1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 340 [A Delicious Spicy Blood Tofu] (6.5k words, two chapters combined)

Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe ate with great relish. They had been working in Sichuan for several years, but they had very few experiences of eating at open-air banquets, and this was their first time eating a pig-slaughtering feast.

The big, fat pig that was being held down in the yard this morning is now a plate of food on the table. It's delicious, needless to say, and the taste is absolutely amazing.

“The pork I cut myself tastes better,” Lin Zhiqiang said to Meng Anhe with a broad smile.

"Then eat more and nourish your old back. I'll help you develop those two photos of the pig later," Meng Anhe said with a smile, placing braised pork ribs on her two sons' plates.

"Sure, keep it as a souvenir." Lin Zhiqiang nodded with a smile and scooped a spoonful of braised pork intestines and blood tofu for Meng Anhe. "Try this, it's a new dish that Zhou Yan just came up with last week, you haven't tried it yet."

"Okay," Meng Anhe replied, then lowered her head to eat.

She spent the whole morning drinking tea with the old lady and chatting about many things.

The old lady was very talkative. Although she had lived in Suji her whole life, her life experience and conversation were quite profound.

The atmosphere at Old Zhou's house was indeed nice. Before coming, she and Old Lin had some concerns, fearing that when they and Xia Yao came to the village, a bunch of relatives would surround them and want to talk about the relationship between the two young people.

Firstly, they felt a little embarrassed, and secondly, they were, after all, just aunt and uncle; they couldn't make decisions about Xia Yao's affairs, nor did they dare to.

But after arriving in Zhoucun, the Zhou family never mentioned the matter, maintaining a remarkably simple and restrained demeanor.

The old lady did learn about Xia Yao's family situation, as well as her university and work plans. After learning that Xia Yao had not yet graduated from university and was planning to work in Hong Kong after graduation, she did not ask any further questions.

However, the old lady said that Zhou Yan and Xia Yao are still young, and the country has not yet approved their marriage. It's good to let the young people get along on their own.

"Here, Zhiqiang, have a drink." Zhou Miao brought over the wine and poured it for Lin Zhiqiang.

"If you don't mind, you can bring your two children to the village often. There are lots of people in the village, and it's lively when you eat there," Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

"How could I say I dislike it? I love it! I love joining in on this kind of excitement." Lin Zhiqiang waved his hand and said with a smile, "This is the first time I've ever had a pig-slaughtering feast in Sichuan and Chongqing. It's so interesting."

"Sister Ying, look how much fun the two kids are having. Next time you call them, they'll definitely come," Meng Anhe said with a smile.

Lin Bingwen and Lin Jingxing, their hands and faces covered in oil from eating, looked up at the sound and nodded, saying:
"Godmother! You must call me next time!"

"Me too!"

"Okay, I'll definitely call you two goodies next time." Zhao Tieying nodded with a smile.

The group chatted and ate, their conversation light and pleasant.

"Would you like to try this pork soup?" Zhou Yan and Xia Yao asked.

"Okay." Xia Yao nodded.

Zhou Yan took her bowl and ladled out a bowl of milky white soup, which contained tender pork, pork intestines, pork liver, pork heart, pork lungs, and a little sweet potato starch.

A steaming bowl of broth, its aroma filling the air.

A very good bowl of pork offal soup.

Ah Wei's skill in making pork offal soup was quite good, exceeding Zhou Yan's expectations.

Each person was given a small dish of dried chili powder, which was used to dip the pork soup.

Actually, the way to eat this pork offal soup is similar to that of "Qiaojiao Beef". You simmer bone broth, cook pork offal, and finally blanch the tender meat and pork liver that you want to have the right texture before serving.

Since we're drinking soup, the broth is relatively light in flavor, so we use dried chili powder as a dipping sauce to add richness.

The dipping sauce was brought directly from the shop, and Ah Wei thought the shop's version tasted better than his.

"Thank you," Xia Yao said softly. This was the first time she had ever eaten such a mixed stew of pork offal.

