Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 100: Where's the shrimp oil?!
sixty?

To be honest, Bai Lianqi was indeed tempted.

With these sixty silver dollars, he could live a carefree life for a while.

But he had some doubts; he felt the painting could have sold for a higher price.

"The wontons are here!" The boss's shout choked Bai Lianqi, who had been hesitant to speak, with words stuck in his throat.

Cao Wei Da took the initiative to greet him, "Come on, Master Bai, have some."

"Okay, sure." Looking at the wontons in front of him and smelling the aroma of wheat, Bai Lianqi, who had only eaten a cornbread in the morning and whose stomach was now empty, was instantly tempted. He didn't care about drawing anymore and just wanted to fill his stomach first.

It must be said that these Manchu bannermen were all very particular about money.

A bowl of ordinary wontons made Bai Lianqi feel like he was eating Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

The slow, deliberate movements, the look of pure bliss after each bite—even Cao Weida found it difficult to watch.

Before they'd even taken a few bites, Bai Lianqi had already started criticizing it.
"The soup base of these wontons looks like it hasn't been carefully prepared. You know, wontons are simple, but there's a lot to it when you make them well."

"You can tell from the taste that these wontons were boiled in plain water, so the flavor is greatly diminished."

Cao Wei Da flattered him with great interest: "No wonder you come from a high-class family. I come from a poor family and only know how to fill my stomach. You are an expert at eating ginseng fruit with Pigsy. Please do me a favor and give me some pointers."

Before he transmigrated, he was just an ordinary person who ate mostly simple home-cooked meals every day. He had neither the time nor the energy to enjoy those elaborate dishes.

Now that I've traveled through time and have a little money, shouldn't I be able to enjoy myself a bit?

After all, if we don't enjoy it now, it will be difficult to enjoy it after liberation.

But if you let him enjoy it, he really doesn't know how to enjoy it.

The only way to get there was to go to a famous restaurant in Beiping and eat your fill.

Now that he has met an expert, he naturally has to humbly learn from them.

"Master Cao, I'm not bragging, but when it comes to other things, I, Bai Lianqi, have nothing to say. But when it comes to food, I have to tell you all about it." Speaking of his expertise, Bai Lianqi was incredibly eager and enthusiastic, speaking at length:
"Let's make these wontons. Anyone can make them, and anyone's wontons are edible. But if you want to make them properly, that's a different story."

These wontons must be cooked in chicken broth or pork bone broth, not plain water, to bring out their fresh flavor!
When it's almost done cooking, if you can add a spoonful of cooked lard, hey, that's the real deal!
And then there's the seasoning: cilantro, preserved mustard greens, seaweed, dried shrimp, shrimp oil, and pepper—you can't leave any of them out. After putting it in a bowl, add a couple of drops of soy sauce and vinegar, and the flavor is simply divine!

"Wow, I never knew there were so many intricacies involved in making a bowl of wontons! I've really learned something new." Cao Weida couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
"Boss, boss! Come here for a second."

"Coming, coming, Mr. Cao, is there anything I haven't done well enough for you? If there's anything I haven't done to your liking, please don't hesitate to ask." Hearing the call, the boss hurriedly put down his work and ran over.

Their familiar and respectful manner suggested they were acquaintances.

Bai Lianqi's eyes darted around, and he whispered to Dezi beside him, "This Master Cao seems quite familiar."

Dezi whispered in his ear, "Master, I didn't have a chance to tell you earlier, but this Master Cao is not only kind-looking, he is also kind-hearted. He never bullies us small merchants."

Near our overpass, everyone who does business knows Master Cao. Ever since he came, life has been much better for us small vendors.

"Oh? It seems I'm quite ignorant."

Cao Weida ignored their whispers and pointed his chin at the wontons, "Why aren't these wontons made with chicken or pork bone broth?"

"Huh?" The boss was stunned for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "Master Cao, please spare me. I would like to use it, but I don't have any."

"You know how strict the Japanese are with food control; you can't buy chicken or ribs at all right now."

"Putting everything else aside, take this flour for example. I bought it from the black market at a high price. It's only because of you that I would use pure white flour. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't be willing to use pure white flour."

"Besides, I'm not afraid to tell you, even if I could buy it, I couldn't afford it. The people who come here to eat wontons are all poor people. If we added chicken or pork bone broth, the price would be much higher."

That's true, he forgot about that.

"Where's the shrimp oil? I didn't see any shrimp oil. Experts say that wontons taste better with shrimp oil."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Master Cao, we ran out of shrimp oil yesterday. These days, there are frequent curfews, making it difficult to enter or leave the city. Even the Shisha Sea is closed. Forget about sea shrimp, there aren't many river shrimp left. I had to rush around for several days to get some."

The yeast has already started fermenting at home; it'll definitely be ready by tomorrow. I'll have someone send some to your house then.

Cao Weida thought for a moment, then took out three silver dollars and a certificate from his pocket and handed them over. "Take this certificate. Go and buy some chicken or pork bones. Tomorrow night, make eighteen servings of wontons and deliver them to Ruixin Grocery Store near Chaoyangmen. Also, deliver five servings to No. 36 Caomao Hutong and No. 28 Yandaixie Street. And seven servings to No. 97 Nanluoguxiang. Is this enough money?"

