Chapter 22: Roasting a Whole Lamb

Cang Jian led the three sheep to the backyard stable. Cang Qiang was in charge of slaughtering the chicken and the sheep, while Cang Ji was responsible for setting up the roasting rack and moving the charcoal.

After the sheep were slaughtered, they were scalded with boiling water. While still hot, the fur was carefully scraped off, the internal organs removed, and the body was cleaned. The inner side of the sheep’s legs, where the meat was thicker, was cut with a sharp knife in several places to help the marinade soak in.

Next, green onions, ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and ground fennel were placed inside the sheep’s belly. A pinch of fine salt was rubbed in to enhance the flavor, and the cuts on the legs were also rubbed with spices and salt.

The sheep was then placed in a large wooden basin to marinate in the seasoning water for two hours.

During this time, Xia Qingfeng had the cook stew the hen, adding some nourishing Chinese herbs to the broth.

When eating roasted whole lamb, beer and “happy water” (a popular soft drink) are essential. Xia Qingfeng also prepared several small jars, filling them with beer and “happy water.”

She also asked Cang Ji to make ice using saltpeter and made peach, grape, and apple-flavored ice slushes. Any leftover ice that was safe to eat was placed into the jars containing the beer and “happy water,” and then the jars were set on top of the uneaten ice to keep them cool. It was absolutely perfect.

This delighted Ginkgo, who happily ran around helping out, especially after trying the peach ice slush. She was now even more excited for the roasted lamb.

Soon, the hen was stewed until it was tender, and the soup turned a golden yellow. Xia Qingfeng quickly asked Ginkgo to send the soup to Cui Liu and to call the two little ones out to join the fun.

Once the lamb was done marinating, it was taken out, and the excess seasoning water was drained off in preparation for the roasting.

The marinated lamb was placed flat on the iron rack. A metal rod was threaded through the middle of the lamb’s body, and its four legs were tied with iron wire to the four corners of the roasting rack. The metal rod was then placed on the roasting rack that Cang Ji had set up earlier. After brushing the lamb with sesame oil, it was roasted for a while and rotated occasionally to ensure even heat distribution.

Ginkgo and Cang Ji fought over who would do the roasting. Both were strong, so they were the best suited for this task.

Xiao An and Xiao Xi were seeing such a scene for the first time. They were both curious and a little scared. Xiao Xiaoxiao tried to get them to eat with her, but they were always too shy. Xia Qingfeng then ordered Cang Jian and Cang Qiang to move the concubine couch from inside the room to the yard and had Ginkgo carry Cui Liu to the couch. Only then did the two little ones come over to Cui Liu’s side. Cui Liu offered them food, and they naturally started eating.

Xiao An, being older, felt that he couldn’t just eat without doing any work, so he helped move the charcoal.

When Xia Qingfeng saw that the lamb was about 70% cooked, she took a knife and made cuts from the sheep’s head to its tail, adjusting the spacing according to the thickness of the meat, cutting about every inch. Cang Ji understood immediately, took the knife from Xia Qingfeng, and started cutting. As expected from someone who frequently handled knives, his cuts were fast, precise, and ruthless. Ginkgo stood nearby, brushing oil on the meat as Xia Qingfeng had instructed. Soon, the surface of the lamb turned golden and glossy, making it hard for anyone to resist drooling.

Once the lamb was done, it was taken off the rack and placed on the table. Cumin, pepper, and chili powder were sprinkled over it, and it was ready to eat. Just as Xia Qingfeng was about to call everyone to sit down, two people suddenly descended from the wall. Cang Qiang and Cang Jian immediately went on guard, while Xia He and Ginkgo quickly moved to protect Xia Qingfeng and Xu Xiaoxiao.

“You three have become too careless, only thinking about eating!”

Xia Qingfeng looked up and saw that it was Cang Dao, and the other person was someone she recognized as well—the young master of Jiren Hall, Chang Er Gongzi. She immediately called for them to sit down, “Come, come, come! You arrived just in time; the whole lamb has just come off the rack.”

Cang Dao stepped forward, cupped his fists in greeting, and said, “Madam, this is Young Master Chang, the second son of the Wuting Marquis’ family.”

They had just met nearby and, before they could speak, they were drawn in by the delicious aroma of the meat wafting in the air.

