Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 311: One Spider, Four Eaters

The moon is at the zenith, in the wild hunting grounds, in the fragrant courtyard.

The stove fire flickered, steam rose from the pot, Qin Huai looked at the red spicy hot pot soup in front of him, and said to Ao Ling with a smile: "Ao Xiaoniang, we have known each other for a while. Last time, due to time constraints and haste, I was not able to see your cooking skills. Tonight is a good opportunity, how about you show off your cooking skills?"

"Master Qin, you are joking. My skills are limited and I am not qualified to be accepted by the elite. However, since tonight is a private dinner and Master Qin sincerely invites me, Ling'er naturally has no reason to refuse."

Ao Ling smiled, and with her delicate hand she pulled the [Fresh Cage] off the shoulder of Tu Mo, who was standing like a sculpture. She walked slowly to the remaining empty stove in the field and started to work.

Qin Huai turned his gaze back and focused his attention back on the hot pot soup base in front of him.

That’s right, in the short half a minute that he and Ao Ling were chatting, Shaohua had already prepared his dishes.

The spicy soup base that Shaohua brought out was also a hot pot, but different from Qinhuai's clear soup shabu-shabu, he invited everyone to taste not only the original flavor of the ingredients, but also the rich soup base prepared with his unique skills.

The hot pot in front of Qin Huai was as big as a bathtub, but the bottom layer was a little thicker, probably because of charcoal fire. The bright red soup on top was rolling up and down, like an endless red tide, which was very tempting.

The material of this big pot is also different from the stainless steel tableware commonly used in modern times. It is clay sand which is the best at keeping heat.

The dark purple, almost black casserole and the bright red soup base are clearly separated. As the bubbles burst with the sound of "gurgling", the many ingredients tumbled, and the hot and rich aroma immediately aroused Qin Huai's appetite.

"Hiss~ Such a complex spicy aroma, worthy of being the flavor seeker who specializes in the nine flavors."

Qin Huai praised it a few times, he really liked the taste that was carefully blended.

"Come, Brother Qin, try it."

Shaohua also found a place to sit down and handed over a pair of specially made long wooden chopsticks.

"No hurry, let me try the soup base first."

Qin Huai took a bowl of tender white spider meat cut as thin as a cicada's wing, and scooped a few spoonfuls of hot, bright red spicy soup and poured it on the bowl of spider meat.

"Brother Qin, the ingredients I used are very strong, be careful not to hurt your mouth if you eat like this."

Shaohua reminded from the side.

"Don't worry. As for me, I won't eat a duster if I have hair, I won't eat a bench if I have legs, I won't eat dead people if I eat big meat, and I won't eat flies if I eat small meat."

Qin Huai muttered a famous quote from a big foodie and waved his hand: "There's nothing else that these teeth can't eat."

"Brother Qin has a really good appetite."

Shaohua held it in for a long time before he finally uttered these words to express his admiration for Qin Huai.

As spoonful after spoonful of spicy red oil soup was poured directly into the bowl, the crystal clear spider meat slices gradually became bright and attractive. The strong color difference was like Xizi, who usually had no makeup on, suddenly put on makeup, giving her a different kind of charm.

After the red oil soup base completely soaked the thin slices of spider meat, Qin Huai picked up the spoon and scooped a spoonful of thick soup and tender meat directly into his mouth.

"Whew~enjoyed!"

As soon as Qin Huai took a sip of the bright red and hot spicy soup and the sweet and cool spider meat, his eyes lit up and he gave a thumbs up.

The spicy hotpot soup dyed the spider meat red, and it tasted spicy as soon as it entered the mouth, just like a piece of red-hot charcoal stuffed into the mouth, making Qin Huai couldn't help but open his mouth and take a breath of cold air.

But this only lasted for a moment. The spiciness was slowly swallowed as the food was chewed, followed by the fragrance of spider meat and seasonings. The elusive nine-flavor taste went along the esophagus into the stomach, completely igniting the entire body.

The hot spicy soup stimulated Qin Huai's body to break out in a layer of fine sweat, which was then cooled down by the icy, just-right spider meat, just like a cool summer breeze blowing on the face, making the whole body feel relaxed.

Qin Huai scooped up another spoonful and put it into his mouth. This time there was a slight difference. When the spiciness rose, there was also a numbing feeling that stimulated his tongue, making the tongue's sense slightly dulled.

Qin Huai knew that he had tasted Sichuan peppercorns. At this moment, the spicy taste rushed into his mouth, and the sweet aroma of spider meat also came to the fore. The spicy soup base not only did not steal the limelight from the ingredients, but made the light spider meat the real protagonist, as if the spicy stimulation in the beginning was all to set off the fragrance and sweetness of the spider meat.

"Nine changes, nine changes, so this is how it is."

Putting down the spoon, Qin Huai couldn't help but admire Shaohua's understanding of ingredients.

There are no rare ingredients in the hot pot soup, just some common spices such as star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and grass fruit. In addition, there are a lot of chili peppers and peppercorns, which is nothing surprising.

