Chapter 147

Chapter 147

Sun Anyuan originally wanted to go with Lin Chunyan alone, but obviously, that wasn’t possible today. When they heard about it, a crowd of people rushed out of the house, all saying they wanted to go to the establishment to have a look.

“We have to try the roast duck before coming back.”

“Come on, you’ve had roast duck so many times, and you’re still saying that?”

“Is it the same? Yan Niang said the duck roasted in the new oven tastes different from the one roasted in the bread kiln.”

When they were about to leave, they realized Sun Anyuan was still there. Mrs. Zhang looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Don’t you need to go work?”

Someone burst out laughing, and Sun Anyuan, feeling embarrassed, didn’t linger any longer. He glanced at Lin Chunyan before leaving slowly.

“He knows when to make himself scarce. Pretty perceptive, huh?”

Sister Wei Ruo, who had just heard the news, hurried over. She was quite nervous. Most of their ducks had already been moved to the mountains, and these were the few they had just caught.

When they arrived at the establishment, they saw that the massive oven was now set up in the backyard, towering and impressive.

“No wonder we had to call in Sun Biaotou for help. This large oven isn’t something an ordinary blacksmith could make.”

Lin Chunyan checked it thoroughly, cleaning it inside and out before bringing over the plucked ducks.

The duck feathers were also kept. Lin Chunyan said that the down could be used for insulation and was even more effective than wool, so no one was willing to throw it away.

“This oven can roast seven or eight ducks at once, making things much easier.”

The slaughtering of the ducks for roasting was also different. A hole was made above the wing, and the internal organs were taken out.

Sister Wei Ruo couldn’t hide her smile. As the aroma wafted from the oven, she saw that Lin Chunyan had already prepared the small pancakes and side dishes, arranging them on a full plate.

“Cucumber strips, scallion strips, carrot strips, and white sugar… What is this?”

They hadn’t prepared so many side dishes and condiments when eating at home before. Now that they were preparing to sell it seriously, they naturally needed more variety.

“This is osmanthus syrup.”

The osmanthus flowers were in full bloom in August, which was also when the ducks were at their plumpest, so this syrup was essential.

The ducks had to be taken out once during roasting to have a crispy glaze poured over them. This mixture was made from honey, osmanthus flowers, and malt candy water.

This method made the skin of the roast duck crispy, while the meat inside remained tender and fresh.

The first batch of roast ducks was kept for themselves. Even those working outside, Tutor Duan and Zhao Liu, were called in. Seeing the sliced roast ducks laid out on the table, they couldn’t help but marvel.

“Just looking at the golden duck skin, you know this roast duck must be delicious.”

Lin Taohong and the others had already started eating. They put three or four slices of roast duck into the small pancakes, added cucumber strips, scallion strips, and spread some special sauce over them. Whether it was the white sugar that brought out the flavor or the roast duck was just that good, they all ate with great relish.

After a few bites, Zhao Liu reluctantly put down his chopsticks and asked Lin Chunyan to reserve a roast duck for him. “I’ll take one home to my old mother to try later.”

Everyone knew how much he cared for his mother. Lin Chunyan smiled and agreed, “We’ll roast one for you just before closing.”

“I’ll take two.”

Tutor Duan held up one finger. Now that Yellow Lady earned more than him and was very busy, she couldn’t spare the time to cook. Every day, Tutor Duan had to bring home some food. Thinking that this roast duck was so delicious, two might not be enough. His little lady at home could eat quite a lot, so he changed his mind, “Forget it, I’ll take three instead.”

"I’ll get one too." Hu Daqiang saw that Zhao Liu had already gone out to work, so he didn’t delay any longer and hurried to leave.

Sister Wei Ruo didn’t leave empty-handed either. She took the last remaining roast duck back in a food box. When no one else was around, Mrs. Zhang spoke to Lin Chunyan, "Yan Niang, why do we need to use white sugar inside? That costs a lot!"

Lin Chunyan was also unsure about using white sugar, as it was indeed expensive, but without it, the flavor of the roast duck didn’t seem to come together.

This time, Lin Taohong sided with Mrs. Zhang as well, "I think mother is right. Let’s not use white sugar. The other dipping sauces are delicious enough."

Lin Chunyan was still unsure when Zhao Liu came over laughing, "Boss, there are already customers outside asking for our roast duck. They’re asking when it’ll be ready."

While they were tasting the duck earlier, the next batch had already been prepared. Lin Chunyan said, "Just wait another quarter of an hour. It’ll be ready soon."

Lin Taohong went outside to take a look and saw that they were all familiar faces. She greeted them first. Aunt Liu smiled, "Working as a helper in your establishment must be great. You get to try all the new dishes first."

