Datang First Chef

Hui Zhi looked at the little black sheep, the conscience of the immortal made him reluctant to send the non-cannibal Glutton to his death, compared with many ghosts that eat people, he is not bad except for being picky and causing him trouble, Even cute and kind.

"You really decided to look for Mr. Mo Xiaolang?" He hesitated, "And in this way?"

Little Black Sheep: "Baa baa baa baa baa baa baa!" Doudou's eyes revealed strange depth and determination, this is the best way!

"No, no, no, you can show up together with the ingredients, just show up when Mr. Mo Xiaolang went to take inventory of the ingredients he got that day, and just say that you are the monster with whom he has been communicating for a long time, and he will definitely accept it." Huizhi and Mo Wenyuan have a half-teacher friendship, knowing that he has a tolerant heart, he has long regarded Taotie as a friend, and it is fine to appear directly in front of him.

Little Black Sheep: "咩 ： 咩 咩 咩 咩 咩 咩 咩!" It is necessary. Such a first sight is too new and obtrusive. It is not suitable for him and Mo Xiaolangjun.

Master Huizhi:? ? ?Then you asked Mr. Mo Xiaolang to buy you back in the market to be new?What if he doesn't like you?

The little black sheep became angry from embarrassment: How could he look down on me?During the outing during the cold food festival, Mr. Mo Xiaolang could see my extraordinaryness among the many sheep at a glance!It can be described as a fateful meeting!

This little glutton is not only an anorexic patient, but also a hypocritical person who is full of romantic cells after reading a lot of legends. Master Huizhi said, be afraid!

He sighed: For the fateful reunion, he even gave up his life, what a hypocrisy with his life!

……

Mo Wenyuan did take a look at the little black sheep, and knelt down to examine him carefully.Hands parted the hair on the back of the sheep, leaving a clear line, and pressed fingers along the bare back. The little black sheep seemed to be pressed comfortably, and the ears kept flapping, like fan feathers swinging back and forth.

He pinched the sheepskin. Because of his exquisite technique, the sheep itself did not feel any discomfort, and the meat was firm. Considering that the lamb was underage, the texture of the meat would be more delicate.Looking up at the wool again, it is oily and slippery, and can even reflect light. The quality of the top layer of wool is nothing more than that.

The last step is to smell the sheep's fishy smell. Mo Wenyuan didn't smell any obvious smell when he got close, and he didn't dislike it. He comforted the sheep's head with one hand to let him relax, and leaned over to bury his nose in the soft and warm fur .

Little Black Sheep:! ! !

Yes, a little shy!

Although I know that Mo Xiaoyuan is only looking at the quality of the ingredients, what should I do if I am still shy? !

Before he knew it, the little black sheep’s filter for the cook was tens of meters thick. The survival instinct of the ingredients told him, don’t trust the cook. He treats you well because he wants to eat you. eyes!However, even though "the four sides are fighting, I almost want to go first", he still remains calm and stays where he is.

"Good sheep, good sheep!" After careful inspection, Mo Wenyuan sighed even more. He deeply felt that the value of this sheep exceeded that of all ewes.

The shopkeeper said: "To tell you the truth, this sheep is an ownerless sheep I caught. I know its quality is very good, but it is a long way to go back. You can't bring it back. The sheep are small. Unless it is a sheep household, who will buy it?" I won’t buy lambs either, Mo Dalang, if you want me, just do it as a favor, and I’ll just give me a few extra dollars when I buy tofu at your house.”

Mo Wenyuan said with satisfaction: "Definitely! Not only one or two yuan, but also five or six yuan." After speaking, he took the sheep and went home.

Mo Wenyuan met many people on the way, and they all greeted: "Mr. Mo, what do you do with the sheep?" It's true that there are mutton buns in the store, but the mutton that is bought is all cut up, and the live sheep is still the head. Second-rate.

"I wanted to use goat's milk to make new dishes, so I bought a few milking ewes."

"New dishes? Maybe you can buy them in restaurants?"

"Furthermore, if you make too much, it will be sold at the shop together with steamed cakes."

