Great Tang Idyll - Volume 4 Chapter 42

Liu Shaoqing can’t think of any other way but to send out the servants from the four families. There is a trick to it. He places his own servants together with the servants of the other three families, dividing them into three groups. The main task of his own servants is to supervise the servants of the other families.

Liu Shaoqing worries that the servants of the other three families will take advantage of the food he provides and not work seriously. So, he has no choice but to adopt this method. He already decides that if any of these servants delay the work, he will send that person back early the next morning.

At that point, the servant will either be skinned alive or killed to serve as a warning to the others.

In total, there are about 130 to 140 servants. Each family leaves a few behind to handle work, so not all of them are sent out. The remaining servants are divided into three groups and go out at night to catch shrimps.

Liu Shaoqing ignores the advice of others. What is the point of building a raft? Putting it out in the middle of the night—is he looking for shrimps or courting death? Let’s see if anyone dares to put the raft into the sea during the day.

While Liu Shaoqing arranges his people, others are busy too. Zhang Zhong hasn’t been home for the past two days; he has been guarding the construction site. He doesn’t know that Liu Shaoqing and the others have already been attacked at home.

Torches are lit one by one, and those who have been digging the river are replaced by well-rested people who work hard. It is easy to feel sleepy when working at night, but everyone wants to work the night shift. This is because workers on the night shift are allowed to drink a little wine. Though not far away, the humidity is high, and the soil is damp when digging the river, making it unbearable for most people.

It’s easy to catch a cold after sweating, so night workers can not only drink some wine but also enjoy soup instead of water, delivered by the little boy on shift. No matter how bad the soup is, it is better than plain water, especially with the ginger added, which can also be eaten as a side dish.

The vegetable leaves and minced meat in the soup become favorites among the night workers. It is soothing and comfortable, helping them work harder. Efficiency is supposed to be higher during the day than at night, but now the situation reverses.

“Master, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?” asks a servant from the inner courtyard as Zhang Zhong wanders around.

Zhang Zhong’s stomach growls. He stops and replies, “I’ll eat a bit, but not too much. Otherwise, I’ll get sleepy after.”

“What would you like to eat, Master? We have fried fish wrapped in flour and some stir-fried vegetables,” the servant asks again.

“What are they eating?” Zhang Zhong points at the workers.

“They’re eating flatbreads, Master, but this dish is specially made for you.”

“Oh, then I’ll have the pancake too. Put more chopped green onions in it. If the meat is too fatty, put less in it.” Zhang Zhong doesn’t want to set up a special meal for himself. If he does, the prestige he works so hard to build will weaken.

But he doesn’t know that although he chooses something simple, they have already prepared something more elaborate, at least better than what the common people eat. They cut the leavened bread in half, chop the cooked meat, half fat and half lean, add more chopped green onions and coriander, and stuff it into the bread. Five are made before they stop and bring them to Zhang Zhong.

Zhang Zhong doesn’t think much of it at first. He takes the food and eats it. After one bite, he is stunned. He turns his head to look at the person who delivers the food and asks, “Xiaobao and Juanjuan are here too?”

“Master, how did you know?” the man asks in surprise. He is a member of the Zhang family. If any other servant had said that, they would have been beaten.

“How did I know? The meat in the sandwich I just ate goes through nine processes. Some remove the fishy smell, some enhance the freshness, some add fragrance, and others prevent nausea. There are sixteen different spices used, and it tastes very light. Who but Xiaobao and Juanjuan would be able to make this? The cilantro and scallions used—the cilantro is from the very tip of the plant, and the scallions are from the white part. The oil used to flavor the dish is flavored with pepper oil. No place in the entire Tang Dynasty can make this. And, by the way, why aren’t Xiaobao and Juanjuan asleep?”

Zhang Zhong knows the taste instantly; it is a flavor he adores. The ingredients are chosen carefully, and the cooking technique is precise. He hasn’t encountered this flavor anywhere else. The way they prepare the meat in the sandwich is also special, a recipe known only to his son and daughter-in-law. It can’t be found at the Shuiyun Inn, and only their family can cook it like this.

The meat is prepared with just the right touch. A slight difference in timing or seasoning, and the taste would change. Not only is it hard for others to replicate, but it requires two people working together to prepare it—each handling a specific task.

The servant doesn’t dare lie anymore and smiles: “Master is really amazing. You knew it was made by the young master and young lady just by tasting it, including the leavened dough, which was deliberately made more alkaline. Master loves this type of food the most. Only the young lady and young master would be so meticulous. Master, there’s also a salted goose egg. The young master said that if you can taste it, you can have this salty, smelly goose egg. The young master also said that you can tell who made the roujiamo with just one bite, and asked if I could bring it to you. Here, I’ve already opened it.”

