In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

After seeing Zhu Zhishan and his group off, Song Xiaoyi went to the collapsed house at Taoye Ferry again.

"Songfu Hand-Pulled Meat" is so popular that the stock is running low. With his own little calculations, Song's Restaurant is expected to usher in its first peak of customer traffic. Song Xiaoyi plans to launch a new dish, "Eighteen Arhats" of Songfu Meat Dishes.

A whole, slaughtered pig was delivered from the collapsed house in Taoyedu to the restaurant. Song Xiaoyi dragged it into the kitchen in batches and began to prepare it.

Cut half a pig's shoulder into large chunks and put it into a large pot to stew along with the cleaned pig's head and tail.

The remaining parts were taken out one by one according to various methods, and then sorted and arranged.

Song Dynasty Roasted Pig: One method uses tender, fatty pork, thinly sliced ​​and marinated with six qian of salt per jin of pork. It is then mixed with Sichuan peppercorns, dill, and star anise, briefly exposed to sunlight, placed on an iron bed, and roasted over a high flame until cooked. Another method uses thinly sliced ​​pork, which is then placed in a thin porcelain bowl, sealed with paper, and baked over a high flame until cooked. (From *Zhuyu Shanfang Zabu*)

Thinly sliced. Dill was a "universal spice" in the Ming Dynasty. Unlike fennel, it originated in West Asia and entered China via the Silk Road, where it was widely cultivated. Modern Chinese cuisine uses dill less often, as it has been replaced by fennel and cumin. It is still used in small quantities in Western cuisine.

Dill is relatively cheap in Da Ming. Although he bought a lot, inspired by the system's self-created dishes, Song Xiaoyi plans to replace some of the dill in "Song Mansion Roasted Pig" with cumin and see the feedback from Da Ming diners.

The ingredients for "Songfu Fire-Roasted Pig" are prepared and stored in the refrigerated cabinet on the second floor for later use. Anyone who frequently barbecues knows that freshly grilled meat tastes better; pre-made meat that is reheated doesn't taste as good.

Song Dynasty Sugar-coated Pork Belly: Take the pork, cut off the skin and bones, and slice it into pieces two inches long, one inch wide, and half an inch thick. Mix it with a little brown sugar, soy sauce, ground pepper, dill, and Sichuan peppercorns. Let it sit in the sun briefly before storing or air-drying it in the shade. First, fry it in sesame oil until cooked, then add it to the pork. Do not simmer over high heat; it will cook on its own in a short time. (From *Zhuyu Shanfang Zabu*)

The ground pepper used in the Ming Dynasty was made from the whole herb of "thyme".

Yanghuo means strong fire, and this kind of sweet roasted meat only needs to be roasted over a low fire. It should have been very popular with diners in the Ming Dynasty.

With one sweet, one salty, and one spicy meat prepared, the stewed meat in the large pot was almost tender. Song Xiaoyi put the remaining ingredients back into his spatial storage and carefully processed "Song Family Hand-Pounded Meat".

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Front hall of the Ma residence.

The gathering has now reached the stage of testing true strength.

The title "Ancient Capital of Six Dynasties" is both real and abstract, with profound connotations yet tangible and relatable.

However, "touching" is only the initial stage of appreciating the "ancient capital of six dynasties," where one sees the mountain as just another mountain.

Looking at the writing implements in front of him, Gu Qian knew he wasn't cut out for it. He gave his friend Wen Bi a look and then pretended to be thinking and closed his eyes to rest.

Wen Bi, on the other side, didn't want to steal Tang Bohu's thunder, nor did he intend to make a move. Of course, he was also aware of his own limitations, but he still glanced at Tang Bohu and was genuinely worried for him. "You're trying to steal the spotlight, and the wine problem hasn't been solved yet, and now this test of strength is here."

Wen Bi didn't disbelieve Tang Bohu's true talent and learning. The key was that Yingtian Prefecture was not Suzhou Prefecture. Most of the talented people in Southern Zhili were gathered here. There were many experts. Losing face was a small matter. But it would be too much to lose the mood for the provincial examination. After all, Tang Bohu had already been frightened once and came up with the qualification of the last place in Suzhou Prefecture.

