Quick Transmigration: The Supporting Female Lead Stays Out of It - Chapter 25: Chef 24

The dish in front of him was inverted in a bowl, semi-circular in shape, steaming, and the faint, sweet aroma of rice wine was subtly released, but not heavy, because the glutinous rice flour wrapped on the outside had been fermented in a jar, and had more stickiness, so it tightly locked the aroma of the inner layer.

The Wei Yuan Marquis used chopsticks to peel back the outer layer of glutinous rice flour, and a unique scent hit his face, not only surprising him, but even the crowd of onlookers let out a wave of restless commotion. It was because this fragrance was too, too strong, combining the fragrance of wine, the fragrance of plants and trees, the fragrance of braised sauce, and the fragrance of meat, plus a very light fragrance of fermented soybeans; the aromas layered on top of each other, but did not appear chaotic at all, but instead deepened the onlookers’ craving for the food.

What is a delicacy? A dish with complete color, aroma, and taste is called a delicacy. This dish made by Lin Dan, didn’t look like much, and didn’t smell like much either, but, when you peeled back the outer glutinous rice, revealing the aroma that was tightly locked inside, this dish seemed to have a soul in an instant.

The jade-green ice jade meat slices had been soaked in braised sauce, and the slightly thinner parts had been dyed a bit reddish, looking like delicate petals; the oils in the meat were forced out bit by bit by the hot air, and seeped into the light brown glutinous rice flour, causing the two ingredients to adhere tightly, with meat in the flour, and flour in the meat, extremely flavorful.

The Wei Yuan Marquis picked up a piece of ice jade meat wrapped in glutinous rice flour, and opened his eyes in astonishment after only taking a bite. Nothing else, this meat slice was indeed as Lin Dan had said, having absorbed the wine, a bite seemed like drinking a cup of wine, filled with the rich aroma of wine. Rather than saying this meat slice was an ingredient, it was more accurate to say it was another kind of container for holding wine, but it was also full of the tenderness of the meat, and had the fragrance of marinated sauce and fermented soybeans, the taste was extremely rich. The outer glutinous rice flour was also unique in taste, it was originally used to make Liao Zao, semi-fermented, was more glutinous and sweeter than ordinary glutinous rice flour.

In the mouth, sweet, salty, saucey, brewed, all kinds of flavors blended together, but could not conceal the wine fragrance that became more and more rich the more you chewed, after swallowing, there was no burning sensation from the wine at all, but instead felt a warmth in the stomach… this was such a bizarre request, but Lin Dan actually did it, she used a pair of skillful hands to make the wine into a dish, and the taste was very wonderful. The Wei Yuan Marquis couldn’t help but glance at the other person, and finally picked up the cold bean sprouts.

The bean sprouts were also soaked in Liao Zao, with a bit of Sichuan peppercorns and fragrant oil mixed in, and when you broke the stems, the juice that flowed out was a wine liquid with the aroma of plants, very refreshing and appetizing.

The Wei Yuan Marquis drank wine with every meal, often only ate two bites of food, and his stomach was completely filled with wine, then he fell asleep. The Emperor had him return to the capital to recuperate, but he had become thinner and thinner, and that was also the reason. Now, his subordinates saw that he was willing to sit down and eat a meal calmly, and his appetite looked very good, and they couldn’t help but show a look of joy.

He ate one chopstick after another, his eating posture was very elegant, but his speed was not slow, in a moment he had devoured half a plate of wine-fermented steamed pork, and a plate of bean sprouts had also been eaten until only a little bit of juice was left. The other diners stared at him with burning eyes, constantly swallowing their saliva. Damn, this Manager Lin’s skills were also too good, they originally thought that the braised meat she made was the best of all flavors, but they didn’t expect that this steamed pork was even more fragrant than the braised meat, just smelling it and looking at it, but unable to eat it, this was simply the most cruel torture in the world.

