How Does It Taste?

"Wang Laowu sold his noodles for thirty cents a bowl, and didn't I drive him out of business selling mine for sixty?" Zhou Yan placed the beef tail bones at the bottom of the pot and said with a smile, "Besides, our hotpot uses plenty of ingredients. It doesn't just have beef offal; it has beef too. And the Chinese herbs we add are expensive."

"Of course, the most important thing is that it tastes good. It's worth sixty cents."

"Exactly! This hotpot Zhou Yan made tastes amazing. There'll definitely be plenty of people eating it!" Zhao Hong said as she carried out two buckets of well water and poured them into the large pot.

Over the past two days, Zhao Hong had been following Zhao Tieying as she learned to make Qiaojiao Beef, and after eating it for two days straight, she had plenty of authority on the matter.

Zhao Tieying smiled at that and nodded. "All right, we'll do as you say. You're the boss, so you call the shots."

By the time they opened for business that morning, the beef bone broth had already simmered for two hours. The fragrance of beef bones mingled with spices and Chinese herbs, slipping out through gaps in the wooden lid and drifting into the stream of bicycles heading to work at the Textile Factory entrance.

"Smells so good! Are they stewing beef soup this early in the morning?"

"It smells like beef soup, but the aroma is so unusual. It's making me hungry first thing in the morning."

The workers followed the scent and all looked toward Zhou Erwa Restaurant.

A conspicuous large pot stood outside Zhou Erwa Restaurant. Everyone had noticed it over the past two days, but today, several large characters had been painted in red on the side facing the street.

"Qiaojiao Beef? What's that?"

"Probably Zhou Village hotpot. Quite a few people from Cattle-Slaughtering Zhou Village sell beef offal soup, but this smells different somehow. It doesn't have that rank smell like the kind I had before."

"Doesn't it say underneath? Beef offal hotpot simmered with Chinese herbs. It's even an ancestral secret recipe."

Some workers came closer to take a careful look, while others had come to eat noodles.

"Auntie Zhao, what exactly is this Qiaojiao Beef? Can we have it this morning?" a female worker asked Zhao Tieying, who was standing at the entrance.

The other workers also turned to look at Zhao Tieying.

"Qiaojiao Beef is a medicinal dish passed down through our Cattle-Slaughtering Zhou Village," Zhao Tieying said with a smile. "Not only is it delicious, it also drives out cold and dampness. It won't be ready this morning, though. This pot needs to simmer for a full eight hours. Come by after work at noon, and you'll catch the first broth at its freshest and most delicious. You'll know how good it is once you try it."

"Eight hours of simmering?"

The workers were all a little taken aback.

But Auntie Zhao had indeed piqued their curiosity.

A medicinal dish sounded rather high-end.

Customers who came in for noodles also casually asked about it.

Auntie Zhao answered every question. She simply followed the sales pitch Zhou Yan had taught her over the past two days, talking only about Qiaojiao Beef and never mentioning hotpot.

Their curiosity was thoroughly aroused.

Zhou Erwa Restaurant's Qiaojiao Beef had gained its first wave of publicity.

Once the morning service ended, they began preparing for the noon rush.

"Auntie Zhao, well said." Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen and gave Zhao Tieying a thumbs-up.

"Get lost!" Zhao Tieying rolled her eyes at him, though the upward curve of her lips revealed how pleased she was.

"Deputy Director Lin, are you feeling unwell? I've seen you sneezing all morning." Outside the Textile Factory meeting room, Zhao Dong quickened his pace to catch up with Lin Zhiqiang and asked with concern.

Lin Zhiqiang sniffed. His nose was rubbed bright red from wiping it with coarse paper, and fatigue was plain on his face. He forced a faint smile. "I've been running all over the province these past few days, then spent two days in meetings in Chengdu. I really am tired. I caught a little chill last night, but it's nothing serious."

As he spoke, he turned away and covered his mouth and nose to sneeze again.

"You don't look like you're fine. Go get some medicine from the clinic, then head home and get some proper rest. Your health comes first," Zhao Dong said quickly.

"I can't. There's a technical sharing meeting this afternoon, and it can't be delayed." Lin Zhiqiang shook his head with a smile. "Come on, let's go eat noodles at Zhou Yan's place. I haven't had his noodles in days, and I've been craving them terribly. We'll eat first, then I'll get medicine."

He patted his black briefcase as he spoke. "I brought something good."

Zhao Dong's eyes lit up, but he then looked troubled and lowered his voice. "During work hours? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

"What did you think it was?" Lin Zhiqiang laughed and pulled a glass bottle from his briefcase. The label read, "East Lake Vinegar."

"Vinegar?" Zhao Dong scratched his head awkwardly. "I thought it was alcohol."

"This is authentic aged Shanxi vinegar. A fellow townsman brought it for me. Apparently, this is the vinegar they use at state banquets." Lin Zhiqiang carefully put the vinegar back in his briefcase like it was a treasure.

"I can't stand that sour taste. Chili peppers are what make food taste right. If I go a day without spicy food, I get restless," Zhao Dong said, shaking his head.

"I'm exactly the opposite. If I go a day without vinegar, I get restless too," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

The two chatted and laughed as they headed toward the main gate. It was lunchtime, and many workers were also making their way toward the factory entrance to grab something from the food stalls outside.

"Why is there a stove set up outside?" Lin Zhiqiang spotted the stove in front of the restaurant at once. His gaze moved downward, and he looked surprised. "Qiaojiao Beef? A new dish?"

