It turned out that the guests from the town all knew each other. Xu Ming met Doctor Ji through his travels, knew Liang Yuanwai through chartering a boat, and met Old Master Qu because of ice. These connections brought them closer to Miao He and Yang Dalang, who grew vegetables. Fate, it seems, works in mysterious ways.
Seeing this, Miao Ping and the others couldn’t help but admire Yang Dalang and Miao He’s ease in handling the situation. Villagers, who mostly farmed for generations, rarely interacted with anyone beyond small traders. Initially, they felt somewhat awkward in their conversations.
However, the spiced peanuts on the table soon bridged the gap.
The well-dressed young master kept popping peanuts into his mouth as if he had never tasted anything so good. It made the villagers realize that these wealthy folks were not that different from them. But these peanuts… why were they so big and delicious? They couldn’t stop eating them!
At Li Ming’s table, things were even more relaxed. Fatty insisted on coming and knew his way around. He even went to the kitchen to get a bowl of rice from Aunt Yang and happily ate it with peanuts.
Manager Jin, on the other hand, was more reserved, trying different ways to ask, “He Ge’er, these peanuts are excellent. If we sell them at the teahouse, they would surely be a hit. The better the business, the more you and Dalan will earn by year-end.”
Miao He had a prepared response, “We thought of that too. But Dalan found a small patch of these peanuts in the mountains. They grew naturally and are special. We saved some seeds and planted them in the backyard. We should have a harvest in about a month. It might not be as good, but if it’s close to seventy percent of this, we’ll bring some to the teahouse for you to try.”
Manager Jin’s eyes lit up, “Good, good! That’s excellent.”
Old Master Qu, who had been examining a peanut, spoke up, “Indeed. Thumb-sized peanuts are rare. Even if they are only seventy percent as good, they would be excellent for oil extraction. He Ge’er, if you can grow enough, send a batch to Manager Jin first. I’ll have someone test it.”
Involving oil production opened up another profitable avenue. Manager Jin agreed solemnly.
As for Xu Ming, he focused solely on eating. His family dealt in wine and tea, with limited involvement in food and oil.
However, as a royal merchant with special privileges, he could submit offerings to the palace thrice a year. If accepted, it would open up new business opportunities and revenue streams. If offerings were rejected for three consecutive years, it indicated poor judgment, and while they could continue existing supplies, new submission opportunities would be revoked. Hence, royal merchants were highly sought after.
Seeing the town’s prominent figures being so friendly with the village couple, Xu Ming wasn’t foolish. He needed their help and behaved accordingly, staying quiet and polite.
He soon realized that no matter how many peanuts he ate, Miao He kept replenishing them without hesitation. His eyes gleamed, and he sped up his eating. Fatty, likely his eating rival, was eating just as much.
Miao He, more familiar with Fatty, couldn’t help but warn him, “Fatty, if you eat so much now, you won’t have room for the main course later. Don’t cry about it.”
Fatty paused his rice-eating and asked directly, “Is there meat?”
“Of course there is! It’s just about to be served!” Miao He laughed and pulled Yang Dalang towards the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Yang Dalang hesitated, saying that Miao He’s family hadn’t arrived yet. Miao He had almost forgotten about them, but seeing that they hadn’t come by now, it seemed unlikely they would. Being late by half an hour was not customary for such an invitation.
“No need to wait, let’s start on time,” Miao He shook his head.
Yang Dalang’s earlier suppressed emotions resurfaced.
Miao He couldn’t help but touch him, “If my family doesn’t come, will you blame me?”
Yang Dalang frowned, “Of course not.”
“Then what difference does it make if they come or not? Didn’t we say that those who should come will come,” Miao He smiled.
Yang Dalang remained silent for a moment, then patted Miao He’s head, “I have you.”
Miao He understood the meaning and smiled, showing two dimples.
“Got it.”
Afterwards, Miao He cheerfully urged Yang Dalang to bring over the basket-sized baked mud balls, which had been pre-cooked. When everyone saw these large mud balls, whether they were villagers or town guests, they were all curious and gathered around. With only about sixty percent of the invited guests present, the scene inadvertently turned into a grand unveiling.
Everyone watched as Yang Dalang picked a mud ball, lightly struck it with his fist, and the dried mud ball immediately cracked open! A rich aroma wafted out! As he peeled away the outer layer, inside was a chicken wrapped in lotus leaves, glistening with oil.
Since it looked black and unappetizing, Miao He worried people might not dare to eat it. So he took a clean plate and began to explain while demonstrating. He carefully opened the steaming hot lotus leaf with chopsticks, revealing the golden, tender beggar’s chicken inside.
Even the usually timid black cat poked its head out, attracted by the smell.
