The customers were on the edge of their seats, waiting for Lin Zhiqiang’s sharp critique.

Zhou Yan stood at the kitchen entrance, also eagerly awaiting Lin Zhiqiang’s review.

"The broth is savory and delicious, the beef is tender, the tripe is crisp, the intestine is melt-in-your-mouth soft, and the tendon is perfectly yielding. The perfect Fire Control brings every ingredient to its optimal state. It’s just incredible to eat!" Lin Zhiqiang exclaimed in admiration. "And this dipping sauce is a masterpiece. It adds a spicy, aromatic flavor to the meat. It’s the perfect finishing touch."

"Plus, I think this soup really does ward off the cold. After just half a bowl, I feel warm all over, and the chill has mostly faded away."

"Sixty cents a bowl? I think it’s a great value!"

Lin Zhiqiang’s assessment made the eyes of the surrounding customers light up.

That was incredibly high praise!

Anyone in Suji Town who claimed not to know about the hot pot from Slaughter Ox Zhou Village would have to be lying.

The broth was often bland, and if the offal wasn’t prepared properly, it had a gamey taste that many people couldn’t stomach.

On top of that, a bowl of Kneeling Beef at Zhou Yan Restaurant cost sixty cents, which was enough to make people hesitate.

But Vice Director Lin’s review completely overturned everyone’s perception of Kneeling Beef, sparking a desire to try it for themselves.

Beef tripe is delicious in hot pot, but it’s a huge hassle to prepare at home, and it’s easy to overcook it if you’re not careful.

Besides, one bowl had beef intestine, tendon, and regular beef—more than three *liang* of it. When you thought about it that way, it didn’t seem so expensive after all.

"However, I think there’s an even better way to eat this. Ma’am," Lin Zhiqiang called out, "could you bring me another small dish with a little salt in it?" He then pulled the bottle of Donghu Vinegar from his briefcase.

"Lin, what are you...?" Zhao Dong’s expression turned a bit strange as he watched Lin Zhiqiang twist open the vinegar bottle.

"Old Zhao, let me teach you a new way to eat this." Lin Zhiqiang took the small dish from Zhao Tieying, poured some vinegar into it, then picked up a piece of beef, dipped it in the vinegar, and popped it into his mouth. He nodded repeatedly. "Mhm! This is it! This is the authentic taste!"

"Tsk!"

"Ew!"

"Good heavens!"

A series of exclamations, tinged with disgust, immediately broke out in the restaurant.

’If he weren’t the vice director, someone would have definitely gone up there and knocked his vinegar over!’

Who eats clear broth hot pot with vinegar?

"I’ll have a Kneeling Beef, with the chili dipping sauce," Zhao Dong said to Zhao Tieying.

"You got it," Zhao Tieying replied with a smile.

"Mrs. Zhao, I’ll have a Kneeling Beef too, and a bowl of rice."

"Mrs. Zhao, I’ll also have a bowl of Kneeling Beef! With a double portion of chili powder! I love spicy food! I have to eat spicy food every day."

"Me too! If I go a day without something spicy, I feel awful!"

Spurred on by Lin Zhiqiang, several customers immediately ordered Kneeling Beef, if only to defend the honor of the chili powder dip.

Zhou Yan smiled and turned back into the kitchen. ’Lin Zhiqiang really is my lucky star.’ The reputation of his noodles had taken off thanks to him, and now, unexpectedly, he was doing the same for the Kneeling Beef.

’He’s the "Best Food Tester" ever!’

"Coming right up! I’ll get them for you right away," Zhao Tieying answered, her face beaming.

Before long, bowls of Kneeling Beef were served to the customers’ tables.

"Whoa! This beef is so tender! And this chili powder is so fragrant!"

"And the tripe is so crisp! Only the freshest tripe has this kind of satisfying crunch when you chew it! It’s incredible!"

"The beef tendon is so tender it just melts in your mouth. So aromatic!"

"The broth is so savory! Savory enough to make your eyebrows fall off! This is totally different from the hot pot at other places!"

The customers chimed in one after another with praise, expressing their utmost satisfaction with the Kneeling Beef.

But what surprised most people, besides the broth, was the dipping sauce. Aromatic and spicy, it was undoubtedly the masterstroke that completed the Kneeling Beef.

With or without the dip, you could say they were two completely different dishes.

A small dish of chili powder transformed the otherwise plain Kneeling Beef into a dish that paired perfectly with rice. Eaten with the savory broth, the rice was absolutely delicious.

After a couple of bites, Zhao Dong also asked for a bowl of rice. It really did go well with it.

His favorite part was, without a doubt, the beef intestine.

The intestine was prepared perfectly, with no odor at all. Coated in the chili powder, it was rich but not greasy—truly delicious!

He had a preference for strong flavors and loved fatty intestines, enjoying their tender texture with a bit of fat and the sensation of the oils bursting between his teeth.

