Third Mistress swallowed.
"If I'd known Lin Zhen could make such authentic vinegar-braised fish, I wouldn't have forgotten to ask him to help last time."
Yan Bugui said, "Forget it. If something that fragrant were served at a banquet, wouldn't the neighbors eat every last bit? How could there be even a scrap left?"
"Mm, true. Hurry up and sleep. The longer we stay awake, the hungrier we'll get."
Yan Jiecheng and Yu Li, the couple from another household in the front courtyard, couldn't sleep either.
Yu Li said, "Hey, Jiecheng, how is Lin Zhen so amazing? This crucian carp is ten times, a hundred times better than Mom's!"
Yan Jiecheng said, "It's already good enough that Mom lets us eat the fish she makes. Stop being picky."
Yu Li said unhappily, "Look at your lack of ambition. Once you're married, you should split from the family. Do you think your parents are worried you won't have enough to eat? They're after that little bit of salary you earn!"
Yan Jiecheng sighed. "Sigh! If I really didn't hand over my salary, it might not even be enough to feed the two of us. Right now, you keep your own salary, and we only turn in mine. The two of us get to eat with the family. It's a good deal!"
"Hmph! You really know how to calculate. You learned it all from your father—he pulls out that abacus every day after dinner!"
Yu Li angrily pulled the blanket over her head and turned inward to sleep, but after lying there for a while, she still couldn't fall asleep.
"Jiecheng, go shut the window tight. The smell of that vinegar-braised fish is keeping people awake, and I wasn't even full tonight!"
Yan Jiecheng got up and felt the window. "It's already shut tight. Just bear with it. You'll be fine once you fall asleep."
Yu Li sighed helplessly.
If I'd known Lin Zhen would live this well, I wouldn't have married into the stingy Yan family.
Sigh, how could Lou Xiao'e be so lucky!
First Aunt in the middle courtyard sniffed the air. "Old Yi, I heard Lin Zhen beat Silly Zhu in a stir-fried cabbage contest and won himself an apprentice. Looks like it's true. Smell that—it's so fragrant!"
Yi Zhonghai was deeply resentful.
Lin Zhen, you brat, cooking something so fragrant in the middle of the night is downright inconsiderate!
If you keep the fire going all night, how are people supposed to sleep?
Silly Zhu smelled the aroma and began calculating in his heart.
There was white cardamom. Mm, and genuine amomum villosum too.
The angelica root had been soaked in liquor.
Eh? Why was there also a hint of black locust blossom?
That was it! He'd brushed it with black locust blossom honey!
No, tomorrow, even if I have to shamelessly beg, I have to go steal his skills.
He Yushui looked forward to the future. "It'd be wonderful to marry a husband who can cook and dotes on you. I need to find someone who knows how to cherish people!"
The Jia family, however, was in an entirely different mood.
Jia Zhangshi swallowed her saliva as she muttered curses. "Showing off like that, with rotten intentions. Tempting people in the middle of the night!"
Bang Geng said, "Grandmother, I want some!"
Jia Zhangshi said, "If you want some, have your Silly Uncle take you to that Lin fellow's house and see if he'll give you any!"
But Jia Dongxu suddenly roared from the inner room, "Even if we starve to death, no one is allowed to eat anything from the Lin family!"
Bang Geng was so frightened that he didn't dare make another sound.
Qin Huairu persuaded him, "Just soothe the child when he fusses. Don't yell at him."
"Hmph! Shut up!" Jia Dongxu snapped, though his heart was filled with bitterness.
He had heard that a few days ago, Lin Zhen had taken his family of six to the lakeside, along with Third Master.
He himself had once found time to go fishing too, but now, it seemed he would never have another chance.
Just thinking about how wonderful it would be to run freely by the lake, while he now ate, drank, relieved himself, and slept all in bed, no different from a useless cripple.
The more he thought about freedom, the more he hated the outcome of his paralysis.
Not only was his temper getting worse and worse, his body was deteriorating by the day.
In the back courtyard, the Deaf Old Lady pursed her lips, unable to understand why kind-hearted Lou Xiao'e no longer came to the back courtyard.
She used to often bring the children and deliver some food, but now only her four sons occasionally ran over to the back courtyard to play.
Sigh, Lin Zhen must have taught her that. That brat was up to no good.
