Squirrel Mandarin Fish
Tian Meixiu's body was indeed very weak. She wore a dark green silk cotton coat and a white scarf, making her look extra delicate. It was a little like what was described in the book. The charm of Lin Daiyu, a sick Xi Shi, attracted the attention of the two boys.
Perhaps it was because she had taken the sedative, but she was dizzy and weak. Zhang Ruilian helped her down the stairs and out of the hospital.
Zhang Ruilian was taller than Tian Meixiu by two pieces of tofu. Because she wore little clothes and was already very thin, she looked even more slender and beautiful. She moved her waist and looked delicate.
They came to a Suzhou restaurant on Suzhou Road and went up to the second floor to choose a seat by the window.
The waiter quickly served tea and a menu and asked the customer to order.
Shi Guangyao quickly asked Tian Meixiu what she wanted to eat. Tian Meixiu said,"I really don't have an appetite. You guys should order."”
Zhang Ruilian took the menu and looked at it while smiling."Today, Young Master Shi is treating us to a meal. I'll order three dishes first. Lotus Heart Soup with Rock Candy is suitable for Tian Meixiu. Shrimp with Green Conch is my favorite. Squirrel Mandarin Fish is to everyone's taste. You guys can order the rest.”
"As expected of a lady from a famous family in Suzhou. These three dishes are all famous dishes in Suzhou.”Shi Guangyao smiled. He handed the menu to Yao Shunru and said,"Please order three dishes too, Brother Shunru."”
"Although I'm from Jiangsu, I'm a complete layman when it comes to Su Gang dishes. If you insist on me ordering, I'll order a seasonal vegetable and a mixed cold dish.”Yao Shunru laughed.
Shi Guangyao said,"Give me another Beggar's Spring Chicken."”He turned to the waiter and said,"Help me pick a lighter soup that is suitable for the patient." And a bottle of Shaoxing Huadiao wine." Although he was careless, he was also meticulous and considerate.
It was dusk, and the lights were just on. Outside the window, the Suzhou Creek was hazy and the lights were flickering. The north wind caused the small boat to sway, making a sound of collision. The ropes on the mast of the big boat were blown and made a sound, transmitting a trace of desolation. In order to break the loneliness of waiting, Shi Guangyao smiled and said,"Zhang Ruilian, tell us the story of the Lotus Heart Soup with Rock Candy.”
Zhang Ruilian smiled and said," I'm not sure either. It's said that during the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period, the State of Wu and the State of Yue fought. The King of Yue, Gou Jian, was defeated and became a prisoner of the State of Wu, suffering humiliation. Later, after he was pardoned and returned to the country, he endured hardships and tasted courage, determined to make a comeback and take revenge. He appointed Fan Li as the prime minister. Fan Li used the beauty trap and offered his beloved beauty Xi Shi to the King of Wu.
Fan Li personally escorted Xi Shi to Suzhou. When the dragon boat reached the South Lake of Jiaxing, Xi Shi suddenly fell ill and was on the boat. The escort boat was temporarily anchored at the South Lake. Fan Li looked for doctors everywhere to take care of him. After staying for more than a month, Xi Shi's condition still did not improve. Fan Li was very anxious.
One morning, a small boat floated over the lake. A girl on the boat offered a few lotus seeds to Fan Li and told him that the lotus seeds could cure Xi Shi. Fan Li took the lotus seed and turned around, disappearing from the boat.
Fan Li immediately peeled the lotus seeds and gave them to Xi Shi. After eating, Xi Shi felt refreshed and her appetite improved. Fan Li was pleasantly surprised, thinking that this was the fairy who had come down to save him.
Soon, he finished eating the lotus seeds. He went to the lake to look for lotus seeds. An old man told him to boil the lotus seeds into a soup and add some rock sugar for three meals a day. It could nourish the spleen and heart, clear heat and purge fire, and help the body recover.
Fan Li followed the old man's instructions and made three meals a day for Xi Shi. As expected, Xi Shi soon recovered.