In the past two years, Tang Bohu has become increasingly arrogant. His friends, including Zhu Zhishan and Wen Bi, are worried about him. Wen Bi is concerned that Bohu's self-esteem will be hurt in public.

Gu Qian shared the same sentiment. Pretending to close his eyes and rest, he slightly opened one eye and saw Tang Bohu bent over, pen in hand, deep in thought. His anxiety intensified.

Why isn't the wine here yet? The three of them had the same thought.

Zhu Zhishan decided to personally go to the backyard to get the wine, or even run back to Song's Restaurant to get it if necessary. Without wine, Tang Bohu's talent couldn't shine!

If one doesn't drink the wine properly, even if Tang Bohu appreciates the "Ancient Capital of Six Dynasties," he's at best at the intermediate level—he sees the mountain as not a mountain at all.

Zhu Zhishan was a regular at the Ma residence, so Ma Fantai naturally recognized him. After being reminded of this, Ma Fantai also found it strange that the steward was taking a little too long to get the wine.

"Brother Zhishan, please return to your seat," Ma Fantai first reassured Zhu Zhishan, then called over the servant Bing, "Go to the backyard and urge the steward."

"Master, the wine has arrived." Fortunately, the servants arrived in time, preventing the cook from smashing the box. The steward carried the box directly into the front hall. "However, the mechanism of this food box is quite ingenious, and none of us could open it, which caused a slight delay."

Zhu Zhishan, who was about to return to his seat, bowed to Ma Qianli, took the food box, opened it easily, took out six jugs of wine, and placed them on Ma Qianli's table. The six jugs of wine were still slowly oozing out cold air.

"My lord, these two jugs are called 'Brave the World,' and you must drink them from large cups," Zhu Zhishan said as he took out a transparent glass cup from the food box and poured a cup for Ma Qianli. He continued, "These two jugs are Song Family Osmanthus Secret Brew, which is strong. These two jugs are Song Family Green Plum Secret Brew, which is also strong, and you should use small cups for them."

Ma Qianli thought to himself, "They really know their stuff. The wine box is exquisite, and they even put ice cubes inside to chill it!"

Ma Qianli picked up the glass, looked at Zhu Zhishan, and Zhu Zhishan gestured for Ma Qianli to take a small sip. "What is this? Pig swill?"

Ma Qianli frowned and looked up at Zhu Zhishan again. Zhu Zhishan gestured for him to drink it all in one gulp. Ma Qianli thought he couldn't show weakness, so he gritted his teeth, raised the glass, and drank it all in one go!

Cool to the bone, feeling soaring!

Cool!

"Indeed! To truly show your heroic spirit, you need to drink a large cup in one gulp!"

"But these two pots aren't enough for all these students to share. What should we do?" Ma Qianli put down his empty cup and looked at Zhu Zhishan. He had just been disgusted by the pig swill, but now he was a little reluctant to part with it. After drinking it, he felt refreshed all over, experiencing an unprecedentedly cool sensation.

"Lord Ma, this is Song's private brew. Song's restaurant is located at Taoye Ferry, not far ahead. You can send two servants to buy a few more jugs."

"Oh? Song's Restaurant at Taoye Ferry has reopened? When did it reopen? Do you still sell braised pork?"

"Even Lord Ma knows about the braised pork at Song's Restaurant?!"

"It's more than just knowing..." Ma Qianli had only said a few words when he realized that everyone in the hall was looking at him. It might not be appropriate to talk about something unrelated at this time. "Brother Zhishan, let's talk after this gathering is over."

"So Lord Ma is one of us! Excellent, excellent!"

"Brother Zhishan, then this..."

"Lord Ma, this is another secret brew of Song Family Restaurant, Song Family Osmanthus Wine. The restaurant owner, Brother Xiao Yi, has also provided wine cups."

Zhu Zhishan hadn't expected Song Xiaoyi to be so particular. The beer was served in a large, transparent glass, and the osmanthus wine was even served in a small, transparent glass. The value of the glass had surpassed that of the wine.

As soon as the lid of the Osmanthus Secret Wine Jar was opened, the rich fragrance of golden osmanthus blossoms slowly filled the entire room, and the students below began to discuss it.

Ma Qianli was also stunned. "What an overpowering fragrance!"