Here's the rest of Chapter 7.
Kou Zhong nodded and said, "Roast meat, smoked meat are no problem. Changzhu, please just instruct us which one to make.”
"Smoked meat then,” Shang Xiuxun replied without thinking.
Clearing his throat, the First Manager Liang Zhi said, "It's not that I don't trust you, but the guest' status is definitely not a small matter, plus he is from a dignitary family, and pay particular attention to food and drink. If your skill in this regard were slightly lacking, you would only display your meager skill before an expert. Therefore, is it possible for you to tell us first how you are going to make the smoked meat?”
Finally Shang Xiuxun raised her small head up; her pretty eyes were fixed on the two boys, "That's right!” she agreed, "Tell us then.”
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were well aware that Liang Zhi and the others suspected their identity; fortunately they did have ‘genuine goods at fair prices' skill they learned from Ol' Zhang. The latter spoke nonchalantly, "The most critical thing in making smoked meat is to blend the flavor of the seasoning well, requiring boiling water over high heat, mixing Sichuan pepper, lilac, amomum, cardamom, ominato, garlic, fresh ginger, thick soybean paste, tofu, and sweet soy paste [please don't ask me, I have no idea what these seasoning are]. Only then will the finished product have both the bright color and the thick savory taste.”
Kou Zhong joined in, "Next will be the smoking technique itself. First, mix the choice meat and the sauce well in a big pot, and then smoke it over cedar wood. The skin will be crispy and the meat tender, inside and outside will be cooked uniformly; the fat won't taste greasy in the mouth, the lean meat won't break our tooth, and the distinctive flavor will be unique.”
The two boys were both eloquent and able to adapt to the situation well; echoing one another like that, they painted a very vivid picture as if a plate of hot, spicy delicacy with its aroma permeating the whole place was already served on the table.
Emotionally moved, the Housekeeper, Shang Zhen, removed the pipe from his mouth and said, "Indeed you have real ability and learning, definitely not con artists.”
The two boys laughed in their hearts. "Thank you for Da Guanjia's praise,” they spoke in unison.
Shang Xiuxun was noncommittal; she looked down on the book again and said absent-mindedly, "Tonight, other than in charge of the main dish, you also have to prepare some dessert. Dismissed!”
Returning to their room, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling did not know whether they should laugh or cry; Shang Xiuxun grandly and seriously summoning them, unexpectedly it was only to discuss such a ‘chicken feather, garlic skin' matter.
However, this matter has brought unintended aftermath; since Lan Gu could not figure out Shang Xiuxun's treatment toward them, immediately she became a lot friendlier than before. After inquiring about the ingredients, she immediately went to make arrangement for them.
Kou Zhong thought hard, "Who could come from the north and has illustrious family background?” he asked aloud.
Displeased, Xu Ziling said, "You'd better leave some brainpower to deal with the pastries and dishes for tonight! Although we know how to make smoked meat, but what we learned from the Ol' Zhang would not do the trick. If they had never eaten any smoked meat before, it is still all right, but if we want to gain those northern people's praise, it would be no more than a dream.”
With much trepidation he said, "Just by remembering our creativity in producing the cakes yesterday, I already have a headache. You must think of something.”
Smiling wryly, Kou Zhong said, "I am relying on you to think of something.”
The two boys ‘you look at me, I look at you', suddenly their eyes lit up at the same time.
Pointing at Xu Ziling, Kou Zhong said, "Are you thinking about him?”
Xu Ziling nodded and said, "He is the number one master craftsman in the world; plus he is experienced and knowledgeable, at least he is able to brew outstanding wine, cooking dishes and making pastries should not be too far below!”
The two boys sprang up immediately.
Xu Ziling pulled Kou Zhong back and said with a laugh, "You stay here to deal with Lan Gu, I am going to ask him, the Senior's guidance, understand?”
Xu Ziling had just left; Lan Gu stepped across the door. Frowning, she asked, "Where is Xiao Jing?”
Kou Zhong simply rubbed his belly, and then pointed outward.
Lan Gu smiled knowingly and said, "Everything for the sauce is readily available, but you must select the meat yourselves. Do you need any help? Or perhaps another room in the kitchen?”
Kou Zhong immediately unleashed his delaying tactic; he said, "We, two brothers, have always advanced together, retreated together; we have business, then we have the capacity. I am going to wait until he finishes pooping before we set about our task together. Hee! If we need extra hands or extra room, we'll let you know!”
Lan Gu gave him a dirty look. She was about to lash at him, but then she changed her mind and pressed down her temper; so after mumbling something she left.
Soon afterwards two make servants came to deliver the seasoning. Kou Zhong immediately got busy.
A moment later Luo Fang came to find him. After chatting for a few moments, Kou Zhong asked him, "Do you know what kind of people are coming tonight?”
"I am not clear about that,” Luo Fang replied, "All I know is that the guests are obviously people of great influence; otherwise Changzhu would not personally go out to meet their ship. From time to time these past few years, there have been people coming here trying to build friendly relations, but Cahngzhu has never attached any importance to them like she does this time.”
Kou Zhong failed to grasp the main points; he blurted out, "Right now the whole country is in rebellion, and we have war-horse to sell, naturally people are trying to build friendly relationship with us!”
"That is true,” Luo Fang proudly said, "But there are some guys who acted recklessly, they came wanted to take control of us by force. It's just that within hundreds of li around here, who are not our Ranch's descendants and disciples? Any wind blowing swaying the grass, nothing escaped our attention.”
