Lin Cheng's heart was broken, while Jiang Shuyao on the other side of the capital was elated.
Mrs. Xiangyang uncle handed over a message, saying that Jiang Shuyao had found the pepper seeds that Jiang Shuyao asked her to find before, but she was not sure whether it was the kind she said.
Jiang Shuyao wanted to grow wings and fly back to the uncle's mansion in Xiangyang immediately, but resisted it abruptly. When Xie Xun came back, he rushed to him regardless of etiquette to share the good news with him.
Xie Xun had just returned to the house, still wearing the heavy and heavy official uniform, and he was a little tired, but when he saw Jiang Shuyao running towards him with the skirt of his skirt from a distance, the exhaustion disappeared in an instant.
Standing at the gate of the courtyard, he unconsciously smiled: "What are you running for?"
Jiang Shuyao couldn't wait to say: "I asked my mother to let the caravan go out to sea to find Chili, she just sent a letter to say that there is news!"
She was happy, Xie Xun was also happy, the corners of her eyes and brows were dyed with radiance: "Chili?"
"It tastes similar to dogwood oil, but it tastes much better." Jiang Shuyao explained.
She smiled and raised her head to look at Xie Xun, only then did she notice how handsome he was today.
This is the first time she has seen Xie Xun wearing an official uniform. Compared with the noble and noble in the past, today he looks imposing, calm and steady. When he looks down at her, the end of his eyes rises slightly, which is actually a bit gentle.
When she met Xie Xun's gaze, she suddenly felt a little hot on her face.
She hurriedly looked away and fanned her face: "It's been really hot recently."
Xie Xun didn't notice it, and replied: "Yes, I'll go back to the room to take a shower and change clothes, and I'll come back to you later."
After he left, Jiang Shuyao stared at his back a few more times.
The heat on her face has not yet dissipated, and her heart is puzzled. Obviously, she just changed her official uniform. Why did Xie Langjun yesterday suddenly become Lord Xie, like two people.
After taking a bath, Xie Xun changed into her regular clothes. When she found Jiang Shuyao, she was enjoying the shade on the rocking chair as always. Seeing Xie Xun's outfit, she was inexplicably relieved.
Xie Xun didn't know what she missed and asked what she said just now.
Jiang Shuyao said: "I want to go to the mansion tomorrow and go to the Uncle Mansion in Xiangyang to have a look."
Xie Xun nodded: "It just so happens that I will be fine tomorrow, so let's go with you."
Jiang Shuyao sat up, and the happy expression on her face turned into a sad expression: "But I haven't figured out what the restaurant will do, and I don't know how to discuss it with my mother?"
Xie Xun sat down on the high chair next to her and said, "How come you can't think of what to eat and sell? In my opinion, taking it out at will is very good."
Jiang Shuyao shook his head: "No, I originally wanted to make some cheap and delicious food, but I found that it is not cheap to process the ingredients. Besides, I originally wanted to make food that is convenient to carry for pedestrians to travel. I have tried it a few times. They all found that cold is not as delicious as hot."
She said by saying, "Ms. Ge advised me not to stick to the convenience of carrying, but if my food is sold in a restaurant, what is the difference between it and ordinary food? So let me do something with what you said. Things that are good for the people can't be dealt with."
Xie Xun couldn't help chuckling when he heard her doubts. The night wind was swaying, and his laughter was as clear as spring water, which made Jiang Shuyao, who frowned and thought, loosen his brows.
"You are thinking wrong." Xie Xun said, "Tomorrow I will take you to see the days of ordinary people, and I think you will understand what to do."
＊
The next day, Xie Xun waited early in front of the east wing.
Jiang Shuyao didn't let him wait, and he packed up casually and went out with him.
Maybe she remembered that Xie Xun said she wanted to go out with her. She was wearing much simpler and more plain clothes than before. She was wearing a thin shirt and silver hairpins. The lady in charge is no different.
With Xie Xun to accompany, Jiang Shuyao was much more convenient to do things. After leaving the mansion, he went straight to Xiangyang Uncle Mansion.
Lin Shi originally planned to send the chili pots to Duke Xie's mansion today, but Jiang Shuyao came over in person.
She was very happy, but also a little worried, and warned her: "How can there be a lady who runs out every three days, you can restrain your temper. Just go back to your mother's house by yourself, why did you call your uncle over?"
"Mother, don't worry about it." Jiang Shuyao glanced at Xie Xun, "It was Xie Boyuan who followed me on the initiative."
Hearing this, Lin patted Jiang Shuyao's hand with relief: "I didn't expect my daughter to be pretty good."