Everyone cheered when they heard what he said. Li Sanniang's restaurants are divided into high-end dining places and low-end dining places. Ordinary people buy steamed buns, steamed cakes and snacks at the shop, or sit at the stalls on the street and drink bean curd. It is rare to enter a restaurant. Yes, the restaurant has a rich variety of dishes, and the price is also high, which is similar to the consumption level of well-known restaurants in West City. Of course, even wealthy businessmen are willing to go to Guangdefang to eat in the restaurant. Their food is really delicious .

"Hey, what a spirited lamb!"

The little black sheep with its head held high is very conspicuous. Unlike the ewe with cloudy eyes, his eyes are full of luster, and the slippery fur can't cover up the light in his eyes. Mo Wenyuan sighed that he is a good sheep, and passers-by also think that this sheep is arrogant.

"It's very airy."

"Mo Xiaolang, are you going to raise him before killing him?"

"No, no." Mo Wenyuan shook his head, "It is useful for me to buy this lamb. There is a famous dish that can only be cooked with lambs that are less than half a year old. Its body size is suitable and its meat is tender."

A learned man asked, "But Yi Ya's famous dish, Tibetan sheep with fish belly?"

"That's right, it's Tibetan sheep with fish belly!"

Little Black Sheep: =mouth=!

……

Tibetan sheep with fish belly is a famous traditional dish in Shandong Province, and it often appears in local banquets until modern times.According to legend, this dish was made by Yi Ya in the Spring and Autumn Period, and it has been handed down to modern times for more than 2000 years.In addition to its long history, this dish has another amazing feature, that is, it has changed the way of writing the idiomatic word "xian".

There is a saying in "Zhou Li": "Everything that is dead or alive is the meal of the king." The "xian" at that time was not fresh fish and sheep, but "鱻 (xian)" written by adding three fish.Sanyuxian has many meanings, some refer to fish, some refer to fish sticks, and some refer to delicious taste. It is said that at that time, people believed that fish was the most delicious food, so three fish were used to describe the delicious taste.

But after Yi Ya created "Tibetan sheep with fish belly", diners found that mutton is delicious.In northern aquatic products, carp is the freshest, and mutton is the most delicious meat. The flavors of fish and sheep are superimposed and blended with each other to create top-level delicacies. Since then, fresh fish and sheep have replaced fresh fish and sheep.

This legend was told by Li Sanniang to Mo Wenyuan. Ordinary common people have heard similar stories as long as they know the famous dish "Tibetan sheep with fish belly". I want to check the source of Xian, but I found that there is no record about Yi Ya. "Shuowen" only says that "Xian" has been used since the Han people.

The above legends have shown that this dish is very popular among the people. Mo Wenyuan also ate the most authentic Tibetan sheep with fish belly when he was on a business trip in Shandong. It was so delicious that his tongue would fall off.

It will be Mo Xiaogou's birthday in two days. Their family celebrates the festival with a sense of ritual. This year, Li Sanniang is busy with work and cannot rush back from Luoyang to celebrate Mo Xiaogou's birthday, but she also entrusts a merchant who travels between the two places to give it to her. As a gift, Mo Wenyuan considered that he had every specialty besides cooking, and planned to cook special dishes for his brother.

They have lived together for many years and know each other's tastes very well. Mo Xiaogou likes fresh food, and carp and mutton are his favourites. It would be perfect to cook Tibetan sheep with fish belly for him on his birthday.

After returning home, Mo Wenyuan drove the bleating ewes into the sheepfold, and led the little black sheep to the backyard. The newly bought sheep were very cute, and they walked on the road without saying a word, not even barking.He put the hay, wheat and beans of various colors that he had prepared in front of the black sheep, and looked at him with loving eyes: "Eat more." He was about to go on the road when he was full.

The sheep was indifferent and didn't speak, and his eyes were no longer as agile as they started, turning into dead fish eyes. If you look carefully, you can see that his sheep's hooves are always shaking.

Mo Wenyuan had something to do, so he put down the hay and left, while Yu Xiaoyang wept alone.

#That day, Taotie remembered again, the fear of being dominated by the cook#

……

Huizhi thought, even among the three thousand gods and Buddhas, he is also the most kind-hearted one. Since Sun Xingzhe sent him to fight gluttonous food, he has caused him so much trouble. He had an accident while looking for ingredients; it was even more sad when he was eating. If Mr. Mo Xiaolang was cooking meals in Xingshan Temple, he would definitely "offer" them to Taotie. Staring at Bo with unique contempt and disdain, he was too uncomfortable to eat.

