> > Here Comes The Lady Chef – Chapter 52 and 53
Chapter 52: Three people (eats) sharkfin
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Sir Song Tao looked dignified as he stood there, waiting to hear from Wen Rou.
No one dares to say a single word.
Wen Rou was unafraid, and continued, "I have learned how to cook from my father and knows that we should not judge someone by their wealth or status. A chef should give their all in each dish they cook, so that the guests will enjoy the food regardless of what they had ordered."
"But you, Sir Song Tao, as a distinguished learned man, and the leader of the scholars, made excuses to judge and nitpick on my brother, whom you have not even met. You even called my brother an idiot! This lady disagrees with your haughtiness and attitude!"
"You…. lass! I will not reason with you!" Sir Song Tao was so angry that he did not know how to retort.
Ren Yue looked with Wen Rou with interest, and could not help sighing in his heart, 'What a sharp tongue lass!'
Shen Yaoshan immediately looked at Ren Yue. His heart was tightened, and beating wildly, and tried to ask Ren Yue to pacify Sir Song Tao through his looks. Ren San, Ren San, please do not just watch on. Quickly advise them. If these two people duke it out, our wine will be gone!
Qiao Zizhang heard this and his eyes lit up. If not for the fact that old man Qiao was pulling his hand, he would have rushed up and spoke up for Wen Rou.
This young lass is really incredible! She may be a kitchen hand, but her words could not be refuted.
"Since Sir Song Tao is unwilling to accept my brother as a student, then this lady will not be so thick-skinned as to insist on it. If you have enjoyed your meal, and have nothing else to say to this lady, this lady will return to the kitchen. My father is still waiting for me to help out!" Saying this, Wen Rou curtsied. This is considered a greeting for saying goodbye. She turned around and entered the kitchen.
"She really infuriates me!" Sir Song Tao was so angry that his face turned red.
"Teacher, ignore that lass. You have travelled a long way. Ren Yue will bring you to your adobe for a rest!" Ren Yue stepped out.
"Sir Song Tao, this way please. I have already prepared a place for you to stay." Governor Zhao saw that Ren Yue is going to take Sir Song Tao back to rest, and immediately stepped up in an attempt to curry favour with Sir Song Tao.
"I am grateful to Governor Zhao for your arrangements. It is just that I like quiet and cleanliness, and does not like grand or luxury items. As well, today, by treating so many people, you had spent a fortune. I, on behalf of the commoners and poor people, thank Governor Zhao again for your generosity."
"Yaoshan, I have safely arrived in Xianyang. You should return to the Capital and back to your duties. Ren Yue, let's go!" Sir Song Tao rejected Governor Zhao, and just left with Ren Yue and his two aides.
"This…. this…." Governor Zhao just stood there, stunned.
The feast that he had painstakingly prepared for Sir Song Tao was not eaten. The house that he had prepared for Sir Song Tao was not lived in. The rest of the gifts that I have prepared are ……….
Governor Zhao just stood there, rooted to the spot and lost in his thoughts. Only when old man Qiao called him did he snapped back to the current situation.
“Governor Zhao, Governor Zhao," old man Qiao softly called out, "The banquet that we had prepared in the Peony Hall….."
"Sigh~! Since it is already prepared, it would be a waste not to eat it! Boss Qiao, why not join me for the feast!" Governor Zhao immediately came up with a plan on the spot, and grabbed old man Qiao's hand as they headed into the Peony Hall.
At this time, Zhu Zi suddenly came back again, and reported, "Old man Qiao, please go down and take a look at the situation. The kitchen had prepared 200 bowls of noodles, 200 big buns, but the beggars are not satisfied and wanted more! They are creating a scene downstairs!"
"Governor Zhao, excuse me…." As a merchant, old man Qiao is shrewd and cunning. He immediately knows what Governor Zhao is up to. The feast in the Peony Hall cost a whopping 50 taels of silver!
Just now what Sir Song Tao said is true. The cost of this feast is paid by Governor Zhao. But Sir Song Tao did not eat a single morsel of the food. If he were to dine with Governor Zhao, he will end up paying for this meal instead! Or at least, he needs to fork out half the cost of the bill!
Right now, Zhu Zi's words is an opportunity for him to escape.
Governor Zhao is also shrewd, or he would not able to become a high-ranking government official. How could let old man Qiao escaped that easily? Governor Zhao did not let go of old man Qiao's hand and instead, turned to Manager Lee and barked, "Manager Lee, does the Drunken Immortal restaurant requires your investors to personally handle everything? What are you standing there in a daze for?"
