Chapter 1366 - 537: Dundun: I Did My Best! Visiting the Market, Buying Fireworks, Pasting Spring Couplets, and Welcoming the New Year!

Chapter 1366: Chapter 537: Dundun: I Did My Best! Visiting the Market, Buying Fireworks, Pasting Spring Couplets, and Welcoming the New Year!

"Kiddo, help me draw a high-end snack!"

The lottery wheel flashed in his mind. Lin Xu silently muttered to himself: whether this draw explodes with a dark horse, it all depends on Dundun.

At first he thought the little guy could only bring in money, later he found it could also change his luck, and then later, this little guy even liked to fleece the system.

Now, it was time for it to shine at what it does best.

Dundun glanced at Lin Xu. It was full and content, itching to go play by the pond outside.

There were a dozen or so bighead carp and carp saved for tomorrow night’s New Year’s Eve dinner in there. The little guy was planning to catch one. Hearing Lin Xu’s request, it braced itself, ready to fleece the system.

Very soon, the lottery started.

After the wheel was spinning at full speed, Lin Xu silently called out in his heart:

"Stop!"

The wheel slowed to a halt, and the system prompt sounded in his mind:

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Superior Min-flavor Snack—Buddha Jumps Wall!"

Lin Xu: "!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Holy crap, did I hear that right?

He actually got Buddha Jumps Wall, the ceiling of Chinese cuisine?

But this thing counts as a snack?

Isn’t it supposed to be a top-tier fine-dining dish?

He vigorously rubbed Dundun’s head. Good son, you’re amazing, you actually drew Buddha Jumps Wall...

Just as he was rejoicing, the system prompt sounded in his mind again:

"Due to a system error, the Superior Min-flavor Snack [Buddha Jumps Wall] has been specially upgraded to the Perfect Level Jinling Snack—Jinling Salted Duck. Congratulations to the host."

Con...congratulate your grandma’s leg!

Lin Xu couldn’t help roaring inwardly.

I pulled Buddha Jumps Wall fair and square, why are you swapping it out on me?

He protested for a while, but the system showed absolutely no reaction, leaving Lin Xu a bit helpless.

The only slight consolation was that the original Superior-level draw had been upgraded by the system into a Perfect Level Salt Water Duck.

But no amount of compensation could make up for the Buddha Jumps Wall that flew away.

It reminded Lin Xu of those online games where you draw a Divine Artifact, only to have it ruthlessly reclaimed by the devs and get fobbed off with a few random cards as "compensation."

System oh system, can’t you be a bit more broad-minded?

It’s just a Buddha Jumps Wall, what’s the harm in giving it to me?

"Meow~~"

Dundun’s cry snapped Lin Xu out of his thoughts.

He came back to himself and rubbed the little guy’s head again. Having a Perfect Level Salt Water Duck was fine too—at least it’s a world-famous delicacy.

Dundun hopped down, rubbed his pant leg with its head, then sauntered off toward the pond.

"What’s up, Xu-bao?"

"Oh, nothing, just playing with Dundun for a bit. Let’s keep eating."

Lin Xu sat back down, broke open a steamed bun, stuffed in two slices of braised pork belly, then added a few chunks of little crispy meat steamed till soft and tender. Holding it in his hand, he ate while downloading the production experience for Salt Water Duck.

Salt Water Duck is an unavoidable highlight among Jinling’s many delicacies. Online, there’s always that joke: "Don’t let a single duck swim out of Jinling."

When it comes to ducks, people in Jinling truly love them down to the bone. It’s said the whole city consumes over a hundred million Salt Water Ducks a year, which shows just how high this dish ranks in Jinling hearts.

The massive duck consumption has also spawned a whole series of derivative delicacies.

For example, duck-blood vermicelli soup, which became popular even abroad, and all sorts of braised snacks made from duck offal and scraps—all of them make Jinling a city "full of duck flavor."

The method for Salt Water Duck actually isn’t hard.

You slaughter and clean the duck, remove the wings and feet, turning it into a bare white duck carcass.

Then you cut under the armpit, take out the innards and wash them clean, and rub the duck’s body and cavity inside with stir-fried, cooled Sichuan peppercorn salt.

First you marinate it for a few hours, then hang it up to air-dry.

Finally, you cook it for about half an hour by immersion in a specially seasoned salt brine.

Once it’s out of the pot, the delicious Salt Water Duck is done.

The immersed duck comes out with white skin and tender meat, rich but not greasy, fragrant, crisp, and savory, with the hallmarks of aroma, crispness, and tenderness. Since the eighth lunar month is the best season to eat it, Salt Water Duck also goes by the name Osmanthus Duck.

Since he’d obtained this delicacy, once he got back to Beijing he’d make it to sell in the shop. Not only would that add another dish to go with drinks, it could also attract all the Jinling people hustling in Beijing.

After all, deep in the memory of every Jinling native, there’s a delicious duck.

It’s either Jinling Roast Duck, or Jinling Salted Duck. That’s their homesickness, the flavor they miss most when living away from home.

Finishing the bun in his hand, Lin Xu scooped himself half a bowl of rice and started eating it with the Salt-fried Lamb on the table.

Gotta say, this lamb really goes great with rice: the meat is tender and juicy, the exterior charred and slightly golden, and the fresh heat of the green chilies plus the aromatic spice of the red chilies and scallions boosts the flavor of the Salt-fried Lamb even more.

There were quite a few dishes on the table today, but this lamb would definitely be the one every guest remembered.

Not just because they’d never had it before—the main thing was, both in taste and texture, Salt-fried Lamb perfectly fit people’s imagination of a meaty feast.

Big mouthfuls of meat, oil running down your lips, spicy and fragrant, with a faint sweet aftertaste.

All those requirements, Salt-fried Lamb ticks every box.

"Xu-bao, after we eat I wanna go to the market in the nearby village. Shaokang said there are loads of people selling fireworks and firecrackers. I’ve never been to a big rural fair before—will you go with me?"

"Sure."

Honestly, Lin Xu hadn’t really been to many either. In his memory, it was only back in primary school, whenever they went to the old hometown for New Year, that he’d take a stroll around.

Back then, every New Year’s market, the village would invite an opera troupe to perform.

And whenever the opera was on, there’d be vendors nearby selling candied hawthorns, sugar figurines, and all kinds of other snacks.