Having a Little Sister Would Be Nice Too!

Today's farce in the factory cafeteria had shown the workers who liked stir-fries Wang Defa and Huang Fusheng's true colors.

And the recently rising Zhou Erwa Restaurant became everyone's second choice.

The state-run restaurant's dishes were quite good, but it was inconvenient to get there, the food came slowly, and no one dared rush them.

The waiters at state-run restaurants had truly terrible tempers. Verbal abuse was one thing; sometimes, if things got heated, they would even hit people.

By comparison, Auntie Zhao at Zhou Erwa Restaurant was genuinely kind and approachable. If the dishes came slowly, she would even proactively serve some pickled radish and say a few apologetic words.

Those who could regularly afford stir-fries were generally the factory's managers and technical backbone, earning seventy or eighty yuan a month or more. Every few days, they would arrange a meal with friends.

Of course, many people were here for the first time. Seeing that the prices were even higher than the factory cafeteria's stir-fries, they were still somewhat hesitant.

Just then, the factory director and deputy director's families were dining together. They had ordered one of each dish, and everyone was waiting for the factory director to finish eating and give his verdict.

So far, Two-Pepper Beef, Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots, Braised Spare Ribs, and Qiaojiao Beef had all received unanimous praise. Only the most expensive Agastache Carp remained to be judged.

"Factory Director, everyone's waiting for your review." Lin Zhiqiang had long noticed what the other diners were thinking and said with a smile.

Although he had never eaten Zhou Yan's Agastache Carp, he had confidence in Zhou Yan. Since it had been saved for last, it certainly would not disappoint.

"Don't be impatient, everyone. I'll have a taste first. I'll definitely give a fair assessment, whether it's good or bad." Wang Hongliang laughed heartily as he picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of fish belly.

The thickened sauce was just right, coating the fish as it was lifted, giving it a faint sheen of oil without being overly sticky or greasy.

As the fish entered his mouth, numbness, spice, freshness, fragrance, and sourness took the stage one after another. Among them, agastache's distinctive aroma rose unexpectedly, elevating the entire flavor to another level.

There was no single fixed way to make Agastache Carp. Every chef made it differently, and that difference began with the pickled long beans and pickled chili peppers.

Sourness enhanced freshness and went well with fish. That was why people from Sichuan and Chongqing loved adding pickled mustard greens when cooking fish. Adding long beans worked on the same principle: it added flavor, enhanced freshness, and removed any fishiness.

Wang Hongliang had several pickle jars at home, filled with pickled mustard greens, pickled long beans, pickled chili peppers, pickled ginger... Every season, he pickled whatever vegetables were in season and locked them in the cellar, where only he could get to them. Whether eaten with porridge, stir-fried, or used to braise fish, they were treasures.

The pickled chili peppers and pickled long beans in this Agastache Carp had indeed been pickled well. Their sour fragrance was refreshing and distinct without overpowering the other flavors.

The blend of so many flavors was unexpectedly harmonious. It was clear how gifted Zhou Yan was.

When he bit into the fish, the slightly crisped skin was especially fragrant, while the flesh itself was exceptionally fresh and tender.

Fresh, fragrant, delicious—so good!

There were two ways to make Agastache Carp. One was to fry it first, then simmer it, reduce the sauce, and pour it over the fish.

The other skipped the frying step, simmering the fish directly in a rich broth before reducing the sauce and pouring it over, pursuing the ultimate tenderness.

Clearly, Zhou Yan had used the first method, and Wang Hongliang preferred it as well.

In his view, fish without frying lacked fragrance. No matter how tender it was, it still felt like something was missing. But if it was fried too long, the flesh would turn tough and lose its silky tenderness, so controlling the heat was extremely important.

The heat on this Agastache Carp had been handled perfectly.

Heat and seasoning had blended flawlessly. In Wang Hongliang's mind, this Agastache Carp had already taken first place, even better than the one he had eaten at a Chengdu restaurant.

Wang Hongliang pursed his lips and spat out a thin fish bone. Then he stood up, looked at Zhou Yan, and said, "Chef Zhou, your Agastache Carp is truly excellent. Numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant, with full-bodied flavor—it's no worse than the restaurants in Chengdu. I enjoy cooking too. When we both have time someday, we should have a proper exchange."

"Oh..."

The restaurant's diners cried out in surprise. They had not expected the factory director to give such high praise after eating the Agastache Carp.

Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe were somewhat surprised too.

The factory director's form of address for Zhou Yan had changed from Comrade Zhou to Little Zhou, then to Chef Zhou. It was clear how much Zhou Yan's image had changed in his mind.

Before the dishes were served, he had said he would give Little Zhou a few pointers.

Now, it had become having a proper exchange with Chef Zhou.

Well then, even the old factory director had two faces.

Meng Anhe pursed her lips and lowered her head slightly to hide the smile at the corners of her mouth. She picked up a piece of fish to taste, and her eyes soon lit up. She was genuinely amazed.

The design institute had fairly high standards for entertaining guests, and she had eaten at quite a few famous restaurants in Chengdu. If Zhou Yan's Agastache Carp were put on Rongleyuan's menu, it could easily become a signature dish.

