Sheng Sanlang was still in a daze. Why had Biaomei suddenly mentioned "beggar pork knuckle" when he had spoken about the scary wild boar? Wait, he had only heard of beggar chicken before. What exactly was beggar pork knuckle?
Luo Sheng understood that Shen Sanlang needed some time to process the belt incident[1], as it could be pretty shocking for any man. With a patient look, she gestured towards the still-twitching wild boar and explained, "I promised Biaoge that I would cook a dish for you."
Sheng Sanlang's rigid expression softened. Ah, he remembered now. This dish was the exchange for allowing Biaomei to stay in Nanyang City for two days.
Sheng Sanlang's mind immediately wandered to the delectable stir-fried fish he had been craving. Glancing at the wild boar on the ground, he was a little unwilling: "Biaomei, why not make a fish dish instead? A flavorful and delicious whole fish stir-fried to perfection..."
Luo Sheng interrupted Sheng Sanlang's daydream. "We don't have any fish. The wild boar meat is fresh and plentiful, enough for all of us to enjoy."
Sheng Sanlang still wanted to negotiate, but he suddenly regained his senses when he met the girl's calm and bright eyes. Biaomei was not someone to be messed with! "Then... let's do as Biaomei suggests," he conceded.
Hearing the regret in Sheng Sanlang's voice, Luo Sheng reassured him, "Compared to stir-fried fish, I believe Biaoge will enjoy beggar pork knuckle even more."
Sheng Sanlang's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Is beggar pork knuckle really that delicious?"
Luo Sheng nodded, affirming his question.
"What exactly is beggar pork knuckle? The name sounds intriguing."
Luo Sheng appeared slightly surprised. "Biaoge, haven't you heard of Beggar Chicken?" Sheng Sanlang felt embarrassed at his lack of knowledge. "Ahem, I have heard of Beggar Chicken. I've even had the pleasure of tasting it at Wuxianzhai..."
Seeing Sheng Sanlang reminiscing about the delicious Beggar Chicken, Luo Sheng interrupted mercilessly, "Although Beggar Chicken is flavorful, it can be a bit dry due to the lack of grease. Beggar pork knuckle is different—"
"How is it different?" Sheng Sanlang's thoughts shifted entirely to the topic of food, leaving behind the awkwardness of the belt incident.
"The pork knuckle is fatty and tender, so the beggar pork knuckle smells good and tastes even better."
Gulp. That was the sound of Sheng Sanlang swallowing saliva, his mouth watering at the mere thought of it.
Hongdou, standing impatiently by the side, finally spoke up, "Miss, let me light the fire for you so that we can have this beggar pork knuckle soon."
Xiuyue's excitement grew as she looked at Luo Sheng. Princess had expressed the same opinion regarding the distinction between beggar chicken and beggar pork knuckle as Miss Luo did — not a single word of difference! What could be the connection between Miss Luo and Princess?
But that was impossible. Considering the difference in their ages, Miss Luo would have been merely three or four years old when Princess was killed. Xiuyue stared at Luo Sheng in a daze, unable to make sense of the situation.
Luo Sheng naturally noticed Xiuyue's bewildered expression. It could be said that her decision to make beggar pork knuckle today wasn't just because she had a fresh wild boar to cook with but also because she wanted to give Xiuyue a subtle hint about her true identity as Princess Qingyang.
With each passing moment, Xiuyue's suspicions and doubts will grow. And one day, these thoughts will break through the confines of rationality, allowing her to boldly assume who she truly is.
"Biaoge, you and the guards, build a stove and light a fire. Ugly popo, please assist me. We will handle this wild boar," Luo Sheng instructed.
Everyone quickly got to work, following Luo Sheng's guidance. After discarding unnecessary parts, they were left with a large piece of meat from the wild boar. The boar meat was skewered and roasted over the fire while the bones were thrown into a large cauldron taken from the goods' carriage to boil soup.
As Sheng Sanlang watched the pork bones tumbling in the cauldron, he couldn't help but sigh. When it came to food, Biaomei really thought of everything!
