He Zhiyuan and Huang Chen's table didn't eat for too long. After finishing the other dishes, they packed up the pig ear slices, paid the bill, and gave up their seats to the customers waiting in line behind them.
Around seven o'clock, the customers gradually finished eating and left, and the kitchen became completely quiet.
Zhao Tieying went to the kitchen and, seeing Zhou Yan untying his apron, whispered, "That editor-in-chief is still waiting for you outside. Be careful when you talk to him. These cultured people are the best at lying. He's trying to get our cross-legged beef recipe."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Zhou Yan said with a smile. He had originally thought He Zhiyuan and the others had already gone back, and he was going to visit them. He hadn't expected them to be waiting outside the restaurant. This level of attention surprised him.
In matters of cooperation, the more attention someone shows, the more anxious they are.
First, ruling out that the other party also had a system task to complete, the only explanation is that He Zhiyuan wanted to use the cross-legged beef and braised meat to write an article.
If that's the case, it's exactly what he wanted.
However, the more humble the other party adopts, the more demands he'll likely make.
"Sichuan Cuisine" is more than just a food magazine; it's a culinary journal. The chefs in the technical exchange section genuinely share their skills.
Zhou Yan wasn't naive; he understood perfectly well.
A top chef revealing a little of their skills would appear professional and generous, further enhancing his reputation and ensuring his position in the high-end restaurant's kitchen wouldn't be threatened.
He's just starting out, and this is all the skills he has. He's hoping to make a name for himself with his cross-legged beef and earn money to repair his family's new house by selling braised meat.
He was absolutely determined not to reveal a single bit of the recipe.
Straightening his clothes, Zhou Yan went out with a smile.
He Zhiyuan and Huang Chen sat chatting on the long stone under the tree by the door, while Xiao Li stood by the river, gazing at the sunset.
Seeing Zhou Yan come out, He Zhiyuan immediately stood up and greeted him with a smile, "Chef Zhou, you're done with your work?"
"I just finished, I've kept Editor-in-Chief He and Mayor Huang waiting for a long time." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"No problem, no problem at all. We can eat here, enjoy the river breeze, and chat. It'll be very pleasant." He Zhiyuan waved his hand, his gaze fixed intently on Zhou Yan. "Your Cross-legged Beef soup is delicious! I noticed you used the stove as a signboard and wrote a story about its origin. It's quite well written."
"Editor-in-Chief He, you flatter me. I simply recorded the stories passed down from the older generation, adding a few minor details. It's nothing special." Zhou Yan said with a smile. "If you're interested, let's go inside, make some tea, and sit down for a chat."
"Great! What I love most is hearing the stories behind these delicacies." He Zhiyuan rubbed his hands together and called out to Xiao Li, who was standing by the river enjoying the breeze, "Xiao Li! Quickly bring your notebook over so we can hear the stories."
"Ah? Oh!" Xiao Li unzipped his backpack and hurried over, his face beaming with the joy of working overtime.
Zhou Yan invited the three into the restaurant and seated them at a table near the entrance. He then took out a box of Ermei green tea, a treasured possession of Little Zhou, from a cabinet and brewed it for them.
Little Zhou certainly couldn't afford the high-end Ermei Xueya tea, but this pre-Qingming green tea from Mount Ermei, when brewed with hot water, was fragrant and its green color was quite pleasing.
Zhou Yan sat down, glanced at Xiao Li sitting upright beside him with a notebook open in front of him and a Hero fountain pen in his hand, and began to say, "Our Zhou Village's Cross-legged Beef has a history of over a hundred years. An old traditional Chinese medicine doctor surnamed Luo practiced medicine and cooked beef offal with Chinese herbs. It was delicious and had multiple medicinal effects, and was once famous. Because the restaurant was so popular that there were no seats, people would put their feet up on the crossbar of the table to eat, hence the name Cross-legged Beef..."
"However, after the wars, this skill gradually disappeared, becoming a memory for the older generation in the village. The people of Zhou Village still sell soup pots along the river, but the taste is ultimately lacking, and the legendary medicinal effects are gone. The grand scene of the past where customers filled the hall and they had to put their feet up on the crossbar of the table to eat a bowl of beef soup, is gone."
"What a pity, what a pity!" He Zhiyuan sighed, then looked at Zhou Yan and asked, "So how did you manage to recreate this cross-legged beef?"
Xiao Li and Huang Chen looked at Zhou Yan with curiosity.
Even Zhou Miao, Zhao Tieying, and Zhao Hong stopped what they were doing and looked at Zhou Yan, eager to hear how he would recreate it.
Zhou Yan took a sip of tea, his voice becoming a few degrees deeper: "Speaking of this, I have to mention my great-grandfather. He and the son of the old Chinese medicine doctor Luo were sworn brothers. During the war, the Luo family left Suji. Before leaving, they gave the secret recipe of Cross-legged Beef to my great-grandfather. My great-grandfather hide the secret recipe in the roof beam and only told this matter to my grandfather only."
"After my grandfather joined the army in Sichuan, he spent his life on the battlefield, crossing the Yalu River and never returning. Therefore, this secret recipe was forgotten by everyone."
"Until last year during the Spring Festival, my grandmother asked me to sweep the dust from the roof beam, and I unexpectedly discovered this secret recipe hidden in a crevice decades ago. I feel that there is a kind of destiny in the dark, that I should continue this tradition."
"Unfortunately, a corner of this recipe was chewed by rats, and after decades, many of the characters have become blurred, making it extremely difficult to replicate."