Jiang Shuyao's husband and wife were in harmony, she felt a little sullen, and brought a little vigor to her body, so she asked the servants to present the pepper potted plants.
Jiang Shuyao was so excited that Xie Xun wanted to talk to her when he saw this, but he could only bear it because of Lin's presence.
Looking at his indifferent face, Mrs. Lin felt uneasy in her heart. She always felt that he could not doubt the love of his daughter who escaped from his family, and he was afraid that he would be reluctant to accompany her today.
Xie Xun went to the front yard to talk to Uncle Xiangyang after seeing Mrs. Uncle Xiangyang.
Lin shi looked at his distant back and was troubled.
As a mother's worry, Jiang Shuyao didn't understand. When the servant brought the pepper potted plant, she jumped up excitedly.
What's happier than a spicy person seeing chili peppers
She pulled Lin's sleeve and said, "Mother, this is it!"
Seeing her reaction so big, Lin was extremely helpless: "It's alright, alright, what about it?"
Jiang Shuyao smiled embarrassedly and asked, "Mother, is this the only one?"
"Of course not. I just heard what you said, and I didn't know if what the caravan found was what you wanted, so I just let someone bring a pot into Beijing. This thing is rare, and the caravan brought back not many seeds. , Wealthy businessmen in coastal areas often use this as a bonsai for viewing, but I don't look as good as a flower." Lin beckoned, "Come on, let the gardener come in."
The maid responded, and soon brought in a gardener, whose accent was obviously from the people of the coastal area, and stood cautiously after bowing to Lin.
Jiang Shuyao didn't understand business, so he said to Lin, "Mother, you can let me use more chili peppers, which will be of great use in the future."
Although Lin shi doted on her, she still had to ask, "What's the use of planting this thing?"
Jiang Shuyao talked eloquently about the deliciousness of chili peppers. When Mrs. Lin asked her how she found out, she said that she had heard that Emperor Taizu had searched for it, and praised it very much.
Lin Shi was suspicious, and the messenger arranged it.
Even if the chili pepper is not as good as Jiang Shuyao said, it's just a waste of money. If this little money can make her daughter happy, of course she won't be stingy.
Jiang Shuyao was overwhelmed at this moment. He went through the famous Sichuan and Hunan dishes in his mind, and flashed a series of spicy and delicious snacks. Finally, he thought of his lofty goal of improving the food of this dynasty, and finally remembered the business.
"By the way, mother, I have a business idea I want to talk to you about."
Lin glanced at her as if she didn't know her: "Business? You haven't even touched the abacus since you were born, so why are you suddenly interested in doing business?"
Of course, it was Xie Xun's idea, and the original intention of doing business was not the business itself, but more to restore Lin's fighting spirit.
Jiang Shuyao smiled and said, "Because my cooking skills have to be useful, right? I don't know how to do business, so I came here to ask my mother to kiss me."
She shared her thoughts with Mrs. Lin: "Mother, you have used countless delicacies from Jiangnan to the capital, but have you ever seen anything more novel than my cooking method?"
As a woman who has been rolling around in shopping malls for many years, Lin's first reaction was to think about the feasibility of this business. She shook her head and said, "There are many restaurants in the capital, and it is difficult to get ahead."
"We don't compete with restaurants. We are restaurants and sell to ordinary people. Anyway, my ability is to make cheap ingredients delicious and innovative."
There was a slight movement on Lin's face, Jiang Shuyao couldn't help but rejoice when he saw this. He was about to continue to persuade, but heard Lin's decisive words: "No!"
She turned around with a serious face: "You are the third lady of Xie Guogong's mansion, how did you come up with these messy thoughts? If you want to handle the farmhouse, how much money do you want from your mother? I will never agree to this."
Jiang Shuyao's smile froze on his face.
Lin's refusal was beyond her expectations. She was full of confidence that she would be interested in Lin's family, and maybe she would reinvigorate herself to be the head of the Lin's family, but she didn't think that Lin's family would be so unreasonable. Agree.
"Mother, what does this have to do with me being the third lady of Xie Guogong's mansion? Isn't it just a restaurant, what's the difference from handling a shop, I—"
"There's a big difference. It's the housekeeper's job to handle the shop. The ladies only need to tell them to go. How many do you think are serious business people? If you do business seriously, you have to show your face, you have to be covered in copper, and you have to plan. , who wants to marry such a lady?"
"But... Mother, how can you say it is so serious." This is the first time Jiang Shuyao has heard such an argument.
She didn't take it to heart, and Lin looked anxiously and shouted, "Why do you think your father and I have grown from loving couples to what we are now?"
