I Awakened to a Farming TALENT

## Chapter 60: Old Master Qi Comes Calling

"Sect Master, are you really going to cook osmanthus and pork intestines together?" Zhu Lili helped Jiang Tingyun wash the intestines while trying not to gag.

Jiang Tingyun hesitated for a moment. "Why does everyone seem so unexcited? I think these two go quite well together."

"One is the most fragrant flower of autumn, the other is the smelliest intestines. Putting fragrance and stench together—don't you think that's creative?"

Zhu Lili looked despondent. "It's certainly creative. Creative to the point of disregarding everyone else's wellbeing."

Jiang Tingyun felt a bit awkward. She could only comfort her, "It's fine, it's fine. I didn't buy many pork intestines today. I'll give it a try. If it doesn't sell well, we can feed it to Pei Jingmo."

Suddenly, she felt a chill down her back and goosebumps rose all over.

She turned around and saw her eldest disciple standing right behind her, staring coldly.

Jiang Tingyun quickly turned back and pretended nothing had happened.

...

While Zhu Lili was still washing the intestines, Jiang Tingyun prepared another osmanthus dessert—osmanthus-glazed lotus root stuffed with sticky rice.

This dish wasn't strange at all. It was a famous delicacy throughout the country, loved by people of all ages for its sweet, soft, and sticky texture.

Jiang Tingyun specially selected large, plump lotus roots that were fresh and tender.

They were extremely fresh—still moist and muddy from the market that morning.

She swiftly peeled the lotus roots. She had to make sure both ends were sealed. If she accidentally bought one with a broken end, the holes would be filled with mud that could never be washed clean—even if she managed, they'd still taste like dirt and be inedible.

She cut off the larger end of each lotus root and stuffed them with farmhouse sticky rice that had been soaked for four hours. She didn't skimp on the filling—she packed it in tightly. When cooked, the rice would expand and fill every hole, giving the dish its authentic texture.

After stuffing all the lotus roots, she put the cut ends back on and sealed them tightly with toothpicks.

She worked quickly and soon had a large basin full. She placed them in water to prevent the skins from oxidizing.

Jin Feifan had already started the fire. Jiang Tingyun took out a large aluminum pot, put the sealed lotus roots in, and poured in the prepared cooking liquid.

For better color, she added red yeast rice to the liquid. Red yeast rice was a natural pigment—healthy, beneficial for the spleen and appetite, and it gave the lotus roots a more appealing reddish hue.

She also added plenty of rock sugar and a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness.

Stuffed lotus roots weren't quick to cook. To achieve that soft, sticky texture, they had to simmer on high heat for several hours.

When done, the lotus roots would be cooled, sliced, drizzled with the cooking liquid mixed with osmanthus honey, and sprinkled with dried osmanthus for garnish. The result would be an autumn-flavored osmanthus-glazed lotus root.

While waiting for the lotus roots to cook, Jiang Tingyun started braising the pork intestines. She couldn't help regretting it a little—this stuff was a pain to wash and a pain to cook.

She'd have to raise the price again.

...

At noon, a black luxury business van pulled up in front of Qionghua Eatery.

Although it was still early, the first customers had already arrived.

When Jiang Tingyun saw the dignified old man getting out of the van, her legs almost went weak.

Wasn't that Old Master Qi!

She remembered that Qi Cong's parents had invited her to cook a vegetarian birthday banquet for this old man. She hadn't forgotten the grandeur of that event.

Now the old man had brought along several other men in their sixties—all looking wealthy and distinguished, completely out of place in Jiang Tingyun's shabby little eatery.

Jiang Tingyun looked at the half-processed pork intestines in her hands and was speechless.

The next second, she sighed. Whatever. Today there were only two dishes—osmanthus pork intestines and osmanthus-glazed lotus root. Take it or leave it.

"Boss Jiang, long time no see. Remember me?" Old Master Qi had no airs about him. He seemed genuinely delighted to see her.

Jiang Tingyun wiped her hands and walked over.

"Old Master Qi, of course I remember. What brings you here today?"

Qi Hongming's stern face crinkled into a smile. "I haven't been able to forget the food you made last time, especially the Dingshu Vegetarian Delight. I have to say, it was even better than the ones at Bodhi Pavilion. A few of us old friends gathered at Fenghuang Mountain, and I immediately recommended your place."

The other old men, despite their obviously privileged backgrounds, were all very cultured. None showed any disdain for the humble decor of Qionghua Eatery.

Jiang Tingyun felt a strange sense of flattery.

She scratched her head and said, "Old Master Qi, today we're only selling two dishes—osmanthus-glazed lotus root and osmanthus pork intestines. Not vegetarian."

Qi Hongming waved his hand without concern. "No problem. I'm the only vegetarian among these friends. Don't worry about me. Just bring the dishes. I'll eat the lotus root."

The other old friends nodded in agreement. "It's fine. Good food is about quality, not quantity. Boss, just go ahead with your work. Don't worry about us."

The group of wealthy old men chose a corner to sit down.

One of them couldn't help asking, "The menu is limited enough, but isn't it a bit strange?"

Another chimed in, "Exactly. Osmanthus-glazed lotus root is normal enough, but what in the world is osmanthus pork intestines?"

Hearing this, Zeng Haiguo couldn't help laughing.

Zeng Haiguo was known among these wealthy old men as a true gourmand. He had a very sensitive palate and had studied various cuisines extensively. Among the group, he was the most knowledgeable about food.

Everyone looked at him curiously because of his laughter.

Zeng Haiguo explained calmly, "You've all misunderstood. I suspect this 'osmanthus' in 'osmanthus pork intestines' isn't actually osmanthus flowers."

The others were intrigued. "What do you mean?"

Zeng Haiguo continued, "Throughout history, many famous dishes have names with 'osmanthus' in them, but they actually refer to salted egg yolk. Because the yolk is golden and shaped like osmanthus flowers, it's called 'osmanthus' as an elegant name."

"For example, the Cantonese signature dish 'Osmanthus Zha'—a pork roll stuffed with salted egg yolk and steamed—sounds like it's made with osmanthus, but it's not. It's an elaborate dish, rich and savory. I suspect this so-called 'osmanthus pork intestines' is actually intestines with salted egg yolk."

If osmanthus with intestines sounded strange, intestines with salted egg yolk was much more normal.

Although pork intestines aren't considered a high-class ingredient, they have a chewy, springy texture—fatty but not greasy. Paired with the savory yolk, in a gourmand's eyes, this was a fairly common and delicious combination.