Cheng Jiawen walked to the backyard of the state-owned restaurant with a bag of mushrooms. Standing at the kitchen door, he called out to the fat man inside, "Fatty."
The fat man looked up at the door when he heard the voice, "Jia Wen."
The corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a gentle smile, and then he raised his hand and gently waved to the young apprentice beside him.
The young apprentice looked at the person coming at the door, nodded in understanding, and walked briskly to the stove to take over the cooking task.
After finishing all this, he turned around, patted Cheng Jiawen on the shoulder, and said softly: "Let's go to the backyard and talk."
After saying that, he took the lead and walked towards the path leading to the backyard, his steps steady and calm, and Cheng Jiawen followed his footsteps.
When he arrived at the backyard, he found a quiet corner and stopped. He looked at Cheng Jiawen quietly and asked softly, "Why are you here? Is something wrong?" His tone was calm but with a bit of worry.
This Cheng Jiawen rarely comes to see him alone except for delivering goods. Why did he suddenly come today? Did something happen?
Cheng Jiawen raised the corner of his mouth and handed over the things in his hand. "I'm going to the bathhouse today. I came to eat lunch at noon and came to see you."
The fat man took the package and looked at him in surprise, "You kid, when did you become so generous and even brought me something?"
Cheng Jiawen touched his nose guiltily and explained with a smile, "My mother-in-law gave it to me. She asked me to give it to you as a thank you for sending us so much meat when you got married."
The fat man patted him on the shoulder and said, "Well, do we still need to be so polite? Come on, I'll take this. I won't be polite with you. By the way, do you want some pig offal? There are plenty of pig offal at the slaughterhouse. If you want it, just go get it later."
"Okay, I'll ask my mother-in-law if she wants it."
The fat man looked at the sky and said, "Come on, I have to go back to cook. We'll talk later."
"Okay, you go ahead and get busy."
When Cheng Jiawen returned to the front hall, Xu's mother and the others had already ordered the dishes. Not long after he sat down, he heard the waiter calling them to get the dishes.
Xu's mother and her friends ordered two meat dishes and four bowls of plain noodles.
There are the crispy and tender, golden-colored sweet and sour pork and the bright red and attractive braised pork.
Xu Qianjiao took the first bite of the sweet and sour pork. She could feel the collision of her teeth and the meat, making a "crunching" sound.
The sweet and sour sauce envelops the tender slices of meat, with the perfect balance of sour and sweet, blending seamlessly into one another without being overly sour or overly sweet. Each bite is filled with rich flavor, leaving a lasting impression.
Then take a bite of the braised pork, the meat is fat and lean, with distinct textures, and exudes a rich meaty aroma.
Each piece is cooked to perfection, melting in your mouth. The fat is not greasy, the lean meat is not dry, and it is tender and juicy. The sauce is rich, sweet and sour, and it blends perfectly with the flavor of the meat, making you linger.
Two dishes can satisfy four people. The portion size of dishes is different from that in modern times. Nowadays, dishes are mainly large and affordable, so two dishes are enough for four people.
Many people come to state-owned restaurants, and the whole family only orders one dish and two steamed buns. Compared with them, they are already very generous.
Of course, they cannot be compared with wealthy families. After all, they are just an ordinary family.
"Mom, do we want some pig offal? Fatty said he has a lot of pig offal and asked me to get some home." Cheng Jiawen asked Xu's mother quietly.
When Xu's mother heard this, she nodded immediately, "Yes, of course, that's great. Bring some more pig intestines and pig rice noodle intestines, and I'll go back and make some braised food for you."
"Okay, then you guys go back first, I'll take the things and go back, otherwise the smell of pig offal will be too strong and very conspicuous." Cheng Jiawen explained while packing the backpack.
When Xu's mother heard him say he was going back, she looked worried. "It's not safe for you to go back in this weather. Why don't you just forget it? Or maybe cover it with a few more layers of leaves, cover it tightly, and the smell won't get out."
Cheng Jiawen waved his hand and said, "It's okay. I'm wearing thick clothes. It's okay. Besides, the Chinese New Year is in two days, so I can add some dishes. Don't worry, Mom, I will be careful."
Seeing that he had made up his mind, Xu's mother didn't say anything more. She just silently said, "Be sure to be careful and pay attention to safety."
"Okay, I will."
After saying that, he turned to look at Xu Qianjiao, "Jiaojiao, you and mother go back first, I'll go get the pig offal."
Xu Qianjiao glanced at him a little worriedly, then helped him tidy up his clothes and said gently, "Then you have to come back soon. I'll wait for you at home."
"Okay. By the way, when you go back, please stop by the photo studio to pick up our photos." Cheng Jiawen took out a receipt from his pocket and handed it to Xu Qianjiao, "Here, receipt."
"Okay, I understand." Xu Qianjiao took the receipt, folded it and put it in her pocket.
-------------------------------------
Next, they split into two groups. Cheng Jiawen went to get the pig offal, while Xu Qianjiao and her mother went to get the photos and then went home.
Xu Qianjiao, her mother, and her father walked to the photo studio. There was only one old photographer inside. Xu Qianjiao took out the receipt from her pocket and said, "Master, let me get the photos."
The old man slowly came out from the counter, took the receipt from Xu Qianjiao's hand, put on his glasses and looked at it, then looked at Xu Qianjiao, his eyes suddenly lit up, "Little girl, it's you, you're finally here."
Xu Qianjiao was a little confused, and a polite smile appeared on her lips. "Yes, I'm here to get the photos."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com