If you were to talk about the most popular late-night snacks, hot pot and barbecue would top the list.
In this small town, there were no affordable and high - quality beef and mutton for her to work with. After much thought, only one idea came to Li Ying's mind.
Congee base hot pot.
For this "ace dish", Li Ying took her koi daughter Mianmian and the little spirit cat Maomao to ensure everything would go smoothly.
Sure enough, today's beachcombing was extremely rewarding. The lively big prawns were jumping vigorously in the bamboo basket, and the swimming crabs were waving their big pincers menacingly.
Clams, razor clams, and small abalones were also in abundance. After being washed and purged of sand, and cut into chrysanthemum - like shapes, they were lying quietly in the food box, waiting to be chosen.
Estimating the time, Li Ying selected some top - grade polished rice, washed it, drained it, and carefully mixed it with sesame oil to make sure every grain was shiny and oily.
She simmered the rice in a clay pot over a low heat until the grains burst and the soup thickened. Then she strained out the rice at the bottom of the pot, creating the "wu - mi congee" where "you can't see the rice, but only taste its essence".
The congee base was covered with a thick layer of rice oil. It was refreshing but not insipid, and was perfect for bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients. Whether it was seafood or meat cooked in it, the taste would be sweeter, smoother, and more tender.
She then prepared the dipping sauce with ginger vinegar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. With everything ready, Li Ying excitedly rushed to the yamen.
When she took out one dish after another of seafood and sliced meat from the food box like a magician, all the yamen runners in the county yamen came up curiously to watch.
The county magistrate looked at her suspiciously - how could such a pot of plain white congee taste good?
Li Ying was calm. First, she invited everyone to taste the curry fish balls and cold skewers as appetizers. When the congee in the pot was about to boil, she put in two slices of ginger to dispel the cold, and then added the seafood to the pot one by one.
The clams opened their shells eagerly. The prawns and crabs turned a beautiful red, looking extremely appealing. And the taste was incredibly sweet.
After the seafood was cooked, the congee base had an extra wonderful aroma. The tender chicken and beef slices absorbed the sea flavor, hitting the most sensitive part of the taste buds like a gentle but powerful punch.
The county magistrate, who had initially thought little of this "plain - boiled seafood", after having a small bowl of the thick congee base, felt completely refreshed, as if his internal organs had been cleansed.
The yamen runners were also satisfied, with looks of contentment on their faces.
Li Ying watched with a smile as they finished all the wu - mi congee in the pot. Then she calmly asked, "Does this congee base hot pot meet your approval, my lord?"
The county magistrate looked at her with a complicated expression.
If the spicy cold skewers and curry fish balls were just novel in taste and attention - grabbing, perhaps a bit of a trick, then this wu - mi congee was truly a return to simplicity and the essence of cooking.
Although he was not a well - traveled gourmet, he knew that the more a dish pursued the natural flavor of the food, the more it tested the skills and character of the chef.
Miss Li was so young but had such amazing cooking skills... Thinking of the reminder from the clerk just now...
The boss behind Deji Hall was someone he, even as an official, had to show some respect to...
The county magistrate took a deep breath, and his tone became somewhat polite.
"Miss Li, please rest assured. I approve of the night market. You can go ahead without hesitation! As for the case of Manager Du of Deji Hall suing Mrs. Qin, I will handle it impartially and give you an explanation!"
Li Ying smiled modestly and bowed.
"Thank you, my lord."
She was naturally happy about this victory.
However, the Qin family was in a very bad mood when they saw the official warrant written in vermilion ink along with the good horse being sent back.
"Brother, what should we do? Didn't the county magistrate accept our horse? Why did he go back on his word and even blame me for bribing an official and threaten to punish us brothers?"
Qin Shao was extremely angry. He gritted his teeth and slapped the table hard, "It must be that little witch Li who caused all this! Brother, you just wait. I'll go find some hooligans and teach her a lesson!"
Qin Jin held the official warrant. Although his face remained calm, his pale knuckles betrayed his anger.
"Calm down! The county magistrate is now in cahoots with Li Ying. If you cause trouble at this moment, that corrupt official will surely protect her. Won't that be exactly what she wants?"
Although Qin Shao was a reckless man, he always listened to his elder brother. Seeing that he disagreed, his anger subsided a bit. He said dejectedly, "Brother, then what should we do?"
Qin Jin pondered for a moment and then slowly said,
"Bribing an official is a serious crime. Now this huge accusation has fallen on you, and there's no way to reverse it. Brother Shao, you are now a criminal. I'm afraid you can no longer take the imperial examinations. This misfortune is inevitable. For the sake of our Qin family, you'll have to take the blame."
Qin Shao never expected his elder brother to say such a thing. He was slightly stunned.
Seeing the change in his face, Qin Jin quickly added, "Brother Shao, please rest assured. I will never let you suffer in prison. After you are convicted, I'll immediately bring the silver for commuting the punishment to redeem you. Anyway, you don't like studying and don't care much about the imperial examinations. After I pass the exams in the future, I will surely treat you well."
This really hit Qin Shao's heart.
He was indeed tired of studying hard in the cold window. Given the opportunity, he would sneak out to engage in some idle amusements. If he could take the blame for Qin Jin and no longer have to take the imperial examinations, just waiting at home for his brother to support him and live a carefree life as a young master, it wasn't a bad idea.
Although he was somewhat unwilling to give up the chance of getting an official position, after a brief hesitation, he nodded in agreement.
Only Old Lady Qin was wailing and crying like a tearful mess. She was even cursing Li Ying's ancestors all the way back to the 18th generation.
Their Qin family could have produced two top - ranking scholars and brought glory to their ancestors! But now, because of this little whore, Brother Shao's bright future was completely ruined. It was simply abominable!
Seeing that there was someone to take the blame, Qin Jin felt relieved. He then admonished, "Mother, Brother Shao, there must be some powerful backer behind Li Ying. She is very powerful now, and we can't fight against her. It's better for us to avoid her for now and wait and see what happens."
Old Lady Qin was reluctant, but when she recalled all the strange things that had happened since they drove that little whore out of the family, and the terrifying sight of the rabid dog's blood - filled mouth was still vivid in her mind, she was really scared. So she just went along with it and agreed.
Seeing that the Qin family had backed down and sent Qin Shao as a scapegoat, the county magistrate didn't want to push them too far and simply turned a blind eye.
Grandma Sun and the fishing girls were still indignant, but Li Ying had already guessed that the Qin family would pay the silver for commuting the punishment to get out of trouble. As a mere woman, she had effortlessly made the second son of the Qin family take the blame and be prohibited from taking the imperial examinations for the rest of his life, thus ruining his official career. This was already a bit of revenge, so she didn't pursue it further.
She and Qin Jin would surely meet again in the future. If he still had malicious intentions, she would deal with him accordingly.
The most urgent thing now was to open the night market as soon as possible.