1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 192 Eel Strips from the River?! (6k views + 1 vote, please vote!)

"Mr. Qian?"

"Mr. Qian?"

Lin Zhiqiang and his secretary were both stunned by what they saw.

Why did I burst into tears after just one bite of Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce)? Is it really that delicious?
Lin Zhiqiang has never tried Zhou Yan's shredded pork with garlic sauce.

But shouldn't a big boss like Qian Siyuan be like that?
Qian Siyuan remained silent for a long time before putting down his chopsticks. He wiped away the tears on his face and smiled self-deprecatingly, saying, "This shredded pork with garlic sauce tastes exactly like the one my mother used to make. She has been gone for over twenty years. My thoughts are running through my head. I hope you'll forgive me, Director Lin."

“This shows that Mr. Qian is a man of strong emotions.” Lin Zhiqiang said seriously, with a hint of surprise in his tone: “However, Mr. Qian’s mother is from Sichuan?”

The factory held a meeting to discuss this cooperation and attached great importance to it. They also did some research on Qian Siyuan and learned that his father was from Hangzhou. Therefore, they specially chose Lin Zhiqiang, a son-in-law from Hangzhou, to receive him and even seriously discussed Hangzhou cuisine.

No matter how much I thought about it, his mother was actually from Sichuan?
The CEO of a multinational corporation was moved to tears by a single bite of shredded pork with garlic sauce, which shows how highly his mother regarded him.

“Yes, her hometown should be in southern Sichuan.” Qian Siyuan nodded, his expression showing a hint of excitement: “Memories may become blurred, but the taste buds don’t lie. I’ve eaten at all kinds of Sichuan restaurants in the United States, but none of them tasted like this.”

I knew it was the same as soon as I tasted it. The owner of this restaurant makes the same shredded pork with garlic sauce as my mother; perhaps he knows where my mother's hometown is.

Lin Zhiqiang said thoughtfully, "Mr. Qian, did you come back this time to find your mother's hometown?"

Qian Siyuan nodded, "Yes, I want to go see her hometown. If she still has siblings, it would be good to see them. Unfortunately, she was always busy when she was young and rarely stayed at home. Later, she suddenly fell ill, and I didn't even know where her hometown was. I only had some scattered information."

"As long as there are clues, we will definitely find it." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, "Look, you searched so hard in the United States but couldn't find the Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce), but you found it here."

Qian Siyuan smiled upon hearing this and looked at Lin Zhiqiang, saying, "Speaking of which, I have to thank Director Lin for bringing me to this restaurant, otherwise I would have missed it again."

You said you have a good relationship with the restaurant owner. After closing time, would it be convenient to talk to him? Perhaps he can give me some guidance.

"Of course, no problem. After business hours, I can talk to him and see if he can offer you any assistance," Lin Zhiqiang nodded with a smile.

Qian Siyuan is a major client. If he leaves directly, the deal will most likely fall through.

Now, they have formed a bond because of this dish, Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce), which is related to his mother's hometown. Perhaps this could be the breakthrough point for this collaboration.

Lin Zhiqiang has eaten a lot of Sichuan cuisine, but his understanding of it is ultimately limited to just eating it. Asking him to talk about its origins is really asking too much of him.

Now we can only hope that Xiao Zhou is better than him, that he doesn't just focus on doing things, but can explain some background information and provide Qian Siyuan with some useful help.

"Thank you very much," Qian Siyuan said gratefully.

The three continued eating. As Qian Siyuan ate the shredded pork with garlic sauce, his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, perhaps as he recalled some fond memories.

Lin Zhiqiang picked up a piece of shredded pork with fish-fragrant sauce and put it in his mouth. It was salty, spicy, sour and fragrant, and had a very authentic fish-fragrant flavor. It was no worse than what he had eaten at Rongleyuan.

The meat is tender and smooth, made from slightly fatty pork belly, which has a more succulent texture than some cuts made from tenderloin.

The finishing touch, without a doubt, is the winter bamboo shoots!

The winter bamboo shoots were cut into thick shreds, giving them a crisp texture and a very fresh and delicious flavor that was refreshing and helped to cut through any greasiness.

Fresh winter bamboo shoots are already out?!

This truly surprised him; eating winter bamboo shoots at the dinner table seemed to be a reminder that winter had arrived.

Food ingredients are seasonal; meals are served three times a day, all year round, and food is a major event.