And it was not just the Agastache Carp. The Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots, Two-Pepper Beef, and Braised Spare Ribs were all first-rate, no worse than those famous Chengdu restaurants.

For the first time, Meng Anhe seriously examined this young man.

This restaurant in a small town could not contain his talent. Given more time, he might make a name for himself in the food industry.

The three little ones at the table stared at Zhou Yan, their eyes filled with even more admiration. Today's dishes were simply too delicious!

Especially the ribs—they wanted to eat even the bones!

"You're flattering me. I still have much to learn from you." Zhou Yan smiled modestly.

"No, no, I'm only speaking the truth. When it comes to cooking, I never speak carelessly." Wang Hongliang waved his hand and smiled. "Your master is more well-rounded than you, but you have more flair. Even among the first-class chefs in those big Chengdu restaurants, few could make these dishes better than you."

As soon as he said that, the way the whole restaurant looked at Zhou Yan changed somewhat.

If it had been anyone else, people might have wondered whether Zhou Yan had hired a plant.

But the old factory director was different. He had traveled far and wide, seen plenty of the world, and was especially particular about food. For him to say such things showed that Zhou Yan's dishes today were truly excellent.

His skill was actually better than that of first-class chefs from Chengdu's big restaurants!

If this news spread, plenty of people would surely come tomorrow after hearing of it.

Auntie Zhao looked at Zhou Yan with a smile, but tears welled up in her eyes. How much hardship must this child have endured?

"Boss Lady, bring us an Agastache Carp too."

"We'll have one Two-Pepper Beef and one Agastache Carp..."

The diners could no longer sit still and began ordering one after another. Agastache Carp and Two-Pepper Beef became the hottest items.

After exchanging a few polite words, Zhou Yan returned to the kitchen to get busy.

Factory Director Wang was quite interesting. He had no airs about him, and he was pleasant to listen to.

"Come on, Factory Director, have another drink." Lin Zhiqiang poured Wang Hongliang more liquor.

"Two ounces is enough. I'm going to have a bowl of rice." Wang Hongliang waved his hand with a smile. "These are dishes made for rice. Eating is much more satisfying than drinking."

"Fine, then I'll eat too." Lin Zhiqiang smiled and put away the liquor.

Before long, Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots and Two-Pepper Beef had their signs taken down and were moved to the sold-out section.

"Sorry, everyone, those two dishes are gone. There are three portions of Braised Spare Ribs left, six portions of Agastache Carp, and around ten portions of Qiaojiao Beef. Once those are ordered, all of today's dishes will be sold out." Auntie Zhao announced apologetically.

Braised Spare Ribs and Agastache Carp were a little expensive, but that did not dampen anyone's enthusiasm. Instead, they feared someone else would get there first and leave them with nothing, so they crowded forward to order.

The dishes were booked up in an instant. Even the Qiaojiao Beef was completely sold out.

"Auntie Zhao, prepare more dishes tomorrow. Judging by this, business will definitely be booming tomorrow."

"Exactly! I'll come at noon tomorrow!"

The diners who had failed to order anything spoke gloomily.

"Alright. We'll definitely prepare more dishes tomorrow, so everyone can have some." Auntie Zhao said with a beaming smile.

The three little ones finished eating and left the table first, coaxing Zhou Momo out of the kitchen to play with them.

"Momo, do you get to eat the food your brother makes every day?" Lin Bingwen looked at Zhou Momo and asked. "Is it that delicious every day?"

"Mm." Zhou Momo nodded. "Every day."

The three little ones were incredibly envious when they heard that.

Lin Bingwen turned to look at Lin Jingxing. "Brother, when are you going to cook for me?"

"Huh?" Lin Jingxing spread his hands.

Everyone ate and drank their fill, then paid happily and left.

"Zhiqiang, you really know how to find places. If not for you, who knew when I would've discovered there was such a hidden gem of a restaurant right under my nose?" After leaving the restaurant, Wang Hongliang grabbed Lin Zhiqiang and laughed.

"I just came for the fun of it. You're the one who can taste the finer points, Factory Director. Little Zhou's cooking is good, and he's a good person too." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

"He is indeed. I'll come back another day to ask him for a few pointers. It's much more convenient than going to Chengdu." Wang Hongliang nodded.

The two families parted at the entrance. Wang Hongliang rode off on his Twenty-Eight Bicycle, carrying his grandson and Li Meilin.

Lin Zhiqiang's family headed leisurely along the riverbank toward the family housing compound.

"Dad, Mom, when are you sending Brother to learn cooking?" Lin Bingwen shook Lin Zhiqiang's hand and pleaded, "Other people's older brothers can all make delicious food!"

"Oh, give it a rest!" Lin Jingxing rolled his eyes at him, then moved to Meng Anhe's side, took her arm, and pleaded, "Mom, when are you going to have a little sister? Momo is so cute!"

"Having a little sister would be nice too!" Lin Bingwen's eyes lit up.

"You two really dare to imagine things."

Meng Anhe and Lin Zhiqiang could not help laughing.

The family's laughter echoed along the riverbank as the setting sun stretched their shadows long.

PS: Third update! You guys are awesome.

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