112. Washing the cauldron and cold furnace for porridge

The King Manor under the jurisdiction of the Wangfu is distributed in various places, most of which are in Gyeonggi, there are also some tea mountain tea gardens and orchards in the south, and some cattle and sheep pastures in the north.

Previously, Pei Nianyu had made a decision to send some shadow guards to various villages on errands, but as the Laba Festival was approaching, he decided to let them go after the Laba Festival and return home before New Year's Day.

Fortunately, the location of Capital City is in the middle, and one of the responsibilities of the shadow guards is to pass on the news, and they rush over there with ease, much faster than a fast horse.Those who go to the suburbs of Beijing are fine, but those who go to other states and counties will have to work harder.

So Pei Nianyu called He Qi and arranged the task.He Qi saw that these shadow guards rarely got a "task", so naturally he went to arrange it immediately.

Pei Nianyu said again:

"I'm also making a temporary decision, so time is tight, some. You sent to Zhuangzi's shadow guards outside Capital City. I'm afraid it will be a bit rushed. The distance is long, and this journey is quite hard. Old He, youRemember to arrange subsidies for them.”

He Qi was taken aback for a moment:

"What is a 'subsidy'?"

Pei Nianyu took it for granted:

"It's...travel expenses. The so-called travel expenses, for example, the shadow guards have to pay for going out, eating and lodging outside. If you change your horse for light work, you have to feed the horse. If something happens..."

"In short, when you go out, there are many places that cost money here and there. Remember to arrange enough for them."

He Qi was dumbfounded:

"Master, this matter is almost unheard of. Their shadow guards usually receive enough salary. Such an easy task of running errands in other places, how can we give them some other 'travel expenses'..."

This is a matter of perception.The monthly salary is private property, and there must be a corresponding specification when going out to do business. How could his King Yu Palace be like a small workshop company.

The three views couldn't be communicated, so Pei Nianyu didn't bother to reason with him, and directly forced him to implement it.

"This... yes, thank you, Master. This subordinate will arrange it now, and let them finish it and come back as soon as possible."

"Well, let's go."

Before He Qi left, he thought of one more thing to say.But... the master just wanted to say that he would increase the benefits generously, and it was a bit difficult to say that.

He Qi hesitated to speak, but Pei Nianyu turned his head to inspect his Laba porridge ingredients, but didn't see it.

………………

He Qi arranged the tasks of the shadow guards, thought for a while, and turned to Lou Yefeng's room.

I'm too embarrassed to talk to the owner, but I can talk to their dear former leader!Besides, Lou Yefeng is now the instructor of the shadow guards. Pei Nianyu also said before that it is his responsibility to ensure the quality of life of the shadow guards.

Lou Yefeng welcomes He Qi into the door.

"The poison on your body...is it okay."

"Well, after detoxification, I feel much better than before, thank you old building."

"Well, what are you here for today?"

He Qi sat down, unceremoniously poured himself a pot of tea, while thinking of words:

"It's like this, alas, this is really... I don't know how to say it. Earlier, a shadow guard sneaked up to me and asked me if my family would give them annual gifts as usual this year."

Lou Yefeng frowned:

"How can there be such a question, and the master will still withhold the end-of-year money of the shadow guards?"

"The Shadow Guard certainly didn't mean that. I think what he really wanted to ask was...is there any difference in the annual gift given by the master this year?"

Lou Yefeng frowned and thought.At the end of each year, Pei Nianyu would give the shadow guards an extra three months' monthly salary as a reward for the festival, which has become a rule.

He Qi sighed and said:

"I think it's because the master has spoiled them. The mansion has to give out money at the end of the year every year, why are they picking and choosing now! These bastards need to be cleaned up!"

Lou Yefeng chuckled lightly:

"Old He, calm down. I think they... just want the master to cook more delicious food during the Chinese New Year, so that they can spend more time than usual."

He Qi knew that Lou Yefeng had a thorough understanding of the minds of his subordinates' shadow guards, and most of what he said was not pretending, so he became even angrier:

"It's really unreasonable, and it's even more absolutely impossible. The master has already worked hard to take care of their daily snacks, how can the master be so busy just for these bastards? The master is a prince, not a cook!"

Lou Yefeng thought to himself that the lord has already regarded himself as a cook, how can you manage it, he spread his hands:

"That's why the shadow guard didn't dare to ask the master directly, so he could only ask you secretly. Don't worry about this matter, I'll discuss it with the master."

