The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 687 - 656 Thousand Flavor Grass, Braised Meat_1

Chapter 687: Chapter 656 Thousand Flavor Grass, Braised Meat_1

As long as He Tiantian likes it, that’s all that matters.

"We agreed, when the time comes, you have to hire people to work, and you can’t do it yourself, otherwise I won’t agree," Huo Yingjie said, "Apart from the braised meat shop, do you have any other ideas?"

He Tiantian thought for a moment and said, "Yes, I also want to open a pastry shop. The machines probably aren’t available domestically, but my parents could import them from abroad for me. These are all civilian machines and don’t involve any secrets, so they should be able to get them back."

Huo Yingjie thought for a moment and said, "Alright, no need to buy too many. I’ll do some research for you when I have time and find some machinery that’s suitable for our country. As for the pots and tools for braising meat, I’ll think about that too. Where machines can be used, we should use them to save on labor and to make it less tiring for people."

He Tiantian nodded repeatedly and said, "Yeah, like for plucking feathers from chickens and ducks, you could make something where the chickens and ducks spin inside, and their feathers come off, and we just need someone to remove the small feathers afterward!"

Huo Yingjie’s eyes lit up, and he nodded and said, "Yeah, okay, I’ve got it down."

The two of them talked until late into the night, and Huo Yingjie took out a notebook and recorded many good ideas in it.

He Tiantian’s short-term goal was to make money and to build a big house by Xuanwu Lake, and then to ask Qi Zhengmin for help when the time came.

Early the next morning, Huo Yingjie went out and got a pig’s head, a chicken, and a duck.

After cleaning them up, He Tiantian also prepared the seasonings.

"Brother Yingjie, where is that seasoning from the back mountain of Qijia Village that you mentioned?" He Tiantian asked. The flavor she had created was already etched in her memory, and she wanted to try the seasoning provided by Huo Yingjie.

Perhaps there would be a great discovery.

Huo Yingjie went inside the house and took out a handful from his bag, saying, "For a big pot, just a few centimeters will do."

Huo Yingjie was about to throw the withered grass into the huge pot when He Tiantian stopped him.

"Let me have a look." He Tiantian took it from him. It looked like ordinary granny’s bonnet leaves, pale green in color and with no particular scent. "What is this called?"

"Thousand Flavor Grass," Huo Yingjie said. "Anyone who eats something made with this seasoning will taste the flavor they desire."

He Tiantian was taken aback and said, "That sounds a bit mystical. Are there really such things in the world?"

"Yes!" Huo Yingjie said. "It’s quite mystical indeed. I searched half a mountainside to find just a handful. If you want more, you’ll have to cultivate it. The spiritual energy in the back mountain of Qijia Village is sparse, and it can only be grown in the caves there."

"Then I’ll give it a try first!" He Tiantian said. "Oh, and since we made so much meat, let’s invite our classmates over for a meal tomorrow night."

"Alright!" Huo Yingjie nodded.

This morning, He Tiantian didn’t have classes, but Huo Yingjie did.

He Tiantian put everything into the huge pot, added water, the ground seasoning packets, and a piece of Thousand Flavor Grass about five or six centimeters long, brought it to a boil over high heat, and simmered it on low heat.

This would take several hours, so He Tiantian had to stay nearby and keep the children away.

Yet the fragrance wafting from the kitchen occasionally reached beyond, prompting Huo Ruimin to point at the kitchen continuously, shouting, "Meat, meat, Mom, meat..."

Although Huo Ruihua didn’t shout, he kept sniffing, inhaling deeply the aroma that emerged from the kitchen.

"It’s not ready yet!" He Tiantian said. "Once it’s done, we’ll all eat."

"Eat, eat..." Huo Ruimin’s clear drool trickled from the corner of her mouth. "Mom, eat..."

Even the usually reserved Huo Ruihua couldn’t help but join her sister, chanting together, "Eat, mom, eat, meat..."

Grandma Wang, listening from the side, burst into laughter.

"Oh my, these kids are really funny," Grandma Wang said with a chuckle. "It’s not like they’re usually this eager to eat!"

"Hehe, it smells really good," He Tiantian laughed. "Grandma Wang, have a smell, doesn’t it smell wonderful?"

"Yes, absolutely delicious," Grandma Wang gave a thumbs up. "Your cooking skills are so great, if you opened a shop, I bet there would be a line from morning till night."

He Tiantian smiled and said, "Grandma Wang, you should eat more later and give me some feedback. If it tastes good, I might start my own braised meat shop."

"Hehe, are you really thinking about opening a shop?" Grandma Wang asked. "Running a shop can be really hard work, very tiring indeed!"

"Grandma Wang, don’t you oppose opening a shop?" He Tiantian asked. "After all, nowadays people think that doing business is not respectable."

"Not at all!" Grandma Wang laughed. "I was sold by my parents when I was seven and grew up serving the Old Madam. Back then, Old Madam’s family was in business, and they were prospering and doing very well!"

"Hehe, I also think doing business is good," He Tiantian said. "I’ll just take care of the seasonings, and hire other people for the rest. I’ll find suitable people to manage the shop, so it won’t wear me out."

"Right, spend money to hire people to do the work, so you won’t get tired yourself, and you can make your money work for you," Grandma Wang said. She shared with He Tiantian some of her experiences from her younger days, especially about doing business with Old Madam and tasting various things everywhere without any problems.

In the evening, Jiang Lifang came home from work and went straight into the kitchen.

He Tiantian was breaking apart chicken legs, one for each child.

The adults were eating just right, but He Tiantian thought it was a bit too salty for the children. So, she removed the skin from the two chicken legs, rinsed and soaked them in warm water before handing them to the kids.

Jiang Lifang was gnawing on a chicken wing when she said, "Tiantian, why do I think the braised meat you made today tastes even better than before?"

"Yes, the braising broth has one more ingredient, so it’s more aromatic than before," He Tiantian laughed. "Do you like it?"

"It’s delicious, the best I’ve ever had," Jiang Lifang said. "Ah, it’s a pity your father-in-law isn’t here, otherwise with such a good dish, he’d definitely want to have a couple of drinks."

"Hehe, I’ll make it for him when he gets back," He Tiantian laughed. "Mom, take the kids inside, I’ll cut up the dishes and bring them in, let’s have dinner."

Today, there wasn’t just braised chicken and duck, but also braised pork. She sliced a plate of it and picked cool mixed cucumbers, sugar-coated tomatoes, and brought everything to the dining room with the rice.

Huo Yingjie came home from school just in time for dinner.

This time, He Tiantian’s braised meat received praise from everyone.

The two children wanted more chicken legs after finishing theirs but were stopped. Eating too much meat in the evening could lead to indigestion, which wasn’t good for their stomachs.

Late at night, when it was only He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie together, He Tiantian became even happier. She said, "Brother Yingjie, it really tastes amazing. I’ve never had braised meat this delicious before. If my previous braised meat scored eighty points, today’s would score one hundred and twenty."

"Hehe, with such ingredients, no worries about the business not doing well," Huo Yingjie said. "Sometimes I think, I should go into business with you, instead of wanting to work at a research institute."