Luo Sheng placed the four pork knuckles into a wooden basin to marinate and instructed Hongdou, "Go to the carriage at the back and fetch that dark clay pot." Hongdou nodded and quickly returned with a small clay pot.
The clay pot was simple in appearance, but the honey inside had a beautiful color and shine. Luo Sheng gestured for Hongdou to take the honey pot to Xiuyue, who was flipping the skewers, and said, "Coating the barbecue with a layer of honey will enhance its flavor."
"Yes, yes, I love the ones with honey!" Sheng Sanlang's eyes curved with a smile.
The guards, who had finished their tasks and were resting, couldn't help but salivate as they gazed at the sizzling skewers on the fire. To travel long distances without having to eat dry food and instead indulge in freshly barbecued meat and bone soup, what a blessing it was!
Sheng Sanlang glanced at the pork knuckles in the wooden basin and asked, "Biaomei, didn't you say you wanted to make beggar pork knuckles?"
"The knuckles must be marinated long to develop the desired flavor. Ideally, they should be marinated for a whole day."
As the tantalizing aroma of the barbecue intensified, and the cauldron of bone soup turned a milky white, Luo Sheng finally took out the marinated pork knuckles. She laid out softened dried lotus leaves, spread a layer of lard, tightly wrapped the knuckles, and then covered them with a thick layer of mud before burying them in the fire. Now, all they need to do is wait for the wrapped knuckles to cook and be ready to savor.
"Biaomei even prepared dried lotus leaves." By this time, Sheng Sanlang was overwhelmed with admiration, and he did not doubt that the beggar pork knuckle would be delicious.
Well, at least it couldn't be worse than Beggar Chicken, as Biaomei guaranteed.
"The barbecue is ready!" Xiuyue suddenly announced, causing the sound of salivating mouths to fill the air.
Hongdou quickly grabbed a barbecue skewer and handed it to Luo Sheng, saying, "Miss, have some barbecue." But Luo Sheng remained composed and declined, "You all go ahead and enjoy. I'll have a few pieces of beggar pork knuckle later, and that will be enough for me."
The guards cheered and couldn't wait to grab and feast on the barbecue.
Unable to resist the enticing aroma, Sheng Sanlang eagerly took a skewer and took a bite of the succulent meat. His eyes widened in delight. "Biaomei, I never expected that besides making douhua, Ugly Popo could also make such delicious barbecue."
Hongdou, savoring a mouthful of meat, looked proud: "Of course! My Miss has impeccable taste and discerning eyes."
As Sheng Sanlang reminisced about their encounter with the dashing man in scarlet at the tea shed, he couldn't help but agree. "Biaomei, you truly have a discerning eye." With that thought, he felt a sense of relief, knowing that he didn't have to worry about his belt being taken off by Biaomei. —hey, this realization didn't seem to make him particularly happy...
The smell of meat drifted farther and farther away. Hidden in the grass that stood half a person's height, dozens of figures lurked in the darkness. A bearded man seriously reminded the dark-faced boy beside him: "Seventh, even though this is your first-time robbing, don't be nervous. Did you see that beautiful young lady?"
The dark-faced boy nodded hurriedly: "Yes, I saw her."
"After we charge in and engage with the guards, you capture that young lady immediately. Once the rest of them see that, they won't dare to resist and will give us what we want," the bearded man instructed. "Okay." The dark-faced boy nodded vigorously, his clenched fists revealing his inner tension.
The bearded man gave him a reassuring pat. "Don't be afraid. We outnumber them, not to mention the three of them are women."
"I'm not afraid."
"Okay, brothers, get ready to move!"
The dark-faced boy tugged on the bearded man's sleeve and suggested, "Dage, why don't we wait a little longer?" The bearded man was taken aback. "What else do we need to wait for?"
The dark-faced boy's mouth watered at the scent of the meat. "Why don't we strike after that so-called beggar pork knuckle is ready?"
