Zhou Village.
The wedding procession has already set off.
The women sat together washing dishes, chatting idly.
Zhao Tieying was dressed simply today, a thin sweater under a navy blue long overcoat, and waterproof arm sleeves—standard work attire.
But her new leather shoes were truly eye-catching; the rising sun shone on the metal buckles, making them sparkle.
"I overheard them saying Zhou Yan bought these for you? They're over twenty yuan a pair. He's really willing to spend money on his mom."
"This morning I saw Fourth Brother wearing leather shoes too, he looked so dashing, walking with such a swagger!"
"Zhou Yan is so filial. Yesterday he paid off all his debts and bought leather shoes for Mom and Dad. They don't have to worry about him at all."
"Tieying, I have a cousin sister's youngest daughter who's eighteen this year. She's got a big waist and big hips, works hard and can have babies. I think she and Zhou Yan are a perfect match. We should let them meet sometime."
"I also have a niece who's just turned eighteen..."
The aunties' voices were tinged with envy, and some had already started looking for wives for Zhou Yan.
Just a month ago, Zhou Yan was the village's most disliked spendthrift son; now he was the village's most filial son.
In just one day, the situation had completely reversed.
The aunties were vying to introduce him to potential wives. If a girl married into the Zhou family, she would be truly blessed.
Aunt Zhao was secretly delighted. Zhou Yan really knew how to pick the timing; if he had paid back the money a day later, it wouldn't have had such an effect.
"Zhou Yan is still young. There's no rush to find a wife until the end of the year. He says he wants to focus on his career first." Aunt Zhao replied with a smile.
She still thought about Xia Yao; she was beautiful, had a good personality, and was poised and confident. She just didn't know if the city university students would even consider Zhou Yan, this village boy.
She didn't give a definitive answer; if there was still no definite news by the end of the year, Zhou Yan would still have to go on blind dates.
She wasn't in a hurry, after all, Zhou Momo was only three and a half years old, and she wasn't in a rush to become a grandmother.
Raising a child isn't easy; it's full of hardships and tears.
Zhou Yan has become more composed, and his restaurant business is booming. Finding a wife won't be difficult; the key is to choose carefully.
A good wife can bring prosperity to the household, fostering harmony between husband and wife, and making life increasingly prosperous.
But if he marries an unlucky wife who causes endless chaos, life will be unbearable.
...
Zheng Qiang was woken up early by Xiao Lei to work. He only drank a little bit of alcohol yesterday and got drunk, and went to bed early, so he is full of energy today and currently working as a chopping board for Master Xiao, quickly slicing salted vegetables.
Yesterday, assisting Xiao Lei gave him a deeper understanding of what it means to be a rural chef.
Before returning from Rongcheng, he thought it was just a simple feast for the villagers. The country folk had never had anything fancy to eat; he just needed to cook a few dishes, and he would amaze them.
But when eight temporary stoves were lined up, thirty tables were set up, and over three hundred dishes had to be served within half an hour, he was a little stunned.
This isn't quite what he imagined!
Master Xiao, also hosting a public banquet for the first time, seemed completely at ease.
He felt like a complete novice in his presence.
Moreover, Master Xiao was incredibly selfless, answering every question with such enthusiasm that Zheng Qiang felt a little embarrassed.
After all, cooking is a skill that is passed down through apprenticeships.
It's said that colleagues are rivals, and asking a stranger an extra question is considered impolite.
But yesterday, when making the "Three Steamed Dishes and Nine Large Bowls" Master Xiao explained everything to him as he cooked, holding nothing back.
He had learned many things from his master, but applying them to a public banquet was a different story; flexibility was the key.
"Master Xiao, please don't teach me anymore. I'm too embarrassed to learn." Zheng Qiang said, looking at Xiao Lei, who was about to teach him how to make the core broth for the "Three Steamed Dishes and Nine Large Bowls" feeling somewhat awkward.
Yesterday, he had thought Master Xiao wanted to learn the skills of a high-end restaurant chef from him.
Looking back now, that idea was utterly ridiculous.
"Go ahead and learn. I'm not afraid to teach, so why are you afraid to learn?" Xiao Lei laughed heartily. "If you want to make a large scale banquet, you can't do it well if you don't master the "Three Steamed Dishes and Nine Large Bowls" techniques. I think Master Zheng's learning is still a little lacking."
"Okay…" Zheng Qiang nodded, his face flushed, feeling like he'd been singled out for criticism by his master. Indeed, even his demeanor and tone were almost identical.
"Then what are you standing there for? Come and chop the vegetables!"
"Okay!"
…
The braised meat soaked in the braising pot.
Zhou Yan boiled another pot of water to cook the chicken.
Ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns were added to the pot, along with cooking wine and a little salt for flavor. It was brought to a boil over high heat.
The old woman, hands behind her back, said, "Cold dishes rely on the seasoning during the preparation process. Boiling, on the other hand, is mainly about removing the fishy smell and controlling the heat. The same principle applies to Cold Pig's Ears and Cold Walnut Meat. The flavor profiles of cold dishes are largely the same; it's all about understanding the principles. Once the water boils, start cooking the chicken."
