Gu Yanxi saw that the Tieban Tudou was cooked and began adding various seasonings: salt, homemade chicken bouillon powder, sugar, soy sauce, and the most crucial ingredient—homemade seasoning powder.
After stir-frying the seasonings evenly, the unique aroma of Tieban Tudou became irresistible.
“What was that powder just now? Such a magical scent—I’ve never smelled or seen anything like it before.”
“It seems the key to this dish lies in those seasonings added earlier. This aroma… it’s simply tantalizing!”
“…”
A group of vendors couldn’t resist gathering around, chattering and discussing excitedly.
Gu Yanxi paid them no mind. Next, she sprinkled sesame seeds and chopped scallions, completing a perfect serving of Tieban Tudou.
“Fragrant, truly fragrant!”
A spirited old man in his seventies, with a graying beard, pushed through the crowd and stared intently at the food in the large lotus leaf like a starved wolf.
Realizing everyone was watching him, the old man stroked his beard and asked with feigned composure, “What is this? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“This is Tieban Tudou. Would you like to try some?”
Gu Yanxi took out several bamboo skewers and placed them on the lotus leaf. “Our stall is newly opened today, so we’re offering a special treat. This serving of Tieban Tudou is free for everyone to sample.”
“Me first! I want to try it!”
Instantly, the crowd surged forward.
The old man was jostled back and forth, fuming with anger. “Stop pushing! I was here first. All of you, line up behind me!”
With that, the old man swiftly grabbed a bamboo skewer, speared a piece of potato, and popped it into his mouth.
With the first bite, the crispy aroma of the potatoes, combined with the fragrance of onions and seasonings, exploded in his mouth. The potatoes were soft, glutinous, and slightly crisp, offering a rich and layered texture entirely different from the potatoes he usually ate.
Occasionally, he bit into a few sesame seeds or scallions, elevating the experience to another level. It was even more delicious than the dishes from Jingdu’s top restaurant, Juwei Restaurant.
The old man closed his eyes in bliss, chewing slowly and saying nothing.
This drove the onlookers frantic.
“How does it taste? Say something!”
“Can’t you see how delighted he looks? It must be amazing.”
“…”
Amid the chatter, the old man opened his eyes. “Give me two servings.”
“Grandpa, these are quite large portions. Are you sure you can finish two?” Gu Yanxi kindly reminded him.
Although she welcomed all business, Gu Yanxi cared about her customers’ well-being. She believed in giving honest portions and wouldn’t let customers make poor choices for the sake of short-term profit.
“Don’t worry, little girl. I have a big appetite. It’s just that I’ve grown tired of the usual fare lately. But this Tieban… whatever potato—it’s reignited my appetite. Just make it, and don’t worry!”
“Alright, please wait a moment.”
Gu Yanxi agreed and signaled to her assistant nearby.
The assistant deftly scooped out two portions of potatoes with a strainer. Gu Yanxi repeated the earlier steps, and soon, two servings of Tieban Tudou were ready.
“One serving costs 10 coins, so two servings total 20 coins. Since you’re our first customer, we’ll give you a discount of 4 coins. That’ll be 16 coins in total.”
The old man took the food wrapped in lotus leaves and placed 20 coins on the counter. “You’re running a small business. Charge the full amount.”
With that, he walked away happily.
The crowd around the stall erupted into excitement.
“How much for one serving? Ten coins? A pound of potatoes only costs two coins, and her serving of Tieban Tudou uses just one potato’s worth, yet she charges ten coins. Isn’t this blatant robbery?”
“Something this expensive—I must try it to see what it tastes like. Boss, make me one serving.”
“I’ll have one serving of Tieban Tudou, and also this noodle dish over here, give me one of those too.”
“One serving of Tieban Tudou.”
“Two servings of noodles.”
“…”
In no time, business picked up, and Gu Yanxi was so busy she couldn’t keep her feet on the ground, preparing Tieban Tudou while tossing noodles simultaneously.
Gu Yu assisted nearby, handling the money.
In just over an hour, all the food at the small stall was sold out.
By the time they returned home,
Gu Yanxi and Gu Yu were too exhausted to move.
But the day’s earnings were quite good—after deducting various costs, the net income was 416 coins!
At this rate, they could make at least twelve taels of silver in a month!
Back when they lived in Taohua Village, their annual expenses were only two taels of silver!
Meanwhile,
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation at the Da Shuo palace, the golden and resplendent hall was filled with kneeling maids and eunuchs, all holding their breath, not daring to make a sound.
The imperial desk was laden with an array of exquisite dishes: beef soup, shark fin and crab stew, crab-stuffed oranges, bird’s nest and shredded chicken soup, roasted lamb, sashimi…
Light, spicy, fried, steamed, and stir-fried—everything was available.
Huangfu Heng sat before the desk, looking at these dishes with no appetite at all.
“The imperial kitchen is becoming more and more useless!”
The head imperial chef, Qin Jisong, prostrated on the floor, trembling with fear. “I have done my utmost, Your Majesty, please forgive me!”
With the weather growing increasingly hot lately, the emperor’s appetite had been poor, and in recent days, he hadn’t eaten a single grain of rice. Their days had been difficult to endure.
The imperial kitchen had been trying every method to create new and innovative dishes, but none had pleased the emperor.
They were truly at their wits’ end!
“Slap!”
A memorial was thrown in front of Qin Jisong.
“Minister Qin, someone has impeached you for visiting brothels during duty hours and even fighting with a colleague over a courtesan. Is this what you call doing your utmost?”
Qin Jisong trembled. “I’ve been wronged, Your Majesty! I spend every day in the imperial kitchen developing new dishes and have not left the palace even once!”
“Hmph! It’s time to change the head chef of the imperial kitchen!”
With a wave of Huangfu Heng’s arm, guards entered and dragged Qin Jisong away.
Qin Jisong, unwilling to accept this, kept shouting about his innocence until his voice faded into the distance.
The chief eunuch, Yuansheng, seeing the situation turn sour, mustered his courage and said, “Your Majesty, I’ve heard that Su Taifu has recently gathered some delicious foods. Why not go take a look?”
Since the emperor ascended the throne at twenty-two, Yuansheng had been serving by his side. Ten years had passed in the blink of an eye, and he was well aware of the emperor’s preferences.
His master had particularly high standards when it came to food.
Several head chefs of the imperial kitchen had been replaced, yet no one could create dishes that suited the master’s palate.
Su Taifu was a glutton who always managed to find novel delicacies, and since the master’s tastes aligned with his, the emperor often visited the Taifu residence.
“It has been quite some time since I last visited my teacher.”
Seeing an opportunity, Yuansheng quickly seized the moment. “Your Majesty has no court session tomorrow. Why don’t we go early in the morning?”
“Approved!”
The next day.
Backstreet of Yunchang Academy.
“It’s already this late. Why hasn’t Gu Boss arrived yet? Could it be that she’s not coming?”
“You must come! Yesterday morning I only had one serving of Tieban Tudou, and I’ve been thinking about that flavor all day long. Today I plan to try the Liangmian too.”
“Look quickly, is that person Gu Boss?”
“It’s her, it’s her! Let’s hurry over.”