PFC Chapter 28 Braised Pork
Chapter 28 Braised Pork
The three of them walked into the courtyard, where several cats and dogs were curled up under the jujube tree, fast asleep.
Ah Huang was fast asleep, sprawled on the ground with his paws in the air, while Xiao Hei curled up into a small ball. The two tabby cats snuggled together, basking in the warm sun, looking lazy and adorable.
Cheng Chuliang was pleased to see it, so he quickly walked over, squatted down, and wanted to reach out and touch Ah Huang.
Ah Huang lazily lifted one eyelid, yawned, and then closed his eyes again, falling fast asleep. This left Cheng Chuliang's hand hanging in mid-air, unable to go up or down, quite embarrassed.
Cheng Chumo had no interest in playing with the cats and dogs. He walked to the chicken coop, looked at it for a moment, and said, "These chickens in the yard have new feathers, and their plumage is much brighter than before."
"I fed them earthworms for two months straight, giving them protein every day. With proper nutrition, they naturally grew well."
Wang Zhi replied with a smile. Having been in this world for half a year, some of his modern speaking habits were still impossible to shake off.
He turned and went into the kitchen, bringing out two plates of cold side dishes: cucumber with minced garlic and eggplant with sesame sauce. They were all freshly picked seasonal vegetables from the yard, refreshing and not greasy.
"Please have a seat, the braised pork will be ready soon."
The pork belly on the stove has been stewing for a long time. First, blanch it to remove the blood foam, then let it dry before frying it in a pan until golden brown on all sides. Then add Shaoxing wine, sauce, and water, bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the meat is tender.
Just before taking it out of the pot, sprinkle a little cane sugar on it. The sugar syrup melts and coats the pork skin, solidifying into a layer of translucent caramel color.
Wang Zhihuan carried the casserole out of the kitchen and lifted the lid.
The braised pork in the casserole was trembling, so tender that it was almost impossible to pick up. The salty and savory aroma, the sweetness of caramel, and the rich meaty fragrance instantly filled the entire courtyard, making one's mouth water just by smelling it.
Cheng Chumo was slowly sipping his tea when he smelled the aroma. He paused, his eyes filled with surprise, and muttered to himself, "This...is this really ordinary pork?"
Cheng Chuliang couldn't wait any longer, so he picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and put it in his mouth.
The fatty meat melts in your mouth, the aroma of the oil is warm and comforting, followed by the sweetness of caramel, and finally the savory flavor of the sauce slowly spreads on the tip of your tongue, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
He paused for a moment, then immediately picked up a second piece, slamming his hand on the stone table with a face full of regret: "What I ate before wasn't pork at all! It was utterly inedible dregs! Only today do I realize that pork can be cooked so deliciously!"
Cheng Chumo also picked up a piece, first bringing it close to smell the aroma, and then slowly putting it into his mouth after seeing the glistening and translucent meat.
After chewing only a couple of times, he looked at Wang Zhihuan and said seriously, "Brother Wang, with your culinary skills, if you open a restaurant in Chang'an, it will definitely be packed every day and you can dominate the whole street."
Before Wang Zhihuan could speak, Cheng Chuliang immediately chimed in, "Second Brother is right! If you open a shop, I'll come to support you every day! I'll even bring a bunch of us brothers."
Wang Zhihuan picked up the teapot and poured tea for the two of them. After setting the pot down, he slowly spoke, "Brother Chumo, do you still remember the imperial edict encouraging agriculture issued in the first year of the Zhenguan era?"
Cheng Chumo paused in his act of picking up food.
"Emperor Taizong regarded agriculture as the foundation and encouraged farming year after year. Oxen had to be registered in the government register, and killing an ox without permission would result in being punished with caning."
"Although pigs and sheep can be privately raised, the country has only been at peace for a few years, and food is already scarce. The imperial court even strictly controls the grain consumption of wineries. If I were to actually open a restaurant—"
Wang Zhihuan picked up his teacup and gently stirred the tea leaves on the surface of the water. "Where does the meat come from every day? Where is the grain purchased? Just the procurement channels alone involve countless steps."
