Quick Transmigration: Not My Story

Chapter 8 The Cook Mistress（part 7）

Pickled tofu residue is a specialty of the Zongzi Kingdom. The Zongzi Kingdom was a tribal state established by the descendants of the Xia and Shang dynasties, once isolated in a corner, with aspirations of revival. It was later destroyed by the renowned general Zi Kong of the previous dynasty. Although it is still called the Zongzi Kingdom, it is now merely a county within the Great Chu Empire.

Lin Dan didn’t expect such a remote place to be known by anyone, let alone for someone to describe in detail how its specialty is made. She couldn’t help but glance at the handsome man. The man met her gaze for a moment before returning to his dried food.

The bacon slices in the pot were now fully coated with pickled tofu residue. The rich fat continued to make a crisp sound as it boiled, releasing a fragrant aroma. Lin Dan looked away and said to the young maid beside her,

“You can add the water now.”

The young maid quickly poured water from the clay pot into the pan. As the water flowed in, the already unappealing dish became even more murky. However, the strong smell of pickled tofu residue diminished significantly, allowing the bean fragrance and the smokiness of the bacon to emerge, revealing the original flavors.

The change in aroma quickly spread through the air with the spring breeze. The three men sitting nearby couldn’t help but sniff, and their dry mouths instantly started salivating. They were able to swallow the hard bread without water, but looking at it now, they felt like they couldn’t eat another bite.

Lin Dan, completely unconcerned with the men’s feelings, seemed to think that the food wasn’t flavorful enough. She added a few more seasonings and stirred gently with the spatula. The soup was already boiling, bubbling away as white steam mixed with a powerful aroma that filled the air, attacking everyone’s nose and taste buds.

The young maid swallowed saliva and asked, “Master, the soup has been boiling for so long, and you only added Sichuan pepper now. Won’t it not be flavorful enough?”

Lin Dan replied gently, “This is vine pepper, not Sichuan pepper. Sichuan pepper is numbing, but vine pepper is numbing with a bit of astringency. If boiled too long, it will make the food bitter, so it should be added later. The numbing flavor of vine pepper is more authentic than Sichuan pepper, and it doesn’t need to be fried in oil. Just add it to boiling water and let it simmer for about 15 minutes to release a clean, spicy flavor.”

The young maid nodded, indicating she understood. Lin Dan then added the bamboo shoots and let them cook for a while before rolling up a few wild onions and preparing to add them to the pot.

The young maid quickly grabbed her sleeve, confused. “Master, you once said that cooking should avoid muddiness. Why are you adding these strong-smelling wild onions to this dish? The dish is already heavy-flavored. Won’t the taste get muddled? I think it tastes fine now without any more seasonings.”

Lin Dan smiled and gave her a gentle glance, explaining, “Do you remember the seasoning method I taught you? For strong-flavored dishes, we use an enhancement method to highlight the richness of the dish. For delicate dishes, we use a reduction method to emphasize the freshness and fragrance. There are also mixing methods and flavor-transformation methods. What I’m using now is the enhancement method. The sourness and spiciness of the pickled tofu residue complement the smoky saltiness of the bacon. After adding the vine pepper’s numbing flavor, the three flavors of sour, spicy, and numbing mix together, making it somewhat muddled. When I add the wild onions, I’m introducing a slight sweetness, bitterness, and astringency, as well as the unique fragrance of wild onions. These layers of flavor will enrich and deepen the taste, creating a good dish. ‘Avoid muddiness’ doesn’t mean using fewer seasonings; it means the flavors should be distinct, layered, and not muddled. Different flavors can complement each other—sourness can reduce saltiness, and saltiness can bring out sweetness. It’s a fascinating process. That’s why I didn’t put the bacon into the boiling water. The pickled tofu residue’s sourness would reduce the bacon’s saltiness. If I boiled it, the dish would become bland. You need to pay attention to this in the future.”

As Lin Dan spoke, she added the wild onions to the pot and gently stirred. The previously cloudy soup instantly transformed into a beautiful mixture of white, red, and green. The rich aroma spread everywhere.

The young maid swallowed and sighed, “Master, you’re amazing! After adding the wild onions, the taste of the soup really changed! This dish has gone through three different flavors; if you hadn’t told me, I never would have thought to do it this way.”

Lin Dan smiled and shook her head. “Let me test you. Why did I add the bamboo shoots?”

“Bamboo shoots and bacon are usually cooked together, so it tastes better,” the young maid, still new to cooking, answered in a somewhat confused tone.

Lin Dan patiently explained, “Both the pickled tofu residue and the bacon are preserved foods, and while they taste good, they lack freshness. The bamboo shoots are used to add freshness, compensating for the dish’s shortcomings. Try it—after adding the bamboo shoots, do you feel a burst of fresh flavor on your tongue?”