Zhou Yan, holding the prepared rooster feet, scalded the skin in hot water, then quickly lifted it and placed it in a bucket of cold water prepared nearby.
The well water, drawn that morning, was icy cold to the touch.
Repeat the process three times, alternating between hot and cold, to make the chicken skin more elastic and less likely to break during cooking.
"What do you eat with cold chicken? You eat the skin. The skin needs to be crispy after preparation; if the skin is crispy, the cold chicken is more than halfway done. This step is essential." the old woman said.
"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded in agreement.
The four chickens were processed in the same way, then placed whole in a pot and simmered over low heat.
"Next, we'll make the red oil. The soul of spicy chicken is the red oil. Once you master it, you can use it for any cold dish." the old lady continued.
"Grandma, I'll definitely learn well!" Zhou Yan said with a smile.
Red oil is widely used in Sichuan cuisine. Zhou Yan already knew how to make it; the chili oil used in noodles is red oil.
However, Zhou Yan was still curious about the difference in red oil used for cold dishes.
Since the old lady was willing to teach, he was certainly happy to learn.
The old lady opened the bag she had brought that morning and pulled out several paper oil bags containing sesame seeds, pepper powder, and other seasonings. She said, "The chili oil I use for cold chicken dish is made with three kinds of chilies..."
Following the old lady's instructions, he first chopped half of the Bullet chilies, Erjingtiao chilies, and Shizhu red chilies, stir-fried them over low heat until crisp, then finely chopped them with a knife to maintain a certain texture. Next, he pounded the other half into fine chili powder.
Heated a wok, he poured in a bowl of rapeseed oil, added spices, scallions, and ginger, and simmered the scallions and ginger over medium-low heat until golden brown. He then removed and discarded them. This wok of oil already had a very strong aroma.
When the oil reaches about 60% of its maximum heat, remove it from the heat and pour two spoonfuls of hot oil over the sesame seeds.
Sizzle!
The sesame seeds tumble in the hot oil, releasing a wonderful aroma; the sesame oil is now ready.
Once the oil in the wok has cooled slightly, scoop a spoonful of oil into the coarsely chopped chili powder. With a sizzling sound, quickly stir with chopsticks, pouring the hot oil in several batches. This is to fully release the aroma of the chili while preventing the chili powder from burning.
This is a skill, and Zhou Yan, cautious yet decisive, works very quickly, ensuring the oil temperature is just right.
Finally, add the finely chopped chili powder and stir thoroughly with the sesame oil. Then, spoon the remaining oil from the wok into the bowl. The chili powder bubbles in the oil, releasing a fragrant aroma of spiciness mixed with the sesame fragrance.
[A High Quality Chili Oil]
The evaluation quickly yielded a high praise.
"Great! You know how to make chili oil!" The old lady's eyes were full of satisfaction.
Zhou Yan smiled and said, "I learned the basics of making chili oil from my master, but it's definitely not as fragrant as the one you taught me, Grandma."
Frying spices, scallions, and ginger in rapeseed oil is a bit more complicated than his original method, but the resulting chili oil is indeed much more fragrant.
The increased cost is limited, but the enhanced aroma provides a better experience for customers.
Zhou Yan has already started thinking about trying this chili oil with noodles to see if the flavor would be even better.
The chili oil is ready, and the chicken is almost cooked. He turned off the heat, covered it, and let it simmer for another ten minutes. This prevents the chicken skin from breaking and helps maintain the texture of the meat.
The old lady explained the recipe for the cold chicken dish seasoning to Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan took notes in his notebook. He'll have a chance to watch the old lady mix it herself later, and with the recipe, he can at least learn about 70-80% of it.
This is a hot dish for the Zhou family's New Year's Eve dinner—a large free-range chicken, and it's gone as soon as it's served.
A banquet with thirty tables required a considerable amount of work preparing cold dishes, keeping them busy all morning.
By nine o'clock, the meat in the braising pot had been gradually taken out and laid out to dry in two bamboo baskets. The pig ears, snouts, and head meat were all tinged with a bright red color, looking extremely tempting.
Three braised pig trotters stood out, packaged separately in a small basket.
Why three?
Because Zhou Yan and the old lady were sharing one.
The trotters, still warm from the braising pot, were split in half and eaten directly by hand.
The skin easily fell off the bone, and the tendons between the meat and bone were soft, chewy, and incredibly delicious. Having soaked for an hour, the braising liquid had completely permeated the meat. One bite was simply irresistible and couldn't stop eating.
After finishing half a trotter, he still wanted more and mouth felt sticky.
This is what the older generation calls "sticky lips."
Delicious! He love it! He want more!
It's a pity that the guests couldn't enjoy such delicious braised pig's trotters.
There was no other way; a pig only has four trotters, and when each family slaughtered a pig, they would send it to the old lady.
The old lady loved pig's trotters and was skilled at braising them. Anyone who received even half a trotter as a reward would be overjoyed for half a month.
