Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 103 Fried Chicken (Two-in-One Chapter)

"Auntie, are you selling this chicken?"

Before we even reached Feihu County, we passed by a village called Shiwo Village.

This village is not actually on the road from Baishi Mountain to Feihu County. Zhang Chengdao passed by it this time because he flew in a straight line and did not take the mountain road or the official road, which is why he came across it.

Shiwo Village is a very small village. Legend has it that it was originally settled by two families of hunters. Later, these two families married, had children, and gradually multiplied into a village of sixty or seventy people.

There was a well next to the boundary marker at the edge of the village. Not far from the well was a house with a courtyard that was larger than the others. Several chickens were running around inside. Zhang Chengdao saw these chickens in the sky and decided to come over to ask if he could buy a few from them.

There was only an elderly woman with white hair in the courtyard. Perhaps because her eyesight was poor, she didn't notice that Zhang Chengdao had come down from the sky. Instead, she squinted at him before nodding and saying, "Selling, selling! My chickens are famous for miles around! Even the restaurants in the county buy them! But the county asks for 100 coins. Seeing that it's not easy for you to come all this way, I'll sell them for 80 coins!"

Zhang Chengdao did some mental calculations. There were about twenty people in the sect now. If he bought too little, it probably wouldn't be enough to go around, especially since Chang Ping'an was such a big eater. He'd rather buy more!

So he pointed at the chickens in the yard, counted them, and said, "Auntie, I want all the chickens you've raised. Are you selling them?"

The old woman waved her hand and said, "No, I have to keep a few to lay eggs. I can only allow you eight at most!"

There are only 12 chickens in the yard. If there are 8, Chang Ping'an could probably eat most of them himself!

Zhang Chengdao frowned, thought for a moment, and continued, "Grandma, how about this? You sell all these chickens to me, and I'll give you a pair of chicks. After you raise the eggs and chicks, I'll come back to collect them. How about that?"

The chicks in the mall cost 100 peach blossom stones each. If you buy two, they will definitely be one male and one female, so you don't have to worry about them not hatching.

Zhang Chengdao wanted to do this because the sect's chicken coops were too limited, only enough to raise 20 chickens, and it was difficult to assign more people to take care of them, so it was better to simply "outsource" it.

Besides, he didn't care at all about his spiritual items from the mall being leaked.

To put it bluntly, only a fool would cling to such a golden opportunity, afraid of sharing the benefits with others. Smart people will spread it out in a planned way. The reason is simple: developing and cultivating your skills behind closed doors may make you stand out from the crowd, but individual abilities are ultimately limited. Only by constantly attracting talent and having as many "fellow travelers" as possible can you maximize your benefits.

Now that this world has gradually acquired spiritual energy, according to the theories in various books, the entire world is "upgrading," and a complete spiritual revival is only a matter of time.

Zhang Chengdao knew, of course, the consequences of closing the country off from the world—to deliberately hinder the development of the entire ethnic group in order to avoid the development of "outsiders" was an incredibly stupid act, and one lesson was enough.

If someone could even research and develop spirit wheat, spirit rice, and spirit-inspired chickens and ducks, and cultivate and raise them on a large scale, Zhang Chengdao would be happy to see it happen, and even applaud it. As long as the sect has the ability to be self-sufficient, the more primary agricultural products produced outside, the cheaper they will be, and the easier and more convenient it will be for everyone, including the disciples of the White Stone Immortal Sect, to cultivate. Why not do it?

Zhang Chengdao's thoughts were fleeting. When the old woman over there heard Zhang Chengdao offer her chicks, she narrowed her eyes, looking at him with suspicion and wariness: "You're giving me chicks? Where?"

Zhang Chengdao quickly bought a pair of chicks from the mall and took them out of his backpack.

"Chi chi chi..."

The chicks were very energetic, chirping adorably. They were round and plump, though it was hard to tell if they were actually fat or just had fluffy feathers.

Although the old woman didn't see where Zhang Chengdao took the chicks from, she was still pleasantly surprised and exclaimed, "These chicks are good! They're so plump!"

Zhang Chengdao continued, "How about it, auntie? You're raising these two chicks of mine. These chicks are very precious. I'll buy the chicks you hatch for two hundred coins each, how about that?"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Zhang Chengdao's words, the old woman shook her head again: "Precious? No, no, no, this old woman can't keep anything valuable. What if someone steals it!"

Zhang Chengdao added, "It's alright, I'll build a chicken coop for you, so only you can come in and no one else can. That way, no one can steal it!"

The old woman became increasingly puzzled: "Why can't other people come in?"

