Even though he burned his hand in his haste, he didn’t cry out as usual and frantically search for cold water to rinse it. What was with all this fuss, men? Liu Yuan and Bai Zhu brought their hands to their lips and blew on them briefly before grabbing chopsticks and picking up the crispy pork belly. While they were distracted by the burn, Lin Fei, who had been picking up the crispy pork belly with chopsticks from the start, had already put it in his mouth.

The first bite was accompanied by a crisp “crunch” as the golden-brown crust of the pork skin, which had been degreased, brushed with vinegar, and salted, cracked open with his teeth. The sound alone told him how incredibly crispy it was. Liu Yuan glanced at his superior’s unconsciously squinting reaction as he ate the crispy pork belly, his expression one of pure satisfaction.

With his superior’s expression in mind, it was clear that the crispy roasted pork belly would taste just as good as its domineering and tempting aroma.

After putting it in his mouth, accompanied by slightly hot chewing and swallowing with reluctance, Liu Yuan mumbled and held up his reddened fingers to Wen Mingtang, saying, “Amazing…amazingly delicious!”

This description amused Wen Mingtang. Chewing on the golden, salty, and crispy skin, she picked up a piece of crispy pork belly under the envious gazes of the others, separating the golden, crispy skin from the tender pork underneath. The lean and fatty parts of the pork were stuck together, and when separated, the process of the pork “stretching” together was clearly visible.

Master Wen really knew her stuff! Liu Yuan chewed on the amazing crispy pork belly, watching Wen Mingtang put the pork under the crispy skin into her mouth. Facing the golden crispy skin, Wen Mingtang reached out and, with a “crack”, broke open the pork skin that was roasted like a rice crust, putting the skin into her mouth.

The sound… Even with the crispy pork belly still in his mouth, Liu Yuan noticed his saliva uncontrollably overflowing.

Master Wen truly wasn’t just a master chef; she was also incredibly skilled at using food to entice people.

Chewing on the salty, fragrant, and crispy layer of pork skin along with the tender yet not overly soft, exquisitely delicate pork beneath it, Liu Yuan cast a resentful look at Wen Mingtang and said while eating, “What price will this crispy roasted pork belly be sold for? Master Wen, you might as well tell us earlier so I can prepare myself mentally.”

Wen Mingtang picked up another piece of crispy roasted pork belly, dipped it into the seasoning powder at the side, and replied while eating, “That will depend on Ji Caimai! But the price will also depend on the cost of pork belly itself. Naturally, it will be more expensive than things like popcorn.”

Liu Yuan nodded, and seeing that in the blink of an eye, there was only a little crispy pork belly left on the plate, he quickly reached out and grabbed the last piece, stuffed it into his mouth, gritted his teeth resignedly, and said, “At worst, I’ll just buy a couple fewer storybooks in the future!”

Bai Zhu, standing to the side, shook his head, his mouth also feeling a little unsatisfied with his meal. To be fair, everyone had just received several pieces of pork belly, which wasn’t a small amount. But the meat was just too tempting; even after eating a whole piece, they still felt like they’d only just begun to enjoy it. Thinking this, Bai Zhu touched his bulging purse and looked at Wen Mingtang, asking, “Master Wen, what about the remaining crispy pork belly…?”

Seeing Bai Zhu’s hesitant expression, it was clear he hadn’t had his fill.

But…

Wen Mingtang shook his head, saying, “This piece of pork belly was something Ji Caimai managed to snatch with great difficulty. The entire kitchen only has this one piece left, and it’s going to be sold as an afternoon snack tomorrow. Tangyuan, Ah Bing, and Ji Caimai all reserved one in advance. It’s fine for me to sneak a piece with you guys in the middle of the night to try it out, but if we ate too much, I’m afraid it would be difficult to explain.”

A cook sneaking a few bites was still acceptable, but if they stole too much to eat… then what kind of cook would they be? If every delicious thing ended up entirely in the cook’s stomach, how could that possibly do?

After saying this, Wen Mingtang picked up a knife, cut the remaining pork belly into strips, and then placed them back into the still-warm “oven” to keep warm.

Liu Yuan and Bai Zhu were greatly disappointed upon hearing Wen Mingtang’s words: this crispy roasted pork belly was likely to be another hot snack, and with those greedy students from the Imperial Academy around, it would be difficult to get any.

Lin Fei, after listening to Wen Mingtang’s words, pondered for a moment and accurately grasped the key point: “Is the reason there isn’t much crispy pork belly because there’s too little pork?”

Wen Mingtang, who was tidying up the table, hesitated slightly upon hearing this, as if she had guessed something, and looked at Lin Fei.

Noticing her gaze, Lin Fei was quite frank and said directly, “If I can find good pork, please make some for me for the New Year. Is that alright?”

Liu Yuan and Bai Zhu’s eyes lit up upon hearing this: Lin Shaoqing’s words reminded them that if they couldn’t get any, they could always ask Chef Wen to cook it!

Wen Mingtang looked at Lin Fei, who had grasped the key point perfectly, thought for a moment, and nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

Just like how Yu Jijiu could invite her to banquets for famous scholars during his days off, it was certainly possible to do something else and earn some “extra money” during her days off.

“But it’s best to find pork belly that looks nice,” Wen Mingtang gestured, reminding the group. “The one with a good balance of fat and lean is ideal.”

Lin Fei nodded, understanding.

…

The next morning, Ah Bing, Tangyuan, and Ji Caimai finally got to eat the crispy pork belly they had been craving all night, and they immediately praised it highly after taking a bite.

Ji Caimai, who was eating with great satisfaction and exclaimed, “Amazing meat”, just like Liu Yuan, didn’t forget the whereabouts of the missing piece of pork belly. After learning that Wen Mingtang and Lin Fei had stolen it, she didn’t care about that but instead became concerned about something else.

“Did Lin Shaoqing and the others go back late last night because of the case at the market?” Ji Caimai asked Wen Mingtang.

Wen Mingtang nodded as she cooked the congee with preserved egg and lean pork for breakfast, saying, “I finished cleaning up the kitchen and went back to wash up and rest. Lin Shaoqing and the others hadn’t left yet; they were still talking about the case.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Caimai paused slightly, looking at Wen Mingtang, Ah Bing, and Tangyuan, who were all staring at him with curiosity as they cooked the congee. After thinking for a moment, he said, “When I came here this morning, I passed by the market. Before dawn, there were already a lot of people gathered there. I heard that they found the remains of a body.”

Because the remains had been found in the swill bucket yesterday, Ji Caimai lingered for a while. Although he didn’t squeeze into the crowd to watch, he overheard the people discussing it, saying, “It should be the body left over from yesterday.” They also mentioned that someone had indeed been missing from the market for several days, and it might be that person, and so on.

Upon hearing Ji Caimai’s words, Tangyuan immediately asked, “Who’s missing? It seems like quite a few people recognize that person!”

Ji Caimai recalled for a moment and remembered, “It seems to be a market magistrate who manages the market; he’s been missing for several days.”

(End of Chapter)

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