Chi Qing said quickly: "I have absolutely no improper thoughts about this cook. My biggest shortcoming in life is that I cannot bear to see beautiful women suffer..."
Feng Shuo turned his eyes away coldly, "She is most likely a spy as well."
Chi Qing was stunned.
He learned about the coincidence in the little cook's household registration, and recalled her stunning beauty. He immediately felt that it was understandable that Feng Shuo had such doubts.
He stroked his smooth chin and said, "Maybe we can give her a try."
Jiang Yanyi had no idea that they had guessed his identity.
She asked Qiu Kura to light a fire and steam the braised pork.
At noon, she made braised pork with sauce. After eating it, several cooks said that Chef Zhu's braised pork tasted fattier. Her braised pork was delicious, but it didn't have any oily taste and was not satisfying.
Chef Zhu was very proud and made a sarcastic remark about the braised pork belly made by Jiang Yanyi.
The braised pork belly that was finally sent to the generals' tents was naturally made by Chef Zhu.
There were still three pieces of braised pork left from Jiang Yanyi's cooking, but she didn't take it to heart. After all, her way of cooking braised pork was more in line with modern people's tastes, and she wanted the dish to be fatty but not greasy.
The soldiers in the Xizhou camp seldom eat meat a few times a year, so they like the fat and greasiness of meat. Naturally, the braised pork they make themselves does not meet their expectations.
After steaming the braised pork, she started another pan to make pancakes.
There is no special boiler for making preserved vegetable pork pie here, so we can only make do with an iron pan.
She still had some ingredients left from making braised pork patties. Jiang Yanyi pinched a small piece of dough, flattened it like a bun, and wrapped it with fried pickled mustard greens and a large portion of braised pork to fold it. After wrapping it, she flattened it again and rolled it thin with a rolling pin.
Wait until the bottom of the pan is 50% hot, then put the dough in and fry until both sides are crispy. The surface of the pancake exudes the aroma of burnt wheat and pickled plums, and the meat filling inside is wrapped tightly. When you bite it and the sauce bursts out, the rich aroma of the meat and the bland taste of the dough can stimulate the taste buds to the greatest extent.
She had already made three braised pork patties and had also heated up the braised pork and rice.
Jiang Yanyi placed the preserved vegetable pork patties on a plate, turned the pork upside down on another plate, poured the soup into the pot, added water starch to thicken, and then poured it on the pork. The reddish-brown pig skin was topped with golden brown sauce, which looked good and the aroma of the meat was particularly tempting.
Qiu Kui looked at it eagerly and touched her round belly. She was obviously very full, but somehow she still felt hungry when looking at the braised pork.
When Jiang Yanyi walked out with the tray, he happened to hear the two people outside seeming to be discussing military matters.
The man in a blue shirt, dressed like a scholar, dipped his fingers in tea and wrote and drew on the table.
"… As soon as autumn comes, the Turks in the north become restless. They just robbed the cattle and sheep of Zhaojiatun a few days ago. In my opinion, Dingjia Village is backed by Yanhuiling Mountain. The Turks are good at riding and shooting on the plains. They will not risk going up the mountain to rob food. On the contrary, the terrain of Liujiayu is flat, so we need to be more cautious…"
Jiang Yanyi had no intention of listening to what they said, but the three words "Dingjia Village" sounded very familiar.
When she recalled it carefully, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
That was a village where the entire village was massacred by the Turks in the original book!
The reason she remembered was because the second male lead, Lu Linyuan, was in Dingjia Village at the time. He was protected by the Lu family's assassins and barely managed to survive. He also rescued the daughter of a farmer who took him in overnight, but everyone else in Dingjia Village died tragically.
With the blessing of saving her life, the peasant girl had never seen a man as talented and handsome as Lu Linyuan in her life, so she immediately fell in love with him and became another vicious female supporting role after the death of her original body.
But because the farmer girl's father had been kind to Lu Linyuan, and because all the people in Dingjia Village had died and she was homeless, no matter how excessive the farmer girl's actions were, Lu Linyuan chose to forgive her.
After all, in Lu Linyuan's opinion, the peasant girl's vulgarity and ignorance were simple and unpretentious.