Zhou Yan only received half a trotter today because he had helped.
For the past two years, only Zhou Momo had been able to eat it.
The old lady's favoritism towards her granddaughter was evident.
After finishing the half trotter, his body and mind, after a busy morning, felt extremely satisfied.
It smelled so good!
Tomorrow he'd buy some pig's trotters himself to braise.
He was determined to eat a whole trotter, not sharing a single bite with anyone else!
Even if Zhou Momo came!
The old lady leisurely finished the trotter, leaving only a few bare bones on the plate, not even a trace of tendon left. Then she nodded and said, "Not bad, almost as good as mine."
"That's still far from enough. To reach your level of skill, I'd need another ten years of practice." Zhou Yan replied with a smile.
Having gained the old lady's approval, his braised dishes were considered a small success.
After washing his hands, Zhou Yan began loading the food into his carrying basket. Having filled his stomach with pig's trotters, he needed to move the braised dishes and cold dishes over. He started slicing and plating the meat, preparing for the midday feast.
The four roosters had shrunk noticeably after cooking, their pale yellow skin looking very firm.
Fortunately, the chickens were quite plump, with over four jin of cooked meat remaining. After slicing and mixing, each plate contained about half a jin of meat, a considerable portion.
The old lady had calculated the amount of seasoning needed for the four chickens beforehand. The dry seasonings were mixed in one packet, the chili oil was stored separately in a jar, and the other ingredients like scallions and ginger had been prepared by Aunt Zhao that morning.
A piece of gauze was placed on top of the oiled paper, the meat was then loaded into the bamboo basket, and finally covered with another piece of gauze, followed by another sheet of oiled paper. This method ensured clean and hygienic transport.
After locking the door, Zhou Yan, carrying the old lady, rode leisurely towards Zhou Village.
With the old lady overseeing things, the timing was perfectly controlled.
They arrived in Zhou Village at exactly ten o'clock.
Zhou Yan parked the bicycle, and Aunt Zhao quickly came over, helping the old lady out of the bicycle and asking softly, "Is everything alright?"
"Absolutely." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.
Aunt Zhao lifted the gauze and saw the bright red pig ears and pig head meat. Her anxiety immediately subsided; it looked exactly like the old lady's homemade version.
The aroma of the braised food wafted through the air, and Aunt Zhao, who had been busy all morning, swallowed hard.
"You made this?" Aunt Zhao couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, the old lady gave me pointers, and I did the cooking." Zhou Yan nodded. "I've already learned how to make it. We'll start selling it tomorrow."
"Ah? So fast? You...won't you practice a few more times?" Aunt Zhao was somewhat surprised; this decision seemed too hasty.
Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, "Then let's see the guests' feedback later. If everyone thinks it's good, we'll sell it."
"That sounds promising." Aunt Zhao nodded, a sense of anticipation rising within her.
The old lady's braised dishes were once the best in Suji, and people still talk about them after all these years.
If Zhou Yan could learn it, he could probably earn a considerable amount more just selling braised dishes each day.
"Wow! These braised pig ears and braised pig head meat look so beautiful! Did Zhou Yan make them?"
"The color is so tempting, they look delicious!"
The other aunties who were helping out gathered around, admiring the braised dishes Zhao Tieying was carrying out of basket.
"Yes, my son Zhou Yan made them. He learned the skill from his grandma." Aunt Zhao replied with a smile.
"He learned it from the old lady?" Everyone looked at the old lady.
"Yes, he learned it from me. Today, Zhou Yan made the braised dishes." The old lady readily admitted, directly supporting Zhou Yan.
"We're in luck today! We used to only get to eat Aunt Zhang's braised dishes during Chinese New Year."
The aunties laughed, their eyes shining as they looked at the braised food.
Who in Zhou Village doesn't crave Grandma Zhang's braised food?
They wonder how much Zhou Yan has learned, and whether he'll sell it in the future?
The cutting area was cleared out, and Zhou Yan carried the braised pork and chicken over, ready to start.
Beside him, hot oil was heating in a wok, and Zheng Qiang stood in front of it, carefully placing the marinated carp one by one into the oil. The oil sizzled and splashed.
Zheng Qiang's expression was serious, seemingly oblivious to the fact that this was the only dish he was leading today. He had to give it his all and let the guests experience the true level of Rongcheng Restaurant.
Zhou Yan glanced over, wanting to see how the head chef of Rongcheng Restaurant would make braised fish.
"Want to learn?" Xiao Lei, who had wandered over unnoticed, looked at Zheng Qiang and said, "He learned some real skills from his master when it comes to cooking fish."
"His master?" Zhou Yan looked at Xiao Lei in confusion. "Master, do you know Master Zheng's master?"
"My senior brother. Do you think I know him?" Xiao Lei smiled. "He even wrote to me last month, asking me to work at the Rongcheng Restaurant."
Zhou Yan: ?
Then why do you keep calling him "Master Zheng"?
If Master Zheng knew, he'd want to disappear into nowhere!
Poor Master Zheng…