ZHAO JUREN'S LAST LOVE
Chapters 27. Bakar Guo Fish and Releng Sauce

"How do you know I'm not a political intruder?" Zhao Juren asked as she started picking up chopsticks.

"Political intruders must have dressed conspicuously, they used horses. Rarely do they want to walk down the village on the riverbank. They hardly ever talk and will not respond to anything. And of course, they look friendly with the made-up, their mouths talking but their eyes are alert, spinning like frightened eagles." The owner of the shop said at length in a low tone of speech.

"And of course, they will not use clothing materials from enemy countries or imitate the model alone. They use all the attributes of others and look awkward. I've lived half a century in this village, nothing has passed my eyes." The shop owner held his back.

Then his narrowed eyes narrowed even more when he saw Zhao Juren blink her eyes with a notch as the piece of fish with a light brown-silver sauce entered his mouth.

"Gosh, this is really amazing sir, this taste is really unique..." Zhao Juren stuffed her tongue with a look of amazement.

"I'm not lying, am I? Only people who understand food know this is cuisine from heaven." The owner of the tavern spoke with satisfaction looking at Zhao Juren's expression.

"Thank you sir...sir...?" Zhao Juren picked up the jingu mushroom while staring questioningly at the tavern owner.

"Oh, me? my name is Wang Shu, sir. People often call me uncle Wang."

"Uncle Wang, thank you for taking me to heaven." Zhao Juren nodded her head while chewing the food that went into her mouth.

"Mister's name if I may know?" Asked Uncle Wang that suddenly. For a moment Zhao Juren was silent, not expecting to be asked a name, her face changed a few jokes and then shook her shoulders.

"People call me Lian...Lian Ju's! Yeah, my name is Lian Ju." After a slight hesitation, Zhao Juren looked excitedly introducing herself. Somehow the name just flashed through his head, coinciding with Xue Xue Xue's face flashing in his mind.

"Lian? sounds like a name from the south. Do you still have a kinship with Niangxi?"

"Oh, yes, my great-grandmother was Niang and married to my great-grandfather Yan." It seemed like the strange spicy taste of the grilled guo fish covered in this reliquary sauce made Zhao Juren so smoothly lie. Uncle Wang's eyebrows rose high, looking to understand the pedigree that Zhao Juren described.

"How could Uncle Wang make such delicious cuisine, even the cuisine of the palace would lose its flavor." Praise Zhao Juren while continuing to enjoy his meal while clucking.

Uncle Wang's laughter roared boisterously, his stomach twitching, he looked so pleased with Zhao Juren's praise.

"Thank you sir, actually my great-grandmother created this relay sauce, my grandmother married a fisherman from the Yunan district of Nanxing. Because marrying someone from an enemy country is a violation, they both live on this riverbank, then make a tavern where travelers stop by. Two different tongues create one perfect dish, this Releng sauce is a blend of two countries. The original Releng sauce itself is made of dried chili from the Yanshan slopes, chili powder, Nanxing pepper, Liangsu cloves, garlic, star anise, black cardamom, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, salt, etc, and sugar. These ingredients are then boiled with beef fat and vegetable oil for hours, before being packaged and cooked. It feels hot spicy on the tongue but then becomes cold and numb. My grandmother said all the policies of Yanzhi winter and the kindness of Niangxi warm summers chime in her Releng sauce. Isn't that amazing?"

Zhao Juren did not blink looking at Uncle Wang. This simple middle-aged man was like a filsup who deciphered wise sentences in the form of cooking. What he said sounded so incredible in Zhao Juren's ears.

"Actually..." Uncle Wang's head lowered for a moment.

"Why did Uncle Wang become so sad?" Zhao Juren stopped chewing looking at the fog hanging in the corner of those wrinkled eyes.

"I lost a son after that war. He became a soldier of Yu eleven years ago, sent to the border. Leaving his pregnant wife. And the news of his death came the same night that my grandson was born into the world. How could I love the word war after all that?"

Zhao Juren was flabbergasted at the statement from Uncle Wang. The shadow of the war he once led was like water bubbling in a crater. Just jump in.

He was the commander standing in front, but he did not know the origin of the soldiers standing behind him.

They only advanced when he commanded and unsheathed the sword when he asked for it. So easy all this time he said, dying as a soldier on the battlefield is noble and honorable but he did not know their lives were so precious to his family.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Forgive me for bringing up Uncle Wang's grief." Zhao Juren bit her lip.

"Akh, it's okay! It's just an old story. The sky has brought my son as the hero of Liangsu. He's a brave soldier." A moment later the look returned bright, the sentence he said seemed to comfort himself to re-establish his head.

"Mr Lian, eat again while it's warm." Uncle Wang invited Zhao Juren back to eat.

"Is this village always this quiet?" Zhao Juren switched the conversation.

"Not really, Sir. Usually quite crowded, it's just..." Uncle Wang looked outside the shop, some people passed by just fishermen who had just returned home and some women who brought vegetable baskets from the forest.

"All heading for the city of Liangsu to pray, governor Su Zhuo passed on the orders of His Majesty Yan Yue, the mourning period ends today."

"Mourning? Who died?" Zhao Juren's lips trembled, the instant the faces of Xiao Yi and the other royal relatives flashed across her head.

"Master really doesn't know?"

"No. What was? Mourning for whom?"

"General Zhao Juren was killed on the battlefield three months ago. Two more days the palace will take him."

"Haaaah!?" Zhao Juren was flabbergasted, she was completely speechless, hearing the funeral ceremony that was to be carried out for her.