The woman who served the noodles was wearing a snow-white apron and had large hands and feet.
She was a somewhat dignified woman, but you could still tell she was a commoner who had spent a lot of time working in the fields.
'Bichl's Tavern' is the largest tavern in Lannisport, catering to wealthy merchants, nobles, and knights of good property.
Count Ode was familiar with the chefs at the 'Bichl Tavern' because he often dined there and had a designated chef to cook for him.
But Count Ode had never seen the woman who cooked the noodles.
The noodles were steaming hot and had a wonderful fragrance, one that Count Aude had never smelled before.
"Who are you?" Count Ode asked.
"My lord, she is a noodle-cooking master sent by Crigan Village. Her name is Alec, and her husband is Blackstone, the standard-bearer of Lord Gregor's cavalry." The shopkeeper hurriedly nodded and bowed, smiling obsequiously.
"Oh!" Od exclaimed in surprise, "Alik?"
"Yes, sir."
"Sir Gregory sent someone to 'Bichl' specifically to cook noodles?"
"It's only two days, sir." Alec said with composure, showing none of the awkwardness or humility typical of other country folk when facing the Earl.
Count Auder was impressed by the woman's courage, but then he thought to himself, a country woman working for the Mountain wouldn't be complete without guts. The woman was plain-looking, but had a good figure—large hips, large hands, and large feet. He wondered how many times the Mountain had slept with her when he was drunk. The Mountain was a beast who, when drunk, would seduce any woman.
"Two days?" Count Od looked at Alec. "Why?"
"Sir, Clegane noodles are completely different from the noodles we've eaten before. The chefs don't know how to cook them, so we need Cleganes to teach us how to cook them. It will take two days. On the first day, we'll cook them for the chefs to see, and on the second day, we'll watch the chefs cook them."
"Oh!" Count Ode picked up the chopsticks and saw the Clegane's symbol on them. "These chopsticks are yours too?"
"Yes, although Lord Tywin has issued a decree throughout the Westerlands that chopsticks should replace knives and forks, everyone has a six-month period to choose and adapt. You are all used to knives and forks. To make it easier for you to eat noodles at the tavern, we have also brought a few pairs of Clegane chopsticks. Chopsticks are more convenient for eating noodles, my lord."
Earl Odd narrowed his eyes. Gregor had become so meticulous in his thinking and methodical in his actions that he could no longer underestimate him. He thought of the remarkable 'One Thousand and One Eyes' Blood Raven Duke who had undergone such a dramatic change: "Is this how Lord Gregor arranged things?"
"It was our Miss Jenny who proposed it at the political meeting. Lord Gregor thought it was a good idea, so he sent us."
Jenny Westerling, a renowned woman of great talent in the Westerlings, was a highly cultivated lady of the Westerling family. She was both beautiful and intelligent, and became even more famous after becoming the adopted daughter of Duke Tywin Lannister. Earl Odd was not surprised at all that she had such insight.
It's a real pity that the Mountain married Jenny, such a talented woman. Jenny's only flaw was that her mother was the daughter of a spice merchant; otherwise, with Jenny's beauty and talent, she would have long since married into one of the four famous houses of the Westerlands—perhaps the Lannister family of Casterly Rock—the family of Kevan Lannister.
Count Aude sighed inwardly for Jenny.
"Alex, how many of you came in total?"
"Ten men, sir. Our first batch of noodles will only be sold to ten selected taverns."
oh!
That's quite a meticulous plan. It must have been Jenny's idea again!
"Do all the women in Clegane cook this kind of noodle?"
"Yes, sir."
How to cook it?
"First, put the oil in the pot, heat it up, add sea salt, spices, and seasonings and sauté briefly. Then pour boiling water into the pot, wait for the water to boil again, add the noodles, bring it to a boil again over medium heat, simmer for a few minutes, add the greens to enhance the aroma, and immediately remove it from the pot and put it in a bowl, sir."
Count Ode raised his eyebrows upon hearing this.
He learned something new: boiling noodles in hot water. They used to use cold water and wouldn't wait for it to boil before putting them in. The order the Cleganes followed was something his servants had never done before.
He thought the aroma of the green vegetables came entirely from spices.
But there were no vegetables in the bowl; instead, there were finely chopped various meats and bright yellow oil, making him really want to take a few bites. The aroma of fresh meat and fresh vegetables burst forth together, and just smelling it was enough to whet his appetite.
But he is a nobleman, an earl, and well-educated; he wouldn't be in a hurry.
"Where are the green vegetables?"
