Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 371 Two dishes can be seen
The second floor of the restaurant,

at the stairs,
Zhang Jinyu smiled heartily and walked over with his soldiers.

"Haha, Mr. Zhuang is really brave. Such a family property is just for Mr. Zhuang to rest. I have little experience and have never seen such a rest."

joking,
As soon as he walked to the table, Ning Bian reached out and pulled the chair back, touched it, and then let it go.

Zhang Jinyu smiled and sat down. Mr. Zhuang had no choice but to take the teapot and refill it for himself. Then he took out a tea bowl and filled it again.

"Master Marquis, there is no need to be cautious. I only have a few people, and I am not enough to kill you with a few swords. Besides, Master Marquis must also understand that my wife is also a member of the Wang family. She can be related to her in any way. We are not outsiders."

Zhang Jinyu looked at the tea bowl. After seeing Mr. Zhuang drinking the tea, he picked it up and took a sip. The fragrance hit his face. It was indeed good tea. But he didn't know what the old man meant. Could it be the Hongmen Banquet? There are no swordsmen either.

"Lord Zhuang, you're welcome. This is the only Yunwu tea from Jinghu. Even the imperial palace can't taste it. I'm in a good mood today. I'm honored to be able to drink the new tea of ​​this year."

"Hey, Mr. Hou praised it. Yunwu tea is indeed good tea. The tea itself is the same, but the tea used to make the tea is very particular. Ordinary water loses its spirituality when used, but the taste is slightly better when used with mountain spring water. Using the water of Jinghu Lake is your duty, but using the morning dew on both sides of Jinghu Lake is the difference between heaven and earth. The Marquis can slowly taste the taste."

Zhuang Shouzhi slowly explained the artistic conception while sipping the tea.

In the early years,
After his Enke examination, he received a top-notch rating. Fortunately, the chief invigilator at that time, who is now his mentor, the cabinet minister Xiao Zien, would drink tea with his mentor and discuss current political affairs every time he went to the house.

Since then, drinking tea has become a habit and hobby. Now that I am old, I still can't forget it. Just like drinking tea, officialdom is full of knowledge.

Zhang Jinyu picked it up and looked at it. The color was round, with a light fragrance, and the tea was transparent to the bottom. It seemed to be no different. She drank it with a mouthful and it tasted delicious. Other than that, she didn’t feel any difference in the water. Isn’t morning dew just dew? Drink it. Tea is so luxurious. Just this pot of morning dew, I don’t know how many people have wasted their energy to collect it bit by bit.

"It's because Mr. Zhuang is so elegant that he actually has so much knowledge after drinking tea. I come from outside the customs and I know only a little about the Central Plains, let alone the border of Jiangnan. To drink tea, I just soak the tea leaves in boiling water and then drink it directly. After drinking it, this is the first time I have heard of this kind of tea-drinking mood, but I am ignorant and ashamed."

Zhang Jinyu sighed, poured another cup of tea, and tasted it carefully. Only Zhuang Shouzhi smiled and said nothing. He turned back to the housekeeper and ordered,
"Come here, let's start serving the food. Today, I want to have a good drink with the Marquis and ask the Marquis to taste two dishes. What do you think, Marquis?"

"Okay, I will get drunk with Mr. Zhuang today,"

Zhang Jinyu sat there, Haoyan agreed to Mr. Zhuang's invitation, and also wanted to see what the old fox was talking about. The two of them sat at the table calmly, drinking tea in silence.

Then the butler brought a dish from the back kitchen with both hands. The aroma from so far away hit his face, which made Zhang Jinyu feel greedy. He looked up and saw that the first dish the butler brought was fried tofu. It was hot. Dishes, logically speaking, shouldn’t they be served on cold dishes in the first place?
He looked over suspiciously and asked;

"Master Zhuang, what do you mean by this? The first dish is tofu. Do you and I still want to share it innocently?"

"Oh, the Marquis thought wrong. Today's banquet with the Marquis is just to treat the Marquis to a delicious meal. There is no other intention. There are many ordinary dishes in Jiangnan. I think the Marquis may be tired of them. Try a different taste. Marquis. ,please."

Mr. Zhuang stretched out his hand, pointed at the tofu on the plate and explained that no matter how hard Zhang Jinyu looked, he never realized that just one piece of tofu became a delicacy. What flew in the sky and swam in the water was not the most delicious thing in the world.

"Master Zhuang, please come too."

"it is good."

The two of them took chopsticks and slowly picked up a piece of tofu and put it in their mouths. It melted in their mouths, with a faint onion fragrance and a fresh fragrance. It was indeed extraordinary, but when they moved their mouths and chewed carefully, it was just that.

After eating a piece of tofu, Zhang Jinyu praised,
"The taste is unique and the aftertaste is long. Being able to make tofu to this level is considered a famous chef. Mr. Zhuang, who is this chef?" Mr. Zhuang did not say anything. Instead, he bowed to the butler standing beside him.
"Master Marquis, you're welcome, you're welcome. The cook is an authentic Jiangnan person, but Mr. Zhuang figured out the recipe of this dish from a book. Then he would make this dish and taste it together every time when distinguished guests come to visit."

"Oh, I am in a good mood today. May I ask how this dish is cooked differently?"

Although Zhang Jinyu praised him, he was laughing secretly in his heart. The method he learned from the book was simply ridiculous. I even took out the banknotes from the book.
The butler bowed his hands and saluted again, and said with a smile;
"Master Hou, this tofu is the white jade tofu unique to the south of the Yangtze River. After it has been purified with the water of Jinghu Lake, then peeled from both sides, cut each piece into eight small pieces, dried, heated in a pot with lard, and sprinkled with salt. After turning the flower over, add a large cup of medicinal wine, 18 large shrimps, roll it once in a small cup of autumn oil, add a pinch of sugar and roll it again, half an inch of green onion, cut into [-] sections, and then Cook the pot slowly, this is authentic food."