Jiang Shuyao was completely stunned by these words, and she looked at Lin stunned: "It's not because of the backyard..." She always thought it was Xiangyang Bo who likes the new and hates the old, and the two have different personalities.
Lin shi lowered his eyes, his voice was flat, as if he had been numb long ago: "Man, when I married you, I liked you for your neat tactics and unparalleled tactics, and praised you for being a woman and a man, and as time passed, you became a stench all over your body. He has deep scheming, and hates that you only earned this family business by rolling around in the crowd of men."
"Mother..." Jiang Shuyao felt sour in her heart and grabbed her sleeve.
"Enough." Lin interrupted her, "Don't think about it in the future. Before you got married, you were absurd and nonsense. It was your mother's last plan to protect you. Do you think that Xiangyang Uncle Mansion can let you protect you?"
Jiang Shuyao didn't care about business or not, pity Lin's experience, and looked at her with tears in her eyes.
Lin's heart softened for a moment, but he still hardened his heart: "Okay, this is the end of the matter, you can go see your father."
This was to drive her away. Jiang Shuyao wanted to say a few more words, but she still retreated when she saw Lin's face.
Therefore, when Xie Xun saw Jiang Shuyao again, she was the one who looked aggrieved.
"What happened?" he whispered.
Jiang Shuyao told him Lin's refusal, but of course he didn't mention the words of mother and daughter.
"This business can't be done, let's find a way." She looked lost.
Xie Xun knew how much she had expected to open a restaurant these days, but now that she is lost, in addition to losing her mind, her more hope of getting Lin's fighting spirit back should be in vain.
He is not a fool, he quickly figured out the key points, and he understands Lin's thoughts better than Jiang Shuyao, who has listened to Lin's reprimand.
Thinking about how Jiang Shuyao was crying that day when he was drunk, he couldn't help but sigh, and said to Bo Xiangyang, "Father-in-law is still busy with business, so Bo Yuan will not disturb him."
Then he patted Jiang Shuyao's bun and whispered, "Let's go, let's go see my mother-in-law again."
"Why?" Jiang Shuyao asked, but Xie Xun didn't answer her.
When they went to Lin's yard, Lin was very puzzled when they saw them go and returned. Looking at Jiang Shuyao, she hoped that she could explain it to herself.
But Jiang Shuyao didn't know what Xie Xun wanted to do, so he could only look at Xie Xun.
Xie Xun coughed and cupped his hands: "My son-in-law has something to say to his mother-in-law."
Lin's eye knife immediately flew towards Jiang Shuyao, Jiang Shuyao was extremely confused, and tugged at Xie Xun's robe.
Xie Xun didn't say more after saying this. Although Lin's temper was irritable, he was in charge of the family after all. He was not bad at guessing his thoughts by looking at people's faces.
Jiang Shuyao didn't move, not realizing that he should go too.
Seeing Xie Xun's serious expression, Mrs. Lin put away the kind and charitable appearance she pretended to be, and said to Jiang Shuyao, "Go down too."
Jiang Shuyao looked at Xie Xun and then at Lin, but left reluctantly.
As soon as she left, there were only a few confidants of the Lin family left in the house, and the Lin family said, "What do you want to say?"
When she asked this sentence, she had already guessed in her heart, fearing that Xie Xun was here to question her. In order to put Jiang Shuyao into Xie Guogong's mansion, Xiangyang Uncle's Mansion used inferior methods. After crying, making trouble, and hanging himself, he wanted to ask the queen to marry him. He was determined to let Jiang Shuyao be tied to him. It was normal for him to be angry and resentful.
She felt guilty, and she couldn't help but feel short of breath in the face of Xie Xun.
Seeing her face, Xie Xun knew that she wanted to be distracted, and went straight to the topic: "My son-in-law wants to talk to my mother-in-law about my marriage with Shu Yao."
Sure enough, Lin's heart froze and squeezed the handkerchief tightly.
She said with difficulty: "At this time, it is indeed the uncle's house in Xiangyang who can't help—"
Before he finished speaking, Xie Xun suddenly bowed to her and gave her a big gift.
Lin Shi was startled, stopped talking, and listened to Xie Xun's warm voice: "It wasn't true that I worshipped my father-in-law and mother-in-law when I married her. I only make it up now. I hope my mother-in-law will forgive me."
He said slowly: "I treated Shu Yao badly before, and after getting married, I neglected her. I never had a good face for her. At that time, I had resentment in my heart, and I didn't want to be an ordinary husband and wife with her."
