Time Travel: A Fisherwoman Goes to the Sea to Raise a Baby

Chapter 467 The Hot Sauce Was Stolen

"No need, no need, I'll go straight to town after I take a shower when I get back," Xu Yiyi quickly stopped her.

Li Xiuying, standing not far away, looked at Xu Yiyi with a complicated expression.

He scoffed inwardly.

"Yi-yi, you go back first, I'll keep watch for you." Ah-da heard the commotion and hurried back from upstream.

Xu Yi nodded and jumped off the boat.

By this time, she was soaked through with seawater and sweat. Her coarse clothes clung tightly to her body, outlining her slender and neat figure. The wet fabric was heavy and carried the coolness of the seawater.

The November sea breeze, carrying endless coolness, blew against my face, penetrating my wet clothes and piercing my skin.

She couldn't help but shiver, her jaw clenched instantly, and goosebumps rose on her exposed arms.

The damp hair clung to the sides of her neck and cheeks, adding to the chill.

She flinched and instinctively hugged her arms tightly. The harpoon swayed gently with her movement, reflecting the sunlight.

She took a deep breath of the cool, salty air and swaggered home.

"Big sister, go take a shower, the hot water is ready."

When they got home, Sanchuan was carrying Wuyuan on his back and walking around the yard.

Upon seeing her, he quickly carried the wooden bucket into the kitchen to fetch hot water.

Sihai also happily carried the cold water into the washroom. By the time Xu Yiyi came out with clean clothes, the bath water had already been prepared.

"The eldest sister of the Sihai Gang is sending this to Aunt Asi."

She kicked the abalone and sea cucumber that were in a net bag.

"Tell her to stew that chicken and not keep it." Although the weather has gotten cold, food shouldn't be kept for too long.

As soon as the child left, Xu Yiyi hurriedly went in to take a bath.

"Ow!"

The moment the hot water was splashed on her, the intense temperature difference turned into a sharp, stinging pain, causing her to jump up almost instantly and let out a short scream.

The sensation was not like water, but rather like countless tiny, red-hot needles pricking the skin.

That was so exciting!

She abruptly pulled her hand back, causing the water in the wooden ladle to spill out and splash onto the ground.

The burned skin on my back quickly developed a noticeable red mark, burning painfully.

"hiss……"

"What's wrong with my older sister?" Sanchuan asked anxiously.

"It's okay."

She responded and quickly added some cold water.

In no time at all, I rinsed off the seawater, put on my clothes, and came out.

"Let's go! Let's go to town."

Xu Yiyi walked ahead first, while Sanchuan, carrying Wuyuan on his back, slowly lagged behind.

Wu Yuan was munching on a fish cake, which left crumbs all over his back.

After arriving in town, A-Da busied himself unloading the fish from the boat.

Sihai ran back to the restaurant to call for help.

"What's wrong?" Xu Yiyi asked, noticing Xu Anyang's pale face.

"We'll talk about it when we get back."

Xu Anyang loaded the fish he had caught onto a cart and headed towards the restaurant.

"Tell me, what happened?"

He pointed into the kitchen and said in a tearful voice, "Sister Yi, I'm so sorry, two jars of chili sauce are missing from the kitchen."

Xu Yi paused for a moment: "How did it get lost?"

Restaurants these days are not like they used to be; with so many people living inside, any petty thief who tries to break in will only be asking for trouble.

"They were the craftsmen who built the ice cellar. After the ice cellar was completed yesterday, they said they really wanted to have another meal of pickled fish, so I asked Yunniang to make it for them, but..."

Xu Anyang's voice grew softer and softer, filled with endless self-blame: "When I came in this morning, I found that the jars that were used to pack the pickled fish for them were left behind the door, and they took two jars of chili sauce instead."

Xu Anyang squatted under the eaves, feeling too ashamed to look at Xu Yiyi.

"It's also my fault. I noticed something was wrong with the jar when they left, but I didn't have time to ask them about it."

Afu slapped himself hard. He was the one who took out the two jars containing the pickled fish, and he just happened to run into him when he left.

He recognized it at a glance as not being the original jar, but he was too busy at the time.

Xu Yiyi didn't rush to lash out, but asked in a deep voice, "Where's Lao Lu?"

Before he could finish speaking, a person walked in through the back door.

He was clutching a small earthenware jar tightly in his hand, the same kind that Xu Yiyi used to store chili sauce, but the jar looked quite empty, and the oil paper sealing it was torn.

"Hey! I was only gone for a little while, why are you hitting yourself?"

"What is this?" Xu Anyang asked.

Old Lu said smugly, "What else could it be?"

He placed the jar on the stone table, and Xu Anyang quickly opened it.

"It's chili sauce!" Xu Anyang exclaimed in surprise.

So that's what happened! After hearing the news, Lao Lu didn't even have time to wash up before heading straight to the homes of the craftsmen who built the ice cellars.

He pointed to the jar: "It's a pity, there's only half a jar left. As for the other jar, that bastard said he sold it last night, but he absolutely refuses to say who he sold it to!"