Gudong, gudong, the sound of swallowing saliva rang out in the hall, others couldn’t hear it, but the Wei Yuan Marquis, who was highly skilled in martial arts, could hear it clearly, raised his head to look at the guards he had brought, who were trying to look serious, and couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Lin Dan: “Give my subordinates a plate of steamed pork each.”

“Sorry Marquis, I only brewed one jar of this Yanglin Fat, and I only have one piece of meat, and now you’ve eaten it all.” Lin Dan helplessly waved her hand.

“Brewing wine should be brewed one cellar at a time, but you only brew one jar each time, why are you so stingy?” The Wei Yuan Marquis’s face became long, but his tone was much more gentle.

“Replying to the Marquis, I am a chef, not a winemaker, I brew wine only out of interest, not to sell it.” Lin Dan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

The Wei Yuan Marquis narrowed his eyes and looked over, seeing that her face showed no trace of fear or worry, he was somewhat helpless. This meal was too delicious, and it suited his taste too, he wanted to eat it again and again, countless times, but he didn’t dare to offend the chef.

“Forget it, forget it, give them a jin of braised meat each, you always have that, right?”

“Yes, what do the big brothers want to eat, I have braised pig trotters, braised pig ears, braised pork belly, braised chicken, braised duck… the vegetarian options are braised tofu, braised lotus root slices, edamame… and there are many flavors, with five spices, spicy, sour and spicy, sweet…” Lin Dan patiently greeted a group of guards. These people, who had been ferocious and menacing just now, now all showed bright smiles, and swarmed to the door to look into the earthenware crock, their expressions very covetous.

Tang Jiu then left Lin Dan’s side, walked to the Wei Yuan Marquis’s opposite and sat down, picked up the chopsticks and ate whatever he wanted.

The Wei Yuan Marquis immediately stopped his chopsticks, and sneered: “If you want to eat, order it yourself.”

Tang Jiu didn’t pay any attention, changed directions and continued to pick up food, and the Wei Yuan Marquis continued to block, the two of them treated their chopsticks as swords, and battled back and forth dozens of times, and at the end of the battle they had actually become angry, and were on the verge of rolling up their sleeves and fighting directly.

Lin Dan, in the midst of her busy schedule, took time out to shout: “Glutinous rice is sticky, not easy to digest, don’t eat too much in the morning. Marquis, you eat half a plate is enough, if you eat too much, you will have a stomachache later.”

The Wei Yuan Marquis’s stomach had long been eroded by alcohol, and when it didn’t hurt, it looked very normal, but when it hurt, his abdomen felt like a knife was cutting him, and he was drenched in cold sweat, it was extremely painful. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but be slightly stunned, and when he came to his senses, Tang Jiu had already picked up the remaining steamed pork.

“You little rascal…” He slammed his chopsticks on the table with force, and then slowly rolled up his sleeves. But at this moment, Lin Dan came over with a bowl of congee and a plate of small, square, red and white pieces, and said gently: “If you’re not full, drink some congee, it’s best to drink congee in the morning.”

This congee was not ordinary congee, but congee made with milk soup that had been simmered overnight, with chicken and pork belly meat that had been stewed until tender, and mixed with finely chopped shepherd’s purse leaves, white with specks of emerald green, the appearance was very beautiful, the taste was also exceptionally fragrant and rich.

Tang Jiu’s proud mood instantly collapsed, and he said in a deep voice: “Eat quickly, this is pheasant soup, it’s said to be made by Peng Zu, and is known as the number one soup in the world, very nourishing for the stomach.”

The Wei Yuan Marquis’s ugly expression slightly softened, and he drank a mouthful of congee while it was hot, and his eyes immediately lit up. He had to admit that drinking a bowl of hot, thick congee when he got up in the morning was like a baptism for a body that was difficult to heal.

“What is this, the wine is very strong.” He pointed with his chopsticks at the small dish beside him. The Yongding Marquis’s family were all foodies, if they didn’t know something, it was right to ask them.

Tang Jiu knew it for sure, “This is fermented tofu, it’s also soaked in wine.”