But why does it have such a magical effect?
"Brother Qin's tongue is really sensitive. That's right, the characteristic of this [Nine Changes Soup] is that the taste will be slightly different every time you eat it."

Shaohua thought for a moment, then pointed at the steaming soup pot in front of Qinhuai and said.

"Time and heat?"

"Well, the timing, the heat, and the different proportions of spices when you put it in your mouth."

Shaohua nodded, confirming Qinhuai's speculation, and picked up a piece of spider meat with chopsticks. He dipped it in the boiling soup and then put it into his mouth to savor it carefully.

[Tea Spider]: A magical ingredient. After taking it, it increases the resistance to toxins and metabolic rate, and improves the strength of the body.

"The meat of this [Tea Spider] can increase your resistance to all kinds of poisons. I see that you often go to the Mountain and Sea Realm, so it would be good to eat more. Come on."

Qin Huai brought over two large plates of white meat slices and placed them in front of Shaohua generously.

"Wow~ So spicy?"

Cha Xiaodao also heated up the teppanyaki table and moved it next to the large round table.

"But it doesn't smell offensive. You must be an expert."

"Thank you for your compliment, Chef Cha. From the looks of it, are you planning on frying, grilling or grilling something?"

Shaohua looked at the red-hot iron plate, put down his chopsticks, and responded proactively.

"Yeah, teppanyaki."

Cha Xiaodao had cans of oil, salt and sesame seeds tied to his waist. After pouring two plates of spider meat slices of appropriate thickness onto the sizzling iron plate, he slowly brushed the sauce with the brush in his hand.

Soon, a plate of teppanyaki meat arranged in the shape of an octopus spider was brought up by Cha Xiaodao.

"Here, eat it while it's hot. It won't taste as good if it gets cold."

"So you still have time to arrange the dishes?"

"You never tire of fine food, and you never tire of fine minced meat. Remember to pick the top of the mountain first."

Qin Huai looked at Cha Xiaodao seriously and couldn't help laughing. He picked up the chopsticks and reached for the roast meat on the plate.

The spider meat, dyed dark brown by the sauce, was piled up into a mountain, which looked very impactful in the plain white porcelain plate. A closer look revealed that each piece of spider meat was sprinkled with slightly purple and transparent onions.

Qin Huai had just picked up some spider meat from the top of the mountain with the tip of his chopsticks when suddenly, red flames rose from the entire interior of the fine porcelain plate.

zizi~
The flames burned the spider meat slices, which made a sizzling sound. As the dark brown meat slices visibly began to curl, the translucent onions on top also emitted bursts of fragrance.

"Chachu is really good at this trick."

Shaohua couldn't help being shocked when he smelled the peppery aroma in the air.

"Oh, there's also soup. This is different from the teppanyaki I've had before."

Qin Huai glanced at the red soup flowing out with the burning flames, and admired Cha Xiaodao's creativity in cooking.

Yes, as the flames burned, a bright red soup spread out from the bottom of the Spider Meat Mountain. The bright red soup was set off by the slightly curled black and brown meat slices. The tempting iron plate aroma in the air made everyone present swallow their saliva.

"This roasted giant spider can be eaten now." Cha Xiaodao also sat down, took out a cigarette and started puffing.

"Then I won't be polite."

Qin Huai nodded, picked up a piece of spider meat and put it in his mouth.

As soon as the spider meat slices left the rose-red flame, the flame above went out, and the extinguished spider meat slices exuded a more tempting burnt aroma.

"I'm here to learn some of Cha's cooking skills."

Shaohua, the youngest, swallowed his saliva and started picking up the food without hesitation.

There was flames burning in the plate, but the spider meat slices that were taken away were not, which gave a thrilling feeling of trying to pull chestnuts out of the fire.

As soon as Qin Huai took the spider meat slice into his mouth, he couldn't help but squint his eyes.

Unlike the white spider meat that was previously boiled, the meat slices used for teppanyaki are longer and thicker, and more crispy and tough.

The strong flavor of black pepper bursts out together with the aroma of sesame and onion, and the combination with the plump, tender and crispy spider meat slices directly interprets the taste of the ribs to the fullest.

Because of the flames, the spider meat slices will feel a little hot when you eat them, but it is precisely because of this heat that the spider meat slices maintain the most suitable crispness and tenderness.

After all, spider meat is relatively easy to cook, and requires a suitable temperature to keep its fresh taste, and a continuously burning low-temperature flame is the best choice.
“Isn’t this wine cheap?”

Qin Huai smelled the faint aroma of wine in the air and turned to look at Cha Xiaodao.

"How can I use ordinary wine with such good ingredients? I got a jar of Monkey Brew from the mountains before, so I just paired the good wine with the good meat, and locked the unique fruity aroma of Monkey Brew into the spider meat. How is it? Is it delicious?"

Cha Xiaodao chuckled and picked up a chopstick full of spider meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

“Very imaginative and delicious.”

Just as Qin Huai and the other two were chatting, Ding Ru also came over with a large tray.