Zhao Liu and Hu Daqiang were both chuckling.

When Aunt Liu arrived, she noticed the place was empty and waited. When Zhao Liu finally came out, she learned they had gone to eat roast duck.

There were also those more informed. When Lin Chunyan brought the ducks over earlier, some had already guessed they would be eating roast duck that day. One of them even sent an idler to keep an eye on things.

Ye Xianhan had made sure to line up first, even before Wang Xianhan. In the past, Wang Xianhan was the leader of the group, and everyone treated him with respect.

However, ever since the incident at Hehua Restaurant, his reputation had taken a hit, and many people had started following Ye Xianhan and Lin the idler instead. This made Wang Xianhan feel quite uneasy.

Seeing Ye Xianhan line up first again, Wang Xianhan couldn’t help but make some sarcastic remarks, "I heard you have roast duck for sale today. Since your family always delivers duck and goose eggs, maybe you’ll get some extra money. You must be laughing all the way to the bank."

Ye Xianhan nodded with a smile, ignoring Wang Xianhan's sarcasm, "That's right! Not just my family, but the whole village will be thrilled to hear about this!"

Wang Xianhan wasn’t sure if Ye Xianhan really didn’t understand or was pretending, but he didn’t continue. Lin Taohong, known for her short temper, had already come over.

"What are you guys talking about?" Lin Taohong asked.

Ye Xianhan briefly explained, "When will the roast duck be ready? My client sent me here early to wait."

"It’ll be ready soon, but I don’t know if there will be enough for everyone."

Lin Taohong looked at the increasing number of people in the establishment, all of whom had come after hearing the news. With only eight ducks per batch, it would be hard to satisfy everyone for a while.

In the backyard, Lin Chunyan was worried about the number of ducks after hearing from Hu Daqiang about the orders. She quickly sent him to run an errand and have Sister Wei Ruo bring more ducks over.

Lin Cuixiang in the kitchen and Zhao Zilan were both busy. Only Lin Chunyan and Mrs. Zhang were handling the roast duck, and they couldn’t help but worry about not having enough ducks.

"We originally planned to do two batches a day since roast duck is indeed quite expensive."

"Today is the first day of selling, and many people came for the novelty. We may not see this many customers every day going forward."

"That’s true. Maybe we should offer half portions so more people can try it."

Sister Wei Ruo was halfway there when Hu Daqiang caught up to her. He had run all the way and only dared to stop when he saw her, still panting as he spoke.

"What’s going on?"

"We need to grab a few more ducks and send them over. There are too many orders!"

As soon as Sister Wei Ruo heard this, she jumped up and quickened her pace. She didn’t wait for Hu Daqiang and rushed back by herself.

Mashi stayed behind with Hui Jier and Wang Yingniang at home. Wang Yingniang, feeling restless, was helping with chores in the yard when she saw Sister Wei Ruo rush by.

She quickly stood up and stopped Sister Wei Ruo, who was heading up the mountain. "Why are you in such a hurry? Is everything okay?"

Wei Ruojie, unaware of the situation at Lin’s establishment and Mrs. Ma’s place, immediately took her along to help with the ducks. "Too many people came to eat the roast duck. I need to send more ducks over."

When they got to the hill where the ducks were kept, they were all exhausted from catching and slaughtering the ducks, but they didn’t even have time to rest before rushing back to Lin’s establishment.

Mashi went with Hu Daqiang, and when the two of them arrived at the establishment, they saw that Hu Daqiang was right—the place was already full, and there were even more idlers waiting outside than before.

"The ducks are here! Make way! There'll be roast duck soon."

Mrs. Zhang was tiptoeing at the door, waiting. As soon as she saw them, she quickly ushered them inside. Hu Daqiang placed the ducks in the backyard before finally catching his breath and asking, "Why did so many people suddenly come?"

Mrs. Zhang was fuming. "Some idler yelled outside, attracting even more people."

She had already mastered using the iron stove and didn’t need Lin Chunyan’s help—Lin Chunyan was making small pancakes in the kitchen; otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough to eat.

When Mashi arrived at the backyard, she first scanned the area with her eyes. She knew this was where Lan Jier and Hui Jier lived, and it was even better than where they lived. Her heart warmed toward Mrs. Zhang, and she felt grateful, stepping forward to help voluntarily.

"Just a few days ago, we had swimming crabs, and now we have this roast duck. I only wish my stomach were bigger to eat more." Old Man Qin made a few remarks when he arrived.

Mr. Zhao, standing nearby, wasn’t shy about pointing that out. "Your stomach is small? If you drank less alcohol, I bet you could eat two plates of roast duck by yourself."

