Zhenzhen stirred and turned the ingredients in the wok, ensuring the oil and sauce evenly coated their surfaces, shielding them from direct flame. The ingredients were thoroughly cooked by the heat transmitted through the wok and oil, avoiding the charred bitterness of roasting. Juices seeped out, mingling with the oil to retain moisture, while the flavor became richer and more aromatic than that of steaming or blanching. This fragrance was layered—beyond the inherent aroma of the ingredients themselves, there was the richness of the fat and the blended scents of other vegetables.
This method of heating and stirring ingredients in a wok without adding water was known as "stir-frying," and Zhenzhen was aware of it. However, whether in her hometown in Liangzhe Circuit or in Fujian Circuit where Wuyi Mountain was located, the stir-frying she had previously observed was merely a single-step cooking technique for individual ingredients, such as dry-frying beans or spices before grinding them into seasonings. Oil in the wok was typically used for frying, requiring a significant amount. As for stir-frying vegetables and meat together with a small amount of oil, Zhenzhen had never seen it done—not by her mother, her senior sister, or even Lin Hong. The most common cooking methods remained stewing, boiling, steaming, and deep-frying.
Zhenzhen quietly summoned Xin Sanniang and invited her to taste the stir-fried dishes. Xin Sanniang picked up a small portion, chewed it carefully, and the sudden sparkle in her eyes made Zhenzhen realize her earlier intuition was correct—this stir-fried dish was exceptionally fragrant, possessing a captivating aroma distinct from other cooking methods.
The next day, neither Zhenzhen nor Lin Hong mentioned the events of the previous night, as if by unspoken agreement. In the morning, Lin Hong lit incense in his study. Since the previous winter, his favorite had been "Returning Soul Plum," a blend of black horn agarwood, cloves, turmeric, musk, and pressed tea. Now, he buried a lit charcoal cake in a celadon-glazed, three-legged censer from Longquan Kiln, about three inches tall, adorned with string patterns. Using an incense shovel, he mounded the ash into a hill shape, then pierced air holes at the peak with incense tongs. After testing the temperature above with his hand, he placed a silver leaf holding a Returning Soul incense pellet atop the mound.
As the pellet heated, its fragrance began to rise and linger, though no smoke was visible due to the indirect heating method. The scent wafted gently, sweet and serene, carrying the herbal aroma imparted by the pressed tea, evoking the sensation of standing in a plum grove.
Zhenzhen observed quietly until Lin Hong placed the censer on the desk, then remarked, "Master has burned this Returning Soul Plum so many times that even when it’s not lit, your study retains a hint of its fragrance. However, upon closer inspection, the lingering scent in the study differs slightly from the one burning in the censer. The censer’s fragrance has a fresh, herbal quality, while the study’s residual scent is dominated by the agarwood aroma of the black horn agarwood, with the pressed tea scent almost imperceptible."
"Naturally," Lin Hong replied. "Most blended incenses use agarwood or sandalwood as the primary note. By the time they finish burning, all other herbal scents dissipate, leaving only the agarwood or sandalwood fragrance. The soul of this Returning Soul Plum lies in the black horn agarwood." He handed Zhenzhen a piece of black horn agarwood to examine.
The wood was as dark as ebony, its grain filled with glossy, warm black resin. Zhenzhen tested its hardness and found it remarkably firm. Gently rubbing it, the fragrance clung to her fingers.
Lin Hong then showed Zhenzhen a copper incense burner used for scenting clothes, called an "outflow incense" burner. Its lid was bowl-shaped, with a lotus flower design at the top and an openwork smoke vent between the petals. When Lin Hong lifted the lid, Zhenzhen saw a layer of dark brown resin accumulated from long-term use. Taking it, she caught a whiff and immediately detected the rich, fruity-floral aroma of Hainan agarwood."Fragrant woods, especially dark agarwood like black horn agarwood, retain their scent for a long time because they are rich in aromatic resins. The oils can blend and fix fragrances; when used in incense blending, they harmonize the scents of various ingredients. When burned, the aromatic resins vaporize with the heat, adhering to surfaces and allowing the fragrance to linger. Herbs lack these oils, so their scent does not last as long as agarwood." Lin Hong explained.
"Oils can blend and fix fragrances..." Zhenzhen pondered carefully, seeming to have an insight, her face lighting up with joy.
Two days later, A Che went down the mountain to purchase the necessary stationery for Lin Hong. Upon returning, he surprisingly brought a cleaned, plump chicken for Zhenzhen.
"If you want to eat meat, just say so—no need to hide it. Though the young master prefers vegetarian food, he doesn’t object to others eating meat," A Che told Zhenzhen. "The young master says he respects every palate."
Zhenzhen quickly got busy. That evening during dinner, she presented the cooked chicken to Lin Hong, sincerely inviting him to taste it.
The chicken on the plate was prepared according to Lin Hong’s preferred method: boiled with sesame oil, salt, and water, then scallions and Sichuan pepper added later. Without excessive seasoning, the chicken was cooked, then cut into pieces and plated, with the original broth served alongside.
