In summer, the kitchen servants of Dali Temple would go to Xi Shi to purchase supplies, with fresh vegetables and meat delivered daily. In winter, the rules were different. Aside from fresh meat that required preservation, which was delivered every day, dried vegetables and cured goods were delivered every three days, stored on shelves for gradual use.
As for grains, they were uniformly allocated monthly by the Taicang Office of Sinong Temple, piled on the topmost shelves of the storage racks.
The first task for the kitchen servants upon arriving at the back kitchen each day was to inventory the newly arrived ingredients and verify the accounts, followed by washing rice, sorting vegetables, and lighting the fire to prepare for the morning meal.
Since the morning’s ingredients had already been checked once, Chen Yang insisted that Shen Fenghuo check them again.
After all, he was now the Head Chef, so Shen Fenghuo couldn’t say much. She took the account book and went to take inventory.
The radishes and Chinese cabbage were neatly stacked, and the weight of the mallow greens was correct… She reviewed them one by one, and it didn’t take long to verify most of them.
Just as she was about to finish, her gaze was drawn to two strings of cured ham hanging from the beam.
The ham was dark and glossy, looking quite well-aged, but its surface was covered in a layer of bluish-white mold.
Shen Fenghuo stood on her tiptoes, reached out, and touched the mold. It felt rough and sticky, causing her to frown immediately.
Just then, Wu Yu came over with an empty pot to wash, and she quickly called out to him, “Brother Yu, come take a look at this.”
She pointed at the mold on the ham. “This cured ham has grown mold. Why is it still hanging here? If someone gets sick from eating it, it could be serious. I’ll take it down and throw it away.”
“Hey, you can’t throw it away!”
Wu Yu stopped her. “This was specially brought by Chen Chu. He said it was a delicacy cured by his relatives in the twelfth lunar month, made with plenty of salt and wine. He said this mold is the essence of cured meat. When eating it, scald it with boiling water, slice it thinly, and steam it thoroughly—only the meat’s fragrance will remain.”
“That doesn’t seem right.”
Shen Fenghuo frowned. “Moldy things are the most dangerous. The officials work hard every day handling cases, and their stomachs are already strained. If they really get sick from eating this, with vomiting and diarrhea, wouldn’t it disrupt official duties?”
“No way.”
Wu Yu continued, “I tried a few pieces a few days ago. Chen Chu sliced it thinly, blanched it, and stir-fried it with green cabbage. It was dry and fragrant, with a hint of salty sweetness when chewed, and I didn’t get a stomachache afterward. Chen Chu said this bit of mold is nothing. Scalding it with boiling water kills all the germs—it’s safe to eat.”
Seeing Wu Yu’s meaningful look, Shen Fenghuo could only glance at the two strings of cured ham and continue her inventory.
In the snow-covered area under the corridor, there were two plates of pork that had already congealed.
The meat was dark in color, with dry and tough edges, and faintly visible strange marks.
“Brother Yu, when did this meat arrive?”
She turned and called out to Wu Yu, who had just finished washing the pot and was about to add firewood.
Wu Yu scratched his head and thought for a while. “Let me think… Oh, this is leftover from dinner five days ago. Chen Chu told us to leave it here.”
“Huh? From five days ago?”
Shen Fenghuo widened her eyes. “It’s been sitting here for so long.”
Wu Yu looked completely unfazed. “Chen Chu said that in winter, when it’s cold, once food freezes, it becomes immortal—it can last forever, no matter how long it’s stored.”
Shen Fenghuo felt somewhat helpless. “But this is cooked meat, not frozen raw pork. How can it be stored like this? When I came this morning, I saw a cat crouching on the courtyard wall. Look at these marks on the meat—it might have been nibbled or eaten by the cat.”
Wu Yu glanced at it but still advised, "Oh dear, this was specially set aside by Chen Chu. He said he'd eat it himself, so let's not meddle and risk upsetting him."
The funds allocated from above by the Dali Temple were sufficient to ensure two meals a day, so there was no need to store ingredients for so long.
Yet here, it seemed even more frugal than what she had eaten back in the countryside.
After Shen Fenghuo finished checking, Wu Yu couldn't help but ask, "Sister, seeing how skilled you are, which restaurant or household did you work for as a cook before?"
"I used to help neighbors prepare banquets back in the countryside, just some simple home-style cooking."
"Banquets in the countryside?"
Wu Yu's tone was full of admiration. "You're so young and already dared to take on banquets—that's truly impressive. Keep working hard here, and you'll surely earn more. I've been here for two years and only make four hundred coins a month. Though food and lodging are provided, aside from buying some clothes and small things, I can't save much."
He hadn't spoken much more when Chen Yang's voice rang out from the stove area, "Wu Yu, where's your firewood?"
