Chapter 591: Chapter 565: Simmering a Pot of Soup for Three Days

Then, it simmered for another eight hours.

After that, the soup was frozen, and all the fat floating on top was removed completely. By the time this step was completed, two days had unknowingly passed until now.

The final step of simmering the soup only takes two hours. For the final simmering, Wang Fan decided to move everything to the market to finish.

There is one thing he feels a bit sorry for his diners about, which is that this vat of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is only available to those over 60 years old.

This dish can’t possibly make it into the Northeast boxed meals; if it did, there wouldn’t be enough savings to cover the costs.

It looks like a big vat, but Wang Fan estimates it’s enough for at most a hundred servings, and each serving wouldn’t be a lot.

With the vat and the soup and ingredients, at least two hundred pounds, Wang Fan definitely couldn’t handle it on his own, so he asked Brother Gang for help.

Brother Gang gladly agreed, with the condition of getting a free meal.

It’s not that he couldn’t afford the meal, but rather the thrill of a free meal is very satisfying.

"Brother Wang, what do you have in this vat?"

Feeling the weight in his hands, Brother Gang couldn’t help but ask curiously.

"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

These three simple words made Brother Gang open his mouth wide: "Goodness, you dare to make such a high-end dish? This vat must cost tens of thousands?"

Wang Fan chuckled: "More or less, but in these recent days, many people have been paying extra, so it doesn’t actually cost that much."

Brother Gang gave a thumbs up: "No wonder I get along so well with Brother Wang."

The two chatted while carrying the big vat inside, attracting the attention of the vegetable vendors and buyers on the road, who all turned to look, wondering what Wang Fan was selling in this vat.

Wang Fan didn’t explain. Once this vat of deliciousness is complete, it will tell everyone what it is by itself.

Once at the stall, Wang Fan took out the golden jelly from the basin.

He placed the skimmed golden broth on the chopping board, its dark golden color jiggling and dancing like jelly.

He sliced the golden jelly with a knife, revealing a smooth texture without any bubbles or impurities inside. Once cut, it was reheated to turn back into soup.

Seasoned with fish sauce and colored with soy sauce, nothing else was added.

For cooking Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a vat is used. Once the soup is boiled, abalone, Liaoning sea cucumber, conpoy, mushrooms, fish maw, fish lips, winter melon, pigeon eggs, tendons, and sea snail heads are all added into the vat.

This dish used to include shark fin, but Wang Fan himself really dislikes it; it’s simply something pushed by capital, and it’s legally prohibited now, as Wang Fan is a law-abiding citizen.

As time passed, more and more people gathered in the market, but the sound of bargaining and talking gradually quieted down.

A rich, thick, and incredibly fragrant aroma began to permeate the market.

Everyone kept glancing at Wang Fan’s stall, at that huge vat.

The aroma had a meaty richness and a seafood freshness, skillfully blending into a soul-stirring deliciousness.

Brother Gang was constantly by the vat, now feeling that his nose wasn’t enough.

Fortunately, all the pores on his body had opened up, greedily absorbing this pure and perfect aroma.

With prolonged simmering, the flavors of the soaked abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, sea conch, tendons and other dry goods were gradually released more, making the aroma more intense; everyone turned to look at the vat, and time seemed to freeze for an instant.

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Fan placed his hand on the vat cover and gently lifted it.

"Whew..."

Wang Fan felt as if a biting gust of wind hit his face, and the intensely wonderful aroma was so strong that it nearly knocked him over.

The flavors of meats, seafood, mushrooms, and all sorts of ingredients were activated, pressed, and blended, bursting forth at the moment the vat cover was lifted. The variety of tastes, the richness of layers, and the unmistakable umami were definitely the most striking Wang Fan had ever encountered in his life.

Moreover, all the ingredients had merged into one, forming various singular delicacies, even Wang Fan’s nose couldn’t deduce all the ingredients used.

Brother Gang was now feeling a bit existentially doubtful; in that moment, he felt like a scene from an anime had come to life.

When Brother Wang lifted the cover, he felt as if his hair was being blown wildly by a fierce gale.