Zhou Yan also ladled himself a bowl. He had already tasted the dishes he cooked, but he still wanted to try Ah Wei's pork soup.

"Master Zhou, please give me some pointers." Awei put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhou Yan.

"Let me try some." Zhou Yan picked up his chopsticks and tasted all the pork intestines, pig heart, and pig lungs, nodding as he ate.

"Ah Wei, your skill in making pork soup is impeccable, it's amazing! The intestines are soft and tender, the pork heart is slightly crunchy, and the pork lungs are tender and soft, all soaked up with bone broth, making it especially delicious."

The pork belly was very tender and juicy, with a satisfyingly chewy texture. The liver was cooked to perfection, and the blood was just right. Dipping it in chili powder gave it a completely different flavor—delicious! A bowl of soup warmed me right up.

Zhou Yan drank all the soup from the bowl to show respect.

"Teacher Zhou, you flatter me, you flatter me." Awei cupped his hands in greeting, his chin slightly raised, a smug smile on his face.

"Ah Wei, you've mastered the art of making this pork soup. I haven't had such an authentic way of cooking it in years." The old lady drank a bowl of soup and gave Ah Wei a thumbs up.

"Grandma, you flatter me." Awei was flattered.

Everyone was quite satisfied with the pig-slaughtering feast, and even the large pot of pig-slaughtering soup was completely eaten up.

Everyone's face was beaming with smiles, genuinely happy.

"Zhou Yan, your cooking skills are getting better and better. Next month, when we slaughter a pig, we'll pick a Sunday and invite you back to cook the pig-slaughtering feast, okay?" Grandpa Zhou Qing said, holding Zhou Yan's hand.

“Okay, sir, it’s just a matter of a word from you, I’ll definitely come. Just let me know two or three days in advance, and I’ll bring all the seasonings and side dishes.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

"You little rascal, you really know how to handle things." Zhou Qing patted his arm with a smile.

The group cleared the table, took a broken earthenware pot, lit a fire, and gathered around the fire to warm themselves and chat.

The weather was nice today. The sun shone through the bare branches of the persimmon tree and fell on the people at the door, who were chatting and eating oranges.

Lin Zhiqiang was pulled aside to play cards, but he quickly got into the game.

A group of children surrounded Xia Yao, watching her draw rabbits, birds, and horses on paper, occasionally letting out exclamations of amazement, creating a chorus of "wows."

"Isn't my sister Yao Yao amazing?"

"Let me tell you, I can draw birds and chicks too."

Zhou Momo stood next to her, her little face full of pride.

"Auntie, you're amazing!"

The little kid next to her nodded repeatedly, and the way he looked at her was different now.

Zhou Yan hadn't finished his work yet, so he took a bamboo stick and shaved two bamboo skewers, then poked holes in each of the previously tied sausages to release the air.

This step is crucial, as it determines whether the sausage can be dried out in time, thus affecting the sausage's texture and fermentation results.

Why do some sausages fall apart and rot as soon as they're cut open? It's because the details weren't done properly.

After the sausages are punctured to release air, they are hung on bamboo poles set up in the yard. This step is to air dry them. After air drying for a few days, they are smoked with cypress branches and oak wood, which is the next step.

Xia Yao let the children draw in the sand, and then she went into the yard. Looking at the sausages hanging on the bamboo poles, she asked curiously, "How long will it take before we can eat the freshly made cured meat and sausages?"

"After drying, it needs to be smoked for another half month, which will take about twenty days," Zhou Yan said.

"Twenty days? I've already gone back to school. It seems I won't have a chance to eat it this year." Xia Yao said with a hint of regret.

Zhou Yan said with a smile, "Give me your home address in Hangzhou. Once the cured meat and sausages are ready and the weather gets really cold, I'll send some to your family so you can eat them during the New Year."

Xia Yao hesitated for a moment: "Won't this... be too much trouble? Sending it so far away, the postage is quite expensive."

