"There's one more matter that requires Young Master Xu's assistance." Lin Yao looked slightly uncomfortable. Though he had kindly rescued her, she now had to trouble him further, which made her genuinely apologetic.
Seeing how quickly she had composed herself, Xu Zhiheng grew curious about what else she might need. "Please, speak freely."
"After suffering such misfortune today, I cannot let the villain escape unpunished. I stabbed the masked man in the leg—he'll surely need medical treatment. By inquiring at the town's clinics, we can identify anyone with such an injury. Moreover, the knife was purchased from the Wu family's blacksmith shop. If the coroner examines the wound, it can be confirmed whether it matches the attacker from today." Lin Yao spoke calmly and logically, her reasoning clear.
Xu Zhiheng was genuinely surprised. This young lady appeared three or four years younger than him, yet she remained so composed in adversity and possessed such meticulous thinking—truly remarkable.
"Very well," Xu Zhiheng agreed, half-jokingly adding, "But this means Lady Lin will owe me even more favors."
"Young Master Xu's life-saving grace is something Lin Yao will never forget. If you ever have any needs in the future, I will spare no effort to assist you." Lin Yao spoke earnestly, her words sincere.
Xu Zhiheng didn't take her words seriously and waved his hand dismissively. "Let's go. If we delay, the magistrate's office will be closed."
By the time Lin Yao and Xu Zhiheng left the magistrate's office, the sun had set, painting the horizon in shades of orange and red. Xu Zhiheng escorted Lin Yao home, where they encountered Jin Yu and Mantang sparring at the Lin family's gate.
Upon seeing Xu Zhiheng, both immediately stopped and greeted in unison, "Lang Jun."
Mantang straightened his slightly disheveled clothes from their practice. "Lang Jun, when we found Young Master Lin, he had been knocked unconscious and abandoned in a cave." After a pause, he added, "We've already taken him to see a physician. The consultation and medicine cost a total of one hundred eighty coins."
Hearing the first part, Lin Yao's heart clenched, and she stepped forward to check on Lin Cheng's condition. But upon hearing the latter part, she stopped immediately. "Please wait, Young Master. I'll fetch the money right away."
For once, Xu Zhiheng felt somewhat awkward. Although he usually pretended to be a spendthrift playboy obsessed with wealth, his subordinates' mercenary behavior still fit his image. He waved his hand and said, "No rush, take your time."
Lin Yao hurried into the house, retrieved the pouch where she normally hid her copper coins, carefully counted out one hundred eighty coins, and quickly handed them to Xu Zhiheng. "Today, you saved both my brother and me. Henceforth, whenever you visit our home, all food and drink will be complimentary."
Xu Zhiheng smoothly mounted his horse. "Then I thank you, little lady!" With that, he turned and departed with Jin Yu and Mantang. Only then did Lin Yao have a moment to speak with the three anxiously waiting inside.
Lin Cheng, who had been waiting nearby, was full of questions. "A Yao, how did you end up in such a state?"
Lin Yao recounted the day's events to them in detail. After hearing everything, Lin Cheng slammed his fist heavily on the table. "I never imagined our uncle's family could be so malicious! From now on, I must stay by your side constantly. If anything were to happen to you, how could I face Father and Mother?"
Wang Xiaoyu hurriedly fetched a basin of hot water to help Lin Yao wash her face. Upon hearing Lin Yao's account, she was also filled with righteous indignation: "How utterly despicable! They say blood is thicker than water, yet they could be so heartless."
"Human hearts are the most unfathomable," Lin Yao murmured, gazing distractedly at her wounds.
With her hands injured, Lin Yao could neither prepare food for their stall nor cook meals these days.
Lin Cheng had initially intended to shoulder both the cooking and stall duties alone, but found it impossible to manage everything by himself. Seeing this, Wang Xiaoyu offered to stay at the Lin household to care for them, insisting that as an apprentice, she ought to attend to her injured master.
After much persuasion, Lin Yao managed to convince Wang Xiaoyu to simply come over during meal times to prepare one meal a day, during which Lin Yao could also provide some culinary guidance.
After dinner and washing up, Lin Yao sat by her bed applying medicine to her wounds while pondering silently: with her hands injured and unable to earn money during this period, what should she do? To her, being unable to earn felt as torturous as enduring punishment.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind – the konjac tofu she had made a few days earlier. This konjac tofu was simple to prepare. She only needed to explain the method to her elder brother and A Yu. Once made, it could be dressed with seasonings and sold.