Zhang Jinyu listened to the mellow introduction of the butler beside him, and couldn't help but pick up another piece of tofu with chopsticks and put it into his mouth. It seemed to be more delicious, but no matter how delicious it was, it still smelled like tofu. This old fox brought He was looking at another person who was covering, and he didn't know what kind of riddle he was playing.

"Well, it is indeed delicious. However, I think that no matter how delicious it is, it is still just tofu. It never changes from its origin and the taste remains the same. Mr. Zhuang, what do you think?"

"Haha, okay, what a good Luo Yunhou, what he said is not bad at all. The main ingredient of this dish is tofu. No matter how you change it, it is still a stack of tofu money. Ordinary people can afford it. Let's go to the second dish. Please taste the dish, Lord Marquis, this dish is not barbecue, it is better than barbecue."

Mr. Zhuang was not in a hurry, clapped his hands, and the free servant brought another dish. The servant respectfully carried the plate and placed it on the table. Zhang Jinyu glanced at it and saw a stack of golden meat slices, and Spring onions and a bowl of sauce, isn't this the way Blue Star eats roast duck? Zhang Jinyu asked calmly;

"Master Zhuang, what's the point of this dish?"

Mr. Zhuang stretched out his hand and made a gesture of invitation, then picked up the chopsticks, picked up the green onions and meat together, dipped it in the sauce, then took it in one mouthful and swallowed it with his mouth full, as if he had ascended to immortality.

The butler next to him immediately filled a glass of water for his master, turned around and continued to introduce;
"Master Marquis, please try it. This is made of venison. Take a large piece of meat from the right side of the sika deer's thigh and burn it one layer over a wood fire. Scrape one layer with a knife. Wash while scraping to remove all the unclean things. , boil and soak with water from Jinghu Lake, take it out, soak the sesame again with secret spices and sake, steam it in a steamer until it is eight-mature, take it out to dry, and apply a layer of vinegar on the skin of the meat when knocking, and spread it evenly. Then fry it in a pan until golden, take it out, and finally add Jiangnan’s sweet noodle sauce and chopped green onions. The taste is unparalleled.”

It is delicious, especially the venison is chewy, crispy and delicious. It is a good dish. Even ordinary wealthy people cannot afford to eat this pile of venison often.
"It is indeed extraordinary. This dish is indeed of a high quality. Mr. Zhuang has really put his heart into it. A plate of tofu and a stack of venison are completely different from one place to another. What does Mr. Zhuang want to do today?"

Zhang Jinyu put down her chopsticks and looked at the two plates of dishes and asked meaningfully. Mr. Zhuang seemed to have waited for the time, and sat forward a little.
"Master Marquis, you have gained a lot from your trip to the south of the Yangtze River, and you have gained a lot of money. You took over the Su family in Jinling City, and raided the Bao family in Suzhou, not to mention Yangzhou. As far as I know, where are you? They killed so many people, they even dug up three feet of the ground when they ransacked their homes, and ransacked Yangzhou all over. Is the Marquis really short of money outside the customs?"

"Oh? I didn't expect Mr. Zhuang to know everything about me. He has taken some money. Who would think it's too much money? As for the outside of the customs, Mr. Zhuang doesn't need to worry about it."

Zhang Jinyu squinted and looked over. Could it be that the old boy in front of him was interested in the money or mentioned it outside the customs, but he noticed something.

"Hey, the Marquis misunderstood. That money is not worth mentioning. If the Marquis takes it, it will be regarded as their blessing. I just want to ask the Marquis. It is bitter cold outside the customs. Although the land is vast and rich, the taxes collected by the Marquis are not necessarily How much, so I want to give the Marquis more money and do business with him. By then, the money will be just a fraction. Just like these two dishes, they are out of reach for ordinary people, but for some people they are just ordinary. Just snacks.”

Zhuang Shouzhi tapped the table with his hand as he spoke, as if calculating that Marquis Luo Yun would definitely agree to this matter. This month, Guanwai will purchase a large amount of supplies from all over the south of the Yangtze River and ship them to the north. There is also Wang Shuirong of Beijing, and the Zhen family's ship is also The ships were shipped to the border, and the people under my command recorded the freight from various places every day.

Therefore, there are only two powerful families in the North. It's just that Wang Shuirong of Beijing has the Zhen family. How can there be room for others? Therefore, today, when talking to Luo Yunhou, he will definitely agree.

"What Mr. Zhuang said has touched my heart. It is bitterly cold outside the Pass, foreign tribes invade frequently, and the land is vast and sparsely populated. However, the Northland is rich in products. Not to mention other things, there are countless ginseng, deer antler, rare medicinal materials, and furs. It has only been for many years. There are frequent wars, corrupt officials are rampant, there is almost no balance in tax revenue, and even the salaries of officials are unsustainable. May I ask how you can teach me, and where does the money come from? "

Zhang Jinyu stared closely into Zhuang Shouzhi's eyes, but she was actually interested. If she could increase the amount of money she paid for taxation, she could try any business or method. As long as those outside the customs could make up for this, there would be no control within the customs. , then his wings will really be full-fledged, just like Xiwang Gongzawa, there is nothing he can do if he listens to the tune but not Xuan.

Mr. Zhuang smiled, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile;

"Master Marquis, don't be anxious. Good things don't have to take a long time. Master Marquis needs to give me a sure word. If it really works, Master Marquis, you can't live alone. You are an old man without talent. You want to directly invest in a partnership."

(End of this chapter)