"Not to mention the expensive postage, the items might not even reach Hangzhou." Meng Anhe walked in and said with a smile, "Xiao Zhou, Lao Lin and I are going back to our home in Hangzhou next month. I'll bring them to you then."

Zhou Yan nodded upon hearing this: "That's great. We'll bring a copy for Xia Yao's grandparents too."

Not only was it possible for the package to arrive, but Zhou Yan was also worried about its hygiene. After all, vacuum sealing was no longer an option, and the items being sent out might end up mixed with something else in the metal train.

Meng Anhe smiled and said, "Okay, that's very thoughtful of you. My father loves steamed cured pork with his drinks. Last time he wrote to me, he asked if the cured pork from Sichuan was ready this year."

“The old man loves it, so we’ll pack him a couple more pieces of cured meat,” Zhou Yan quickly said.

Meng Anhe shook her head: "We don't need too much. We can't take it all back. We have to go to the meeting first before we can go home."

“Okay, then I’ll pick the ones that are evenly marbled.” Zhou Yan nodded.

Xia Yao originally wanted to politely decline, but seeing that the two had already agreed on the matter, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Zhou Yan was going to deliver cured meat and sausages to her family, and also give them to her maternal grandparents. This feeling made her feel a little strange.

I wonder what kind of expressions my parents and grandparents will have when they receive this.

Grandpa would be very happy. Every year, it wasn't just my aunt who brought him cured meat. When she went back from the mountain city for vacation, she would also ask her local classmates to buy a few pieces, wrap them in oil paper, put them in her bag, and take them back with her.

But the cured meat they made at home wasn't as good as the potato slices Zhou Yan stir-fried today, nor was it as good as the two pieces he had just steamed and cut on the cutting board.

Anyway...

Zhou Yan's cooking is so delicious, even her braised pork ribs are better than her dad's. She ate a lot of them for lunch today.

Xia Yao looked at Zhou Yan and said, "Then after the New Year, I'll bring you some pastries from Hangzhou. Zhiweiguan's pastries are quite good."

“Okay, I won’t stand on ceremony,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Xia Yao looked at the sausages hanging all over the yard, swaying slightly in the wind, and a smile appeared on her lips. She couldn't help but imagine what the sausages would taste like. They must be delicious, right?
With nothing to do in the afternoon, everyone gathered around the fire to chat.

The middle-aged women gathered together, their speech becoming faster and faster, and the car's speed increasing as well.

Xia Yao and Meng Anhe were a little overwhelmed, while Chen Yueyue and Song Wanqing on the side were also slightly embarrassed.

"Want to go for a walk around?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at everyone as he came out after arranging all the cured meat.

"Okay!" Xia Yao stood up and said.

“I…we also want to go for a walk.” Song Wanqing stood up and pulled Chen Yueyue along with her.

“I’ll go for a walk too. It’s a rare trip to the village.” Meng Anhe decisively followed.

The middle-aged women in her office also love to gossip, but they tend to be more restrained and less blatant in front of her.

But Yingjie's sisters-in-law and neighbors were far too explicit; the explosive nature of rural gossip far exceeded her imagination.

Everyone wanted to cover Xia Yao's ears; a virgin shouldn't hear such things.

"Teacher Zhou! Do you want to come with us for a walk, or play cards?" Song Wanqing asked as she approached the card table.

Zhou Ming was still holding the cards in his hand when he hesitated for a moment.

"Then you play cards, we'll go for a walk." Song Wanqing turned and left.

"Awei, you play, I'm going to take a walk too." Zhou Ming pulled Awei over, shoved the cards into his hand, and got up to leave.

Ah Wei looked down at the cards in his hand, then at Zhou Ming who was rushing away: "?"

"Come on, Wei, you're supposed to be with your girlfriend, but you're different." Zhou Hai pulled Wei down to sit. "Come on, you play your card." "A pair of sixes." Wei played his card, then asked in confusion, "How am I different?"

Zhou Hai said, "You don't have a partner, do you? Look at Zhou Yan, he has to spend time with his partner, so they can't play cards. They're not as carefree as you."

