Uncle Su

It was before dawn.

The Oolong in the kennel wagged its tail twice and then collapsed.

Aunt Zhang went through the small door, saw the note in the kitchen, folded it neatly and stuffed it into her apron, then took the money and went to the market to buy vegetables.

The sky is bathed in purple light, and the rooster crows at dawn.

Sizzle.

The thick white broth was bubbling away in the iron pot. Dried Sichuan peppercorns were added to the oil in the wok, and shredded eel was stir-fried, filling the entire courtyard with a spicy aroma.

Fan Xinglai, who got up early to bathe Red Mountain, washed the withered grass in the stable and came over after smelling the strong, spicy aroma. He and Oolong leaned against the window, drooling.

"Aunt Zhang, what would you like to eat?"

"Noodle!"

What kind of noodles?

"Knife Fish Noodles, eel noodles, plus two side dishes: Spring Bamboo Shoots with Preserved Vegetables, and green beans, pickled vegetables, and fried tofu."

Fan Xinglai's stomach rumbled.

With Liang Qu not at home, the Old Monk ate mostly vegetarian food. He saved up his food allowance and there was meat at every meal, but it was never as plentiful as usual. He didn't use peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, or other spices.

"What about the soup? Isn't it made with beef bones?"

"It's for making broth. The bones, tendons, and meat are stewed for Oolong tea. A Xing, do you want some? I'll get you a piece."

After saying that, Aunt Zhang stuck a large piece of cow bone into the ground.

Oolong's ears perked up, and he turned to look at Fan Xinglai with a deep, unsettling gaze.

Fan Xinglai chuckled twice, "Never mind, never mind, Oolong isn't enough for himself."

In the courtyard.

The Liang Qu ripples with Fubo, its sharp light shimmering, its flow smooth and expressive.

I fell asleep Zi Hour midnight and woke up at dawn, feeling refreshed and full of energy, without feeling tired at all. A good night's sleep at home washed away the dust and grime of the past few days, but I was also very hungry.

I ate at a restaurant on the way yesterday at noon and haven't eaten since. The aroma of Sichuan peppercorns made my mouth water.

Putting down the Fubo in his hand, Liang Qu wiped the sweat from his brow, put on his clothes, and went to the kitchen to ask when dinner would be served.

"Master!" Aunt Zhang hurriedly explained when she saw Liang Qu, "I told you I could manage on my own, but your uncle insisted on coming to help, and I couldn't stop him."

"Uncle?"

Liang Qu was taken aback, then saw Su Guishan behind the stove helping to add firewood and start the fire, his expression strange.

Su Guishan broke off pieces of firewood and stuffed them into the stove, amused by the task. "I'm just idling around anyway, I can't just eat for free, can I?"

Aunt Zhang quickly interrupted, "Uncle is joking, how could it be just plain rice..."

Liang Qu.

Su Guishan faked his death and hid in his own home. Only a few high-ranking officials, such as Xu Yuelong, should know about it. But it's impossible for him not to show up. After all, there are three outsiders in his house: Fan Xinglai, Aunt Zhang, and Aunt Li. So that's how he addresses outsiders?

never mind.

Liang Qu thought about it and decided it didn't matter.

Anyway, Su Guishan Sudden Enlightenment when he watched the Qianshun naval battle at the age of twenty-nine, and worked hard to improve the country. Now the country has been established for more than sixty years, if not a hundred, then at least eighty. Calling him "uncle" is not a bad thing.

When will it be better?

"It will be ready soon after you finish frying this pot of eels."

"Become."

Seeing that the basin was full of mostly burnt eels, Liang Qu didn't leave. He sat at the table and waited. He had left a message last night, specifically for this fresh taste.

Once all the dishes were served, Aunt Zhang used a strainer to scald the flour and spread it out in a large bowl.

First, place shredded ginger at the bottom of a large bowl, then arrange the fried eel into strips, add a spoonful of hot broth to soften it, then add the noodles, and finally top with a layer of ribbonfish or eel shreds, and sprinkle with chopped green onions.

Fan Xinglai over to take the bowl, Oolong ran to call the Old Monk.

When everyone is present, the faces are all aligned.

The Old Monk first picked up his bowl, then started eating the noodles.

Su Guishan picked up a pair of chopsticks and stirred them a couple of times. He had never seen noodles of such thickness before. They were thinner than ordinary noodles, but thicker than Dragon Whisker.

Upon first bite, the texture is slightly unusual—chewy and easily breaks apart, which is quite strange. However, once you get used to it, it has a unique flavor that is refreshing and clean.