When the heroine came to Xizhou to find him, she was angered by the farmer girl Chayanchayu beside him and was kidnapped by the Turkic prince on the way, who wanted to take her back to be his princess. The emperor was furious for his beloved and immediately decided to go to war with the Turks. The Great Xuan Dynasty was flooded with blood, and countless people were displaced and their families were broken up...
For the love of these protagonists, the lives of ordinary people were sacrificed to pave the way.
The few brief strokes when reading a book are transformed into vivid lives in this world.
Jiang Yanyi couldn't remain indifferent.
The two people in front of us, one is a military advisor and the other is a staff member, both of whom have access to the general. We must inform them of the news that Dingjia Village will be in trouble!
There are hundreds of households there!
Jiang Yanyi took the opportunity to speak while serving the dishes: "Two generals, is there going to be a war? Not long ago, I heard from a general who came to Huotouying to get food that Dingjia Village seemed to be in trouble..."
When Jiang Yanyi opened his mouth, a faint light flashed in Chi Qing's eyes. He looked at Feng Shuo calmly, as if to say that the fish had taken the bait.
Feng Shuo still had a look of "don't let strangers in", and just asked: "What's wrong?"
His eyes were cold and sharp, like a knife that could dig into the deepest part of a person's heart.
Jiang Yanyi didn't dare to look him in the eye, and lowered his eyes: "I heard that there are some strange outsiders hanging around there."
Calculating the time, Lu Linyuan had almost settled down in Dingjia Village. He and the warriors sent by the Lu family to protect him were all from other places, so what he said was not a lie.
Moreover, when the Turks attacked Dingjia Village, they would definitely send scouts first to check how many troops were stationed there.
As long as the Xizhou camp sends someone to investigate, they will definitely find clues!
No one knew what Feng Shuo was thinking and he didn't say anything for a long time.
Chi Qing was afraid that this "spy" might discover something, so he replied on behalf of Feng Shuo: "Is this true? We will report this to the general, and then we will send someone to investigate."
With these words, Jiang Yanyi felt more relieved.
There was only so much she could do. If she insisted that Dingjia Village would be attacked, she would have no way of explaining why she knew about it in advance. If she revealed her identity as a time traveler, she might be tied up and burned to death as a monster.
Jiang Yanyi knelt down and stepped back.
This was the muscle memory of this body, and she did it instinctively as she retreated.
Jiang Yanyi was feeling somewhat uneasy at the moment and did not notice at all that Feng Shuo frowned tightly when he saw her perform this salute.
After Jiang Yanyi left, Chi Qing sent away a few firemen who wanted to serve but didn't know how to serve, and then said to Feng Shuo: "This cook does have some problems, how do you plan to deal with it?"
Feng Shuo just said, "Don't alert the enemy first." After thinking for a while, he called Xing Yao who was guarding outside the Huotou Camp and said, "Pick a few scouts to go to Dingjia Village overnight to see if there is anything unusual."
Xing Yao took the order and withdrew.
Chi Qing lost his appetite for lunch because the braised pork was too greasy. He only had two mouthfuls of rice and then lost his appetite. He was so hungry that he was almost starving.
The braised pork served by the young cook was golden red in color, with just the right amount of fat and meat, and did not look greasy. The aroma of preserved vegetables and the aroma of meat all penetrated his nostrils, arousing the gluttony in his stomach.
He swallowed, stared at the braised pork in front of Feng Shuo, and pitifully picked up the pancake in front of him and started to eat it.
This braised pork pie looks vegetarian at first glance, but when you bite into it you'll find it's actually filled with meat. The braised meat coated in sauce has a mellow flavor, and paired with the salty and fragrant pickled mustard greens, it's just the right taste.
Chi Qing looked at the ordinary cake in his hand with great surprise: "This is delicious!"
Feng Shuo glanced at him and ignored him.
He picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of pork with preserved vegetables, which was half fat and half lean, and placed it on the rice with distinct grains. He took a bite and the long-lost taste buds blossomed on the tip of his tongue again.
Compared to the surprise of the first time, Feng Shuo was more confused this time.
