Chapter 124 Leaving aside the dishes He Zhao mentioned, Wang Yu was already drooling over there, while He Zhao washed...

Leaving aside the dishes He Zhao mentioned, Wang Yu was already drooling over there. After washing her hands and sitting down next to Qiao Yanyu, He Zhao's first target was the braised pig's head. She didn't forget her duties as a girlfriend, first using her chopsticks to put some extra spicy version, along with some cilantro, into Qiao Yanyu's bowl before starting to eat it herself.

She picked up a non-spicy version for herself and put it directly into her mouth.

At that moment, He Zhao finally understood why the tall guy was so obsessed with this bowl of braised pig's head.

The moment it entered his mouth, He Zhao was prepared for a slightly porky smell. This smell was easily noticeable unless masked with strong flavors. Even with the tall man's enthusiastic praise, He Zhao didn't take it to heart. But surprisingly, this pig's head meat had absolutely no porky smell whatsoever.

What He Zhao found even more unbelievable was the texture of the pig's head meat. Pig's head meat is usually stewed until very soft and tender, lacking the chewy and crisp texture of pig's ears, and because it contains a lot of fat and grease, it can be quite unpleasant to eat. This bite of pig's head meat, however, was completely different; it truly achieved a balance of richness and non-greasiness.

During the preparation, Zhang Shuyao's mother deliberately rendered out some fat, resulting in a less greasy initial taste. The fat also gained a crispy texture after being stir-fried. However, this texture was not pronounced because the braising process ensured the pig's head meat was stewed perfectly. It allowed one to enjoy the rich distribution of fat without feeling overly greasy. Most importantly, it was tender yet firm, with each bite revealing a close connection between the meat pieces.

It even has a crunchy texture, somewhat like eating pig's ears.

This is the kind of pig's head meat that's truly delicious!

After chewing a few more times, he could feel the firmness of the lean meat, which provided He Zhao with a pleasurable chewing experience.

Besides the delicious texture of the pig's head meat, the seasoning is absolutely superb. It's perfectly seasoned, with a touch of cucumber shreds, cilantro, and chopped green onions. The cucumber shreds bring a refreshing touch, a unique characteristic of gourds, to the pig's head meat, further balancing the greasiness.

At the same time, the cucumber absorbs the smell of pig's head meat, turning it into an excellent cold cucumber salad.

After finishing a bite of pig's head, and because he had been busy for quite some time, He Zhao picked up a beer and took a swig. The thick foam of the beer entered his mouth, and the beer, which He Zhao didn't usually like, became more palatable because of the pig's head as a side dish.

He gulped down the beer, put it on the table, and felt truly refreshed.

At this moment, He Zhao seemed to see some memories unique to the tall man. It was during his honeymoon with his wife, Zhang Shuyao, who was just a tiny little girl nestled in her mother's arms. He had been busy at the pork stall all day, heading home as the sun set, his steps hurried, eager to see his wife and daughter.

Zhang Shuyao's mother had prepared braised pig's head and beer, just waiting for her to come back. The weather was neither too hot nor too cold, perfect for eating out. A small folding table was set up, with three low plastic stools. The tall man leisurely ate the braised pig's head and drank beer, while Zhang Shuyao would occasionally utter some childlike words, making the couple very happy.

He Zhao was stunned for a moment, not understanding why such a scene would appear in his mind, but seeing that they were eating happily with their mouths full of oil, Zhang Shuyao's mother couldn't help but ask, "How was it? Wasn't my pork head delicious?"

Not to mention He Zhao, even Qiao Yanyu couldn't help but nod in agreement.

She really loved this dish. After days of bland food, this sudden dose of something strong made Qiao Yanyu feel like her tongue had come back to life. Zhang Shuyao's mother also noticed that she liked the extra spicy version and pushed the plate of spicy pig's head meat towards Qiao Yanyu.

Seeing that they all agreed that her pig's head meat was delicious, Zhang Shuyao's mother couldn't help but feel a little proud: "That's right, the most important thing about pig's head meat is the selection of ingredients. You have to use good pig's head, preferably one that was slaughtered on the same day, not one that has been sitting for many days. You also have to be careful when bleeding it, so that no blood is left behind. When cleaning it, you have to make sure to wash away all the blood foam."

"I'm not saying this to be rude, but many vendors who make these cold dishes or sell pig's head meat don't have the patience to properly clean out the blood foam. Once that blood foam is boiled in, no matter how many spices you add, like star anise, cinnamon, and cooking wine, it still can't mask the porky smell. If you buy pig's head meat from some stalls without adding chili or chili oil, the porky smell is unbearable even if you hold your nose."

She rambled on and on: "These good pig heads are usually reserved in advance by butcher shops for people they're on good terms with..." She paused here, seemingly thinking about how the tall man hadn't brought home such good pig heads since. But she quickly perked up: "I went to several shops today, begging them for a while, before I finally got this pig head. I was thinking my daughter and I would eat this pig head meat for many days. Since you're here, you can take some back with you later."