Both the chicken and the broth were a clear golden color, their aroma enticing. Lin Hong tasted a piece but made no comment. Closely examining the chicken pieces on the plate, he smiled and questioned, "This chicken seems to be missing a leg. Did you secretly eat it?"
"Not at all, not at all. This chicken originally had only one leg," Zhenzhen replied with a cheerful smile. Seeing Lin Hong frown in confusion, she pointed to the red-crowned crane on the small island outside the door. "Teacher, look, just like that crane—it also has only one leg."
Lin Hong looked up and indeed saw the crane standing by the water’s edge on the small island, perched on one foot, appearing as if it truly had only one leg.
Lin Hong chuckled, stood up, and walked outside. Facing the red-crowned crane, he slowly clapped his hands twice. Hearing the sound, the crane immediately spread its wings and cried out, as if dancing, revealing the leg it had previously tucked away.
Lin Hong calmly turned around, his gaze falling on Zhenzhen. "One leg or two legs now?"
"So that’s how it is..." Zhenzhen feigned sudden understanding, exchanging a look with Lin Hong, her eyes sparkling with clever amusement. "Since Teacher knows that birds have one leg without applause and two legs with applause, and you wanted a two-legged chicken, why didn’t you applaud when faced with the chicken I made?"
Lin Hong laughed, touching his forehead, then returned to the room. Looking at the chicken on the plate, he solemnly clapped twice and praised, "Fragrant, tender, falling off the bone, with a pleasing color. Li Bai’s poem says, ‘In the hall, ten parts of green wine; on the plate, one taste of golden chicken.’ What you’ve made now is excellent in color, aroma, and taste—it can indeed be called a golden chicken."
Zhenzhen happily thanked her teacher for the praise. Then she returned to the kitchen and brought out another dish she had temporarily hidden earlier.
It was a dish stir-fried with fragrant oil. Lin Hong observed intently and identified pickled cucumbers, ginger, scallion whites, spring bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, and chicken, all cut into long, thin strips. Green, red, yellow, and white colors intermingled, their aroma delightful.
Lin Hong picked up a few strands of the vegetable strips to taste, remaining silent in thought. After a moment, he tried the chicken strips, chewing carefully, yet still offered no comment."The chicken inside is actually the chicken leg I saved from before," Zhenzhen explained, then recounted in detail what happened after Lin Hong left on the night of the private barbecue. She continued, "I discovered that using oil to sear ingredients results in even heating and is less likely to burn. Compared to steaming or boiling, the aroma is richer. Perhaps, as you said, it's because oil can dissolve and fix aromas. In this dish of shredded chicken with pickled cucumber, the fresh fragrance of ginger, scallions, and spring bamboo shoots, along with the savory aroma of pickled cucumber, has already adhered to the shredded chicken during the stir-frying process. Meanwhile, the meaty fragrance released by the shredded chicken has also dissolved into the oil, coating the vegetables. Several aromas blend and enhance one another, creating a rich and varied flavor. Although you advocate preserving the true taste of ingredients, occasionally adding a little variation and experimenting with fresh, rich flavors isn’t necessarily a bad thing."
Lin Hong finally smiled. "Indeed. There are countless people in the world, each with their own preferences—some love light flavors, others rich ones. Even the same person won’t love only one taste throughout their life; preferences for stronger or milder flavors change with environment, mood, and experience. It’s natural to crave rich, savory flavors after a long period of vegetarianism, or to seek the cleansing simplicity of vegetables after indulging in meat for too long. There’s no hierarchy in food—only whether it suits the eater at that particular time and place. I prefer light, simple dishes. You acknowledge this and diligently study what I teach, yet you aren’t bound by my views. Instead, you continue to explore different flavors and new methods according to your own inclinations. This is good—it shows you can think independently. Learning without thinking leads to confusion, and you’ve already moved beyond that stage."
Zhenzhen beamed with joy, raising her hands to her forehead in a respectful gesture of gratitude for Lin Hong’s affirmation. Lin Hong examined the dish once more and added, "If there’s any shortcoming, it’s that the heat was slightly excessive, making the shredded chicken a bit dry. If it were seared quickly over high heat and removed from the fire immediately, both the texture and color would likely be better."
Zhenzhen replied, "The iron pot I used is usually for stewing and steaming rice. It resembles an ancient cooking vessel—very thick, slow to heat up, and slow to cool down. Because it’s heavy, it’s not easy to lift and remove from the heat instantly. Also, its flat bottom makes stirring during stir-frying somewhat awkward."
Lin Hong nodded. "Actually, similar stir-frying methods have been recorded in The Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People, using a copper pan. I’ve seen friends from Shu do it. I tried it myself but found the pan unsuitable and the process cumbersome, so I didn’t continue. Perhaps we could work together to modify the shape of the iron pot to make stir-frying more convenient."
(To be continued)
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