"Yes, yes, your servant will go and settle this issue immediately!" Manager Lee understood the situation, but he is powerless to help old man Qiao. After all, Governor Zhao was holding on to old man Qiao's hand so tightly, and even commanded him to resolve the problem. All poor Manager Lee wants to do is stay out of the fight between the higher-ups. He immediately left.
"If you cannot contain the situation or the situation gets out of hand, you must inform me!" old man Qiao discovered that he did not manage to escape from the clutches of Governor Zhao and immediately gritted his teeth and reminded Manager Lee.
"Zizhang, stop standing there in a daze! Come, sit down and eat with us!" Governor Zhao suddenly invited Qiao Zizhang to join them in the feast.
Hehe, if both old man Qiao and his son eat as well, he need not pay for the meal. He had all sorts of ways to pass the cost of this meal to them.
Old man Qiao knew what Governor Zhao is scheming, but is powerless to stop him. He could only sigh in his heart. This meal, he must eat! But each bite, each grain, each movement of the chopsticks, they all stabbed into his heart as he thought of the enormous cost of this feast.
"Zizhang, try this top grade shark fin. This is something good and rare!" Old man Qiao sigh. Since he had to eat and foot the bill, he might as well eat to his heart's content. He immediately took a large bowl of shark fin for his son.
"Father, Governor Zhao had not eaten it yet!" Qiao Zizhang was a bit embarrassed, and looked at Governor Zhao.
Governor Zhao had stuck out his neck, and widen his eyes as he stared at the shark fin and swallowed hard.
"Oh, yes, Governor Zhao, please!" Old man Qiao felt awkward. He was lost in his desire to make the best of the situation and forgot about his manners.
He immediately tried to lift the rest of the shark fin soup and put the claypot in front of Governor Zhao
Governor Zhao grabbed his chopsticks and was about to eat. Then he noticed that there are hardly any shark fins left in the claypot. There is barely enough for one spoonful.
He could not help looking at old man Qiao in disgust. In his heart, Governor Zhao thought, 'Darn it, old man Qiao. I know that you love your son, but this is too much! Since you do this, don't blame me for making you pay for the entire meal!'
"Father, this shark fin is thick and fleshy, with thin meat membranes, smooth to the taste, and taste very good with the thick gravy. This is really a top grade product!" Qiao Zizhang took out one bite of the shark fin, and immediately praised.
"Hehehe, Zizhang, this bowl of shark fin is not simple to make! The shark fin may be expensive but it usually does not have any taste by itself. The chefs used shark fins to show off their skills, so the portion is small. Generally, there are 3 ways to enjoy the taste of eating shark's fin."
"The purple ware, the design of this stove and the candle is specially placed here keep it warm - for a shark fin lose its taste if it is cold."
"The candle light is moderate in brightness and can be reflected in the shark fins to give it a lustrous sheen. If it does not look good, then customers will think this is an inferior grade of shark fin."
"Make sure that the seat is spacious and comfortable, soothing and soft so that you can enjoy the shark fin."
"The first way of maximising the taste of this dish is simple: After having tasted the shark fins, drink some tea."
Oh, is there so much learning in eating a pot of shark fin?
Qiao Zizhang could not help wondering.
After listening to old man Qiao, Governor Zhao followed his instructions.
With the tea in your mouth, put down the cup. Hold the white spoon in your right hand, and hold a small bowl in your left hand. Use the spoon to gather a spoonful of shark fin soup, and place it the mouth.
The mellow fragrant soup oscillates around the tongue. Close your lips to ensure that the fragrance of the taste does not escape. The chicken soup, filled with ingredients, is generous in taste, gentle on the stomach and leaves a lingering taste in the mouth.
This a hidden technique to maximise the taste of the shark fin.
Both Qiao Zizhang's and Governor Zhao's faces reveal the pleasure of enjoying the shark fin soup in this way, as they grinned in delight and closed their eyes.
The chicken broth thick gravy combines well the freshness of the shark fin. It was as if sea and the sky were combined into one dish, resulting in a salty seafood taste. The shark fin feels so light that floats from the wind, and it empties into the lungs in the shadow of the gull and the sound of the waves.
And the fragrance whiffed in a 10 miles radius.
