Lin Family Main House.
"Husband, I saw with my own eyes today a young lady and an old man returning to the village with those three ill-omened stars from the second Lin household. Do you think Ye Cheng might be planning to take a wife?" Hu Shi poured tea for Lin Changshou while pursing her lips, her face full of disdain and gossipy expression. She continued chattering, "Look at my poor son—he's not young anymore, yet he still hasn't found a wife. It's truly worrying."
"All you do is nag. Don't you think I'm anxious about our son not having found a wife?" Lin Changshou frowned impatiently and waved his hand. He picked up the teacup and drained it in one gulp, but the tea's warmth seemed unable to dispel the irritation in his heart. "Those ill-omened stars from the second Lin household are penniless. Only someone with water for brains would marry into that family. Besides, since when does a young lady come to the man's house for marriage proposals? They must be plotting something again."
Hu Shi snorted lightly at these words and retorted, "Oh, husband, you're behind the times. Things are different now—they've started doing business. I went to take a look today, and my goodness! Their stall was surrounded by three layers of people inside and three layers outside. In my opinion, earning eighty to a hundred copper coins a day is nothing for them!"
"Pah! How are they fit to do business? I say their business won't last long before going under!" Lin Changshou slammed his teacdown down with a "smack," his face full of malice, as if his words alone could immediately ruin the second Lin household's business.
~
The next day.
The dock remained as noisy as ever. Old Woman Li watched as Lin Yao packed up the stall items while slowly stirring the pot with her ladle. "Lady Lin, you're closing up shop so early today?"
Lin Yao quickened her packing pace and replied, "Yes, we have matters at home today and need to return early." Before long, the three siblings had packed up the stall and hurried home.
Just after arriving home, knocking sounded at the door. Lin Yao quickly walked to the door and opened it.
Outside stood the Wang family grandfather and granddaughter. Wang Shan slightly raised his hand, lifting the basket he carried, a smile on his face. "Lady Lin, I've brought A Yu with me."
"Master." Wang Xiaoyu bowed beside him.
"Please come in quickly." Lin Yao ushered them inside.
Lin Cheng had just moved the table from the kitchen, placing pre-prepared items on it and setting a chair beside the table. After Lin Yao brought the grandfather and granddaughter into the house, she sat down on the chair in front of the house.
Wang Xiaoyu took the bamboo basket from Wang Daye. Inside the basket were carefully prepared Six Attire Ritual Offerings. She carefully placed the bamboo basket on the stone table before Lin Yao, then straightened her slightly wrinkled clothes.
She walked up to Lin Yao, knelt on both knees, straightened her back, and respectfully clasped her hands before her chest. Her forehead lightly touched the ground as she performed a standard bow ceremony for acknowledging a master.
"Master above, please accept your disciple's bow. I, Wang Xiaoyu, am greatly fortunate to have your permission to accept me as your disciple today. Henceforth, I shall humbly learn from you, strictly adhere to your teachings, and never betray your instruction." It was rare for Wang Xiaoyu to speak such a long passage, her clear voice echoing in the quiet small courtyard.
Lin Yao gazed at the bamboo basket and the kneeling Wang Xiaoyu performing the ceremonial bow, her eyes settling on the Six Attire Ritual Offerings. Inside the basket, celery, lotus seeds, red beans, red dates, longans, and strips of dried lean meat were neatly arranged.
Old Master Wang, standing to the side, nodded slightly with a gratified smile. He took a step forward and said slowly, "Young Master Lin, these Six Attire Ritual Offerings are a small token of our sincerity. It is Xiaoyu’s great fortune to be accepted as your disciple. We humbly ask for your guidance and patience in teaching her from now on."Lin Yao accepted the basket and placed it on the table, then extended both hands to help Wang Xiaoyu up, smoothly handing her a red envelope." "This is my gift to you as your master. Since we are close in age, you may call me A Yao from now on. There’s no need to be so formal."
In truth, Lin Yao felt little psychological burden. Her actual age far exceeded Wang Xiaoyu’s, but currently, she appeared to be only a twelve-year-old girl. Hearing someone three years her senior repeatedly address her as "Master" felt somewhat awkward.
However, Wang Xiaoyu, who usually seemed easygoing, now grew stubborn and insisted earnestly, "That won’t do. Respecting one’s teacher and upholding etiquette are fundamental. It is only proper for A Yu to address you as Master."
