bioinnovel Chapter 122 Is this sheep for sale?
Chapter 122 Is this sheep for sale?
The night in Changbai Mountain is pure black and bone-chillingly cold.
A black steel torrent of more than a dozen Land Rovers slowly came to a stop in front of a giant wooden building built against the mountainside.
Xueyun Hotel.
This place is legendary in the skiing community; it doesn't have a sign, doesn't accept OTA bookings, and only serves members.
It's said that the membership fee alone starts at seven figures, and you also need a referral from an existing member.
As soon as the car door opened, a warm feeling accompanied by the doorman's respectful bow rushed towards me.
"Mr. Nie, it's been a long time."
An elderly man in a custom-made suit, with gray hair neatly combed, quickly came to greet us.
He wasn't wearing gloves, and his well-maintained hands were slightly red in the cold wind, yet they remained outstretched.
"Uncle Qian, why are you still waiting outside in this cold weather?"
Nie Qingcheng tightened her mink coat, her tone unusually polite.
Manager Qian's face crinkled with a broad smile: "You're a rare guest, haven't you been here in three years?"
"If I don't wait at the door, the old man will break my legs if he finds out."
As he spoke, his gaze naturally fell on Zhang Yan, who was standing next to Nie Qingcheng.
There was no snobbish scrutiny, only just the right amount of curiosity and respect.
"Who is this?"
"My love, Zhang Yan."
Nie Qingcheng took Zhang Yan's arm and generously introduced, "This time, I mainly came to play in the snow with him."
Manager Qian's eyes flickered slightly.
Lover.
Not boyfriend, not fiancé, just lover.
He had served the Nie family for decades and knew the temperament of this "Bamboo Leaf Green" man all too well.
Among the young masters of the capital, there wasn't a single man she could introduce in such a way in public.
"Mr. Zhang, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Manager Qian bowed slightly. "I'm the housekeeper here. You can just call me Old Qian."
Zhang Yan smiled and didn't put on airs: "Uncle Qian, you're too kind. Just call me by my name."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group entered the lobby.
There is no gaudy gold and glitter, only whole logs and rough stone. In the center of the hall, there is a huge real fireplace. The crackling sound of burning pine wood and the faint smell of pine resin make people relax instantly.
"The penthouse suite has been prepared for you."
As Manager Qian led the way, he said, "All the toiletries have been changed to your usual brand, and the mattress is a horsehair mattress that was just air-freighted in."
"In addition, as you instructed, the private ski slopes have been closed and are ready for use at any time."
This is the style of travel for top chaebols.
Zhang Yan followed behind, listening to Manager Qian's detailed report, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "Truly thorough."
The elevator goes directly to the top floor.
Even the so-called "presidential suite" seems tacky here.
This is practically like moving a villa in the sky to the top of a snow-capped mountain.
The huge 200-square-meter terrace faces the majestic main peak of Changbai Mountain.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, snowflakes danced wildly under the lights, while inside, it was warm and cozy.
"I'm exhausted."
As soon as she entered, Nie Qingcheng kicked off her boots without any regard for her image and sank into the huge leather sofa.
Are you hungry?
Zhang Yan put down his luggage, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to him.
"Hungry."
Nie Qingcheng took the water glass and looked at him pitifully, "The airplane food is awful, I want to eat meat."
"I want the kind of meat that sizzles with oil and is sprinkled with cumin and chili powder."
Zhang Yan glanced at the time; it was almost ten o'clock.
If you ask the kitchen to cook it, it will still turn out well, but it will definitely lack the rustic charm of home cooking.
He walked to the edge of the terrace and took a look.
There is a stone grill on the terrace specifically for BBQ, and piles of dried fruitwood are stacked next to it.
"OK."
Zhang Yan took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Wait, your husband will show you something."
The [God-level Culinary Skill] skill given by the system is not just for show; besides those signature dishes, the whole roasted lamb is also exceptional.
He made a phone call to Manager Qian.
In less than ten minutes, two chefs pushed a food cart up.
On the truck was a processed Tan sheep, with tender meat and a perfect balance of fat and lean – clearly top-quality.
The chef wanted to stay and help, but Zhang Yan waved him away.
The art of roasting lamb is all about controlling the heat and maintaining a good state of mind.
The charcoal fire is lit.
Zhang Yan skillfully brushed a layer of his secret-recipe oil onto the sheep's body.
This oil was freshly made in the kitchen by him, using more than twenty kinds of spices.
As the temperature rises, the fat on the surface of the mutton begins to seep out, dripping onto the charcoal fire and creating puffs of white smoke.
"Sizzle—"
That sound was simply the ultimate in late-night escapades.
Zhang Yan's technique was extremely fast; he constantly flipped the grill, sprinkling coarse salt and cumin on it from time to time.
The aroma of meat began to fill the terrace.
It was a powerful aroma, a blend of fruity wood scents, muttony milk fragrance, and caramelized notes, that drifted far away on the cold wind.
Nie Qingcheng was no longer paralyzed.
Wrapped in a thick cashmere blanket, she squatted like a big cat in front of the French windows, staring through the glass at the lamb that was gradually turning golden and crispy, her throat involuntarily moving.
Just then, a commotion of voices suddenly came from the adjacent terrace.
"Holy crap! What smells so good?"
"It looks like roast lamb? This hotel can roast a whole lamb themselves?"
"Let's go, let's go see! I'm so hungry!"
Although the top floor of the Xueyun Hotel only has two suites, they are separated by a half-person-high wooden fence and a green belt.
Soon, several young men dressed in Canada Goose jackets and carrying champagne began to peer around the fence.
The group consisted of three men and two women, who appeared to be a bunch of carefree rich kids or internet celebrities.
The boy in the lead, with dyed gray hair, sniffed and stared intently at the sheep in Zhang Yan's hand.
"Dude, that's pretty good!"
The gray-haired man shouted, "Are you selling this sheep?"
Zhang Yan was focused on brushing honey onto the lamb leg, not even looking up.
"Not for sale."
"Don't do that!"
The gray-haired man had clearly had a few drinks and was a bit tipsy. "We're having a party here, but we're missing a main dish."
"How much did you pay for this sheep? I'll pay double! Fifty thousand? One hundred thousand?"
In his view, there's nothing a stack of banknotes can't solve. If there is, then two stacks will do.