Cheng Chumo remained silent.
As Cheng Yaojin's son, he knew the actual situation in the early years of the Zhenguan era better than others.
It appeared to be the beginning of a golden age, but in reality, everything was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt. The imperial court had extremely strict control over grain and its consumption.
Brewing wine is prohibited, and the use of grain is limited. Merchants may seem to be able to make money, but legitimate business operations are restricted in many ways.
To put it bluntly, the imperial court is currently focused on encouraging agriculture and will not allow people to open shops and businesses on a large scale.
Wang Zhihuan's tone remained calm: "Brother Chumo comes from a family of dukes with a long history of military achievements, so naturally he doesn't think there's anything wrong with doing business. But don't forget, my surname is Wang."
Cheng Chumo frowned slightly, already guessing what was going on.
"The Wang family of Taiyuan".
Wang Zhihuan uttered four words indifferently, without a trace of arrogance or emotion, but rather with a hint of obscurity: "The names of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families sound impressive, but my branch is a collateral branch of a collateral branch, the last person in the family genealogy."
Apart from this surname, I'm no different from any other ordinary farmer.
He took a sip of tea and continued, "But just because of the Wang family's lineage, there are some rules that cannot be broken."
Farming and living in seclusion are both acceptable; even if one is so poor that there is no food or cooking, one can only endure it.
"Doing business and trading is absolutely forbidden—if word gets out, it will bring shame to the family."
The area around the stone table fell silent for a moment.
Cheng Chuliang stood there, chopsticks in hand, stunned. He never expected that opening a restaurant would involve so many social customs and rules.
Cheng Chumo understood perfectly.
He was well aware of the significance of the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families, whose influence had been deep since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and even the imperial family had to give way to them.
In the sixth year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong revised the "Clan Records" with the intention of suppressing powerful families, but in the end, he still could not shake their status.
People consider it an honor to marry a woman from one of the five most prestigious families. Court officials would rather pay a hefty dowry than marry into the royal family. This is the state of the world today.
Even if they are from a collateral branch of a noble family, as long as they still bear the family name, they must abide by the rules of the aristocratic clan.
Business and lending were the livelihoods of ordinary people. If a member of a noble family got involved, it would be a disgrace to their status. If word got back to their clan, they would be questioned in the ancestral hall, with no room for defense.
Cheng Chumo was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Last year, a member of a collateral branch of the Cui family in Chang'an opened a paper and pen shop in Pingkang Ward."
When the clan found out, they forcibly closed the shop, and he was taken back to the clan's ancestral hall and made to kneel there for three days.
Cheng Chuliang's eyes widened: "It's just a shop, why such a heavy fine?"
"In the eyes of aristocratic families, this is the bottom line of the rules." Cheng Chumo nodded.
Wang Zhihuan poured tea for the three of them, his expression relaxing instead: "That's why I'm at peace now. I don't register as a merchant, I don't work as a merchant, I just tend to my few acres of land and think about food in my spare time."
If anyone in the clan asks, I simply say I'm studying the *Essential Techniques for the Common People*, and no one can find fault with that.
He leaned back in his chair, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice, and said, "But you two, coming over for meals every now and then, just prove to me that I really didn't waste my time studying this agricultural book."
The atmosphere instantly eased, with Cheng Chuliang laughing out loud first, followed by Cheng Chumo shaking his head and chuckling.
"It was my oversight, please forgive me, Brother Wang," Cheng Chumo said, raising his cup in apology.
"Brother Chumo, you flatter me." Wang Zhihuan raised his hand in a gesture of respect, and they each drank their tea.
Suddenly, Cheng Chuliang's mouth watered. He gestured towards the kitchen and said, "Brother Wang, is there something still simmering on the stove? The aroma is wafting out, and I'm drooling!"