Old Lu was so angry that he immediately beat him up.

He pulled up a stool and sat down next to Xu Yiyi, then looked at Xu Anyang and said, "What kind of people did you find, kid? There are two thugs in here."

Xu Anyang hung his head, looking somewhat sad.

"It's all my fault, I misjudged people." Xu Anyang felt very guilty and scared.

He was worried that his actions would negatively impact the restaurant's business.

"Those people must have been planning this for a long time, but they waited until the ice cellar was completed before pulling this stunt."

Old Lu looked at Xu Yiyi and said, "I think this matter is not simple. Those cowardly craftsmen, even if they had a few more lives, they might not dare to steal our secret ingredients. Could it be that someone instructed them to keep an eye on us?"

"To be honest, since you opened your restaurant, business has been booming, which must have attracted a lot of attention. This is most likely the work of your competitors," Old Lu said definitively.

Xu Yiyi remained silent.

"Seriously, how come you're still so calm after all the secret sauce was stolen?"

Seeing her reaction, Lao Lu's face darkened with anger.

He pointed at the remaining half-jar of hot sauce and said angrily, "Those heartless bastards are trying to cut off our lineage! Give me some kind of response!"

"What's done is done, and getting anxious or upset won't help."

It wasn't easy for Xu Yiyi to find the seeds for these chili peppers, and it was even more difficult to grow them.

The chili sauce is made by simmering a lot of seasonings.

I couldn't figure out the trick in a short time.

……

Meanwhile, in the brokerage firm.

Manager Li was carefully holding a rough pottery jar in front of Wen Shichen.

"My lord! Look at this."

Manager Li lowered his voice, sounding rather like he was showing off a treasure: "This was received by my subordinates this morning. They say it's a secret chili sauce from Wufu Restaurant. I thought you would be interested, so I specially brought it up for you to see."

Wen Shichen put down his teacup and looked at the earthenware pot in front of him: "This thing?"

He snorted coldly, his tone extremely arrogant: "Rumor has it that Xu Yiyi has a variety of secret materials, and with these materials, she managed to snatch business away from Hong Gang."

Manager Li smiled apologetically and bent over again.

"Open it and take a look! I want to see what precious thing she's hiding like this."

Upon hearing the order, Steward Li immediately opened the jar.

Then an extremely rich fragrance wafted onto their faces.

Wen Shichen nodded, his nose twitching slightly. "Tsk! It does smell a bit like that roast duck."

Manager Li picked up a small silver spoon, reached into the jar, scooped out a small amount of bright red sauce, and handed it to Wen Shichen.

"My lord! Look!"

Wen Shichen stared at the sauce for a moment, and the aroma made his mouth water.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally put the spoon directly into his mouth.

"Master..." Steward Li exclaimed in surprise, watching Wen Shichen's reaction nervously.

next moment.

Then they saw that Wen Shichen froze, his eyes wide open.

"Hiss—ha—"

Wen Shichen gasped sharply, then exhaled a breath of hot air.

"Master..."

Manager Li quickly poured him some tea and handed it to him.

How are you?

Wen Shichen waved his hand weakly and drank several cups of tea before he calmed down a little.

"The taste is so strong and pungent, it's like being slashed from the back of my tongue to the top of my head with a knife. I really can't tell what's so good about it."

Wen Shichen's face was flushed red from the spiciness, and he was panting heavily.

"Won't this stuff make me sick?" He frowned as he looked at the jar of hot sauce.

Manager Li looked at the jar hesitantly: "That shouldn't be the case! I heard from the person who sells this secret recipe that Wufu Restaurant has long queues every day because of this secret recipe. If it really caused stomach upset, I'm afraid it wouldn't be able to retain so many customers, right? Boss Xu is so shrewd, he would never do something that would ruin his own reputation."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shichen squinted at the jar in front of him and said, "That makes sense! You should try it too and see if this secret ingredient only has a super spicy taste, or if it has some other flavors."

After all, he has always preferred bland food, so it's normal that he's not used to it.

Manager Li was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude.

I didn't even bother using a spoon; I just dipped my finger in and put it directly into my mouth.

"hiss!"

A strong spicy smell instantly hit him, and Manager Li shrank his nose and his face turned red.

But after that domineering aura subsided, he smacked his lips, slowly opened his eyes, and was filled with surprise.

"My lord! This...this spiciness is truly exhilarating! But...but after the spiciness wears off, my mouth doesn't feel uncomfortable at all; on the contrary, it feels...incredibly refreshing! There's even a slightly sweet aftertaste at the back of my tongue, making me want to eat more!"

It's incredibly addictive.

"Really?" Wen Shichen looked at him suspiciously.

Manager Li suggested, "How about I have the chef use this secret ingredient to make a dish for you to try? Hasn't Madam been clamoring for sauerkraut fish and roast duck? If we can make it with this secret ingredient, we won't have to go out to eat anymore; it's clean and hygienic."