The shredded pork with garlic sauce that he ate at Rongleyuan had bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms added to it; it was the first time he had ever had winter bamboo shoots added.

Each has its own merits.

But winter bamboo shoots are indeed more delicious and crisp than green bamboo shoots.

The fish-fragrant flavor is perfectly balanced, consistent with Zhou Yan's usual seasoning standards. It's savory and salty at the top, followed by a slightly sour and spicy taste with a hint of sweetness. The flavors of ginger, scallions, and garlic are very prominent.

What are the characteristics of Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce)?
This is perfect with rice!

He shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth, then turned his chopsticks to the plate of stir-fried pork liver next to him.

Forget it, let's leave this shredded pork with garlic sauce for Qian Siyuan to enjoy today. He can bring his wife and kids to eat it in a couple of days.

Look how perceptive Secretary Wang is next to me. She ate spoonful after spoonful of Mapo Tofu, but didn't touch the shredded pork with fish-fragrant sauce even once.

This is called professionalism.

After lunch, Qian Siyuan stopped Lin Zhiqiang and asked his secretary to settle the bill.

"Director Lin, I have to treat you to this meal. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to eat this shredded pork with garlic sauce that I've been craving for so many years," Qian Siyuan said earnestly.

"Mr. Qian, I can't accept this. I haven't even fulfilled my duty as host yet," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

“This is the most satisfying meal I’ve had since I came to China. This is the best way you can show me hospitality,” Qian Siyuan said with a smile. “Let’s go out first and wait at the door. The kitchen is still busy right now.”

“Okay, let’s go to the riverbank for some fresh air.” Lin Zhiqiang nodded and went out with Qian Siyuan to take a walk and chat by the river.

An hour later, as it approached the factory's start time, the customers in the store gradually left, and Lin Zhiqiang and Qian Siyuan finally returned.

"Hello Uncle Lin~" Zhou Momo was sitting by the door drawing in the sand with a small stick. She looked up at the two of them and then greeted Qian Siyuan, "Hello Uncle too~"

Lin Zhiqiang and Qian Siyuan both laughed.

"Hello, Momo." Lin Zhiqiang introduced to Qian Siyuan with a smile: "This is Zhou Yan's younger sister, Zhou Momo. She is only three and a half years old this year, but the little one can already talk."

"Hmm, she's very cute, the same age as my granddaughter, and she has big eyes too." Qian Siyuan looked at Zhou Momo with a smile, took a step forward, looked at the drawing on the ground, and asked with a smile, "Little girl, what are you drawing?"

Zhou Momo pointed to the sky and said, "Today I drew the sky. Look how pretty the clouds are today! That one looks like a fish, that one looks like a steamed bun, and that one looks like a shumai..."

Qian Siyuan and Lin Zhiqiang looked up and felt that the originally ordinary clouds had become colorful and even... delicious after the little guy said that.

Qian Siyuan turned his gaze to the ground, carefully examining Zhou Momo's drawing. He said with some surprise, "Hmm, it's really well drawn. It's quite impressive even on sand. Maybe she can become a painter in the future."

Zhou Momo shook her head at him and said seriously, "I don't want to be a painter, I want to be a policewoman."

"A policewoman?" Qian Siyuan looked puzzled.

Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen, took off her apron and hung it on a nail behind the counter. Hearing their conversation, she came out and explained with a smile, "When she grows up, she wants to be a policeman. She's the younger sister, so she can't be a policeman uncle, she can only be a policeman auntie."

Qian Siyuan smiled upon hearing this and gave Zhou Momo a thumbs up: "Ambitious!"

After he finished speaking, he looked up at Zhou Yan.

The young man was very tall, over 1.8 meters, wearing a white chef's uniform. Just like in the magazine photos, he was young and handsome, with short hair that made him look energetic. He had a smile on his face that made him seem approachable.

"Xiao Zhou, this is Mr. Qian, an overseas Chinese who has returned from the United States. He has some questions he would like to ask you," Lin Zhiqiang introduced to Zhou Yan, winking at him.

"Hello Mr. Qian, I am Zhou Yan, the owner and chef of the restaurant." Zhou Yan smiled and extended his hand.

"Hello Zhou Yan, I am Qian Siyuan." Qian Siyuan shook hands with him and smiled, "Your dishes are quite delicious, each one is of a very high standard, especially the shredded pork with garlic sauce, which is the most amazing chef I have met since I came to China."