It was as if I was eating muddy feed for pigs.

Meals that could barely be swallowed became gnawing and swallowing needles.

After being tortured by this, he was still willing to go to see Taotie, to see if he sacrificed himself and tried a kitchen knife with himself. Huizhi thought that he was really a god among gods, so kind.

After climbing over the low wall, he harvested a dark lamb. Taotie bowed his head, and his ears were close to the side of the sheep's face. Thinking, in front of him was a black sheep of similar size and shape. The spirit is tense, the black eyes are rolling around, pitiful and cute.

Huizhi gasped: "Do you want to eat this sheep?"

What does it mean when a sheep eats and eats it, and finds a head that is similar to its own body shape?He has been so greedy that he is salivating for his own flesh?Is it too perverted?

Lamb: What do you know, it's time to show your cards to Mr. Mo Xiaolang!

The next morning, Mo Wenyuan got up to look at the carp raised in the bucket first. The fish were sent by his monster friend, and they were all high-quality northern carp. He made a few for his friend, and raised the rest in the bucket , in case Mo puppy's birthday.

He watched the fish swimming in the bucket alive and well, spit out a few clear bubbles from time to time, nodded in satisfaction, and went out to look at the important food, the little black sheep, but he didn't want to see two similar sheep.

Mo Wenyuan:? ? ?

He remembered that he only bought one head yesterday?

One of the sheep has just woken up and is eating hay lazily with its head down, while the other is staring at Mo Wenyuan with longing eyes. His eyes seem to be able to talk. Yuan judged that he was the sheep he bought.

Heiyang made a difficult move. He touched his buttocks to the ground, sat down like a human being, picked up the paper lying alone on the ground with his front two hooves, and handed it to Mo Wenyuan.

= Mouth =!

The clever cook had some guesses, but because of the appearance of the black sheep, he was not sure about his guess, so he decided to open the paper first to see what was written on it.

The first thing that catches the eye is the ugly and cute lamb Xiao En. He looked up to compare the appearance, and felt that the painting level of this sheep is quite high. Ugly is ugly but he grasped the charm. Later, he wanted to paint so ugly, I am afraid it was not painted with hoofs Bar?

"I don't taste good, please don't eat me!"

Leaving a message is also cute as hell.

Mo Wenyuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, he finally affirmed his conjecture that this little black sheep was his monster friend!He thought to himself that he was right, the other party was indeed a little monster, and he was still young, so he also had the answer to why there was an ugly sheep on the paper, this was his prototype!He didn't know how the weak-looking and cute monsters traveled all over the world to find top-quality ingredients, which really puzzled him.

Moreover, how much he couldn't think about it, so he found himself in this way, wouldn't it be good to just knock on his window at night?

He didn't know Taotie's psychological activities. Before coming to Chang'an, the hypocritical Taotie listened to stories told by ghosts passing by, saying that she had a good relationship with a certain man. When the original form appeared in front of him, he recognized the spirit with his watery eyes.

This love story is widely spread in the world of goblins, and the meaning contained in it is "I love you not only for your shell but also for your soul". After hearing this, the hypocritical man stomped his hooves, and Mr. Mo Xiaolang had been in correspondence with him for a long time. It should be Fall in love with his insides?Can you see the funny soul of the black sheep through his skin?

Cook: No, I love your skin more.

All kinds of feelings are not enough for outsiders.

Mo Wenyuan looked at the little black sheep with its hooves raised high and sighed, "Anyway, come into my room."

……

Xiao Taotie's showdown time was not very good. In another day, Mo Wenyuan would still have time to have a heart-to-heart exchange with him, but today, he has too many things to do, so he will be put on the table first. side.

After making breakfast and delivering it to the room, he started to get busy. Different from the usual dishes, Tibetan sheep with fish belly is a big dish and needs to be prepared early.

The fat-headed fish in the wooden barrel was still swimming wantonly, not knowing its future fate at all. Mo Wenyuan was quick with his eyes and hands, and the tiger's mouth was stuck on its head. With a violent twitch of his hand, the fish was pulled out of the barrel and landed on the ground precisely. cutting board.The sharp knife was flipped between the fingers, and the scales, gills, and bones of the fish were precisely removed, and the complete fish skeleton was placed on the table, like a fossilized fish bone left after the skin and flesh rotted.