After returning from Wufu Restaurant that day, Wen Shichen immediately instructed the chefs in his household to buy those two dishes from Wufu Restaurant and bring them back to be replicated.

But I haven't been able to figure it out yet.

Even though the side dishes are exactly the same, the taste just doesn't match.

"In that case, let Chef Zhang give it a try."

If it could be replicated, my wife wouldn't have to think about going to that little eatery all the time.

As soon as he finished speaking, Steward Li immediately picked up the jar and left the study.

He went straight to the kitchen of the brokerage firm and shoved the jar of chili sauce into Chef Zhang's hand.

"Old Zhang, hurry up! Use this sauce to make those two signature dishes from Wufu Restaurant exactly the same!"

Chef Zhang took the jar, opened it somewhat blankly, and took a sniff. The unique spicy aroma invigorated him, but a troubled look immediately appeared on his face.

"Manager Li, this... just having the sauce without knowing the specific ingredient ratios and preparation method, I'm afraid..."

"What's there to be afraid of!"

Manager Li interrupted him impatiently: "What ingredients don't we have here? The fish must be the freshest, and the ducks the fattest! The pickled cabbage must be the best old-fashioned pickled cabbage from our cellar! Just follow the taste of this chili sauce and experiment with it over and over again, figuring out the cooking time and ingredients bit by bit! I must see a decent finished product before dinner tonight!"

He thought to himself with a smug satisfaction.

If this matter is handled well, there's a good chance of getting a reward.

……

While Wen Shichen was thinking about replicating the food at Wufu Restaurant, Fu Wanying, heavily pregnant, had already stepped into the restaurant's door.

"You're here early, we haven't even opened yet." Xu Anyang heard the noise and quickly opened the door to the front hall.

Fu Wanying didn't want to either.

She hadn't been able to leave the house for the past few days because of the hurricane, and she was really craving food.

That's why I came here so early in the morning.

In the backyard, Xu Yiyi was talking to the cook recommended by A Yue. The cook's surname was Ma, and she was originally the cook of Guiyan Courtyard. Everyone called her Hui Niang. She was an excellent cook, especially good at cooking fish.

That day she went to Guiyan Courtyard and tasted her cooking.

It is indeed excellent.

"Who are these two?" Xu Yi asked, looking at the two young men who were helping to prepare the ingredients. They were about fifteen or sixteen years old and looked very clever.

“These two are my brothers-in-law, Xufeng and Xuyang. They’ve been learning to cook from me for six years, and their skills are quite good,” Huiniang quickly said.

Xu Yi nodded and said, "The restaurant only serves lunch and dinner, and includes three meals a day, two sets of clothes per season, and accommodation. However, you can also rent a small courtyard in town."

Hui Niang hesitated for a moment and looked at her brother-in-law.

"In that case, I'd like to stay at the restaurant." Although there would be more people, it would save on rent.

This will make things easier for my two younger brothers-in-law when they get married in the future.

"Alright, the wages will be as we agreed before." Xu Yi nodded.

"You will share a room with Yunniang and Aunt Fu, while Xufeng and Xuyang will share a room with Afu. The beds are in the storage room."

As she spoke, she grabbed the person and opened the storage room. It was a mess, filled with things that Qu Shenglou used to own. The better items were kept, and the rest were burned as firewood.

“Take a look and pick whatever you want,” Xu Yiyi said.

Xu Feng and Xu Yang exchanged a glance, then went inside and picked out three beds.

Immediately afterwards, two more aunties came from the clan to wash dishes and plates, and four good-looking young men came to serve food and water.

Among them was Xu Anshu, who had helped on the previous two occasions.

Xu Anyuan, whom Yunniang wanted to take as her apprentice, did not come.

His mother felt the wages were too low and preferred that Xu Anyuan be older so he could go out to sea to fish with his father.

Although Yunniang no longer has an apprentice.

But the kitchen has gained another general, and the general has two soldiers under his command.

At this point, the restaurant was finally full.

“Your land is small, but your business is good. You should definitely buy the land next door.”

Fu Wanying suddenly spoke, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

Xu Yi asked in confusion, "You are... Mrs. Wen?"

Fu Wanying nodded and walked down the two steps to the backyard.

"I had dinner here a few days ago, do you remember?" Fu Wanying smiled and took Xu Yiyi's arm in a very familiar manner.

But she calmly deflected his request.

Fu Wanying, however, didn't care at all.

“I heard from Shichen that you wanted to buy the building next door, Ruyi Residence. I’m afraid the deal hasn’t been finalized yet, right? When I get back, I’ll put in a good word with Shichen for you. I think your place is too small. If you could combine the building next door with yours, your business would be better protected.”

She said it innocently.

Xu Yiyi frowned, somewhat unable to guess her purpose.

"Don't be nervous, I don't mean any harm. I just like your food, and since you need it, I thought I'd help you out!"

As she spoke, she reached out and touched her lower back.

"Please have a seat."

As soon as Xu Yiyi finished speaking, Sihai quickly brought up a chair.