Chapter Six: All Forced by Life

Wu Li and Tiger returned from a trip to the city, bringing back an impressive array of goods. Yet, as Wu Ning surveyed the densely packed assortment—over ten different kinds of ingredients—he couldn’t help but lament: alas, no matter how many things you have, there are only so many ways to cook them.

Tang times were not like the Song Dynasty and later, when advancements in smelting technology dramatically increased the production of steel and iron in China, and the forging skills among the populace rose as well, altering the eating habits of the Han people. If Wu Ning had traveled three hundred years further ahead, he would have witnessed the emergence of a multitude of stir-fried dishes and need not worry about satisfying his appetite.

But now, even if Wu Ning tried to leverage his advantage as a time traveler and invent a stir-fried dish himself, it was nearly impossible.

The problem lay with the cookware.

Common folk in the Tang Dynasty mostly used pottery pots. Iron pots, being precious and rare, could only be found in the homes of the wealthy and powerful. Even if one managed to acquire an iron pot, its bottom would be as thick as a door plank, requiring a long time just to heat up, let alone cook stir-fries.

So, how did people in the Tang Dynasty eat?

First: raw food.

People of this era loved eating raw, whether vegetables, fruits, or even fish, lamb, and livestock meat. They would select fresh fish or tender lamb, slice it thinly, arrange it on a plate, and serve it directly to the table. This was called “kuai”—raw slices.

Second: roasting.

Roasting was much more developed in Tang times than in later eras. Not only were various roasted foods sold in taverns and eateries, but even ordinary households typically had two stoves. One was a closed stove for cooking rice and steaming dishes, the other was an open stove for roasting.

The phrase “kuai zhi ren kou”—delicious enough to reach the mouths of many—refers to both raw and roasted foods. This idiom reveals the importance ancient people placed on raw and roasted fare.

In truth, this was inevitable. According to Wu Ning’s five years of experience, as recorded in later books, China’s feudal system—including politics, military, culture, and cuisine—was in a phase of exploration before the Southern Song. True maturity only came later.

The Tang Dynasty’s pride in Chinese history stemmed mainly from its military strength and international influence. People saw vast territories and tributary nations, and admired the blending of cultures, but overlooked the era’s lagging technology and the educational system still in its infancy.

To be honest, five years had worn away Wu Ning’s initial confidence. Sometimes he wondered, why did he study accounting? Wouldn’t it have been better to learn science?

What this era desperately needed was technical expertise, not the calculations of a liberal arts student like him. If he were trained in metallurgy, physics, or chemistry, even a small innovation could change the world.

Well, that’s enough digression.

In the end, looking at the ingredients before him, Wu Ning knew his culinary repertoire was limited to raw, roasted, boiled, and steamed methods—with some frying, perhaps. That was all he could manage in the kitchen.

Could Wu Ning pull off a miracle and replicate modern techniques—secretly seasoned wings, claypot dishes, and the like?

Unfortunately, the Wu Ning of later times not only didn’t study science, he only knew how to eat. His cooking skills were forced upon him after crossing over, thanks to his famously lazy uncle.

His uncle didn’t just lack culinary skill; he refused to enter the kitchen entirely, preferring to go hungry rather than deal with grease and smoke.

So from the age of ten, the kitchen became Wu Ning’s exclusive domain. In his memories, unless thirst was unbearable, his uncle would never enter, only coming to ladle a scoop of water.

Still, as the saying goes, even if you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve seen a pig run. Being a time traveler does come with some advantages.

He called Wu Li and Tiger to wash vegetables and peel scallions, then set to work.

He started by making broth.

He washed the pork bones and half a fat chicken, placed them in the pot, and simmered them gently. Once boiling, he tossed in two handfuls of dried mushrooms, then covered the pot and ignored it. Tonight’s meal depended on that pot of good soup.

Taking the water celery Tiger had washed, Wu Ning examined it closely, then tossed it to Wu Li, “Wash it again.”

Wu Li rolled her eyes and teased Tiger, “Hopeless, only knows how to eat!”

Tiger grinned, “It’s good enough, isn’t it?”

Celery was already popular in Tang times, though prepared differently than in later eras. Tang people liked pickled celery, especially pickled in vinegar, known as “vinegar celery,” said to have originated from the household of Wei Zheng, a famed minister of Emperor Taizong.

Wu Ning disliked it—too sour, tough on the teeth, not enjoyable. So he decided to make a cold dish. He cut the water celery into segments, blanched it briefly, sprinkled salt and minced garlic, then added a touch of rice vinegar—bringing both the Tang preference for salty and sour, and the crisp freshness of celery.

Tiger, seeing Wu Li distracted, sneakily took a bite, his face alight with pleasure as he gave Wu Ning a thumbs-up.

Wu Ning paid no mind, picking up a strip from the plate and offering it to Qiao’er, who had been watching eagerly. Seeing the girl smile happily at him, his heart felt content. His desires were simple: wherever he was, in this life or the last, to enjoy this peace was enough.

As he worked, Fifth Aunt arrived next door, carrying a large piece of lamb ribs.

There was no need to ask—it was sent by Fifth Uncle.

Upon entering the kitchen and seeing the array of dishes and meat filling the stove, Fifth Aunt immediately protested. “Not to criticize, but you can’t live like this—you have to be frugal,” she said, pointing at the food, “What, are you going to eat this meal and never eat again?”

Wu Ning just smiled sheepishly, taking the lamb ribs and flattering, “It’s not often you cook at my place, Aunt, I have to treat you well!” He glanced at her round belly, “Perfect for nourishing you, maybe there’ll be a new little brother for us!”

“Go on!” Fifth Aunt glared at Wu Ning, trying not to laugh, “What a mouth! Is that how you talk to your aunt?”

After scolding him, she couldn’t help but smile, reaching for the knife, “Here, let me help.”

“Don’t, don’t!” Wu Ning hurriedly dodged. Fifth Aunt was already six months pregnant—how could he let her help?

“Best you rest, Aunt! If Zu Jun sees, he’ll whip us all!”

Wu Li, squatting and washing vegetables, chimed in, “Mom, stop making trouble—go rest. You’re our family’s…” She paused, glanced at Wu Ning, “What’s the word you used?”

“Person under top-tier protection?”

“Right, top-tier protection!”

“That’s called a key protected target,” Wu Ning retorted, bantering with Wu Li as he ushered Fifth Aunt out.

Unable to resist, Fifth Aunt conceded, “Fine, I’ll wait for the meal then.” As she left, she reminded, “If you need anything, get it from Eighth Brother’s house.”

“Alright, alright!” Wu Ning nodded repeatedly, finally seeing Fifth Aunt out.

He turned back to deal with the lamb ribs. This was a real treat, something ordinary families rarely enjoyed. And though Wu Li and Tiger had spent fifty coins in the city, bringing back a heap of goods, most were fresh greens; the only meat was a bit of lamb fat and half a pound of pork.

Now, not only Tiger, but Wu Li and Qiao’er gathered around, eyes shining as they stared at the lamb ribs.

“How will you cook it?” they asked.

Wu Ning shrugged, “How else? Roast it.”

——

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