Miao He then gently sliced the chicken with chopsticks, causing the golden juices to flow out, and the tender chicken meat easily separated from the bones. The cavity was filled with potatoes and vegetables soaked in rich meat juices. The aroma of both meat and vegetables filled the air, making everyone’s stomachs rumble in anticipation.
“This dish is called Beggar’s Chicken. It’s unique because it doesn’t require a pot or pan. The chicken is baked in the high heat of the mud, which locks in the juices and flavors, keeping the meat tender and allowing the vegetables and seasonings to be fully infused. Dalan will help break open the mud balls for everyone–“
“Never mind, I’ll do it myself!!” Fatty sprang forward, grabbing a mud ball and returning to his table.
With Fatty taking the lead, others followed suit, feeling it was more fun and quicker to handle it themselves. They went to the basket, took a mud ball back to their tables, and started working on it. When the first bite of chicken was taken, the table fell silent as everyone savored the deliciousness.
The feast continued with four cold dishes: vinegar-pickled radish, plum-pickled tomatoes, ice-cut onions, and garlic cucumber salad, along with bowls of rice, making for a perfect farmhouse-style meal.
The chickens used were wild ones caught by Yang Dalang in the mountains, large and robust, fed with vegetables grown from the miraculous soil for a while. One whole chicken per table, along with the stuffing, was more than enough.
But it turned out, it wasn’t enough for the guests’ unexpectedly good appetites!
Soon, all the chicken and stuffed vegetables were gone. Those who turned to the cold dishes found them equally delicious, quickly finishing those too.
Not long after the meal started, most of the tables were cleared! Even Big White, who usually ate vegetarian food (?), asked Miao He for two plates of chicken! Miao He began to worry, thinking the dishes might have been too simple. There were more mud balls left, but serving the same dish twice seemed impolite…
As he was pondering this, Fatty came over again. “He Ge’er, can I have another one? The chicken is really good.”
Miao He said “yes,” and representatives from other tables immediately got up and took mud balls!
Unexpectedly, the first to grab a mud ball from the most prestigious table was Young Master Xu. His eyes shone as he quickly picked the largest one and happily returned to his table for a second round.
Ah, such soft potatoes soaked in chicken juice, crispy chicken skin, and tender chicken meat, an unbeatable combination…
The sweet, tender onions without a hint of sharpness, and the soft, sweet chestnuts must be eaten several more…
And a bite of spicy cucumber salad with rice, followed by a crisp, sweet radish to cut the grease…
Even the sweet mung bean soup for dessert, he wanted another bowl!
Everything was so delicious!
Had he been wrong in saying he only came for the plums?
As Young Master Xu reflected on this with his empty bowl, Miao Ping and the others were more straightforward in their comments.
“I never thought He Ge’er could cook so well!! Today’s meal was such a treat!!”
“Dalan, you’re too much!! You never mentioned this before! Were you afraid we’d come over every day to eat? For hiding this, we’ll come back tomorrow with Dahai!!”
“Hey, you said it right! I’ll come too!! But we won’t eat for free, Dalan, your mountain slope isn’t done yet, right? For He Ge’er’s cooking, we’ll help out!!”
“Exactly! If I can eat like this every day, I’ll work as a laborer without pay!!”
“Yeah, the chicken is really good!! Can we make it at home?”
It was Ji Guang, the youngest and most innocent, who asked this. Manager Jin and Xu Ming were both stunned.
Miao He replied with a smile, “Of course, it’s simple. You can use any seasoning for the stuffing, just make sure to wet the lotus leaves before wrapping the chicken. Then, mix yellow mud with water to form the mud ball, bake it until the outer layer cracks, and it’s done.”
Manager Jin struggled for a moment before asking, “So, if the teahouse wanted to serve this Beggar’s Chicken, could we…?”
Miao He nodded without hesitation, “No problem. The teahouse’s seasoning will definitely be better than mine.”
Manager Jin was overjoyed, but Old Master Qu’s sharp gaze showed dissatisfaction with taking advantage of Miao He. Yang Dalang, however, seemed to have an idea and said to Old Master Qu, “Old Master Qu, may I speak with you privately?”
Old Master Qu paused and then nodded, walking away with Yang Dalang. Miao He was puzzled. What could be so important that Yang Dalang hadn’t mentioned it before?
But with so many guests to entertain, Miao He didn’t have time to dwell on it. After the meal, it was time to tour the new house. Li Ming, who was proud of his work, immediately began enthusiastically explaining everything. The villagers were impressed, and even Manager Jin and Liang Yuanwai showed admiration. Yang Datong’s furniture also received praise.
During this time, guests who came prepared began presenting their gifts.
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! ?~(????)
D-day 9 !! ?o?.(??? ??)
You can also give me your suggestions for my next project (September). I’ll be happy to work on it ?
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