Lin Fei simply nodded at his answer, his expression revealing nothing. He glanced around but didn’t ask any further questions, instead focusing intently on Wu Bucai’s autopsy.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Wen Mingtang, after performing “acupuncture” on the pork skin of a large piece of pork belly, flipped it over and cut it into square pieces, but not completely severing it; he stopped at the first layer of lean meat. Next, Wen Mingtang soaked the pork belly skin-side down in white vinegar for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Finally, he evenly brushed the entire piece of pork belly with a marinade made of sugar, salt, five-spice powder, white pepper, wine, and soy sauce before sending it to the cellar.

Ah Bing and Tangyuan, who were diligently following Wen Mingtang and noting down each step of the process, gasped in surprise when they saw Wen Mingtang send the pork belly to the drying cellar after reaching this stage: “Is pork belly really this complicated to make?”

Reaching this stage, the marinating process was just the beginning, yet they had already spent nearly an hour on it. Although they had wasted some time, even a skilled cook would probably need almost half an hour. This snack was incredibly time-consuming!

Wen Mingtang nodded, glanced at the sky outside, and said, “It needs to marinate for at least three hours. Let’s make dinner first!”

Today’s dinner was the popular claypot rice with preserved meat and pig’s trotter soup, which they had eaten before.

The claypot rice, with a layer of oil drizzled on the sides, had a rich texture. Although it was all cooked in the same claypot, the textures were not uniform; the rice in the center was fragrant and sticky, while the layer of slightly crispy rice crust against the sides of the pot added another layer of flavor. Unlike the perfectly crispy texture of millet rice crust, the rice crust of claypot rice is only slightly crispy, with a slightly hard and sticky texture. Paired with the smoky flavor of the cured meat, the claypot rice is incredibly fragrant on its own, not to mention the delicious and rich broth, delicate texture, and tender yet firm pork hock soup.

The dishes in the public kitchen were always a good balance of meat and vegetables, but today’s evening meal had noticeably more meat.

Liu Yuan lowered his head and took a sip of soup, and couldn’t help but sigh, “It really is nearing the end of the year. Even the public kitchen has a lot more meat. I suppose they’ve slaughtered a lot of poultry and livestock on the estate.”

Seeing Liu Yuan enjoying his claypot rice and pork trotter soup, several constables eating nearby couldn’t help but look up at him.

Liu Yuan, who was eating and drinking soup with his head down, noticed the gazes and looked up at the group, asking, “Do you think Master Wen’s food is bad? Why aren’t you eating but staring at me?” He wasn’t born with Lin Shaoqing’s appearance; how could he be more attractive than the delicious food in front of him?

After the constables shoveled a mouthful of food from the casserole in front of them to show that it wasn’t a problem with the food, they said, “Didn’t you, Liu Sicheng, say with certainty that you absolutely couldn’t eat dinner when you vomited at the market?”

The smell of the swill bucket was indeed unbearable, and with human carcasses mixed in with poultry and livestock, Liu Yuan, who prided himself on being “well-traveled,” couldn’t help but vomit everything in his stomach, shouting as he did so, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to eat for three days straight when I get back.”

Now, let alone three days, not even three hours had passed. When it came time to return to the Dali Temple for the evening meal, Liu Sicheng was faster than anyone else, being the first among everyone to receive his meal.

The constables glanced at the nearly empty plate in front of Liu Yuan, their eyes filled with a strange light. Glancing at the constables who had ordered him to eat, Liu Yuan snorted, scooped a spoonful of clay pot rice from the casserole in front of him, and pointed to Wen Mingtang, Ah Bing, Tangyuan, and the others behind the table, saying, “Waste is shameful! Wouldn’t it be disrespectful to Master Wen for all her hard work if we didn’t eat?”

This was his excuse; Liu Sicheng was implying that his portion of the evening meal was too much for everyone to finish! The constables shook their heads but didn’t expose Liu Yuan’s excuse. At this moment, they remembered something else and asked Wen Mingtang behind the table, “Master Wen, when we came to ask about the knives earlier, we saw you making that pork belly dish. Why isn’t there a pork belly dish?” the constables asked Wen Mingtang.

It was not that I felt there wasn’t enough meat in this evening meal; after all, the claypot rice was already piled high with preserved meat, not to mention the pig’s trotter soup.

However, the pork belly that Wen Mingtang had prepared earlier was nowhere to be seen, which piqued the curiosity of the constables. Wen Mingtang didn’t hide anything from them, replying, “It’s still marinating. This is for a snack, so it’s a bit troublesome to make.”

Several hours had passed, and they were only at the marinating stage; it seemed this pork belly snack would be an extremely time-consuming dish. The constables exchanged glances, a hint of anticipation creeping in.

So there was a pork belly snack! Liu Yuan finished the last bite of his claypot rice, let out a satisfied burp, and stood up. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to ask Wen Mingtang, “Master Wen, how long does it take to marinate the pork belly?”

After receiving Wen Mingtang’s answer of “three hours”, Liu Yuan left happily.

This cheerful demeanor left the others completely bewildered, having no idea what Liu Yuan was so happy about.

After dinner, once Ji Caimai and the servants had left, Wen Mingtang, calculating that it was about time, went to the cellar to retrieve the nearly marinated pork belly. She brushed it with rice vinegar, spread a layer of coarse salt on the skin, and then placed it in the “oven” to roast.

There was no one else in the kitchen except Wen Mingtang. To keep an eye on the pork belly in the oven, she took out a storybook she hadn’t finished reading and started flipping through it while occasionally glancing at the roasting pork belly.

Although Wen Mingtang didn’t even touch the knife or cutting board, the only sounds in the kitchen, besides the occasional soft splattering of oil from the “oven,” were the sounds of her turning the pages of her storybook.

Even in the quiet surroundings, the rich aroma of roasting pork belly irresistibly filled the air.

The aroma of meat blending with the fragrance of spices was truly enticing. Wen Mingtang took a deep breath of the alluring scent before continuing to read the storybook in her hands.

Although a body had been found at the market, the case had only just begun, and everyone was completely clueless about where to start. Therefore, they wouldn’t stay at the Dali Temple to sleep through the night.

So, apart from one or two people on night duty, there was practically no one else in the Dali Temple. Wen Mingtang focused intently on the increasingly captivating story in the storybook. When the pork belly was half-roasted, she took it out, preparing to chip off the salt from the skin. She had only chipped off a piece or two when a voice suddenly rang out behind her: “Is this the snack Master Wen is making? This is the first time I’ve seen something like this. What’s that layer on top?”   

(End of Chapter)

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