Li Ying sized up the shopkeeper. All she could see in his rather wise eyes was suspicion, with no other strange looks. So she felt a bit more at ease.
She took her time, took out the freshly made fish - sauce fried chicken wings from the bamboo basket beside her, and gently pushed them in front of the shopkeeper of Zizai Fang. With a beaming smile, she said, "I'm new here. I know I've only managed to attract some customers in the capital simply because my food is novel. If we're talking about skills in cooking hot dishes, I'm naturally no match for Zizai Fang."
"I'm here today because I've developed a new seasoning. I've tried using it in dishes, but I'm not sure if the local people will like it. I know that Zizai Fang has been in business in the capital for many years, and you're a very honest and kind person. So I came to ask for your advice."
The words were polite. The shopkeeper of Zizai Fang was a very shrewd man. He naturally sensed that Li Ying must have another purpose today and wasn't here to cause trouble. So he relaxed his guard a bit and said calmly, "Boss Li, there's no need to be so modest. You just haven't found a suitable shop in the city yet. Otherwise, with all those fancy grilled skewers you make, you'd probably have opened your own restaurant long ago."
Li Ying didn't want to exchange these polite pleasantries with him. She just calmly waited for him to pick up a piece of the fish - sauce chicken wing.
The shopkeeper of Zizai Fang frowned tightly. Fried chicken wings were hardly a rare dish. He thought it was a bit of a wild fantasy for this Miss Li to come and talk about cooperation with just this dish.
But the more he chewed, the more he was amazed. Under the thin, crispy coating like a cicada's wing was tender and juicy chicken meat. The meat was savory with a hint of sweetness, smooth yet chewy. It was truly amazing.
The once - bland chicken wings could actually have such a complex flavor!
The shopkeeper of Zizai Fang considered himself an expert in food after dealing with daily cooking ingredients all his life. He thought there was hardly any food he hadn't seen or tasted in the world.
If a few days ago, Li Ying's "grilled chicken skewers" had only caught the customers' attention because of the novel ingredients and cuts of meat, then today's fish - sauce fried chicken wings were really a test of cooking skills.
He couldn't even tell what seasonings Li Ying had used!
The shopkeeper of Zizai Fang's face turned solemn. He stood there in silence, feeling a bit ashamed inside.
Seeing his expression, Li Ying knew it was almost a sure thing that she could persuade Zizai Fang to cooperate with her.
She didn't beat around the bush. She took out a small glass bottle from her bosom and placed it in front of the shopkeeper of Zizai Fang.
"This fish - sauce chicken wing is actually very simple. The key is the seasoning, fish sauce."
The shopkeeper of Zizai Fang took the glass bottle. He saw a dark - brown liquid like soy sauce inside, with a faint fishy and salty smell. He couldn't help but feel skeptical.
"Fish sauce is known as the king of seasonings. No matter what dish you're cooking, it can bring an indescribable and ultimate flavor. The chefs of Zizai Fang just need to taste it a bit, and they'll surely be able to come up with many rare ways of cooking without me giving them a recipe."
Just as Yunlaixuan had easily created their own flavored cold - eaten chicken claws with her "red - oil boneless chicken" and hot - pot base, Zizai Fang surely didn't need her guidance either.
The bargaining chip for Li Ying to cooperate with Zizai Fang was the large amount of "fish sauce" that would be brewed in the future.
She knew what he was doubting. With a smile, she said, "Shopkeeper, why don't you take me to the kitchen? I'll show you the magic of this fish sauce myself."
In the back kitchen of Zizai Fang, all kinds of vegetables and fruits were in abundance.
The shopkeeper was quite generous and let her use whatever she needed.
Li Ying looked around and just casually picked up a bunch of fresh green vegetables.
"Let's use these."
She washed her hands, heated up the pan, poured in some vegetable oil, and added crushed garlic. She fried the garlic until it was golden on both sides, then added the picked green vegetables.
She stir - fried the vegetables over high heat to drive out the moisture, then poured in the fish sauce along the edge of the pan. After a quick stir - fry to mix it evenly, she turned off the heat and dished up the vegetables.
The stir - fried green vegetables were not only bright green but also had a strong seafood aroma. They might look ordinary, but only those who tasted them could know the real flavor.
"Shopkeeper, please have a taste."
Li Ying bowed slightly and then fell silent. She just quietly waited for the shopkeeper of Zizai Fang to make a decision.
Sure enough, at first, the shopkeeper of Zizai Fang frowned. But the more he tasted, the brighter his eyes became.
"Boss Li, no matter how much fish sauce you have, just send it all to me. There's only one condition - you must ensure that in the whole capital, I'm the only one who has this flavor!"
The shopkeeper of Zizai Fang was a smart man. He knew that since Li Ying could make such a rare seasoning, she surely wasn't short - sighted. She would never give away the recipe for the fish sauce. So he didn't waste his breath on that. He just asked to buy the fish sauce regularly.
Li Ying smiled slightly and nodded. "You're a connoisseur, shopkeeper. That's easy to arrange."
"However, to make this fish sauce, we need a large amount of fish and shrimp. As you're well - informed, you may have heard that I've been targeted by Yunlaixuan and Inspector Lin. The goods from my caravan can't arrive on time..."
She looked troubled. Sure enough, before she finished speaking, the shopkeeper of Zizai Fang waved his hand generously.
"Since it's for making fish sauce, Boss Li, you don't need to be polite. You can just let your caravan contact the people from Zizai Fang. I guarantee the goods will arrive on time!"
This was exactly the promise Li Ying had been waiting for. Her face lit up with joy. "Then, thank you very much, shopkeeper!"
She made an appointment with the shopkeeper of Zizai Fang on the time to deliver the fish sauce. Fortunately, she had enough stock in her space. After getting the silver, she happily rushed back to the mansion.
Lu Xunguang had been waiting for her for a long time. Seeing her come back so happily, he knew that her business today must have been a success.
"A Ying, you don't need to go through so much trouble dealing with these worldly merchants and the lackeys of the officials. Just leave it to me."
Lu Xunguang warmed a cup of tea for her to keep her warm. Seeing her looking so tired, he couldn't help but feel pity for her.
"Lu Lang, making money is not the most important thing about cooperating with Zizai Fang."
"Think about it. Behind every restaurant in the capital, there are important court officials supporting them. If Zizai Fang is willing to cooperate with us, it's like we've torn a hole in the closely - knit officialdom. In the future, when we fight against Inspector Lin, we'll have one more ally and one more chance of winning."
She stretched out her slender hands and held Lu Xunguang's big hands tightly. Looking at him affectionately with her bright eyes, she said softly, "Lu Lang, I want to support you. How can I just leave all the difficulties to you? If I did that, I'd be like a dodder flower, without any backbone of my own."