"That won’t do. I can’t drink any less alcohol."

Seeing Hu Daqiang return with so many ducks, Old Man Qin quickly asked him to set aside two portions. "I need to take some home for my family to try. This is quite a rarity."

"It sure is rare. I didn’t get to eat any before." Sun the Constable said before asking Mr. Zhao, "Have you seen this anywhere else?"

Mr. Zhao shook his head. "This is my first time eating it too! I didn’t like duck before. There was always a smell I couldn’t stand."

But this roast duck had none of that off-putting smell.

Besides the sliced roast duck, the duck frames were also stir-fried and served, much cheaper compared to the price of the roast duck.

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mr. Shen sent different flavors of mooncakes to his old classmates and included Mr. Zhao's food journal.

Anyone could see that the mooncakes were just an excuse; what he really wanted was to show off the book written by his son-in-law.

Some of Mr. Shen’s close friends flipped through the book and couldn’t help but salivate at the descriptions of the food, eager to try them.

Since they had some mooncakes sent by Mr. Shen, they tried one and were immediately captivated by the salted egg yolk flavor, exclaiming how delicious it was.

Even after the Mid-Autumn Festival was over, Wang Yingniang still made two pots of mooncakes every day, though the shapes had changed slightly, mostly flower-shaped, but the filling still had that same taste.

The young servant returned and saw that the establishment had many more people than usual. Upon inquiring, he found out it was because they were selling roast duck today.

Since it was the first day of sale, there were more people, and they had to wait a while to get some.

The young servant bought half a serving to try. It wasn’t easy for him to come all this way, but the master had given him enough reward money, so this meal was a treat for himself.

Unexpectedly, the roast duck was so delicious that he bought an extra portion to take back, hoping to earn some credit.

When Lin Chunyan got tired of rolling the small pancakes, Lin Cuixiang and Zhao Zilan helped her. They didn’t need to cook many other dishes since everyone came for the roast duck.

Even after all the ducks were sold, some people still didn’t get any. Lin Chunyan didn’t intend to make more and just told them to come earlier tomorrow.

Tutor Duan finished the calculations, his eyes crinkling with satisfaction. In the end, they agreed with Mrs. Zhang’s suggestion. They decided against adding sugar on top, which saved on costs and allowed them to earn more.

"Second Auntie, you should take a rest too. You’ve been helping us all day without getting anything in return."

"I didn’t do much, but I didn’t expect your place to be so busy!"

Mashi really wanted to help out at the shop but was afraid that Lin Chunyan and the others wouldn't agree, so she didn’t bring it up. She just said she had nothing else to do these days, "I’ll come again tomorrow to help you roast the ducks."

When she went back that night, she didn’t leave with Mrs. Zhang and the others. Instead, she waited for Lan Jier and Hui Jier to arrive, wanting to squeeze in with them.

"We can’t keep troubling you like this."

Mrs. Zhang not letting Mashi sleep with them made her feel a little uneasy, worried that they’d kick her out after just a couple of days.

When Lan Jier and Hui Jier came back, they were taken aback by Mashi’s eager smile.

In the end, it was Hui Jier who spoke up, "Maybe we can let her stay for one night. She’s been working all day."

Hui Jier was always the softer one between the two.

Lan Jier didn’t know what to do. No one else could make a decision for them in this matter. Even Lin Chunyan was waiting for the two of them to decide.

If they asked, Lin Chunyan would definitely let Mashi stay and give her some work to do.

Lan Jier sighed and turned away, not knowing what else to say.

Seeing this, Mashi quickly pulled Hui Jier aside and started talking fast.

On the way back, Lin Taohong was still worried about how Mashi might treat Lan Jier and Hui Jier.

"With Mrs. Song there watching, nothing major will happen. After all, they are mother and daughter. We can’t keep them apart without giving them a chance to talk."

Lin Chunyan was still concerned about the roast duck. Sister Wei Ruo didn’t have that many ducks yet, and if it weren’t for the iron stove being ready, they would have to postpone selling for a bit longer.

When Lin Taohong found out, she mentioned that there were many people raising ducks and geese in Ye Xianhan’s village, "The goose eggs that mother wanted to hatch back then were given by them."

"Why bring this up again?" Mrs. Zhang, recalling that time, also felt a bit absurd and couldn’t help but chuckle.

"If those chicks hadn’t hatched successfully, you would have nagged me even longer."

The three of them weren’t in a hurry to go home. Instead, they turned to a village that grew cotton, planning to collect some directly.

Buying directly from here was much cheaper than buying at the shop.

It was well known that this village sold cotton, and many people came to buy it. Mrs. Zhang had already inquired that they should go to the third house south of the village entrance, as they were said to be honest in their dealings.