He Qi looked at him worriedly:

"Old building, if you're free... you have to blow the pillow, let the master stop spoiling them so much. Since the master has become obsessed with cooking, these shadow guards have also... oh, forget it, let's not talk, it's hard to say."

Lou Yefeng frowned slightly when he heard the words "pillow wind":

"How do you talk? Don't talk about the master."

He Qi: "Okay, okay, let's not talk."

Lou Yefeng lowered his eyes, his eyes were briefly absent-minded for a moment, and it was difficult to hide the sourness in his heart.

Old He Lianxiao, they always tease me about this...but the master has never slept with me once, and I can't even be considered as the master's bed partner, so how can we talk about "pillow wind".

Last time... the last time the master left so decisively, it has been several times. Could it be that the master really didn't like my body... But why didn't the master say it clearly...

Lou Yefeng took care that He Qi was still here, only lost his composure for a moment, then covered it up, and quickly recovered his calm expression.On the other hand, He Qi didn't notice it, and just muttered bitterly:

"These little bastards started discussing what to eat in the big kitchen today as soon as they got off their shifts all day long... If it weren't for seeing that they have never lagged behind in martial arts and homework training, I would have beaten them hard.”

Lou Yefeng squinted at him:

"You still have the nerve to tell them, if you have the ability, you should give up the daily milk tea first. I will give you back the original words - if I didn't see that you had not relaxed your vigilance during the night watch recently, and the discipline subordinates always took it to heart,I've already started beating you."

"..."

He Qi coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment:

"This is a special privilege granted by the master, allowing me to choose a cup of milk tea I like every day...It is absolutely impossible not to drink milk tea..."

Lou Yefeng smiled faintly:

"Okay, just kidding. Remember to pay attention to the deodorization steps after drinking dairy products. Don't let yourself show your whereabouts when you hide because of this."

"I'm very careful."

………………

After He Qi left, Lou Yefeng didn't pick the time, and directly told the master about this matter and his conjecture.

Pei Nianyu looked strange:

"Of course I will make some delicious food this New Year's Eve. Of course the shadow guards also have their share. Could it be that I only made my own and let them watch me eat in the dark?"

Lou Yefeng: "..."

I am asking in vain.

Unexpectedly, Pei Nianyu reminded him of one thing after his reminder:

"This year, it's really not the case to just give out money. It's really dishonest. Those shadow guards don't spend much money on weekdays. No matter how much money they give out, it won't be real."

Lou Yefeng choked for a moment, suddenly felt that what Old He said just now was quite right, his master really spoiled these little bastards...

"How about this, the money at the end of the year will be reduced from three months' money to two months, and the remaining part will be replaced with other things. Let me think about it, what should I change to..."

"Uh, what did you send out to the government officials in the mansion in the past... Ten catties of meat per person? Three dendrobium oil?"

"Master, they are homeless and jobless, do you want them to put the meat in their own houses to spoil..."

Plan one was killed.

Pei Nianyu thought again, how about a big scan of herbal diet for each of them?

Is the food worth it? A squeeze is enough. The problem is where the people come to make the different medicinal recipes every day, and it is not operable.

Option two was killed.

Make more snacks?Delicious dishes?

I have been working hard to provide their dietary standards in normal times, and it is meaningless to do the same during the New Year, not to mention that the New Year itself is to do these things.

Option three was killed.

Pei Nianyu started to go bald, and everything he posted seemed insincere. In the final analysis, it was because these shadow guards had nothing but food—

"Forget it, let me think about it for two days, let's talk about it later!"

………………

It is the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.

Pei Nianyu woke up early and began to prepare the Laba porridge.

In fact, it was a bit late to start preparing materials such as beans from the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

It's just that in the original recipe of the Dajing Dynasty, this Laba porridge was just two or three things added to the usual white porridge, so it didn't start preparing many days in advance.

Fortunately, the beans were almost soaked, so Pei Nianyu decided to make preparations during the day and start cooking Laba porridge at night.After staying up all night, the porridge will be cooked in the morning of Laba tomorrow.

Then tomorrow, after the porridge is finished, the fruits will be displayed, and the ones that should be given away will be sent out, but they can barely make it in time.

He called Yun Shao, and along with Qin Lei, the head of the restaurant in the mansion, commanded:

"Qin Lei, how many larger pots are there in the big kitchen?"

Not long ago, because of management negligence, Pei Nianyu cleaned up the food and water for the shadow guards because of management negligence. He has been living in trepidation these days.