The doctor in the mansion looked at the prescription he had taken from the cook last night and found that it was just an ordinary recipe and did not contain any medicinal ingredients that could restore his sense of taste.
The doctor checked the sugar-roasted chestnuts he had packed and took away, and found nothing wrong with them.
Moreover, the chestnuts were apparently particularly sweet when eaten in Huotouying, but when I tasted them again after returning home, they had no taste at all.
Feng Shuo slowly figured out a pattern. When he ate in his own military tent, he could only taste 30% of the food. The closer he was to the Huotou Camp, the more his sense of taste recovered. When he ate in the Huotou Camp, he could recover 100% of his sense of taste.
Does this mean that the reason why his sense of taste was restored was not the food, but the feng shui of Huotouying
Feng Shuo's brows furrowed even tighter.
He never believed in ghosts and gods, but this matter was indeed too mysterious.
Maybe he should ask a Taoist priest to take a look...
Feng Shuo was still thinking to himself and didn't notice that Chi Qing, who had finished two pancakes, was staring at the braised pork with preserved vegetables in front of him and swallowing his saliva.
"Well... let me try a piece..."
Chi Qing carefully asked Feng Shuo for permission. If this bowl of braised pork was placed in front of him, he might not think it was so delicious, but the problem was that it was not his!
It's probably human nature to always think that what's in other people's bowls tastes better.
Feng Shuo was thinking about something and ignored him. Chi Qing took that as Feng Shuo's consent. He took a pair of chopsticks from the bamboo tube, picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into his mouth.
His eyes widened instantly, and he turned around and shouted to the kitchen: "Cook! I want a portion of braised pork too—"
Turning his head to meet Feng Shuo's unfriendly gaze, he smiled awkwardly: "It's all because the braised pork at noon was too unpalatable. I'm starving now..."
Feng Shuo looked away, thinking out of sight, out of mind.
…
When paying the bill, Feng Shuo had no copper coins on him, so he directly gave Jiang Yanyi two taels of silver. Jiang Yanyi smiled with his eyes curved.
It is true that the diners who spend generously look three times more handsome than others!
Chi Qing fumbled in his sleeve pocket for a long time before pulling out a few copper coins. When he saw that Feng Shuo had given him so much money, he quickly put the copper coins back into his pocket and said to Jiang Yanyi without any shame, "My meal money is also included in this."
Feng Shuo felt it was too much to bear watching: "What did you do with your monthly salary?"
Chi Qing didn't feel guilty at all, and said confidently: "Do you think it's so easy to save a wife?"
Feng Shuo didn't want to talk to this embarrassing guy anymore.
Before leaving, Jiang Yanyi returned the wrapped cloak to him: "I don't know if this belongs to the military advisor. Military advisor, I will remember your kindness in my heart. Today, I will return this cloak to its original owner."
A small flame of gossip instantly ignited in Chi Qing's fox eyes.
Feng Shuo was much taller than Jiang Yanyi. He looked at the little cook who lowered her brows and nodded in front of him. Many emotions flashed in his eyes, and finally he just said, "It's not mine."
After saying this, he left the Huotou Camp.
Chi Qing curled his lips, obviously not expecting such a boring ending, and quickly caught up with Feng Shuo, leaving Jiang Yanyi standing there in a daze.
Not his
Is it because he thinks the cloak covers him too much and doesn't want it anymore
Or was there someone else who saved me last night
***
On the second day, Jiang Yanyi and the women went to work in Huotouying as usual.
Chef Li was a man who could not sit still. As soon as he felt a little better, he went back to the kitchen to work. He learned from several firemen that he was rescued thanks to Jiang Yanyi. Although he did not say it, he taught Jiang Yanyi how to cook his specialty as soon as he came back. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Chef Li was training Jiang Yanyi to be his successor.
The dishes that Jiang Yanyi can cook are basically what she learned when her father went to the countryside to host banquets. Later, because she was greedy, she also learned a lot from recipes. But everyone has their shortcomings, and she can't cook every cuisine.
After all, Chef Li has been in the kitchen for decades and is very experienced. Jiang Yanyi has learned a lot from him.