With this solution for earning money secured, Lin Yao felt considerably more at ease and gradually drifted into sleep.
~
The next day, Lin Cheng went up the mountain early to dig up konjac roots.
Lin Yao remained at home, tinkering with the braising sauce for Lu Zhu Xia Shui. The sauce had been used for quite some time and was gradually losing its flavor. She had asked her brother to purchase some medicinal herbs in town, and was now preparing to reconstitute the braising sauce.
In less than half an hour, Lin Cheng returned with a full basket of konjac roots.
No sooner had Lin Cheng stepped through the doorway than Wang Xiaoyu arrived. Working in perfect harmony, the two began taking the konjac roots from the basket, washing and peeling them by the water basin.
When the konjac roots were nearly processed, Lin Yao paused her work. "We're going to use these konjac roots to make a new dish called konjac tofu."
Upon hearing this, Lin Cheng and Wang Xiaoyu simultaneously stopped what they were doing and looked at Lin Yao. Lin Yao picked up a peeled konjac root with her left hand. "First, we need to grind these konjac roots into pulp using the stone mill."
Back when Lin Changkang was still with them, the second branch of the Lin family lived in warm harmony, though not in great wealth. Lin Changkang had been a wonderful husband who dearly loved his children and cherished his wife. While working for a household in the city, he had seen them grinding beans to make juice which they then cooked and drank. Hearing from the maids that this juice beautified women and strengthened children's health, he had saved up to buy a stone mill.
However, after Lin Changkang joined the army in his elder brother's place and disappeared without a trace, the second branch was forced to split off. Life became so difficult that even basic sustenance became a struggle, let alone experimenting with such things. The stone mill saw little use, and since the last time they made konjac tofu some time ago, it had accumulated a thick layer of dust again.
Looking at the dust-covered stone mill before him, Lin Cheng felt a complex mix of emotions. Seeing his expression, Lin Yao also felt heavy-hearted. She gently patted his shoulder. "Brother, let's make the konjac tofu. When Father returns someday, we'll make it for him too."
Lin Yao placed a peeled konjac into the feeding hole of the stone mill, and Lin Cheng began turning the millstone. As the millstone rotated, the konjac was gradually ground down, and white konjac pulp slowly flowed out from the edges, dripping into the wooden basin below.
Next, Wang Xiaoyu took over Lin Yao's task, assisting by adding more konjac to the feeding hole. After a substantial amount of pulp had accumulated in the basin, Lin Yao said, "Now, we need to add an appropriate amount of plant ash. The quantity is crucial—too much or too little will affect the texture of the konjac tofu."
As she spoke, she poured lime water into the basin. "Stir quickly, and keep stirring until the pulp thickens." Lin Cheng stirred vigorously beside her until the mixture became paste-like in consistency before stopping.
"Wait about one or two hours, and the konjac tofu will set. Once it's firm, you can cut it into pieces and soak them in clean water, then cook them whenever you want to eat. Whether stir-fried, boiled, or served cold, the flavor is quite unique," Lin Yao said with a smile.
During the waiting period, Lin Yao took Wang Xiaoyu to prepare the sauce for tossing the konjac tofu.
This time, Lin Yao wanted to try replicating the human snack—Mó yù shuǎng!
The most critical component of Mó yù shuǎng is the red oil sauce. First, she prepared the dried ingredients: Lin Yao took out bay leaves, cinnamon, scallions, Zhuyu (Cornus officinalis), and cilantro. Since chili peppers weren't widely available yet, she added Zhuyu to the dried ingredients to impart spiciness.
Lin Yao also retrieved Sichuan peppercorns and had Lin Cheng grind them into Sichuan Peppercorn Powder using a stone mortar. She planned to make two versions: one savory-spicy and the other numbing-spicy. The Sichuan Peppercorn Powder was for the numbing-spicy konjac.
As the temperature rose, moisture in the wok evaporated rapidly, and the lard quickly melted and heated up. She added the prepared dried ingredients to the wok. Bay leaves, cinnamon, scallion segments, Zhuyu, and cilantro sizzled in the hot oil, releasing a rich aroma.
Lin Yao watched the wok closely and reminded Lin Cheng, "Brother, stir it to prevent the ingredients from burning."
Wang Xiaoyu watched intently, sniffing the fragrant air eagerly. "Master, this smells incredible."
