vstars Chapter 655 Where to take up the post?
Chapter 655 Where to take up the post?
Landlord Jiang finished his shift very early today, and also brought Jiang Hao, who works at the Hanlin Academy, back with him on the way.
The men's table now has six people, and the women's table has three people.
The same tomato and spicy hot pot, except this time there wasn't a cow that fell and died, so today's meat dishes are only lamb and very thinly sliced fish.
The reason I hadn't thought of eating fish slices in the previous few meals was because Jiang Xiaoqi had some kind of phobia about eating fish.
However, when Li Shan went out to buy some seafood, Jiang Xiaoqi immediately thought of sashimi.
But worried about parasites, I decided to slice the fish and cook it in a hot pot.
The combination of fish and sheep forms the character for "fresh".
Paired with a properly simmered broth, its fresh and delicious flavor goes without saying.
The richness of the mutton and the springiness of the fish are organically blended together at this moment, creating a perfect harmony.
As soon as Landlord Jiang and Jiang Hao entered the room, they sniffed. If they weren't concerned about their image, they probably would have started to shed tears.
They changed out of their official robes and sat around the table.
Landlord Jiang first poured wine for Ouyang Zheng himself, and then picked up his chopsticks.
"We're all family, don't be shy, let's have some fun!"
The bubbling spicy broth is perfect for hot pot lamb, while the bright red tomato broth is better for hot pot fish slices.
After trying it a few times, everyone developed their own preferences.
"Mingfei, how did you come up with this idea? It's such an interesting way to eat, it's really rare, and it's amazing."
Although Jiang Hao was already a compiler at the Hanlin Academy, he still retained much of his youthful spirit.
"Actually, it wasn't really my idea. The Great Zhou Dynasty did have a hot pot with 'Bo Xia Gong' (a type of hot pot), but I didn't like it. I still think that hot pot with beef and mutton is better."
Today, Li Shan bought some good fish, which is why he thought of making fish slices for hot pot. Actually, if there were shrimp, making some shrimp meat into handmade shrimp paste would also be delicious.
Unfortunately, the capital city is still quite far from the sea, and few merchants are optimistic about the seafood business.
Jiang Xiaoqi thought of making handmade shrimp paste when she was preparing fish slices today, but unfortunately she didn't have the ingredients, so she couldn't make it.
I can buy it in the mall, but how do I explain that? I think I'll pass. Today's dishes are already quite plentiful, so I won't add anything extra.
"Yes, it's a long journey of two or three hundred miles. By the time we get it back, we'll probably lose most of it. And we don't know if the people in the capital will even accept this food. We could very well end up losing everything."
But this fish tastes like sea fish today. Where did Li Shan buy it?
Landlord Jiang had eaten seafood before, which is why he asked this question.
"They were sold by passing merchants. They came from Tianjin Port. Indeed, many died on the way. They were put in the sea and transported over by fast horses. Only one-third of them remain."
However, he wasn't doing this business long-term; he came to Beijing from Tianjin Port to settle down, and that's why he brought some seafood with him.
Upon arriving in the capital, aside from keeping some for their own consumption, they sold everything else at three times the price. There were some shellfish still available, but Li Shan didn't buy any because they didn't look very fresh.
With only one-third of the goods remaining, selling them at three times the price is actually quite reasonable.
"I see. We've made it in the right place. Sigh, who knows when we'll get to eat such delicious fish slices again."
After saying that, Landlord Jiang picked up another piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it into the tomato broth. He counted a few times and then immediately lifted the fish up. The timing was perfect, and the fish was tender.
I don't know what kind of sea fish it is, but it has no small bones, only one large bone on the main stem, and the slices are cut very thin, so they cook quickly after a few rolls.
Jiang Xiaoqi chuckled to himself. His grandfather often said that he wasn't a big fan of food and drink, but he never believed him.
"Cough cough, what's so difficult about that? Li Shan bought more than a dozen big fish, and I had them carefully kept in seawater. Grandfather can just catch one whenever he wants to eat it."
"Really?! You bought so much? Li Shan, well done, well done!"
Landlord Jiang belatedly realized that he had been too excited, and that this made him seem greedy.
With so many younger people around, I should maintain a proper elder's demeanor.
"Well, what I mean is, these things are rare, so it's always good to buy more. These sea fish are a rare find."
“That’s right, Grandfather is right. I’ve already praised Uncle Li Shan. He did a great job on this mission. When you encounter something so rare, you have to be swift, accurate and decisive.”
"Hahaha, that's right, that's right, you have to be steady, accurate and ruthless when you make a move."
After downing a glass of Zhuangyuanhong wine, Ouyang Zheng glanced at Jiang Xiaoqi, who was joking with his grandfather, and shook his head helplessly.
This family, with the old, the young, and the very young, had an extremely harmonious atmosphere, unlike the typical family of an official.
It's hard to say whether it's a good thing or a bad thing that this family is involved in the struggle for succession.
There are no ruthless people in the Jiang family. In terms of ruthlessness, the head of the family may not be as ruthless as that martial arts master named Lin Feng or Li Shan who came back from buying fish.
These two men gave him the impression of being heroes capable of fighting several rounds in a bloody battle.
The Jiang family members are too gentle and too modest. They are probably good at maintaining existing businesses, but as for starting a business, well, it's hard to say.
The hot pot had been refilled several times, and while the women's table had dispersed, the men's table was still bustling with activity.
However, everyone slowed down their eating pace, after all, they had already consumed more than six pounds of mutton and three or four pounds of fish slices.
Even if we don't say we've reached our limit, we're almost there.
Even Mr. Ouyang, who is usually very self-disciplined, ate more than usual.
When people eat at a slower pace, they naturally start talking about other things.
For example, regarding the arrangements for Jiang Lin, Jiang Yan, and Jiang Hao, each department is currently fully staffed, and Landlord Jiang couldn't imagine how his grandson would arrange things for his three cousins.
Moreover, besides these three, the eldest granddaughter's husband, Dong Jin, will also arrive in Beijing soon, and arrangements will need to be made for him as well.
Jiang Xiaoqi originally intended to wait until after the meal to invite the three of them to her courtyard for tea before discussing the matter, but her grandfather was impatient and asked first.
"Grandfather need not worry. He had already decided where his cousins would go before sending them back to the capital."
As for where he will be appointed, Grandfather will find out then. In short, I won't harm my three cousins.
"What are you saying, Mingfei? It's already quite an achievement that you've managed to get us back to the capital to take up our posts in just three years. So what if we end up sitting on the sidelines after we return to the capital?"
"Everywhere you go, you have to build up seniority and achievements; there's no such thing as instant success."
Jiang Lin is the oldest of the three. He got married last year through his family's arrangement and is now more mature.
"It's not as bad as Brother Lin described. In short, it's not a bad place. My two cousins have just arrived in Beijing, so they should rest for a few days first."
Hao-ge's transfer order should come through in the next couple of days, and we'll be assigned to work together then, so we'll have each other's company.
The three looked at each other, surprised that they had been assigned to the same government office, and their eyes lit up with delight.
Back in their hometown, the three of them were the closest to each other, so it's natural that they're happy to be able to work together now.