Chapter 117: Chapter 105: I’ve Seen Too Many Small Eateries at the Factory Gate

After finishing a pig’s trotter, a small pile of bones, sucked completely clean, sat beside Wang Wei’s hand. Not even a speck of tendon remained.

She had been completely immersed in devouring the large trotter.

It was so satisfying!

The other customers watching from the side also swallowed hard, then looked away, content.

’That’s right! That’s how you’re supposed to eat braised pig’s trotters to really enjoy them.’

’But man, it makes you hungry. Watching her just makes me want one even more...’

’Good heavens! What did I do to deserve this torture?’

o(╥﹏╥)o~~

Wang Wei put down the last bone, already eighty percent full. Her hands were shiny with grease and a little sticky, and there was a bit of oil at the corner of her mouth.

But compared to Zhou Momo, her table manners were still relatively elegant. At least she didn’t get any on her nose.

What could she do? She wasn’t an adorable baby, after all; she had an image to maintain.

"Here, sweetie, wash your hands over here. Wash up, then you can take your time eating," Mrs. Zhao called out with a smile. She had thoughtfully placed a bucket of well water and a ladle by the door, along with a small bag of laundry powder.

A little laundry powder on her greasy hands, and the oil washed right off.

"Mrs. Zhao, you think of everything," Wang Wei said, looking at the older woman who was helping her pour the water.

"It’s my pleasure to make sure you all have a comfortable meal," Mrs. Zhao said with a smile.

Wang Wei sat back down at her table, picked up her plate, and poured the braising sauce over her rice. She gave it a good mix and took a big mouthful.

The rich grease and braising fragrance intertwined, seeping into the rice to create a delicious symphony.

So fragrant!

She followed it with a piece of pickled radish—sour, spicy, crisp, and incredibly refreshing, cutting right through the richness.

In no time, the entire bowl of rice with braising sauce was gone. Popping the last slice of pickled radish into her mouth, Wang Wei got up to pay.

That was a truly satisfying meal.

But she’d probably have to wait another half a month before having braised pig’s trotters again.

A girl has to watch her figure, after all.

She’d been going over to her uncle’s for dinner a lot lately, and she felt like she was definitely getting a little pudgy around her stomach.

Although it was the season for "autumn fattening," for a beautiful young lady like herself, this was not a good development!

Today’s new dish, Stir-Fried Pork Liver, priced at eighty cents per serving, successfully captured the customers’ attention.

At eighty cents a plate, the Stir-Fried Pork Liver certainly wasn’t cheap.

Back when the canteen was still selling stir-fries, it was thirty-five cents a plate.

The taste, however, was pretty terrible.

The thickly sliced pork liver was overcooked, giving it a grainy texture when chewed and leaving a slightly bitter aftertaste.

The Chef’s performance was extremely inconsistent; you might occasionally get a serving that was halfway decent.

Of course, all the old employees at the textile factory knew that Master Xiao’s high-heat stir-fries were excellent.

But later, Master Xiao stopped cooking, so no one could have them anymore.

But Zhou Yan was Master Xiao’s apprentice, so everyone was quite expectant about how his Stir-Fried Pork Liver would turn out.

"Stir-Fried Pork Liver! Zhou Yan, you finally put this dish on the menu!"

The trio of Zhao Dong, Song Yang, and Zhu Zhe had just sat down after entering the shop when they spotted the new Stir-Fried Pork Liver on the menu. They immediately shot back up to their feet, their eyes shining.

Hearing the commotion, Zhou Yan poked his head out of the kitchen with a smile. "Director Zhao, would you like a plate?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" Zhao Dong didn’t hesitate for a second.

He had been craving this for far too long.

Other dishes, he could mess around in his own kitchen and replicate seventy or eighty percent of the flavor.

But pork liver was different.

If not prepared properly, it would have a bitter, gamy, and foul smell.

A moment too long on the heat, and it becomes grainy and tough.

Not enough heat, and the whole family will be fighting for the toilet.

Just like Braised Pork Kidney and Stir-Fried Crispy Intestines, this dish demanded extremely high skill in Fire Control from the Chef.

When Master Xiao was cooking, Zhao Dong would eat Stir-Fried Pork Liver or Braised Pork Kidney at least three times a week. That was the flavor he lived for.

He had pestered Zhou Yan about it several times before, and today it was finally on the menu.

Was eighty cents a plate expensive?

Not if it’s delicious!

In Suji Town, finding a Chef who could properly stir-fry pork liver was incredibly difficult.

The state-run restaurant’s Stir-Fried Pork Liver was sixty cents a plate. When the head chef cooked it himself, the flavor and Fire Control were decent, but still a notch below Master Xiao’s.

