Chapter 2385: 2390.2304 Duck Leg Bun and Yangtze Knife Fish

2390.2304 Duck Leg Bun and Yangtze Knife Fish

"Zheng Lao Ban, this way please. Try our local dishes and specialty wine, to wash away your travel fatigue—this journey has been quite tiring." Stepping out of the elevator, Zhang Weiyu led the way with a smile.

Li Zhu ren's phone rang again.

He frowned impatiently, picked up the phone, and said, "What's the matter!"

"Uh…"

"Send it over quickly!"

"Hurry up, don't delay."

After saying that, Li Zhu ren hung up the phone, looked at Zheng Ren with something to say but held back.

"Li Zhu ren, if you have something to do, go ahead." Zheng Ren felt somewhat happier seeing that a stranger was no longer joining them for the meal.

After saying a few more apologies, Li Zhu ren rushed off to the Emergency Department.

Zhang Weiyu and Director Xu drove off, and the group went to a hotel.

Zheng Ren found it wasn't the old Jiuyong store, felt a bit surprised, got out of the car and asked, "Manager Zhang, why aren't we at your usual place?"

"Zheng Lao Ban, it's not because I went to Di Du; the old man has always disliked me. During the New Year, when relatives fill the house and the younger generation returns, he doesn't scold me. If I go back now, I don't know what kind of scolding I'd get."

"Manager Zhang, you're living the good life." Su Yun said with a smile, "What are we having to eat today?"

As soon as food was mentioned, Zheng Ren felt Xie Yiren's little hand in his palm warm up instantly.

"They're just some local dishes from around here—duck leg bun, stinky mandarin fish, earthen pot chicken, and such. They're a bit special, but I'm worried Zheng Lao Ban might not be used to them."

Zheng Ren smiled.

Not used to it? You're kidding.

No matter what, even if it's special, I don't eat much anyway and can't tell good from bad. As long as Yi Ren is happy, that's all that matters.

After entering the private room, Zhang Weiyu exchanged a couple of polite remarks, ordered the dishes, and then said, "I'm especially fond of duck leg bun; you can't get the most authentic version in Di Du, lacking the hometown flavor."

"Duck leg bun is probably from Xuancheng, right?" Su Yun said without hesitation.

"Professor Su is right, it's indeed a famous dish of Xuancheng." Zhang Weiyu, without realizing it, had already switched to calling Su Yun "Professor Su." Although the comment was correct, Su Yun initially found it a bit awkward, but soon accepted it.

"Duck leg, duck heart, and duck intestine are specially prepared with a secret ancestral recipe, though it's hard to come by." Zhang Weiyu said with a smile, "This is a branch of the old Xuancheng store; the flavor is quite authentic, Zheng Lao Ban, give it a try."

"I've had it once in Xuancheng." Xie Yiren whispered to Zheng Ren, "The duck intestine wraps around the duck leg, with a duck heart inside; it looks nice and tastes great."

Seeing Xie Yiren happy, Zheng Ren's face broke into a smile.

"Yi Ren is right—whether it's duck intestine, duck leg, or duck heart, each undergoes special curing. The curing methods differ, so when you eat them, the flavors are similar yet distinct; a light chew leaves fragrance on the lips and teeth."

Even before the dishes arrived, just listening to Zhang Weiyu's description, Zheng Ren could feel the temperature of Xie Yiren's little hand in his palm rise slightly.

"I heard from a friend that, supposedly, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Xie Xue, when he served as governor of Xuancheng, gave this suggestion. Xie Xue was also a foodie." Su Yun said.

"The people regard food as heaven." Zhang Weiyu laughed.

"It's tasty, it's tasty—after all, with the secret curing, the flavor seeps into the bones, making one linger. But in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, you know, they were particular. Xie Xue paid attention to color, aroma, and taste when eating; color came first—if something didn't look good, even if it was delicious, he'd still find fault."

Looks really matter; Zheng Ren smiled, this has been the tradition since ancient times, even for foodies.

They're picky about everything they put in their mouths.

"Professor Su is right!" Zhang Weiyu laughed, "Color, aroma, and taste all together—this is the tradition of Chinese cuisine. Duck intestine floats above the duck's body, looking unsightly; the duck claws are splayed, still dripping with seasoning and intestine, looking unseemly. Meanwhile, the duck gizzard and heart sink to the pot's bottom, hard to fish out. I think the last point is the key."

"Knowing it exists but can't have it—who wouldn't be anxious?" Su Yun glanced at Xie Yiren and said with a chuckle.

Lao He said on the side, "A few years ago, there was a doctor doing further training from Xuancheng. Every time he performed surgery, he'd tell me about duck leg bun, saying it made his mouth water."

"Today let's try the most authentic duck leg bun." Zhang Weiyu said.

Soon, dish after dish was brought up.

Zheng Ren saw the duck leg bun's exterior amber-colored, crystal clear, bright luster, steaming hot. When the plate was set on the table, the meat on the duck leg twitched slightly, full of elasticity.

One could imagine that, when eaten, the secret-curing ingredients would stimulate the taste buds, and combined with this collagen's elasticity, it would be a feast for the senses.

After a few polite remarks, Zheng Ren was the first to pick up his chopsticks.

He picked up a duck leg bun for Xie Yiren, smiling as he watched her take a bite.

Director Xu felt a pang of envy.

Some professors come for rounds, also bringing equipment nurses; as for whether there's any secret between the two, it's best not to say more.

But not talking about how well the surgery was done, just mentioning the equipment nurses that came along, Zheng Lao Ban's eye for talent is indeed high! Whether age, looks, or figure, they're top-notch.

Really high—tall as a building.

Since we're out and about, Su Yun didn't drink, just ate happily.

Besides the duck leg bun, the earthen pot chicken, donkey meat fire-baked bread, stinky mandarin fish, and fermented tofu each have their own characteristics.

Even as a main course, there's a dish of Yangtze knife fish.

"There are three kinds of knife fish on the table: Yangtze, lake, and sea." Zhang Weiyu turned the Yangtze knife fish toward Zheng Ren and said, "What you can buy on the market are mostly lake knife fish and a bit of sea knife fish; genuine Yangtze knife fish simply doesn't show up."

"Hasn't it yet been listed as a national protected animal?" Su Yun asked.

"Everyone says it'll be listed as a first-class protected animal; by then we won't be able to eat it." Zhang Weiyu said, "But in recent years the price of Yangtze knife fish has shot up like a rocket—now it's 10,000 per catty."

"As long as the lake knife fish's scales are intact, it looks very similar to Yangtze knife fish. So, as long as lake knife fish is shipped to Jiangyin, if its appearance and weight are good, it can sell for several thousand per catty—not because it tastes better, but because it can be passed off as Yangtze knife fish."

"For us old foodies, the phrase 'melts in the mouth' isn't thrown around lightly. But when it comes to Yangtze knife fish, nobody objects." Zhang Weiyu said, "The fish fat has a special aroma, leaving a trace on the lips and teeth, haunting one's dreams. Once, I dreamed in Di Du of eating Yangtze knife fish and duck leg bun."

Zhang Weiyu said, laughing loudly, "Don't worry about being laughed at—when I wake up, my pillow is soaked."

Zheng Ren glanced at him, confirmed that Zhang Weiyu's system panel was fine, and therefore it shouldn't be due to a cerebral infarction.

Having grown accustomed to the system panel, Zheng Ren will take a look at any related matter whoever it is before speaking.