After Xi Shi went to the State of Wu, she bewitched the King of Wu with her beauty, and the State of Yue finally destroyed the State of Wu. From then on, the Lotus Heart Soup with Rock Candy became a famous delicacy in Suzhou.”
"Your father heard this beautiful legend and named you Rui Lian." Shi Guangyao smiled.”He cursed again,"This Fan Li is not a good person. He actually sent his beloved woman out to be a spy."”
"I'm doing this voluntarily to pay my respects to my motherland.”Zhang Ruilian smiled.
Yao Shunru smiled and said," It can't be considered as serving the country. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the vassals were in conflict. The land of China was torn apart and the people were plunged into misery. When would the cycle of revenge between countries end? Beautiful women should be the messengers of peace and benefit all mankind.”Tian Meixiu looked at him with admiration. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by the waiter serving the dishes.
The waiter first served two dishes, Green Conch Shrimp and Squirrel Mandarin Fish. Immediately after, he brought over the beggar's chicken, mixed cold dishes, and seasonal vegetables. This Jiangsu cuisine was indeed worthy of being one of the four major cuisines of China. It was beautiful in color, aroma, and fragrance, and was full of temptation to one's appetite.
Shi Guangyao opened the yellow wine bottle and poured wine into everyone's glass. When she arrived in front of Tian Meixiu, she stood up and said thank you. I can't drink.
Shi Guangyao said," No problem. Yellow wine can also cure diseases. Just add a little."”
"She's sick, don't force her. We'll eat the lotus heart soup with rock sugar later. Come, let's drink to Tian Meixiu's early recovery!”Zhang Ruilian said.
Everyone stood up and toasted Tian Meixiu's empty cup. Tian Meixiu thanked them shyly." I'm really grateful to everyone. I'm really happy. Thank you, everyone."”
After finishing the first glass, Shi Guangyao quickly filled everyone's glass. After drinking a glass of wine, he said excitedly,"Today, Tian Meixiu's makeup made her look like Lin Daiyu.”Tian Meixiu was so embarrassed that her face was covered in peach blossoms.
" Young Master Shi," Zhang Ruilian said with a smile," when did you see Lin Daiyu? You're not Xue Pan's reincarnation, are you?"”Everyone laughed.
At this moment, the waiter brought another big bowl of mushroom and winter bamboo shoot heart and lung soup. Zhang Ruilian urged the waiter to quickly order the lotus heart soup with rock sugar.
"Peach Blossom Flowing Water Mandarin Fish is fat. Although it's winter now, this Mandarin Fish is a delicacy all year round. Everyone, don't just joke around. Eat the food while it's hot. Tian Meixiu, you don't drink. This squirrel mandarin fish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It's sweet and sour and delicious. Try it first.”Shi Guangyao said in the tone of a master.
He saw that Tian Meixiu listened to his instructions and tasted a mouthful of squirrel mandarin fish. She praised it repeatedly and was very happy. He stood up and raised his wine glass."Come, let's toast to Tian Meixiu's early recovery again!”
Tian Meixiu thanked him immediately. After everyone sat down, Shi Guangyao volunteered,"Let me tell you the story behind the Squirrel Mandarin Fish."
Everyone must have heard of the story of Emperor Qianlong's seven expeditions to Jiangnan. One day, Emperor Qianlong came to Suzhou's Pine and Crane Pavilion for a private visit. He saw that there was only a small restaurant around the Building of Pines and Cranes. He was hungry and couldn't care less, so he walked in. He looked around and saw nothing special. He only saw a live carp on the altar. His stomach was rumbling and his saliva was flowing out.
Qianlong said to the shopkeeper,"I want to eat this fish. Hurry up and cook it." Seeing this uninvited guest, the owner did not dare to neglect him and immediately asked the chef to cook. The chef was a little troubled. He thought that this fish was originally for the gods to eat, and now he was taking it to cook for the guests. If the gods blamed him, it would be terrible.
