CHEF (17)

As soon as he heard the sound, the man immediately reassured them, saying, "Find a place to hide, I'll go out and take a look. The sound of horse hooves is neat and uniformed, they must belong to well-trained soldiers. This place is nearby Cangshan Camp. It takes half an hour to get here. I believe Zhao Liu and Tietou had gone to seek reinforcemens," he added.

Lin Dan nodded and watched him leave, taking the necessary precautions to ensure their safety. After a while, the door of the bandit's den slowly opened, and the man walked in with a tall, bearded general, accompanied by Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou.

The general complained in an unpleasant tone, "Damn it, you guys brought us to this desolate mountain in the middle of the night to save someone, and we ended up making a wasted trip! I brought out these personal guards, and losing even one of them is like being stabbed in the heart with a knife. Although there's been no fighting today, we were prepared for a fierce battle. You guys better remember this favor!"

"General, these are the ones we rescued from the firewood room. They were not injured," reported a line of soldiers, followed by the grateful Xiaozhu and others.

"What about the shopkeeper? Didn't you say there was still a Shopkeeper Lin that you must rescue no matter what?" The bearded general looked around impatiently.

"I'm here, thank you all for coming to our rescue. Lin expresses our gratitude!" Lin Dan stepped out of the shadows and bowed deeply, followed by Shaoyao and Dujuan who also bowed nervously.

The bearded man scrutinized Lin Dan and found that she was graceful but not particularly beautiful, which disappointed him. He recalled that Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou had emphasized repeatedly that the Shopkeeper Lin they had to rescue was a stunning beauty, but it turned out not to be the case.

"Never mind, please get up," the big-bearded man said, growing increasingly impatient.

"Our brothers have worked hard during the day and traveled all night. Who knows how many of us will have to lie down tomorrow. If we had known that this was such a small bandit lair, we wouldn't have come at all!"

Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou looked embarrassed. If they had known that these bandits were inexperienced, they would not have rushed down the mountain to bring reinforcements.

The boss was powerful and could certainly protect himself, but Shopkeeper Lin and the two little girls were in danger.

Bandits were always inhumane; when they captured women, they raped them, and when they captured men, they cut off their tongues and sold them to the Xishan Coal Mine. They couldn't waste time, so they had immediately gathered their men and killed their way up.

"Where are the bandits? Have you taken care of them all?" The big-bearded man looked at the handsome man, having no doubt about his abilities.

"They have all been dealt with by Shopkeeper Lin," the man replied, pointing to the hall. The group of people quickly went in to check and were immediately stunned.

"Damn it," the big-bearded man paced back and forth among the crowd, then ran to the empty wine jar and sniffed it hard. His face grew darker and darker.

"What kind of wine is this? It's so fragrant!"

Xiaozhu proudly replied, "This is Thousand-Day Wine, brewed by our boss herself."

"Thousand-Day Wine? The same kind that Liu Xuanshi drinks?" The big-bearded man exclaimed in shock. Disregarding the dirt and mess, he picked up a cup that had been used by the bandits and poured the remaining alcohol into his mouth, making exaggerated sipping sounds.

"Good wine! Truly a rare and excellent wine," exclaimed the big-bearded man. "It's fragrant, mellow, and strong. Smooth going down the throat, burning hot in the stomach, with a sweet and spicy aftertaste that lingers... This is the best wine I've ever had, worthy of the legendary Thousand-Day Wine!" He sighed as he picked up the cups from the table one by one and poured their contents into his mouth, not even letting the remaining drops go to waste.

Most of the soldiers he brought with him were also wine lovers like him, and they all checked the wine pot, hoping to find more wine. Unfortunately, the bandits had already consumed all the good wine, and nothing was left.

"Nothing left. Damn it, it's all gone! Will you die if you drink a little less?" The big-bearded man couldn't find any alcohol and could only vent his anger on the bandits who had passed out from being drunk. Suddenly, he remembered that this wine was brewed by Lin and turned to look at her with eyes as bright as torches.

Regretfully, Lin Dan bowed her head and said, "General, this wine is extremely difficult to brew. It took me three years to produce only one jar, and there's no more left."

The big-bearded man's bright eyes quickly dimmed as he picked up the large jar and shook it vigorously. "There's still a thin layer of alcohol inside! Quickly, give me an empty jar!" he exclaimed in surprise.

The handsome man beside him looked helpless but swiftly brought an empty jar to fill with alcohol.

The big-bearded man patted the jar's bottom, but the alcohol was only a tiny amount, barely enough to fill the jar.