"It's been scooped out and put in another bowl. After the noodles are finished, the adults can eat the refreshing greens."
Count Oder raised his eyebrows again; Alec's words had opened his eyes.
I never imagined that eating noodles, something I've been eating for decades, could have so many intricacies.
Let's try the noodles first.
It's a long story, but actually, the conversation only lasted a short time.
Count Aude closed his eyes and first inhaled the aroma, his mouth watering. He had become quite skilled at using chopsticks and scooped up the noodles...
"You can blow on it to warm it up first," Alex said.
There's a lot of oil in the dough, and the oil helps keep it warm.
The count blew on the steam from the noodles before taking a bite.
A completely new taste, unlike any noodles I've ever had before—delicate, refreshing, smooth, and delicious with an exceptionally good texture.
Under the watchful eyes of several centurions, the owner, and the tavern's cooks and servants, Count Ode quickly finished his large bowl of noodles, then drank the broth clean: "Let me try some refreshing greens." The count elegantly put down the noodles, maintaining his aristocratic demeanor.
Then, a small bowl of green vegetables was served, still steaming. It had been kept warm in a separate clear broth, without any greasiness or meaty taste, just the pure flavor of clear broth and green vegetables.
After finishing half a bowl of vegetables, Count Aude's eyes lit up, and tiny beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose: "Another bowl of vegetables, please."
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After eating noodles with lots of meat and a small bowl of green vegetables, it was the most delicious meal he had ever had.
"I can't give you any more, sir," Alek said. "If you take more, it will ruin the taste. Pure vegetables and a little broth will have the best taste and lingering aroma. Without the meat and oil in the noodles earlier, the vegetables and vegetable soup wouldn't be so refreshing."
The count put down his chopsticks, and immediately the owner handed him mouthwash and a clean, snow-white tablecloth.
The count really wanted another bowl, but he maintained his aristocratic manners and wouldn't lose his composure in such a place. Besides, he had come to the tavern with a full stomach, and now he was truly stuffed.
"Boss, how much is a bowl of noodles?"
"Two large bronze stars, sir."
Two large bronze stars, not two large bronze coins, are quite expensive, equivalent to 96 yuan. (Bronze stars come in two styles and have different values, while bronze coins come in five different styles and have different values; the exchange process is complex and will not be detailed here.)
However, 'Bichl' is the most upscale tavern in the city, only catering to nobles, merchants, and knights with property.
Count Auder tossed down a silver deer and said, "Boss, I'll buy this tavern. You'll have to run it well for me. Turn 'Bichl's Tavern' into 'Crigan's Noodle Shop.'" He ignored the boss's stunned expression; a well-mannered nobleman can be a hundred times more ruthless than a wild beast. "Centurion Bard, go tell all the noodle vendors to send all their unsold noodles here. No one is allowed to sell any more."
"Yes, sir!" Centurion Bard left.
Count Odd said to the equally dumbfounded Alec, "Alec, stop cooking noodles here and come back to Clegane with me. I have something important to discuss with Lord Gregor."
Alek let out a sound but didn't move.
Earl Odd chuckled, "Alex, if I offered you a gold dragon a month, would you be willing to go to King's Landing and become the head chef of Clegane noodles?"
One gold dragon a month?!
For Alec, it was an astronomical price she could only dream of. She was instantly tempted.
Alec said, "My lord, I need to go back and consult Lord Gregor."
"Alright," the Earl said understandingly. "Arik, in King's Landing, a bowl of this kind of noodles would sell for a silver stag and still be in high demand. The nobles who come and go, the governors, princes, and consuls across the Narrow Sea, the big merchants, and the captains from all over the world, all have gold dragons in their pockets and copper coins and copper stars. If you just agree to go to Lord Gregor's place, I'll put in a good word for you."
A bowl of noodles for one silver deer? One silver deer is equivalent to 333 yuan.
Thirty silver deer can be exchanged for one golden dragon. Selling thirty bowls of noodles can earn you a golden dragon. Is this some kind of gold mine?
Is it really that easy to make money off the rich in King's Landing? Alex didn't know, and she was astonished!
However, if she knew how the world's wealthiest people, nobles, high-ranking officials, governors, and princes from those islands spent their money in brothels and taverns, she wouldn't doubt the price at all. Those princes spent a dozen gold dragons a night as if they were spending a few copper coins.
Compared to the extravagant spending of the truly wealthy, the price of a silver deer and a bowl of noodles is indeed insignificant.
Poverty completely limited Alek's imagination.