The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 598 High-quality assets!!!

It was noon and the sun was shining on the country road. The grandfather and grandson were walking home carrying a heavy bucket filled with lively fish, shrimps and crabs.

"Xiaowei, be careful with your hands!" Liu Jingzhai glanced at Zhong Xiaowei who was playing with crabs with great interest, with a hint of concern in his tone.

The "Shengfang crab" was indeed worthy of its reputation. It had a majestic body and weighed about 30 to 40 taels. The crab shell shone with an attractive luster in the sun, as if showing off its plumpness.

"Okay!" Zhong Xiaowei threw the crab into the bucket immediately, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, "Grandpa, let's cook it and eat it as soon as we get back, how about that?"

"Are you greedy?" Liu Jingzhai was amused by his great-grandson's eagerness, and the wrinkles on his face were all smiling.

"Yeah!" Zhong Xiaowei said as he couldn't help swallowing his saliva, as if he could already smell the delicious crab aroma.

"Okay, let your grandma make it for you when we get home!"

The grandparents and grandchildren continued walking along the country road until they reached the main road leading to West City. The sunlight shone through the leaves onto them, and the mottled light and shadows swayed gently with their footsteps.

The wild flowers on the roadside swayed in the breeze, emitting a faint fragrance. Occasionally, a few butterflies danced among the flowers, as if leading the way for them.

Looking at his grandson's excited expression, Liu Jingzhai couldn't help but recall the time when he was a child and followed his father to the river to fish.

The Yongding River at that time was not so crystal clear. The river water was rushing down mixed with mud and sand from upstream, so it was not easy to catch fish, shrimps and crabs in the river.

If we come back with a full load, our house will be bustling with neighbors sitting around and sharing the fresh harvest.

That kind of simple and pure happiness now reappears on Zhong Xiaowei's face.

"Great-grandfather, why do these crabs grow so fat?" Zhong Xiaowei asked curiously, his eyes still fixed on the crabs in the bucket, as if studying its secrets.

"Nowadays, Shengfang crabs are our specialty. With good water quality and a good environment, the crabs will naturally grow fat and beautiful." Liu Jingzhai explained with a smile, with a bit of pride in his tone, "In a few days, grandpa will take you to the rice fields to catch crabs. That's really fun!"

Zhong Xiaowei listened attentively, nodded repeatedly, and began to look forward to it in his heart.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the gate of the Liu family compound.

In the yard, grandma Deng Ru was leisurely taking a walk with her two-year-old cousin Dongdong in her arms.

Deng Ru had a satisfied smile on her kind face, and her eyes would occasionally fall on the innocent little face of the child in her arms.

"Oh, you're finally back!" Seeing everyone coming back, Deng Ru happily stepped forward and took the bucket from Zhong Xiaowei's hand. She glanced at the plump crabs inside and couldn't help but smile, "These crabs are really plump. We're in for a treat today!"

Zhong Xiaowei could no longer contain his joy. He impatiently put down the bucket and went up to Dongdong to tease him.

Dongdong, whose real name is Liu Kun, is still young but has already shown some intelligence. He giggled at Zhong Xiaowei's teasing, and his clear laughter echoed in the yard.

"Dongdong, do you miss your brother?" Zhong Xiaowei teased him while reaching out and gently pinching Dongdong's little face. Dongdong blinked his big eyes and responded in a baby voice: "Yes!" After that, he stretched out his little hand and wanted to grab Zhong Xiaowei's fingers.

Zhong Xiaowei dodged with a smile, which made Dongdong even more excited. His little feet kept kicking in his grandma's arms.

Deng Ru looked at the two children playing and the smile on her face deepened.

She patted Dongdong's back gently and said softly, "Okay, okay, stop making trouble, we should go into the house." After that, she turned and walked into the house, and Zhong Xiaowei hurriedly picked up the bucket and followed.

Inside the house, Aunt Li Qinglan had already prepared lunch. Seeing them coming back, she smiled and greeted them, "Come in quickly, prepare the crabs quickly, and they will be ready to cook in a while."

"Okay! Aunt!" Zhong Xiaowei responded, put the bucket in the corner of the kitchen, and began to clean the crabs skillfully.

Aunt Li Qinglan helped on the side, and while handling the matter, she praised: "Xiaowei is really becoming more and more sensible, he is a little man."

Deng Ru held Dongdong and sat at the dining table, coaxing him softly: "Dongdong, let's eat crabs later, okay?"

Dongdong nodded as if he understood, but his eyes were always fixed on the direction of the kitchen, as if he was full of anticipation for the delicious food that was about to be served.

After a while, bursts of fragrance wafted from the kitchen, and Zhong Xiaowei came out with a plate full of red crabs and placed it on the table.

Dongdong saw the crab and waved his hands excitedly, mumbling, "Eat! Eat!"