There was nothing else on the tray except seven large papaya cups. Considering the number of people present, he obviously included Liu Gengyang who had temporarily left the table and Tuo Mo who had been guarding by his side.

"[Papaya stewed with tea spiders] was originally just a sudden idea of ​​mine, but I didn't expect that the taste of tea spiders is just as good as that of snow clam."

Ding Ru spoke in a gentle tone and smiled as he served the [Papaya Stewed with Tea Spider] to everyone one by one.

This dish [Papaya Stewed with Tea Spider] is still his best Cantonese dessert.

The yellow skin and red flesh of the Zhanjiang Lei papaya are carved into bowls, and the bottom of the milky white cloud is the tender and smooth spider meat.

Qin Huai sniffed the slightly warm and sweet milky aroma of the papaya, reached into the mist with a white porcelain spoon, scooped a spoonful and put it into his mouth.

"The fruity aroma is rich, the spider meat is sweet, and it has a very authentic Soda flavor."

Seeing Qin Huai was satisfied, Ding Ru smiled and sat down: "As long as Mr. Qin enjoys his meal."

"Aru, come and try my roasted spider dish. It will burn if you are late."

Cha Xiaodao stood up and greeted Ding Ru, signaling him to pick up his chopsticks quickly.

"Miss."

"General Tuo, you can sit down too. There's no need to be restrained."

Ao Ling's voice sounded behind him. Qin Huai turned his head and saw Tuo Mo with a dark face.

【Crocodile King】

Category: Monster

Comprehensive evaluation: Seven Palaces (Three Thousand Years of Taoism)
The youngest son of the Dragon King of Jinghe River, and also the Crocodile King who roams the rivers and lakes, has a tough personality, is secretly fierce, can call the wind and rain, and has an indestructible body. After he surrendered to the old Dragon King, he gradually became the de facto boss of Dongting Water Palace by virtue of his close kinship and the powerful strength brought by three thousand years of Taoism.

Note: Being born in the waves, it will be disastrous if it breaks away from the original flow.

"General Tuo, please."

Qin Huai was not a fool who knew nothing about the world. He immediately stood up and welcomed Tuo Mo into the guest seat.

"Thank you for your kindness, Officer Qin. I will obey the young lady's order. Then I will not be polite."

Seeing Ao Ling taking his seat, Tuo Mo bowed and sat down with his horse and sword.

"【Su Mixed Tea Rhythm】, Ling'er's humble work, I hope the hunter will appreciate it."

Ao Ling looked at Qin Huai with her beautiful eyes, as if she wanted to see through the skin and flesh to the soul and heart inside.

Qin Huai felt a little creepy when being stared at, so he immediately laughed and took the clean dishes and handed them to Ao Ling.

"Let's eat together, let's eat together. My friends are also quite good at martial arts. Don't miss it, Miss Ao."

The black ripples flashed by, and Qin Huai quickly browsed the information on the iris and was a little surprised.

【Vegetarian Tea】

Category: Consumables
Quality: Rare

The main ingredient of Wanqiu is Andrographis paniculata, and the auxiliary ingredient is spider meat. Eating it can make you immune to all poisons for a period of time and increase the strength of the three souls and seven spirits.

Note: Anything that tastes bitter is also called bitter.

The fresh green leaves and the bright white and moist spider meat mixed together look very appetizing.

But as soon as Qin Huai entered his mouth, a strong bitter taste instantly burst out on the tip of his tongue, causing him to frown. Qin Huai suppressed the bitterness that surged to the top of his head, patiently savored it carefully, and then slowly realized the true meaning of it.

"Tea smoke condenses into a thin mist, bamboo dew drips on the empty pavilion; the clearness seems to be without a trace, and the pine wind fills the four courtyards."

The [Vegetarian Tea] made by Ao Ling tastes like a tea mist rain. It is difficult to describe exactly what it tastes like.

Qin Huai only felt that he was surrounded by the fragrant Longjing tea trees, and his whole body was filled with misty clouds that moistened the earth silently. Although it was extremely bitter at first, the sweet aftertaste was long-lasting.

“After the right taste, is the true meaning?”

The same feeling emerged in everyone's mind, and then they all looked at Ao Ling at the same time. However, Ao Ling just smiled and tasted the four dishes on the table one by one.

Well, that clear soup copper pot hot pot meat also counts.

"Jiubian, Konggu, Xutuo, Wanwu, we only need one Yuhuang, and then we can have one spider and five to eat. What a pity, what a pity."

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Qin Huai looked at the hill of spider meat that had been completely eaten, and sent Cha Xiaodao, Ding Ru and Shaohua away with regret.

"Many of the sauces that the hunting officer brought out today are unheard of. In Ling'er's opinion, they are not much worse than the Jade Emperor sauce."

"It's just something I came up with by chance. Don't mention it. Don't mention it."

Qin Huai raised his hand and pulled out a wooden box. He pointed at the jade box in Tuo Mo's hand and looked at Ao Ling with a half-smile:
"Miss Ao, want to chat?"

(End of this chapter)