Chapter 133 Sandwiched Meat, Ants Climbing a Tree [Part 1...]

The pork belly with sweet filling has a sweet aroma. The pork slices are almost translucent from steaming, and the soft pork slices wrap around the sweet filling. The fat becomes moist and oily with the slightest touch, and the semi-solid, creamy fat melts and is covered by the sweet aroma of the filling. The pork slices, with their alternating layers of fat and lean meat, are filled with a sweet and oily filling with a sandy texture.

This perfect blend of sugar and oil doesn't feel cloying at all.

Master Da Jin ate three pieces in a row, feeling lightheaded from the rich, sweet flavor.

Xiao Ge's teeth ached terribly from looking at it. Although he also thought the dish was well-made, it was so oily!

"Master, it's too sweet, you should eat less."

Master Da Jin: "Where is it sweet? It's just right for me!"

He comes from a Huaiyang cuisine background and has no resistance to sweet meat dishes. Now that he has finally come across a dish that suits his taste, he can't help but eat it again and again.

Beneath the sliced ​​meat lies sticky glutinous rice, where brown sugar and lard gather, absorbing all the flavors. The glutinous rice shines with a glossy sheen, and with each bite, you can taste the chewy texture of the rice and its sweet, moist flavor, soaked in broth.

Master Da Jin was enjoying his meal so much that a customer next to him couldn't help but ask if he could try some.

Master Jin noticed that although the other person was dressed casually, the aura he exuded was different from the young people in the shop. Without thinking too much, he pushed the plate away.

"Can."

The other person was very polite, took a pair of serving chopsticks, picked up a piece for themselves and the people next to them, and then thanked them.

"That's amazing."

These past few days, he's been almost constantly amazed. Wen's restaurant has so many ways to cook pork, from snacks to gourmet meals, from south to north, there's nothing Wen Fan can't make. Even this dish of braised pork belly, which he didn't like before, now makes his mouth water as he sees others enjoying it so much. He even disregards his pride and asks someone for some.

But the meat really didn't disappoint him. He thought that sweet meat dishes would only be greasy, but after taking a bite, the meat slices were soft and tender, the filling was semi-dry, and the filling was like fine sand. The soft and sweet meat slices were dry and moist, soft and firm. Whether it was the texture or the taste, it made people marvel at how well the seasoning could be done.

Master Jin: "...You're not a local?"

Chen Jiahe said with a smile, "I'm from Hong Kong Island, and I'm currently on a business trip."

Master Jin was a little dazed: "No wonder... You're from Hong Kong Island, so do you know about Lu's Cuisine?"

Master Jin looked at the other person, but his mind was on his junior apprentice brother.

When Jin Yu Lou first began to show promise, he intended to protect his junior brothers, but the youngest said he wanted to venture out on his own. This venture lasted for many years, and the fourth brother is said to be doing quite well in Hong Kong, while Jin Yu Lou has steadily risen in status… as of yesterday.

Although Master Jin and his junior brother are still in contact, they haven't seen each other for many years. Fourth Brother trusts him the most. If Fourth Brother knew that he had been kicked out of Jin Yu Lou, he would probably come looking for trouble with the other two immediately...

Chen Jiahe smiled: "Of course I know that. Lu Family Cuisine is very famous."

The two started chatting, and within a few words, Chen Jiahe guessed the identity of the person opposite him.

Master Jin clearly didn't pay much attention to Lü Family Cuisine, but instead pressed the restaurant's head chef for answers.

This connects to what Manager Guo mentioned earlier: the head chef of Jinyulou has a junior apprentice who works at Lüfu Cuisine…

As Chen Jiahe chatted, he muttered to himself.

Is the head chef from Jin Yu Lou here at Wen Ji? Could it be that he's up to something?

Although he was just a customer, Chen Jiahe decided to investigate the master chef because of the Jade Pearl Fish Flower dish that Wen's mother had given him.

Seeing Xiao Ge running errands for him, he feigned confusion and asked, "Is this your son?"

Master Jin: "This is my apprentice..."

Chen Jiahe: "You look like a very handsome young man. Where do you work?"

Master Da Jin coughed and said, "Those who are learning cooking from me... take a break for now."

The Chen family is very shrewd; they guessed pretty accurately just by listening. At this critical juncture for Jin Yu Lou, the fact that the head chef brought his apprentice to eat at Wen Ji's restaurant most likely means that he can no longer get involved in the affairs of the shop.

In other words, they were marginalized.

An elderly man, who was marginalized, brought his apprentice to Wenji... Isn't this a case of peers seeking knowledge from each other?

What's next?

Are you setting up your own sect or preparing to submit to us?

Chen Jiahe asked his assistant Zeng to grab the food. There were two identical plates of "ants climbing a tree". Chen Jiahe gave one plate to Chef Da Jin as a thank you for sharing earlier.

Chen Jiahe said enthusiastically, "To be honest, I've eaten my way all over the country, but Wenji's cooking is truly outstanding. I had a seafood feast here half a year ago, and I still can't forget it. It's just a pity that the restaurant is short-staffed. Recently, the young owner is only available during her holidays. She can only take orders on weekends and can only cook three tables."