Today is the day when the Fire Camp goes out to purchase goods. Jiang Yanyi has never seen what Xizhou City looks like since he came here. When he leaves the military camp and goes back to his old job, he must understand the market.
She told Chef Li that she wanted to go shopping together. Chef Li readily agreed and asked her to go find Zhao Touer.
Chef Li has spoken, and Boss Zhao has been friends with Chef Li for many years, so it is impossible for him not to give Chef Li this face. It was just to make it easier for him to leave the military camp that he let Jiang Yanyi dress up as a boy.
Jiang Yanyi's skin was too fair, so she smeared the soot on her face and hands, and instantly turned into a black coal ball.
The kind that hurts your eyes if you look at it for one more second.
Tou'er Zhao took her and several other firemen who were responsible for purchasing food and they left the Xizhou camp smoothly.
At this time, in the commander-in-chief's camp, Feng Shuo had just received the news brought back by the scouts.
“… I and others have indeed found traces of the Turks in Dingjia Village. The Turkic war horses all come from the grasslands in the Pingxi area. The horses are tall and their hoof prints are also larger than those of horses in the Central Plains. The hoof prints left on the mountains near Dingjia Village are exactly the same as those left by the Turks in Zhaojiatun!”
Feng Shuo looked at the sand table in front of him and fell into deep thought, his eyes dim and unclear. After a moment, he said, "Pass on my secret order to Dingjiapo to send 5,000 additional light cavalry to march tonight under the cover of darkness."
Maybe what the cook said last night was true, or maybe the other party had colluded with him and deliberately created such an illusion to trick him.
No matter what the situation is, Dingjiaopo’s reinforcements are always a precaution.
After this incident, it became clear whether the cook was a spy or not.
He picked up the tea beside him, took a sip, and suddenly frowned.
He was able to taste some of the tea just now, how come he lost all his sense of taste in just a moment
Feng Shuo had a hunch that something was wrong.
Xing Yao saw that he looked unhappy, so he asked carefully, "Master, is the tea not brewed well?"
Feng Shuo put down the teacup, stood up and walked out: "I'm hungry, let's go to Huotouying to have a look."
Xing Yao was not sure if this was what his master would say. He had been with Feng Shuo for so many years. When there was a shortage of rations on the battlefield, he had not eaten or drunk for two days and three nights, but he had never heard his master say the word "hungry". What happened today
Feng Shuo suddenly visited Huotouying in a low-key manner, which scared the cooks at the kitchen.
I thought something big had happened, but I didn't expect that the general came here in person just to eat a bowl of noodles.
He was the type who would frown and put down the bowl after taking just one bite, and the aura around him became increasingly gloomy.
Chef Zhu, who was cooking noodles, was sweating profusely on his forehead and almost fainted.
Feng Shuo couldn't understand why he had lost his sense of taste in the Huotou Camp. What went wrong
His cold eyes swept across the fire camp inch by inch. Several cooks trembled and their backs were soaked with cold sweat.
Feng Shuo looked around but didn't see Jiang Yanyi, so he suddenly asked, "Where's the cook?"
***
At this time, Jiang Yanyi was sitting on a cart waiting to enter the city, leisurely enjoying the scenery outside the Great Wall.
Zhao Tou'er was working for the military camp, so the guards at the city gate did not dare to make things difficult for him. They just glanced at their pass tokens and let them into the city.
Their cart entered from the left side of the city gate, and there was a caravan waiting to leave the city on the right side of the gate.
In the front was a horse-drawn carriage, with the owner of the caravan sitting inside. Behind it were three carts, each of which was filled with boxes. As the boxes were sealed tightly, it was impossible to tell what business they were doing.
However, when the cart in the middle passed by, Jiang Yanyi smelled an indescribable stench, as if something was rotten and a lot of spices were deliberately added to cover it up.
The guards were not in a good mood towards the merchants and shouted at them to open the cages on the car one by one.
Jiang Yanyi was also curious about what goods this caravan was transporting and couldn't help but take a few more glances.
At this moment, the curtain of the carriage was slowly lifted by a rough big hand.