"Mr. Qian, you flatter me." Zhou Yan smiled and didn't try to be too modest, as Americans don't buy into that. "Come in and sit down to chat. We're closed for lunch now."

“Okay.” Qian Siyuan nodded and entered the restaurant with Lin Zhiqiang. His secretary, Xiao Wang, had already taken out her notebook and was preparing to take notes.

Zhou Yan brewed a pot of tea, poured it for the three of them first, and then sat down unhurriedly. "What would you like to ask, Mr. Qian?"

"Mr. Zhou, are you a native of Suji? Is the shredded pork with garlic sauce you made today the local Suji recipe?" Qian Siyuan looked intently at Zhou Yan, paused, and then added, "I came back to China this time to find my mother's hometown, but I only have some memories of the taste. The shredded pork with garlic sauce you made today is almost exactly the same as the shredded pork with garlic sauce my mother made in my memory. I need some help from you."

[Ding! Side quest triggered: Qian Siyuan's Journey of Taste and Roots! Overseas Chinese Qian Siyuan has come to Jiaozhou in search of his mother's hometown, but he doesn't know where it is, only having some memories of the flavors his mother used to taste. Please help him find his mother's hometown and fulfill his dream of finding his family!]

[Task Reward: Unknown! Accept: Yes/No]

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow, not expecting the dog system to trigger a side quest.

The journey of seeking flavors and tracing roots is quite a novel mission.

As he was still pondering, he could already feel Uncle Lin's even more intense gaze beside him.

Alright, it seems this big client is quite important to Uncle Lin.

I'll accept this task first and see if I can help find it later.

Unlike in the future, there are no methods for DNA kinship testing in this era.

Finding someone in a vast sea of ​​people is harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

He was somewhat surprised that the second-generation overseas Chinese could speak Mandarin so fluently. He remembered that Uncle Lin had mentioned his ancestral home was Hangzhou, so it was quite unusual that he had come all the way to Sichuan to find his mother's hometown.

This suggests that he and his mother must have had a very deep mother-son relationship, or perhaps... a regret?
"Fish-fragrant shredded pork is a traditional Sichuan dish with a long history and widespread popularity. It has a significant influence in Sichuan and even throughout the country. It's a common dish, just like twice-cooked pork." Zhou Yan shook his head at Qian Siyuan and said, "You can't accurately determine Mr. Qian's mother's hometown based solely on a dish of fish-fragrant shredded pork. The core and key to the fish-fragrant flavor is pickled vegetables, specifically pickled Erjingtiao peppers. As long as the pickled Erjingtiao peppers taste authentic and the seasoning is done well, chefs from every part of Sichuan can make a dish like this fish-fragrant shredded pork."

Qian Siyuan was stunned after hearing this, and his face showed undisguised disappointment.

He had been full of expectations, thinking he could get the answer from Zhou Yan.

Unexpectedly, this is the result: chefs from every region in Sichuan can make it, which means they know nothing about it.

Lin Zhiqiang opened his mouth, but then closed it again. He knew Zhou Yan was right.

The fish-flavored eggplant made by Rongleyuan tasted similar to that made by Zhou Yan, but that was a restaurant in Rongcheng, and the chef there was of unknown origin.

He had eaten delicious fish-flavored eggplant in Weihai during his last business trip.

Zhou Yan smiled and comforted him, "Mr. Qian, don't be discouraged. Perhaps you can talk about the dishes your mother used to cook for you. There are many dishes with strong local characteristics in Sichuan cuisine, such as Jiaozhou sweet-skinned duck, Jianyang mutton soup, Bishan braised chicken, Rongchang braised goose... If you can find one, you might be able to pinpoint the exact dish."

Qian Siyuan's eyes lit up again. After thinking for a while, he said, "My mother would use two slices of fatty meat with sugar sandwiched between them, and steam a bowl of glutinous rice underneath. The glutinous rice was also sweet. She would only steam a bowl of it during festivals. It tasted extremely delicious."

“This is sweet braised pork belly. This dish is a classic Sichuan dish and is almost always served at banquets in various places. It’s not particularly representative.” Zhou Yan shook his head.

"My mother would marinate and air-dry the meat with salt and various seasonings in winter, and then smoke it over a low fire to give it a smoky flavor. For the next six months or so, we could eat all kinds of dishes stir-fried with cured meat."

