The Female Supporting Role Shows Out

Tang Jiu craned his neck to look into the earthen jar, but Lin Dan pushed him away and said jokingly, "You better not fall into it, or you may turn into a piece of braised meat!”

Tang Jiu was amused and looked at her eagerly, "The broth you make is completely different from the others."

Lin Dan explained slowly, "In ‘Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals – The Root of Tastes’, it says that the root of all flavors is where water is the foundation, and it is boiled nine times with five flavors and three food ingredients to create the most flavorful broth. In my three pots of broths, I used clear and soothing mountain spring water and added several homemade spices and Nanshan pine wood. I’ll bring it to boil whenever I add new spices and repeat this step nine times. The flavors will enhance each time before finally becoming a pot of good broth. This technique is naturally different from the others as the broth tastes salty and sweet at the same time, and its aroma is rich and light. It is made by my unique ‘Flavor Enhancing Method’, which creates a broth that is richer than any other ordinary broths."

Lin Dan fished out the chicken, duck, and pork knuckles and put them into a food box before cutting large chunks of pork belly into slices. She then made a dipping sauce that matched the taste of the meat and continued, "Braised broth that is cooked for a long time tastes better. This is why we must keep adding fresh ingredients. You may take this cooked food back and savor them. This is to thank you for taking care of me in the past few days."

"Don’t mention it." Tang Jiu said politely but stretched out his hand to take the food box and said, "I remember you added pigskin into the pot, why don’t I see it?" Braised pig skin was one of his favorite foods and he had to ask about it.

Lin Dan pointed to the pork knuckles and pork belly and chuckled, "Did you see that? As I have deep-fried the knuckles and pork belly, it will not disintegrate after cooking for so long because it has a burnt outer layer that protects the tender meat underneath. But as I’ve added in fresh pig skin that has not been fried before, it liquefies after boiling for a few hours and blends into the broth. A good pot of braised broth must be both fragrant and viscous, but how can we create its viscosity? It’s all about making use of rich animal fat and collagen. Freshly made broth wouldn’t taste like broth that has been cooked for a long time without dissolving the pigskin. But if you like pigskin, I will deep-fry it the next time, add it into the pot, and let it cool before it is ready for you to collect it.”

Lin Dan frequently talked about food literature. At times, she would make casual comments that were actually secret cooking techniques that others would not be able to learn for a lifetime. This had always fascinated Tang Jiu. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and reiterated, "Please add more pigskin. I’ll come back and collect the next time. If you have met with any trouble, you may find me at the Ministry of War, I will be there on duty."

Lin Dan did not inquire more about Tang Jiu's identity at all, nor did she feel intimidated by the thought of being acquainted with an official. She nodded and smiled before seeing him off.

Tang Jiu was actually disappointed that Lin Dan did not ask more about his identity. He kept looking back as he walked out with mixed emotions. When he turned into the entrance of the alley, he saw a few people rushing out of the gambling den and shouted: "Why is that delicious smell gone? Is someone cooking at home? That smelled too damn good! I’mma stop gambling and go home for dinner right now!"

After some time, everyone in the alley opened their doors to check on each other’s kitchen and were drooling. They could smell an extraordinary aroma of braised broth.

Tang Jiu then slowly walked away with the food box in hand, shaking his head and chuckling. He could hear whispers from passers-by as he walked on, "Who was making braised food just now? Did you smell that? It smelled heavenly!"

As soon as he walked into the yamen, Tang Jiu saw Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou having dinner together, with a tinge of alluring food smell that lingered in the air. Zhao Liu raised his chopsticks and said, "Hey, boss, you are finally back. We’ve already started having dinner."

"Did you accept Yan Langqing's food box again? I told you many times to not let her in no matter what, let alone take her things, did you even take my words seriously?!" Tang Jiu looked cheerful, but he was now filled with frustration.

He saw an exquisite food box lying on his table with the lid opened. The box was made with a thin jade white porcelain bowl filled with four kinds of dishes, including meat and vegetables that had a unique appearance. Zhao Liu and the others also had a food box in their hands with more dishes in it, but its presentation was not as exquisite as the one on his table. He knew that these food boxes were given to them for bribery purposes.

There was a saying that went, "When you receive favors from someone, it's hard to speak against them." Since Zhao Liu had often eaten the delicacies delivered by Yan Langqing, he had to put on a few good words for her. "Boss, why don’t you accept Imperial Chef Yan? Since you love food so much and the noble consort has agreed to the marriage, shouldn’t you marry her? We would love to marry her if we could but it’s a pity that our statuses are not high enough. Having a wife with such good culinary skills is rare to come by. Why are you acting shy at this moment? Hurry up and make a marriage proposal!"

Tang Jiu stared at the exquisite food box for a long time and sneered, "This food box is yours. You may also take whatever she sends in the future, it’s none of my business."

As soon as the crowd showed overjoyed expressions, their leader continued, "But that also means that you will never get to try the food I bring back in the future."

The food box brought back by the leader must have been prepared by the chef of the Duke’s Residence. They reckoned that it would not be comparable to the food made by the imperial chef and hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Sure! From now on, we will all be responsible for the food boxes sent by Imperial Chef Yan!" After saying that, they quickly came over and took away the exquisite food box that was placed on Tang Jiu's table.

