After leaving the capital, Lin Dan and the Qi family temporarily settled in a nearby town. During this period, the old marquis sent several groups of people to look for them, but she politely declined them.
On this day, she sent another group of people away, but Qi Shi finally couldn't hold it in any longer, and said in a loving manner, "Dan Er, in fact, it's not a bad idea to go back to the Hou's mansion. For us orphans and widows, there must be someone to take care of them. Your father's The house and the restaurant cannot be left behind, with the support of the old marquis, we can sue the officials and ask your second and third uncles to return everything."
Lin Dan waved his hand and said in a solemn tone: "Mother, you are thinking too simply. What do we have now except one hundred and twenty taels of silver? There are no house deeds or land deeds, so what can we use to sue the officials? We are the guests of the Hou Mansion, but you don't know who we are. It's just a little better than the slaves who signed the deed. Now the eldest lady is at the critical moment of the concubine, and the Yongding Hou Mansion is up and down. You don't know how strict the control is, the uncle is still in prison for hurting people by riding a horse. The reason he is willing to call us back is because he is kind-hearted and longs for the old love, we can't get ahead, beg for nothing, and squander all that old love."
Lin Dan sighed and said again: "Furthermore, as long as we and the Yan family stay in the same realm, in order to make their name justifiable, they will definitely try to smear their father's reputation. The second and third uncles are trying to prevent us from The possibility of taking home property will also be secretly attacked. Apart from a little money, what else do we have? If Lord Hou can protect us for a while, can he still protect us for a lifetime? Staying in the capital means endless trouble, so it’s better to just walk away. Start over. Mother, do you think this is the truth?"
Qi's full of unwillingness disappeared in her daughter's persuasion, and she could only nod in tears.
Lin Dan rented a small courtyard to live in temporarily, and went out for a walk when he was free. His tender face always showed a solemn look. On this day, she walked a long way, and unknowingly, she got on the official road and went to a post station. In the inn, there were loud voices of people and the neighing of horses, which seemed very lively; a grass shed was set up outside the inn, and an old woman was busy carrying dishes.
I don't know what's on the plate, but I can smell a strong aroma from far away. Lin Dan was attracted by the aroma and walked over quickly, and the merchants in the inn also came out to check.
"Auntie, your tofu balls are so fragrant, how much is a bowl?" a foot merchant asked loudly.
"Two copper plates a bowl." The old woman replied with a smile.
"Okay, give me a bowl." The foot merchant immediately sat down in the grass hut, staring straight at the oil pan.
When Lin Dan stepped forward, the tofu balls were already fried, and they were being taken out by the old woman and put aside to control the oil. After the oil was drained, they were poured into another pot, and a spoonful of bone broth continued to boil. The sweetness of the soup is combined with the deep-fried coke aroma. After boiling, sprinkle a handful of chopped green onion, and this dish is finished. The golden brown and crispy tofu balls are rolled in the rich and creamy soup, and occasionally decorated with green onion leaves, it is really beautiful. The aroma of bean, bone, green onion and a little bit of pepper are mixed together to form a very wonderful taste.
Lin Dan quickly walked two steps into the grass hut, and saw that the foot trader couldn't wait any longer. He picked up a hot tofu ball and put it in his mouth, chewing it while breathing, and finally gave a thumbs up and said, "Auntie, your craftsmanship is really good. Absolutely! I have traveled all over the world, and I have never eaten a better tofu ball than this."
Lin Dan immediately asked for a bowl, took a small sip after blowing it cold, and his face suddenly showed a look of amazement. After biting through the crispy charred skin on the outer layer, the tofu on the inner layer is very soft and tender, mixed with some minced meat and yam puree, which melts in your mouth and is extremely delicious. What's even better is that the innermost layer of the balls actually has a cavity, which is filled with thick soup, which seems to be caused by the infiltration of bone soup along the gap, and it seems that the meat and yam paste are secreted after heating. It is only after you get into the tip of your tongue and taste it carefully, you will know that the soup is not only fresh from the bone marrow, but also salty from the minced meat, and sweet from the yam puree.
Lin Dan ate very carefully, and finally drank the soup completely, and then he sighed with great satisfaction. The foot merchant ate three bowls in a row, and now the fourth bowl is being called, and his companions were also drawn out by the fragrance, and the small grass hut was filled to the brim.
Lin Dan didn't leave after eating the tofu balls. Seeing more and more diners, he took the initiative to help the old woman burn firewood and fetch water, and wash the dishes. The old woman refused, but she could only go with her. When she finished work at night, she took out twenty copper coins to give her as wages.
"Auntie, I don't want your wages," Lin Dan returned the copper plate and said sincerely, "I can come to help you every day, I just ask you to teach me how to make this tofu ball."