"Coming, coming!"
Wu Yu hurriedly responded and turned to run toward the stove.
Chen Yang glanced at Shen Fenghuo standing nearby, his expression still stern, but he didn't assign her any more tasks.
"You're new here, so take a stroll around and familiarize yourself with the rules and layout of the Dali Temple. Don't wander around causing trouble."
The Dali Temple covered a vast area, with halls arranged in clusters and corridors crisscrossing. Officials hurried back and forth, their steps brisk.
Shen Fenghuo didn't wander too much, only strolling slowly along the corridor near the Dining Hall to get acquainted with her surroundings.
She ran into several clerks who had snatched the pan-fried steamed buns that morning. When they saw her, they greeted her with smiles, "Lady Shen, what delicious things are we having for the evening meal?"
Shen Fenghuo smiled, her eyes curving. "I'm not sure either. Chen Chu should be in charge of the evening meal—you'll have to ask him."
The clerks let out a collective "ah," their faces darkening for a moment before heading off to their offices.
She continued walking along the corridor and caught sight of a plaque in the distance that read "Shaoqing Office." Peering through the window from afar, she could see Lu Jin bent over his desk, brush in hand.
Her assessment of the Lord today:
Gentle as jade, and also quite handsome.
She felt satisfied and pleased.
"Young Minister Lu, he still refuses to talk."
Ming Yi climbed in through the window.
"Hmm."
Lu Jin didn't look up. "Later, I'll personally go to the Dali Temple Prison to interrogate him."
Shen Fenghuo strolled along leisurely, so idle she was almost counting the stones on the ground, until the beginning of the Shen hour arrived.
Smoke was already rising from the kitchen area—the evening meal was about to be prepared.
Thanks to the impressive pan-fried steamed buns from the morning, the clerks had been eagerly anticipating the evening meal. As soon as mealtime arrived, they flocked to the Dining Hall one after another.
The Dining Hall was filled with steam, but when they leaned in to look, their expressions of anticipation faded considerably.
Chen Yang had prepared two meat dishes for the evening meal: a pot of pork stewed with scallions and fermented beans, and another pot of coriander stir-fried with roe deer meat.
They poked at the dishes with their chopsticks, each frowning.
"Old Chen, this pork is too tough to chew—it gets stuck in my teeth."
Another picked up a few strands of coriander. "There's only coriander, no roe deer meat… How about we play a game of 'find the roe deer meat'?"
Complaints came intermittently, and most of them took a few bites before putting down their chopsticks.
Chen Yang listened and replied dismissively, "If the pork is stewed too soft, it loses its chewiness. The roe deer meat is in there—keep looking."
Shen Fenghuo sat in a corner of the Dining Hall, a small bowl in front of her, eating slowly and paying no mind to the complaints around her.
A clerk who truly couldn't stomach Chen Yang's cooking approached her with a pained expression and asked, "Madam Shen, why aren't you the one cooking?"
Shen Fenghuo chuckled. "The kitchen is still under Chef Chen's charge. I'm new here, so I'll just eat along with everyone."
The clerk caught sight of the food in her bowl and sniffed. "Madam Shen, why is your scorched rice golden? It smells so fragrant."
Each piece of scorched rice in the bowl was lightly fried to a crisp, coated in a fine golden layer, and sprinkled with chopped perilla leaves, looking irresistibly crunchy.
"I made it for myself."
Shen Fenghuo smiled and offered him a piece. "Would you like to try a piece, Officer?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The clerk eagerly took it and bit into it. A crisp "crack" echoed, and savory flavors instantly swirled on his tongue.
"Did you add salted egg yolk?"
The rich, sandy texture of the salted egg yolk wrapped around the crispy scorched rice grew more fragrant with each chew, without sticking to the teeth at all.
"It's delicious, so fragrant when chewed!"
The clerk finished it in a few bites, still craving more. "The usual scorched rice is already fragrant enough, but this piece isn't greasy at all. Madam Shen, you really know how to cook."
His exclamation drew several other clerks over, all clamoring for a taste. The dining hall, once filled with complaints, was now overwhelmed by the aroma and praises, with Shen Fenghuo surrounded tightly.
Chen Yang stood by the stove, watching the scene, fuming.
Could scorched rice from a communal pot be more fragrant than meat?
Already simmering with frustration, seeing Shen Fenghuo steal his spotlight only fueled his anger.
"Shen Fenghuo, you'll deliver the meals later."
Shen Fenghuo was handing out scorched rice to the clerks around her and looked up at his words. "Where to?"
Chen Yang curled his lips into an ambiguous smile.
"Where else? The Dali Temple Prison."
Author's Note:
A'He: Feels like Chef Chen has a food hoarding obsession.