"It’s a promise." Tang Jiu bent over and took out a jar of fine wine from under the table and poured himself a glass of wine after removing the mud seal. He then opened the food box that Lin Dan gave him and placed the steaming braised chicken on a plate. He revealed the next layer and put the braised duck on the plate, before placing the braised pork knuckles that was kept underneath. Finally, he put the thinly sliced ​​braised pork belly that was placed on the last layer on the plate before sprinkling some ​​sesame and chopped green onions and added some red garlic chili sauce. An indescribable scent filled the air and spread all over the place.

Tang Jiu pulled the chicken feet lightly and the whole chicken leg came off easily. The soft yet chewy chicken meat and the tender chicken skin was oozing with a rich and oily juice and was extremely delicious with its saltiness and fragrance. The pork knuckles were so soft after being cooked for a long time and the skin broke away as soon as he sucked it. The tender meat melted in his mouth, but the tendons were still springy. The meat was chewy but was also soft enough to bite it with a light roll with his tongue. The pork belly had an evenly distributed fatty and meaty parts and was filled with the aroma of spices. The meaty parts were springy while the fatty parts were soft and chewy. With just one bite, the juice of the fat meat and the tenderness of the lean meat blended together perfectly. It had created a wonderful taste with the hot and spicy garlic sauce on the side!

Tang Jiu gobbled a few mouthfuls and was seemingly choked on the food. He hurriedly picked up the glass and finished a big cup of sprites before sighing contentedly. As the room got unusually quiet, he looked up and found that Zhao Liu and others had been completely blown away by the food he was having and were staring at his food box.

"Scram!" he sneered.

"Boss, where did you get this braised food from? It smells heavenly! Can you let us try it?" Zhao Liu begged.

As Yan Langqing made food in the imperial kitchen, the food that she sent were all packed in delicate small dishes. The dishes tasted sweet and light and the portions were so small that they could almost finish one whole box with one mouthful. Yan’s food boxes were delicious, but not satisfying enough for them. It was unlike the food that Tang Jiu was having. He was enjoying plates of braised meat that were oily and greasy, and the meaty smell was overwhelming. Tang Jiu’s men could imagine themselves pulling out a chicken leg with just one hand and shoving it in their mouths before finishing it with a throat-burning wine. That would taste so heavenly that one may feel that they were on cloud nine! The braised meat was something that would definitely satisfy rowdy men like themselves!

"Boss, Boss, please just give us one bite. Just one bite! We promise not to accept Yan Langqing's food ever again!" Zhao Liu and others gathered around and their mouths watered as they stared at Tang Jiu’s food. When they got closer, the aroma of the braised meat became even more enchanting that they almost bit their own tongues.

"Go away!" Tang Jiu repeated himself and threw away the bones after eating. He saved some pork knuckles and pork belly and asked his servant to send them home so that he could warm it up and enjoy it as a supper when he gets home later in the evening.

Zhao Liu and some others felt huge remorse and wailed, they swore to the heavens that they would never talk to Imperial Chef Yan again in the future and would never accept anything she sent. They begged Tang Jiu to let them try some braised meat again. The smell was so irresistible that it had almost taken away their souls.

Tang Jiu shook off a few men and went straight back to the barracks. “Why should I share it with them when I can keep it for myself and savor it later?” He thought.

—

Lin Dan had a dreamless night and got up early. She made some dough and covered it with a damp cloth before starting to make some porridge and side dishes to welcome the diners. Most of the servants who returned to Beijing with her have left, leaving only Xiao-zhu and two literate waiters. Shaoyao and Dujian were in charge of assisting Lin Dan in the kitchen.

"Are we only selling noodles and porridge today?" Shaoyao wondered seeing that her master had not prepared any other food ingredients.

“It’s good to have lighter meals in the morning. A bowl of porridge or a bowl of noodles is enough. Besides, those who get up at dawn are hard-working people who have to rush to work. They probably don’t have a lot of money on hand and will order a bowl of porridge or Yangchun noodles at most, which are some of the cheapest food. We will only sell noodles and porridge in the morning and will let our customers order rice, noodles, and dishes in the afternoon. We close early in the afternoon as there are brothels and gambling dens nearby that will make a mess of this area in the late afternoon and evening.” Lin Dan explained patiently.

There was a pier nearby where merchant ships docked and undocked daily. In order to facilitate the transportation of goods, there were also several escort companies nearby. When more merchants from the north and south gather, places like brothels, gambling dens, and inns would flourish and gradually form a unique business cluster. This was why people who got up early in the morning were either porters, boatmen, or escorts, and none of these people were rich. But at noon, people of all sorts would get moving, including the poor, the rich, the mafias, the constables, the officials, and rich businessmen, and one would expect a good mixture of the good and bad company.

Lin Dan was very satisfied to be able to open a restaurant in such a popular place. She did not understand why the Yan family thought she would suffer big losses by setting up a business here.

Lin Dan smiled and shook her head. Seeing that dawn was coming, and footsteps were heard on the streets, she made Xiao-zhu and the two waiters bring out the big pot of braised broth and place it at the entrance. They placed several mini stoves underneath the pot and simmered it slowly over low heat.

"Remove the cloth and the lid. Stir the broth with a long spatula." Lin Dan instructed.

Xiao-zhu did as she said. But as soon as he opened the lid, he suddenly felt light-headed before almost drooling into the pot. He hurriedly covered his mouth, turned around, and handed the long spatula to one of the waiters. He swallowed his saliva and said, "Hurry up and stir it now. I haven't had my breakfast yet!"

"Me neither!" The waiter quickly swallowed his saliva before starting to stir the broth. As he stirred, the overwhelming aroma of the braised broth filled the air and spread to the alleys, the docks, and the whole city in an instant, making everyone nearby restless and fidgety.