Chapter 2

"Brother, the skill I'm teaching you today was taught to me by an old man with white hair I met on Laojun Mountain last time. It's not difficult; anyone who sees it can learn it. For someone like you who often cooks, it's even easier to learn. It's a skill for making pancakes, called scallion oil pancakes. Once you learn it, you can sell them in the market every day, and it will be a steady source of income for you." Xia Hongsheng rolled up his sleeves, kneading the dough in the basin while speaking to his sister-in-law. However, his sister-in-law looked extremely ashamed and on the verge of tears, as if she had committed an unforgivable sin.

"Hongsheng, although I don't have much knowledge, I have heard that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen. You are a man and a scholar, how can you endure the smoke? If this gets out, people will talk behind my back!" The woman stood to the side, speaking with fear and trepidation. If Xia Hongsheng hadn't lost his temper earlier and made her stop, she would have already pushed him away from the stove.

"I already told you, staying away from the kitchen is just an excuse for their laziness. Even Confucius cooked for himself. If they want to stay away from the kitchen, they should just stop eating! Sister-in-law, if you keep blocking me, my illness will flare up again, and I'll be unconscious for four or five days, delaying my studies. What will you do then?" Xia Hongsheng said in a very unscrupulous manner, scaring the woman into silence. She just stood there, nervously watching his every move and occasionally glancing at the door, afraid that someone might come in and see him cooking.

Xia Hongsheng ignored her, continuing to knead the dough while explaining, "Sister-in-law, the method for making scallion oil pancakes is very simple. If you sell them, it won't take long for others to learn it. But to make ours better, there are two key points: one is in the dough, and the other is in the scallion oil. As long as these two small techniques are not learned by others, their pancakes won't be as good as ours. Sister-in-law, listen carefully. The technique for kneading the dough is simple: use warm water, knead the dough until it's soft, and then add some salt. This will make the dough better. For the scallion oil, pour hot oil over the scallions to bring out the aroma, and that's enough."

After kneading the dough, he placed it in the basin to rest. Once the dough was ready, Xia Hongsheng added the beef tallow he had cut earlier to the oil, then poured the oil over the scallions. He then placed the griddle on the fire, took the rested dough from the basin, and skillfully kneaded and rolled it out, sprinkled scallions, and formed it into a pancake. He spread some of the hot oil on the griddle, and when the smoke rose, he quickly laid the dough on it. The griddle was soon filled with six or seven pancakes, and the sizzling sound filled the kitchen and the yard with a rich aroma of oil, scallions, and the heat of the pancakes, making everyone's mouths water.

"Sister-in-law, we should use lard in the future. It's cheaper, easier to get, and has a stronger meaty flavor," Xia Hongsheng said while flipping the pancakes. After a while, the six or seven scallion oil pancakes were done. Without waiting for them to cool, Xia Hongsheng tore off a piece and put it in his mouth. After a few bites, he swallowed and nodded. "Not bad, quite delicious." He then smiled and handed a piece to his sister-in-law. The woman was stunned, unable to believe that Xia Hongsheng could make such good pancakes. When the scallion aroma wafted out earlier, she knew it would be delicious. She was curious about how Xia Hongsheng, who had never cooked before, had become so skilled.

"Hongsheng, where did you... learn this?" The woman was shocked. Xia Hongsheng, who had never been in the kitchen, had made such delicious pancakes.

"Sister-in-law, you should practice making the rest. Once you get good at it, we can get a cart and a charcoal stove and sell them in the market!" Xia Hongsheng laughed.

The woman was not stupid. At first, she wondered why they couldn't just make the pancakes at home and sell them, but then she understood. The aroma during the cooking process would attract more customers than shouting. As long as they prepared the dough and scallions at home, they wouldn't reveal the two small techniques. The woman, who had managed the household since she was young, was smart enough to understand this. She had endured a lot of hardship to support the family and send Xia Hongsheng to the academy. Selling pancakes would be no burden to her.

