyes.
The little girl is not at all different from him, she looks decent and dignified, no different from everyone who grew up in a boudoir, and there is no trace of that savage girl back then.
"Brother, how has your family been all these years?" Zhou Shi asked.
Brother Zhou was relieved to hear this question, at least he could answer it. He smiled and said, "It's all good, it's all good. Life goes by so fast, I'm going to be a grandfather soon, but your sixth brother, that stinky boy, hasn't gotten married yet. Hidden mother, live in the border town, you said that the horses are fat and the sheep are fat this autumn, and the barbarians will not come, and his appearance of protecting the family and the country is really a mother's letter." He patted his forehead, "Yes. Now, the dagger that the sixth asked me to bring you, said that it was taken from the barbarian second prince the year before, and I kicked him away with one kick. I have to give some pearl hairpins and gems as gifts, what do you think about giving a dagger, that bastard..."
Seeing that Zhou Shi's expression was wrong, his voice became smaller and smaller, and the last word reached his throat and swallowed hard.
He didn't know what he said to offend the Zhou family, and rubbed his big palms on his legs: "Little sister... don't be angry, the sixth said that the next time the barbarians commit crimes again, he will beat them to their palace. I'll grab all the gems and stuff, and wear them all." Having said that, he felt that this act of grabbing things for his sister sounded like a bandit, and he couldn't get on the stage. Made a joke of Zhou.
Zhou Shi's head dropped even lower, as if he was out of breath. After a while, he steadied his breath and said softly, "Have you eaten yet, brother? Are you hungry?"
Her topic changed suddenly, and the eldest brother of the Zhou family was taken aback, and answered honestly, "Not yet, isn't this going to go back to eat with the brothers."
Zhou Shi nodded, his fingers digging into the palm of his hand, ignoring his words to go back, and said, "I've been learning cooking these days, I just made a meal, and it's still hot now, if eldest brother doesn't dislike it, I'll bring it to you. Try it, you can see how good it is"
The eldest brother of the Zhou family smiled and said, "Little sister, you can speak in a decent manner now." After finishing speaking, he answered Zhou's words, "It's all right. Big brother has lived for so long and hasn't eaten the food you made. If I go back and tell them about it, they definitely don't believe it." According to Zhou's fiery temperament, Zhou's eldest brother didn't have any hope that he could learn any cooking skills.
Zhou Shi smiled and nodded, got up and left the room.
She came back not long after, followed by a maid holding a plate.
After Zhou took a mouthful of the sea bowl from the plate, the maid bowed and retired.
The elder brother of the Zhou family looked at the big bowl in front of him and stared wide-eyed in astonishment: "Why, why does Duke Xie's manor still have such a big bowl?"
Zhou Shi couldn't help laughing: "My third brother and sister bought this, and the third brother eats too much."
The eldest brother of the Zhou family nodded dumbly, sighing that the noble family was not as squeamish as he imagined.
At this time, a mellow and fragrant salty and umami taste penetrated into his nostrils, and he returned to his senses and looked into the bowl.
White and tender minced buns floated in the bowl, reddish-brown minced mutton, and the fans were crystal clear and moist, like a soft net entwining the buns and meat. The center was dotted with green garlic sprouts and coriander. With clear and smashed oil flowers, the fragrance is overflowing.
The tip of his nose twitched, and he asked uncertainly, "Is this mutton?" He smelled the freshness of mutton, which was mellow and long, but did not have the common fishy smell of mutton. The aroma is rich in layers, with a hint of spiciness in the freshness, and spice in the fine smell.
Zhou pushed the small plate containing the sugar garlic and chili sauce in front of him and explained, "This is a mutton steamed bun. But I have already broken the buns in advance, so that it is more convenient to eat. My younger brother and sister said that this bun should make it easier to eat. The diners break it up by themselves, break it into the size of soybean grains, and then serve the diners with soup. I'll have a bowl of delicious and mellow soup in the future."