Qin Jingru said enviously, "Lin Zhen's cooking is so good. Lou Xiao'e never has to worry about food."
Xu Damao said disdainfully, "If we have money, we can eat well too. We haven't been lacking good food lately. Once you're pregnant, I'll take you out for good meals every day."
"Mm! You're so good to me!"
"Don't talk about that. Any signs yet?"
Qin Jingru curled her lips. "It's only been a few days. What signs could there be? You're the one who'd better not let me down."
Xu Damao said disdainfully, "Me? Hmph! How could I possibly let you down? Let's keep going!"
In another household, Second Aunt kicked Liu Haizhong. "Old Liu, are you asleep?"
Liu Haizhong muttered, "With that smell drifting into my nose in the middle of the night, who could sleep?"
"Then don't you think Lin Zhen's a genius? He can do anything."
"Stop! Don't mention him. Wasn't my last fall humiliating enough?"
Early the next morning, just as Lin Zhen lifted the lid off the pot, Silly Zhu arrived with a cheerful grin.
"Chef Lin—hey, you're a divine chef, I'm telling you. That smell kept me awake all night."
"Want to try one?"
"Sure. I came here to sample it."
Lin Zhen used a spatula to take out the fish one by one and arrange them.
After filling a basin, he filled a large bowl as well.
"I know everyone in the courtyard must have suffered last night. Silly Zhu, take this bowl of fish and share it around, so no one says I'm stingy."
Silly Zhu smiled. "Hey! Who would've thought? You're this generous?"
"How can you talk like that? It's not as if everyone living in the front courtyard is stingy. Whenever there's a wedding or funeral in the courtyard, when have I not taken the biggest share?"
"Haha, true. Who told you to earn the most? But I have to taste it first."
Silly Zhu picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
In an instant, he felt as though he were strolling by a lake in spring.
The blend of vinegar fragrance and fish aroma had reached perfection. The crucian carp, air-dried for three days, was unbelievably fresh, as though it had just been caught from the lake.
The whole fish remained intact without falling apart, yet the flesh was springy and the bones and spines had softened in the braise. One bite left a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth, with a rich, mellow flavor.
This technique had already far surpassed anything Silly Zhu could master.
"It's so delicious. How did you make it?"
"Want to learn?"
"Yes!"
"Bow down!"
"Master above! Your disciple, He Yuzhu, pays his respects!"
As Silly Zhu spoke, he gave a bow. Lin Zhen laughed and cursed, "You want to learn without kowtowing? That's stealing a master's skills. At most, you can be a nominal disciple."
"Eh, being nominal is fine. Teach me the tricks to this vinegar-braised fish. Once I truly learn it, it won't be too late to kowtow to you again."
"Hahaha, fine. When Ma Hua comes to pay me New Year's respects, I'll teach the two of you together."
"Don't! Wouldn't that mess everything up? Ma Hua will still be learning from me in the future. Am I supposed to be his senior brother or his acting master?"
"Whatever you two want. Hurry up and distribute the fish!"
Lin Zhen knew that the vinegar-braised fish he had simmered all night must have tormented the entire courtyard.
Tomorrow was New Year's Eve. He didn't want to stir up resentment, so he set aside a large bowl of braised fish and had Silly Zhu help distribute it.
After leaving the house, Silly Zhu first gave Yan Bugui one fish.
Yan Bugui said, "Hey, Silly Zhu? There are two families in our household. Yan Jiecheng has his own family now too!"
Silly Zhu said impatiently, "Shut up, Third Master. Yan Jiecheng hasn't split from the family. He eats from the same pot as you."
When he reached the middle courtyard, Silly Zhu first delivered some to the Jia family. "Sister Qin, Lin Zhen simmered vinegar-braised fish all night and specifically had me bring it over. I'll take one fish to the Deaf Old Lady, and this whole big bowl is for your family."
He had thought Qin Huairu would be happy, but Jia Dongxu suddenly roared from the inner room, "Silly Zhu! Explain this clearly. Did that Lin fellow specifically tell you to bring it to us?"
"Huh?!!! Th-this... hey! How did I forget about that god in the inner room!"
Thank you, friends, for your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Thank you for your quiet support. This new book is still in its growth stage; thunder and rain alike are blessings. I'll do my best to write a work that satisfies everyone. Please forgive any shortcomings in my writing, and thank you all for your support!
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