Chapter 111: Selling for the Price of a Slice of Cake (Part 2)

  The wind and rain gradually subsided, just in time for Zhou Yi to show off. Before long, the enticing aroma wafted over Sword Horse Lake, and even the fish seemed unable to resist the temptation, gathering at the bow and stern of the boat, lingering and refusing to leave.

  The two big bosses inside the cabin had been drooling for a long time and couldn't help but start eating the small dishes prepared by Zhou Yi in advance, drinking the Miao Feng glutinous rice wine that they used to consider as a common good; while eating, they couldn't help but frequently look out of the window, if not afraid of offending Zhou Yi, they really wished to run out and take a closer look, even if it was just to smell the aroma at close range.

  Fortunately, Zhou Yi cooked quickly and soon carried the dishes into the cabin.

  "Zhou, little brother, just one dish? This roasted fish block looks too good!"

  Zhang Zhuang saw Zhou Yi and brought in a dish. He originally had some opinions, but when he clearly saw the roasted fish pieces on the plate, his mouth suddenly opened wide, and almost drooled.

  The serving of roasted fish was extremely generous, filling the oversized fish plate in his hand to the brim. Even someone who didn't know how to eat would be able to tell that this roasted fish was extraordinary at first glance.

  These roasted fish blocks are not only each a small finger-thick, four-centimeter-long square piece of meat, as if measured with precision; the most valuable thing is that these pieces of meat present a just-right golden color, like small gold bricks, without any trace of burnt marks commonly seen on roasted meat and fish.

  If that were all, Zhang Zhao and Yang Ke wouldn't be too surprised. After all, chefs who can achieve this level of skill are rare, but not unheard of. However, on Zhou Yi's roasted fish block, there was still a strange meat thread attached to it, with a powdery white exterior and a red interior that flowed slowly. When picked up with chopsticks and gently swayed, the red threads would move along with it, reflecting off the golden meat block in a very appealing way.

  "What a clever idea! It's really a clever idea!"

  Liu Ke's eyes narrowed, and he didn't even bother to greet Zhou Yi, the host, or Zhang Zhao. He picked up a piece of roasted meat and put it in his mouth, chewing lightly, and suddenly his mouth was filled with freshness. It surpassed all the land and sea delicacies he had ever eaten in his life, making him suddenly think that the word "fresh" was created for Zhou Yi's dish!

  And after the freshness has passed, one feels a warmth on the tip of the tongue, as if a stream of blood suddenly bursts forth from the meat, but it does not give people a bloody and unbearable feeling, but rather a mellow and upright one that can stir up men's blood. It makes one involuntarily have the idea of slapping the case and singing a heroic and generous tragic song like in ancient times.

  "All have passed on, many heroes of the past; now look at today!"

  Liu Ke slapped down his chopsticks and shook his head as he muttered this sentence, clearly getting excited.

  "Phooey, are you looking at a romantic figure or your little honey or third child?"

  Zhang Zuo didn't say anything, but in his heart, he despised Liu Ke's pretentious behavior. He rolled his eyes and picked up a piece of roasted fish to eat. Just as he took a bite, he also got excited and slammed down his chopsticks. Wanting to imitate Liu Ke's grandiose speech, he tried to recite a poem, but unfortunately, he had no words in his belly. He could only shake his head and say: "Just caught the big fish king, and now eating roasted meat blocks, hmm... roasted meat blocks, refreshing and cool, refreshing and cool also."

  Nonsense.

  "Zhou, little brother, what's the name of this dish?"

  Two foodies' appetites were successfully stirred up. But if they didn't ask clearly, their hearts were really curious, so they could only suppress the desire to eat a big meal and first asked Zhou Yi.

  The name of this dish is somewhat tragic, called "Golden Staircase Bloodstain".

  Zhou Yi smiled and said, "In ancient times, loyal ministers and righteous scholars who encountered a country in decline and a foolish ruler would often use death to remonstrate with them, staining the golden steps with blood and singing a heroic song. This dish is named after the idea of complete loyalty and filial piety. After eating it, guests can't help but feel their blood boil and want to rise up!"

  "Golden stage blood stain? Good good good! Indeed it's a name that matches its quality!"

  Liu Ke sighed repeatedly: "Mei Bo's cannon, Bi Gan's heartlessness, Mei Xi's greed, and the water that destroys the country. This dish not only tastes good but also has educational significance. Younger brother, you are indeed a culinary god!"