Zhou Yan was Master Xiao’s apprentice, and based on the dishes he’d made before, Zhao Dong was quite optimistic about him.

"This dish requires exceptional Fire Control from the chef. Can Zhou Yan handle it?" Song Yang whispered. ’Zhou Yan is young, after all. The fact that he’s delayed adding this dish for so long probably means he’s not very confident.’

"Doesn’t Double-Pepper Minced Beef require high-level Fire Control? Look how well Zhou Yan cooks it," Zhao Dong said with a smile. "Zhou Yan’s Knife Skills, Fire Control, and seasoning are all incredible. It’s like the culinary gods themselves are spoon-feeding him."

"Making dishes at twenty that leave the factory director singing his praises—his talent for cooking is truly immense," Zhu Zhe added with a nod, a reminiscent look on his face. "His braised meats are so good. The pork head meat is a fantastic dish to have with drinks!"

Song Yang’s interest was piqued. "How about we have some tonight?"

"Holy hell! Don’t you two stare at me! Last time, after finishing a bottle of Yanghe, you made me open a bottle of Wuliangye. I don’t have any good liquor left at home!" Zhao Dong’s gaze shifted to Zhu Zhe. "Old Zhu, didn’t you say last time that your old man brought you five pounds of fragrant homemade liquor from the countryside? How about this: tonight, Old Song and I will buy the meat, and you provide the booze?"

"Deal," Zhu Zhe agreed with a smile. "Get some extra pork belly and ask my old man to drink with us. His tolerance is even better than mine."

"Sounds good!" Zhao Dong and Song Yang nodded in unison.

Zhu Zhe’s father was a retired party official who now spent his days gardening. When he had nothing to do, he’d ride his bicycle around the various towns and villages. His family was well-off.

Song Yang’s parents were retired employees from the factory; his father had been a senior accountant, so his family wasn’t doing poorly either.

The reason they could all hang out and eat together was not just because they were kindred spirits and fellow gluttons—they also had to be able to afford it.

The two dishes they ordered arrived quickly: one Double-Pepper Minced Beef and one Stir-Fried Pork Liver. Both were perfect for eating with rice!

As soon as the two dishes were placed on the table, all three men’s eyes were drawn to the Stir-Fried Pork Liver.

The Double-Pepper Minced Beef had already become old news.

The Stir-Fried Pork Liver had a bright reddish-brown hue, coated in a thin layer of sauce that shimmered with an amber-like sheen. The slices were stacked like pieces of red agate.

Green peppers, dried chili segments, scallion whites, and garlic slices wove together a vibrant tapestry of color, dotted with individual Sichuan peppercorns. The aroma was already wafting up with the steam, tickling their noses.

The pork liver had to be sliced to a uniform thickness. Too thin and it would lack texture; too thick and it wouldn’t absorb the flavor, and it could be overcooked on the outside while still raw inside. Zhou Yan’s Knife Skills were beyond question.

The three of them swallowed hard in unison. It looked absolutely incredible!

Along with the dishes came three bowls of rice.

"Let’s try it." Zhao Dong picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of pork liver into his mouth.

The liver, fresh from the wok, still carried the searing heat of the pan. A numbing, spicy, and savory flavor exploded between his teeth. Beneath the slightly crisped surface, flash-fried in abundant oil over a high flame, was an ultimate tenderness. The delightful contrast in texture made his very soul tremble.

In a daze, Zhao Dong could almost see the pork liver tumbling in the wok, assailed by scorching flames and fragrant oil.

"Delicious! The texture is perfect!" Zhao Dong exclaimed, shoveling a mouthful of rice. This was, without a doubt, the best Stir-Fried Pork Liver he had ever eaten—even better than Master Xiao’s!

The texture was smooth and tender, without the slightest hint of graininess.

The numbing, spicy, salty, and savory flavors clung to the liver thanks to a thin, starchy glaze, and when paired with the fragrance of the green onions, the taste was simply divine.

Hearing this, Song Yang and Zhu Zhe couldn’t hold back any longer and quickly tried a piece themselves.

"Mmm! So fresh and tender! The flavor is amazing!"

"It’s more than amazing, it’s incredible! No worse than Twice-Cooked Pork! And it goes perfectly with rice."

The two of them were full of praise after their first bite, utterly blown away.

The trio immediately switched into "rice-devouring mode."

One bite of liver was enough to make them shovel down two mouthfuls of rice. They ate with complete abandon.

The Stir-Fried Pork Liver cost eighty cents, but the portion was generous. For three people, with an added plate of Double-Pepper Minced Beef and two bowls of rice each, it was just the right amount.

The frenzy of rice-eating at Zhao Dong’s table also attracted the attention of other customers.