Xia Qingfeng had previously done some research on the Wuting Marquis’ family, thanks to the space spirit. While both families were noble houses, the Wuting Marquis’ circumstances were quite different from the Xiping Marquis’ family. The late Wuting Marquis’ wife came from a family of military generals. She practiced martial arts from a young age and had fought alongside the Wuting Marquis at the borders, where she had earned a reputation as a fierce warrior. The couple had a deep bond, and they established a family rule: “Only after a man turns forty without a son may he take a concubine.” The rear courtyard was kept clean, and the mistress of the house devoted herself to educating the children. As a result, the family had produced many military generals and continued to hold strong military power.

Now, the Wuting Marquis and Cang Qiyuan’s father were both military generals and had close ties. The Wuting Marquis had two sons and a daughter. The heir to the title, Chang Siguo, served alongside his father at the borders and was good friends with Cang Qiyuan. The second son, Chang Sile, was more interested in business and often traveled to oversee the family’s commerce. He had coincidentally met Xia Qingfeng at Jiren Hall.

Chang Sile had grown up with Cang Qiyuan, but he was more like a follower than a peer. His older sister had already married a military officer under the Marquis’ command and was living at the border with her husband.

As for Cang Qiyuan, the space spirit hadn’t shared much, only mentioning that his parents had passed away early, and he was now all alone.

Xia Qingfeng invited the two to sit down. The three food lovers, realizing they had been careless today and deserved to be scolded by the older brother, quickly became more attentive and eagerly served everyone meat and alcohol. Xia Qingfeng watched Cang Dao with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. *Hmm, taking advantage of the free meal and still acting so entitled.* Cang Dao felt a little embarrassed, but he still invited the three to sit and join in the meal.

It was Chang Sile’s first time eating roasted whole lamb, and of course, he had never tried beer before either. He stuffed lamb into his mouth, then took a sip of ice-cold beer, completely losing all decorum. The little ones sat with the women, eating lamb and drinking “happy water.”

Apart from Xia Qingfeng and Xu Xiaoxiao, it was the first time most of them tried “happy water.” After taking a sip, the strong, stimulating taste hit their nostrils, and they couldn’t help but burp, quickly covering their mouths in embarrassment. “Happy water” wasn’t for everyone. Aside from Xiao An and Ginkgo, most of them found it hard to get used to, so Xia Qingfeng poured them some freshly prepared orange juice. Women typically preferred sweeter flavors, especially Xiao Xi, who licked her lips after drinking, clearly enjoying it.

After the meat and drinks, the maids began cleaning up the leftovers. Chang Sile prepared to take his leave. “Madam, may I visit your residence tomorrow to ask for a diagnosis for my grandmother?”

“Alright, I was just planning to do that. Tomorrow, I will take my daughter to visit the residence.”

After sending away the young master from the Marquis’ residence, Cang Dao stepped forward: “Madam, I have something to report.”

“Sit down and speak.”

“I have found that the Marquis of Xiping has indeed pledged allegiance to the third prince, and moreover, the fifth young lady of the residence was taken in as a secondary consort three months ago.” Cang Dao paused for a moment, then glanced at Xia Qingfeng, saying, “The old marquis does not value the third prince at all, and the ones working for him are the two young masters of the residence. According to the information I gathered, the second young master is arrogant and seeks fame, having messed up the tasks assigned by the third prince. Now he only handles trivial matters, while the eldest young master is highly regarded by the third prince.”

“Oh, it seems my husband still has some capability!” Xia Qingfeng’s expression remained calm as she asked Cang Dao, “Is your master’s attack related to him?”

At the mention of this, Cang Dao gritted his teeth and said, “Yes, I heard that it was his idea to hire assassins from the Jianghu to pose as bandits at the places where our master would pass, setting fires and robbing. We few guards were dispatched by our master to suppress the bandits and calm the people, which allowed the dark guards of the third prince’s residence to exploit this opportunity and attack our master.

At that time, those who followed our master were ordinary guards with average martial skills, and they were all killed while trying to protect him. Although our master managed to escape, he was exhausted and soon encountered an ambush from the second prince, resulting in severe injuries.” Cang Dao’s fists were clenched tightly as he spoke.

“Since he acts so recklessly, he has no one else to blame. You should go and rest first; let me think some more.”