The family sat around the dining table, laughing and talking happily.

Deng Ru peeled a crab, picked up a piece of crab meat and fed it carefully to Dongdong. Dongdong ate it with relish, a satisfied smile on his face.

While eating, Zhong Xiaowei talked about the interesting things he had done while catching crabs today, which made everyone laugh.

At noon, the sunlight outside the window fills the courtyard. The golden light flows between the green bricks and green tiles, covering the entire courtyard with a layer of warm color and creating a quiet and warm atmosphere.

Liu Jingzhai sat leaning on a bamboo chair, looking relaxed and contented.

He took a sip of the Yanshan Winery's treasured wine. The amber wine swayed slightly in the glass, and the mellow aroma bloomed on the tip of his tongue, as if performing an elegant dance on his taste buds.

Every bite carries the accumulation of time and is unforgettable.

This bottle of fine wine has been stored in the cellar for more than 30 years. With the baptism of time, its taste has become more mellow and its aroma has become more intense.

Nowadays, "Taihang Liquor" of this year is hard to find on the market. It can be regarded as a rare treasure. Every drop of it embodies the hard work of the craftsmen and the gift of time.

When the steamed crabs were brought to the table, Liu Jingzhai picked one up and put it on a plate. He then opened the crab's lid and said, "Hey! It's really yellow and plump! With this yellow color, I can drink a pot of Taihang crab soup, no problem."

There is a whole set of preparations for eating crabs, and restaurants and respectable families all have these prepared.

It is made of wood, the size of a three-inch plate, three or four centimeters thick, with a small wooden block and a small wooden hammer, more than four inches long, with a handle as thick as a chopstick, and a small wooden hammer not much bigger than the belly of a thumb.

The crabs that had just been steamed in front of Liu Jingzhai had bright red shells and plump crab meat.

While tasting the wine, he ate the crab roe and crab meat. The fresh aroma of the crab roe and the aroma of the wine intertwined together, making him intoxicated.

After eating the crab roe and crab meat, the remaining two large claws and eight horizontal legs will be used with the above-mentioned tools.

Put the crab claws and legs on a small wooden block, break the hard shells with a small wooden hammer, dip them in ginger vinegar, it’s delicious!

Zhong Xiaowei is an impatient person. He doesn't like to eat crabs slowly and leisurely with "things", as he finds it laborious and tiring.

I like to eat the "spicy fried whole crab" made by my aunt, and then take out a bottle of "Arctic Ocean" from the refrigerator, drink it in big gulps, and eat it in big mouthfuls. Only then do I feel happy.

Drinking Liujiazhuang wine and eating Liujiazhuang crabs is the most pleasant enjoyment for the people of Yanjing around the beginning of autumn. It seems that the richness and beauty of the entire autumn are condensed in this bite.

The old people of Yanjing, the capital of Beijing, have a tradition of "eating autumn food" and "tasting autumn delicacies" when autumn is about to begin or after it begins since ancient times.

Lao Yanjing believes that the newly harvested fruits and vegetables are the most nutritious at this time, and we should seize the opportunity to eat more of them.

You know what, this concept actually coincides with the modern nutrition science that "eating seasonal food is good for health" - and crab is one of the first choice foods for "tasting autumn freshness".

Since Liujiazhuang's "Shengfang Crab" became famous, after more than 30 years of careful cultivation, this delicacy has been deeply rooted in the taste buds of Yanjing people and has become their first choice when tasting crabs.

Today, Liujiazhuang's "Shengfang Crab" has transformed into a shining business card of the capital. Its reputation has spread far and wide, not only attracting local diners, but also attracting countless foreign tourists from afar.

If these foreign tourists fail to try the crabs from Liujiazhuang during their visit to Yanjing, it would be like missing out on the roast duck from Quanjude, and they will inevitably feel a little regretful.

The unique flavor and exquisite quality of "Shengfang Crab" have long crossed national borders and won wide acclaim from international friends.

It not only represents the rich products of Liujiazhuang, but also serves as a window for Chinese food culture to go global.

During the golden autumn season, when crabs are fat and roe is yellow, Liujiazhuang's "Shengfang Crab" becomes a bridge connecting Chinese and foreign diners, allowing people to appreciate the profoundness of Chinese food culture while tasting the delicious food.

The autumn wind is cool, the frost is heavy and the crabs are fat. July and August in the lunar calendar are the best time to eat crabs.

As the saying goes, "seven pointed and eight round", it means that the ones on the market in July of the lunar calendar are pointed-naveled, that is, males, and those on the market in August are round-naveled, that is, females.

When it comes to eating crabs, many people are keen to invite a few friends to go to a restaurant to feast.

