After that round of wine, Mussel Tower presented Dongpo tofu and a dish called "Vegetarian Steamed Duck."
"The Zuo Zhuan states: 'Those who eat meat are vulgar and incapable of far-reaching plans.' Since ancient times, many sages have favored vegetarian diets, which can both illuminate virtue, cleanse impurities, and purify the mind for health. It is said that nowadays, The Emperor and the Empress Dowager also enjoy vegetarian food. The imperial meals contain little meat, and pork in particular is not used. Therefore, the feast we have prepared this time is primarily vegetarian, with no red meat. There is only one meat dish, and it uses only fish." Yang Shenglin gestured for everyone to look at the Dongpo tofu. "Master Dongpo once wrote a poem mentioning tofu: 'Boiling beans to make milk, fat as cream, lighting tall candles and pouring honey wine.' This Dongpo tofu is made according to a secret recipe passed down by Master Dongpo."
The tofu was pan-fried with scallion oil, its surface a pale golden yellow. When broken open, the inside was white, delicate, and tender. Beside it was a dish of brown sauce. Everyone dipped the tofu in the sauce and tasted it, finding the sauce unique with a special dried fruit aroma.
Yang Shenglin explained, "We selected premium Torreya grandis nuts, finely ground them, and cooked them together with the sauce, hence this flavor."
Everyone praised this method as particularly ingenious. Next, they looked at the Vegetarian Steamed Duck and discovered it was actually steamed bottle gourd.
Yang Shenglin smiled and elaborated on the origin of this dish, which, as expected, was also related to scholar-officials: "During the Tang Dynasty, the Hanlin Academician Zheng Yuqing once hosted a banquet for relatives and friends. In front of the guests, he instructed his family: 'Cook until tender, remove the feathers, and do not break the neck.' The guests all thought he was referring to poultry like geese or ducks. After waiting for a long time, they were surprised when the servants served each person a steamed bottle gourd."
Everyone at the table laughed upon hearing this. Yang Shenglin continued, "But please do not underestimate this steamed bottle gourd. The bottle gourd has green skin and white flesh, much like an honest and upright scholar-official—pure and unblemished. This gourd can reduce swelling and moisturize the skin. When steamed, the flesh becomes soft, smooth, and slightly sweet. Eating it during a lavish feast feels especially refreshing. It is said that noble families in the capital often enjoy this Vegetarian Steamed Duck."
The tribute scholars praised it one after another. After finishing that round of wine, someone could no longer contain their curiosity and asked Zhenzhen what delicacies Suitable Treasure Tower would present next. Zhenzhen chuckled, "Every dish from Mussel Tower is quite light and refreshing. Well, we will serve something not so light and refreshing."
Shortly after, two dishes were served: thinly sliced pork with fermented black bean dipping sauce, and a plate of mixed vegetables that had clearly been tossed with oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Zhenzhen looked around at the tribute scholars, who were somewhat taken aback by the sight of pork, and said, "Just now, Young Master Yang said that those who eat meat are vulgar. However, Confucius once said, 'One should not tire of refining food, nor tire of finely preparing meat.' It seems even the sage Confucius ate meat—not only ate meat but also insisted on good meat, prepared with meticulous care. Young Master Yang also disdains pork as coarse and refuses to use it, yet Master Dongpo, whom he greatly admires, was very fond of pork. So fond that he even wrote an 'Ode to Pork': 'Clean the pot, add a little water, let the firewood smolder without flame. Let it cook on its own, do not rush it; when the heat is sufficient, it will be delicious. In Huangzhou, good pork is as cheap as mud. The noble refuse to eat it, the poor do not know how to cook it. In the morning, I get up and eat two bowls, satisfying myself without caring for others.'"Zhenzhen then invited everyone to look once more at the pork on the plate—it was made from boiled pork belly cut into pieces. She picked up a slice with her chopsticks, revealing a long, thin strip with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. The fat was glossy and translucent, and the knife work was so precise that every piece on the plate was uniform in size and width. "This pork was cooked slowly according to Master Dongpo's method, then sliced thinly by the most skilled female apprentice at our Suitable Treasure Tower and placed on paper, where the characters can be seen through the translucent fat."
Zhenzhen then arranged the pork slices into a flower shape on a plate, dipped them into a dish of fermented black beans in brine, allowing the liquid to seep into the center of the flower like honey along the outer edges of the petals.
The diners followed suit and tasted it, immediately feeling a rich, savory aroma fill their mouths. The meat was tender and delicate, and the thin slices melted away like snow with a single roll of the tongue. The fermented black beans in brine had a savory aroma with a hint of wine, and upon closer tasting, one could discern flavors of fennel, costus root, dried tangerine peel, and more, though not limited to these. Its depth was profound, leaving a long-lasting aftertaste.
Zhenzhen explained, "This fermented black bean brine is made with the finest Jinhua sweet wine, secretly prepared with various spices, and aged through the winter. The rich flavors, combined with the passage of time, create this mellow taste. Paired with the pork slices, it enhances the meat's flavor and adds fragrance."