“That makes sense, but something seems a little off.” Awei scratched his head.

"Bomb! Three of a kind with two extra pieces! Gone!"

"Ah Wei, you lost, two cents."

Ah Wei stared blankly at the two fours and one seven in his hand.

Worthy!

I feel like I've been set up.

"Didn't Teacher Zhou want to play cards? Why did you follow me?" Song Wanqing asked with a smile as she looked at Zhou Ming who had caught up with her.

“We can play cards anytime. You only come to Zhoucun occasionally, so I’ll definitely show you around properly,” Zhou Ming replied.

"Okay," Song Wanqing replied, a smile playing on her lips.

"Sister Meng, you work at the design institute in Rongcheng..." Chen Yueyue quickened her pace, standing next to Meng Anhe, leaving them space.

"This is our old house. It collapsed when it rained before, and now only the kitchen and the outhouse are left," Zhou Yan introduced to Xia Yao as they passed by the old house.

"The collapse was so severe, but thankfully Auntie and Momo are alright." Xia Yao looked at the house, which was almost completely flattened, and couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

The house collapsed in the middle of the night. If Uncle Zhou hadn't been quick-witted enough to pull Aunt Zhao and Zhou Momo out before the house collapsed, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Zhou Yan nodded: "Yes, it's good that everyone is alright. The house can be rebuilt. When we make money in the future, we'll go back to the village and build them a house."

"Is this what your mother meant when she said that we should rebuild it later and not worry about anything else, as long as the foundation of the old house is impressive enough?" Meng Anhe also stopped and looked at the messy foundation.

The wood had been removed, presumably to be used as firewood. The rammed earth walls had been washed away by rainwater, turning into mud that was evenly spread across the foundation, leaving only a few mounds of earth.

“Yes, this is it.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

Meng Anhe looked around for a while and said, "Let's wait two years. Grandeur comes from money. If we wait two years, we can build a small villa with brick and tile structure, and that will be the most grand house in the village."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded. This was similar to what he had been thinking. He would have to wait until at least the end of next year to make a decision. This matter would cost several thousand yuan, and he needed to prioritize the restaurants and courtyards in Jiaozhou with the money he had on hand.

Along the way, the villagers greeted Zhou Yan warmly, their smiles towards him and Xia Yao carrying a hint of ambiguity.

Zhou Ming and Song Wanqing have already gone public with their relationship. Everyone knows that Zhou Ming found a beautiful girlfriend who is a teacher. Ma Jinhua has been acting very arrogant in the village lately, walking with her chin held high.

Zhou Yan brought home a beautiful girl today. She's not only a college student, but also the niece of the textile factory director.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated that it's someone special, it seems pretty much a done deal.

The Zhou family has really had a stroke of good fortune. First, Zhou Yan opened a restaurant and made money. Then, Zhou Weiguo, who used to farm at home, suddenly had a change of heart and became the head of the armed forces department. Zhou Hao married a teacher from the city. Zhou Ming, a martial arts fanatic, went down the mountain and returned to the No. 1 Middle School in the city to become a teacher and also found a teacher as his partner.

Good news kept coming one after another; no one else in the village combined had as much good news.

After wandering around the village, we came across the cattle slaughterhouse located by the river.

It was called a slaughterhouse, but it was actually just an empty dam by the river with power lines and a few simple thatched sheds.

Because of the constant slaughtering of cattle, a foul odor can be smelled from more than ten meters away.

Meng Anhe's nose was a little sensitive, so she immediately stopped and looked at the neatly arranged thatched huts on the dam ahead. She asked, "Is this the Yankantou Slaughterhouse, which supplies eight or nine out of ten of Jiaozhou's beef?"

“That’s right, this is it. Zhoucun is currently the main beef slaughtering area in Jiaozhou, with more than a hundred certified butchers. It can be said to have a monopoly in Jiaozhou.” Zhou Yan nodded.

There's a reason why Qiaojiao beef originated here: every day, many butchers had unsold offal that had to be discarded and wasted.