At this time, the elder brother of the Zhou family realized that his younger sister seemed to have really calmed down and learned to cook. Anyway, just in terms of appearance and flavor, this bowl of soup will not be unpleasant.
He looked up at Zhou Shi, Zhou Shi held his face and looked at him expectantly.
The soft and mellow noodle soup is surrounded by water mist, blowing away the mist, and the fresh and mellow aroma blows on the face, which makes people feel refreshed, and all the laziness is dispersed in this hot steam.
He picked up the spoon expectantly, and picked up a spoonful of sheep soup to make buns. The finely crushed buns are flexible and gluten, the particles are small but not scattered, and the soup is full, moist and soft but not rotten, and the particles are fragrant. The crystal clear vermicelli hung on the side of the spoon, wobbly, soft and tender and slippery to the point of incessant, dripping sheep soup constantly. It's hard not to make a snoring sound when eating such a large spoonful of soup.
As soon as the warm mutton soup buns entered the mouth, the elder brother of the Zhou family was shocked by the rich and mellow soup. The umami of mutton is very strong, and it is scurrying around in the steamed buns and vermicelli, and the thick layer of mutton soup flavor instantly opens people's appetite.
The clear soup is delicious, the mutton is cooked soft and rotten, chewy and tender, big chunks, fat but not greasy, the oil is boiled out, you can clearly feel the thick, fresh and plump mutton oil on the surface. After swallowing it, the umami taste of the lamb soup still reverberates on the lips and cheeks. The skin of the steamed buns was soaked and soft, the fans were still tender, the soup was wide and the meat was fat, numb, spicy, fresh and salty, with a long aftertaste.
This layer of freshness and warmth makes people reluctant to devour, but slowly savour this bowl of fragrant mutton soup along the side of the bowl.
The essence and soul of the mutton and mutton bones are all integrated into the soup. It is very laborious to boil. The slaughtered sheep are slowly boiled with dozens of spices until the bones are boiled, the mutton is boiled, and the juice is thick. The soup is ready to be boiled.
The eldest brother of the Zhou family snorted and drank. This is both a fan and a soup. It is really difficult to be elegant.
"And this candied garlic, just eat it." Zhou Shi saw that he was eating happily, and the discomfort and depression in his heart dissipated immediately. It's no wonder that Jiang Shuyao likes to watch people eat the meals he cooks, especially those close to him. Seeing him eat happily makes his heart very happy.
The elder brother of the Zhou family felt that his food was not good, but he couldn't hold it back, so he nodded embarrassedly, and took a chopstick to the mouth.
The candied garlic is crisp, sweet and pungent to eat, and it dilutes the mutton taste in the mouth at once, and it is really a good hand to remove the fishy and greasy. After eating a piece of sugar and garlic, the eldest brother of the Zhou family felt that he could have another bowl of mutton steamed buns.
After that, the steamed bun was soaked for a long time, and the mutton soup was completely absorbed, and the fans were also broken in pieces. When stirred with a spoon, it became thicker. Like porridge, it was piled up at the bottom of the bowl, and it was satisfying to watch.
After eating a large bowl of mutton steamed buns, I drank all the soup at the bottom of the bowl. After eating, my stomach was warm, a fine layer of sweat appeared on my forehead, and my limbs were stretched.
The elder brother of the Zhou family held his stomach and sighed comfortably.
"Little sister, you are really amazing. Back then, when you said you practiced martial arts, our brothers thought you were just kidding, but after you learn, you can single out all the little bastards in Mobei; now you say you learn cooking. , I thought you were just making soup, but I didn't expect to make mutton taste like a fairy."
Zhou Shi shook his head and chuckled: "Where is my ability? It's all the crafts I learned from my younger siblings."
The eldest brother of the Zhou family realized the taste of the taste later, he scratched his head, and muttered inexplicably: "Brother and sister? No way... Isn't this the capital that values the rules the most, and it is still popular with noble ladies? kitchen?"