Following the tone of his voice, Kou Zhong said, "Which people have that much guts?”
A bit vexed, Luo Fang said, "Have you heard the people on the street mentioning the four popular piece of doggerel recently? They are the ‘Not even a blade of grass grows' Xiang Batian, ‘Chicken and dogs won't remain' Fang Jianding, ‘scorched earth for a thousand li' Mao Zao, ‘the Ghosts weep the Deities cry' Cao Yinglong.”
Kou Zhong had a sudden revelation, "Ah, those must be the Xiang-Fang-Mao-Cao, the Four Big Bandits!”
Luo Fang hatefully said, "Precisely those four men, whom the deities detest and the ghosts loathe, who loot all over the place and in all directions, who leave trails of destruction everywhere like locusts, who rape and pillage, not stopping at anything.”
After a short pause, he went on, "We are as close as lips and teeth with Duba Village of Jingling, we support each other, and have several times killed their small bands of raiders, so that they view us as a nail in their eyes early on. But recently they secretly forged an alliance, in preparation to break off the rescue route between Jingling and us, and then they will go all-out to attack Duba Village. This scheme is certainly very malicious.”
Kou Zhong understood now. Although in themselves the Four Big Bandits' power was insufficient to deal with war on two fronts, it was enough to separately lay heavy siege on Jingling or Flying Horse Ranch, then they would be able to nibble away the surrounding towns and villages, so that it would be difficult for the Duba Village and Flying Horse Ranch to maintain their existence. Even if they ultimately obtain victory, their strength would take heavy beating.
"How's those thieves' strength?” Kou Zhong asked.
Lou Fang replied, "Of the Four Big Bandits, in terms of martial art skill, the ‘Ghosts cry deities roar' Cao Yinglong is the most superior, he also has the largest number of thieves under his command, up to 30,000 people, and they constantly recruit new people; constantly expanding on daily basis. Currently they are occupying Baodong County near the Great River, more than a hundred li to our west. Their prestige rose up greatly, the other three Bandits consider him as their leader.”
This moment Xu Ziling returned, his face flushed with excitement, "Let's start immediately,” he said.
After greeting him, Luo Fang said, "Do your job well. Changzhu has never shown such high regards to anybody from the kitchen. Perhaps later on you and I can become brothers. All right, I'll leave you alone!”
After Luo Fang left, Kou Zhong happily said, "You have good material?”
Xu Ziling sighed in praise, "Not only good material, this is basically the secret recipe of the unique school of the number one skilled craftsman in the world. For the time being we can learn two recipes, one is smoked fish, the other is Jinhua's sweet and crispy. Come on! Processing takes time, while we don't have much time. We can talk while working. Tonight, we, the Twin Chefs of the Central Plain, will show off our great skill, which will shake the four seats. Those who eat it will sincerely convinced and ready to concede. Won't it beat martial art superiority?”
Kou Zhong's ‘old pride' swelled up; he laughed and said, "Why, of course! It would be best if after eating it, Shang Xiuxun would give her heart to you, Great Chef Xu; that would be even more blissful! Ha …”
Seeing Kou Zhong would never change his character, Xu Ziling said irately, "Come on! This treasured dish is called ‘Saber Fish of Yangtze River', Mr. Lu said that if we mix and stir it with eggs, sauce and flour, and make it into strips, and then smoke it until crisp, it will be so tasty that after eating it, even the blinds would want to open their eyes. Get out! Less talking about your dream of vying over the world.”
After all the ingredients were ready, the two boys were busy non-stop.
By dusk, the smoked fish and the sweet and crispy were ready.
It was only then did the two boys remember that not even half a grain of rice entered their tummy that day. Without any scruple they helped themselves to a piece of smoked fish each and ate it with total delight.
Kou Zhong chewed and spoke, "Such delicious food, I can't believe it came from our hands. We'd better do obeisance and take that old fellow as our master, see if he has other consummate skills we can learn from him.”
This moment, Xiao Juan and Big Sister Fu decided to honor the kitchen with their presence. Seeing the two boys embezzled the food, the former's almond eyes grew big as she scolded them, "You two are really brazen; you have the cheek to eat the food meant to entertain the guest to your fill.”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, "We are only checking the taste. Hey! This smoked fish still lack a little bit, let me add a bit more sauce and check it again.”
Grabbing another piece of smoked fish, he made a show of basting it with more sauce, and then wolfed it down his stomach with total abandon.
The two women were at a loss on how to deal with him. Big Sister Fu said crossly, "Changzhu's order, although during the banquet you will serve nearby, you will also have to introduce Jiangnan delicacy to the guests. Do you understand?”
Xu Ziling did not like the crowd; even worse, he did not like to be other people's servants who were sent to do their bidding. Pretending to be exhausted, he said, "We have been busy all day long, our body weary, our strength exhausted early on; can we be excused from this one obligation?”
Xiao Juan laughed and said, "What one obligation or half obligation? Are you being drafted to fight a war? Changzhu has high regards on you, that's the reason she is willing to let you increase your knowledge by getting involved in this occasion. Whatever Changzhu says is the golden rule; disobedience is punishable by beheading. Are you clear?”
Big Sister Fu smiled sweetly and said, "In the Ranch, nobody else is like you, who make things happen but love to act behind the scene. Quickly get those things and come with me, Changzhu wants to sample it first!”