The beef offal from my uncle's, second uncle's, and third uncle's families is selling like hotcakes now; Zhou Yan and Zhou Jie have already bought it all.

Comrade Zhou said that recently some relatives in the village have been asking if Zhou Yan still buys offal and if he can still handle it properly.

Of all the hot pot vendors in Zhoucun, only a handful actually make money; it's much more carefree to sell offal.

Zhou Yan declined. The shop can now sell 130 bowls of braised beef a day, which is basically the peak. Unless it's a holiday, it will be difficult to break through that limit.

We'll definitely prioritize our third aunt and the others. If that's not enough, we'll buy some from a few uncles and cousins. We don't have the means to place long-term orders right now.

Zhou Yan understood the principle of distinguishing between close and distant relationships.

He doesn't have the heart of a bodhisattva; he won't just bring you wealth just because some relative comes along and becomes familiar with you.

As for those who shamelessly come asking for the formula, Comrade Zhou simply ignores them.

After circling the area around the slaughterhouse and walking along the river for a while, the group returned home.

It was already four o'clock, and Zhou Yan began preparing dinner.

Dinner was rather simple.

The old lady braised beef intestines and beef, steamed sausages in a pot, and rendered the pork fat from the pig she had caught that day. Next to her was a bowl of still-warm pork cracklings.

There is a tradition of processing the leftover cured meat and sausages from the previous year before making new ones.

I left half a basin of pig's blood at noon, planning to make tripe and blood curd for dinner.

This morning, the old man and Fei Ge slaughtered a cow, washed the offal, and brought it back. Fei Ge and Zhao Hong's wife were in charge of selling the meat.

Zhou Yan had never made Mao Xue Wang before, but fortunately he wasn't the only chef in the kitchen, and Awei was always there to step up in crucial moments.

"Mao Xue Wang is very simple. Look, this is tripe, and this is blood curd. Put them together and you have Mao Xue Wang," Awei said.

"Get lost! Can you even handle this?" Zhou Yan rolled her eyes at him.

"To be honest... I'm not very confident." Ah Wei looked obedient. "I've only made it once. My master tasted it and then kept it for everyone's dinner."

"Is it a flavor that everyone should learn from?" Xia Yao asked.

"It's a flavor so bad it's not fit for the table, it's worth keeping for everyone to criticize harshly," Zhou Yan said.

Xia Yao burst out laughing.

"Teacher Zhou, give me some face," Awei said helplessly.

Ah Wei couldn't stand up this time, so Zhou Yan had to rely on herself.

Mao Xue Wang is a classic way of cooking blood curd, with blood curd as the main dish and tripe as a garnish.

Of course, this is what restaurants outside do, because tripe is expensive, so they put in less of it.

Eating at home is less fussy. Tripe and pig's blood are free; you just need to make them taste good. This is today's main dish, so there's plenty of it.

Zhou Yan had seen the recipe for Mao Xue Wang and had eaten it countless times. It was completely different from the hot-mixed fatty intestines and blood curd. The way Mao Xue Wang was made was closer to hot pot. Some restaurants used hot pot base directly to make it, and the taste was just as good.

"How did your master teach you?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at Awei.

Ah Wei shook his head: "My master? My master's Maoxuewang is no good either. The tripe is as tough as a rag. He's just picky."

"You really are your master's good disciple." Zhou Yan's smile contained a hint of helplessness.

"Uncle Luo's Maoxuewang is pretty good. He used to make it whenever someone ordered it in the private room on the second floor. I learned from him," Awei said. "Although I'm not very good at it, I still remember the steps and procedures. I'll explain, and Master Zhou, you can do it?"

"Come on, please give me some pointers, Master Kong." Zhou Yan nodded.

Ah Wei cleared his throat and said, "Mao Xue Wang is a local specialty from Chongqing, known for its fresh and robust ingredients, spicy, numbing, fragrant, and hot flavor, and its fiery and vibrant appearance. When it's served, the red oil is boiling and bubbling, releasing an irresistible aroma, and it looks incredibly hot and spicy..."

