The Family Had Split, Why Should I Care if They Go Broke? - Chapter 24

A woman who could make ice jelly, gray tofu, and gray tofu strips must be clever indeed. Manager Tang, the restaurant owner, was intrigued. “Miss Xu, would you like to come inside and talk about it in detail?”

“No need, it’s just a few words. These fish skins can be turned into something extremely delicious, guaranteed to add a specialty dish to your Lotus Restaurant. Not only is it tasty, it’s also easy to make. Are you interested, Manager Tang?”

“You mean using these fish skins?”

“Yes.”

“But these fish skins are fishy and meaty almost nothing. I really can’t imagine turning them into a specialty dish.”

“I am collaborating with you, Manager Tang. Why would I ever lie to you?”

Manager Tang had run the restaurant for years. Even if he hadn’t eaten pork himself, he’d seen pigs run around. He had witnessed the making of countless elaborate dishes and tasted many fine foods. One could say he was deeply immersed in the culinary world. Yet, no matter how he stretched his imagination, he couldn’t envision how an ordinary fish skin could become a delicious dish.

Seeing Xu Zhichun’s confident expression, not like someone lying, he grew even more curious.

“Alright. If this can add a specialty to our restaurant, I will buy the recipe from you. Once purchased, you can make it at home to eat, but you may not sell it elsewhere, nor teach anyone else how to make it.”

Xu Zhichun nodded and smiled. “Of course. This dish is really simple to make. When you sell it, it’s best to give it a different name—otherwise people might easily figure out how it’s made.”

Manager Tang nodded. Everyone knew what fish skin looked like, so it wouldn’t be surprising if someone figured it out.

“If it’s good, I want fifty taels of silver.”

“This—”

“Manager Tang, this is a recipe we’re talking about.”

She knew quite a few recipes for large, elaborate dishes, but such complicated ones were beyond her reach. She was content with small snacks. If she tried to make a big show from the start, it would attract attention and trouble. This was why her harbor warehouse held so many valuable items that she didn’t dare display publicly.

Once she had a solid foundation and opened her own restaurant, she could use such recipes then.

Fifty taels of silver for a single recipe wasn’t cheap, but Manager Tang smiled readily. “As long as it’s genuinely good, that’s fine.”

Xu Zhichun smiled. “I’ll make it right now. Could you please tell my companion who’s driving the cart to go ahead without me and say I need to stay a bit longer?”

Manager Tang nodded. “Go ahead. Explain it properly.”

“Yes, Manger Tang.”

Xu Zhichun entered the kitchen and asked everyone else to leave. It wasn’t mealtime yet, so business at the restaurant wouldn’t be affected.

She efficiently cleaned the fish skins, brought water to a rolling boil, and briefly blanched the cut fish skins.

After about a minute, she scooped them out and rinsed them quickly in cold well water, removing fishiness and bl00d while making the skins more springy and crisp.

Then she blanched them again for six to seven seconds, cooled them in cold water, and cut them into finger-sized strips.

Finally, she tossed the fish skins with shredded scallions, cilantro, crushed peanuts, garlic, sesame oil, vinegar, salt, and dried chilies.

She would have used a special fresh soy sauce for cold dishes, but it didn’t exist in this era. So she boiled soy sauce with water and mixed it in the bowl instead.

A refreshing, crisp, slightly spicy cold fish skin dish was complete.

Xu Zhichun opened the kitchen door. “Manager Tang, please.”

Manager Tang entered with Chef Fang. Seeing the unremarkable fish skins, both felt a bit disappointed.

But it was done—might as well try a bite.

Just one bite, as a formality. Definitely no second bite.

Hmm?

Both were stunned.

Chef Fang exclaimed, “This really is made from fish skin? Crisp, tasty, chewy, with a hint of fresh spiciness—perfect as a snack with drinks!”

Xu Zhichun gave a thumbs-up, smiling. “Good eye, Chef Fang!”

Chef Fang looked at Manager Tang with delight. “Sir!”

Manager Tang also smiled and nodded. “Excellent, truly excellent. Who would have thought fish skins could taste this good? I’m willing to spend fifty taels—it’s worth every bit.”

Xu Zhichun smiled. “Then let’s sign a contract as proof, so you can be at ease.”

“Deal.”

Manager Tang sent someone to prepare the contract. Xu Zhichun taught Chef Fang the method, and Manager Tang carefully recorded it all.

From now on, Lotus Restaurant’s menu had a new specialty dish.

Manager Tang felt a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

He looked at his notes, then at Xu Zhichun instructing Chef Fang, thinking to himself, Truly, every trade is like a mountain apart, and true talent makes the difficult easy.

Look at that! Who would have imagined? Fish skin that was once fit only for pigs could, with simple treatment, become a delicious cold dish.

It was truly turning decay into magic!

Manager Tang couldn’t help saying, “Miss Xu, if you come up with more good ideas in the future, think of Lotus Restaurant first.”

Xu Zhichun nodded and smiled. “Of course.”

The cold fish skin recipe was simple, and Chef Fang mastered it after one try.

With a contract, fifty taels of silver, and a box of two treats from Manager Tang—mung bean cake and jujube yam cake—Xu Zhichun happily returned to the market to sell konjac tofu and shredded konjac with Zeng Xiaoyan and the others.

As for ice jelly, they would stop selling it today. Everything they brought was bought by Lotus Restaurant. When asked, they explained the reason, suggesting people try it at Lotus Restaurant or Green Water Teahouse.

Plain ice jelly with only brown sugar syrup sold for three wen per bowl—affordable even for city folk.

Today’s sales were similar to yesterday’s. Several small restaurants came to buy konjac tofu and knots, three to five jin each, totaling over twenty jin just from these few places.

The amount they brought today was about the same as yesterday.

Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu’er sighed, “Too bad we can’t keep up—could have made more to sell.” 

“Exactly, all the money we could’ve earned.”

Xu Zhichun smiled. “This amount is just right. Maybe add another twenty jin at most; any more would be hard to sell. Let’s keep it like this for now. Later, we can discuss hiring help.”

“Hire help?” Aunt Zhu’er was surprised. “Maybe not—it’s something we can manage ourselves.”

Xu Zhichun laughed. “Hiring is just for assistance. We’ll sell it ourselves, make it ourselves. Help would only dig, peel, and cut the konjac.”

Aunt Zhu’er breathed a sigh of relief. “Right, right, that’s good. You really scared me before. What if someone else found out?”

Zeng Xiaoyan laughed. “Sister-in-law Zhichun thinks of everything—we’ll just follow her lead.”

“Exactly!”

Xu Zhichun laughed. “Let’s not discuss this now—let’s have lunch. Today we’ll have noodles with meat sauce. Two big spoonfuls each—my treat.”

The fifty taels from selling the recipe were, of course, hers. But she saw no need to hide it from them—she should tell them and treat everyone generously.