Master Jin asked curiously, "Three tables? That's quite a lot."

You know, a proper banquet with ten or so dishes is quite tiring.

Wen Ji's daughter cooks three tables of dishes every weekend, which is quite impressive.

Chen Jiahe smiled wryly: "Three tables of dishes, four or five dishes per table..."

Master Da Jin: ...

Chen Jiahe picked up a piece of "Ants Climbing a Tree" with his chopsticks. Long noodles were covered with bits of meat, and the smooth noodles coated with minced meat were a unique flavor when eaten over rice.

"That's why I said Wen Kee would have to hire people sooner or later. The foot traffic is just too high right now. Look at the two young people working here now; they're supposedly winter break workers. They'll leave when school starts, and then we'll definitely have to hire more. My assistant even said before that if it weren't for his job, he'd be happy to work at Wen Kee. Not only could he eat good food every day, but he could also learn a few tricks..."

Assistant Zeng: ...When did I say that, okay...

Master Jin fell into deep thought, and after a while, he silently glanced at his apprentice.

After saying this, Chen Jiahe stopped talking and happily ended the dinner. He waved goodbye to Chef Da Jin.

Master Jin felt a sense of relief and called his apprentice home.

"You don't need to rush to find a job. Let's wait and see after the new year starts."

...

Wen Fan was unaware that someone had already set their sights on the store's employees. After finishing her work, she leaned against the refrigerator and looked at her phone.

After last night's live stream, Wen Fan felt that the outcome was already decided because of Jin Yulou's reckless behavior, and he no longer needed to do any promotional work. Therefore, he did not let Ren Haijin do a live stream tonight.

Everything was calm on her side, but things were quite lively on Da Tuanzi's side.

When Da Tuanzi got home, she edited a short video and posted it online. The incident of finding pre-made food packaging in Jin Yu Lou's food was already making headlines. After Da Tuanzi's video was released, although the key parts were cut out, many people still noticed the clues.

The comments below were all over the place, but without exception, they were almost all negative.

Some criticized Jin Yu Lou for being dishonest and forgetting its roots, while others said that pre-made meals are a major trend now and there's no need to boycott them. They argued that Jin Yu Lou's problem is that it should improve its hygiene control. Regardless, putting packaging bags inside the food is still going too far…

[momo: Haha, who's boycotting pre-cooked food? Aren't we talking about the other side using pre-cooked food to impersonate the skills of a state banquet chef? It's hilarious. Paying 888 yuan for pre-cooked food and then getting lectured... If you like it, go eat pre-cooked food. I go to restaurants specifically for freshly cooked food!]

[Zhizhi: Yeah, if you're selling pre-made meals, tell me they're pre-made. I understand that costs are high these days, and restaurant rents are expensive, so even small restaurants will pre-process some ingredients for later use. But you're heating the whole package directly... Do I not have a pot at home, or do I not have scissors? Do I need you to cut the bag for me?]

[Come and eat: It's vegetarian, so why is it so expensive? What gives you the right to use pre-cooked food?]

Amidst the outcry, Jin Yulou's account remained completely silent, as if it were dead.

Many people aren't satisfied with just hurling insults; they even post videos to continue their rant.

The emotions involved are quite complex. Some people posted photos saying that they grew up eating at Jinyulou, and seeing such an old shop turn out like this now, they feel not only anger but also a little sadness.

I don't know when you became like this, but as a diner who witnessed your growth, I feel very sad. You could have done so much better.

A reply suddenly appeared below.

[Youyou: No, you guys are reminiscing here, but they're just trying to rip you off.]

The picture below shows a gift box with the words "Golden Cabbage" written on it.

[Youyou: Look, my dad bought this pre-made "Golden Cabbage" seasoning packet from Jinyulou. Guess how much it cost? Four hundred and eighty-eight! Hehe, isn't that amazing?]

One stone stirs up a thousand waves.

Many people have posted photos of the pre-made "golden cabbage" buns piled up in the Jin Yu Lou store, and some former employees who have reportedly resigned from Jin Yu Lou have come forward with even more shocking revelations.

[Idiot Boss: Please target your insults at the person you're insulting! Master Jin has already resigned and sold his shares. The second and third brothers are incredibly arrogant, and this soup base is their masterpiece. Master Jin tried to stop them but failed, so he angrily sold his shares and left.]

Although the insider deleted the post half an hour later, countless screenshots had already been circulated.

That evening, Jin Yulou became even more popular on social media.

This time, it was also accompanied by people's gossipy gaze.

You say the old restaurant uses pre-made food, that's just simple social news, but if you're going to talk about love and hate, master and apprentice falling out...

Tsk tsk, interesting indeed.

Wen Fan closed his phone.

Even though she was unfamiliar with modern times, she knew that Jin Yulou was doomed.

...

"Mom, the meat grinder at home seems to be broken today. It makes strange noises when it grinds."

Mrs. Wen wiped her hands and went into the kitchen: "It's broken? Then buy another one tomorrow."

Wen Fan thought for a moment and said, "Buy two, I need more filling tomorrow."

She plans to make something new: Eighteen-Flavor Stir-Fry!