Chapter 10 contains flavors yet to be understood in food

Once again, at this moment, Dan Yong and his father exchanged smiles, silently dealing with his mother's self-indulgent admiration. Just then, Lei Dapeng walked in. The son showed no appreciation, while Teng Hongyu bombarded her godson with a series of questions: Is that girl pretty? Have you seen the photos of your godmother when she was young? Who is prettier?

Suddenly, a voice came from behind: "Young man, what are you doing?"

Is that so? Just adding a pot sticker makes it a feast of riches? Minister Xu chuckled as he leaned in, catching a glimpse of the face-sized turtle in the soup pot. Such a head is indeed rare; perhaps he found Lei Dapeng's appearance quite amusing. However, Lei Dapeng's intentions were even more pronounced, and he proudly declared: This pot of riches is not as simple as just stewing a turtle. You need to explain the intricacies here. Today, you don't have to pay for the meal; we would even be willing to subsidize it.

"Rei Ge, isn't the term 'infuriating' used incorrectly here?" Si Mu Xian said with a smile as he approached.

"Young man, do you know us?" Zuo Nanxia asked curiously, looking at the person by the pot, who was none other than Si Muxian. Si Muxian smiled and shook his head. Zuo Nanxia was puzzled and pointed at Lei Dapeng, saying, "Then what about this one..."

Si Muxian smiled, seemingly in agreement, but softly added, "Elder, you have a keen eye, but it seems you have overlooked the best one."

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Oh, the group suddenly realized, and they couldn't help but cast a surprised glance at these seemingly mischievous individuals. Lei Dapeng chuckled, grinning with pride, while not far away, Shan Yong, who was grilling fish, was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself that this old man was quite the foodie, even mentioning the ingredients that several brothers had prepared, which was something an ordinary person wouldn't be able to articulate so well. At the very least, Lei Dapeng had stolen that winter worm summer grass from his father, and the number of people who recognized it was quite limited.

"Oh, look at that, the village fool, just ignore him. Yes, don't call him foolish, as he will curse when you do so." Si Muxian said, lowering his voice for the latter part, but unexpectedly, the first part was heard by Lei Dapeng, who rolled his eyes and indeed cursed, saying: "You are the real fool of the village."

This farmhouse located in the outskirts is not only Shan Yong's home but also a place where he and his brothers used to enjoy feasts during their university days. Each time they caught fish and turtles from the river, trapped rabbits from the mountains, smoked badgers from the valley, or collected bird eggs from the trees, these were all delicacies in their mouths. The courtyard, facing south and north, is about two mu in size. On the east side, there is a pot for stewing turtles, while on the west side, there is a stone-built fire. The fire is about one meter wide and two to three meters long. As the fish is placed on the grill, it sizzles and releases moisture. Shan Yong applies a layer of oil and turns to ask Si Mu Xian about the doneness of the turtle soup.

The four of them stared at each other in astonishment, first surprised and then amused. It seemed there was a riddle within a riddle; otherwise, these foolish fellows wouldn't be so arrogant. With the previous cryptic remarks, everyone was hesitant to speak up. While they refrained from guessing, Lei Dapeng couldn't hold back any longer and, in a tone of exasperation, admonished them, saying: "Oh dear, just a moment ago you were all experts and gourmets. With a turtle on top and an egg below, when combined, isn't that just a 'turtle egg'? It's so easy, yet you can't even guess it."

Indeed, this method heats evenly and dissipates heat slowly. Even after the fire goes out for two to three hours, the pot remains warm. Moreover, the heating is done using ordinary firewood, which maximally preserves the original flavor. It is quite interesting; aside from those who are extremely fond of food, no one would go to such lengths. Zuo Nanxia made this comment, leaving it ambiguous whether it was praise or criticism, as several people looked at Lei Dapeng and chuckled. Zuo Xiying's interest was piqued as well; she raised her digital camera and snapped several pictures while asking Si Muxian, who was by the pot, "Little boss, is what my dad said correct?"

Zuo Xiying looked at Lei Dapeng, whose face was unwashed, mouth uncleaned, with one cheek higher than the other and one eye larger than the other, resembling a pig. Suddenly, she was struck by a mix of surprise and amusement, covering her mouth as she laughed and nodded. Lei Dapeng seized the long spoon from Si Muxian's hand and reached into the pot, slightly stirring the bubbling soup and the large turtle. This revealed the contents beneath; under the turtle, there was a nest of round, white eggs, larger than pigeon eggs but smaller than chicken eggs. It was immediately obvious. Lei Dapeng quickly retracted the spoon, triumphantly covered the pot, and turned to face the group of guests.