Seeing Wang Xiaoyu’s determination, Lin Yao did not press further. She turned to Wang Shan and said, "Grandpa, I accept these Six Attire Ritual Offerings. Now that the master-disciple ceremony has been completed, Xiaoyu and I are bound by this relationship. Though I dare not claim exceptional skill, I will impart all that I know. I hope Xiaoyu will study diligently and achieve success in the culinary arts."
Wang Shan watched the scene with immense joy, nodding repeatedly. "Excellent, excellent. For Xiaoyu to have a teacher like you is truly a blessing."
With the ceremony concluded, Lin Yao invited the grandfather and granddaughter to stay for a meal. "Grandpa Wang, A Yu, on such a joyous occasion, you must stay for dinner!" This was her first disciple in this world, and it called for a proper celebration. She decided to prepare several dishes suitable for both young and old.
After some thought, Lin Yao settled on Guo Bao Rou, roasted chicken, pork bone soup, and the family’s Lu Zhu Xia Shui.
Once decided, she took Wang Xiaoyu straight into the kitchen—learning began now!
Inside the kitchen, Lin Yao first marinated the wild chicken and instructed Lin Cheng to roast it in two ke (approx. 30 minutes). She then gathered the ingredients for Guo Bao Rou.
Taking a piece of pork with balanced fat and lean meat, she sliced it into uniformly thin pieces. As she cut, she explained, "A Yu, this dish is called Guo Bao Rou. The knife skills for slicing the meat are crucial. If the slices are too thin, they’ll break easily; if too thick, they won’t fry through properly. They need to be just right—neither too thick nor too thin." Wang Xiaoyu watched intently, her eyes wide with focus.
Once the meat was sliced, it was time to marinate. Lin Yao added a bit of turbid wine to remove the gaminess, followed by a pinch of salt to enhance the base flavor.
Wang Xiaoyu leaned in closer, carefully observing Lin Yao’s movements. "Master, why add wine?"
Lin Yao paused. She had forgotten that in this era, wine was mostly seen as a leisure drink for men, rarely used in cooking. She explained, "Wine helps remove the meat’s gaminess and also enhances its aroma."
"I see," Wang Xiaoyu nodded in sudden understanding.
After marinating the meat slices, Lin Yao took out a bowl, cracked an egg into it, and quickly whisked it into an even egg mixture. "Next, we need to coat the meat slices with egg mixture and starch—this will make the Guo Bao Rou extra crispy after frying," Lin Yao explained, pointing to the bowl of starch nearby. "This is starch."
She poured the egg mixture into the bowl with the meat slices and stirred again, ensuring each piece was coated. Then, she sprinkled sweet potato starch over them, gently mixing by hand until a thin layer of starch covered every slice. "See, just like this. The starch shouldn’t be too much or too little—too much will make the coating thick and hard after frying, while too little won’t form a crispy crust," Lin Yao demonstrated, holding up a coated slice.
Wang Xiaoyu nodded, committing the steps to memory.
"The next step is frying the meat—controlling the heat and timing is crucial," Lin Yao said as she asked Wang Xiaoyu to add firewood to the stove.
Using chopsticks, Lin Yao carefully placed the starch-coated meat slices into the wok. "The heat shouldn’t be too high now, or the surface will burn before the inside cooks through," she advised, her eyes fixed on the frying meat.
After a while, she gently turned the slices with chopsticks to ensure even cooking. When the meat turned a light golden color, she removed it, draining the excess oil. "This is the first fry, just to cook the meat through," Lin Yao noted.
Immediately after, she reheated the oil in the wok and returned the once-fried meat for a second fry. This time, the oil was hotter, and the meat quickly turned golden and crispy.
"The second fry should be brief—it’s mainly to crisp up the coating," Lin Yao explained, using a strainer to remove the finished Guo Bao Rou. After draining the oil, she arranged it on a plate.
She then took the pre-made sweet and sour sauce, heated it in a separate wok over low heat. As the temperature rose, the sauce began to bubble and thicken. Lin Yao swiftly added the fried Guo Bao Rou to the wok, tossing quickly to coat each piece evenly with the sauce.
Wiping sweat from her forehead, Lin Yao continued tossing. "This final step is key too—you have to be fast, or the meat will lose its crispness." Wang Xiaoyu watched intently, nodding repeatedly.
Soon, a plate of glossy, tangy-sweet Guo Bao Rou was ready. Lin Yao set the dish aside.