Zhang Shuyao's mother chuckled and said that if it were anyone else, like Qiao Yanyu or Li Xia, they probably wouldn't be so shameless. Even if Qiao Yanyu wasn't good at speaking, she would have hesitated a bit. But He Zhao and Wang Yu were just too shameless. After hearing this, they not only didn't seem to be planning to refuse at all, but also simply said "thank you" directly.

He Zhao was even more shameless than Wang Yu, and even brazenly said, "I want both the non-spicy and the spicy ones, thank you."

Zhang Shuyao's mother genuinely didn't find it troublesome at all. Hearing this, she smiled and her eyes narrowed: "No trouble at all, it's all prepared. I'll just mix it up."

They ate and chatted happily until after 7 p.m., and it was already dark outside. No wonder they ate for so long; they chatted while eating, mainly talking about those ungrateful people. Talking badly about others together is indeed an effective way to build relationships. Near the end, Wang Yu raised her beer can and said to Zhang Shuyao, "I wish you stay further and further away from bad people in the future, and that your future is bright!"

Although Zhang Shuyao hadn't drunk any alcohol, her face was still flushed. She, who doesn't eat spicy food, was egged on and forced to eat a few bites of spicy cold pig's head salad, which immediately turned her face red. Hearing Wang Yu's blessing, she also picked up her small drink: "Stay further and further away from bad people!"

Just as the atmosphere was getting along well, there was a sudden knock on the door. Zhang Shuyao's mother told them to sit down and went to open the door herself. In this old neighborhood, the door had two layers: an outer screen door for ventilation and an inner metal door. Once the metal door was opened, the person outside could be seen through the screen door.

Zhang Shuyao's mother was quite confused. She couldn't see the face, only hear the voice, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Who is it? Who is it?" Seeing that there was no movement at the door, Wang Yao pulled He Zhao along to look outside. They ignored Zhang Shuyao's mother and saw a girl standing there. Her face looked very young, but she was a few years older than Zhang Shuyao and a few years younger than them. She looked like an upright and youthful college girl.

She was carrying two gift boxes, and the girl seemed visibly nervous when she saw someone appear. He Zhao glanced at Wang Yu, and for a moment she suspected that she was one of the ungrateful bastards they had dealt with, but Wang Yu shook her head, proving that she wasn't.

However, the girl on the other end revealed her identity and purpose. She first bowed to Zhang Shuyao's mother: "Hello, Auntie. I am a student that Uncle has been sponsoring. I have now been admitted to university and am working part-time. I haven't come to visit before because I wasn't ready. But I didn't expect to hear the news of Uncle's passing these past few days. I really... I feel I can't continue like this. I wanted to come and see you, Auntie, and express my gratitude."

At this point, Wang Yu and He Zhao should have left, at least not stuck behind Zhang Shuyao's mother. But they were shameless, and Wang Yu was oblivious to her surroundings, so they didn't move. It was Zhang Shuyao's mother who moved slightly, stepping inside to make way: "You come in first. It's not proper for you to be blocking the doorway."

They could only step aside and let the girl into the house. The girl was a little reserved, and after entering, she put the gift boxes she was carrying on the ground. He Zhao glanced at them; one was probably for Zhang Shuyao's mother, a set of skincare products that she had seen in the mall before, costing almost two thousand yuan. The other was for Zhang Shuyao, hmm… it was probably a set of exercise papers.

This girl is quite down-to-earth.

Because there were guests present, Zhang Shuyao's mother took her to her room to talk. Zhang Shuyao wanted to join in and listen, but felt it wasn't appropriate. Then she noticed that He Zhao and Wang Yu were already pressed against the door. Displeased, she moved closer, finding a spot between them to listen as well.

Through the door, it was a little hard to hear clearly, but Zhang Shuyao's mother's voice suddenly became much louder: "What are you doing! Put it back right now!"

The girl's voice rang out: "Auntie, this is the money Uncle has donated to me over the years, and I've always remembered it. When I received it, I thought that I would pay Uncle back someday. I thought Uncle must be a rich man who wouldn't need my money, but now that I know about Uncle's family situation and your and Shuyao's current situation, I'm even more determined. I must give it to you!"

She continued, speaking fluently, clearly having rehearsed it countless times in her mind: "Giving you this money doesn't mean I'm severing all ties with past favors. Uncle's help to me was a lifesaver. He's no longer here, and I'm now a university student. I'll work part-time and study hard after graduation to do my part for you and Shuyao. Auntie, please accept this!"

Then another round of back-and-forth tug-of-war began, and at this point, there was nothing worth listening to.

Zhang Shuyao's expression was somewhat complicated, as if she hadn't expected that she was actually quite lucky with her deadbeat father, who, besides being an ingrate, also had someone who knew how to be grateful.

He Zhao couldn't help but sigh, "There are still quite a few good people in this world."

Qiao Yanyu nodded as well: "This is a good thing."