"But now I know what kind of woman she is, and I hate what she did, and I blame myself for making her feel wronged. One of the things about love has never been investigated in detail, and I don't understand what it is, but I thought, if I When I met her, there was no misunderstanding or calculation, and I would not have ended up in this situation, and I would definitely come to the door to ask her to be my wife, to give her respect and protection."
"It's an exaggeration to say that I have deep affection for her now, and my mother-in-law can't believe it. My son-in-law can only swear to God that he will indulge her in the future, respect her and pity her, and only hope that she will live up to her wishes in this life."
Lin Shi stared at him blankly, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Xie Xun felt a little shy after his confession, and changed the subject with a clear cough: "Mother-in-law is not well, and Shu Yao is extremely worried, so I want to solve her problems, so my mother-in-law doesn't need to worry too much about opening a restaurant to do business. I suggested it."
Lin Shi was completely stunned, unable to react for a while, and said after a while, "What did you propose?"
"Yes, I just want her to be happy." Xie Xun said, "The wife I want is not a decoration, let alone a lifeless puppet, she is free and unruly. For me, it is the life of a married couple. ."
Lin's complexion changed a few times, and in the end there was only an indescribable tangle left.
Xie Xun pondered for a while, but still said something slightly overstepping: "I know that my mother-in-law didn't believe me because she had a lesson from the past, but after seeing people's hearts over time, I hope my mother-in-law will give me a chance to prove that what I said is true."
Lin Shi was silent for a long time, and when Xie Xun thought she would not speak, she slowly spit out a word: "Okay."
"Xie Boyuan, you are an upright and upright gentleman, remember to do what you say."
Xie Xun bowed again and turned to leave the house.
There was silence in the room, Lin was sitting upright, her long-term lack of appetite made her thin and haggard, and now she was staring at the teacup without knowing what to think, which made people feel heartbroken.
Mammy quietly stepped forward and whispered, "Madam."
Lin Shi didn't answer, and tears suddenly rolled down his eyes.
The frightened mama panicked: "Mrs... Miss, why are you crying?"
Lin wiped away her tears and said, "It's okay, Mother Fu, I'm so happy."
＊
Jiang Shuyao was uneasy outside the house. Seeing Xie Xun coming over, he quickly asked, "How is it?"
"Well, it should make sense."
"what did you say?"
Xie Xun avoided her gaze, and said hesitantly, "Just like that... Then what, didn't I say I would show you the days of ordinary people, let's go now."
"Now?"
"It's almost noon, and it's a good time." He settled a matter, and his heart was at ease, and strode forward, "Let's go."
Jiang Shuyao chased after him: "Hey, Xie Boyuan, wait for me."
The two got into the carriage and drove all the way to the outer city. After reaching the outer city, the streets were narrow and crowded. Xie Xun led Jiang Shuyao out of the carriage and went all the way south.
Jiang Shuyao followed behind him and asked curiously, "Have you been to these places?"
Xie Xun said helplessly: "Do you think officials can handle political affairs by sitting in the hall all day?"
Jiang Shuyao shut up, Xie Xun was afraid that someone would squeeze her, so he pulled her to his side to protect her.
Walking to a small shop, Xie Xun said, "This is the most famous restaurant nearby, try it?"
The restaurant was full, Jiang Shuyao looked at a large group of people standing next to them eating noodles, guessing that the taste should be very good, and said, "Okay."
Xie Xun ordered a bowl of noodles, and the proprietress made it very quickly. Maybe she hadn't seen such a handsome young man for a long time, and she somehow found a lame stool for him.
Xie Xun thanked him, but did not sit down. He brought the bowl of noodles to the side, and said to Jiang Shuyao, "Eat and see."
He held the bowl, Jiang Shuyao ate it directly with his hand, picked up a chopstick to eat the noodles, and found that it was not as delicious as he imagined. , It tastes meaty but not fragrant, but rather fishy.
But looking at the snoring of the people around her, she suspected that she had tasted it wrong, so she took another bite, and the taste was still the same.
Xie Xun put down the bowl and left, and a black and thin young man next to him immediately grabbed the bowl and poured it into his mouth.
Jiang Shuyao was puzzled: "This..." She also saw when Xie Xun was paying the bill just now. A bowl of noodles is not expensive, but it is enough to cut a small piece of meat. People are willing to spend this money but can't eat the corresponding delicious food. It should be unpleasant, but the business here is still hot, which is really puzzling.
Xie Xun said: "Didn't I say it, you will know what to do after seeing it."
He led Jiang Shuyao to the wharf again. Working on the wharf all depended on strength, and he had to eat well in the afternoon to be energetic. So people here are more willing to spend money, usually a bowl of rice with stewed meat, or dried buns with fish soup.