While talking, he kicked Lei Dapeng, who was staring longingly at the pot, lost in thought. After being scolded by Si Muxian, he bit his lower lip and huffed in displeasure. For several years, he had always played the role of chopping wood and starting the fire among the group, and not having advanced to the level of handling the cooking pot had always been Lei Dapeng's greatest regret. However, it was also fine, as he could wait to enjoy the ready-made food.

"You still don't know what to eat? After getting tired of mountain delicacies and seafood like abalone and lobster, why not try the taste of wild vegetables?" Mother said dismissively, while picking wild vegetables and tying her hair back. She had hosted many guests who came to try something new, often seeking a change in flavor. It had become quite routine. Glancing back at her son, she noticed his contemplative expression and smiled, saying, "I must say, the girl who came with you is quite beautiful. She has a great figure and height, and her looks are not bad either, quite similar to how I looked when I was young."

Si Muxian was quite focused on his task. After placing the lid properly, he took a bowl of well-kneaded cornmeal dough, kneaded it in his hands, and carefully pressed it against the edge of the pot. Before long, a golden ring formed around the edge of the pot, and a fragrant broth wafted out, infused with the aroma released by the heated corn. Lei Dapeng seemed to be envisioning some delicious dish, smacking his lips and occasionally wiping his chin, resembling a cat scratching an itch, unable to contain his excitement. It appeared that Si Muxian had foresight, as Lei Dapeng was indeed wiping the drool that flowed from his lips.

This fiery mother has certainly made an impression on several people in the same room. As she speaks, her hands do not stop working; she washes vegetables while scolding. She chides Dad Shan Changqing for being slow, then turns to urge her son not to be in the way in the kitchen. Lei Dapeng and Shan Yong exchange a playful grimace. Shan Yong holds a brush and a basin of grilled fish seasoning, while Lei Dapeng carries four or five skewered fish. The two of them bounce out of the kitchen.

Continue guessing; whoever guesses correctly, I will treat him to a meal today. If the meal is not delicious, you can consider me as a turtle boiled in water

"You little rascal, guests are always welcome, don't talk nonsense, hurry up and start the fire, aren't we having grilled fish?" Teng Hongyu urged, and Lei Dapeng responded. When it comes to eating, it is certainly more important than anything else. He gathered firewood and got busy. Si Muxian shrugged and gave Shan Yong a noncommittal smile, also squatting down to look at the pot in the yard. Shan Yong wanted to take another look, but unexpectedly received a glare from his mother. Shan Yong, with a shameless face, explained, "What's wrong, Mom, I didn't say anything." Si Muxian shrugged and gave Shan Yong a noncommittal smile, also squatting down to look at the pot in the yard. Shan Yong wanted to take another look, but unexpectedly received a glare from his mother. Shan Yong, with a shameless face, explained, "What's wrong, Mom, I didn't say anything."

Sigh, Si Muxian gritted his teeth and glared, wishing he could throw Lei Dapeng into a pot. This guy just couldn't stop talking, and while he usually went along with the guests' moods, this time he had gone too far. Minister Xu stood awkwardly on the spot, while Zuo Nan raised an eyebrow, his face lengthening. Zuo Xiying looked at Si Muxian with a questioning gaze, her large eyes seemingly capable of speaking. Si Muxian instantly understood the young lady's intention; she wanted him to smooth things over. Just as he was about to speak, Lei Dapeng, brimming with self-satisfaction, stepped in front of Si Muxian and, looking at Zuo Xiying with one eye larger than the other, smiled and said, "Sister Beauty, do you want to know? I'll tell you."

"Well, cordyceps, red dates, ginger slices, shiitake mushrooms, chunks of chick, soft-shelled turtle, and then add potstickers, that makes seven items. Yes, and there are also slices of ham, making it eight." Zuo Nan said all eight items in one breath, and these eight alone astonished the onlookers, as the selection for a simple pot of soup nearly matched the standards of a five-star hotel. Upon hearing the expert say this, everyone stared wide-eyed at the pot of soup wafting with fragrant steam, then turned to look at the foolish-looking Lei Dapeng, their expressions filled with disbelief.

It is Shan Yong's mother, and Lei Dapeng's godmother is Teng Hongyu. Back in the day, she used to sing traditional opera, and her powerful voice naturally attracted customers. A group of people mechanically followed Teng Hongyu into the room, hearing the godmother calling for the godfather to brew a pot of tea. At that moment, Lei Dapeng realized what was happening, scrambled up, and rushed to the kitchen. He stopped at the door, while Shan Yong stretched his neck to look at the group of guests. Lei Dapeng pulled him back and said sternly, "This is the girl I was talking about on the way here. Isn't she beautiful? You still don't believe it?"

Zuo Nanxia, Minister Xu, and the accompanying driver all turned their gazes towards Zuo Xiying, which was quite unexpected. However, Zuo Xiying appeared bewildered, not recognizing the thin young man by the stove who was rubbing his feet. Looking again at the person sitting on the ground, shouting nonsensically, with smudges of soot on his face, he was staring blankly at Zuo Xiying, wiping his nose and drooling, which made Zuo Xiying chuckle.