[1] Belt incident: Luo Sheng taking off Kaiyang Wang's belt
Sheng Sanlang was still in a daze. Why had Biaomei suddenly mentioned "beggar pork knuckle" when he had spoken about the scary wild boar? Wait, he had only heard of beggar chicken before. What exactly was beggar pork knuckle?
Luo Sheng understood that Shen Sanlang needed some time to process the belt incident[1], as it could be pretty shocking for any man. With a patient look, she gestured towards the still-twitching wild boar and explained, "I promised Biaoge that I would cook a dish for you."
Sheng Sanlang's rigid expression softened. Ah, he remembered now. This dish was the exchange for allowing Biaomei to stay in Nanyang City for two days.
Sheng Sanlang's mind immediately wandered to the delectable stir-fried fish he had been craving. Glancing at the wild boar on the ground, he was a little unwilling: "Biaomei, why not make a fish dish instead? A flavorful and delicious whole fish stir-fried to perfection..."
Luo Sheng interrupted Sheng Sanlang's daydream. "We don't have any fish. The wild boar meat is fresh and plentiful, enough for all of us to enjoy."
Sheng Sanlang still wanted to negotiate, but he suddenly regained his senses when he met the girl's calm and bright eyes. Biaomei was not someone to be messed with! "Then... let's do as Biaomei suggests," he conceded.
Hearing the regret in Sheng Sanlang's voice, Luo Sheng reassured him, "Compared to stir-fried fish, I believe Biaoge will enjoy beggar pork knuckle even more."
Sheng Sanlang's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Is beggar pork knuckle really that delicious?"
Luo Sheng nodded, affirming his question.
"What exactly is beggar pork knuckle? The name sounds intriguing."
Luo Sheng appeared slightly surprised. "Biaoge, haven't you heard of Beggar Chicken?" Sheng Sanlang felt embarrassed at his lack of knowledge. "Ahem, I have heard of Beggar Chicken. I've even had the pleasure of tasting it at Wuxianzhai..."
Seeing Sheng Sanlang reminiscing about the delicious Beggar Chicken, Luo Sheng interrupted mercilessly, "Although Beggar Chicken is flavorful, it can be a bit dry due to the lack of grease. Beggar pork knuckle is different—"
"How is it different?" Sheng Sanlang's thoughts shifted entirely to the topic of food, leaving behind the awkwardness of the belt incident.
"The pork knuckle is fatty and tender, so the beggar pork knuckle smells good and tastes even better."
Gulp. That was the sound of Sheng Sanlang swallowing saliva, his mouth watering at the mere thought of it.
Hongdou, standing impatiently by the side, finally spoke up, "Miss, let me light the fire for you so that we can have this beggar pork knuckle soon."
Xiuyue's excitement grew as she looked at Luo Sheng. Princess had expressed the same opinion regarding the distinction between beggar chicken and beggar pork knuckle as Miss Luo did — not a single word of difference! What could be the connection between Miss Luo and Princess?
But that was impossible. Considering the difference in their ages, Miss Luo would have been merely three or four years old when Princess was killed. Xiuyue stared at Luo Sheng in a daze, unable to make sense of the situation.
Luo Sheng naturally noticed Xiuyue's bewildered expression. It could be said that her decision to make beggar pork knuckle today wasn't just because she had a fresh wild boar to cook with but also because she wanted to give Xiuyue a subtle hint about her true identity as Princess Qingyang.
With each passing moment, Xiuyue's suspicions and doubts will grow. And one day, these thoughts will break through the confines of rationality, allowing her to boldly assume who she truly is.
"Biaoge, you and the guards, build a stove and light a fire. Ugly popo, please assist me. We will handle this wild boar," Luo Sheng instructed.
Everyone quickly got to work, following Luo Sheng's guidance. After discarding unnecessary parts, they were left with a large piece of meat from the wild boar. The boar meat was skewered and roasted over the fire while the bones were thrown into a large cauldron taken from the goods' carriage to boil soup.
As Sheng Sanlang watched the pork bones tumbling in the cauldron, he couldn't help but sigh. When it came to food, Biaomei really thought of everything!