The Wei Yuan Marquis tasted a small piece, and was immediately conquered by this unique flavor, along with the fermented tofu, he devoured a bowl of congee at the speed of a whirlwind, and the expression was beyond satisfied. His guards also ate their fill, their mouths were full of oil, and they kept giving thumbs up, praising Manager Lin’s skills.

Three quarters of an hour later, the Wei Yuan Marquis put a gold ingot of pure gold on the table, and led a group of guards away with satisfaction, and halfway there, he seemed to remember something, and went back and grabbed those little hooligans who had already quietly escaped, and pressed them in front of the door of the home-style restaurant, and fiercely broke their legs.

“Manager Lin, look, this Marquis has already helped you solve these little flies, and your jar of Yanglin Fat…”

Before the Wei Yuan Marquis could finish his words, Lin Dan helplessly spread out her hands: “That jar of wine has to be brewed for at least another six months before it can be drunk, it’s already considered ruined if you took it out less than three months ago. If you want to drink, you have to wait another six months.”

The Wei Yuan Marquis’s gentle and amiable expression slightly stiffened, stared at Lin Dan and ground his teeth, but in the end he couldn’t do anything to her, and could only shout to his guards: “Go, follow this Marquis to suppress the bandits!” Without that group of bandits who messed up everything, how could he be squeezed by a little girl.

Lin Dan shook her head with a wry smile, and then walked into the shop and continued to cook the noodles, ignoring the little hooligans lying on the ground. She seemed gentle in temperament, but she seemed to lack some of the seven emotions and six desires, so how could she pity these people. Tang Jiu sent a few people to carry away the little hooligans, so as not to delay the business of the shop.

“Lin Dan, this is your father’s relic.” He took out a yellowed book from his arms and explained: “Even if the Wei Yuan Marquis hadn’t exposed it, I would have told you the truth today. I recognized you the first time I saw you.” It was Lin Dan who taught him – a person’s character was far more important than ability, and it also made him sink into deep remorse and self-blame. So even though ten years had passed, he had never forgotten this stubborn little girl. He had always wanted to know if the other party was doing well, and she was able to go so far by refusing everyone’s help.

The facts proved that Lin Dan could go very far, even further than he imagined.

“Thank you, Young Master.” Lin Dan took the book and looked through it, and found that it was a cookbook, precisely the second half of the Yan family cookbook that her father had added to back then.

Tang Jiu explained: “This is Yan Langqing who asked me to pass it to you. She took away the first sixty pages of the Yan family cookbook, and hadn’t made the dishes that your father had researched all these years. This is your father’s relic, and it should all belong to you.”

“Hadn’t made the dishes that my father had researched?” Lin Dan repeated, her smile turning cold.

Tang Jiu felt that this smile was a little strange, and was about to investigate, when he saw Qin Erniang walking over, and opened her mouth hesitantly: “Manager Lin, you just said you wanted to mix a portion of Qianzhou-style braised meat for me, does that still count?” Everyone else had been scared away by the Wei Yuan Marquis, but only she, for the sake of a few bites to eat, stubbornly stayed behind.

“It counts, please wait a moment.” Once facing a diner, Lin Dan immediately put away her fake smile and returned to being the gentle and patient Shopkeeper Lin.

Qin Erniang secretly glanced at Tang Jiu, her heart slightly trembling. She also recognized this person; it was the Young Master of the Yongding Marquis’s Mansion, who had just won a battle and been transferred back to the Ministry of War by the Emperor. His sister was also the most favored Noble Consort in the palace, and with no Empress above her, she could be said to have overwhelming power.

This restaurant was truly amazing; the people coming and going were all big shots. Fortunately, she hadn’t offended Shopkeeper Lin to the death back then. Just as she was thinking this, she saw a man and a woman walking in through the door, with very similar features, probably siblings, and a few servants following behind them. It was also a coincidence; Qin Erniang also recognized that man, and couldn’t help but shudder.

Shopkeeper Lin’s place was truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, another noble person not to be trifled with had arrived!