They had been a little hesitant, wondering how the new dish was and whether it was worth trying for eighty cents.

But hearing the spontaneous praise from the trio, all hesitation vanished.

Customers who preferred stronger flavors and were already fans of high-heat stir-fries began placing their orders one after another.

Stir-Fried Pork Liver experienced a small peak in orders.

Of course, the dish was an acquired taste, not universally loved like Garlic-Sprout Twice-Cooked Pork.

No matter how delicious others claimed it to be, those who liked it would adore it, while those who didn’t would never try it, even if you praised it to the high heavens.

However, any customer who already liked the dish basically agreed that this was the most delicious Stir-Fried Pork Liver they had ever had.

"Zhou Yan, your Stir-Fried Pork Liver is phenomenal. It’s the best I’ve ever eaten," Zhao Dong said after finishing his meal, making sure to stop by the kitchen door to praise Zhou Yan.

Today’s Stir-Fried Pork Liver had truly captured his heart.

"You got it. Come back for more next time, Director Zhao," Zhou Yan replied with a smile.

He liked customers like this who spoke their minds. A few honest reviews could save him a lot of trouble when it came to promoting new dishes.

After all, it wasn’t feasible to offer samples of Stir-Fried Pork Liver. The dish had to be eaten hot; if it sat on the table for even a little while, the texture would deteriorate.

The two new dishes introduced today, Braised Pig’s Trotters and Stir-Fried Pork Liver, both received rave reviews from the customers.

Eleven servings of Stir-Fried Pork Liver had been sold, with nine left. Selling them out by the evening shouldn’t be a problem.

And as for the Braised Pig’s Trotters, they were sold out in an instant.

The price of one yuan and twenty cents each was truly tempting.

That afternoon, twelve customers had already pre-ordered pig’s trotters, registering their names with Mrs. Zhao.

"The Braised Pig’s Trotters are selling too well! So many workers want to eat them. We should get more and sell more in the future." Mrs. Zhao held up her little notebook, where she’d tallied the twelve orders using two full ’正’ characters and two extra strokes. She couldn’t hide her beaming smile.

"Braised pig’s trotters are a low-frequency purchase. It’s new, so there’s a novelty factor, plus we had Momo’s ’mukbang’ to promote it. The price was also lower than they expected and our supply was limited, which led to a surge in orders. This kind of situation is usually not sustainable," Zhou Yan explained with a smile. "For this week, let’s stick to the pre-order system to get a baseline number. Once the daily sales volume stabilizes, we won’t need pre-orders anymore."

Mrs. Zhao thought about it for a moment but still didn’t quite understand what Zhou Yan meant by "mukbang" or "surge in orders." She decided not to ask. After all, Zhou Yan was sharp, and he was the one who called the shots for the restaurant.

...

"Huang, what other tricks have you got up your sleeve? I come to Jiazhou eighteen times a year; it’s practically my second home. I’ve been to Suji countless times, too. As the deputy chief editor of a food magazine, what delicious food is there that I don’t know about better than you?" A slightly chubby, middle-aged man on a bicycle rode alongside Huang Chen, a smug smile on his round face.

"Look at Niu Hua’s malatang, Xiba’s tofu banquet, Luo City’s beef, Wood City’s sweet-skinned duck—these are all famous names. We’ve featured them all in our magazine, *Sichuan Cuisine*. So what new novelty can you possibly show me this time?"

The junior editor riding on the back of the bike turned his head away to hide a smile. Their chief editor and Vice Mayor Huang were like brothers, friends for over twenty years. Their relationship was so close that they loved to trade a few barbs every time they met.

Chief Editor He was a true gourmand, spending three hundred days a year on the road for work. In the past two years, he had traveled to nearly every corner of Sichuan, his footprints marking countless towns and villages. As long as there was good food to be found, he would go and try it himself, no matter how remote or out-of-the-way.

When he discovered a good restaurant or a novel delicacy, he would personally write an article to feature and promote it.

"Old He, don’t be so smug. I recently discovered a new restaurant, and I guarantee you’ll be blown away after you eat there." Huang Chen had a bottle of loose liquor from Qiaotou in his bicycle basket. He looked calm and composed, the very picture of confidence.

"Tch. That’s what you said last time I came," He Zhiyuan retorted with a pout.

Huang Chen looked a little sheepish and cleared his throat. "Last time was different. That was a state-run restaurant, which are always just... adequate. This time, I’m taking you to a proper, privately-owned place."

"Look, we’re here!"

He Zhiyuan looked up in the direction Huang Chen was pointing and said with a smile, "A little eatery at a factory gate? I’ve seen plenty of those. This one looks pretty ordinary, too."