In Yanjing, a hotbed of gourmet food, when it comes to authentic restaurants for eating crabs, Zhengyanglou is undoubtedly the first choice!
Today's "Zhengyanglou" is no longer the old restaurant it once was. It has now transformed into the "Zhengyanglou Catering Group".

Since being wholly acquired by "Liujiazhuang Catering Group" ten years ago, "Zhengyanglou" has opened a new chapter of vigorous development.

"Zhengyanglou" has opened five branches in Yanjing alone, and more than 20 stores in major cities across the country, which can be said to be flourishing everywhere.

Moreover, the "Zhengyanglou Catering Group" is not satisfied with the status quo and is seeking to expand overseas. "Zhengyanglou" is a real old-fashioned restaurant in Yanjing. The original site of this restaurant was in the meat market outside Qianmen. It was founded by Dongshan Sun in the 23rd year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty and was carried forward by Sun Xueshi, a descendant of the Sun family in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China.

Sun Xueshi was a well-known figure in the Yanjing business community at that time and served as the president of the Yanjing Chamber of Commerce.

Therefore, this man had a wide range of friends. At that time, many military and political banquets were held in "Zhengyang Tower", so "Zhengyang Tower" was a famous restaurant in Yanjing.

What really makes Zhengyanglou famous is not as simple as Boss Sun’s wide circle of friends leading to the restaurant being packed with diners.

The dishes of "Zhengyanglou" are very famous. Their shabu-shabu mutton and Dongshan-style dishes are very famous, but the most famous is the big crab.

Every autumn, Zhengyanglou adds steamed crabs to its menu. Crabs in autumn are the plumpest and have a nickname called "sorghum red".

The crabs of Zhengyanglou were originally purchased from Shengfang Town, a famous swamp near Tianjin Port.

As the swampland in Shengfang Town becomes smaller and smaller, the water quality becomes worse and worse, and the crabs here are no longer as good as those produced in Liujiazhuang.

Therefore, in the past ten years or so, the crabs for Zhengyanglou have been purchased from Shengfang crabs in Liujiazhuang area.

"Zhengyanglou in Qianmen is also famous for its crabs. The crabs come from Shengfang and are first selected by Zhengyanglou before being put on the market, so they are the best."

Therefore, when Zhengyanglou distributes crabs, they assign special people to pick out the best quality crabs.

The purchased crabs are not served on the table immediately, but are first fed for two days.

You must wait until the crab has vomited out the debris in its stomach and the odor on its body has decreased before washing it with clean water.

Then, the chefs of Zhengyanglou tie up the crab's legs and claws with thin hemp ropes before putting them into a large steamer and steaming them.

What’s interesting is that the crabs sold at Zhengyanglou are priced by the individual crab, not by the pound.

And the price of crabs varies according to the month.

For example, in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, crabs with pointed navels are definitely more expensive, while in August, crabs with round navels become more expensive.

In order to make it easier for customers to eat crabs, "Zhengyanglou" also prepares tools, including small hammers, small wooden boards, small tweezers, etc.

Steaming is the best way to cook crabs, as it retains their original flavor and is not affected by other odors.

Because crabs are cold in nature, ginger must be used as seasoning to counteract the coldness. The classic way to eat crabs is to dip them in ginger vinegar.

Therefore, "Zhengyanglou" also pays special attention to the seasoning. When eating crabs, fresh ginger and good rice vinegar are needed to dispel the cold and enhance the flavor.

"Zhengyanglou" has a special supply of the finest Xishan rice vinegar and fresh minced ginger, which are mixed and served on the table with steamed crabs for guests to eat.

There is a special set of tools for eating crabs, commonly known as the "eight pieces of crab utensils".

Because Liu Jingzhai loved eating crabs, and the older generation was particular about how they ate crabs, Liu Zhiye gave his father several sets of his collection of "Eight Crab Dishes" from the Qing Dynasty.

One set consists of eight copper items, including a hammer, spoon, scraper, hook, axe, chopsticks, tweezers and punch.

There is also a set of four and a set of six.

The eight crab pieces are usually made of copper, but some are made of silver.

"Eight items" is just a general term, it does not necessarily mean eight items, and the names are also different.

"Zhengyanglou" also offers "Eight Crab Dishes", but there are not enough pieces and they are not made of metal.

When eating crabs at Zhengyanglou Restaurant, each diner is provided with a small wooden hammer and a small wooden mat made of boxwood and customized on a lathe. They are small and practical, and can be used to knock and hammer crabs, saving the trouble of biting with teeth and peeling with hands.

After eating and drinking, "Zhengyanglou" also prepares a soup called "Chuan Dajia" for diners.

Mr. Liang Shiqiu once described it this way: "This bowl of soup is full of fun. Boil a bowl of broth, add seven or eight peeled crab claws, sprinkle with chopped coriander, pepper and chopped fried dough sticks. Apart from this dish of boiled crab, no other soup can top this meal."