As the servant from the inner courtyard speaks, he hands Zhang Zhong a salted goose egg, carefully pickled and made deliberately smelly.

It doesn’t smell good, but Zhang Zhong loves it. Both Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan can pickle eggs that aren’t too salty, yellow, and oily, let alone a smelly salted egg.

Zhang Zhong hasn’t planned to indulge in special meals. His diet usually follows a set routine, but seeing what his son and daughter-in-law have prepared for him, he can’t refuse.

Nearby, a worker, who has just been pulling water from the riverbed, takes a bite of the meat sandwich and drinks some wine.

Zhang Zhong walks over to him and says, “My son and daughter-in-law prepared this for me. The two children did a good job. Why don’t you try it?”

The servant reluctantly hands over a roujiamo, watching the man take it with trembling hands, and can only pretend nothing has happened. He knows that the young master and lady rarely cook and usually only for important people or relatives.

But anything made by the two little ones definitely tastes different from normal food. Everyone in the inner courtyard has eaten it, but the most anyone has eaten is three times, and the least is only once.

The master gives such a good thing to an ordinary worker. Who wouldn’t feel bad? Everyone knows that when it comes to cooking, the food made by the young master and lady is the best. No matter how good the chef at Shuiyun Pavilion is, the food he makes is all the same.

The worker isn’t shy. He smiles and says, “My Lord, I’m willing to eat something made by a child, no matter how bad it is. Let me try it. Hehe, I… My Lord, this is the most expensive thing in the capital, right? How come it tastes better than the food I got from County Magistrate Zhang when I went to celebrate his birthday?”

The worker bites into the sandwich and immediately realizes the difference. He has eaten plenty of flatbreads, but this one is different. The meat is tender, neither greasy nor dry, and the flavor is so good he wishes he could eat it every day.

Of course, the young master and lady are very capable. If the master can’t eat them, then they’re mine. You snatched them away from me, and you still have the nerve to brag about them? What’s in Beijing? You can’t eat this kind of thing in the capital. It’s much more elaborate when it’s made. You can’t buy it with money. Can the things made by the young master and young lady be measured by money? The inner courtyard workers only think this in their hearts and dare not speak it aloud. If they do, their rank will drop from the current three-star to one-star.

Zhang Zhong has no idea that the people in the inner courtyard have so many thoughts. That they are waiting to eat the leftovers. When he hears the praise for his child, he laughs happily and hands over another roujiamo to the worker, unaware that the staff are reluctant to give it.

“If it tastes good, eat more. Eat some more. I’ve got five of these. I’ll take three, you take two. I can’t help it. If Xiaobao and Juanjuan knew that I ate less, they’d be upset.”

The eyes of the workers light up, and they take the food without hesitation. The one who has already eaten a roujiamo begins devouring it, smacking his lips as he eats. The people in the inner courtyard pretend not to hear.

After finishing a roujiamo, the worker hands the other one to the clerk in the inner courtyard and says, “Master Zhang is indeed extraordinary. When I took the food just now, I deliberately touched your hand with my dirty hand, but you didn’t react, as if it was normal. The people in your inner courtyard obviously wanted to eat too, but you gave them up without a word. You have the final say in Luzhou. The master of the main family is approachable, and the servants in the inner courtyard are disciplined. No wonder the master praised Lord Zhang so highly before leaving. Lord Zhang really cares for the people, and his servants are extraordinary. They don’t cause trouble for the main family.”

Zhang Zhong’s eyes widen. He realizes this person isn’t a local, so how did he get here?

The inner courtyard person doesn’t take the roujiamo. He isn’t greedy, but when he hears what the worker says, he leans close to Zhang Zhong’s ear and whispers a few words.

Zhang Zhong understands, nods with a smile, and says, “You’re the one arranged by Master Zhang, the second housekeeper of Zhang Jiuling? Yes, a housekeeper can handle this sort of thing. Zhang Jiuling’s family is decent. Maybe you can serve as a minister in the same palace someday. Go back and tell your master that road construction costs money, and we don’t have enough. Just give us a call, and we’ll send more over. After spending ten thousand strings of cash, my fleet from the capital will arrive in about half a month, with another thirty or forty thousand strings of cash. I can take out ten thousand strings and send them over. If there’s a chance to improve life for the people in my hometown, don’t miss it. Life doesn’t give so many chances.”