The diners murmured in admiration, all agreeing that although fermented black beans in brine were a common household ingredient, they were prepared exquisitely and truly enhanced the dish. Someone jokingly asked, "Many of the previous delicacies were praised in poetry, but has anyone ever written a poem in praise of fermented black beans in brine?"
Zhenzhen shook her head. "No, and there's no need. Fermented black beans in brine are a condiment, not a main ingredient. No one would think to write a poem about it. Usually, when mentioning it, people might at most say 'delicious' or 'fragrant.' It is a silent condiment—unassuming and gentle, able to pair with most vegetables and meats to enhance their flavors... You must have met people like this: ordinary, steadfast, usually quiet, yet inherently kind, treating everyone well, always offering help in times of need, and never seeking credit when collaborating with others. But because they lack sharp edges and are unremarkable in appearance, they are not particularly noticed. You wouldn't think to write a poem for them; at most, when remembering them, you might praise them with a single phrase: 'Good person.'... Fermented black beans in brine are like such people."
Upon hearing this, the tribute scholars seemed moved. After a moment, someone slowly clapped and spoke in praise: "Marvelous! Fermented black beans in brine truly need no embellishment from poetry. With your words, young lady, their honest and gentle nature is fully revealed. To have such an understanding friend as you, fermented black beans in brine can take comfort."
Zhenzhen looked up and saw that the speaker was the scholar who had earlier helped her by reciting Su Yijian's poem. She smiled faintly and bowed in acknowledgment. The tribute scholars then echoed the scholar's words, praising Zhenzhen extensively. When they later ate the mixed vegetable salad, they did not press for poetic allusions.
The dish was made by frying sesame oil with Sichuan peppercorns, then mixing it with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cabbage, bean sprouts, and water celery. It was called "Mixed Vegetable Salad." The vegetables were first blanched in boiling water, then soaked in cold water, and taken out just before mixing, giving them a vibrant green color and a tender, crisp texture. Paired with the pork, this homely flavor brought joy to both guests and hosts.
The next course of wine, served at the Mussel Tower, seemed to be the most important dish of this feast. The "Lotus Pod Fish Parcel" used the only meat in their banquet, while the other dish, likely intentionally paired with the lotus and fish theme, was a soup made from lotus flowers, chrysanthemums, and water chestnuts. Yang Shenglin introduced it: "This soup is called 'Fisherman's Three Delicacies.'"The lotus seedpod used was a tender one, with its base sliced flat and the lotus seeds scooped out. Fresh mandarin fish pieces were marinated in wine, sauce, and spices, then stuffed into the holes left by the removed seeds. The lotus pod was placed in a steamer and cooked until done. After removal, it was brushed with honey, giving it an even more delightful sheen.
Using a silver spoon to extract the fish, everyone tasted it and found the fish infused with the lotus pod's delicate fragrance. One presented scholar sighed, "The fish carries the aroma of lotus, exceptionally elegant. Paired with the Fisherman's Three Delicacies wine, it feels as if one is aboard a light boat picking lotus."
Yang Shenglin smiled and said, "This dish holds more than just that meaning. We learned this dish from a presented scholar of our dynasty, who once composed a poem for it: 'Brocade petals and golden raincoat woven in layers, ask the fish how it finds harmony here. Having plunged into the lotus seedpod, it may cross the splendid pond and transform into a dragon alone.' The fish transforming into a dragon is a wonderful metaphor for achieving success in the imperial examinations. Our Mussel Tower offers this dish to all you scholars, wishing you success in the examinations and a swift rise to prominence."
The presented scholars were overjoyed, expressing their thanks one after another. They toasted with Yang Shenglin, and the clinking of cups filled the banquet, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
After this round of drinks, everyone was about seventy percent full and slightly weary. It wasn't until Zhenzhen ordered the main course of the Suitable Treasure Tower to be served that they straightened their postures and widened their eyes at the dish presented in a silver vessel.
All previous dishes from the Suitable Treasure Tower had been served in lacquerware, but this one used silverware and was covered, hiding the dish from view for the moment.
Seeing everyone waiting in silence, Zhenzhen slowly lifted the silver lid. Steam wafted out, gradually dissipating under everyone's gaze to reveal the star of the silver platter: steamed Reeves' shad.
The shad had been sliced open from the belly, with only the backbone connecting the two halves, laid symmetrically on the silver platter. The steamed scales had curled slightly, resembling translucent wood shavings floating up from the fish's body. Upon closer inspection, one could see a thin thread connecting each scale.
Magistrate Cui frowned at the thread, his eyes filled with curiosity. "What is this?"
Zhenzhen smiled, picked up the end of the thread with silver chopsticks, and gently lifted it. The scales detached from the fish, and as the thin thread was raised, each scale shimmered with a silvery, shell-like glow in the air, strung together like a necklace.
(To be continued)
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