When they went there, they also saw Madam Song and Meizi selling fish soup.

As soon as Meizi saw Lin Taohong, she grabbed her hand and started chattering, "You’ve been too busy recently. I couldn’t talk to you much when I went to the shop."

Lin Chunyan greeted Madam Song, and the two of them started selecting cotton. Madam Song spoke softly to Lin Chunyan while they did so.

"I’ve found a good match for Meizi, and we’re planning to have a man come to live with us. If everything goes well, it’ll be around this time next year."

Having a man come to live with them was the same as marrying off a daughter. Madam Song also needed to prepare all the quilts and other necessities in advance, which was why she had brought Meizi along to pick them out.

Meizi obviously knew what they were talking about, her ears turning a little red as she pulled Lin Taohong away to chat privately.

Lin Chunyan first congratulated Madam Song. As long as the person was well chosen, Madam Song’s household would be able to stand firm and wouldn’t have to worry about being bullied anymore.

This household not only sold cotton but also helped to fluff it up, using a small bow made of bamboo. Although it wasn’t perfectly even, it was usable in quilts.

Originally, cotton wasn't widely grown in their area, and many people relied on straw to keep warm in the winter. With the introduction of cotton, more and more people started making cotton quilts to survive the cold winters.

This family not only negotiated the cotton for them but also gave them their address and offered delivery, which made things quite convenient.

With this matter settled, Lin Chunyan was only concerned about stocking up on coal in a few days, finally free from worries about the winter.

The remaining task was to sun the bean paste sauce during the last stretch of the Indian summer.

Although it was called bean paste sauce, watermelon was also added. The best soybeans had to be hand-picked, without any bad ones.

After selection, they were soaked in cold water, boiled in a pot, placed on a sieve, and covered with straw. After about seven or eight days, a layer of mold would grow.

Like with leek flower sauce, these things couldn't be rushed, but once started, the product would eventually be made.

Zhang Xiaojiu arrived early with Dabao and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t spot Mrs. Ma.

Mrs. Zhang, with a sarcastic tone, asked, "You sure have a clever plan, dumping her on us like this?"

On the way back, Mrs. Zhang had brought Mrs. Ma along, and Mrs. Ma had voiced her concerns, always suspecting that Zhang Xiaojiu had someone else and that’s why he wanted to divorce her.

This nagged at Mrs. Zhang. Although she didn’t like Mrs. Ma, she didn’t want anyone else to go through what she had experienced.

Zhang Xiaojiu’s face turned red, stammering, "Big sister, I can’t control Mrs. Ma. If she could come to work, at least she’d have something to occupy her mind."

Mrs. Zhang scrutinized his expression and called Dabao aside to ask him many questions.

The more Zhang Xiaojiu listened, the more something felt off. "Big sister, what are you suspecting?"

"Nothing much, just feeling that your sudden divorce with Mrs. Ma seems off. I’m afraid you might be making a mistake."

Zhang Xiaojiu chuckled awkwardly. "How could I have the guts for that! Besides, there are three children to take care of; I can’t just ignore them."

Mrs. Zhang didn’t continue discussing the matter, but Zhang Xiaojiu asked about Mrs. Ma’s work arrangement. "As long as she has food to eat."

"Look at how you’re speaking. Not only would your wife dislike hearing that, but I’m also not happy about it."

Fortunately, Lin Chunyan arrived at that moment, handing him some newly made ham and giving many instructions, allowing Zhang Xiaojiu to escape Mrs. Zhang’s scrutiny.

This time, Zhang Xiaojiu was going out with the security company, and Sun Anyuan had also been invited by Lin Chunyan.

Since Zhang Xiaojiu was Lin Chunyan’s elder and had run goods outside several times, Sun Anyuan was very respectful, bowing and greeting him as soon as he arrived.

Zhang Xiaojiu had dealt with him before and felt quite pleased, noticing Dabao stared in awe, clearly impressed.

Zhang Xiaojiu had a thought: if things got tough, he could send Dabao to train in martial arts.

At least he’d have a trade to fall back on.

Before they left, Lin Chunyan brought them to her establishment and treated them to a roast duck dinner.

At the establishment, Zhang Xiaojiu and Dabao also saw Mrs. Ma. She was helping to make roast duck in the courtyard. Though she couldn’t slice it as thinly yet, she already had a bit of a stance, looking quite proficient.

The last time they went back, Zhang Xiaojiu and Mrs. Ma hadn’t spoken much. Mrs. Ma’s expression had been gloomy, and she wasn’t as affectionate as before, which made Dabao hesitate to approach her even though he wanted to.

After that, Dabao didn’t have the chance again.