"How come, the capital is still the same capital." Zhou Shi lowered his head and said softly, "It's only me who has changed from beginning to end."
Zhou's eldest brother had a rough mind and didn't notice Zhou's sadness. He patted his thigh and said, "I'll just say it." The steamed buns are really delicious, and I feel warm when I eat them. They are not at all like the ones in Mobei. The aunt in our house makes them too savory, and the ones on the street are even worse. When I was eating mutton in Mobei, I felt I almost vomited when I ate it. When you go to the capital, you must try the food in the capital. I didn’t expect to come to the capital. The best thing to eat is mutton.”
He put some chili sauce between his chopsticks and put it into his mouth: "And this, this is the smell, it's numb and hot, and it's warmer than drinking it with hot soup. It's more energetic than drinking soju." He put down his chopsticks , "Little sister, what kind of sauce is this, why don't you bring a bottle back to the eldest brother, so that the winter won't be so hard, and you will be thinking about soju all day-"
His voice stopped abruptly, and he looked at Zhou Shi at a loss.
Zhou's tears kept falling down, hitting the table and shattering suddenly.
A rough bearded big man subconsciously pinched his voice, leaned over cautiously and said, "Little, little sister, what's the matter?"
After a lapse of seven years, it was no different from when he coaxed the arrogant and crying little girl when she was a child.
Zhou Shi casually wiped his eyes with his cuff: "It's nothing."
The elder brother of the Zhou family seemed to be used to listening to her words. Nothing was wrong. He quickly said, "It's my brother who's wrong. My brother did something wrong. My brother changes. Don't cry. My mother has to beat me up when she sees it." So smooth I don't know how many times I've said the same sentence. When the words fell, I remembered that this is the capital, where can my mother see it.
He put his big fan-like palm on top of Zhou's head, and rubbed it stiffly twice, so gentle that it didn't look like a hand full of scars and thick calluses.
When the palm of the hand touched the cold pearl hairpin and the neat high bun, the eldest brother of the Zhou family suddenly realized that this is the capital, and the time of the past is long gone. He sighed: "You are already a mother, and you are still crying."
Zhou Shi also felt embarrassed, and wiped his eyes again and again, for fear of leaving tears.
"Brother, don't talk nonsense, I didn't cry." When I heard the word "Mobei", my tears couldn't hold back.
She pretended that nothing happened, and wanted to hurriedly expose it.
Zhou's eldest brother withdrew his hand, was silent for a long time, and finally sighed softly: "My little seven must have suffered a lot of grievances over the years."
In a place like the capital, he could be afraid of it for several years at a time.
You can't ride a horse, you can't go into battle to kill the enemy, you can't compete in martial arts shirtless, you can't laugh and shout...
He originally just said something with emotion, but he didn't want Zhou Shi, who had just covered his tears, to suddenly jump into his arms.
The elder brother of the Zhou family was stunned, his arms froze at a loss, not knowing what to do.
He looked down at the person in his arms, no different from the little girl who cried while hugging his brothers when he got married seven years ago.
It was just that little girl back then, her voice could make one's ears hurt for days when she cried.
Today's Zhou just buried her head and didn't make any sound. Only when she saw the violent shaking of her shoulders did she know that she was crying.
I don't know how many hard nights and how many tears it takes to learn to cry without making a sound.
The eldest brother of the Zhou family put down his stiff arms and put his arms around her gently, patting her on the back gently.
No matter whose mother or wife she is, she will always be the pearl in the hands of the Zhou family.
Zhou shi hadn't cried happily for a long time, and stopped crying after a while.
The elder brother Zhou didn't dare to speak until he saw that she had stopped. His eyebrows stood upright, he slapped his hand, and the porcelain cups on the table rattled: "Who made you angry! Is it that guy Xie Er!"
The Zhou family didn't speak, and the Zhou family eldest brother knew the answer.
"I'll just say that those little white-faced scholars don't have a good thing, let alone a noble son raised by a big family." At first, the elder brothers of the family were reluctant to marry the Zhou family, but she only had Xie Er in her heart, and she couldn't persuade him no matter what. .