"Looks like a new dish. Zhou Village hotpot has always been pretty famous. There's a Zhouji Hotpot by the docks that tastes decent. Zhou Yan is from Zhou Village, and this smells quite good." Zhao Dong had come for a bowl of noodles the day before yesterday, but the sign had not been written on the stove then.

The stock had simmered for a full eight hours, and the rich scent of meat drifted out with the steam, stirring up everyone's appetite.

"An ancestral medicinal recipe from an old Chinese doctor, and it even drives out cold and dampness. Interesting." Lin Zhiqiang read the smaller print underneath as well, then teased, "I'll order a serving later and see whether it really works. If it does, I won't even need to go to the hospital."

Zhao Tieying stood behind the stove and had spotted them long ago. She greeted them with a smile, "Two leaders, come sit inside."

"Okay." Lin Zhiqiang answered and entered with Zhao Dong. They found an empty table and sat down.

The workers already seated inside greeted them as well.

Lin Zhiqiang was the factory's technical leader. Though he was a deputy director, he had none of the airs of a leader and was highly respected by the workers.

"Two leaders, what would you like today?" Zhao Tieying came over and saw Lin Zhiqiang's red nose and poor complexion. "Have you caught a cold?"

Zhao Tieying had an excellent impression of Xia Yao. Lin Zhiqiang's family had no pretensions and knew how to repay kindness, making them easy to get along with.

"It's nothing, just a little chill." Lin Zhiqiang managed a smile. "I saw that your new Qiaojiao Beef can drive out cold. Bring me a bowl, and a bowl of Braised Pork Rib Noodles too."

"I'll have a bowl of Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles," Zhao Dong said.

He was in no hurry to order Qiaojiao Beef. It wasn't as if he had never eaten hotpot before. The Zhouji Hotpot by the docks was pricier than other places and only charged forty cents a bowl, while this place wanted sixty cents. What a rip-off.

He would let Lin Zhiqiang try it first. If it was good, he could always order it afterward.

"All right, I'll make them now." Zhao Tieying walked toward the large pot and said, "Speaking of driving out cold, my husband caught a chill a couple of days ago too. He ate a bowl of Qiaojiao Beef, sweated all over, and was better that very day. It works wonders."

A new item had been added to the menu on the wall: Qiaojiao Beef, sixty cents a bowl.

It cost the same as a bowl of noodles.

If they wanted rice with it, that cost another ten cents.

It was not cheap.

So none of the customers in the restaurant had ordered it yet. They had all ordered noodles.

When they heard Lin Zhiqiang order Qiaojiao Beef, they all looked over with anticipation on their faces.

Someone had to be the brave one and try it first.

Lin Zhiqiang noticed their gazes and said with a smile, "Looks like everyone doesn't have much faith in this new dish. Then I'll try it for you all first. If it's good, you can order it afterward."

"Okay!" the workers answered with laughter.

Zhao Tieying had been delighted to make her first sale, but hearing that made her somewhat nervous. This was a chance to open up the market!

She picked up the tongs and first grabbed a handful of cabbage, blanching it in a wire strainer. Then she fished a length of beef intestine and a piece of beef tendon from the bubbling stock and chopped them into small sections. She scooped out the barely cooked cabbage and laid it at the bottom of a ceramic bowl, then piled the beef intestine and tendon on top.

She picked up a handful of tripe, swished it seven times down and eight times up in the broth, then immediately lifted it into the ceramic bowl. She took three slices of thinly cut hanging tender and blanched them in the stock for a few seconds before taking them out.

She ladled a scoop of stock into the ceramic bowl, sprinkled on some chopped scallions, placed a soup spoon inside, and carried it straight to the table.

"This is the dipping sauce. Qiaojiao Beef tastes even better dipped in it," Zhao Tieying said as she set down a dipping dish, then stepped aside with a smile.

The customers all craned their necks to look, and their eyes lit up.

"There's quite a bit of meat in that bowl of Qiaojiao Beef! Looks like at least six ounces."

"Other places mostly use cheap offal like beef liver and lung. This place uses beef intestine, tripe, tendon, and even hanging tender!"

"We just don't know how it tastes. It sure smells great."

Lin Zhiqiang also studied the bowl of Qiaojiao Beef before him. The broth was clear, without any excess impurities. The thinly sliced beef was pink, visibly tender, and its aroma rushed at him, mixed with the fragrances of spices and Chinese herbs in an intensely alluring way.

He picked up the spoon and took a sip of the soup first. The moment it entered his mouth, his eyes lit up.

This soup was incredibly fresh!

The beef bones and offal had been simmered together, their flavors balanced perfectly by the spices and Chinese herbs. There was not the slightest gaminess, only freshness brought out to the fullest.

It was different from the artificial savoriness produced by MSG. The broth coaxed out through long hours of simmering beef bones left a clean, refreshing aftertaste.

He drank several mouthfuls in a row. His body immediately warmed up, a light sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his weary spirits perked up considerably.

"This soup is so fresh!"

Lin Zhiqiang exclaimed in admiration. He picked up a piece of pink beef with his chopsticks. It had been sliced very thin, comparable to the beef added to the Lanzhou Beef Noodles he had eaten while away on business.

He dipped it into the sauce, instantly coating it with chili powder, and was stunned the moment it entered his mouth.

The beef slices were large, thin, and soft—so tender it was unbelievable!

The chili powder was the perfect finishing touch. Its layered heat emphasized its fragrance above all else, making it an impeccable match for the beef.

Beef intestine, tripe, beef tendon—he tasted them one piece after another, then took several more large gulps of soup.

Even Zhao Dong beside him could not help swallowing several times. Lin Zhiqiang was eating with such enjoyment that he could not resist asking, "How does it taste?"