"Like this—"

As Zhang Chengdao spoke, he took the chicken coop that he had already packed away from his backpack and placed it on the open ground outside the courtyard gate, saying, "Auntie, you can try it now, you can't get in!"

"You, you, you—" The old woman was startled by Zhang Chengdao's sudden creation of a chicken coop out of thin air. She gasped for breath several times before saying, "You can't be the legendary White Stone Immortal, can you?!"

When Zhang Chengdao heard this nickname, he almost choked on his saliva—what the hell is this "Great Immortal Baishi"?!
He smiled, gave a slight bow, and explained with a wry smile, "I am indeed cultivating immortality in Baishi Mountain, and I am the head of the Baishi Immortal Sect. There is no need to call me a great immortal. You can just call me Headmaster Zhang."

"Oh my! Oh my! You are the sage!" The old woman slapped her thigh excitedly, "If the sage wants a chicken, take it! Take it!"

As she spoke, a hopeful look appeared on her face: "Could the sage bless my son to become the top scholar in the imperial examination?"

Zhang Chengdao shook his head: "The imperial examination is a matter of one's own effort and reward. There may be differences due to different talents, but it is not something that can be changed by external factors. I'm sorry I can't protect that."

Seeing the disappointment in the old woman's eyes, Zhang Chengdao had no choice but to steer the conversation back on track, saying, "Auntie, let's talk about raising chickens. How about I entrust you with raising them? I'll pay you two hundred for each chicken once they're fully grown, how about that?"

"It's good, but..." the old woman hesitated, "I'm worried that the immortal might spoil it, or that someone might hear that it's a 'divine chicken' given by the immortal and steal it..."

Zhang Chengdao said helplessly, "They won't spoil, and they can't be stolen. This chicken coop I built for you is truly inaccessible to anyone else. If you don't believe me, try it now. Without my permission, you definitely won't be able to get in!"

Upon hearing this, the old woman cautiously probed into the chicken coop. Sure enough, before she could even put her hands inside, she touched an invisible "cover." As she probed, layers of translucent "ripples" emanated from the area she touched.

"This...this is immortal magic..."

The old woman was both curious and afraid. She carefully touched the invisible cover before she felt relieved.

"In that case, I will only allow you to enter now, madam. You can try again."

As Zhang Chengdao spoke, he adjusted the permissions for the [Chicken Coop].

As soon as she finished speaking, the old woman's hands, which had been able to touch the transparent cover, suddenly found nothing.

She tentatively walked inside and found that she could indeed enter the chicken coop!

"Thank you for your kindness, Great Immortal! This old woman will definitely raise the chickens well for you!"

The old woman said with conviction.

Zhang Chengdao quickly tossed the two chicks into the chicken coop, then bowed to the old woman, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Auntie." He then took out a string of coins from his backpack and handed it over, saying, "This is one string, just enough to buy all the chickens you have. You have forty left, consider this a deposit. Once your chickens are fully grown, I will send my disciple to buy more!"

The old woman reached out and touched the copper coin, her eyes filled with greed, but in the end she gritted her teeth and said, "Raising chickens for the immortal is an old woman's blessing, how can I ask for money again!"

Zhang Chengdao forcefully stuffed the money into the old woman's hand, saying, "That's not right. You've put in the labor of raising chickens, so I should pay for them. There's no such thing as good fortune. Just accept it, ma'am!"

Hearing the "immortal's" words, the old woman breathed a sigh of relief, overjoyed, and hugged the string of coins, her eyes practically disappearing with laughter: "Since the immortal has said so, then this old woman won't be polite!"

After paying, Zhang Chengdao packed all the chickens in the yard into his backpack, then hurriedly said goodbye to the old woman and returned to his sect.

When they rushed back to the vicinity of [Gu Shan Fang], the two cooks had already skimmed out a large pot of oil and were boiling it to evaporate the excess water.

"Where is Master Zhang? We need him to kill some chickens!"

As soon as he landed, Zhang Chengdao asked questions.

Master Zhang was the butcher sent by the Ye family. His name was Zhang Kui. His ancestors were dog butchers, but by the time it came to him, they had long since become pig butchers. He was hired by the Ye family because he had slaughtered several oxen and was very skilled.

Now we've arrived at the White Stone Immortal Sect.

It's unbelievable that someone who used to slaughter pigs and cows has been reduced to slaughtering chickens.

Zhang Kui sighed deeply, decisively cut off the chicken's head, and then pinched the limp chicken's neck to bleed it into the basin.

After bleeding the chicken, he soaked it in hot water to scald it, and then began plucking its feathers.

First pluck the large feathers, then clean the small feathers, and finally singe off the down with fire.