Of course, that was only if they were prepared well.

"Old Zhao, want to try some?" Lin Zhiqiang pushed the dish of vinegar a little closer to him.

"You go ahead. I prefer the dry dip." Zhao Dong quickly pushed the vinegar back and straightened his own dipping dish. "Kneeling Beef has to be eaten with chili powder."

"I think it’s great with vinegar," Lin Zhiqiang insisted, sticking to his opinion.

Well, everyone has their favorite. Neither could convince the other.

Zhao Dong’s rice arrived. He took a big mouthful, chewed a few times, and swallowed, nodding repeatedly. "This rice is steamed really well!"

It was fluffy and delicious, each grain distinct and not sticky at all. The moisture content was just right, much better than the rice from the canteen.

He loved rice more than noodles. When he was a child, his family was poor, and they rarely had the chance to eat rice. The thing he looked forward to most every New Year’s Day was his mother steaming rice in a wooden bucket.

His mother used to steam rice in large pots for everyone at the village canteen. Her skill at steaming rice was the best in the village. The rice she made was just like this: every grain distinct, not sticky at all, yet the aroma of the rice was perfectly preserved, along with a faint woody scent.

Later, he started working, got a job at the textile factory, and even became a workshop supervisor. Life got better day by day, and he could eat rice every day.

But in the last two years, his mother’s mind had grown less sharp. She was always forgetting things, and sometimes she couldn’t even recognize him.

She had even burned the rice—her specialty—twice. One time, she almost set the kitchen on fire. After that, they didn’t dare let her in the kitchen anymore.

He never expected that the rice Zhou Yan steamed today would bring back that feeling from his childhood.

The moisture, the Fire Control—everything was controlled with perfect precision.

It was identical to the perfect Zhenzi Rice of his memories.

"Old Zhao, what are you thinking about? You’re so quiet," Lin Zhiqiang asked with a laugh.

"Eating this Zhenzi Rice reminded me of my mother. She used to steam rice for the collective in our village, making enough for over a hundred people, and everyone praised it," Zhao Dong said with a smile. "Zhou’s rice is steamed to a very high standard. He’s on par with my mother."

"You should count your blessings that your old lady is still around. I don’t even have a mother to go back to anymore," Lin Zhiqiang said with a sigh of envy. Then he pursed his lips and added, "What’s so great about rice? Besides, this isn’t really a dish meant to be eaten with rice. No matter how good the rice is, it can’t possibly be better than the hand-pulled noodles Zhou makes."

"Lin, you just don’t get it," Zhao Dong said, shaking his head with a smile.

Just then, Zhao Hong came over with their two bowls of noodles.

"Did you hire a new waitress?" Lin Zhiqiang asked with a smile. "That shows the restaurant’s business is improving and you’re expanding."

"My son and I couldn’t handle it all, so we asked my niece-in-law to come help out at the shop," Zhao Tieying replied with a smile.

"That’s great," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, first drinking the Kneeling Beef broth from his ceramic bowl.

After downing the large bowl of broth and three *liang* of offal, he was warm all over. He had broken a light sweat, felt much more energetic, and wasn’t sneezing anymore.

"This Kneeling Beef broth is really something. I feel so much better after drinking it," Lin Zhiqiang praised. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Then let me get you another bowl of broth," Zhao Tieying said, taking his ceramic bowl and refilling it.

"Oh, I couldn’t possibly. I still have a whole bowl of noodles to eat," Lin Zhiqiang said, waving his hands in refusal.

"There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. When you order Kneeling Beef at our restaurant, the broth refills are free. We don’t charge extra," Zhao Tieying said with a smile as she set the bowl down. "It’s the same for everyone."

"That’s great," Lin Zhiqiang nodded.

"Great!" The customers who had ordered Kneeling Beef all smiled.

The broth was so delicious, they could easily drink another bowl. It was much better than plain water.

Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong had successfully built up the reputation of the Kneeling Beef. Many customers in the restaurant ordered it, and they were all enjoying it immensely.

Customers who came in later would casually ask their colleagues and get a strong recommendation, leading many of them to order it as well.

Zhou Yan took the opportunity while serving noodles to a customer to come out and greet Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong.

"Zhou, your Kneeling Beef is fantastic. Not only does it taste great, but my cold seems to be gone after eating it," Lin Zhiqiang said, giving Zhou Yan a thumbs-up with a look full of admiration.

"I’ve tried the hot pot from several places in Zhou Village, but none are as good as yours. It seems you have the true secret," Zhao Dong added with a smile. "And your rice is steamed really well, much better than the canteen’s."

"You’re both too kind," Zhou Yan replied with a humble smile.

"When are you going to start serving stir-fried and braised dishes? Never mind anything else, those three toppings—Braised Pork Ribs, Beef with Dried Bamboo Shoots, and Minced Beef—could easily be full dishes. They’d be amazing with rice," Zhao Dong asked with a look of genuine concern.