As for the stone, at this moment, Luo Xiying became intrigued, approached the pot, and cautiously touched the glossy black rim with her fingers. In surprise, she turned around and said: "Yes, Dad, it is made of stone. The earliest recorded method of cooking by baking was indeed using stone as the vessel, right? The oldest existing food vessel in Luzhou, the Qin Ao, is also made of stone."

Teng Hongyu scolded and read the list of dishes: cold marigold, bitter vegetable and egg pancake, mushroom stew with free-range chicken, plus a portion of sauced donkey meat, with millet steamed rice as the staple. Dad agreed, while Mom squatted down to pick the vegetables. Dan Yong was a bit curious and leaned closer to Teng Hongyu, asking: "Mom, who are these people?"

"Impressive, it seems that the master is an expert," Si Muxian sincerely praised.

The direction of the finger caught the driver's attention, and he saw that it was the dilapidated vehicle marked with the words "Urban Management". Who would dare to take that car? The driver chuckled and said, "Are you trying to fool me into thinking I wouldn't dare take your car? I've seen all kinds of dishes at Kailaiyue. Do you know Kailaiyue? It's a five-star hotel, and even the 180,000 yuan per table meals there aren't as exaggerated as what you're saying."

So quickly proved, causing everyone to burst into laughter again. With Lei Dapeng looking this handsome, it would be hard not to consider him the village fool.

"A house full of gold and jade." Lei Dapeng casually remarked. When he turned around, he was met with the sight of Zuo Nanxia, whose head was completely silver-haired, smiling as he watched Si Muxian making potstickers. Upon closer inspection, Lei Dapeng was startled; this old man, with not a single hair out of place, chuckled and corrected him: "It should be turtle soup."

Dan Yong blinked his eyes, watching his mother roll up her sleeves and pick vegetables. Coupled with a few strands of white hair drifting at her temples, no matter how beautiful she was, she was still an aging beauty. He swallowed hard, suppressing a laugh. In his self-satisfied feeling, his mother was on par with his godson, Lei Dapeng. However, this action did not escape his mother's notice. She glared at him and said, "What’s wrong? What kind of look is that? Is what Mom said incorrect? Back in the day, I played Yang Qiniang in the bangzi opera troupe. Do you know what it means to be the lead in a bangzi? That was the main role, just like the female lead in today’s TV dramas. With my voice, I could be heard clearly across a place as large as Bayi Square without amplification, even with thousands of people... Come here, come here, Dapeng."

"That's not right, how did she end up at our house?" Shan Yong expressed his unease, having heard Lei Dapeng's first shout. He poked his head out to take a look but quickly withdrew it. Although Shan Yong usually had a thick skin, this time he couldn't quite understand why he felt so vulnerable. Perhaps it was because of that girl. A few people had discussed her on the way, and Shan Yong recognized her as the one he had seen before, but he remained silent and just smiled it off. Normally, he wouldn't mind joking about a girl that all three of them knew, but this time he was unexpectedly caught off guard. The girl by the reservoir glanced at him hurriedly, her eyes filled with anger and hunger, seemingly touching a part of his heart that made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

At this moment, a person emerged from the kitchen, a clean and tidy middle-aged woman with her hair styled in a loose bun. She appeared very approachable, her voice remarkably clear, as she cheerfully greeted everyone: "Please, please, it seems this is your first time here. If you visit the old Shan family of Xiangma Village, I guarantee you will become repeat customers... Please come in."

As they spoke, the plump Minister Xu also came out. Having just been idly sitting around, the aroma from the large wooden lid wafted throughout the courtyard. A few people looked out the window at the two cooking methods, both stewing and roasting, using utensils they had never seen before, which piqued their curiosity. Unable to contain themselves, they got up and came out. Zuo Xiying, however, was quite interested in this rural courtyard, while Lei Dapeng's gaze swept over the beautiful woman, and he couldn't help but feel a bit distracted. He corrected himself, saying: "This is called a house full of treasures, not turtle soup."

Zuo Nan stepped forward and took a deep sniff, pointing out: "These eight selected ingredients come in three colors: red, yellow, and white. The key is to simmer them until the soup color is light with a hint of yellow. After simmering a while longer, it will turn a golden hue. Coupled with these golden corn cakes, this is what you refer to as 'abundance of gold and jade', right"

Lei Dapeng said, "Not silly at all," turned his head twice, and immediately adopted a stern demeanor as he said, "Godmother, this is not even a comparison; of course, you are beautiful! There’s no need to compare with the past; you are already more beautiful than her now. Every time I come back, I find you looking younger and younger. If I come back a couple more times, I’ll have to start calling you 'sister.'"