  "Zhou Lao Di, what are those meat lines and red things on top of your roasted fish block?"

  Zhang Zuo didn't understand what "cannon fire without a heart" meant, but he knew about Daji. He had admired this beauty endlessly when watching TV dramas back then. At this moment, hearing Liu Ke's seemingly critical tone, he felt quite unconvinced in his heart, thinking that you, a troublemaker, also have your own share of problems, what are you pretending to be pure for?

  What he really cared about was the cooking method of this dish. If he could learn it himself, maybe he could get Chef Yun to figure it out, and then 'the old place' would have another signature dish?

  "Hehe, this dish is not difficult to make, but it does require a high level of control over knife skills, techniques and cooking time."

  "Pointing to the roasted fish block on the table, Zhou Yi said: 'When cutting the fish meat into blocks, first remove the fish blood and then use the top layer of sheep skin, which is the layer where the sheep skin and sheep meat are stuck together. Roll it into a thin tube; Then pour the fish blood and fish brain juice into it at the same time, so that you can neutralize the fishy smell of the fish blood. When roasting the fish meat, pay attention to the fire temperature. When the fish meat is about to be cooked, use extremely fast movements to attach the sheep skin tube containing fish blood on top of it. Relying on the heat coming from the fish meat, cook the sheep skin and fish blood until they are 80% done. Only in this way can we ensure that the fish blood will not be too smelly and can retain its original flavor, while perfectly combining the flavors of sheep meat and fish meat to achieve ultimate freshness!'"

  "Zhou, this isn't difficult at all, forget it, don't even mention that I've done it, just listening to it makes me dizzy."

  Zhang Zhuo couldn't help but click his tongue repeatedly. This is too troublesome, no wonder someone said that the Empress Dowager Cixi's favorite dish "Golden Hook Jade Twig" was so exquisite that even a plate of green bean sprouts required more than a dozen chefs to work together. Zhou Yi's roasted fish block is also quite temperamental.

  Zhou Yi smiled slightly, how could Zhang Zuo not know what he was thinking? He didn't need to hide it either. This "Golden Staircase Blood Stain" dish wasn't difficult to make, but before mastering the "Nine Turns of the Mysterious Power", even a culinary god like him couldn't do it; because just shaping meat into a tube required internal energy assistance. Why was Huang Lao's cooking skills under Old Master Jin unparalleled in the world, surpassing even the imperial palace's royal chefs? It was because his inner strength was profound and had merged with the culinary way.

  "Golden steps blood stained national calamity water haha, I understand now. I understand now!"

  Liu Ke slapped his thigh: "Good one, Zhou old brother! So this Golden Stage Blood Stain is the best match for your fine wine. How interesting! In a country where there are stunning beauties who can topple cities and states, loyal ministers and generals go to great pains to advise, whether it's being a wise ruler or a foolish one depends on the cultivation of the foodie himself. Zhou old brother, I'm right, aren't I?"

  "What does it mean?"

  Zhang Zhao was baffled by this, how could eating something cause someone to become a wise and foolish ruler? Was Liu Suo's head not smashed by the door?

  "Heh heh. Brother Yang is right, but I don't know if you want to be a wise ruler or a foolish one?"

  Zhou Yi burst out laughing and poured the "national calamity" directly into everyone's bowl: "Two old brothers, please, this wine is gentle in nature, so there's no need to warm it up; besides, with the 'golden stage blood stain' to go with it, even if it's cold wine, it's okay!"

  He himself drank a bowl first, picked up a piece of roasted fish and slowly chewed it.

  Actually, Zhou Yi himself is also very fond of this flavor. After all, to make this dish, you must use fish meat in combination with mutton to get the pure freshness, and then you can bring out the flavor of the fish blood. Mutton is easy to get, but the king of fish is not something that can be easily obtained. If ordinary fish is used, not only can't it be cut into such fish pieces, but this dish will also lose a bit of its spirit.

  So he was also picking up chopsticks and flying, a mouthful of wine and a mouthful of meat, completely disregarding the reason why he should be the host and let the guests first.

  How can this be?!

  Liu Ke and Zhang Zhao looked at each other, their mouths almost twisted in anger. Is this what it means to be a host? They're just eating for themselves, forget it, let's grab some too.