Notes[1] For those of you who think that Sir Song Tao is a snob, he is one. But remember that in that ancient Chinese time period, education is a luxury. The majority of the population cannot read or write. Teachers and learned men are highly selective about who they teach. All the great learned men like Confucius etc are very selective about their students, not just Sir Song Tao.
Back to the modern day period, this practice still continues. In many private schools, the entrance is also very selective - only those who meet certain academic achievements may be admitted. Or there are some private schools that cater to the wealthy only. This practice is not limited to private schools. This is also true for some reputable public schools that have very high requirements.
The top-ranking public schools are highly selective, and this becomes more obvious in the higher education sector (universities). Harvard and Princeton, USA best universities, declined 15 people for each applicant they accept. And these 15 people who are rejected were among the cream of the crop. Even in Berkeley, a public university, at least one in 10 people are rejected. Same for Oxbridge in UK.
Chapter 52: Not a single centHere we go, second chapter of double disgest.
"The second way of eating is to put the strips of ham and bean sprouts into purple claypot, and let it soak in the soup gravy. Then slowly chew the ham and bean sprout. This taste is even better!" Old man Qiao was very enthusiastic, and explained.
The ham’s scent is a hard fragrant that penetrates the scent of the soup base. It is scattered around the edge of the soup base in strips.
After Qiao Zizhang tried it, he felt that after chewing, the tongue is full of aromatic flavours that combined well with one another. He chews the bean sprout next and felt that the flavour had changed somewhat. It is now crispy and cool.
It felt as if he was walking in the wilderness during springtime. The breeze is cooling and refreshing.
The fragrant taste filled his belly.
Governor Zhao also nodded as he tried old man Qiao's way of eating.
"And drink the soup the in mouth, while the shark's fin is chewed between the teeth." Old man Qiao explained and he proceeds to demonstrate.
At this moment, Old man Qiao gently and causally bite into the shark fins. It is indeed soft and flexible. They slide between the teeth, allowing one to feel the smoothness and elasticity of the shark's fin. The tip of the tongue also helps to taste the shark fin. At this moment, in slurping the shark's fin, every part of his tongue and all his taste buds are dancing and jumping with joy.
The slurping noise is just like a comfortable joyful music – it is gentle and soft, long and soft, and savoury.
Governor Zhao also sucked in the aromatic taste of the fin that wriggled through the gaps between his teeth. It is light as a feather, and easily slurped into his mouth.
He closed his eyes and his mind conjured up an image of him in paradise, by the beachside, with the gentle sea breeze providing a cooling ambience, while the sun warmed his body. He could almost hear the sun of the gentle roar of the waves by the seaside.
"The last way of maximising the taste of the shark's fin soup is to add rice!" Old man Qiao said, and immediately added some rice into the shark fin soup.
The rice was covered with the thick gravy and mixed with the shark fin. This made the rice all the more delicious.
At this time, the 3 of them begins to eat in earnest and took big bites of the rice.
In the mouth, the shark fin soup is radiating vibrancy in the mouth. It makes the taste of shark fins reach a climax!
It caused the flying angels to come back down on the ground and taste the pleasures and realities of the secular world.
At this time, as if awakening from a great dream, they stare at the empty pot where the heat is gradually disappearing.
"Oh, it is really tasty!" Qiao Zizhang finally opened his eyes, and could not help but praise.
Governor Zhao also tap his palm on the table in agreement as he praised, "The taste is indeed extraordinary!"
This is simply tasty!
Then like famished ghouls, they turned their attention to the rest of the food. The sea cucumber was devoured, and the other dishes were not spared either.
At the same time, in the dining hall on the first floor, the beggars were shouting, "Oh, it is so delicious! Manager, more please!"
Manager Lee just calmly stood in the middle of the dining area, and looked all these beggars. Then he shook his head and said, "I regret to inform you that you had already eaten all the food we have in this restaurant. I believe that everyone had their fill and enjoyed this meal. Why not leave now? I will hold you back from your job!"
The meaning of these words is clear - if you had eaten your fill, go back and beg for more food. Do not create trouble in the Drunken Immortal Restaurant. These words may be chasing them out of the restaurant, but he had the logic on his side.
After all, Drunken Immortal restaurant could not serve these beggars for free every time. It needs to make a profit.
The beggars looked at one another, and thought, “we have already gained an advantage by eating here for free. What else can we say? Of course, we should leave.”
At this moment, Governor Zhao, old man Qiao, Qiao Zizhang got down from the second floor. They looked very satisfied with their meal.
