Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 353: Top Foodie
Most people would never be so suspicious that they would infer that there were pirates just from the words "a boat came over the water". However, Zhang Shou was used to using his imagination to interpret Ah Liu's words, so his first reaction was to grab Zhu Ying's reins.
When he looked into the distance and saw a small boat floating on the calm river, with a fisherman wearing a bamboo hat on it, he gradually felt relieved.
At this time, Old Salted Fish once again showed his ability to know the way. He rode forward and shouted, "Hey, are you going fishing today? Do you have any fresh fish, shrimp or crabs? If so, give me a price!"
The fisherman wearing a bamboo hat on the boat immediately rowed over, laughing and shouting, "I just caught a net of fish this morning. Most of them were sold to Mr. Liu in Liujia Village ahead. There are still two live fish left here, weighing four or five pounds. If the customer wants them, I will sell them at a discount of one hundred yuan. These are fresh carps, tender and plump, definitely not inferior to the Yellow River carp!"
"One hundred coins, why don't you go and rob? There are so many fish in the floating river, even a country boy might be able to catch one or two if he dives into the water. But your two fish are worth at most fifty coins!"
"Brother, you are lying with your eyes open! If this were in the capital, such fresh fish would cost at least one or two hundred coins per catty. In Cangzhou, there are a lot of water and fish, so twenty or thirty coins per catty is the minimum. All the guests are riding on tall horses, and you are still trying to figure out a few dozen coins from me? Isn't this too much of an insult?"
Lao Xianyu had already jumped off his horse and reached the shore, arguing with others with saliva flying everywhere: "Are all those who ride tall horses rich? We are a caravan that just came back from the north selling horses, and we have to spend every penny carefully! You said twenty or thirty cents a pound of fish, but you want to buy fresh fish, and yours is just the leftovers of others..."
Although Zhu Ying had been to Rongshui Village, she had never seen such a fierce bargaining scene. Seeing Lao Xianyu and the fisherman bargaining back and forth for several rounds before they finally reached a deal at a price of sixty-five cents, she raised her eyebrows in confusion.
For her, copper coins were never used for daily expenses. In her purse, besides a few beautifully minted gold melon seeds, there were a dozen silver coins. She would never carry copper coins, which were worthless and heavy. Seeing that Old Salted Fish counted out the copper coins to the fisherman, just like the miser in the rumors, she couldn't help but look at Zhang Shou.
Zhang Shou smiled at her and said, "Don't think that Lao Xianyu really cares about the thirty-five coins. Think about it, will we let him pay for the fish? No matter how much he spends, will we not give him the money?"
Zhu Ying had just realized what was going on. The old salted fish, who had already given the last copper coin, smiled and returned with two fish on a straw rope. Behind him, the fisherman also rowed away with a smile. Obviously, he was quite satisfied with the price of 65 copper coins. The old salted fish was also very satisfied. He showed off proudly in front of everyone.
"Although none of you care about the money, you still have to fight for it when you need to, otherwise you will be taken advantage of and killed. Although the carp has been online for a long time, it is still alive. We can kill it and pickle it immediately, and then grill it over a fire. We don't need to rush, so we can take a break, eat something, and leave before going out when the sun is at its hottest."
Zhang Shou thought that his travel experience was very insufficient these days, so he immediately looked at Ah Liu. Zhu Ying was also very self-aware and immediately asked Zhu Hong and Zhu Yi for their opinions.
Although Ah Liu had been to Cangzhou once, this was the first time for him, like Zhu Hong and Zhu Yi, to go out of the city, so he thought about it and nodded at Zhang Shou.
Zhu Hong also said, "It's almost noon, so we might as well take a break. But the weather is cool today, so we should set off early after we rest. After all, we don't know how long it will take to reach Maliu Mountain. If Miss and Mr. Shou are tired, you can take turns to take a nap in the carriage after we set off."
"Forget about the nap." Zhang Shou immediately shook his head. "On this road, the carriage is bound to be bumpy. It's better to ride a horse." Even those off-road vehicles with the best shock absorption systems would be bumpy on this road, not to mention the carriage...
"That's right. This carriage is only suitable for resting when you stop. It's easy to get dizzy when riding on the road!" Zhu Ying also had no interest in riding in a carriage, but then she glanced at Lao Xianyu with some suspicion, "By the way, do you really know how to grill fish?"