"You want to learn how to cook with me? What's the matter..." Before the old woman could finish her words, a young woman walked into the grass hut and said bitterly, "Where is the wild girl who wants to take advantage of my family. I have taught you, Is my mother's business still going? Get the hell out of here, or I'll hit you with a broom!" As he spoke, he opened the cabinet and put all the old woman's hard-earned coins into his purse, his eyes full of greed .
"Didn't you come to learn how to cook with me? I didn't say no." The old woman frowned.
"I'm your daughter-in-law, my own family, what is she?" The woman akimbo pointed angrily at Lin Dan.
Lin Dan quickly explained: "Don't worry, Auntie, I come to work for your house every day, and I don't take any money. After learning this dish, I will go far, and I will never open a shop here. There are only me and my mother in my family. If you see me opening a store near here one day, you will fight or smash it, and you will follow me.”
The woman had already heard that Lin Dan had a non-local accent, and thought that she was a worthless labor without pay; she also thought that she had a large family, deep roots, and was not afraid of being fooled by a little girl from another place, so she agreed, but her face was still bad. , like a charity.
Then the old woman went to pull Lin Dan, sent her out of the grass hut, and quietly stuffed her a purse, and whispered, "Good boy, this is today's wages, you secretly take it and don't say anything."
Just as Lin Dan was about to put the purse back, the old woman hurriedly walked into the grass hut, and the woman's scolding soon came from inside, as if she thought that the old woman earned less coins today than yesterday. Where did you come to learn how to cook, you came to be your ancestor.
Lin Dan shook his head, feeling very uncomfortable.
…
That night, Lin Dan still hid in the backyard to practice knife skills. When her scarred fingertips touched the ingredients or the blade, she always felt a tingling sensation, which made her frown frequently. After cutting a courgette, she picked up the shredded melon with uneven thickness and thickness and looked at it, and finally sighed helplessly.
"Dan'er," Mr. Qi, who had been hiding in the corner and observed for a long time, walked out slowly, and said softly, "Cooking is a happy thing, don't let yourself be burdened. Let's not cut this dish, let's rest for a while, okay? Good? I don't blame you for losing to Yan Langqing, who hasn't played well yet."
Lin Dan was stunned for a moment and realized that Qi's thinking must have gone wrong, thinking that her loss to Yan Langqing would leave a psychological shadow, and she would no longer be able to pick up the kitchen knife. But Lin Dan knew that was not the case. She could practice this sword skill again, it just took time.
"Mother, I'm fine, don't worry." She didn't explain too much, but firmly said, "One day I will earn back everything we lost. Yan Jiacai can't do it, so I will learn to do it differently. Our food, the world is so big, there will always be a place for us.”
"Hey, okay, it's good if you can figure it out. Stop chopping vegetables and go to sleep." Qi rubbed her daughter's head with a look of relief. Recently, her daughter has become more and more taciturn, but also more and more strong and resolute, as if she is not afraid of wind and rain.
"Okay, you also have an early rest." Lin Dan took Qi back to the room, but he stood in the corridor for a long time without moving. On this bleak night, she unconsciously fell into memories, but these memories did not belong to her, but from that "Lin Dan" who didn't know where to go.
The other party left an inescapable regret and unwillingness, but also left a deep-seated emotion. She was originally a charming little girl who likes to play and play, but she never likes to smoke. Lin Baotian asked her to learn to cook several times, but she cried and refused. But one day, she accidentally bumped into the eldest lady in the Hou residence and was almost beaten. It was the little Lord Hou who happened to pass by and rescued her. Xiaohou Ye's gentle smile has since become her obsession.
She asked the little prince what you liked, and the little prince joked: "I like to eat." So the next day, she took off her beautiful clothes, put on a gray apron, went into the kitchen, and studied for seven years. . She never liked to cook, she just wanted to let Xiao Houye take a look at her.
Lin Dan couldn't agree with her actions, and pinned his life on another person, which was the saddest thing. If that person leaves or abandons you, all you will be left with is the abyss beneath your feet.
What Lin Dan has to do now is to walk out of his own path, no matter if he falls or gets hurt, even if he climbs, one day he will be able to climb to the end. The original owner is a cook, so she will continue to be a cook. There are endless delicacies in the world, and there is no need to worry about nowhere to learn or no teacher to worship.
…
From this day on, Lin Dan followed the old woman to learn how to make tofu balls. The old woman has three sons, the eldest son is idle, the second son died of illness when he was young, and the third son is an old son, who is only seven years old now, and is still waiting to be fed. In order to support her two sons, the old woman had a hard time selling tofu balls from morning to night. Fortunately, her craftsmanship is excellent, so she doesn't have to worry about making a living.
The eldest daughter-in-law said that she wanted to learn cooking from an old woman, but she always liked to be lazy and slippery, so all the dirty work in the store belonged to Lin Dan. She got up early to cook beans, peel the bean skins, and order tofu. She had to carry more than 100 catties of water back and forth, almost bending her waist. But she never complained, as long as she could learn something, no matter how hard or tired she was, she was not afraid.