"That's enough, that's too much. One silver dollar plus thirty silver notes would have been enough. You've given too much."

As the Union Silver Certificates were continuously issued, the initial exchange rate of one silver dollar to 1.3-1.4 Union Silver Certificates gradually increased over time.

Now, with another large-scale issuance of UnionPay coupons, the exchange rate has risen to 1:124 yuan, and it is foreseeable that this rate will continue to rise over time.

"Then prepare one more meal, the same amount as before, and send one over tomorrow morning as well. I'll deduct the rest from your next visit." With a couple of silver dollars, the wealthy and generous Cao Weida was too lazy to pack any more back.

"Alright, I'll remember that!" The shopkeeper beamed as he took the money and put it away.

Because the UnionPay coupons depreciated so quickly, most merchants became increasingly reluctant to accept them. If it weren't for the Japanese military intimidation, they wouldn't even want to accept them anymore.

Any business owner would be all smiles if they encountered someone paying with silver dollars.

After seeing the shopkeeper off, Cao Weida asked Bai Lianqi about famous local snacks. Bai Lianqi, perhaps wanting to show off or perhaps to curry favor with Cao Weida, spoke eloquently and knowledgeably.
"Let's not talk about the famous old brands in Beijing, let's just talk about the snacks in the streets and alleys."

For example, if you want to eat minced meat sesame cakes or pea flour cakes, you have to go to Fangshan Restaurant.

Fried dough pieces must be from Mujiazhai, Hufangqiao!
Boiled mutton head must be made by the Ma family in Langfang Ertiao outside Qianmen.

"A 'dalian huoshao' (a type of fried dumpling) must be from Ruiminglou in Dong'an Market."

Cao Wei Da listened with great interest, marveling at the story.

In other words, Bai Lianqi was born in the wrong era. With his level of food appreciation, if he were in modern times, he would be considered a deadly gourmet!
"Master Bai, have you eaten all of these?" Just hearing this made Cao Weida's mouth water uncontrollably. Even though he had just eaten a full meal, he felt hungry again.

"That's right, I used to be a regular customer there. Now that I'm here, everyone calls me Master Bai." Bai Lianqi proudly raised his head. "Let me put it this way, if any restaurant's dishes have even the slightest flaw, as long as I taste them, I guarantee I'll expose their true nature!"

But then, Bai Lianqi sighed, "I'm not afraid to admit it, but my family used to be wealthy, but by my generation, we've fallen on hard times."
Well, we were born at the wrong time. My dad, on the other hand, enjoyed all the good things in life. He lived a truly fulfilling life.

They played with great enthusiasm and ate until they were completely stuffed.

Thankfully, he passed away in his fifties; otherwise, who knows what might have happened to him in his old age.

Yes, your father did enjoy a life of luxury back then, but all that luxury came from the hard-earned money of the people!

Cao Weida shook his head inwardly. These down-on-their-luck Manchu descendants were not entirely bad people; they were just too proud of their ancestors and obsessed with saving face.

Take the birdcage next to it, for example. It's covered with a cloth, but it hasn't made a sound since Cao Wei Da approached. Obviously, there are no birds inside. It's just a showy display with that iron cage.

"Burp~~ That feels good." In those days, wontons were plentiful and filling, and the vendors were very honest. Bai Lianqi patted his belly, and a happy smile of satisfaction crept onto his face.

"Mr. Bai, have you finished eating?"

"I'm full, I'm full," Bai Lianqi nodded hurriedly.

"Alright, let's continue talking about this painting."

"Master Cao, I am deeply grateful for your hospitality, and I should reciprocate in kind. However, to be honest, this is the last piece of calligraphy and painting that my Bai family will ever possess."

"I understand. So tell me, how much would it cost to part with it?"

“In this way, you only need to pay 100 silver dollars to take it with you!” Bai Lianqi said through gritted teeth. He could tell that Cao Weida had some money and could definitely come up with a huge sum of 100 silver dollars!
He was already planning in his mind which restaurant he should go to for a lavish feast once he got the money.

"One hundred silver dollars? No, no, that's too much. I don't even know who the artist is. To spend one hundred silver dollars just for its beauty would be a huge rip-off." Cao Weida shook his head repeatedly, adding:
"If you can tell me about this painting, even just a few points, I'll pay you the hundred dollars."

He said that because he was convinced that Bai Lianqi was a good-for-nothing who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun.

Actually, he didn't dislike Bai Lianqi.

Bai Lianqi is shrewd and worldly-wise, skilled at scheming, but not inherently bad; he still has a bottom line.

I also don't really like it; it's lazy, obsessed with saving face, short-sighted, and somewhat selfish.

He had no interest in pitying such a down-on-his-luck young man.

To put it bluntly, their ancestors enjoyed everything they were entitled to. Even if they're down on their luck now, they still eat, drink, and have fun all day long. Why should we pity them?

(End of this chapter)