Transmigration of a Food Blogger: Cannon Fodder in a House-Fighting Novel
Transmigration of a Food Blogger: Cannon Fodder in a House-Fighting Novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33 (Roast Duck)

The four of them returned home and had someone notify the kitchen. Within half an hour, a cooked duck was delivered.

To make roast duck, you need to marinate it first.

To ensure the duck is flavorful and can be enjoyed later, Yan Qiushu asked someone to poke a few extra holes in the duck, applied the marinade all over, and massaged it to allow the flavors to soak in.

When it was time, she took out the duck, rinsed it with hot water, wiped off the moisture from the skin, and brushed it with a mixture of honey and rice wine to make it crispy.

After brushing it several times, she stuffed it with chestnuts and sealed it with a wooden stick before placing it in the oven and covering it.

Since the oven isn’t a rotating electric one, the duck needs to be taken out and flipped every fifteen minutes.

Yan Qiushu enlisted Aunt Xu to help with that while she began making pancakes.

She boiled flour with a bit of hot water, stirring it with chopsticks until it became flaky. Once the temperature was right, she kneaded it into a smooth dough and let it rest for fifteen minutes. Then, she rolled out the dough.

The initial steps are similar to making dumpling wrappers. When there are enough wrappers, she applied oil to them layer by layer, stacked them, and rolled three or four pieces together into a thin dough. After repeating this, she steamed them for five minutes to get thin, translucent, non-sticky pancakes!

As Yan Qiushu slowly worked on this, the oven started to release the aroma of the roast duck.

It smelled somewhat like honey roast chicken, but with a unique twist. The delicious scent attracted Shen Pingyu, who had been reading, causing him to put down his book. He helplessly crouched next to the oven, supported by his younger siblings.

“It smells incredible!” Dongdong could barely contain his excitement.

Wan’er giggled and handed him a glass of water: “Dongdong, drink this to fill up a bit first.”

“No!” Dongdong decisively shook his head, “I want to save room for the roast duck!”

Shen Pingyu stared at his increasingly round face for a moment and said, “First, let’s do horse stance. If you want to eat well, you need to do horse stance for an hour and run around the house for half an hour today.”

Dongdong’s face fell, reluctant at the thought.

Although he wanted to be a general, that much exercise felt exhausting!

Shen Pingyu had been taught to be very determined from a young age. Seeing Dongdong hesitate, he said firmly, “You say you want to be a general, but you can’t even handle this small challenge!”

Dongdong responded stubbornly, “Of course I can! I’ll do the horse stance!”

He snorted and found a sheltered spot, assuming a proper stance, but his eyes kept wandering towards the oven.

So delicious!

Yan Qiushu also caught the enticing aroma and wished she could take the duck out and start eating, but the other side dishes weren’t ready yet, aside from the pancake skins and sweet noodle sauce.

Making that is easier. She poured flour into a large iron pot, stirred it on low heat until nearly done, then added water and stirred until it turned a milky white. She added sugar, salt, soy sauce, and other seasonings, returning it to the pot to simmer on low heat until the color darkened from light brown to black. When the liquid thickened, it was ready to serve.

On the other side, Shui Xian helped cut cucumbers and other ingredients. Once everything was ready, the roast duck was done and ready to come out of the pan!

Taking it out wasn’t the last step. Yan Qiushu switched to a sharper knife and held a clean towel to keep the duck warm. She pressed the roast duck and made a cut in the middle, then began slicing it from the duck breast. Each slice had thin, crispy skin and tender meat, shaped like a willow leaf. While it looked simple, mastering this skill took time and many failed attempts. Yan Qiushu even got tired of eating roast duck at one point, but its deliciousness eventually drew her back.

One by one, slices of roast duck formed under her hands, and she arranged them to resemble a beautiful peony flower on the plate. After placing the last slice, she shook her tired hands and asked Shui Yu to take the prepared duck and ingredients, giving a small portion to Mrs. Xiao and keeping the rest for the children.

She removed the chestnuts from the duck’s belly and set them aside. The remaining duck bones were cut into pieces, seasoned with pepper salt, cumin, and peppercorns, and put back into the oven for another 15 minutes to turn into a tasty treat.

Yan Qiushu carefully adjusted the duck rack, closed the oven door, washed her hands, and headed to the dining area. She entered with a smile, asking, “How is it? Is it delicious?”

The three children at the small table were all looking at her, and the beautifully arranged roast duck peony flower hadn’t been touched. As soon as she arrived, Dongdong couldn’t wait and said, “Sister Shu, come sit with us! We’re waiting for you.”

Yan Qiushu smiled and replied, “Alright, I’m coming.” She sat down and noticed they hadn’t started yet, so she took a piece of pancake skin and said, “Hold this in your hand, and then add what you want to eat. But don’t forget to dip it in this sweet noodle sauce.”

The children watched closely as she demonstrated. She dipped a slice of roast duck in the sauce, placed it on the pancake, and added cucumber strips and other ingredients. She then folded the pancake into a rectangular block and took a bite. The thin crust had a soft, floury texture, which broke easily with a gentle bite. The sauce was sweet and salty, followed by the crispness of the cucumber, the roast duck’s skin, and the aroma of the meat. The flavors blended together into a delicious harmony.