As if to fight back against Zhu Ying's groundless suspicion of him, Lao Xianyu snorted, rolled up his sleeves and went back to work. Only Ah Liu patted his bag of dry food, saying that he didn't want to eat anymore and went to see if there was any other game nearby, and disappeared in a moment.
After two quarters of an hour, the two gutted carps were finally grilled. Zhu Ying, who was filling her stomach with snacks from the food box under the shade of the tree, was greatly surprised. As for Zhang Shou... his eyes naturally fell on the layer of chili powder on the grilled fish!
Although Zhu Hong and Zhu Yi watched the salted fish being marinated and grilled with their own eyes, they were still uneasy because of the layer of red powder. In addition, they were worried about letting Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying eat outside food, so they had to carefully grab a piece of the fish tail first.
As a result, they were caught off guard and were choked by the sudden spiciness, causing them to cough repeatedly, and Zhu Hong almost drew his sword.
Although Zhang Shou stopped him immediately, Lao Xianyu had already seen the other party's cautious behavior, and his face looked very innocent: "That's chili pepper. Dr. Zhang used it to cook before. It tastes spicy. He and the eldest lady like it very much. It's definitely not poison! If you don't believe me, I'll eat it all !"
At this point, he complained again: "If they really wanted to poison you, why would they bother with the seasoning? If they had just grilled a puffer fish and served it to you without any seasoning, you would have been poisoned to death long ago!"
All of them were from the north. Zhu Hong and Zhu Yi had only heard of puffer fish, while Zhu Ying had read about it in a book. It was said that when Emperor Taizu was on a tour in the south, he threatened to eat puffer fish at the risk of his life, but was dissuaded by his ministers in tears and finally did not eat it. So, she immediately said curiously, "Is puffer fish really that poisonous? I really want to see it!"
Zhang Shou looked at the old salted fish who was about to explain himself, and suddenly took over the conversation: "Puffer fish is a specialty of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Cangzhou is still a long way from the river, where can we get puffer fish? Besides, puffer fish migrate from January to March, and the meat is the most plump. After this season, it is difficult to catch it, and the meat is not good. Who would risk their lives to eat it?"
"But Yingying, don't take it lightly. Although puffer fish tastes delicious, it is indeed highly poisonous, especially the liver and bones. If the cook doesn't handle it properly and cuts his hand, his life will be in danger."
"Although there is a line in Dongpo's poem, 'The ground is full of mugwort and the reed shoots are short, it is the time when the pufferfish is about to come up,' there is also a saying among the people that mugwort, also known as mugwort shoots, can detoxify pufferfish and that cooking them together can remove the toxicity, but no one has really explained how it removes it. So just listen to this and don't take it seriously. If you really die from eating it, even gods can't save you."
Lao Xianyu didn't expect that Zhang Shou, a northerner, could actually tell all about puffer fish. Although he was just saying it casually to scare people, he felt a little embarrassed. He couldn't help thinking that this doctor of the Imperial College seemed to be too knowledgeable about food.
Only when he saw Zhu Ying smilingly taking apart a piece of fish belly meat and chewing it slowly, praising it with satisfaction as she tasted it, did he begin to smile.
There were many people and few fish, and Lao Xianyu was really good at preparing grilled fish, so in a short while, the fragrant and hot grilled fish was eaten up by everyone.
Although it was simply seasoned with salt and pepper, and the fish was not marinated long enough so it was not very tasty, it was a rare change in the way of eating it. Although no one was so exaggerated as to lick their fingers while savoring it, Zhu Ying, who was most afraid of fish bones, finished all the fish belly meat by herself, which indirectly affirmed Lao Xianyu's skills.
Because Zhang Shou didn't mention it, and Zhu Ying was enjoying the meal, Zhu Hong and Zhu Yi didn't remember leaving some for Ah Liu until they finished eating. So when Ah Liu came back and saw two pheasants hanging next to his mount, Zhu Ying immediately remembered this incident and regretted not leaving some for Ah Liu.
But what she didn't expect was that Ah Liu glanced at the complacent old man and suddenly laughed.
"Isn't it just grilled fish? I've eaten it... made by the young master."
Lao Xianyu was almost choked by his nonchalant tone. He glanced at Zhang Shou who was calm and composed, and said angrily, "Dr. Zhang is indeed a skilled craftsman. I didn't expect that he also has this kind of skill of smoking and roasting. Is there any way for him to survive?"