As the dried ingredients in the wok darkened in color, the aroma grew even stronger. Lin Yao instructed Lin Cheng to remove them. "Frying them for too long will make the flavor bitter. First, scoop out some of this oil and the ingredients—this is the base for the savory-spicy version."
Lin Cheng carefully ladled out the oil and ingredients into a bowl. Lin Yao added some white sesame seeds to the bowl, stirring to let them fully absorb the oil's fragrance, then poured it over one portion of the konjac.
Wang Xiaoyu took the chopsticks from Lin Yao and quickly mixed everything.
Meanwhile, Lin Yao directed Lin Cheng to continue with the wok. "Brother, add the remaining Sichuan Peppercorn Powder to make the numbing-spicy version." As the powder was poured into the wok, a pungent, numbing aroma rose, blending with the previous scents to create a more complex layers of flavor.
Then, Lin Cheng poured the numbing-spicy oil over another portion of the konjac.
By this time, the savory-spicy konjac was ready. Wang Xiaoyu dished out three bowls, handing them to Lin Yao and Lin Cheng before turning to give the third bowl to Lin Song, who had been watching eagerly nearby. Lin Yao accepted her bowl and said, "A Yu, you should try it too. As cooks, we must first understand the flavors to create more delicious dishes in the future."
Wang Xiaoyu nodded repeatedly and served herself a bowl as well.
Lin Cheng took a big bite right after stirring it. The aggressive spiciness made him cough uncontrollably, yet the flavor was addictive. After catching his breath, he stuffed another mouthful, exclaiming, "This is insanely satisfying!"
Wang Xiaoyu nodded vigorously beside him.
Of course, in the 21st century, this was dubbed "human cat treats"—once you had one pack, you craved the next.
After swallowing a large bite of Mó yù shuǎng, Lin Cheng asked Lin Yao, "Little sister, what's this dish called?"
Lin Yao replied, "It's called Mó yù shuǎng."
"Great name! It lives up to it—eating it is truly refreshing!" Lin Cheng laughed. Nearby, Lin Song, who had been quiet all along, was eating with flushed cheeks, hissing and panting from the heat, but his hands never stopped moving.
While the Lin family was enjoying this harmonious scene, the docks were in an uproar.
Author's Note:
Check out my upcoming novel "The Villainess Fears the Persistent Suitor" (Gourmet Detective Stories) wow~ [Flop-eared bunny emoji]
A bizarre case suddenly strikes Yuhang County:
A Hwamei Bird claims seven lives in a row, leaving only half a footprint at the scene;
A corpse-transporting cart driver screams in terror—the burly man in the coffin has turned into a woman in red bridal attire;
A chaste maiden set to marry is impersonated, but where is the mastermind hiding…
Hua Linlang has transmigrated, becoming the wealthiest top beauty in Yuhang County.
Unfortunately, her original parents died unexpectedly, leaving her an orphan girl eyed greedily by the whole clan waiting to devour her inheritance.
Hua Linlang: …No big deal.
A modern double-threat in forensics and criminal psychology, though she accidentally worked herself to death, she brought all her skills along.
While solving cases, she'll revitalize her ancestral business, expanding taverns and eateries nationwide!
The new county magistrate, Ji Huai, is ambitious and brilliant at handling cases.
He initially regarded Hua Linlang as the prime suspect, but she unraveled the clues before him, pinpointing the mystery behind the crime in one sentence.
From then on, he investigated cases, she performed autopsies; he pursued criminals, she profiled them.
When he worked overtime on an empty stomach, she thoughtfully handed him a bowl of Osmanthus Rice Wine.
Ji Huai was deeply moved—how could he let such a perfect match slip away!
The person before him, with her captivating eyes, was a dazzling match for his handsome, dignified self!
The next moment, his beloved parted her red lips: "Three taels per bowl, Magistrate Ji—cash or tab?"
Ji Huai: …
Everyone called Hua Linlang a temptress, but Ji Huai felt that if this "temptress" would stay for him, he'd savor it like sweet dew.
Watching her calm profile during an autopsy, he softly asked:
"Hua Linlang, in your world, besides cases and money, can you make room for anything else?"
Beauty Hua: "Like what?"
Ji Huai: "Me."
Beauty Hua: "Get lost."
Ji Huai: "See you later."
The male lead self-romances:
Early stage: "She must have ulterior motives."
Later stage: He trapped her in a tight space, his warm breath brushing her ear: "Linlang, you'd better be scheming for me."