But that was impossible, because his hair wasn’t that long.

However, the overwhelming and rich aroma truly made him feel that his sense of smell was inadequate.

It’s like a cat that can only see a few colors, so the world is a patchwork of colors in its eyes; his nose simply wasn’t sensitive enough to detect the limits of this fragrance.

But he could responsibly tell everyone that in all the restaurants he had ever dined at, never had any flavor assaulted him so powerfully.

And it was just based on aroma alone!

Incredible indeed!

Brother Gang had eaten Buddha Jumps Over the Wall before, but one that could have as much impact on him as this, he’d never encountered.

If he could take just one bite, going through life in such a straightforward way might as well be worth it.

However...

It seems I’m not going to get a taste?!

"Sniff..."

"Sniff sniff..."

"Sniff sniff sniff..."

It seemed as if the market had spontaneously started a game to see who had the largest lung capacity.

The sounds of deep inhalation, the raised chests, and the closed eyes basking in intoxication revealed identical expressions, all indicating how successful Wang Fan’s vat of traditional Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, his first Golden Legend Level creation, was!

Having recovered, Wang Fan took out long chopsticks, skillfully picking up the ingredients into bowls. After two hours of simmering, all the ingredients had become QQ bouncy and tender.

The colors and shapes of the sea cucumber, abalone, fish maw, and other ingredients complimented each other in the bowl, looking very pleasing to the eye.

Finally, he placed a few pigeon eggs on top and ladled a spoonful of gold broth from the vat, letting it slowly drizzle down; the golden broth shimmered like a golden ribbon under the sunlight and lamp light, and the ingredients touched by the golden broth started to twinkle like sparkling stars.

"Golden Legend!"

That brainwashing phrase popped into everyone’s mind automatically, and no one felt any incongruity.

"Grandpa Jiang, Auntie Li, and all you grandpas and aunties, I made this dish with the extra money our little ones in Wudu have given me over these few days. It’s called Blessings and Longevity. We, the younger generation in Wudu, deeply appreciate the contributions of your generation, and we also wish you all blessings and longevity in the days ahead."

Compared to the name Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, the meaning of Blessings and Longevity is better, and it’s not as well-known, making it so that these elders won’t easily understand its real value, eating without any psychological burden.

If they knew that the small bowl Wang Fan had in hand was worth several hundred, they would find it hard to eat in peace.

Wang Fan’s words moved many of the grandpas and aunties to tears; for a moment, they felt a warmth they had never experienced before.

Grandpa Jiang’s previously thin but very steady large hands now trembled slightly, indicating how moved he was.

Looking at the unfamiliar things in the bowl, Grandpa Jiang asked hesitantly: "Isn’t this bowl expensive?"

He feared Wang Fan might be losing too much.

Wang Fan burst into laughter: "Don’t be fooled by the aroma, it’s only this fragrant because of my cooking skills. This bowl is filled with cheap dried ingredients, nothing that costs much, so just eat with peace of mind."

Brother Gang rolled his eyes, not afraid of the truth nor lies, but what you dread is mixed truths.

When others speak highly of their own cooking skills, it might sound boastful; but for Brother Wang to say so is just stating facts. As for the rest, it’s completely false.

But he also understood the intention behind what Wang Fan said, and showed a naive smile, echoing: "Grandpa, just eat it! These things aren’t worth much and are very good for health; like this black worm, in the Northeast it’s everywhere, our national soccer team eats it every day."

Wang Fan gave Brother Gang a stiff look, thinking that this thick-browed, kind-faced person telling lies had such high credibility.

Mount Everest-level credibility!

Whose sea cucumbers grow on mountains? Much less blanketing the mountains?

What grows on the mountains is Changbai Mountain Ginseng, not Liaoning Sea Cucumber.

But you have to say, those with thick eyebrows and kind faces are just more believable. After hearing Brother Gang, Grandpa Jiang and other grandpas and aunties visibly looked more relaxed.

It’s fortunate that Wudu is not a coastal city, and there’s no seafood stall in this market, otherwise the truth would surely be exposed.