Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Temptation of Braised Meat

Ming Lingyi wasn’t clear on what happened after that.

Because her eyes were covered by Li Yun’s large hands.

But the sound of a man’s wretched screams certainly reached her ears.

When Ming Lingyi awoke on the soft couch, she felt a little disoriented.

She reached up and placed the back of her hand on her forehead. ’Perhaps it was because I’d been listening to Yao Niang’s story that I had such a muddled dream about Li Yun. Or maybe Li Yun wasn’t the point at all. The real point was probably that woman from the Northern Land I once met by chance.’

After a moment to collect herself, as if fully waking up, Ming Lingyi finally got up from the soft couch.

After freshening up and tying a cotton kerchief around her head, Ming Lingyi went out to the front of the shop.

Xiao Chun had already finished kneading the dough and was now in the back kitchen, peeling garlic.

Ming Lingyi picked up a wooden plaque and wrote on it in large characters: "Golden Jiji Qiong Ban."

Ji, in this case, referred to a mix of seasonings like minced scallions, ginger, and garlic. Since sesame paste noodles were a type of mixed noodle, the name was a perfect fit.

After writing the name, Ming Lingyi added the price below, just like on the other wooden plaques she had hung up before.

A bowl of Golden Jiji Qiong Ban was thirty-five wen.

Then, Ming Lingyi brought out a large clay pot from the back kitchen. She had bought this before the new year at a market in the suburb of the capital. It was from the same vendor where she’d bought the small earthenware jars. It wasn’t much to look at, with no beautiful patterns on it—plain and unremarkable. And so, its price was also plain and unremarkable.

Ming Lingyi had Xiao Chun fetch the pork offal from the cellar. After washing it clean, she first blanched it, adding scallions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and even a little expensive black pepper.

After this deodorizing step, she scooped it out and set it aside.

Although Xiao Chun firmly believed that her lady could do anything well and that anything she cooked would smell delicious, at this moment, she couldn’t help but gag a few times.

’This stinks so bad!’

’I have no idea what my lady intends to do with this pork offal. We’ve never even eaten pork before!’

Ming Lingyi also felt a little nauseated, but according to the recipe she knew from before, there shouldn’t be any major mistakes.

Next, she began to prepare the braising liquid.

First, she soaked all the seasonings in warm water. Then, she put cool oil into an iron wok, added rock sugar, and slowly heated it over a low flame. The rock sugar gradually melted, forming bubbles, almost like strings of fish eyes, before finally turning a translucent and alluring amber color.

When Ming Lingyi noticed the color in the wok turn a light amber and smelled the aroma of caramel, she immediately poured in a large bowl of boiling water.

With a "TSSSSSS—", the hot oil and sugar, like startled sparrows, splattered everywhere, setting off a series of crackles and pops.

Ming Lingyi dodged quickly enough to avoid being splattered by the oil.

She stirred the water and oil mixture until uniform, then ladled it out to be used later.

Into the clay pot, she poured water and added star anise, cassia bark, and cardamom, along with the caramelized sugar-oil mixture and soy sauce. These were the main ingredients for the braising liquid, determining its flavor and color. Next, she added flavor-enhancing spices like bay leaves, fennel seeds, amomum, and cloves. Finally, she put in dried tangerine peel and dried ginger, among other things, which would further eliminate any gamy taste from the meat. After simmering for a while, the aromas of these spices would be slowly released, eventually masking the original smell of the ingredients and becoming incredibly fragrant.

In fact, not long after the water came to a boil, the aroma of the braising liquid began to gradually fill the kitchen.

It wasn’t very strong at first, but little by little, the scent grew richer and richer.

Just a moment ago, Xiao Chun had been utterly disgusted. But once the pork offal was dropped into the boiling braising liquid in the clay pot, she couldn’t help but lean in, her gaze naturally falling upon the pot.

She took a deep breath.

’It smells amazing!’

’I’m already tempted to scoop some out for a bite.’

Ming Lingyi watched Xiao Chun’s peering with amusement. "Stop staring. Even if you stare a hole through it, you won’t get to eat it today."

Xiao Chun let out a surprised "Ah?" and turned around, bewildered. "We’re not eating it today?"

Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her practically drooling. "Braised meat that soaks overnight becomes more fragrant and flavorful. It’s best after a day."

After saying this, she smiled again. "For today, you’ll just have to bear with it."

Xiao Chun sighed. "Alright."

Although she agreed verbally, her eyes remained glued to the clay pot, unwilling to leave it for even a second.

’It smells so good!’

’It was so stinky before, but now! It’s just too fragrant! I will never admit I was disgusted by it earlier.’

Because of this braised meat aroma, which was growing richer and becoming almost irresistibly pervasive, Ming’s Restaurant welcomed its first customer before it was even time for dinner.

’My purse is in danger today,’ Du Xuan thought. He had actually been planning on ordering that crispy, savory pork from lunch again for his last meal. He’d spent the entire afternoon in his shop, unable to stop reliving the taste.

But unexpectedly, just past the middle of the afternoon, he smelled the deep, rich aroma of braised meat.

He was used to smelling braised meat from many cooked food stalls, but none of them had an aroma quite like this one. It wasn’t just the scent of soy sauce and various braising spices; there was also a faint, sweet fragrance.

Just from the smell, an image of the sauce bubbling "GURGLE GURGLE" in a pot couldn’t help but appear in Du Xuan’s mind. He swallowed hard, stood at the entrance of his shop, and peered out, confirming that the aroma was indeed coming from Ming’s Restaurant.

Du Xuan was torn. ’Maybe... I’ll have the braised dish for dinner tonight?’

’But that pork belly was so good! I can’t just give up on it!’

’This is torture!’

Finally, Du Xuan slapped his own slightly chubby thigh. ’Forget it! Why should an adult have to choose? I’ll have both! So what if I get a little fatter? So what if I spend a little more silver! This smell is killing me! It’s not that I lack self-control; it’s that Mrs. Ming’s choice of location is just too cruel! It’s right across the street from my shop. Isn’t this just a deliberate attempt to torture me to death with temptation?’

’Oh, whatever! Neighbors should look out for each other’s businesses. That’s what it means to be a good citizen of Dayan!’

And so, Mr. Du enthusiastically pushed aside the door curtain of Ming’s Restaurant. The moment he entered, he bellowed, "Xiao Chun, bring me a serving of the Glistening Honey-Glazed Crispy Pork, and another serving of whatever you’re braising now!"

Xiao Chun poked her head out from the kitchen. Seeing Mr. Du already seated at a table, a smile appeared on her chubby face. "Mr. Du, we’re not serving what you just ordered tonight! The Glistening Honey-Glazed Crispy Pork won’t be ready until noon tomorrow, and as for the braised meat, that’ll also be available tomorrow!"

"How is that possible? Am I not the first one here? How is the braised meat already gone!?" To Du Xuan, Xiao Chun’s words were like a bolt from the blue. He had just gone through so much trouble to convince himself to eat his fill tonight, regardless of the fat on his waist. ’But—but how could everything be gone?!’