Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

In the small kitchen, five heads surrounded a wine jar with the word "wine" pasted on top with red paper.

"Aunt Jiang, is this the new dish you made?" Shopkeeper Wang's expression was very serious, as if what was in front of him was a dirty thing that he had to look at. The fingers holding the chopsticks were itching to tear off the red paper with the raised edges.

Obscure.

"Master, is it ready to open?" Wang Wan swallowed. In fact, this thing was wrapped in several layers of lotus leaves and tied tightly, so the fragrance was not very obvious.

But he was really greedy, seeing so many delicious ingredients with his own eyes, many of which he could only eat once a year - when he paid New Year's greetings to Manager Wang.

"Go ahead, it's almost done." Jiang Shangxian's heart was pounding. It was his first time doing it, and it really felt like first love.

After half a minute, no one took action.

Shopkeeper Wang couldn't help but urge Jiang Shangxian: "Open it quickly!"

Jiang Shangxian followed his leader's footsteps and turned to urge Wang Wan: "Open it quickly!"

Wang Wan looked at his uncle, then at his master, and finally at his two junior brothers. Everyone had an expression that said: Why don’t you do it yet?

"Master, won't you open it yourself?" Shouldn't Jiang Shangxian personally open such a historic moment?

Jiang Shangxian shook his head decisively: "It's too hot, you do it."

Wang Wan: “…”

So I'm the only one with thick skin, right?

The moment the layers of lotus leaves were peeled off, a rich fragrance accompanied by rising white mist filled the air, and the five people took a deep breath at the same time.

Jiang Shangxian couldn't wait to call out, "Where are the dishes and chopsticks? Bring them here quickly so we can have a taste!"

"Here it is, Master! I'm ready!" Zhou Ying was a man who could read the expressions on the faces of others, and he handed over a big round spoon with both hands.

The ingredients here are all precious and cannot be tasted casually as usual. Naturally, they are distributed by Jiang Shangxian.

She didn't act generous this time. After all, they were valuable things, so the first bowl should naturally be given to the leader.

Jiang Shangxian scooped up a spoonful of sauce-colored soup and a sea cucumber into the bowl. He wanted to scoop more, but Shopkeeper Wang stopped him hastily: "That's enough! Just one taste is enough!"

I don’t know how much is in this jar. If it is really delicious, I will have to sell it in the evening. If I eat too much now, it will delay the evening business.

Since the big boss said so, Jiang Shangxian felt regretful, but she could only serve each of her disciples a small bowl of food mixed with quail eggs, and she served herself abalone.

Anyway, as long as they start formal mass production, these cooks will always be able to eat comfortably and there is no need to rush!

Shopkeeper Wang couldn't wait to take a spoonful of the food. His eyes immediately lit up. He didn't care about the pain on his tongue. He mumbled, "I'll bring you some more food later!"

"Okay, but it takes some time to soak it yourself." Let me be frank, it takes time to soak the ingredients. If it is dried ingredients, then this dish cannot be made in two days.

Chinese cuisine is extensive and profound.

Shopkeeper Wang paused for a moment, having forgotten all about it. Fortunately, he thought for a moment and said, "Soak the dry ones first. I'll go find the soaked ones later. It's a little late today, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow."

As he spoke, he kept glancing into the wine jar, wondering whether he should sell it separately over two days.

Jiang Shangxian seemed to have guessed his thoughts and said slowly, "Things are precious because they are rare. This Fu Lu Shou soup will take at least seven days from soaking to boiling."

The name Fu Lu Shou was specially prepared by her for the bourgeoisie of the Tang Dynasty. She thought they would like such a dish with such precious name, taste and ingredients.

Shopkeeper Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly thought of the words he would use to brag that night. The smile on his face grew even wider, and his gaze shifted to Jiang Shangxian, praising him profusely: "You're right. Such a complicated cooking method, with such precious ingredients, naturally requires time and effort."

His mind was working fast, thinking over and over again that things are valuable because they are rare. If he doesn't sell this dish for five times the cost, he is not called Wang!

Just as the five people were happily eating Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, wishing they could swallow their tongues, an uninvited guest arrived.

"Master Jiang, Cui Shaoqing from the Dali Temple is here."

The guy didn't know why the people from the Dali Temple came to the restaurant to look for a jerk. If he had committed a crime, they wouldn't just come and arrest him, right?

Shopkeeper Wang's brain froze for a second, and he looked at Jiang Shangxian in surprise. She slapped her forehead in frustration, put down her bowl and chopsticks reluctantly, and walked outside, muttering something like "debt collector" and "shamelessly chasing after a young lady."

"this…"

Shopkeeper Wang was suspicious, but he followed him anyway. He quickly walked in front of Jiang Shangxian and bowed to Cui Shaoqing. "Why are you here, Cui Shaoqing? The kitchen is so smoky. Why don't you go to the accounting office in the back and talk?"

Looking at the shopkeeper Wang standing in front of him, Jiang Shangxian was so moved that he wanted to hang two wide noodles under his eyes to show his respect. This leader is capable, and he really comes forward when there is something wrong!

Cui Bianxu ignored them completely, walked straight past the two of them with his nose twitching. Even though he used twice as strong incense as usual to cover up the stench on his body, it couldn't block the aroma that tempted his stomach.

Cong Jinghai was a bit embarrassed by his behavior, but thankfully, as a seasoned professional, he managed to maintain his composure. He turned to Jiang Shangxian and said, rather accusingly, "Miss Jiang, didn't we agree yesterday that you would go to the Dali Temple early this morning to assist with the investigation? How come you haven't been seen all morning? This has put me in trouble."

"This..." Jiang Shangxian also felt a little guilty. She was still struggling with it when she was at home. Although they had agreed on it, she really didn't want to go to the Dali Temple. Moreover, she felt that she had told everything she knew yesterday. What else could she do in the Dali Temple?

However, a broken appointment is a broken appointment, so she admitted her mistake straightforwardly: "Shangguan, please forgive me. I didn't sleep well last night, and I was a little confused this morning, so I forgot about this matter."

Hey, what on earth did these two evil spirits come to her house for? Why did they bother her, an innocent citizen, instead of arresting the real criminals?

She has told everything she knows. Even if she were given the ten most cruel tortures of the Qing Dynasty, she wouldn't be able to say anything extra.

What bad luck!

"Okay, boss, find a secluded room. I have something to ask Miss Jiang."

When she said that, Cong Jinghai immediately thought that she might have been frightened yesterday. After all, young ladies are very timid. He immediately decided not to bother with her about breaking the appointment in the morning. He let Cui Shaoqing ask the question first and try to get off work on time today.

Although Shopkeeper Wang didn't know what had happened, listening to their conversation, he didn't think his employee had done anything wrong. He felt relieved and said immediately, "Of course there is. There's a study room over there that someone uses every day. Shangguan, take a look?"

"Yes!" Cong Jinghai responded and walked a few steps inside, wanting to call his leader. He saw Cui Bianxu standing next to a wine jar, holding a small bowl in his hand. He was horrified and said, "Master Cui, you can't drink while on duty!"

Tang Dynasty civil servants also have rules and are not allowed to drink alcohol while on duty under normal circumstances!

Ahem, he just sacrificed himself for official business yesterday.

Cui Bianxu was so frightened by his loud shout that he almost dropped the bowl. He wanted to lose his temper and say a few words, but then he looked at the bowl in his hand and gave up.

"Walk."