"A dozen spices and Chinese herbs, even slight differences in dosage can produce completely different flavors. I spent two years, regardless of the weather, experimenting relentlessly, and finally recreated this once famous Suji delicacy—Cross-legged Beef."
The restaurant was quiet, everyone looking at Zhou Yan with admiration.
"Comrade Zhou Yan, your indomitable spirit in recreating classics and inheriting culinary traditions is truly moving!" He Zhiyuan exclaimed. "How many young chefs these days can settle down and do something like this?"
Xiao Li couldn't help but applaud. At the same age of twenty, he only knew how to follow Director He around with his bag, memorizing whatever he heard—far inferior to Zhou Yan.
Huang Chen nodded repeatedly, also applauding. This young man's character was so mature; with such determination and talent, he was sure to be extraordinary in the future.
"Is this true?" Zhao Tieying leaned close to Zhou Miao's ear and asked in a very low voice.
"I think so..." Zhou Miao wasn't too sure either. Zhou Yan spoke with such conviction that it didn't seem like a lie.
However, it seems that their old family house has been renovated twice, and the beams also seem to have been replaced once.
Did his grandfather really hide the secret recipe in the beams?
"My Guo Guo is so amazing!"
Zhou Momo didn't care about anything else. Hearing the commotion, she put down the doll she was holding and joined in the clapping, praising her Guo Guo.
Her Guo Guo is the best in the world!
His cooking is the best in the world!
He Zhiyuan glanced at Xiao Li's notebook. He had written down everything Zhou Yan had just said. He was very satisfied; Xiao Li's shorthand skills were getting better and better.
"This secret recipe for Cross-legged Beef is truly invaluable. Its legendary story further highlights the charm of the inheritance of culinary skills." He Zhiyuan looked at Zhou Yan with admiration and said, "I have eaten all over Sichuan, but Cross-legged Beef is indeed very special. It has its own unique features among beef cooking methods and will surely have a place in Sichuan cuisine in the future. I would like to publish Cross-legged Beef as a feature in the cooking techniques column. I wonder if Comrade Zhou Yan would be willing to share some cooking techniques for cooking enthusiasts and colleagues to learn?"
Huang Chen silently turned his face away. His friend was good in every way, except he was too reckless; he was even afraid of getting beaten up if he went out to eat with him.
Zhao Tieying frowned, realizing that this guy was still up to no good, and looked at Zhou Yan nervously.
Xiao Li pursed his lips, one hand pressing down on the cloth bag beside him, preparing to run away.
Accompanying Director He on business trips had not only allowed him to eat authentic local cuisine but also provided him with considerable experience in escaping danger.
Zhou Yan's smile remained unchanged as he shook his head slightly and said, "To be honest, the most complete sentence in this secret recipe is: 'Family secret recipe, not to be passed on to outsiders!' This recipe is currently in my grandmother's hands. She repeatedly warned me not to be an unfilial descendant, or else I would be punished according to family rules."
"I see..." He Zhiyuan was a little disappointed, considering what else to say.
"However, since Editor-in-Chief He has spoken up to have Cross-legged Beef featured in 'Sichuan Cuisine' magazine, to vindicate this century-old delicacy, I've made a decision that goes against ancestral precepts." Zhou Yan's expression became more serious.
"Please speak." He Zhiyuan's eyes lit up, and he even straightened his posture a bit.
"Is he really going to say it?" Zhao Tieying was getting a little anxious, staring at Zhou Yan as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
Xiao Li put down his bag, picked up his pen, and prepared to continue taking notes.
Zhou Yan began, "The essence of this Cross-legged Beef lies in this pot of broth. First, we select high-quality fresh beef bones and offal, add over ten kinds of spices and Chinese herbs, and simmer it over low heat for eight hours. The result is a pot of delicious broth, and then the Cross-legged Beef is mostly finished.
"Our Cross-legged Beef includes beef intestines, tripe, beef tendons, and fresh sirloin. It's cooked to perfection and then poured into an earthenware bowl. That's how you make a bowl of Cross-legged Beef."
"The skills are all learned through practice. The control of the cooking time for various ingredients cannot be explained in a few words. We welcome diners to come to Zhou Erwa Restaurant in Suji to taste it for themselves."
He Zhiyuan was silent for a moment, looking at Zhou Yan and saying, "That's…it?"
It felt like Zhou Yan had said something, but also seemed like he hadn't said anything at all?
Did he also casually place an advertisement?
"What did he say?" Zhao Tieying leaned close to Zhou Miao's ear to confirm.
Zhou Miao pondered for a moment: "The general method for making Zhou Village soup pot?"
Zhao Tieying slowly turned her face away, controlling her expression.
"Editor-in-Chief He, what moved you the most about today's Cross-legged Beef?" Zhou Yan asked him in return.
He Zhiyuan pondered for a while and said, "It is the touching story of the century-old tradition of delicious Cross-legged Beef being continued, and it is your indomitable spirit of research."
"That's absolutely right." Zhou Yan nodded and said, "An article needs to have a focus. If you're going to write about inheritance, you can't just write about the technique. You have to write about the benevolence of the old Chinese medicine doctor Luo who practiced medicine a hundred years ago; you have to write about the arduous journey of the young chef Zhou Yan in recreating Cross-legged Beef a hundred years later."
"You need to write about the differences between Cross-legged Beef and other beef dishes from Sichuan; you need to write about how this dish moves you in terms of color, aroma, and taste."
"I think it would be perfect for the 'Top Four Highlights' section."
"I've even thought of a title for you: Shocking! The Century-Old Culinary Tradition Of Suji Is Revived, All Because of This Man!"
"Readers will definitely turn to this page first when they open the table of contents."