"Shell the shrimp, slice the bamboo shoots and blanch them, shell the fava beans. Stir-fry quickly with lard, adding only salt and a bit of sugar." As Su Mo spoke, she had already begun peeling the bamboo shoots.
Su Dashan asked no more questions, turning back to continue cooking the noodles. Once the noodles were done, he ladled them into bowls, poured broth over them, and sprinkled scallions—all in one smooth motion. A row of bowls lined the serving window; Zhou Yunniang came in to take them away and brought back empty ones.
By the time the morning market ended, Su Mo had shelled all the shrimp, tossing them with a little salt, rice wine, and starch before setting them aside to marinate. The blanched spring bamboo shoot slices had lost their astringency, becoming even more refreshingly sweet and crisp-tender. The fava beans had also been shelled, yielding a full bowl of emerald-green, plump beans that resembled a handful of fine jadeite.
"Will these… really sell during the midday market?" Zhou Yunniang asked worriedly after tidying up the front hall and coming in, looking at the prepared ingredients. Shrimp was expensive, while spring bamboo shoots and fava beans were cheap, but combining these three ingredients meant the cost was not low.
"Yes," Su Mo replied with full confidence. "Mother, this is a seasonal dish—once this season passes, you won’t be able to eat it anymore. Our Linshui County is near water, so shrimp is plentiful. Spring bamboo shoots are mountain produce, and fava beans grow in the fields. Gathering these three fresh ingredients isn’t difficult. But other eateries might not think to stir-fry them together. What we’re selling is this very concept of ‘freshness’—something others don’t have."
Su Dashan picked up a blanched spring bamboo shoot slice, chewed it, and found it sweet, crisp-tender, with no trace of astringency. He then pinched a fava bean; the raw bean had a faint beany smell but was very fresh.
"What price should we set?" he asked.
Su Mo had already calculated it. "Shrimp costs fifteen wen per jin, spring bamboo shoots three wen per jin, and fava beans two wen per jin. This dish uses half a jin of shrimp, four liang of bamboo shoots, and three liang of beans, costing about ten wen. Adding oil, salt, and firewood, let’s estimate twelve wen. We’ll sell it for thirty wen per plate, with a gross profit of eighteen wen."
"Thirty wen?" Zhou Yunniang gasped. "Isn’t that… too expensive? A bowl of braised pork is only twenty-five wen."
"Mother, the pork used for braised pork is something we have every day. This Spring Trio Delicacy is at its freshest only this month. Once the season passes, the bamboo shoots will toughen, and the fava beans will become too mature—they won’t taste as good," Su Mo patiently explained. "We won’t make large portions; we’ll use medium-sized plates with refined servings. Not all our customers are dockworkers; there are also scholars like Mr. Xu and traveling merchants passing through. They’re willing to spend money to try something new."
Su Dashan pondered for a moment before saying, "First, stir-fry a plate for us to taste. If it’s truly worth thirty wen, we’ll sell it."
This meant he agreed.
Before the midday market, Su Mo heated the wok and added a spoonful of snow-white lard.
The lard was rendered by Su Dashan himself, using thick leaf fat simmered over low heat until it became clear and fragrant. Once the oil was hot, she first added minced ginger to release its aroma, then poured in the marinated shrimp.
With a sizzle, the shrimp curled rapidly upon meeting the heat, turning from translucent to pinkish-white, their fresh aroma bursting forth instantly.
She quickly stir-fried them a few times, removing the shrimp as soon as they changed color to avoid overcooking. Leaving the base oil in the wok, she added the spring bamboo shoot slices and fava beans. The bamboo shoots were crisp, and the beans tender—both required quick, high-heat stir-frying to lock in moisture and sweetness.
When the edges of the bamboo shoots were slightly browned and the beans had changed color, she returned the shrimp to the wok, stir-frying everything together. She added only a small pinch of salt and a tiny bit of sugar—not for sweetness, but to enhance the freshness and allow the various flavors to blend perfectly.
Finally, she drizzled in a spoonful of rice wine. The aroma of the wine rose with the heat, bringing out all the fresh flavors to their peak. After a thorough stir-fry, the dish was ready to serve.
There was no excess broth, no complex seasonings. The shrimp were tender and springy, the spring bamboo shoots crisp and white, the broad beans a vibrant green and sweetly soft. The three ingredients each occupied their own space on the plate, their colors distinct, yet their aromas had already melded into one.
It was the truest, most vibrant freshness of spring.
Su Mo plated the dish, deliberately arranging a few whole shrimp on top. The red, white, and green hues intermingled, creating a truly pleasing sight.
"Father, Mother, try it."
Zhou Yunniang picked up a bite of spring bamboo shoot first. It was crisp upon entering the mouth, carrying the clean sweetness of the mountains and fields. Next came the springy tenderness and savory deliciousness of the shrimp, and finally, the soft, sweet mellowness of the broad beans. Three different kinds of freshness bloomed in succession in her mouth, yet harmoniously blended together.
"This… this is even more delicious than meat!" she exclaimed without thinking.
Su Dashan ate a bite in silence, then another. He ate slowly, savoring each mouthful carefully. The shrimp were cooked to perfection—a moment longer would have made them tough, a moment less would have left them underdone. The bamboo shoots were blanched with precise timing, removing their astringency while preserving their crunch. The broad beans were stir-fried until soft but not mushy, full of bean fragrance. The simplest seasoning tested skill the most.
"Worth thirty wen," he finally spoke, setting down his chopsticks and looking at his daughter. "For the midday market, make some first. If they don't sell out, we'll eat them ourselves in the evening."
"Yes!" Su Mo responded crisply, her eyes shining like stars.
Zhou Yunniang was so overjoyed she didn't know what to do. She hurried to the front hall and, at the very top of today's menu board, added a new line with charcoal:
"Spring Trio Delicacy, thirty wen."
The characters were written a bit crookedly, but she pressed down firmly, with great solemnity.
The midday market opened for business.