"Get to the point." Zhou Yan first put the blood curd in the pot, interrupting Awei's spellcasting.

“Master Zhou, don’t be impatient! It’s necessary to build up the atmosphere before it really feels right.” Awei rolled his eyes at him and continued, “Mao is the ‘mao’ in tripe, but we also use ‘mao’ to mean rough and bold. In addition to blood curd and tripe, we usually add yellow throat, eel, ham and bean sprouts. If there’s pork intestines or wood ear fungus, we can add those too.”

This dish is a bit like hot pot, and a bit like mala tang (a spicy hot pot dish). The broth can be made using hot pot base, and after preparing the ingredients, you just boil them. Actually, the method is quite simple.

"We have tripe and beef aorta, and we've also prepared a bunch of bean sprouts, but we don't have any side dishes like eel and ham. I think adding two winter bamboo shoots would taste good too," Zhou Yan said, taking stock of the dishes.

This is a homemade version of Maoxuewang (a Sichuan dish), you can use whatever you have at home, as long as the flavors don't clash.

Ah Wei's judgment was quite accurate. Mao Xue Wang is closer to hot pot and Mala Tang, which means you can cook anything in it.

Of course, if we want to sell this dish in a restaurant, we need to pay attention to the combination, cost, and all aspects. We'll have to consult with Master Luo then.

Speaking of Uncle Luo, his restaurant should be open for business by now. I was going to go for a meal this weekend, but I was delayed by slaughtering a pig today, so I can only make time to go in a couple of days.

Since Awei was unreliable, Zhou Yan had to step in by himself.

Prepare the side dishes for the other dishes first.

Braised beef intestines and braised beef are two dishes. Steamed sausages can be sliced ​​and arranged on a plate as a separate dish.

Mao Xue Wang (a spicy Sichuan dish) is the grand finale, and with a stir-fried pork crackling and cabbage, we'll have a simple dinner tonight.

Cook the blood tofu, cut the tripe into large slices, cut the beef aorta into smaller pieces, slice the winter bamboo shoots into thin slices, and soak the wide rice noodles for later use.

Heat the fire, add plenty of oil, and an extra spoonful of butter. Sauté ginger, garlic, and scallions until fragrant, then add fermented bean paste and stir-fry until the oil turns red. Add spices.

If you don't have hot pot base, then make your own beef tallow base. Slowly fry it over low heat until fragrant, then pour in the thick bone broth that Ah Wei didn't finish this morning, and add salt and soy sauce to taste.

Add bean sprouts and bamboo shoot slices to the pot, wait a few seconds, then add the previously cooked and set blood curd. Use a slotted spoon to scoop it out of the pot and put it into three large earthenware bowls.

Then we started blanching the tripe, beef aorta, and honeycomb tripe.

"Xia Yao, add a piece of firewood to make the fire burn even brighter," Zhou Yan said to Xia Yao.

"Okay." Xia Yao replied, stuffed a piece of wood into the stove, closed the stove door, and started fanning the flames.

The heat was quickly brought up, and the red soup in the pot began to boil.

The appeal of beef tripe and tripe lies in their crisp and refreshing texture; when they get tough, they become harder to chew than a dishcloth.

The pot of tripe and beef aorta next to Zhou Yan weighed at least four pounds; if it wasn't cooked properly, it would be a family military court case.

Over there, Ah Wei had already cut up the beef intestines, beef, and sausages and arranged them on a plate, then leaned over to the stove to look at them.

With ten years of experience in hot pot, Zhou Yan's tripe is guaranteed to be tender.

Cook in three batches, then remove and place directly into a bowl.

Top with minced garlic, chili powder, dried chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns. Add a spoonful of hot oil, and it sizzles. Sprinkle with chopped green onions, and the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers immediately fills the air.

A delicious bowl of Mao Xue Wang (a spicy Sichuan dish).

　I went to receive the award this afternoon! Our Sichuan restaurant won the grand prize at the "Encountering Intangible Cultural Heritage" competition! Thank you everyone!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)