His eyes are more precise than instruments, and the two halves of the fish are spread out in a large wooden barrel, and the barrel is filled with the sauce that was previously adjusted. Only by marinating the fish in it for three hours can the aroma permeate the flesh.

After processing a few fish in the same way, Mo Wenyuan began to process pork net oil again.Lard net oil is the fat of the abdomen, which is usually attached to the large intestine. In order to remove the lard net oil, he waited for fresh large intestine at the butcher.It is not difficult to separate the net oil from the intestinal wall, just hook your fingers and take out the wrinkled net oil, clean it and spread it out, and use it after drying.

The preliminary work was done well. Mo Wenyuan held a hatchet in his hand and sharpened it to the black sheep. He had watched butcher Hu butcher how to kill sheep. In addition, he had practiced martial arts for many years and had great strength. With a sound, Xiao Taotie watched the ruthless executioner kill his double through a trance, Mo Wenyuan's fair face was even splashed with a drop of sheep's blood.

Little Glutton: Huh!

Well, so scary!

He swore that if he ever met the ghost who told him the love story of a shemale again, he would give her a good beating. What kind of beautiful story, how beautiful is it that it will kill her? ? ?

There are many edible parts of the lamb, not to mention lamb chops, lamb legs, and sheep hooves. The first two are the best when roasted. Mo Wenyuan is going to save the lamb belly for soup. He neatly separates the upper brain and cucumber strips, and prepares Chop it into stuffing and wrap it in the belly of the fish. Cut the loin and outer loin into small pieces and skewer them with bamboo sticks to grill lamb kebabs.

Eat more than one sheep!

Mo Wenyuan had a good plan, he wanted to use a lamb for a whole sheep feast!

He was handling the big dishes in front of the hall, and the busy apprentices could see what Mo Wenyuan was doing in a blink of an eye. Seeing him cut and washed the mutton and put it in the barrel to marinate, the sixth apprentice Jin Yuan finally couldn't help it: " What is Master doing to eat?"

Mo Wenyuan's apprentices are almost all-rounders. If they really want to do it, they can do a little bit of everything, but they each have specialization projects. The so-called specialization in the art industry is talking about them.

Jin Yuan is very good at "burning", that is, roasting.In the Tang Dynasty, "burning" was a popular cooking method, and most meat was roasted.

Conditions are harsh, there is a lack of various modern seasonings, pepper and other spices from the Western Regions are expensive, and ordinary people cannot afford them, so broiling is a special test of the degree of control over the heat.

Lamb chops, mutton legs, and kebabs are all to be grilled. Mo Wenyuan worked for a long time and moved out the grill piled up in the backyard. He said: "I want to cook lamb."

Jin Yuan's eyes brightened and he said, "Can I watch from the sidelines?"

Mo Wenyuan nodded and said, "Yes."

Lamb roast is roasted lamb, which needs to be done in a special oven.There are two kinds of ovens in Mo Wenyuan's house, one is the traditional Tang Dynasty oven, and the other is similar to the ovens on modern barbecue stalls.

The oven in the Tang Dynasty is very similar to the modern oven. It is divided into upper and lower layers. The upper layer is in the shape of a long groove, and the bottom has a strip-shaped hollow hole. The charcoal fire is placed under the hole. Mo Wenyuan looks very similar to a modern Korean barbecue restaurant. oven.

Originally, the ovens of Goryeo were passed down by the people of Tang Dynasty, and so was the method of roasting.

This kind of stove is not for cooking big dishes. When the house is cold in winter and someone is greedy for meat, Li Sanniang will take out the stove and grill pork and mutton slices to eat.

Melon eggplant mushrooms can be sliced ​​and roasted on the stove, delicious and juicy.

Roast mutton is different, even a cook like Mo Wenyuan has to admit that occasionally eating at roadside stalls has a special flavor. The mutton grilled over a smoky charcoal fire combines the two characteristics of smoked and broiled.After high temperature, the fat in the fatty meat turns from ointment into bright oil droplets, which float on the surface of the meat and "sizzling".

When the charcoal is burned, wisps of gray smoke will be released, and the smoke will penetrate into the skin of the sheep, staining the meat with the aroma of the wood.

"Gudong-"

When Mo Wenyuan used the grill to cook the barbecue, there was a continuous sound of swallowing saliva coming from beside him.

