The Game of Life

“I remember Manager Yin’s daughter is a couple of years younger than me, still in junior high I think. Is there such a hurry to prepare her dowry?” Cao Guixiang appeared to be close to Qin Guisheng, always hanging around him whenever she had the chance.

“Manager Yin is planning for a Qian Gong Bed, which requires a top carpenter’s 1000 hours of work. Even if she only hires Golden Carpenter and his two apprentices help out, just this bed would take several years to complete,” Qin Guisheng explained to Cao Guixiang.

“That long!” Cao Guixiang exclaimed, as if she had never seen such a thing. “Golden Carpenter is the best carpenter in Beiping City, and Manager Yin always wants the best. She definitely hired only Golden Carpenter, which means she has to start preparing now,” Qin Guisheng said, glancing at Cao Guixiang and suddenly remembering that his younger apprentice sister also seemed to be at the age for talking about marriage.

Cao Guixiang was still mentally shocked that wealthy families played this way when suddenly, she looked up and saw Qin Guisheng looking at her with a smile that was not quite a smile, obviously up to no good.

“Little apprentice sister, you’re not so young yourself. I remember your sister got married at your age, haven’t your parents urged you yet?” Qin Guisheng asked.

“What are you talking about, my sister had a love marriage, they naturally got married when the time came,” Cao Guixiang retorted, lowering her voice, “I’m about to become a formal worker, my parents won’t rush me.”

“Congratulations, little apprentice sister,” Qin Guisheng laughed.

As they were talking, a middle-aged woman dressed in an embroidered cheongsam, with curly hair, lipstick on, and light makeup, walked into the back kitchen.

Although she was middle-aged, she looked quite young. Her skin was well cared for, making her look very lively, and she was carrying a bag.

“Manager Yin?” Cao Guixiang’s master was somewhat surprised to see Manager Yin and wondered what she was doing in the back kitchen.

“Master Peng, busy?” Manager Yin greeted him with a smile, “I was wondering about the dish I mentioned to you yesterday…”

“It’S all ready, no problem,” Master Peng thought she had come to check because she was worried.

■Tm well aware of your skills, how could there be any problem. The reason for my visit this time is that I have another favor to ask of you,” Manager Yin said with a smile, placing the bag on the culinary table.

Jiang Feng noticed that there might be something alive in the bag, because he saw something moving inside.

“I heard that Golden Carpenter’s favorite dish is crab stuffed in oranges, and it has to be made using the ancient techniques from the Song Period. As you know, it’s very difficult to find crabs and oranges this season. I had someone look for it, but the person didn’t send me any notice. I thought they couldn’t find it and thus didn’t inform you. Turned out the person was unreliable, he found them but didn’t notify me until this morning, so I must trouble you again…” Manager Yin said apologetically, her attitude sincere and earnest.

“I know it’s inappropriate for me to come to you at the last minute, but crabs and oranges are hard to find at this time, and I’m someone who doesn’t understand the culinary arts, so these fine ingredients would be wasted in my hands. I’m aware of your culinary skills, who else could compare to you except Taifeng Building’s former head chef, Jiang Chengde? If I were to cook, it would be a waste; if you do it, it’ll be an honor for the ingredients,”

Manager Yin’s flattery left Master Peng in high spirits, and after a bit of thought, he agreed.

“How many do you need?” Master Peng asked.

“Three will do, Golden Carpenter is bringing his young apprentice over today at noon. That young lad is quite handsome; the first time my daughter saw him, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. I’ll leave it to you, I should get back,” Manager Yin said with a smile as she left.

“Can’t take her eyes off him, really that exaggerated?” Qin Guisheng, who considered himself a handsome youth, couldn’t help but feel skeptical hearing Manager Yin say so.

“Whether it’s that exaggerated or not, you’ll see for yourself this noon,” Cao Guixiang said, her eyes fixed on the bag Manager Yin had brought.

To find crabs and oranges this season, even if they aren’t of the best quality, is quite rare and precious indeed.

Master Peng saw Cao Guixiang fixated on the bag and knew what she was thinking, “Guixiang, steam the crabs. Later, you’ll pick the crabmeat.” “Okay, Master!” Cao Guixiang said with a delighted face as she started to work. “Guisheng, don’t slack off, go help your eldest senior brother with the shrimp.” Once assigned the task, Qin Guisheng had no choice but to do it obediently. Crab Stuffed Oranges, a dish that dates back to the Song period, has evolved into many variations over time, yet the original ancient method has not been abandoned.

In “Mountain Cleansing,” a cookbook by Lin Hong, it is recorded: “For large oranges, cut off the top, remove the segments, leave a little juice, fill the inside with crab roe and meat, cover it again with the stem end, steam in a small steaming basket with wine, vinegar, water, add bitter wine and salt to serve, fragrant and fresh, it brings to mind the delight of new wine and chrysanthemums, with the scent of oranges and the taste of crab.” This famous dish made of crabmeat blended with orange flesh, accompanied by rice vinegar and Shaoxing Xiangxue Wine, is not extremely difficult to make but is quite intricate and time-consuming.

Cao Guixiang went to steam the crab while Master Peng started processing the oranges.

It wasn’t the season for oranges, and the quality of the oranges Manager Yin had procured was not the best. They were neither large nor full, making them quite difficult to handle.

Master Peng cut the top 1/4 of the oranges, carefully snipped the membranes and pith with scissors, then meticulously scooped out the flesh with a small spoon, leaving none behind, only a bit of orange juice.

This process was very lengthy, time-consuming, and laborious. By the time Master Peng had emptied out the insides, Cao Guixiang had already started picking crabmeat.

Picking crabmeat was another meticulous and labor-intensive task- separating the creamy yellow crab roe and the snow-white, strip-like crab meat, placing them in a small bowl for later use.

After handling three oranges, Master Peng saw that Cao Guixiang was still picking meat from the second crab and began to cut the fat and water chestnuts into dices. He beat the eggs into egg liquid and added them to the ingredients with minced ginger, wine, vinegar, salt, and other seasonings, all into the hollowed orange, which was left with a bit of orange juice.

“Guixiang, is the crabmeat ready?” asked Master Peng.

“Almost there.”

Master Peng glanced at the bowl filled with crabmeat and crab roe in front of Cao Guixiang and felt there should be enough. He said, “That should be enough, bring it here.”

Cao Guixiang handed the small bowl to Master Peng, who then filled the oranges with crabmeat and roe before sealing the tops. Cao Guixiang continued to pick crabmeat.

Once the three oranges were sealed, Master Peng checked the crabmeat Cao Guixiang had picked and said, “There are two more oranges in the bag – use the remaining crabmeat to practice on your own later.”

“Alright, Master.” That was precisely what Cao Guixiang had been waiting to hear.

Master Peng had spent a fair amount of time on the Crab Stuffed Oranges, so he walked over to the steaming pot for Steamed Sea Cucumber to check the fire control. He then said to his eldest senior brother, “Changping, go outside and check what time it is.”

The eldest senior brother went outside to check the time; there was a clock hanging behind the counter on the first floor.

“Dad, it’s 10:20 now,” Peng Changping returned in just a few seconds. Only then did Jiang Feng notice that Peng Changping really did resemble Master Peng; he just hadn’t noticed before because his attention had never been on their faces.

Master Peng began to process the sunflower duck.

As a representative dish of Tan Family Cuisine that showcases knifework, Jiang Feng had already gotten a taste of the knifework part. What Master Peng was about to do was the most challenging part beyond knifework, the soul of the dish.

Seasoning..