Especially the eel at the bottom, which has been fried until crispy, with bones and blood removed, about the thickness of a finger, and ginger shreds to remove any fishy smell. It's soaked until it's soft and tender, absorbing all the broth. One bite, and you're enveloped in its warmth, feeling fresh from head to tail.

No wonder you have to eat it while it's hot. Su Guishan has eaten a lot of good food, and this kind of noodle has a completely different texture if left for a little while. That's the refreshing feeling.

After eating a whole bowl in one go, my stomach felt warm and comfortable, and every pore on my body felt relaxed.

Su Guishan looked at Aunt Zhang and asked, "Is this way of making thin noodles and carrying vegetables unique to Huainan? I've never seen it before."

Aunt Zhang laughed and said, "It's all thanks to the master's teaching. I didn't do it well this time. Normally, you need to prepare the soup at night and simmer it for three or four hours. The master came back in a hurry last night, and I was already late when I bought the bones. I only simmered it for an hour and a half. Please bear with me, Uncle."

Su Guishan turned around in surprise. "You taught him?"

"I don't have many hobbies, but I like to cook things that I enjoy. I eat what's in season, and since knife fish and bamboo shoots are in season right now, the eel is a bit lacking. But the Lesser Heat is coming soon, so I thought I'd treat you to a special breakfast of noodles."

With the expansion of the Western Army, many foreign varieties were introduced, Da Shun cuisine was in a period of vigorous development and prosperity.

Liang Qu stands on the shoulders of giants, occasionally coming up with an idea for Aunt Zhang to put into practice.

After two years, with a sufficient supply of spices and ingredients, his skills are now on par with those of ordinary restaurant chefs, and he even surpasses them in the variety of recipes.

For this reason, Liang Qu specially increased the wages. It started at 800 wen a month, and after being questioned, it was raised to 1,500 wen a month. Now it is 2.3 liang a month, which is definitely a high income for a woman.

"Excellent!"

Faced with such delicious food, Su Guishan fell silent and began to eat with gusto.

A quarter of an hour.

Su Guishan tried all three toppings: knife fish, eel, Spring Bamboo Shoots with Preserved Vegetables, and pickled mustard greens.

I ate more than ten bowls of noodles and soup, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on my forehead. I came to a conclusion.

The bamboo shoots are refreshing, the knife fish is delicious, and the eel is satisfying!

At the bottom of the bowl, a whole, plump eel was found. After a few bites, it was half crispy and half soft, with the rich, savory broth bursting out between the crispy skin and the chewy eel meat—it was incredibly satisfying! Aunt Zhang was dumbfounded.

It's normal for the master to have a big appetite; how could a renowned Martial Master, an old man with a white beard, eat so much? But then she thought that the even more aged-looking master was no slouch either, and Aunt Zhang got used to it.

A stack of empty bowls lay on the ground, Su Guishan's face was flushed, and he exhaled a breath of hot air.

He felt comfortable after eating.

"Excellent! I've been eating fine food for decades. Not to mention Treasure Fish and meat, it's rare to find an ordinary breakfast that gives me this kind of freshness! You know how to eat! My cooks are no match for you."

The small courtyard, including the pond, was less than four acres in size, less than one-tenth the size of the Su Residence in Huaiyin. There was nothing particularly novel about it, but unexpectedly, there was such a pleasant surprise. Judging from Liang Qu's words, there were obviously quite a few recipes.

Su Guishan took out a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat. In a good mood, he pulled a small, dark blue wooden box from his waist and gently placed it on the table.

"Uncle, this..."

Liang Qu recognized that this kind of Treasure Box was generally used to store Treasure Plant.

"You've also cultivated Golden Body, haven't you? I heard from the Old Monk that it's best to have Treasure Plant with Similar Yet Dissimilar attributes to assist in cultivating Golden Body."

When I came, I looked around the manor and found a Water-Fire Vine. It was too late yesterday, so I didn't give it to you. Consider it a small gift today, and also part of the rent.

The Old Monk put his chopsticks together and placed them flat on the bowl. "This is a good piece of meat."

The implication is that it can be accepted.

Liang Qu was overjoyed.

Last night, he heard from Fat Catfish that Old Toad, who considered himself the owner of the pond, had accepted a gift from Su Guishan —a top-quality Treasure Lotus —and was thinking of how to trick him into giving it away. Little did he know that he would also receive a share.

It's no wonder my maternal uncle recognized me!