## Chapter 62: Osmanthus-Glazed Lotus Root
1412 Words
Jiang Tingyun took the osmanthus-glazed lotus root out of the pot and sliced it evenly.
Then she ladled some of the original cooking liquid over the sticky rice-stuffed lotus root slices, drizzled on her homemade osmanthus honey, and sprinkled a few dried osmanthus flowers on top for garnish. The dish was ready.
When cooking vegetarian dishes like this, Jiang Tingyun's movements were fluid and effortless. There was nothing particularly special about her method, but with her talent, she seemed to instinctively know how to bring out the maximum flavor in every step—the ratios, the heat, the timing.
When the osmanthus-glazed lotus root arrived at the table, Qi Hongming couldn't wait to take a bite.
As a vegetarian, he hadn't touched the previous dish and had been waiting for this one.
With a gentle bite into the sticky rice-stuffed lotus root, he felt that "sweet, soft, and sticky" didn't even begin to describe the texture.
The sticky rice was sweet and fragrant, the lotus root slices were soft and powdery, the glaze was sweet but not cloying, and the delicate aroma of osmanthus filled his mouth. It felt as if he were standing under an osmanthus tree, covered in its fragrance.
He savored the flavor with narrowed eyes, completely immersed in the sweet, fragrant atmosphere.
Zeng Haiguo, on the other hand, was internally reeling with shock.
If the osmanthus pork intestines could be said to rely on a novel sauce for its success,
then the osmanthus-glazed lotus root was unexpectedly delicious in a way that surpassed his expectations.
This dish was widely known—practically every restaurant served it as a sweet autumn dish.
For example, the most renowned Tong Sheng Restaurant in Yan City, the time-honored Jiangdu Grand Hotel in Lingzhou, and the ever-busy Shi Wei Xuan in Jian City—all were famous for their osmanthus-glazed lotus root.
He remembered years ago during the autumn osmanthus festival, those three restaurants had sent their chefs to compete for the title of best osmanthus dish.
In the traditional osmanthus dish category, all three had chosen to make osmanthus-glazed lotus root.
Zeng Haiguo had been fortunate enough to be there and tasted the versions from all three top chefs. Each was delicious, with Jiangdu Grand Hotel's being the best.
At the time, he thought that was the pinnacle of pairing osmanthus with lotus root!
But now, here in this ordinary, even shabby little restaurant, the osmanthus-glazed lotus root—without surpassing the Jiangdu version—could at least rival it.
Zeng Haiguo grew more and more confused.
He began to wonder if something was wrong with his tongue, or if that Boss Jiang had put a spell on her food.
But no matter how much his mind churned, his chopsticks didn't slow down. Within minutes, the plate of osmanthus-glazed lotus root was empty.
Old Master Qi hadn't even managed to snag a few pieces. He said angrily, "You all already ate the other dish. You should leave some of this for me."
The others showed no embarrassment. "There are so many of us. Two dishes aren't nearly enough. We need a few more orders."
Zeng Haiguo quickly added, "Waiter, bring us some rice too!"
...
By the time it got dark, all the ingredients had sold out.
Jiang Tingyun happily calculated the day's revenue. Pork intestines sold at a high price, and today had been a good day for making money.
She had worried that the "dark dish" of osmanthus pork intestines might not be popular, and that she might end up with leftovers.
But everyone who ordered the intestines said they were delicious. Some even packed extra to take home.
If she and Zhu Lili didn't still have the strong smell of pork intestines on their hands that wouldn't come off, she would have considered selling them for a few more days.
The osmanthus-glazed lotus root was even more popular—loved by men and women, young and old, because of its universally appealing flavor.
When she calculated the revenue and looked at the number, she couldn't help grinning.
Suddenly, WeChat pinged a few times.
She unlocked the screen. It was a friend request from "Young Master Qi Alfred."
Jiang Tingyun accepted and sent a message.
---
**【Jiang: ?】**
**【Young Master Qi Alfred: It's me, Boss Jiang. I'm Qi Cong.]**
**【Jiang: I figured. What's up?】**
**【Young Master Qi Alfred: My grandpa brought his friends to Qionghua Eatery today??】**
**【Jiang: Yeah, they came.]**
**【Young Master Qi Alfred: ??? And you made them osmanthus pork intestines???????!!!】**
**【Jiang: Yeah.]**
---
The messages flooded in—a series of "You've got skills" emojis.
---
**【Young Master Qi Alfred: Holy crap, Boss Jiang. You're amazing! I saw that dark dish this morning and thought no way. But you actually made it. My dad said Grandpa's friends were blown away! They all said it was delicious! They actually said osmanthus pork intestines were delicious! I'm losing my mind. Boss Jiang, you're incredible!!!】**
**【Jiang: Thanks for the compliments. So what did you actually want? Just to praise me?】**
**【Young Master Qi Alfred: ...Not exactly. It's my birthday tomorrow. I want to come eat. Boss Jiang, can I request a dish?】**
---
Even through the screen, Jiang Tingyun could picture the bratty kid hemming and hawing.
She calmly replied.
---
**【Jiang: Tell me what you want to eat first.]**
---
Whether she'd make it was another matter.
---
**【Young Master Qi Alfred:!!!! I love fish! You've never made fish before, Boss Jiang. Make me a fish! My mom says eating fish makes you smart.]**
---
Jiang Tingyun paused. Fish? She realized she hadn't eaten any since coming here.
Crucian carp, bream, sea bass, tilapia—
Pickled fish, braised fish, steamed fish.
Countless recipes ran through her mind. She thought for a moment and replied simply.
---
**【Jiang: Fine. Consider it done. What flavor?】**
**【Young Master Qi Alfred: Hehe, anything. Sour and spicy is best.]**
---
Locals loved sour flavors, and even young people couldn't resist sour and spicy. Jiang Tingyun thought she might as well buy some big black snakehead fish tomorrow and make pickled fish.
Pickled fish restaurants were everywhere these days—no regional boundaries, they had popped up all over.
She still remembered when pickled fish was at its peak. During her hospital night shifts, everyone ordered pickled fish every single night—the lingering trauma of pickled fish overload.
But she hadn't pickled any mustard greens this year. She'd have to go to the market early tomorrow and see which vendor made good pickled greens.
As she was thinking, an idea struck her.
Who said sour and spicy had to be pickled fish? She could make golden soup lemon fish instead.
Golden soup made from yellow lantern chili sauce, paired with fresh, tangy lemon—this sour and spicy golden soup lemon fish was also popular in fusion restaurants.
Best of all, there were two half-dead lemon trees behind her house. With her care, they had finally bloomed in April or May.
In summer, they had produced quite a few green fruits. Now in golden autumn, the lemons had turned slightly yellow and were ready to pick.
She had been wondering what to do with these lemons now that the weather was cooling down. Handmade lemon tea was too cold, and cold dressed dishes weren't quite right for the season.
Using them to make sour and spicy lemon fish was perfect!
Without overthinking, Jiang Tingyun grabbed her scissors and a basket and headed out back.
She had to admit, her planting talent was really something.
She felt she hadn't put in that much effort—just a little fertilizer, a little pest control—but the lemon trees, which had been so weak their leaves were sparse, were now lush and full.
Branches were heavy with yellowish-green fruits. But even after looking closely several times, she still couldn't tell what variety of lemon they were.
She picked a fruit that was mostly yellow, rubbed it vigorously, and peeled it using just her fingers. In an instant, an intensely sour and refreshing juice burst out.
Jiang Tingyun was so startled she squeezed her eyes shut, scrunching up her face.
"Help! My eyes!"
- Writer