Zhang Shou smiled and said, "My way of grilling fish is different from yours. It can't be made in this wilderness. Simply marinating and grilling over fire is too dry. After grilling the fish over fire, put various side dishes such as lotus root slices and cucumber slices on the bottom - oh, potato slices should also be OK, then pour the sauce on it, and even better, add your chili pepper, put it on an iron plate, put it on the charcoal fire and continue to cook..."
At this point, Zhang Shou paused , and seeing Old Salted Fish staring at him in amazement, he smiled and said, "This kind of charcoal-grilled fish, with its tasty sauce and delicious side dishes, is more flavorful than the fish you grill in the wild. Well, when I was at home, I would occasionally cook it. Ah Liu is a picky eater, and he likes boneless black fish the most. If it's not black fish, he won't eat it at all."
In fact, river grouper, mandarin fish, black fish...many fish with few bones and good fat are all good materials for grilling fish. But in a place like Rongshui Village, it is really difficult to find a black fish or mandarin fish. Because both black fish and mandarin fish are at the top of the food chain, and they are also ferocious predators in the water!
Zhu Ying's eyes sparkled when she heard this, and after a while she spoke, "Ah Shou, no wonder you can cook such delicious dishes... You can even come up with so many ways to grill fish, you're really a top foodie!"
Zhu Hong and Zhu Yi were stunned. Miss, this statement... is it really too explicit? Will it upset the future son-in-law? Which man wants to be called a foodie?
In his heart, he agreed with Zhu Ying's evaluation. He even stole a glance at Zhang Shou. However, he did not see the angry scene he had expected. Instead, he saw Zhang Shou laughing nonchalantly: "Thank you Yingying for your compliment. Food is the first necessity of the people. I have no other hobbies but to indulge in food! A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen. For me, that is impossible!"
Although his craftsmanship was despised by Ah Liu, when he set out on the road again, the little bit of regret in his heart had long disappeared.
Zhang Shou admitted calmly that he was a foodie, and the heavy stone in his heart finally fell a little - because this proved that Zhang Shou could mix and match his ingredients and make delicious dishes that he had never thought of, which should be due to his talent as a foodie. As for Emperor Taizu 's manuscript, it certainly played a role.
Therefore, from Ah Liu to Zhu Er's contact with him, and Xian Yunhe's uprising, it should be purely a bunch of coincidences that came together, and there can be no other reason.
When everyone arrived at the foot of Maliu Mountain, it was almost 3 p.m. After all, a meal took a long time, and there were many beautiful places along the way, so Zhang Shou was happy to accompany Zhu Ying to stop and enjoy the scenery for a while, and before they knew it, it was late. Even at this time, there were still groups of villagers on the mountain road. In the words of Lao Xianyu, the Wanghai Temple in the mountain was very popular.
Seeing that it was still early, Zhu Ying could not help but say, "I heard that there are many secret passages in Maliu Mountain. This time I come, I must see them for myself!"
"Hey, Miss, you've heard of this, too?" Old Salted Fish was a little surprised, then smiled and said, "It is said that this was dug during the Warring States Period when Qi was defending against Yan and Zhao. It is said to be the Willow Tingting Barrier, and it is also considered a scene of Maliu Mountain. However, the tunnel is very complicated, and the map has long been lost. In the past, there were children who got lost in it, so not many people go there."
Before Zhu Ying could continue the topic, he quickly laughed and said, "My vegetable garden is on the Shandong side, in a farm below Wanghai Temple. Emperor Taizu did not allow Buddhist temples and Taoist temples to own more than 100 acres of land, but the monks of Wanghai Temple made great contributions in resisting the Shandong bandits who fled to the small islands in the east sea, and they got a large salt field and 400 acres of land nearby."
"My brother's family was killed, so he became a monk in the temple in a rage. He is good at martial arts, and no one dares to offend him in the temple. He took over the position of the manager monk of the farm, and handed over a few hundred stones of rice and a few hundred loads of vegetables every year. No one cares about him for other things. He has a dozen disciples who are good at using sticks. My vegetable garden is under his protection, so of course I am not afraid of anyone coveting it."
You’re kidding!
Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying exchanged glances, and the same thought occurred to them. Then, they heard Ah Liu's calm voice: "Can you afford to support a monk with a stick? Is this Wanghai Temple or Shaolin Temple?"
But Lao Xianyu was not angry. Instead, he said with a smile, "You guessed it right, my brother is from Shaolin."
