Aman was a girl who never gave in. She was kind - hearted and always grateful. Since she regarded Li Ying as her elder sister, she naturally let down her guard. She thought that what Lu Xunguang said was indeed reasonable.
The night market was going to open soon. Since she had received Li Ying's protection, she should reciprocate. She was determined to practice the "rolling lamp" juggling well to liven up the night market for her sister.
She stood at the door of the wood - shed, throwing and rolling the big bamboo - woven ball. It was like a naughty monkey that refused to behave. No matter how hard she tried, she could never handle the rolling lamp as effortlessly as Lu Xunguang did, moving it back and forth between his palms. Frustrated, she was sweating all over and slumped down on the bluestone steps.
When she saw Li Ying coming back, she pursed her lips and said dejectedly, "Sister!"
Li Ying smiled and said, "This rolling - lamp juggling is a rare and amazing skill. Lu Xunguang is being too strict. How could he give you such a difficult task!"
Li Ying was already very satisfied with Aman's good intention. She really didn't want to see her pushing herself too hard and getting upset for nothing.
Aman said unwillingly, "Sister, I'm useful! You saved me from the slave - trading house. I should share your burdens!"
Looking at Aman's slender waist as she chased the rolling lamp, moving as fast as a rabbit and jumping lightly, an idea suddenly flashed through Li Ying's mind.
"Aman, if you really want to help me on the opening night of the night market, I have an idea."
She leaned over and whispered a few words into Aman's ear. At first, Aman was a bit hesitant, but as she listened, her eyes began to sparkle with anticipation.
"Sister, don't worry. I'll surely accomplish what you've entrusted me with this time!"
She flew out of the room like a happy sparrow. Watching her back, Li Ying became more and more determined.
Aman, this passionate Hu girl, shouldn't have to disguise herself as a Kunlun slave all her life!
She should be a red flower blooming freely under the sun, showing off her breathtaking beauty, free and radiant.
Since Aman called her sister, then it was up to her to be the gardener who protected Aman's blooming.
Having made up her mind, Li Ying returned to the kitchen. The fisherwomen who had made an appointment to learn how to make snacks would arrive soon, and she had to prepare some ingredients first.
It was not convenient to cook complex dishes on fishing boats. The food should be quick to make and easy to eat on the go.
Granny Sun had already ground the black pepper for her. All she had to do was start cooking.
Li Ying peeled a basket of garlic and minced it finely. She added half of the chopped scallions, plenty of cooking oil, and slowly fried them over low heat until the garlic aroma filled the air. Then she added pepper powder, water, and soy sauce, and simmered it slowly. The pungent and warm fragrance of pepper gradually filled the kitchen.
She added sugar and oyster sauce for flavor, and a little milk to enhance the aroma. In the hot summer, the black - pepper sauce was spicy but not overly hot, making it extremely appetizing.
She also set aside some golden garlic and fried it into garlic oil, which she then poured over the black - pepper sauce. The sauce sealed with garlic oil had a richer and more mellow flavor and could be stored for a longer time.
Just then, the fisherwomen arrived. They had already tasted the pepper cakes made by Lady Li according to Li Ying's recipe, and thought they were delicious, with a spicy and fragrant taste and rich meat juice.
Now, smelling the strange and alluring aroma from the kitchen, they sniffed hard, their mouths watering. They quickly put down the sea - bird eggs they had brought for Li Ying to nourish herself and rushed over excitedly.
Li Ying greeted them calmly and got to work nimbly.
She deboned two chicken legs and flattened them into large pieces. One was marinated with the freshly made black - pepper sauce, scallions, garlic, and yellow rice wine, while the other had the prepared curry added to the marinade.
While waiting for the chicken to marinate, she took out the pig small intestines that had been scraped of fat and cleaned with salt and vinegar.
She mixed freshly ground black pepper, oyster sauce, and sugar into the minced meat, which was 30% fat and 70% lean. Then she cracked an egg into it. The minced meat absorbed the egg liquid, becoming tender, soft, and just the right amount of sweet and salty. After stirring it until it became sticky, she stuffed it into the sausage casings and steamed them. The result was black - pepper sausage.
All you had to do was brush it with some sauce oil and roast it over charcoal on low heat until each slit on the sausage opened up into a golden - brown crack. This crispy - skinned and tender - meat black - pepper grilled sausage would surely be the top choice for every night - market diner!
By this time, the chicken legs were well - marinated. The black - pepper chicken cutlets only needed a thin layer of oil to be fried until golden brown, and then sprinkled with freshly ground black - pepper grains. The aroma was overwhelming, and the caramel - colored sauce assailed everyone's noses and taste buds.
The curry chicken cutlets were coated with a layer of starch, dipped in egg liquid, and finally rolled in crushed steamed - bun crumbs. When the oil was 60% hot, they were deep - fried in the pan.
A whole cleaned and floured squid was also fried at the same time. After both sides were fried into a golden - brown crispy shell, it was taken out to drain the oil and then deep - fried again over high heat. The coatings of the curry chicken legs and the deep - fried squid crackled softly against each other.
She poured a layer of black - pepper sauce over the squid and sprinkled some sesame seeds and other seasonings on the curry chicken legs. When these snacks were placed in front of them, the fisherwomen looked at each other in astonishment and were completely stunned.
"Sisters, these are the recipes I've prepared for you. The black - pepper grilled sausage, black - pepper chicken cutlets, deep - fried squid, and curry - fried chicken legs are all suitable for eating while walking around in the night market. The cooking methods are also simple. I'll provide you with curry powder and black - pepper sauce, and I'll teach you how to make them step by step according to the recipes."
"The fried chicken can also come in various flavors like cumin, plum, and sweet - and - spicy. The grilled sausage can be made into hot - dog buns, big - intestine wrapped around small - intestine, and egg - wrapped sausage. As long as we keep innovating, the diners will never get bored."
The fisherwomen didn't understand what "hot - dog buns" were, but they knew that anything Li Ying made was delicious! They were so eager that they almost agreed without thinking.
"As for the money for the recipes, we're all familiar villagers. I don't want to ask for too much. How about we split the profits 30 - 70?"
Most of the fisherwomen had heard that Tianxiang Restaurant had planned to buy Li Ying's recipes for one tael of silver each, and they were all indignant, scolding the shopkeeper Tao for being so heartless.
However, their families were all living in poverty, and they couldn't afford to pay a high price either.
Li Ying's idea of splitting the profits 30 - 70 was exactly what they wanted.
The fisherwomen immediately agreed without hesitation and said gratefully, "Aying, don't worry. We know your recipes will surely make money in the future. If anyone else asks, we'll say we bought them for ten taels each!"
Seeing how smart they were, Li Ying smiled and didn't give any more instructions.
They signed the contracts and took the black - pepper sauce and curry powder. They knew these seasonings were Li Ying's secret recipes and didn't ask how to make them. They regarded them as treasures and went back to prepare.
That night, the delicious aroma wafted from the kitchens of these families.
With such a big commotion, the news of the night market could no longer be kept a secret. Li Ying took this opportunity to promote the night market among the villagers. She gave the children some coconut candies and told them to hand out some self - made flyers and do some advertising when they went to play in the town.
Sure enough, many restaurants in the town heard the news and cautiously asked Li Ying if they could get a stall in the night market.
The livelier the night market, the better. Li Ying welcomed everyone. As long as they had their own boats and registered in advance, they could participate.
For a while, the fishing - village night market became an event that all the villagers were eagerly looking forward to.