No matter how serious the apprentices were, they couldn't concentrate on their work. They kept Mo Wenyuan's teachings in mind, and if they couldn't concentrate on cooking, they simply stopped cooking. Their eyes were fixed on the golden-yellow oily meat.

Mo Wenyuan said: "I'm not very good at controlling the heat when I'm making lamb broiled for the first time. Why don't you try it and see how it tastes?"

"Then it's better to be respectful than to obey!"

Jin Yuan was the first to grab the nearest piece of meat, and the wooden signature was stained with the heat of fireworks. Fortunately, his fingertips were calloused, so it was not difficult to grasp.

"Hoo, hoo—" After blowing a few mouthfuls, he couldn't wait to tear off the first piece of meat, and his tongue was burned by the meat, but he was not willing to spit out what was in his mouth.

"Ok!"

After the first bite, the fragrant juice is squeezed out from the texture fibers, and wine is added to the sauce soaking the lamb. The sweetness of the fermented grains is combined with the freshness of the lamb, rippling in the mouth.

Jin Yuan squinted his eyes, he was like a flat boat floating in the sea, ups and downs with the waves, the overbearing aroma of the juice was like a huge wave washing away asthma, ups and downs.

Suddenly, he chewed the fat meat, the fat part was baked into a light golden layer, and the teeth hit the burnt place, as if breaking through the thin and crisp shell, and was able to touch the delicate inner part.The taste of fatty meat is different from that of lean meat. The fat is like vacuoles in the cell wall, one by one, it explodes violently, and the oil droplets explode on the lips and tongue with heat.

The pepper grains are perfectly combined with the mutton, and the teeth grind the pepper grains gently. At first, I only feel the tip of the tongue being tingled and numb. Then, the different aroma suddenly fills the mouth, and the aftertaste is long...

Is this roasted lamb?Is this really broiled lamb? !

How can it be so delicious!

……

The little black sheep hid in Mo Wenyuan's room, kicked its hooves, and almost shed tears of regret.

He is really stupid, really, why should he believe the words of the female goblin, and why should he wait for Mo Xiaolang to cook in such a place so close to the back kitchen?

He was really torturing himself.

Taotie is the son of the dragon, not to mention his five senses, he has clear eyes and ears, far better than ordinary people, and his sense of taste and smell are the best among the five senses.

The gray smoke after charcoal grilling passed along the wind, and even the customers in the shop could smell the fragrance, and everyone was looking for the source, let alone him.

The little black sheep was so greedy that his mouth was drooling, but he couldn't rush out, let alone eat, it was so sad!

Suddenly, he smelled a strange fragrance, which was still approaching.

When Mo Wenyuan opened the door, he saw the little black sheep looking at him with peasy eyes. He coughed and put down the plate and said, "Do you eat the same kind?"

The little black sheep plunged headfirst into the plate, and still protested: "Baa baa baa baa!"

They are not my kind!

Mo Wenyuan was very surprised. He heard the sheep bleating in his ears, but somehow understood the meaning of the little black sheep in his mind. He thought to himself: Could this be the trick of the gods?

I have seen a lot of spells over the years, but this is the first time I have seen innate supernatural powers.

He asked curiously, "What kind of ghost are you?"

The lamb was furious: "Baa baa baa baa!"

I'm not a ghost!I am a unique beast in the world!

Only one innate beast like Taotie will appear at a time, and when the existing one dies, the next one will be born.

"Baa baa baa baa baa!"

The mutton tastes bad when it’s cold, and the roasting time is a bit long. Although the fat meat is burnt, the lean meat is also hardened, and the time needs to be less.

Before Mo Wenyuan asked about the breed of the little black sheep, he was overwhelmed by the comment made by his delicate tongue: "That's very well said! I will definitely improve it tonight!"

Then went to the kitchen to get busy.

……

On the night of his birthday, Mo Xiaogou's face was flushed with excitement, he was not excited because today was his birthday, the light on his face was all excited by the feast.

"I've been smelling it since noon!" His eyes flashed with longing, "It's finally edible!"

Mo Wenyuan said: "Eat slowly." He only has one person and two hands, and he can cook up to three dishes at the same time, even for the sheep feast.

Zhao Erniang and Mo Xiaogou sat at the low table, stretching their necks, like baby birds waiting to be fed.

