Chapter 108: Da Yu's Food Taste

Chen Wuji brought Chen Wuwei and Chen Bushi together into Li Si Fencha.

It was nearly mealtime; the shop already had many customers, the waiters were rushing back and forth, a bustling scene.

Actually, visiting the tavern at this time is very unsuitable.

Because they are busy, they basically have no time to attend to you.

Chen Wuji was doing this to teach those kids, so he didn't care about those things.

"How many guests?"

A waiter hurriedly came up, clasped his hands and asked loudly.

Waiters in such shops usually have a loud, clear voice.

Interestingly, in Da Yu, male waiters are usually called "little sons", while women who wear a blue‑cloth handkerchief tied at the waist, coil their hair in a bun, and change soup and pour wine for drinkers are called "stewed lees".

Chen Wuji turned his head to look at the middle‑aged man with a long beard standing behind the counter, "I don't know if the shopkeeper has time? I have a matter about the back kitchen I'd like to discuss with the shopkeeper."

"No time, can't you see the shop is busy?" The middle‑aged man drooped his eyelids, was fiddling with an abacus, standing like a statue, unmoving.

Seeing this, the waiter also stopped attending to Chen Wuji and the others, draped his handkerchief over his shoulder, and went aside.

Chen Wuji wasn't annoyed either; being turned down on business is extremely common.

"Does the shopkeeper know about the pot? In Dachengchi, tea houses and taverns have already adopted this new thing, usable for frying, stir‑frying, boiling, steaming; it's more convenient than a cauldron and has broader uses. Does the shopkeeper know the stall selling Dongpo meat in East Market yesterday? That Dongpo meat was stir‑fried with this pot." Chen Wuji asked.

"I don't know." The shopkeeper waved his hand, "Go on, if you're not eating, don't block the doorway."

"Sorry to bother you." Seeing this, Chen Wuji didn't insist and turned to leave.

Such customers, completely uninterested, no amount of pestering will change anything.

Just as Chen Wuji was about to walk out, a diner in the shop suddenly called out to him, "Wait, you just said that Dongpo meat was made with your pot?"

"Exactly." Chen Wuji turned and replied.

The speaker looked about twenty‑three or twenty‑four, wearing a well‑tailored black robe.

"Please sit down; I don't know if you have time to discuss this in detail with me, brother?"

The man rose, raised his hand to gesture a please to Chen Wuji.

"It would be impolite to refuse." Chen Wuji sat down at one side.

The man lifted his hand and first offered Chen Wuji and Chen Bushi a bowl of tea, then said: "I ate Dongpo meat yesterday; it was delicious, but the price is a bit high, can't be eaten often—eating it often would leave one's purse blowing northwest wind."

After joking, he continued: "Brother, you mentioned this pot—what's its manufacturing cost?"

"One tael of silver." Chen Wuji took a sip of tea, "If you need more, we can still negotiate the price; besides, we also have pot lids, spatulas and other accessories that can be given as gifts."

The man nodded, "The Dongpo meat stir‑fried with this thing I ate was really good. However, compared to a cauldron, it seems only the form has changed a bit; otherwise it's not much different from a cauldron, and one tael is a bit high."

"Made of pure iron, the cost is naturally not low—an iron cauldron isn't much different in price!" Chen Wuji laughed, "Although it's indeed only a slight change in form, to me this change counts as quite significant. If you need a larger quantity, I can show you the difference between this pot and a cauldron."

"If you can sell it to me for eight hundred wen, I'll take one hundred." The man stretched out a finger.

Chen Wuji was startled, "What a partner! Just casually bumping into someone turned out to be a big customer."

Looking at his manner, he's probably a caravan member, no surprise.

"What dishes did you order, brother?" Chen Wuji asked.

"One serving of white‑cut pickles, one serving of roasted chest, one serving of immortal‑immortal soup."

Chen Wuji nodded, "Please tell the shopkeeper, let me borrow the kitchen for a moment. Besides that immortal‑immortal soup, I'll casually stir‑fry two dishes for you with the pot; after you taste them, we can discuss the price."

"Fine, fine, I'll arrange it!" The man clapped his palms in agreement, turned his head and shouted at the counter, "Surname Li, let your tavern's tea‑meal‑wine doctor make space for me; the laborers want to taste a bite of pot‑stirred food, hurry up."

The tea‑meal‑wine doctor is commonly called the cook; some people, being refined, will utter the full title, but most of the time everyone just calls him the cook or buys a wine cook.

The shopkeeper seemed not to dare offend this young man; he hurriedly apologized with a smile and agreed, personally leading Chen Wuji to the back kitchen.

The Li Si Fencha tavern is not small, and its back kitchen is also extremely large.

The whole rear courtyard is divided in two; one side has seven or eight stoves in a busy kitchen, basically all simmering soups. Under the influence of the cauldron, soup holds a very important position in Da Yu.

For example, the immortal‑immortal soup ordered by that man is a king‑level soup, ranking alongside the hundred‑flavor soup and the triple‑crisp soup, and is a signature dish of many tea houses.

While the other side of the courtyard is the ingredient‑preparation area, where all kinds of meat are freshly slaughtered and prepared.

The whole scene can only be described as magnificent.

Chen Wuji was still experiencing this kind of place for the first time; he truly felt dazzled.

He asked the shopkeeper for some vegetables, then began his work.

Because of that customer, the usually unfeeling shopkeeper's attitude improved considerably; before leaving, he also instructed the assistant cook, saying that if Chen Wuji needed anything, he would take care of it.

"Wuwei, put the pot on and clean it thoroughly." Chen Wuji gave the order.

"Okay."

To satisfy that customer, and also to let the somewhat aloof shopkeeper properly see the pot's advantages.

Chen Wuji prepared six dishes in one go.

There were simple dishes: stir‑fried leeks with egg, garlic eggplant, and blanched amaranth.

There were also relatively more complex dishes: stir‑fried yellow beef, twice‑cooked pork, and boiled fish slices.

The fish slices were already prepared ready‑made in the back kitchen; seeing them, Chen Wuji casually added another dish.

However, limited by chili peppers, the boiled fish slices certainly couldn't achieve the flavor Chen Wuji wanted.

However, Da Yu has a dish called Sichuan rice, which uses pepper and ginger powder to create a numbing‑spicy taste; following that method, it barely achieves a numbing‑spicy flavor.

With the ingredients ready, Chen Wuji began his demonstration.

As he moved his spatula, a large crowd gathered around him; the idle cooks and waiters all came over to watch the novelty.

The crowd's initial reaction to this novel pot was completely unanimous.

They were not optimistic, even sneering.

But when Chen Wuji's first dish, blanched amaranth, came out of the pot, the cooks fell silent.

Then, when the fragrant, colorful, and flavorful twice‑cooked pork was plated, the cooks began to observe it seriously.

Which waiter has a moment to spare? Could you send these two dishes up front for me? Chen Wuji turned to the person beside him, saying, and casually took out two copper coins.

I'll do it, I'll do it! A waiter rushed over, taking money in one hand and holding the plate in the other, all in one smooth motion.

Sir, what's the name of this dish?

Braised stir-fried crowndaisy, twice-cooked pork!

Got it!

The waiter called out loudly, his feet kicking up wind as he went to the front hall.

Shortly after, his voice came from the front hall, far away.

Sir, your braised stir-fried crowndaisy and twice-cooked pork have arrived!