He looked at the originally full jar, then at the bandits who had drunk themselves into a stupor. Anger overtook him, and he grabbed one of the bandits, kicking him hard while cursing, "Damn it, you thieves came to rob my territory! When you wake up, watch me kill you!" The bandit was kicked until he spat out blood, but he still didn't wake up, indicating the strength of the alcohol.

Lin Dan timely clasped her hands and comforted them, "Thank you, gentlemen, for coming to rescue us late at night. There is some food in the kitchen. Let me bring it out to fill your stomachs. You must be tired from the journey. Take a rest and replenish your energy."

Lin Dan thanked the rescuers for coming to their aid, despite the late hour. She offered to bring out some food from the kitchen, urging them to rest and replenish their energy.

Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou couldn't help but salivate at the sight of the full table of leftover dishes, while even the handsome man had to swallow his saliva silently.

The bearded man, who had never tasted Lin's cooking, remained indifferent. He and his soldiers tied up the bandits with ropes.

Lin Dan smiled and led the two little girls to the kitchen. Fortunately, the bandits had been too busy drinking and had barely touched the food, which was still hot on the stove. Soon, a large pot of wine-braised beef, a large pot of bone broth with beef meatballs, a dish of braised beef tendon, a dish of stir-fried beef with scallions, and a bucket of white rice were brought out - enough to feed 20-30 people. The food emitted a thick white steam and filled the room with the rich aroma of meat mixed with the mellow fragrance of wine.

"Go ahead and eat," the handsome man said, and everyone quickly picked up their eating utensils.

"Is this beef stewed with thousand-day wine?" Big Beard asked after taking a bite of the stewed beef. His eyes widened even more as he savored the taste. He quickly picked up speed, sweeping the remaining food into his own bowl.

Everyone else followed suit, eating with oil dripping down their chins and looks of amazement on their faces.

The stewed meat was made entirely with marbled beef, with lean meat mixed in with snow-white fat. It was cooked until it was tender and soft, melting in your mouth. The beef meatballs were made with short rib and neck meat, pounded and kneaded into shape with a wooden stick. When cooked, they were chewy and bouncy, with a hollow center filled with beef fat and bone broth. A light bite would release a burst of savory and thick juice, making it absolutely delicious. The beef tendon was first fried in oil, then steamed for fifteen minutes, and finally stir-fried in a pan. The red and shiny soup coated each tendon, and when bitten, it was initially soft and tender, but then slightly sticky and chewy, creating a wonderful texture.

The table of food was incredibly fragrant, sticky, thick and fresh, and the taste was simply amazing, thanks to the chef's excellent cooking skills. Even though everyone only ate half full, the resentment of going out to battle late at night had disappeared, and only the feeling of wanting more remained. This trip was really worth it!

Lin Dan noticed that they hadn't eaten enough, so she smashed the beef bone stick that had been simmered for two hours and made a pot of beef marrow soup. The stewed beef marrow was hidden inside the bone tube, and with a gentle suck, it slid into the mouth, with a delicious taste that not only washed the taste buds but seemed to clean the pores as well.

The bearded man held a beef bone stick in his hands and sucked it happily, saying with great enthusiasm, "Lin, your cooking skills are so good! I heard from Zhao Liu and the others that you're going to open a shop in the Capital? If your shop opens, you must let me know, and I'll have my brothers come to support you."

Lin Dan scooped a spoonful of soup for the handsome man and picked up a beef bone stick, modestly saying, "My cooking skills aren't that good. General, you're too kind. If you ever come to the Capital in the future, just visit my place..."

Before Lin Dan could finish speaking, the man interrupted her by speaking in a deep voice, "Supporting you is one thing, but we still have to pay for the meal. It's not easy for you to open a shop, Lin."

His words made the bearded man shiver, and he quickly promised to pay for the meal, not a penny less.

Lin Dan noticed the silent argument between the two men, but she didn't ask any further. When traveling, it's best to avoid saying too much, looking too much, or doing too much, as it can lead to trouble. Besides, once they entered the capital, they would have no further contact, so there was no need to investigate.

After the group finished their meal, Lin Dan took them to find her carriage and confiscated the stolen goods from the bandits. The handsome man was impressed by her intelligence, but he didn't know how she had found out about the hidden stash.

The bearded man carefully inspected the goods to make sure there was no extra alcohol before reluctantly returning to the camp with the barrel of wine. That night, he brought the wine to his superior, Marquis Weiyuan. If it came to a love of alcohol, the big-bearded man was no match for the Marquis, who was one of the top officials in Great Chu, along with Marquis Yongding. With just a word from them, one could soar to great heights.

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