Li Ying's mind also stirred.
This "employer" of Du Zhong could obtain rare spices like pepper and turmeric. The night market in the fishing village had just opened last night, and he already got the news today. Evidently, he was a well - connected and capable person.
If she could conquer his taste buds and make him her "angel investor", perhaps she could open a real restaurant of her own!
Even... taking over Tianxiang Tower and replacing it was not an impossible dream!
"Shopkeeper Du, I wonder what your employer's taste is like? To entertain this important guest, of course, I need to prepare well."
Du Zhong waved his hand reassuringly.
"Madam Li, don't worry. The employer has a light diet. Your congee - base hot pot is quite good. As for the new madam... In recent years, the employer has attached great importance to her opinion. She likes novel and delicate sweet soups. Madam might as well spend more time on them."
Sweet soups... This was not a difficult task.
She wanted to ask a few more questions, but seeing Lu Xunguang sitting beside her looking unhappy, she assumed it was because of the pain from his wounds. So she didn't delay any longer. She carefully helped him up and walked towards the small fishing village.
With such a serious injury, she couldn't just leave him alone on the dock. The wood - shed that he had repaired for A Man was just right to accommodate him.
Shi Hu winked at Lu Xunguang with a smile and bowed to see them off as they left Deji Hall.
After boiling the medicine for Lu Xunguang, Li Ying just thought for a moment and then confidently started to prepare.
Shopkeeper Du had given her high - quality dark plums, dried tangerine peels, and licorice. At home, she also had dried hawthorns and dried apricots, which she had originally bought to make plum juice for relieving the summer heat.
She crushed the brown sugar, chose a clean clay pot, and boiled it twice over a low fire. When the rock sugar melted, the sourness of the dark plums and the sweetness of the licorice were perfectly blended, and the dried tangerine peels brought the unique fragrance of citrus. Then she carefully filtered the residue in the soup with a fine gauze and added a spoonful of osmanthus syrup for decoration.
The plum juice was already very appetizing and thirst - quenching. While it was cooling, she selected dozens of bright and round tomatoes, made shallow cross - cuts on them, scalded them with boiling water to remove the skins, and soaked them in the sweet and sour soup. After just one night, they became a delicious dish no less than plum - flavored tomatoes.
Li Ying thought that since there were wild basil in the fishing village, maybe she could also find mint. She cooked two small yellow croakers to please Mao Mao. Sure enough, it walked out of the door leisurely and proudly. After a while, it brought her a few green leaves.
The red tomatoes were very beautiful. Pouring a layer of osmanthus syrup on them was like wrapping them in an alluring amber. Decorated with two mint leaves, although the method was simple, just one look from Granny Sun made her stare in amazement.
The sweet and sour plum - flavored tomatoes and plum juice were well - received by all the fishing girls in the village.
After Lu Xunguang took the medicine and went to sleep, since she had nothing to do, she simply boiled two pots of tomato sauce and distributed them to several fishing girls as a new flavor for fried chicken and fried squid.
Everything was ready to welcome the "mysterious employer", but thinking of the blue - ringed octopus that Yang Er had thrown into the basket, Li Ying couldn't help feeling anxious.
That kind of highly poisonous thing could kill a strong adult with just one bite!
Yang Er had evil intentions and deserved his punishment, but the villagers in the town were innocent. If they died because of this blue - ringed octopus...
Li Ying was afraid that she would be haunted by nightmares every night in the future and couldn't sleep peacefully.
She sighed. She had originally thought that it was better to stay out of trouble and mind her own business, but in the end, she just couldn't stand by and watch so many lives in danger.
She rode on Wu Zhui and rushed straight to the town. At the entrance of Tianxiang Tower, there were many carriages and horses. A man in gorgeous clothes, with a delicate and beautiful woman on his arm, was staggering out of the carriage.
Tao Zhi bowed and saluted repeatedly. The waiters of Tianxiang Tower lined up neatly in two rows.
Tao Zhi shouted, "You blind fools! Hurry up and kneel down for the noble guests to step on!"
He kicked a young waiter hard on the back. The waiter knelt down in a hurry, looking terrified.
The man in gorgeous clothes had gray temples and an imposing manner. Seeing the waiter's posture, he frowned slightly.
It was the beautiful woman beside him who gave a charming laugh, gracefully stretched out a jade - decorated embroidered shoe, and lightly stepped on the waiter.
Li Ying didn't have time to stop her. She only heard the man in gorgeous clothes look at the signboard of Tianxiang Tower and say indifferently, "You are the leader of the restaurants in this town?"
Tao Zhi wished he could stick his face to the ground. He was extremely humble, looking as if he had been humbled into the dust.
"Where, where. It's just a small business, all thanks to the love of the villagers. Please give us more advice, noble guest."
The beautiful woman noticed that the employer looked unhappy. She gently smoothed things over and said, "Husband, since we are here to try the other dishes in this town, let's not delay. Let's go in and take a look first?"
She held the man's arm and walked into Tianxiang Tower gracefully. Li Ying couldn't care about anything else and rushed forward in one stride!
"Sir, you mustn't! There's a blue - ringed octopus mixed in the dishes. Just one bite and it'll be fatal!"
The man in gorgeous clothes was just about to pick up the blue - ringed octopus with his white jade chopsticks. Hearing Li Ying's words, he paused.
Several accompanying servants immediately surrounded Tao Zhi in the middle with unfriendly looks.
"Noble guest, you've wronged me! This woman has a grudge against Tianxiang Tower. She's deliberately here to cause trouble today! I've never heard of any blue - ringed octopus! These are all the freshest seafood today. I would never dare to deceive the noble guest!"
Li Ying sneered, "You're short - sighted. Whether this dish is poisonous or not can be easily tested!"
The beautiful woman had already taken out her silver hairpin and stirred it in a plate of stir - fried baby octopuses in sauce. Sure enough, the hairpin turned black as if it had been charred, obviously indicating the presence of highly poisonous substances.
Tao Zhi looked as pale as death. He quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed, making a "thud" sound.
"Noble guest, please investigate clearly! I definitely have no intention of harming you! This seafood was really just caught today. This woman saw it too and can testify for me! I personally supervised the kitchen staff's cooking. I really don't know why such a mistake happened!"
Li Ying let out another cold snort.
"You only use people when you need them. Shopkeeper Tao, you really have a shrewd mind!"
"Yes, I did see you catch this octopus with my own eyes. At that time on the tidal flat, I had already advised you kindly, but your people ignored my words. Now you're pretending to be innocent? Shopkeeper Tao, in my opinion, you clearly regard human lives as worthless!"
Seeing the previously calm face of the employer now showing a hint of displeasure, Tao Zhi was even more flustered. He wished he could knock a hole in the bluestone floor.