Chapter 136: Roast Duck
While Wen Yao was scolding the two little rascals, the rest of the Wen family pretended not to see, all busy with their own tasks. Once things had quieted down, Wen Xiuyi came over reeking of alcohol, grinning as he asked, “Yo, done getting scolded?”
Wen Yao rolled her eyes, waved the two boys off to play, then leaned over and took a sniff, frowning in distaste. “Professor Wen, how much did you drink?”
“Not much, not much, just a couple of taels. Hey, girl, your wine really is the best.” Wen Xiuyi chuckled sheepishly.
Wen Yao said, “I spent hundreds of coins on that. Of course it tastes good.”
Hearing the price, Wen Xiuyi winced with pain.
“Look, now that our house is built, when are you going to get started on brewing wine?” he asked.
Wen Yao looked around at their still-bare and uneven courtyard. Sigh, so what if the house was finished? There were still a lot of details to take care of. As for brewing wine—well, that wasn’t something that could be rushed.
“That’s not something we can hurry. You think good wine can be brewed on a whim? The taste doesn’t just depend on the method—it’s affected by the quality of the yeast, the water, everything. We’ll see. If you ever dig up a mountain spring for me, maybe then we can talk. As for now—Professor Wen, haven’t you been drinking a little too much lately?”
Wen Xiuyi instantly sobered up a bit. He rubbed his nose and turned to leave. “Ah, a bit dizzy, I’ll go lie down.”
Wen Yao grabbed him. “Where are you running off to, Dad? I have something serious to ask you.”
Wen Xiuyi paused. “What is it?”
“Today Sister Qiu asked me about next month’s new dishes. You got any ideas?” Wen Yao asked.
Wen Xiuyi thought for a bit. “New dishes, huh? Let me think.”
He ran through every dish he was craving in his head. Every time he mentioned one, Wen Yao shut it down—either the ingredients weren’t available yet or it wasn’t the right time.
Just then, Old Madam Luo walked in carrying a duck flapping its wings.
“What are you two mumbling about again?” she asked, clearly unimpressed with the father-daughter huddle.
Wen Xiuyi’s eyes lit up when he saw the duck. He rushed over and snatched it from her.
“Look! Here’s your new dish. Roast duck! Crispy skin, tender meat, wrapped with scallions and dipped in sauce… tsk…” He started drooling just thinking about it.
Back in their previous life, roast duck had been one of their top favorites. If the prices hadn’t kept climbing, they would’ve had “roast duck freedom” every week.
Wen Yao came over and lifted the duck by her father’s hand, inspecting it closely. “Roast duck? Sounds good.”
Old Madam Luo looked at the two of them as if they were crazy. The duck was nearly choked to death by Wen Xiuyi, so she smacked his hand hard.
Startled by the smack, he dropped the duck to the ground. The freed duck staggered for a few seconds before Old Madam Luo grabbed it again by the wings.
“What are you two up to this time? What did this duck ever do to you?” she grumbled.
Only then did the father and daughter snap out of it.
“Mom, where’d you get this duck?” Wen Yao asked.
Old Madam Luo shook the dazed duck. “Tie Niu’s mother gave it to us. Said it was to help Daotou build up his strength.”
Say what you will, but Tie Niu’s mother knew how to do things right. She recognized that Daotou was working hard teaching her son to read and decided to show appreciation. That duck made Old Madam Luo feel very pleased.
Wen Yao looked curious. “Grandma, they raise ducks?”
“They do. Around twenty or so. Their land isn’t much, so they mainly rely on selling duck eggs. What, you got your eyes on their ducks now?” Old Madam Luo narrowed her eyes at Wen Yao, immediately suspicious.
Wen Yao gave a sheepish grin and tugged Wen Xiuyi along. “Grandma, Dad and I need to talk business. We’ll find you later. Keep that duck for me—I’ll need it in a couple of days.”
Old Madam Luo watched the two run off, looked down at the half-dead duck in her hands, and turned around. Since the new place didn’t even have a proper pen yet, she figured she’d better take it back to the old house to raise for now. She really had no idea what the little rascal was planning this time.
Back at home, Old Man Wen saw the duck in her hands. “Why do you have a duck?”
Old Madam Luo replied without turning her head, “Your precious granddaughter’s duck.”
Old Man Wen: “…”
Not long after, Wen Yao came rushing in.
“Grandpa, where are Second Uncle and Third Uncle?” she asked.
“They went to check the fields. I told them to make sure no wild rats were ruining the new sprouts. Why? Something up?”
Wen Yao pulled out a blueprint and handed it over with a sweet smile. “Grandpa, can you help me build this?”
Old Man Wen squinted at the sketch for a long time, trying to make sense of it. “What is this? A stove? Doesn’t look like any stove I’ve ever seen. Who puts a roof over a stove?”
“It’s a good thing.” Wen Yao shook the drawing with pride. “So? Think you can make it?”
“Should be doable. There’s still some leftover bricks from the backyard. I’ll have your uncles build it tomorrow. But Yao Yao, what’s it for?” he asked, curious.
Wen Yao raised a brow. “A good thing. Whether our family can make it rich depends on this.”
That startled Old Man Wen. “Huh? This not-stove-not-shed thing is supposed to make us rich?”
Wen Yao smiled. That’s exactly what it was. If the roast duck turned out well, even if the recipe was tied up with Zui Xian Tower, she could still sell the oven design. And if they raised ducks and sold them to the restaurant, that’d be a long-term income stream.
Once roast duck hit the market, she didn’t believe anyone could resist.
“Just trust me. As long as you and my uncles build this roasting oven, I promise our family will be making money soon.” She patted her chest as she guaranteed it.
Old Man Wen took the drawing and nodded. She urged him to get it done soon, then ran home to start working on the duck recipe. Old Madam Luo came out just in time to see her husband flipping the blueprint back and forth, muttering to himself.
“What now? What’s that paper?” she asked.
“Yao Yao gave it to me. Said it’s for something good.”
Old Madam Luo listened, then suddenly remembered the duck. “You think that little rascal is up to something again?”
Old Man Wen tried to make a connection and asked, “What’s she even planning?”
Old Madam Luo glared at him. “You just do as you’re told. What are you asking so many questions for?”
Old Man Wen: “…” Fine. Looks like his wife’s elbow had officially bent all the way out to the heavens. He tucked the blueprint away and obediently got ready to work with the boys.