  "Quacking sound"

  "Rumble rumble rumble rumble"

  Two billionaires directly pulled themselves into Jin Yangyang's group.

  As soon as the wine and meat entered their mouths, the chopsticks of the two people slowed down.

  Can't take it anymore, too torturous, can't go on

  "The Golden Stage Blood Stain" was about to turn them into generous tragic heroes, but the devastating beauty at the entrance brought that alluring fragrance, wanting to turn them into tender and charming goods. One moment their faces were flushed red, the next their eyes were wide with anger, heaven and man in conflict, contradictions unparalleled. It was both painful and comfortable, yearning for immortality yet wanting to die. "I'm dead, I've lost, but I still want..."

  That's just what it means anyway.

  "Oh, I love the rivers and mountains even more than beautiful women"

  Liu Ke and Zhang Zhao are not comparable to Zhu Xiaohua and his gang back then. Zhu Xiaohua and his gang didn't have the 'Golden Stage Blood Stain' and this city-destroying beauty, so they couldn't hold their liquor and soon showed their ugly side after just a few cups. The two of them, however, managed to down four or five jin of liquor. In the end, evil still triumphed over justice, and instead of singing a heroic tragic song, they became goods that love the rivers and mountains more than beauty.

  The two of them were flushed with excitement. Soft and weak, humming and murmuring, they deeply hugged each other, if Zhou Yi hadn't hurriedly separated them, they might have even kissed.

  "Haha, was it cool, you two brothers?"

  Zhou Yi lay on the table, smiling and looking at these two guys.

  He just knew that these two were definitely "infatuated rulers". In fact, looking around the world, most men are probably those who scold their mothers when they have no chance and think of tender sisters when they do, each wanting to be an infatuated ruler. This "city-destroying beauty" is wonderful precisely because it can make people tear off their disguises and return to their true selves.

  Loyal ministers and wise rulers are real, treacherous officials and foolish lords are also real. Since both are true, what's the point of pretending?

  After a while, Liu Ke and Zhang Zuo sobered up a bit, drank the hot fish soup brought by Zhou Yi, and felt that they had woken up from their drunkenness. Suddenly, they looked at the jar of "City-Toppling Beauty" again.

  "Two old brothers, don't look anymore, there's nothing to see"

  Zhou Yi smiled and patted the urn: "A whole ten kilograms, all drunk by you guys."

  "Stop pretending, Zhou, I still don't know you?"

  Zhang Zuo smiled and said: "Since it's your own brew, I'm afraid there should be quite a bit left in the wine cellar?"

  "This thing"

  "Alas, this wine is too potent. The two of you have already suffered from 'Golden Stage Blood Stain' and I'm afraid if it weren't for that, the consequences would be even more severe."

  "Just let this younger brother be, no matter how severe the consequences are, older brother will take responsibility for them himself."

  Liu Ke said with a straight face: "You won't sell this wine, will you, little brother?"

  What's "green and fragrant accumulation" or "golden steps stained with blood", now in Liu Ke's eyes, there is only this "city-destroying beauty" who delights people, he says everything must be taken back.

  This stuff is really good! It's more effective than any other medicine or oil, and it's non-toxic.

  "Haha, sold! Of course it's been sold!"

  Ji Yi smiled slightly: "But this wine is not easy to brew, and the price is..."

  "Little brother, name a price. If big brother agrees to it, then that's the deal!" Zhang Zuo stretched out three fingers and pressed them on the tea table, as if he was still afraid Zhou Yi wouldn't understand, his neck stretched out like a giant from the Atlantic Ocean.

  "Alright, since you two brothers are so generous, then I'll sell this wine at the price of a cut cake."

  Zhou Yi smiled and said.

  "Cut the cake?"

  Liu Ke and Zhang Zhao were both stunned when they heard it, it's so expensive!

  Thank you to "Dong", "Fengkuanglong123", "Sa11", "Taizi Heilong", "Zhongxinhui" and other book friends for their monthly votes. Thank you to "Sangzhikong", "Youzoudeqiangkou", "Shangdeshashou", "Ershuoming", "Cxb1002", "Thl0422" and other book friends for their generous rewards.

  I know everyone is waiting for Liu Mei's paper, I'll announce it first, Liu Mei's paper is about to be released, haha!