Luo Sheng placed the four pork knuckles into a wooden basin to marinate and instructed Hongdou, "Go to the carriage at the back and fetch that dark clay pot." Hongdou nodded and quickly returned with a small clay pot.
The clay pot was simple in appearance, but the honey inside had a beautiful color and shine. Luo Sheng gestured for Hongdou to take the honey pot to Xiuyue, who was flipping the skewers, and said, "Coating the barbecue with a layer of honey will enhance its flavor."
"Yes, yes, I love the ones with honey!" Sheng Sanlang's eyes curved with a smile.
The guards, who had finished their tasks and were resting, couldn't help but salivate as they gazed at the sizzling skewers on the fire. To travel long distances without having to eat dry food and instead indulge in freshly barbecued meat and bone soup, what a blessing it was!
Sheng Sanlang glanced at the pork knuckles in the wooden basin and asked, "Biaomei, didn't you say you wanted to make beggar pork knuckles?"
"The knuckles must be marinated long to develop the desired flavor. Ideally, they should be marinated for a whole day."
As the tantalizing aroma of the barbecue intensified, and the cauldron of bone soup turned a milky white, Luo Sheng finally took out the marinated pork knuckles. She laid out softened dried lotus leaves, spread a layer of lard, tightly wrapped the knuckles, and then covered them with a thick layer of mud before burying them in the fire. Now, all they need to do is wait for the wrapped knuckles to cook and be ready to savor.
"Biaomei even prepared dried lotus leaves." By this time, Sheng Sanlang was overwhelmed with admiration, and he did not doubt that the beggar pork knuckle would be delicious.
Well, at least it couldn't be worse than Beggar Chicken, as Biaomei guaranteed.
"The barbecue is ready!" Xiuyue suddenly announced, causing the sound of salivating mouths to fill the air.
Hongdou quickly grabbed a barbecue skewer and handed it to Luo Sheng, saying, "Miss, have some barbecue." But Luo Sheng remained composed and declined, "You all go ahead and enjoy. I'll have a few pieces of beggar pork knuckle later, and that will be enough for me."
The guards cheered and couldn't wait to grab and feast on the barbecue.
Unable to resist the enticing aroma, Sheng Sanlang eagerly took a skewer and took a bite of the succulent meat. His eyes widened in delight. "Biaomei, I never expected that besides making douhua, Ugly Popo could also make such delicious barbecue."
Hongdou, savoring a mouthful of meat, looked proud: "Of course! My Miss has impeccable taste and discerning eyes."
As Sheng Sanlang reminisced about their encounter with the dashing man in scarlet at the tea shed, he couldn't help but agree. "Biaomei, you truly have a discerning eye." With that thought, he felt a sense of relief, knowing that he didn't have to worry about his belt being taken off by Biaomei. —hey, this realization didn't seem to make him particularly happy...
The smell of meat drifted farther and farther away. Hidden in the grass that stood half a person's height, dozens of figures lurked in the darkness. A bearded man seriously reminded the dark-faced boy beside him: "Seventh, even though this is your first-time robbing, don't be nervous. Did you see that beautiful young lady?"
The dark-faced boy nodded hurriedly: "Yes, I saw her."
"After we charge in and engage with the guards, you capture that young lady immediately. Once the rest of them see that, they won't dare to resist and will give us what we want," the bearded man instructed. "Okay." The dark-faced boy nodded vigorously, his clenched fists revealing his inner tension.
The bearded man gave him a reassuring pat. "Don't be afraid. We outnumber them, not to mention the three of them are women."
"I'm not afraid."
"Okay, brothers, get ready to move!"
The dark-faced boy tugged on the bearded man's sleeve and suggested, "Dage, why don't we wait a little longer?" The bearded man was taken aback. "What else do we need to wait for?"
The dark-faced boy's mouth watered at the scent of the meat. "Why don't we strike after that so-called beggar pork knuckle is ready?"
[1] Belt incident: Luo Sheng taking off Kaiyang Wang's belt