After eating the crabs, the waiter in the store will immediately bring a small copper basin with warm water with tea leaves and chrysanthemum petals floating in it, so that the customers can wash off the oil and crab smell on their fingers.

With its reputation, good ingredients, good condiments and excellent service, it is conceivable that the price must be high.

An interesting story. A traveler from Eagle Country learned that there were many delicious foods in Xia Country, so he came to Xia Country to taste the food.

After arriving in Yanjing, I learned that the "Shengfang Crab" here is the most famous.

After asking around, he found out that it was the season when Shengfang crabs were on the market. The meaty and rich crabs had become a delicacy on the table and were in short supply.

But such river crabs in the Eagle Country are not valuable, and you can buy a large basket of them at a very cheap price.

But it is different in China. River crabs live in rivers, lakes and ponds. In such an environment, it is extremely difficult for them to grow to the size of a fist, so the price of "Shengfang Crab" naturally becomes high.

But these foreign tourists didn’t know that after they ordered a large plate of what they thought were cheap “Shengfang Crabs” at “Zhengyanglou”, they began to taste the delicious crab roe.

Looking at the orange and juicy "Shengfang Crab", I guess many people can't help but lick their saliva.

I have to say that these foreigners really know how to eat. The "Shengfang crab" of this season has firm meat and rich fat.

Paired with aged vinegar, taking a sip of the ointment into your mouth, the taste is simply amazing.

After tasting this famous dish, the passengers nodded repeatedly and threw down a ten-yuan cash payment in appreciation.

In the eyes of these foreign tourists, ten dollars is more than enough to buy these crabs, and they can even leave some left over as a tip for the waiter.

But they didn't expect that the price of these crabs in "Zhengyanglou" was extremely expensive, and they could only buy two at most for ten yuan.

The boy didn't know what these foreign tourists meant, so he shouted loudly: "Stop!"

Because of the language barrier, the two sides hesitated for a long time, but considering that the other party was an international friend after all, the young man did not make it difficult.

After some explanation, we found out that these crabs were very cheap in Eagle Country, so these foreigners thought that the crabs in Xia Country were the same price...

It is indeed expensive to eat crabs at "Zhengyanglou", but there is a reason for its high price.

Nowadays, it is a very honorable thing to invite relatives and friends to "Zhengyanglou" to have a meal of authentic "Shengfang Crab" produced in Liujiazhuang.

In fact, in addition to crabs, the roasted lamb at "Zhengyanglou" is also very delicious, and is no worse than the roasted meat at "Kaorouwan". It has been very famous as early as the Qing Dynasty.

"People always value the roasted lamb in Zhengyang Tower. They light charcoal in a basin, cover it with a wire, slice the meat into thin slices, dip it in vinegar sauce and roast it over the fire, the fragrance spreads everywhere.

There is also a posture for eating meat: one foot stands on the ground, the other foot rests on a small wooden table, holding chopsticks to sear the meat, with a wine jar placed beside, while searing, eating and drinking.

Zhengyang Tower, one of the "Eight Great Towers" in Yanjing mentioned in "Miscellaneous Notes on Old Beijing", was located on the east side of the south road of Roushi Street outside Qianmen. It was founded by Sun from Dongshan in the 23rd year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty and was famous for its barbecue, shabu-shabu and crabs.

The utensil for barbecue is now called "zhizi".

According to Wei Yuankuang's "Miscellaneous Notes on the Capital" in the Qing Dynasty, the barbecue sticks in "Zhengyang Tower" "can be surrounded by more than ten people"

"Zhengyanglou" has become a city's business card, just like "Quanjude".

Not only the general public, but also some enterprises and institutions like to come to "Zhengyanglou" to entertain foreign guests, and they always feel at home.

As the reputation of "Zhengyanglou" grows, it has not only become the first choice for receiving foreign guests, but also one of the irreplaceable food paradises in the hearts of locals.

During holidays, there is always a long queue at the door of Zhengyanglou, and customers are waiting for their bite with great anticipation.

Whether it is the traditional dishes or the innovative delicacies introduced in recent years, they all win acclaim from diners.

With the strong support of "Liu's Catering Group", "Zhengyanglou" is like a shining pearl, gradually emerging and becoming the most dazzling high-quality asset under the group.

As a leader among the well-known brands such as the Eight Buildings, Eight Residences and Eight Squares of Yanjing, "Zhengyanglou" is just a star in the vast territory of "Liu's Catering Group".

Over the years, "Liu's Catering Group" has demonstrated unparalleled advantages in capital, raw material channels and various resources with its strong strength.

Under the group's careful integration and strategic layout, these century-old stores have regained new vitality, embarked on a journey of expansion, and continued to write glorious chapters.

(End of this chapter)