Food Intelligence King

Chapter 178 marks a location.

The next day, Saturday, the whole family rested.

On mornings after the Frost's Descent solar term, more sunlight streams into the living room.

Chen Taotao squatted on the balcony, measuring her new discovery with her fingers.

Turning my head, I looked towards the kitchen.

Mom and Dad were snuggling together, preparing breakfast for the day.

Although the focus wasn't on Chen Taotao, the parents' friendly interaction made the little girl feel at ease.

Among the family members, Chen Facai was probably the only one who felt something was amiss.

It quietly disappeared from the young woman's sight.

Chen Taotao ignored it and continued to secretly observe the breakfast in the kitchen.

It seems to be a mixed vegetable dish.

"Even if you two mix together, you're still just eating grass," Chen Taotao thought to herself.

She continued to look forward to the meat she would have for lunch today.

Soon, the family had a simple breakfast and headed to the Ancient Culture Street again.

The familiar commercial street has taken on a more autumnal feel.

The light from the sky was stretched out, a pale grayish-blue.

The decorative lanterns that used to hang under the eaves looked especially bright red in this already chilly season.

A few ginkgo leaves slowly drifted down from the tree.

The moss that had been growing before was still playfully trampled under Chen Taotao's feet.

Crunch, crunch, it's so crispy.

"It's getting chilly," Chen Zhou succinctly remarked to his wife about the scenery.

Ms. Lin nodded and hummed in agreement.

Chen Taotao felt that the taste of late autumn was the taste of tea soup from that dragon-mouthed copper kettle.

The copper kettle was tilted slightly, and steaming tea flowed from the dragon spout.

It makes you want to try it.

Ms. Lin laid down three rules with her.

I only took a small bite, and there was just too much white and brown sugar in it, which visibly crossed my mother's bottom line.

Secondly, we're going to have hot pot later, so we need to save some room.

Moreover, she felt that Chen Taotao might not even like this tea.

But while they were making their agreement, Chen Zhou had already brought Chen Taotao to Yang Ba Tea Shop.

The father and son ordered the 15-yuan dish, the most expensive one.

"You either?"

Ms. Lin shook her head and smiled.

However, the taste of the tea was indeed as she had expected.

Chen Taotao doesn't really like drinking it, but the little girl is just curious and wants to try it.

Although Ms. Lin herself did not particularly like this high-sugar food, she tried a spoonful at her husband's request.

The almonds inside are alright, but after a couple of sips, it gets a bit cloying.

Thus, it all became Chen Zhou's food.

The family of three strolled around for a while and soon arrived at the entrance of Cuiwei Residence.

This is the purpose of Chen Zhou's trip.

He took his wife and children inside for a stroll.

The owner's surname is Cui. He has dealt with Chen Zhou several times and has even eaten at Chen Zhou's restaurant.

When he arrived, Chen Zhou didn't even have to do anything.

He took out the copper kettle engraved with "Beijing Xiaodiao Pear Soup".

"Mr. Chen, I reckon you might be interested in this thing."

Old Cui described Xiao Diao Li Tang, a dish that the opera troupe had once highly praised, almost exactly as the intelligence report had described.

However, he had doubts about the origin of the object.

I didn't spend much money when I acquired it. The item is old, but it doesn't have much collectible value; it only comes with a backstory.

Moreover, he didn't have time to verify the authenticity of the recipe recorded on it.

I'm not the one who makes soup.

In front of Chen Zhou, Cui Hong held nothing back and shared his views.

After all, during their two previous meetings, Chen Zhou had demonstrated a very professional eye for art—discovering blue and white porcelain plates, She inkstones, and antique kitchen knives.

Even though Chen Zhou repeatedly stated that he was just a cook and a shop owner.

Boss Cui still didn't believe it.

There's no way around it; in the hands of someone wielding a hammer, the whole world is full of nails.

Cui Hong immediately sensed that the man before him was definitely not a novice to the antique market. His goals were clear, his offers reasonable—what else could he be but an expert!
So when Chen Zhou entered the shop with his wife and children today, Cui Hong took out this copper kettle.