There is no shortage of fish at the wharf, and the fish soup is not expensive, but it tastes earthy, and after only one sip of Jiang Shuyao, I don't want to drink it anymore.
Xie Xun asked for another bowl of stewed meat, which was a lot of weight, but the taste was still mediocre. It was probably because of ginger and garlic, and the meat was not too fishy. Soy sauce was added to the stewed meat, but the soy sauce was not fermented well, and the taste was very general, and the stewed meat was not much better. Even so, this was considered an exquisite food here.
Jiang Shuyao realized something, no wonder Xie Xun told her not to focus on cooking with cheap ingredients, because even the most common meat cannot be handled well by ordinary people.
Only then did she realize that this was an era when the iron pot was invented not long ago, and even the upper class people could not be considered delicate, let alone the common people.
No wonder Ge Qingshu even persuaded her to sell a hamburger in a restaurant. It is true that the cooking methods of the people here are simple. Even if the infrastructure has kept up, the diet has not developed.
Jiang Shuyao said: "I understand, let's go, let's go back, I have a lot of ideas."
Xie Xun was amused by her again. The two returned to the house and bought two steamed buns to cushion their stomachs on the way.
Back to Xiangyang Uncle Mansion, the meal time is over.
Jiang Shuyao was at ease wherever she was, and went into the big kitchen to look around, thinking about the stewed meat she ate today, her mind moved.
It just so happened that there was a piece of fat and thin pork belly hanging on the chopping board, which was perfect for making braised pork.
The skin of the pork belly is the essence, and it must be left behind. The layer of the stewed pork belly skin is sticky and sticky, and the mouth is mellow.
Cut the pork belly into square mahjong tiles, the size is suitable, it will not taste delicious when it is big, and it will not be flaky when stewed.
After cutting, marinate to remove the fishy smell, reheat the pot and heat the oil, saute ginger slices, garlic, pepper and star anise, pour in the pork belly and stir fry, transfer to the casserole, add white wine, soy sauce, rock sugar, and simmer slowly for half an hour.
When the cover was lifted, the whole house was filled with the fragrant smell of meat.
The braised pork out of the pan is very crisp and tender, neat and square after being sized, all of them are crystal clear, and the color is as smooth as jade.
It is enough to heat up the rice left over from lunch, one meat and one meal.
Jiang Shuyao asked the maid to call Xie Xun, and the two sat opposite each other. In the center was a plate of fragrant braised pork. The color was brown and red, bright but not oily, and the sugar color was even.
The first time Xie Xun saw such beautiful pork belly, he couldn't help sighing, and when he caught the meat with chopsticks, he was even more surprised.
The pork belly is extremely soft and tender, so crispy that it melts in one bite.
Put it in the mouth, just as the teeth touch the fat, the meat melts, sweet and soft, fat but not greasy, the meat fragrance spreads in the mouth, it lasts for a long time, and the more it tastes, the more mellow it is.
Paired with a mouthful of steaming white rice, the meaty and fragrant rice flavors are neutralized, and this is called fragrant but not greasy.
The skin of the braised pork is not at all like pork skin, but like undissolved glue, soft, glutinous, firmer than crispy and delicate fat, with a sticky and mellow meat. Fragrance.
Pork belly with such a taste can't help but be handled lightly when people put down chopsticks, and it's a little less gobbling in the mouth.
After eating two pieces of braised pork, Xie Xun learned Jiang Shuyao to scoop a spoonful of sauce and pour it into the white rice, stir a little, the sauce is brown and red, thick and fragrant, stir it with the white rice, even the white rice. It is also coated with sauce and it is oily and shiny.
The meaty flavor of the pork belly is completely integrated into the sauce, with a strong aroma of fatty meat, but not oily at all, suitable for saltiness, sweet but not greasy, the rice sticks to the sauce, and each rice becomes sweet and salty.
This taste can't wait for people to take a large bowl of white rice, pour it over a thick and sticky sauce, stir and stir, and eat it all.
Xie Xun said in surprise, "The hog meat can make such a taste."
"Don't look at the only meat that is naked, it takes a lot of thought to make it."
Xie Xun thought this was her inspiration today, and said, "It's not suitable to put food like this in a restaurant."
Jiang Shuyao shook his head: "No, braised pork rice is more suitable. A large bowl of coarse grain rice, topped with braised pork and sauce, served with vegetables and braised eggs, is full and satisfying."
Xie Xun nodded and asked Jiang Shuyao to bring the rest of the pot to Lin to taste. With this plate of hog meat in front, he persuaded Lin to start thinking about the restaurant. ,,