After plucking the feathers, a small horizontal incision needs to be made at the anus, and the chicken is then cut open along the midline of the abdomen with the tip of a knife to remove the internal organs, cut off some inedible parts, and rinse the abdominal cavity with water. The chicken is quickly cleaned and hung on a hemp rope.

Then, Zhang Kui did the same thing, killing twelve chickens in a row. It took him almost an hour, and he was so tired that his clothes were soaked with sweat.

It's really no easier than slaughtering a pig!

After finally killing all the chickens, before he could even catch his breath, Zhang Kui heard the "divine" voice again: "Master Zhang, could you please do me a little more work? Cut off the chicken legs and wings, and remove the chicken breast meat so we can fry them later... Then cut the whole chicken carcass so we can make chicken soup for everyone later!"

Zhang Kui wanted to protest that he wasn't a cook, but remembering the instructions from the Ye family patriarch before he left, he held back and resignedly grabbed the hanging chickens one by one and started cutting them into pieces.

Zhang Chengdao didn't pay any attention to Zhang Kui's expression. Instead, he took a large wooden basin and started preparing the marinade.

Soy sauce, salt, scallions, ginger, and garlic are all needed, and you should also add some eggs. This will make the marinated meat more tender and smooth—this is a tip I found on a red app specifically for searching recipes before I traveled through time.

In addition, there are alternatives to breadcrumbs. You can bake steamed buns until dry, crush them, and then stir-fry them until golden brown. It's not difficult. While the chicken was marinating, Zhang Chengdao gave the cooks a brief description, and the two cooks quickly made several bowls of golden breadcrumbs, which were no worse than the ready-made breadcrumbs he bought before he transmigrated.

A small fried chicken took Zhang Chengdao, his cooks, and Butcher Zhang so long that it was getting dark before the chicken, coated in "bread crumbs," was finally thrown into the oil.

"Fuck-"

A burst of oil splattered everywhere, and the aroma of fried chicken wafted through the air almost instantly. Little Tanuki was so hungry that she rolled around on the ground – raw chicken was already a delicacy to her, let alone this rich fried chicken smell!

It's fortunate that Xiao Li is different from ordinary foxes because she has been eating spiritual food for a long time and has been breathing spiritual energy within the White Stone Immortal Sect. Otherwise, ordinary animals cannot eat such high-fat and high-salt food, or they would definitely lose their fur!

After waiting for a long time, until Xiao Li's drool formed a small puddle, the first batch of fried chicken was finally ready.

Seeing that Xiao Li was really craving it, Zhang Chengdao used an ice spell to quickly cool down a piece of fried chicken breast before putting it on a plate and handing it to Xiao Li, who was obediently squatting by the table waiting.

Anche Hexiang cast an envious glance over, swallowed hard, and stared intently at the fried chicken on Xiaoli's plate. Just as she was imagining its taste, a plate suddenly appeared in front of her as well.

There was a large chicken leg and a chicken wing lying inside!
"Be careful, it's hot. Eat slowly."

Zhang Chengdao casually gave a brief instruction, then, like a butterfly flitting about, kept distributing fried chicken. Everyone received a chicken leg and a chicken wing. He cut the remaining chicken breast into small pieces, divided them into two portions, and put them into two bamboo baskets lined with oil paper. He handed them to Chang Ping'an and said, "Go and share some with the disciples of the Sword Casting Manor and the craftsmen over there, so they can have a taste too!"

Chang Ping'an couldn't help but swallow hard as he smelled the domineering and rich aroma of fried chicken that was wafting into his nostrils. But he still nodded vigorously, took the bamboo basket, and hurriedly rushed to the "construction site" on the other side of the square using his shrinking technique.

Not long after, Zhang Chengdao faintly heard some strange sounds carried by the evening breeze, which made his expression gradually become somewhat strange.

"So this is what immortals eat!"

"It's so delicious, waaaaaah..."

"Could it be that the immortals in the celestial palace eat such delicious food every day?"

"What's this called again? Fried, fried chicken? What a great name! It's simple, elegant, and carries a touch of rustic charm! What a great name! What a wonderful name!"

"If I could eat fried chicken every day, I'd be willing to wear fine silks and sleep in a carved bed!"

"You can't have it both ways..."

"Ah! I got to eat a piece of fried chicken, so it's worth dying for!"

"Senior brother...it can't be that bad..."

"What do you know! This is 'celestial food'! It's something money can't buy! No wonder the Second Master insisted that we inner disciples come too, it turns out..."

"Shh, senior brother, keep your voice down!"

……

Throw away the tile!!!

(You can't stop me from reading my book just because of gender discrimination, okay? *)
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(End of this chapter)