Lin Dan scooped a little soup with a spoon and offered it to the young maid.

The young maid took a careful sip and immediately gave a thumbs up. “It’s really fresh! Master, you’ve brought this dish to life!”

Lin Dan smiled and rubbed her head affectionately. She ate a few bites herself before heading to the carriage to rest. Her illness hadn’t fully recovered, and the smoke and fire had started to make her throat hurt again.

The two burly men sitting nearby had already stopped eating their bread when Lin Dan started cooking. They leaned forward to look into the pot, and even the normally indifferent leader couldn’t resist glancing over a few times. As Lin Dan began explaining the seasoning techniques, he completely lost his appetite for the bread, putting down his water pouch and listening intently.

Lin Dan’s voice was slow and gentle, and her words were vivid and descriptive. Even without clearly seeing the food in the pot, just by listening to her and smelling the aroma, one could imagine how wonderful the dish of pickled tofu residue and bacon would taste. When the servants began fighting for food, this imagination turned into reality, making the three men’s stomachs growl like drums, saliva flowing, and hunger taking over in waves.

"Damn it, I can't take it anymore!" The rugged man wiped his glistening mouth with his sleeve in frustration.

"With that big pot of food, do you think they'll finish it?" The other burly man asked with hopeful anticipation.

The handsome man didn’t answer, but his sharp eyes were uncontrollably fixed on the large pot. His throat slightly moved, as if he were swallowing saliva.

The three men fell silent for a moment. They watched as the others continued to grab food from the pot, picking up bacon with bamboo shoots, then bamboo shoots with wild onions, and finally even spooning the tofu residue soup to mix with rice. Unable to sit still any longer, they became restless.

"Zhao Liu, go ask them if they have any extra food, we'll buy it with money," the rugged man nudged his companion with his elbow.

Zhao Liu cursed under his breath, "Why don't you go?"

"Didn't I just yell at that young servant? I still need to save face!"

"Do you want to save face or should I?" As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew over, carrying the rich aroma of the dish. The mixture of spicy, sour, and smoky flavors from the bacon was so enticing that they already felt satisfied just from the smell—it was utterly irresistible.

"Damn it, I’m done with face-saving, I’m going over there to ask!" Zhao Liu immediately tossed his pride aside, took out two taels of silver, and ran over.

The young servant, who had been cruelly rejected and mocked earlier, finally managed to lift his head from the bowl with great effort. Rolling his eyes, he said, "With this little food, how could we possibly not finish it with six people?"

"Can we buy some?" Zhao Liu took out the two taels of silver and smiled obsequiously. The fire kept burning, and the soup kept boiling—its fragrance was beyond belief! As he got closer to the pot, his legs felt weak, and saliva started flowing uncontrollably.

"No." The young servant circled around him and went to the pot, ladling out a few slices of bacon, then bamboo shoots and wild onions. He quickly shoved the food into his mouth, not sparing a second to talk.

Zhao Liu stared at his shiny, greasy mouth, his expression pitiful.

The handsome man, seemingly feeling embarrassed for his subordinate, spoke in a deep voice, "Come back."

Zhao Liu glanced at the servant's bowl of rice with soup and then at the boiling pot. Reluctantly, he returned. The three men, sharing a common goal, grabbed their water pouches, drank hastily, and filled their stomachs with water. The taste in their mouths grew even blander. After sitting for a moment, each of them relieved themselves, and the water they drank quickly disappeared, leaving them hungrier. They stared at the pot with a growing green-eyed hunger.

The young servant felt a chill run down his spine from their intense gazes. He thought to himself, Since we’re parting ways tomorrow, and I may still need these three men in the afternoon and evening, perhaps I’ll give them a little charity. So, he scooped out the last remaining meat slices and broth, placing them into a large bowl. He raised his voice and said, "There’s a little stew left. Would you like it?"

"Yes, yes, thank you, little brother!" Zhao Liu, unable to contain his impatience, rushed over. The other two, though trying to hide it, couldn’t help but gulp, their Adam’s apples bobbing uncontrollably.

The final broth was the essence of the dish. The bacon had become tender and the tofu residue was half-dissolved. The appearance wasn’t impressive, but the taste was exquisite. They broke the bread into the bowl to soak up the broth, then took a big bite. The initially hard texture was immediately replaced by a soft, savory, spicy, and fragrant sensation, making them want to swallow their tongues.

The three burly men huddled together, each holding a piece of bread to dip into the broth, even sandwiching bacon between two pieces of bread, eating eagerly and quickly. Eventually, only a little broth was left. The handsome man narrowed his eyes, and the other two dared not touch it. They watched with teary eyes as their leader broke the bread into pieces and threw them into the bowl, slurping up every last drop.

When Zhao Liu returned the bowl, his face was flushed, not because of embarrassment, but because the bowl was so clean—far shinier than if it had been washed with water.