Although his skills are mediocre, at least he knows the importance. Before that, Yun Shao was assigned to teach some basic dishes in the big kitchen as meals for all the staff in the mansion.During that time, he was trained like a dog by Yun Shao every day, and his cooking skills improved a little.

At this time, he bowed and stood in front of the prince, not daring to breathe.Hearing the words, he hurriedly said:

"Yes, yes, there are a few of the largest porridge pots in the mansion, both copper and iron, but they are really big, and they are not used in daily life."

"The bigger the better, don't be afraid that you won't be able to carry it. The king asked the shadow guard to move it here, and then you can find some large pieces of firewood that can withstand burning."

"yes."

"How did you clean up the beans and rice that I asked you to soak yesterday? Have you cleaned them?"

"What, you still need to clean... clean..., my lord, you didn't order yesterday..."

Qin Lei was sweating profusely.

Pei Nianyu: "..."

You really can't teach children, what do you think if you don't wash the ingredients for cooking porridge?!Isn't this the basic common sense of cooking?

Yun Shao on the side didn't miss every opportunity to piss off this idiot apprentice, and immediately said:

"My lord, don't worry. The servant girl knows that this bastard's brain won't be able to think about it. So I saw that it was almost soaked last night, so I washed it in advance."

"It's okay, it's okay. Let's take them together."

After a while.

"Have you found the big iron pot? There are a total of... Let me see, there are ten of them. It's almost enough. You are in the big kitchen... Forget it, the pot is too big, it must be placed in the yard.It's the stove in the backyard of Hanqiu Pavilion, I have to keep an eye on it."

Not long after, there were more than a dozen shadow guards standing in the yard, all of them looked excited - they just ate the delicious food made by the master before, but they didn't expect to have the opportunity to participate in cooking by themselves today.

Because the pot is about several feet long, it is extremely huge, and even the pot and spoon are very long, almost reaching the height of a person.Ordinary people who haven't learned internal skills can't even stir a spoon.

Therefore, Pei Nianyu did not ask the chefs in the big kitchen to do this again, but called a dozen shadow guards to cook the porridge.Anyway, he is in charge of the whole process, and the shadow guards only need to be responsible for adding ingredients and stirring the pot.

"First boil red dates and red beans in white water in each pot, bring to a boil on high heat and then turn to medium heat. Don't rush the fire, and the soup should be clear. After the whole pot of soup is cooked, filter out all the dates, red beans and impurities., and then make porridge."

"yes!"

A dozen or so black-clothed shadow guards immediately moved when they heard the words, even the movements of stirring the pot were uniform and exactly the same.

Pei Nianyu: "..."

It's really eye-catching... It's not a loss to have such a bunch of shadow guards.

The ingredients of this Laba porridge are slightly complicated.Although you can put more than eight kinds of materials.But cooking is all about a certain degree. It is absolutely impossible to put too many ingredients in the same porridge at the same time. Too many and too mixed flavors will affect the taste instead.

Therefore, Pei Nianyu's plan is to use the same rice ratio as the base of the porridge in each pot, and then mix different porridge ingredients into it depending on the taste and style.

The timing and sequence of serving the porridge are also different for each kind of porridge.Coupled with the heat and the skill of turning the spoon... there are a lot of things to pay attention to.

Therefore, it is very important to determine which flavors of Laba porridge to make.

There are ten pots in total.However, there is a etiquette rule on the Laba Festival, that is, after the Laba porridge is boiled in each house, the Laba porridge should be served with a few side dishes and porridge points, and then packed into a box and sent to other good houses as a New Year's etiquette.

Although there are not many places to send congee to the King Yu Palace, there is still a pot reserved for gift giving—the porridge in this pot can only be made with the most regular and ordinary taste.

The remaining nine can allow him to play different styles.

"Uncle Gao, please go and count the sanitation personnel in the mansion these days. Xia Yao, go and record all the maids in the mansion. Yun Shao, go and count the shadow guards in the mansion..."

"Calculate the general taste of each person. The main thing is to remember whether you like to eat salty porridge or sweet porridge, the taste of rice, and what porridge fruit you don't like."

Thousands of people have thousands of people, and it is impossible for him to make more than 200 different dishes, so he can only classify them into general taste categories.

"Yes, this subordinate takes orders."

The various managers went to work separately, and the mansion seemed a little busy all of a sudden.Coupled with the slightly restless restlessness of the shadow guards who smelled a little fragrance, there began to be some atmosphere of an upcoming festival in the palace.