Needless to say, the first ones served were lamb chops, kebabs, lamb legs and other grilled food. Mo Wenyuan extravagantly used pepper and other things to make the already fragrant mutton taste thicker.

Mo Wenyuan himself is not in a hurry to eat, he has been guarding the fish belly and Tibetan sheep. Modern people often use ovens to cook this dish. The ovens in the Tang Dynasty were not heated evenly, so he had to watch the oven keep turning over.Flipping is very skillful. The fish tightly bound by the oil net cannot be turned over. The fire temperature at the belly of the fish is the highest, the fat melts into the surface of the belly, and the color of the meat changes from snow white to burnt yellow.

The aroma diffused into the air through the barrier of the belly meat, and even Mo Xiaogou, who was satisfied with the oily flow while gnawing on the leg of lamb, was shocked by the fresh aroma of the combination of fish and sheep.

"Da Lang, can Tibetan sheep with fish belly be eaten?"

"Just wait a little longer!"

Mo Xiaogou was very sad when he heard the words. The lamb chops and lamb legs clearly filled more than half of his stomach, but when he asked about the delicious taste of fish and sheep, he seemed to have another stomach, and his mind was full of eating.

Mo Wenyuan: Huh?

His keen senses reminded him that there seemed to be something wrong, and a strong sense of sight nailed him, making him feel like a light on his back.

He looked up and saw a pair of green peas, which were full of fierce light.

Mo Wenyuan: =口=!

Little Glutton:! ! !

He didn't expect that Mo Wenyun would raise his head suddenly, he was still a little stunned, and then he let out a "beep" like a little girl who had seen the scenery under her skirt, and suddenly shrank his head, Mo Wenyuan seemed to have heard the "beep" Voice.

"..."

what's the situation? !

After a while, the food was finally ready to eat. With two wooden shovels in his left and right hands, he skillfully lifted the fish and put it on the plate. He dismantled the oil net, raised and lowered the knife with his right hand, and evenly divided the fish fillet into small pieces.

The part close to the fish head and fish tail has less mutton inside, but the outer skin is crispy and delicious, and you can even hear a crackling sound when you bite it down. Needless to say, the middle part is mixed with minced mutton, diced mushrooms, and diced bamboo shoots. The ointment is cut into small pieces and stuffed into it. As the temperature rises, it gradually melts into oil droplets.

Not to mention the outer skin, behind the crispy outer shell is the delicate inner, I don’t know how Mo Wenyuan baked it, the white and tender fish meat and the crispy fish skin are distinct, the fish skin absorbs the aroma of the oil net, the meat is softer than tofu, Plus lamb stuffing...

Tsk tsk tsk tsk, Puppy Mo couldn't even lift his head.

This birthday is too happy!

……

The kitchen is Mo Wenyuan's world alone, even the puppy Mo Zhao Erniang dare not go in or out without his promise, they naturally don't know that Mo Wenyuan also hid a fish in the kitchen.

After the two of them ate and fell asleep, Mo Wenyuan fried the remaining fish and gave it to the little black sheep with a resentful face. Of course, after smelling the smell of fish and sheep, his face showed frustration. Swept away, only vegetables.

Mo Wenyuan was a bit tired after a busy day, so he ordered: "I'll sleep first today, and we'll talk about the rest tomorrow. Don't just run away."

The little black sheep bleats happily.

Don't run, don't run, even if the Tathagata Buddha kills him, he won't run.

The place with Mo Xiaoyuan is heaven!

Mo Wenyuan fell asleep almost as soon as he touched the pillow. He used to sleep well and had no dreams at night, but today he didn't know what went wrong, and he opened his eyes in the white clouds.

"Mr. Mo Xiaolang—"

"Mr. Mo Xiaolang—"

There is a Sanskrit sound lingering in his ears, and the voice of calling his name is long and long, as if spreading from the sky.Mo Wenyuan turned his head suddenly, and saw the Bodhisattva sitting on the lotus platform whose face could not be seen clearly.

"Mr. Mo Xiaolang—"

He was so excited that he was extremely guilty. This, this, this, is this the Bodhisattva who really came to him? !

It's true that after walking many nights, I finally meet ghosts. I often walk on the shore without getting wet shoes. I pretended to be a Bodhisattva for many years, and the suffering master came to my door!