Shen Pingyu, who had heard Shui Yu’s instructions earlier, was still amazed by the demonstration. While he hesitated, Dongdong quickly wrapped a large pancake and stuffed it into his mouth. “Mmm…” Wan’er, proud of her neatly wrapped pancake, laughed at her brother’s eagerness, “Dongdong, slow down! There’s plenty left!”

Dongdong continued chewing despite his stuffed mouth, quickly swallowing most of it. “So good! Mmm!”

Shen Pingyu laughed and, after having his hands wiped, began to wrap his own. He carefully added a slice of duck and two cucumber strips, folded the pancake neatly, and took a bite. The crust broke, and the meat filled his mouth, but he felt it lacked crunch, so he ate the rest in one go. It was indeed filling but perfectly balanced in flavor—not too salty, greasy, or bland. So delicious!

He looked over and saw Dongdong still stuffing his mouth with glee. “Eat slowly,” he reminded. Dongdong nodded but kept going.

Yan Qiushu, seeing Dongdong’s enthusiasm, was drawn back to her own food and continued to eat happily.

As they enjoyed their meal, Shui Yu suddenly announced, “Miss, the Sixth Young Master is here.”

Dongdong’s ears perked up, “Uncle!”

Shen Pingyu: “Uncle!”

Wan’er: “Uncle!”

Before Yan Qiushu could respond, the three children excitedly looked toward the door.

Yan Qiushu nodded and asked Shui Yu to invite him in. The doorway darkened, and a tall figure entered. As the man got closer, Yan Qiushu noticed he looked weary, with an unshaven beard, slightly torn clothes, and unkempt hair.

It was understandable, given the difficult task of exposing the Qiao family’s wrongdoing within a month. He likely had to handle things personally, escort people back, and fend off attackers.

When Xiao Huaiting came nearer, he greeted her with a slight bow, but noticed something different about Yan Qiushu, especially her makeup and upturned eyes. His heart skipped a beat, and he stammered, “Miss Shu.”

Yan Qiushu smiled gently, “Hello, General Xiao.”

He nodded, his gaze shifting to the three children. Clearing his throat, he teased, “Pingyu, Wan’er, Dongdong, have you been eating and drinking here all day?”

Wan’er smiled sweetly: “Yes!”

Shen Pingyu shyly said: “Yes, Uncle.”

“Sister Shu made something delicious again, Uncle! Come and have some,” Dongdong said with a big smile. He carefully wrapped a pancake and, like giving a gift, stood on tiptoe to feed it to him.

The boy patted Dongdong’s head, bent down, and ate what Dongdong offered.

Even though the pancake and meat were cold, he hadn’t had such tasty food in a long time. It still tasted great, and he nodded with satisfaction as he chewed: “Wow, this is delicious! What is it?”

“I know! I know!” Dongdong excitedly raised his hand and answered, “It’s roast duck!”

Shen Pingyu corrected him: “It’s sliced roast duck with skin.”

Dongdong pouted, feeling a little upset, like he lost somehow.

Wan’er giggled, covering her mouth, as she watched her siblings argue.

Suppressing his laughter, Xiao Huaiting said, “Got it, got it.” He then looked at the smiling girl and softened his voice: “Miss Shu’s cooking keeps getting better.”

“General Xiao, you’re too kind,” Yan Qiushu replied with a smile. “Pingyu and the others are full. If you don’t mind, would you like to sit and eat with us? There’s more food in the kitchen; it should be ready. I’ll go get it.”

Xiao Huaiting hesitated, feeling a little shy, but he didn’t want to leave just yet: “Thank you, Miss Shu. I’d appreciate that.”

Yan Qiushu smiled, nodded, and left to get the food.

She soon returned with more dishes. “Here’s some salt and pepper duck bones, and these are chestnuts roasted inside the duck. Please try them.”

Xiao Huaiting was surrounded by three children, and he could barely eat, but the smell of the food was irresistible. It was slightly spicy but mostly had a rich, savory aroma. The meat wasn’t greasy, and the combination of spices made it mouthwatering just by the smell.

Finally, he got a chance to eat. He picked up a piece of the duck breast bone. Though it didn’t have much meat, the lean bits covered in spices were just right. The crispy skin added a salty, flavorful taste with a hint of heat, instantly warming him up after eating the cold roast duck earlier.

Xiao Huaiting devoured the meat in a few bites, nearly chewing the bones, but he restrained himself. This wasn’t like the outside world where food was scarce. Here, there was plenty, so he put it down and picked up a piece of the duck’s neck.

The skin was so crispy it practically melted in his mouth with just a slight bite. It was chewy, with a deliciously crispy texture. The taste was a little sweeter than the previous bone but not as greasy as the cold duck.

After several bites, he then ate a soft chestnut in one big gulp—almost choking.

At that moment, a pair of white hands handed him a cup of hot, milky drink.

He took it gratefully and drank, feeling revived. Breathing out a stream of warm air, he felt warmth spread throughout his body.

Ahh… so comfortable!

Vyl[Translator]

~Thank you soo much for the support! Love yaa~ ⋆.❤︎

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

@

error: Content is protected !!