Zuo Lao seemed to be quite confident and in high spirits, pointing at the pot and saying: "The best should be in the pot, right? This is a stone pot carved from black jade, and such cooking vessels are quite rare nowadays"

Si Muxian lifted a large wooden lid weighing over twenty pounds, and a rush of steam mixed with a fragrant aroma surged up, causing him to step back slightly. He looked into the pot, inhaled the scent, and then turned back to say: "It's almost done, we can start with the pot stickers... Hey, why did you come over? Go away, keep your distance, don't let your saliva fall into the pot."

Isn't it just turtle soup? Pretending to be rich and prosperous, have you learned all the tricks of our hotel? The driver chimed in with a local accent, trying to compete with Dapeng, but unexpectedly, Dapeng confidently gave a thumbs up and asked boastfully: "Do you want to bet? Just this pot of soup, it's a complete tonic, also known as perfect, with ten good ingredients. If you can name them all, aside from not paying for the meal, see that car outside? I'll cover the cost for you."

What else is there? Look at that girl, so shameless and unaccomplished. If you have the ability, bring one home for your mother.

Zhang Qingle, the father of the butcher, was so amused that he almost cut his hand. Shan Yong stifled a laugh, while Lei Dapeng, taking himself seriously, made a remark that was no joke at all. Teng Hongyu was taken aback by the latter part of his statement and scolded, "You little rascal, your speech is all over the place... You’re about to graduate from university and still haven’t made any progress."

And - the - book "Oh, it can't be that outrageous, expressing feelings, expressing feelings should be fine. My dear brother is already moved, saying she is like that character from the "Luo Shen Fu", who was tossed around by several men, as Teacher Ren mentioned before." Lei Dapeng scratched his head, unable to recall, and Si Muxian scolded, "Go away, don't demean her."

With a thud, Si Muxian accidentally let slip a laugh, biting his lip and turning his face away, no longer daring to smile. The few others were blushing furiously, feeling that this foolish fellow had just given them a lecture in the courtyard. They even sensed that there was a veiled criticism in this riddle. Just as Si Muxian managed to suppress his laughter, he suddenly felt the atmosphere grow tense. He abruptly realized that he had committed a major taboo in running a restaurant. It was likely that Lei Ge's remark would provoke this group of distinguished guests.

Everyone laughed in agreement, and Minister Xu naturally praised him, saying that Old Zuo's leisure and elegance were quite profound. He mentioned that Old Zuo had written several influential articles on culinary culture in a certain newspaper and magazine, which was a result of his efforts in accompanying him. The flattery was quite well done, and Zuo Nanxia humbly smiled in appreciation. A few people gathered around the pot, asking Si Muxian various questions. At this point, Si Muxian was in the spotlight, but Lei Dapeng was left out. This fellow snorted heavily, disdainfully saying: "What a useless professor, what a foodie, far from it, not even comparable to our Egg Brother. You mentioned eight out of ten dishes, what are the remaining two? Even if you broke your heads, you wouldn't be able to guess them."

A beautiful woman? Delivered to the door? Coming to our home?

"Hehe, you used that word incorrectly; I hate to waste it. Haha..." Lei Dapeng lowered his voice and chuckled, showing no attempt to hide his admiration. Unexpectedly, he received a sharp slap on the back of his head. "Ouch!" He turned around to find his godmother, Teng Hongyu, glaring at him coldly. Lei Dapeng immediately greeted her warmly, saying, "Oh, godmother, why did you hit me?"

"Have you seen the world and yet dare not gamble? Put your car on the line, and I dare to take it," Lei Dapeng countered. This retort left the driver at a loss; he dared not stake the company car, especially not to this fool. Just as they were at a standstill, Zuo Nan, who had been watching for a long time, spoke up, pointing at Si Muxian and said: "This soup is quite good, capturing the three flavors of food. However, young man, isn't your claim of perfection a bit exaggerated?"

Dan Yong was taken aback, while Lei Dapeng, feeling quite pleased with himself, pointed and said: "Look, you’re dumbfounded, aren’t you? I told you, it’s stunningly beautiful, yet you didn’t believe me"

The mysterious Simuxian, who was sticking corn pancakes, smiled slightly. When he looked up, he unexpectedly made eye contact with the father and daughter of the Zuo family. Upon closer inspection, he confirmed that this was indeed the young lady he had seen from a distance at the reservoir. Her eyebrows were lightly drawn, and she wore no makeup, presenting a natural beauty that radiated brilliance. A single glance was enough to instill a sense of reverence, making one hesitant to look too closely. His hand trembled slightly as he finished sticking the best corn pot sticker, avoiding the young lady's gaze. He turned to Zuo Nan and said leisurely, "Old man, how many perfect beauties can you count?"