bestfiction Chapter 10 Fragrance
Chapter 10 Fragrance
Although the boss wasn't one to take things too seriously, it would be truly infuriating not to teach these youngsters a lesson. He wasn't in a hurry; he'd let her try her hand in the kitchen first. If she messed things up, she'd naturally back down. So, the boss took Gu Changfeng and Ye Qingchen to the kitchen.
The kitchen was well-stocked with a wide variety of ingredients, including chicken, duck, fish, meat, and all sorts of vegetables. Ye Qingchen figured that if he wanted to be convinced, he had to cook the same dishes as Ye Qingchen, so he started making braised pork, eggplant with minced garlic, and tofu with minced meat.
He picked out a piece of pork belly with three layers of fat and lean meat, rubbed the skin repeatedly in the hot pan to remove any remaining pig hair, and then cut the meat, skin and all, into one-inch chunks. There wasn't time to soak it in cold water to remove the blood, so he just blanched the chunks. Then he heated oil in a wok and stir-fried the pork belly until it was almost cooked. The owner didn't think much of this; meat needs to be simmered over low heat to become tender. He thought that stir-frying it over high heat wouldn't make it taste good. Then he watched as Ye Qingchen continued to stir-fry, adding more and more oil to the wok, until the fat on the pork chunks gradually thinned, indicating it was almost cooked.
At this moment, Ye Qingchen took out the meat chunks and began to stir-fry scallions, ginger, star anise, fennel, bay leaves, chili peppers, cilantro, carrots, and onions. After stir-frying the seasonings until they were almost dry, she removed the seasonings and drained the oil, leaving only the bottom oil to stir-fry the rock sugar. When the rock sugar gradually turned red and had a caramelized aroma, she poured in the pork that had just been blanched, ensuring that each piece of pork was coated with the caramelized sugar. Then she poured in boiling water, found a small piece of clean gauze, wrapped the previously stir-fried seasonings inside, threw it into the pot, covered it, and asked the cook to remove some of the firewood.
Next, she cut the eggplant into angular, diagonal pieces, then steamed them. Without paying attention to them, she started using another pot, pouring a little of the oil she had just prepared into it. She then added the minced meat chopped by the chefs and stir-fried it. When the minced meat was almost cooked, she added soy sauce and salt to taste. She then sliced the tofu into thin pieces, placed the minced meat on top, and steamed it. Afterward, she took out the steamed eggplant, drained the water, and started stir-frying it. She added soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, salt, and sesame oil to taste, then added minced garlic and scallions, stir-fried it, and served it.
The aroma filled the air, but out of politeness, the owner continued to wait. Besides the owner, the chef, and the waiter from before, the kitchen was now filled with a crowd of onlookers, all eager to see what was happening. They hadn't expected such a wonderful smell. Next, the minced meat and tofu were steamed. The tofu perfectly absorbed the meat's flavor, looking tender and delicious without falling apart. Ye Qingchen then added a few scallions, sizzling them in oil, and the aroma instantly spread outside. The meat was almost cooked through. Ye Qingchen had asked the chef to boil some small eggs, which she then fried in oil until wrinkled, before adding them to the pot to simmer. She added soy sauce and salt, and after a few more minutes, the dishes were ready. Once Ye Qingchen had finished these three dishes, they were completely ready, and even the restaurant owner was tempted. He knew it wasn't the right time to reprimand the two children. Seeing so many onlookers eager to try the food, he simply had it brought to the front of the restaurant, prepared plenty of chopsticks, and shared it with the other diners. He found the taste even better, as if it were made by a royal chef. Only Gu Changfeng knew that even the royal chef's dishes couldn't taste this good. The diners quickly emptied their plates, one after another, before the restaurant owner realized the extraordinary nature of these three dishes. The young girl had just prepared them in front of them. He looked at the chefs, as if to say, "Have you learned how to make them?" The chefs all lowered their heads. So the owner could only say to Ye Qingchen and Gu Changfeng, "Gentlemen, would you please move to the back courtyard to talk?" Then the three of them went to the back courtyard.
The maidservant served tea to the two young men, and the owner began to introduce himself: "Young friends, my surname is Du. It is an honor to meet you both today. I wonder if you might be willing to sell me the secret recipes for these three dishes?" Gu Changfeng naturally remained silent; he didn't know the recipes either. Ye Qingchen said, "Selling them is unnecessary. I can teach you, but I have conditions." Seeing a glimmer of hope, Mr. Du quickly asked, "What are the conditions?" Ye Qingchen said, "It's said that the profit margin for restaurants is high, and the larger the scale, the higher the profit. Your profit margin is at least 40%. I can teach you the recipes, but for every dish I teach you, I will take 10% of the price for every serving sold. Is that too much to ask?"
Boss Du noticed that the young girl, though young, was quite shrewd. However, he reasoned that they couldn't just sell these few dishes; only the improved versions would generate profit, and the prices would inevitably rise since the ingredients remained the same. He figured it wouldn't be a loss, so he agreed. Ye Qingchen then asked for paper and pen, and had Gu Changfeng write two contracts, the contents of which were dictated by Ye Qingchen. Gu Changfeng was surprised as he wrote; his young wife was no ordinary person. Ye Qingchen hadn't seen many characters in this era, and she worried that people wouldn't recognize her writing. However, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Gu Changfeng's handwriting; it was just ordinary traditional characters, which she recognized. Gu Changfeng's handwriting was beautiful, strong and powerful, unlike his seemingly weak appearance. Moreover, her calligraphy was quite good, so she could write like that in the future. Boss Du, having also heard the contents of the agreement, thought these two children were extraordinary and intended to cultivate a good relationship. Therefore, he signed the contract directly, and Ye Qingchen also signed it. Gu Changfeng was impressed; his young wife not only could write, but her handwriting was also very free and unrestrained. Just kidding, her calligraphy combines the strengths of Zhao Mengfu, Wang Xizhi, and Wang Xianzhi, resulting in a natural and unrestrained style.
Two contracts were handed out, one to each person. They chatted happily for a few moments, and then Ye Qingchen began to meticulously teach the chefs how to cook, while Gu Changfeng stayed with her. After a short while, Ye Qingchen had taught the chefs five dishes, including the three they had just learned, plus two cold dishes. Then the two of them left.
The chefs introduced new dishes, which quickly spread throughout the town. Everyone flocked to try these five dishes, and in just one day, they sold over 800 taels of silver! Later, gentry and wealthy people from other towns in the city also came to dine. In no time, Lexiangju became famous.
Gu Changfeng and Ye Qingchen left Lexiangju together. Gu Changfeng took Ye Qingchen to a clothing shop and a jewelry store. After changing into a fine garment, Ye Qingchen instantly looked elegant and beautiful. Ye Qingchen didn't refuse Gu Changfeng's kindness, but she only picked out one outfit, as wearing too much in her thatched hut wouldn't make much sense. Looking at the clothing store owner's limited selection of clothes, lacking originality, she asked him to draw some designs. She quickly sketched three, and the owner's eyes lit up. He wanted Ye Qingchen to design a few outfits for him occasionally, so he promised to give her 10% of the selling price for every item sold. This time, Gu Changfeng didn't need Ye Qingchen to tell him how to write a contract; he drafted it for her, awaiting only their signatures. Ye Qingchen also suggested a name for the clothing store: Ni Chang Ge (Rainbow Pavilion). She wrote the name herself, conveying a free-spirited, natural, and refined elegance. The owner didn't charge her for her outfit.