The unnecessary complaints could not be uttered, the distress of the elder brother of the Zhou family all turned into anger towards Xie Lang.
He stood up and angrily tied his cuffs: "Look at me if I didn't peel that kid. At the beginning, what he said was nice, but now I still make my little seven feel wronged." No matter the reason or the matter, as long as Zhou Shi When I cry, it's someone else's fault, and it hasn't changed at all over the years.
Zhou Shi quickly grabbed him and said helplessly, "Big brother..."
"I knew you were going to stop me, oh, what do you like about that kid, don't you just have a better face, a better brain, and a better ability to read?" He didn't want to sit down any longer, "I have to beat him today. Just do it."
Zhou Shi couldn't stop him, so he could only say: "You beat him, what should I do?"
The elder brother of the Zhou family was taken aback: "What should I do?"
"Am I still staying at Xie's house?"
He blurted out: "Of course not to stay, go back to your mother's house with the big brother!" After speaking, he realized that Zhou's family is not like an ordinary woman who can easily go back to her mother's house. Her mother's house is far away in Mobei, even if she comes and goes Take several months.
He paused and rubbed his head anxiously: "Why did he bully you?"
Zhou Shi was silent for a few breaths, and finally spit out two words: "Concubine."
The anger that the eldest brother of the Zhou family had just poured out came back, and his eyes widened in disbelief: "He dares?! I must break his leg today, no, no! You go, you follow me back to my parents' house, Whoever loves to live with him, our daughter of the Zhou family cannot suffer this grievance!"
He pulled Zhou Shi and walked out, only to be easily freed by Zhou Shi.
"Brother, there are no such rules."
Although he was furious, he could barely suppress the fire and listen to Zhou's words.
"Did someone say that if you marry the daughter of the Zhou family, you can't take a concubine? Did someone say that if you marry me, you have to love me for the rest of your life?" Zhou shi lowered her eyes, "Besides, how can it be so easy to leave? I am a foreigner, the second wife of Xie Guogong's mansion, and a seven-year-old daughter. After I married into Beijing, everything could not tolerate my willfulness."
The word "daughter" made the elder brother of the Zhou family calm down instantly. Yes, if the Zhou family did not have a daughter, it would be a big deal to return to Mobei with Li, but now that he has a daughter, it is not easy to handle. After a woman gets married, she can rely on her mother's family the most. If the Zhou family and Xie Er reconcile, the niece will also easily get angry when she gets married.
He was a strong man with a strong back, and was stomped by Zhou Shi's words in a hurry.
"Then what should I do?" He squeezed his fists and gritted his teeth, "Why don't I just beat him up."
Zhou Shi smiled helplessly: "Brother, no need. You see, I am living a very happy life now, I can learn cooking every day, cook, practice martial arts, get along with my daughter in my spare time, and I don't even see him. All the trouble is saved.”
Brother Zhou frowned and said nothing.
"It's just that I haven't seen my family for many years, and I always have some willful thoughts. When I feel wronged, I want to cry. After crying, I'll be fine." She regained her strength, "I made a lot of sauce a few days ago, and you bring it back. Try it, and some cured meat and sausages, and bring some back. After a while, the Lin family caravan will go north, and I will ask them to bring some more."
She had a lot to say, as if she couldn't say it all: "There are also recipes that I have pondered on myself. They are not delicious, but they can be eaten fresh. I will let them bring them to you. You can go back and let the cooks try. You and brother How about you, also drink less wine, don't fool me with warm-up words, I'll bring you chili sauce, mix it with soup and drink it, and make sure it's warm after drinking."
The elder brother of the Zhou family said gruffly, "I know, I know."
Zhou shi rambled and sent him out. After the two brothers and sisters gradually walked away, Xie Lang walked out from the corner, stood still and stared at the empty courtyard entrance, without saying a word for a long time.