"This is cured pork. People in various parts of Sichuan make cured pork and sausages every winter."

"my mother……"

Qian Siyuan kept recalling and describing the taste of his mother's cooking in his memory, as if searching for flavors in the long river of time.

Zhou Yan could always accurately describe the dishes he made, and also give a general idea of ​​their origins and history.

Zhou Yan can cook a few dishes; the menu on the wall covers them all.

The Sichuan dishes he has eaten are enough to fill an entire wall, he has traveled almost all over Sichuan, and he knows the origins of many of the dishes.

Now, this is called professionalism!
Qian Siyuan's mother was skilled in many types of Sichuan cuisine, but they were all very classic Sichuan dishes. She was especially good at stir-frying and pan-frying, and there were always three pickling jars in the house, so there was pickled vegetables all year round.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Mr. Qian's mother probably had a cook in her family. In those days, ordinary women couldn't learn so many classic Sichuan dishes. They sounded quite authentic."

Qian Siyuan nodded and said, "My mother said that my maternal grandfather was indeed a chef. It was a family skill that was passed down to men but not women. She loved to stay in the kitchen since she was a child, helping to chop vegetables and secretly learning some cooking skills. But in those days, women were not allowed to cook, so she could only cook at home."

“No wonder.” Zhou Yan nodded. That makes sense. The more this is the case, the harder it is to analyze her hometown’s cuisine from the dishes she knows.

"These are the dishes my mother cooked that I remember most vividly, but according to you, they are all common and classic Sichuan dishes. It's impossible to tell where her hometown is, right?" Qian Siyuan looked somewhat disappointed, but Zhou Yan could accurately name every dish he mentioned, many of which even had historical origins.

Lin Zhiqiang, listening nearby, was also getting anxious. He wanted to help Qian Siyuan, not entirely for the sake of the order. As people reach middle age, they gain a deeper understanding of their mother's place in their hearts.

He traveled across the ocean and over mountains to reach Jiaozhou. Perhaps his mother's hometown was more important to him than the silk of Jiading.

“It’s not that there’s been no progress at all. Judging from the dishes you’ve mentioned, your mother is particularly skilled at stir-frying and pan-frying, and she’s adept at using chili oil in her seasonings, balancing sour and sweet flavors, with a preference for the sweeter ones. This is quite in line with the cooking characteristics of the Dahebang region,” Zhou Yan said.

"The Great River Gang?" Qian Siyuan looked at him.

"The so-called 'Greater River Gang' refers to the area around Jiangjin, Hejiang, Luxian, Yibin, and Jiaozhou in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. This area was less affected by the wars during the Ming and Qing dynasties and is where many of the original Sichuanese people have been preserved. They have retained many authentic aspects in their food, culture, and language. A major characteristic is their fondness for glutinous rice," Zhou Yan explained.

Jiaozhou dialect is quite unique in Sichuan dialect, being a relatively pure form of Sichuan dialect.

As a result, it now sounds the least like Sichuan dialect.

Let alone outsiders, even people from Sichuan would be slapped in the face when a Jiaozhou native opens their mouth.

Zhou Yan had a roommate from Jiaozhou during college, and his other two roommates from Chengdu both said that they managed to learn a foreign language during their four years of college.

This joke made Zhou Yan, an outsider, laugh hysterically.

Qian Siyuan nodded repeatedly. In that case, it wasn't entirely fruitless. It basically confirmed his previous judgment that his mother's hometown should be in the Jiaozhou area.

Zhou Yan looked at him and continued, "Mr. Qian, I think your mother's cooking was limited by the availability of American ingredients and seasonings, which affected her performance. Has she ever told you what other dishes she was good at? Or what hometown dishes she remembers fondly?"

“My mother actually said that! What I remember most vividly is that she said, ‘This foreign devil’s place has nothing, which is affecting my performance!’” Qian Siyuan’s eyes lit up as he said this, and then he laughed, his eyes filled with deep nostalgia.

He thought about it seriously for a while, then looked up at Zhou Yan and said, "I remember! Once she made noodles for everyone, and halfway through the meal, she suddenly said that in her hometown, people eat a kind of fish, remove the bones, tear it into long strips, and then eat it like noodles. It's boneless and tastes so good!"

I can't remember what the fish was called, but I remember her saying it looked a lot like a snake—long and slippery—which became a childhood nightmare for me.

