Chang’an Small Restaurant

Chapter 82.1 Consuming Crabs Together

Shao Jie paid another visit to Shen Indelible Tavern in Chongxian Lane.

Shen Shaoguang greeted him with a smile. "Welcome, Sir Shao. The pickled goods merchant you recommended has sent a few jars of Wine-Pickled Crabs from Cangzhou City. Would you care for me to steam a couple for you to sample?"

Shao Jie thought for a moment and then waved his hand dismissively. "No, I think I'll pass. Since partnering with you, Miss Shen, my waistline has expanded by several centimeters. My mother used to complain about my thinness, but now she says I'm just right. I'm afraid if I gain any more weight, I won't be able to find a wife."

Shen Shaoguang observed Shao Jie carefully. He had indeed gained a bit of weight, but not excessively so. The beauty standards for men in this dynasty, influenced by the Wei and Jin Dynasties, favored pretty men who were tall, had a straight figure, and evenly distributed body mass. For those who did not fit this ideal, another standard applied: a vague, tall, and sturdy appearance with an imposing manner or style. Shao Jie did not belong to the former category, but according to the latter standard, he was just right now.

Shen Shaoguang comforted him halfheartedly, "Sir Shao, you are still far from Yu Zisong's waist circumference[1], so there's no need to worry."

Shao Jie tilted his head and threw a quick question at her. "I have something to ask you. Sir Lin has been eating at Shen Indelible for longer than I have, so why isn't he gaining weight?"

Shen Shaoguang rarely lost in verbal battles, so she earnestly replied, "There is something in the human body called 'genes,' and Deputy Magistrate Lin likely has the gene that won't let him gain weight no matter how much he eats."

Although Shao Jie had never heard of the term ‘genes’ before, he still understood. "So you’re saying it’s innate?"

Shen Shaoguang nodded emphatically.

A’Yuan walked by, smiling. "I said the same thing before— it has nothing to do with eating more or less or anything; it's all thanks to our ma and pop!"

"..." 

Shen Shaoguang felt a bit like she had shot herself in the foot and sensed that A’Yuan might shatter her 'sobriety' today.

Shao Jie laughed. "Silly maid! Don’t you get your Miss is just complimenting someone?"

A’Yuan stopped and asked with a smile, "Ah? Complimenting who? Is it me?"

Shao Jie: "..."

A’Yuan happily carried the heavy box away, while Shen Shaoguang and Shao Jie exchanged a silent glance before bursting into laughter simultaneously.

Given Shao Jie's desire to lose weight, Shen Shaoguang brought two cups of clear tea that couldn't be any more transparent. There were no additions of ginger, pepper, sugar, salt, dried or fresh fruits, and naturally, she also refrained from serving any mutton tallow, pork, milk, or curd cheese.

Shao Jie took a sip and furrowed his brows.

Shen Shaoguang smiled inwardly and inquired if he had discovered a suitable new store.

Shao Jie nodded and retrieved a roll of paper from his sleeve. It detailed several stores, including their addresses, dimensions, prices, and sketches of each.

Shen Shaoguang took it and examined the contents closely.

Shao Jie was a true ‘monopoly player’. Once the first branch was stable, he immediately set his sights on opening a second, and even a third store.

Shao Jie was not without strategy. Managing multiple branches allowed for centralized management and purchasing, leading to significant savings in manufacturing and production costs. Crucially, their current capital reserves and profits could sustain such expansion. Therefore, Shen Shaoguang supported his initiative.

Shen Shaoguang circled two options and agreed to revisit them together.

This was the first time they had steamed the Wine-Pickled Crabs. A’Yuan brought over a table tray. "Yu San mentioned that Sir Shao and Miss should give it a try. Do you think the Wine-Pickled Crabs taste better steamed in water or smoked with wine and cassia bark?"

Yu San had already cracked open the crab prior to serving, revealing the caramel-colored crab roe.

Shen Shaoguang glanced at Shao Jie, who had just discarded the cup of tea after only taking a few sips. "Why go through so much trouble to cook the crabs? Perhaps they would taste better smoked with wine and cassia bark?" Shao Jie thought Miss Shen might be onto something. Whether he gained or lost weight seemed to hinge on that mysterious 'gene' thing, so a few extra bites wouldn't make much difference.

Shen Shaoguang politely invited him to choose first.

Shao Jie took a piece and sampled the crab roe first. "Hmm, sweet, fragrant, and fresh. Was this one steamed with just water?"

A Yuan nodded in confirmation.

After finishing the steamed crab, Shao Jie carefully tasted the smoked one. "The steamed one is a bit sweeter but has a stronger crab aroma. The smoked one with wine and cinnamon is less sweet and less fishy. I still prefer the steamed one. After all, isn’t the joy of eating crab all about savoring its natural flavor? What do you think, Miss?"

Shen Shaoguang delicately picked meat from a crab claw, smiling mischievously at his question. "Why choose yourself when we can let them compete? We could host a 'Crab Showdown' here at the tavern and let the customers decide. For the winning flavor, we'll draw three lucky diners who voted and gift each of them six crabs prepared in that style, along with a jar of fine wine from Xinfeng County."

Shao Jie: "..."

Shen Shaoguang continued, "For the next ten days, it'll be a showdown between the Wine-Pickled Crabs. Then we can pit Wine-Pickled Crabs against live crabs in the following period, followed by deep-fried crabs and steamed crabs... Let's just declare it Crab Month."

Shao Jie had little else to say but to sincerely praise Shen Shaoguang, "With your ingenious ideas, Miss, we can certainly expand our tavern across all of Chang'an City, and then beyond—East City, North City, Hedong, Tibet, even Jiangnan."

This time, it was Shen Shaoguang’s turn to become momentarily stunned. Had Shao Jie already envisioned expanding our business territory beyond the borders?

She chuckled softly before continuing, "Have you considered opening a few branches in the non-Han regions as well?"

Shao Jie, understanding her jest, played along, "It's not out of the question... We could introduce them to our cuisine instead of them always using knives to cut and eat half-cooked meat all day."

Shen Shaoguang: "..." The pervasive sense of superiority of the Tang Dynasty people was really everywhere.

"In that case, are you implying our cuisine embodies full culture, Sir? If we were to open a tavern in a foreign land, would it be considered cultural indoctrination?"

Shao Jie, caught off guard, responded, "...Miss, you certainly have far-reaching sights."

Shen Shaoguang smiled and added, "The key question then is, should the court provide us with some subsidies for this noble endeavor?"

Shao Jie and Shen Shaoguang laughed in unison, reveling in the delight of shared dreams.

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Footnote:

[1] Yu Zisong - Yu Ai was a Jin Dynasty writer and thinker. Zisong was his courtesy name. He was known to be ‘short and portly’.

Source: https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=OWLPBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1975&lpg=PA1975&dq=Yu+ai+Zisong+(262-311)&source=bl&ots=NPHNwk-VVt&sig=ACfU3U2xySghhxx8S6RJhwWUdIWQ0W0hPg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwispaC3m7CHAxVGslYBHXAsCZoQ6AF6BAgQEAM#v=onepage&q=Yu%20ai%20Zisong%20(262-311)&f=false 

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T/N: There are no videos available for any of the crab dishes mentioned in the chapter. To compensate, here’s some other crab delicacies- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMXoT3b2aoA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG8ZNB6YKPg