"Give me two hundred yuan."

Chen Zhou glanced at the intelligence report; Old Cui's offer was even lower than the intelligence report's quote.

The two parties happily completed the transaction, and the money and goods were settled.

Cui Hong laughed and said, "Boss Chen, if you can make the small pear soup according to the instructions, don't forget to call me. I'd like to try it too."

Chen Zhou nodded, mimicking the other person's tone, "Okay, just you wait and see."

The two also researched ancient Chinese culinary texts.

Mr. Cui said that if he finds any old items with recipes or cookbooks, he will call on Chen Zhou.

"That works. Just let me know when the time comes, and we'll work on it together."

Chen Zhou's "Street Gossip" not only provided information about genuine products, but also made judgments that they were fake.

Mr. Cui helped collect some old gadgets, saving Chen Zhou from having to make repeated trips around.

Boss Cui smiled mysteriously.

He thought to himself, "Finally, I've exposed their disguise."

He even claimed to be a cook, someone who stir-fries and cooks, but who would believe that?

See, once I mention antiques with recipes, they stop pretending not to know anything.

Exposed.

Of course, Cui Hong didn't say much.
Chen Zhou was thinking about how to replicate more ancient delicacies in the future.

Chinese culinary culture also has a long history and contains many wonderful things.

"One should not be too particular about the fineness of the food, nor too particular about the delicacy of the preparation." This is a saying of Confucius, which can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. At that time, requirements were already set for the ingredients, hygiene, and cooking standards of the catering industry.

Then there are various plants with "Hu" in their names, which were introduced from abroad during the Han and Tang dynasties. For example, Hu cucumber and Hu hemp.

Needless to say, during the Song Dynasty, restaurants were extremely popular, and the "Dongjing Menghualu" (Record of the Splendor of the Eastern Capital) records many kinds of delicacies.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the basic framework of the eight major cuisines was established. Ingredients from the West and foreign countries were also introduced.

Not to mention the unique delicacies of various seasons.

Although modern methods have been improved, they all trace back to a very long history.

Chen Zhou looked at the shop's signboard and marked the location as "Cuiwei Residence".

The two people were not thinking the same thing; in fact, they were completely unrelated.

But the goals are the same.

Old Cui helps find old artifacts with relevant records, while Chen Zhou draws on the wisdom of his predecessors from these artifacts.

Also good.

On the other hand, Ms. Lin and Chen Taotao did not participate in the conversation between her husband and the shop owner.

The mother and daughter seemed to have taken a fancy to a few small pieces of jewelry in Cuiwei Residence.

Ms. Lin is reminding Chen Taotao not to knock things to the ground.

Chen Zhou gave Lao Cui a look.

Cui Hong understood immediately and gestured two prices.

Although Chen Zhou wasn't financially independent, spending a thousand or eight hundred yuan on something made him happy, as it was enough to please his wife and children.

So he and Boss Cui bought the things that the mother and daughter had their eye on as well.

Cui Hong knew Chen Zhou was an expert in antiques, so he didn't dare to play games and offered a very reasonable price.

The two parties reached another deal.

However, it's a little secret.

After Ms. Lin and Chen Taotao left the store first, Chen Zhou put the things he had bought into the copper kettle.

I gave it to my wife to carry the whole way.

When they arrived at the hot pot restaurant, Ms. Lin couldn't stand it anymore.

When we're having a meal, the hot pot restaurant has copper pots, so why do you keep making me carry this copper kettle?

She opened the lid and took a look.

That's when I realized what Chen Zhou had bought for me.

She was a little excited and flustered, and a little bewildered. Ms. Lin said, "You're wasting money again. Thank you."

It's hard to give my wife a perfect score for emotional value.

But Chen Zhou could understand this point.

Chen Taotao had no idea what her parents were researching again, and was busy showing off her lamb slices.

Sesame paste, peanut butter, a 2:8 ratio sauce, chive blossoms, fermented bean curd sauce.

A slice of mutton, dipped firmly into it.

The little girl loves to eat.

It is said that this is meat sold by Uncle Zhang.

(End of this chapter)