While his sister-in-law was learning to make scallion oil pancakes, Xia Hongsheng came out, stretched, and noticed a group of children, ranging from three to seven years old, squatting outside the fence, all staring at the yard with their noses twitching, and some were even drooling. They were all neighbors' children, and seeing their hungry looks, Xia Hongsheng felt a sense of accomplishment. He laughed, went back to the kitchen, and brought out several scallion oil pancakes. As soon as he opened the door, the children rushed over.

There were too many children, and the pancakes weren't enough to go around. He tore off pieces for each of them, and soon the pancakes were all gone. The older children thanked him politely and left reluctantly, some even holding onto the remaining pieces to take home for their families.

Seeing the children, Xia Hongsheng had an idea. He smiled, ran back to the kitchen, and said to his sister-in-law, who was carefully learning to make scallion oil pancakes, "Sister-in-law, I'm going back to the academy tomorrow. I won't bring anything else, just some scallion oil pancakes! Leave some dough and scallions, and make a few in the morning for me to take to the academy while they're still hot!"

His sister-in-law, a skilled housewife, quickly learned the simple method of making scallion oil pancakes. After a few more tries, she became even more proficient. The taste was consistent, and the pancakes looked even better than those made by Xia Hongsheng. She was very happy, knowing that the market would be good for such delicious pancakes. The prospect of a better life filled her with excitement. In her excitement, she filled a large basin with water and forced Xia Hongsheng to wash thoroughly, saying that he must remove the cooking smell so no one would know a scholar had been in the kitchen.

The next morning, Xia Hongsheng woke up to the aroma of scallion oil pancakes. After dressing, he saw his sister-in-law busy in the kitchen, with a stack of pancakes already made. He washed up, ate two hot pancakes with millet soup, and packed some to take with him. His sister-in-law, familiar with the city, would handle the selling. Today, there wasn't much flour, so they made fewer pancakes. They would sell some today and buy more ingredients later. The flour and salt at home were limited, and the salt was coarse and expensive. Xia Hongsheng thought about refining the coarse salt but needed to experiment to find the right method.

Luanzhou City was not large, a county under the jurisdiction of Luoyang, but it was not close to Luoyang. The academy was well-located, built on a hill called Kuaiqiu Hill, which symbolized the aspirations of the scholars and teachers.

At the academy, many students were rushing to class, and few greeted Xia Hongsheng. He was known for his studiousness but was socially awkward, with few friends beyond his fellow students. The academy had morning readings, and breakfast was brought from home. Wealthier students had servants deliver their meals, while poorer students had to bring their own and eat in the courtyard. Xia Hongsheng saw this as an opportunity and brought several layers of wrapped scallion oil pancakes to keep them warm. He planned to open them in the courtyard to attract attention. Most students, like Xia Hongsheng, could afford a few coins for a pancake. Selling in the academy was risky, as it could result in punishment or even expulsion, but he just needed to tell them where to buy them.

After morning readings, Xia Hongsheng ran to a large locust tree in the courtyard, where many students gathered to eat. Soon, servants carrying food boxes entered through the side gate, making Xia Hongsheng envious.

"Little brother, why are you so quick today?" As Xia Hongsheng sat down, an arm hooked around his shoulder, and he saw Xu Qixian, who had visited him the day before, sitting on the stone bench next to him. He didn't know if the gift was from Xu Qixian or the teacher, but he should thank him either way.

Xia Hongsheng stood up and bowed, saying, "Xu Brother and the teacher visited me yesterday and brought such valuable gifts. I thank you, Xu Brother! Have you eaten?"

"The servant hasn't brought my meal yet, but he should be on his way," Xu Qixian waved and pulled Xia Hongsheng back to the stone bench.

Xia Hongsheng laughed and showed the wrapped package, saying, "Xu Brother, why don't you try the pancakes I brought today? My sister-in-law made them, and they're very delicious."

Xu Qixian was curious about the package, which seemed to emit an oily aroma. When he heard it was pancakes, he was a bit disappointed. However, when Xia Hongsheng opened the package, the warm aroma of scallion oil pancakes filled the air, and Xu Qixian couldn't look away. The golden surface dotted with green scallions and the rich aroma made his stomach growl.