The chef thought for a while. Only by changing the appearance of this fish could he hide from the gods? Suddenly, he found that the head of this fish was very similar to the head of a squirrel, so he had an idea. He immediately took the carp out of the bone and drew dozens of diamond-shaped patterns on one side of the fish skin. He added onions, ginger, garlic, sugar, salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, aged vinegar, sesame oil, pepper powder, and more than a dozen other condiments to marinate it for a while. Then, he pasted it with starch egg yolk, put it into the oil pan, fried it, put it into a basin, and immediately poured the pre-boiled sweet and sour marinade. When it was delivered to Emperor Qianlong, it was still squeaking like a squirrel.
Emperor Qianlong had never seen this dish before. After eating it, he was amazed and asked the chef what the name of this dish was. The chef said," This is specially cooked for you. I haven't named it yet."
Qianlong was very happy to say: called squirrel mandarin fish. Later, Qianlong told the Suzhou magistrate about it, and it spread like wildfire. After it was introduced into the folk, it was used to make mandarin fish.
Shi Guangyao's words increased everyone's appetite, and soon there was not much left in the pot of squirrel mandarin fish. While everyone was happy, Yao Shunru stood up and raised his wine glass."Come, let's toast to Tian Meixiu's early recovery again!”Tian Meixiu thanked him again.
The atmosphere was very lively. Coincidentally, the lotus heart soup with rock sugar was served on the table. Yao Shunru had yet to sit down, so she took the opportunity to scoop a small bowl of soup for Tian Meixiu and handed it to her."Taste it while it's hot." Tian Meixiu thanked him again and again.
Yao Shunru said happily," I've long heard of the origins of Suzhou's Beggar's Pheasant. Let me tell everyone and see if it's true."”
Legend had it that Monk Ji Gong was a wandering beggar who often appeared in rural areas and cities to do good deeds and save people. One day, he met an old man who was hungry and cold and sick by the roadside. In order to save his life, he stole a young chicken, dug out some mud from the field by the road, covered the chicken with a layer of mud, and wrapped it in lotus leaves. Then, he placed it on the fire to roast it. After he opened the soil that had been roasted into a shell, all the chicken feathers fell off, revealing the fresh and fragrant chicken meat.
After Ji Gong fed the chicken to the old man, the old man immediately recovered and stood up. The rest of the passers-by scrambled to taste it, saying that it was delicious. Anyone who ate this chicken would live to be a hundred years old. After this matter spread, a chef in a restaurant imitated the addition of ingredients and cooked this dish. He named it Beggar's Spring Chicken and it became a traditional dish.
Zhang Ruilian laughed." What a clever mouth. After you embellished it with such embellishment, this beggar's chicken has suddenly become an immortal delicacy."”She tore a drumstick with her chopsticks and placed it in Tian Meixiu's bowl.""Hurry up and eat this chicken leg. I guarantee that all your diseases will be cured.”
Shi Guangyao said,"The way you talk and act is as vivid as Wang Xifeng." Come, let me toast Sister Feng." Then, he raised his head and laughed.
Zhang Ruilian laughed and scolded," Xue Pan, you've gone too far. There are so many young girls in 'Dream of the Red Chamber', yet you're comparing me to Wang Xifeng." I'm not drinking your wine. I'm eating.”
The two men and two women ended the sumptuous dinner happily amidst laughter. Shi Guangyao rushed to pay the bill, and Tian Meixiu's spirit was much better than when she first came out. They returned to the ward and played bridge for more than half an hour before they parted reluctantly.
That night, Tian Meixiu was very excited. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time. After the clock turned, he suddenly felt a cold air pressing down on him. His entire body was so cold that he was trembling and had goosebumps all over his body.
In the second half of the night, the nurse checked her room and found that she had a high fever and was unconscious. It was really too much joy that led to sorrow. If you want to know what will happen next, please read the next chapter.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]