Wang Xiaoyu had never seen such a cooking method before. The dish called Guo Bao Rou smelled irresistibly sweet and sour, its rich aroma filling her nostrils. She couldn’t help but swallow.
Her eyes fixed on Lin Yao’s movements, Wang Xiaoyu found the technique both novel and unique—something she’d never witnessed or even heard of. As the Guo Bao Rou sizzled and turned in the wok, the tempting sweet-and-sour scent wafted toward her, and again, she swallowed involuntarily.
Seeing Wang Xiaoyu’s rare expression, Lin Yao couldn’t hold back a soft laugh, causing Wang Xiaoyu to blush deeply.
Lin Yao’s smile lingered. "Take this out. I’ll make a soup, and then we can eat."
"Yes, Master," Wang Xiaoyu replied, picking up the dish and quickly leaving the kitchen.
Next up was the pork bone soup. Pork bones were inexpensive but nutritious, containing a certain amount of protein and minerals. These proteins were crucial for bodily growth and maintaining bone strength. Lin Yao glanced at the people in the courtyard—the elderly, the young, and the frail—and knew pork bone soup was the most cost-effective tonic they could consume at the moment.
Lin Yao retrieved the prepared pork bones from the basin, placed them in the pot, and poured in enough water to submerge them. Then, she added firewood to the stove and waited quietly for the water to slowly come to a boil.
The earthen stove burned fiercely, and before long, the water in the pot began to bubble and gurgle, with white foam gradually rising to the surface. Lin Yao quickly picked up a ladle and carefully skimmed off the foam. After removing it, she tossed the carrots and ginger slices from the cutting board into the pot all at once.
As the soup boiled once more, Lin Yao ladled it into bowls. "The soup is ready too!"
Meanwhile, Lin Cheng’s roast chicken was also complete. The chicken was glossy and reddish-brown, glistening with oil, its skin slightly crispy and fragrant. Lin Cheng arranged the roast chicken on a plate, carried it to the table set up in the courtyard, then returned to the kitchen to scoop out the Lu Zhu Xia Shui that had been kept warm over a low flame.
Today marked Wang Xiaoyu’s apprenticeship, so Lin Cheng had moved the kitchen table into the courtyard. As the sun set in the west and a gentle breeze blew, dining outdoors brought a uniquely leisurely charm.
"This is so delicious!" Lin Song, though young, had a big appetite, his cheeks puffing out as he ate.
"Slow down, no one’s competing with you," Lin Yao said, amused by his eating style. She picked up a piece of golden, crispy Guo Bao Rou, placed it in her bowl, and took a small bite. The sweet and sour flavor spread in her mouth, accompanied by the crispy texture, making her narrow her eyes slightly in satisfaction—this was exactly the taste!
Wang Xiaoyu and Wang Shan sat to the side, gazing at the lavish spread of dishes with a hint of restraint. Wang Shan was somewhat accustomed—during his son and daughter-in-law’s lifetime, the family had enjoyed better days—but Wang Xiaoyu had never seen, let alone tasted, such aromatic and flavorful dishes before.
Noticing the grandfather and granddaughter’s unease, Lin Yao quickly spoke up, "Wang Daye, A Yu, please don’t stand on ceremony. Eat to your heart’s content. A Yu is my first apprentice; from now on, we’re family. Go ahead and try it, see if it suits your taste."
Hearing this, the pair relaxed a little.
Wang Xiaoyu was the first to pick up a piece of Guo Bao Rou, having long been curious about its flavor. As she placed the meat in her mouth and bit down gently, a crisp "crack" sounded as the crispy skin shattered. Immediately, the sweet and sour sauce spread across her tongue, the rich flavor instantly filling her mouth, followed by a wave of savory meatiness. The multiple tastes intertwined delightfully.
Wang Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up instantly, her face revealing surprise and delight as she mumbled indistinctly, "This meat tastes so unique. I’ve never had such delicious meat before." With that, she couldn’t resist taking another big bite, savoring the exquisite flavors carefully.
Seeing his granddaughter enjoying herself so much, Wang Daye also tried a piece of Guo Bao Rou. As the meat entered his mouth, he became even more convinced that having his granddaughter apprentice under Lady Lin was the right decision. He couldn’t stop praising, "Lady Lin’s culinary skills are truly exceptional."
The five of them ate this meal with great satisfaction, their bellies full and round.