"Everyone, Governor Zhao is here. Do not forget to thank Governor Zhao for this meal!" Manager Lee noticed them and immediately directed their attention to Governor Zhao.
Old man Qiao heard Manager Lee and is pleased. Manager Lee, good job! At least I need not pay for these beggars!
Qiao Zizhang also secretly gave Manager Lee a thumbs up sign.
"Thank you Governor Zhao!"
"Governor Zhao is indeed a good official!"
All the beggars immediately thanked Governor Zhao.
But who could have guessed that old man Qiao and Qiao Zizhang celebrated their victory too early.
"Dear fellow citizens, you should not thank me for this meal. If you must thank someone, you should thank Drunken Immortal Restaurant's boss, old man Qiao! If not for his generosity in sponsoring this meal, I may have the desire to help you but is powerless to help!" Governor Zhao thick-skinnedly shoved all the cost of the meals to old man Qiao. He is miserly like a rat and refused to foot even a single cent!
"Thank you, boss Qiao, thank you, boss Qiao!" The beggars shouted.
"Boss Qiao, I also thank you for your generous contribution. In this year's [Good Merchant] awards, your Drunken Immortal restaurant is sure to get an award from the governor office! Hahaha, I will take my leave. There is no need to see me off!" Saying this, Governor Zhao strolled out of the restaurant, without paying a single dime!
Old man Qiao was so furious that he trembled with rage.
He thought that he will pay for the lavish feast and is prepared to do that. But who would have expected that bastard, Governor Zhao, to also shove the cost of the meals for these beggars unto him?
Sigh! What a tragedy!
Manager Lee looked at Governor Zhao and saw the horde of beggars leaving by the dozens. He dare not stay there with old man Qiao and immediately scuttled off to the kitchen to hide.
Manager Lee thought that old man Qiao is now in a very bad mood, it is best not to speak to him, lest he takes out on him.
In the kitchen, Wen Shouzhen and chefs are taking a well-deserved break.
It is very tiring to serve all the customers in the morning and lunch. Then they had to prepare a lavish feast for the VIP. Also, they had to cook to feed 200 beggars.
After everyone had left, they almost collapsed in exhaustion. They were deadbeat and feel wobbly. Many of them slumped onto a chair or just sit on the floor in exhaustion.
"Father! Are you all right?" Wen Rou immediately rushed up nd support her father and help him to a seat. Wen Shouzhen looked pale. His movements appear quite wobbly and drained of all energy.
Wen Shouzhen sat on a stool, and immediately drank a big bowl of tea.
Then he suddenly recalled the dish that the distinguished guest ordered, "Rou Er, had you served the distinguished guest the dishes that he had ordered?"
"Father, relax! The distinguished guest had a good time!" Wen Rou face suddenly turned cold. She was still upset and disillusioned at Sir Song Tao.
"Rou Er, what happened?" Wen Shouzhen sensed something is wrong.
"It is nothing, Father! I am also tired. I will be fine in a short while." Wen Rou immediately coughed out a white lie.
A 12-years old lass complete 2 dishes for a distinguished guest. She definitely had given it her all and more!
Wen Shouzhen felt a bit heartbroken as he looked at his pride and joy, "Rou Er, stop what you are doing. First, go to my kitchen and quickly finish the shark fin. Oh yes, there is also the sea cucumber that I left especially for you! Once you ate these, you will feel stronger and invigorated! "
"Father, let's eat together?" Wen Rou rubbed her growling belly.
"I ask you to eat, you should eat and not say so much rubbish! I, your father, had seen and eaten all kinds of delicacy and does not mind about these….." Wen Shouzhen was about to preach. Then he suddenly placed his hand over his mouth and shut up. He looked around, and to his relief, there is no one else in this room. Then he pulled Wen Rou over, and give her a bowl of shark's fin soup.
"Father…." Wen Rou was very touched as she looked at her father. She would nibble the shark's fin in small bites, and the springy sea cucumber.
For a moment, she had the vision of the sea, cool and refreshing. Her tiredness seemed to disappear, leaving the fresh taste of the seafood in her mouth.
At this time, Ren Yue took Sir Song Tao out of the Drunken Immortal restaurant to a secluded corner of Xianyang, far away from the busy merchant area.
This place is best described by a short poem:
The willow branches had withered,
the green walls shingle,
under a wooden door that was completely black,
the greenish-yellow moss grew unchecked.
"Teacher, this is the place I found for you." Ren Yue said, and pushed opened the wooden door.
Translated with love at prosperous food translations.
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