Comrade Xiao Zhou's Skills Are Impressive (Second Update!)

Wang Hongliang was a foodie and a cook, and he had always had high standards.

The moment this Two-Pepper Beef was served, its presentation was beyond reproach.

The minced beef was finely chopped without being mushy, every grain distinct. The green and red peppers made up nearly half the dish, their vivid colors gleaming with oil. The fragrance of meat and spicy heat intertwined and rushed at them, making people swallow involuntarily.

"Smells so good!"

Even the children playing nearby were drawn in by the aroma. Sniffing eagerly, they climbed back onto their stools.

"My brother made it. It's super delicious!" Zhou Momo said proudly.

"Let me try it first." Wang Hongliang scooped half a spoonful of Suihua Beef into his bowl, then used his own spoon to bring some to his mouth and savor it carefully.

The beef was crisp on the outside and tender within, with a slight springiness to every bite. The heat of the red peppers, the freshness of the green peppers, the faint numbing spice, and the intense fragrance collided on his tongue and blended perfectly.

The more Wang Hongliang chewed, the brighter his eyes became. He could not hide the amazement on his face.

Suji had Cattle-Slaughtering Zhou Village, so beef was not a rare ingredient there. Wang Hongliang knew all kinds of ways to prepare beef, and Suihua Beef was one of the dishes he often made.

But he had to admit that he could not make it this good.

Suihua Beef was all about controlling the heat. With minced beef only slightly larger than grains of rice, insufficient heat left the beef lacking in fragrance, while even a little too much heat made it tough and dry.

It looked simple, but it was actually extremely difficult.

The green and red peppers had been stir-fried dry, their fresh, spicy flavors infused into the beef. The whole dish looked light and clean, yet tasted numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant.

"This is really good—better than the Suihua Beef at Rongleyuan."

Wang Hongliang set down his spoon and could not help praising it.

Rongleyuan had been founded in 1911 and was widely recognized in the industry as Sichuan Cuisine's Whampoa Military Academy. It gathered special-class and first-class chefs, and its dishes were among the very best.

Whenever Wang Hongliang went there to eat, he did so with a mindset of learning, and he had even become friends with several veteran chefs.

This was the highest praise he could give.

"It's rare to hear you praise a dish like that." Li Meilin was rather surprised. She knew her husband too well—whenever he encountered a chef less skilled than himself, he loved acting like an expert and offering a few pointers.

"Try it. I definitely can't stir-fry it to this level." Wang Hongliang smiled as he scooped a spoonful into her bowl. "Eat it with a spoon. You have to eat the peppers and beef together for the best flavor."

Li Meilin took a bite and nodded. "It is good. Crisp outside and tender inside, spicy but not overly harsh. The key is the fragrance. It would definitely go well with rice. Still, your cooking has its own charm. I think yours is no worse than this."

"We have to seek truth from facts and face the gap." Wang Hongliang smiled, though hearing his wife say that still made him happy.

Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths lifting slightly. Since both the factory director and his wife had praised the food, this meal was sure to be fine.

Lin Zhiqiang opened the Wuliangye he had brought, pouring Wang Hongliang a drink before filling his own cup as well.

As they spoke, the Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots and Braised Spare Ribs were served too.

"Come on, this one isn't spicy. Haohai, try one first." Li Meilin placed a piece of Braised Spare Rib into Wang Hao's bowl.

Wang Hao picked up his chopsticks and, after some effort, grabbed the rib and took a bite. His expression immediately lit up.

The ribs were so delicious!

They were soft and tender, falling off the bone with the gentlest bite. They were effortless to eat.

In no time, he had gnawed the meat clean from one rib, then sucked hard on the bone twice. He turned to Zhou Momo and asked with shock and envy, "Th-this... your brother made this?"

"Of course." Zhou Momo nodded.

"Your brother is amazing! These ribs are so good!" Wang Hao's face was full of envy. "They're even better than my grandpa's!"

"Let me try."

"Me too."

After hearing that, how could Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen possibly hold back? Each grabbed a rib and began gnawing on it.

"Wow! So fragrant, so delicious!"

"Dad, have you been coming here alone to eat behind our backs all the time?"

The two ate with great relish, while Lin Jingxing had already begun suspecting his father.

"What are you talking about? Don't spout nonsense." Lin Zhiqiang flatly refused to admit to sneaking meals alone.

"Momo, come sit and eat with us too." Meng Anhe smiled at Zhou Momo.

"Yes, come eat with us. Look how happily your brothers are eating." Li Meilin chimed in. She found the little girl utterly adorable.

"Auntie, Grandma, you eat first. I'm not hungry." Zhou Momo replied obediently. Rather than standing nearby and watching, she turned and ran to the kitchen to keep an eye on the stove.

"What a well-behaved little girl." Li Meilin sighed with a smile.

"Yes, she's so adorable." Meng Anhe nodded in wholehearted agreement.

The Braised Spare Ribs became the children's favorite, while Wang Hongliang picked up a piece of dried bamboo shoot and put it in his mouth.

The dried bamboo shoot had absorbed the rich meat broth and retained a slight crispness. The more he chewed, the more fragrant it became, and he nodded repeatedly as he ate.