I find it terrifying—tearing a snake into strips and then cooking it to eat; it sounds incredibly horrifying.

"Linjiang eel shreds?!" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up.

Case solved!
A fish that looks like a snake—that must be an eel!

In Jiaozhou, the only dish famous for eating eel is Linjiang eel shreds.

The cooked eel is deboned and shredded, then cooked a second time in a method similar to boiled fish. The finished dish is a large bowl of shredded eel, which is indeed like noodles when picked up. It is boneless, tender, smooth, and tastes excellent.

It definitely deserves the word 'awesome'!

Not to mention Jiaozhou, even the entire Shanghe Gang has no more famous way of eating eel shreds.

"Linjiang eel shreds?" Qian Siyuan also stood up, looking at Zhou Yan who seemed slightly excited, and asked, "Linjiang is a place name? In Jiaozhou?"

"Linjiang eel shreds! I've had them before!" Lin Zhiqiang was also a little excited. He had given up hope, but Zhou Yan changed his approach and actually found the right direction for him!

“That’s right. I think the fish your mother was talking about was eel. The way to slice eel into strips and then cook it is a specialty of Linjiang Town in Jiaozhou. Linjiang eel strips are quite famous and have a strong local flavor, but they probably weren’t widely popular back then.” Zhou Yan nodded. “So, I think it’s quite possible that she was from Linjiang.”

“Linjiang, Linjiang…” Qian Siyuan paced back and forth.

This is the first time in many years that the location has been specified down to the township level, and it sounds very credible.

Linjiang Town, what a unique place name it is.

The thought that his mother might have been born there filled him with excitement and a little nervousness.

When Zhou Yan talks about Linjiang, besides Linjiang eel shreds, he also thinks of the Kong School of Peking Opera.

The Kong school originated in Linjiang. Its founder, Kong Rui, was from Linjiang. His grandmaster, Kong Huaifeng, and grand-uncle, Kong Qingfeng, both came from Linjiang and were masters of making Linjiang eel shreds.

Even his master made excellent Linjiang eel shreds.

In Zhou Yan's memory, there was a year when he spent the Spring Festival at his master's house and ate eel shreds from Linjiang, which tasted amazing.

The wild eels of that era were far superior to those farmed in later generations.

"Are you sure?" Qian Siyuan couldn't help but grab Zhou Yan's hand, his voice trembling slightly, his eyes already reddening.

“I can’t guarantee or be sure about this kind of thing.” Zhou Yan shook his head and continued, “However, my master makes excellent Linjiang eel shreds. Why don’t I ask him to make a batch for Mr. Qian and see if it’s the same as what your mother described in your memory? Once you have a better understanding, it won’t be too late to go to Linjiang to look for your relatives.”

My advisor is a local from Linjiang, and my master also knows some locals. He can help find people there, which will make things easier.

"That's great!" Qian Siyuan's eyes lit up, and he gripped Zhou Yan's hand a little tighter: "That would be too much trouble for Boss Zhou and your master."

"It's no trouble at all. Mr. Qian has come all this way to trace his roots, so it's nothing for us to help out," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Then you can sit in the shop for a while, and I'll go ask my master for help. This dish is quite complicated to make, and we need to find wild eels, which may not be easy to find this season. We'll try our best."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble." Qian Siyuan nodded and then let go of Zhou Yan's hand.

Zhou Yan glanced at his hand, which was red from being gripped, and felt slightly helpless. He turned around to push his bicycle and greeted Aunt Zhao, "Mom, get Uncle Lin and the others a kettle of hot water. You can go take your afternoon nap."

"Yes, you've been busy all morning, go and rest, don't worry about us." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile. He wasn't going to work this afternoon either, he would stay here and keep them company, maybe he could even get a free meal of eel from Linjiang.

It has to be Zhou Yan!

He knew Xiao Zhou was reliable!

Zhou Yan rode his bicycle to the town, turned into an alley, and stopped outside a small courtyard.

He parked the car against the wall, went up and knocked on the door, calling out, "Master! Master!"

After a while, the door opened, and Xiao Lei, while putting on his coat, rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at Zhou Yan: "Jingfeng pulling fire claws? Aren't you going to take a nap?"

Zhou Yan pulled him up and said, "Master, don't sleep! Big order! Urgent need!"

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(End of this chapter)