Dried bamboo shoots absorbed flavor better than fresh ones. The broth was incredibly delicious, thick without being greasy, and seasoned to perfection.

He tried another piece of beef, beef brisket with a little tendon still attached. It had the best texture when braised.

The rich broth had seeped into the beef. The lean meat was tender without falling apart, while the tendon was soft and glutinous. With one bite, meat juices burst through his mouth. The dish was all about freshness and fragrance!

"This Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots is spot on. The beef is braised perfectly, the bamboo shoots are even more fragrant than the meat, and the seasoning is highly skilled." Wang Hongliang raised his cup and clinked it against Lin Zhiqiang's, then took a sip. "With these two signature dishes, this restaurant can stay open."

"We still have three more dishes to try." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

"Kids, be careful. The Qiaojiao Beef is here." Zhao Tieying carried over two bowls of Qiaojiao Beef, reminding the children to watch out as she carefully set down the soup. Smiling, she said, "If you need more soup or dipping sauce, just call out. We can refill them."

"Alright." Wang Hongliang nodded and took a small bowl, filling it halfway with soup first.

Zhou Village's soup pots had always been somewhat famous in Suji.

Wang Hongliang had eaten them a few times, but his impression had never been very good.

Clear broth was harder to make than red broth, and the soup used offal with a strong gamey smell. If the odor could not be suppressed, the whole pot of soup was ruined.

Those cattle butchers selling soup pots from roadside stalls had rough cooking skills. Only the dock laborers ate them more often because they were cheap.

This soup was very clear, yet the rich fragrance from beef bones simmered for a long time wafted up with the steam. There was almost no gamey smell at all.

He took a spoonful of soup.

Wang Hongliang's eyebrows rose.

Fresh!

The soup ladled straight from the bubbling pot was both scalding hot and incredibly fresh.

There was not the slightest strange taste. The spices were very subtle, perfectly highlighting the meat's fragrance and enhancing its freshness.

When he savored the aftertaste, he could also detect a faint herbal note. It was equally light, interwoven with the spices, all serving to emphasize one thing—freshness!

Zhou Hongliang blew on it, then drank the soup in his bowl in two gulps. Letting out a long breath, he praised it.

"Fresh! It's so fresh my eyebrows are about to fall off!"

As he spoke, he filled half a bowl for Li Meilin too. "Try it."

"Is it really that fresh?" Li Meilin picked up her spoon, blew on it, and took a sip. Her eyes brightened as well. "It really is incredibly fresh! This soup pot is completely different from the Zhou Village soup pots I've had before."

"That's why it's called Qiaojiao Beef, not soup pot." Wang Hongliang smiled, then tried all the beef, tripe, beef tendon, and beef intestines in his bowl.

"The beef slices are large, thin, and tender, cooked wonderfully fresh. The tripe is crisp and springy, the tendon soft and glutinous, and the intestines tender. With this dry dipping sauce, the flavor is simply unbeatable." Wang Hongliang pointed at the dry dipping sauce. "This sauce is exceptionally well balanced—numbing, spicy, salty, and fragrant. It's the finishing touch of this Qiaojiao Beef."

"Comrade Xiao Zhou's skills are impressive. This Qiaojiao Beef has fresh, delicious soup and suits both young and old. It might even become a famous Suji dish someday."

"Mm, that's possible." Lin Zhiqiang nodded along.

The three children had their heads down as they drank soup, clearly loving it immensely.

Quite a few customers had been watching this table. Hearing that, someone immediately ordered a serving of Qiaojiao Beef, wanting to know what this Qiaojiao Beef that even the factory director praised actually tasted like.

Auntie Zhao had been listening intently the whole time, and the upward curve of her lips had never gone down. Zhou Yan was such a promising child that she felt proud right along with him, her heart filled with delight.

"Come on, let's serve the Agastache Carp." Zhou Yan carried out the finale dish, the Agastache Carp, while Zhao Hong shifted the dishes on the table and placed it in the center.

Many customers turned to look. For now, only the factory director's table had ordered this dish.

At two yuan a serving, everyone was curious whether it was really worth the price.

Sichuan people loved eating fish and were skilled at preparing it. Steamed, braised, boiled in broth, dry-braised, served cold... there were countless ways to eat it.

But making fish truly delicious required considerable skill from the cook.

The Agastache Carp Zhou Yan had made looked quite good.

Thick sauce blanketed the golden-brown fried carp. Pickled chilies, pickled long beans, pickled ginger, agastache... all decorated the dish. The ingredients alone looked far from simple. A faint sour and spicy aroma drifted over, and many people could not help swallowing.

As for the taste... they would have to wait for the old factory director to try it first.

The old factory director was knowledgeable and had a picky palate. If even he said it was good, then it had to be good.

"Xiao Zhou, every dish you've made has surprised me more than the last." Wang Hongliang looked at Zhou Yan with a smile. "Let me try your Agastache Carp. I've eaten this dish made by first-class chefs at Chengdu restaurants."

"Please, go ahead." Zhou Yan smiled, brimming with confidence.

Whether the twenty carp prepared today could all be sold depended on how the factory director evaluated it.

PS: There will be an extra update tonight!

Please keep reading, and please vote with your monthly tickets! Once we break one thousand, I'll add more chapters tomorrow without waiting for the launch!