Chapter 82 Friends Gathering.
After Gu Qingqiu went into the kitchen to work, Lan Jingcheng ate some more meat and vegetables.
She finished the braised lettuce with water and oil. The lettuce was surprisingly fresh, crisp, and flavorful, and it had very few calories, so eating more wouldn't be a problem. Besides, it's not good to save leafy greens for the next meal.
She also ate some of the braised pork knuckle with sand ginger and sesame chicken, but the portions of these meat dishes were too large. Even though she had a big appetite and ate quite a lot, she still left a small portion of the plate uneaten. Of course, she left more of the braised pork knuckle with sand ginger than the sesame chicken.
The sesame chicken was more appealing to her because of the nostalgic aroma and the food quality of Yuansheng High School's cafeteria. If Lan Jingcheng hadn't been so full and hadn't been somewhat self-disciplined, she probably would have finished the whole plate of sesame chicken.
But it's okay if you can't finish it at lunchtime; you can take it home and eat it slowly in the evening.
It was not supposed to be easy to pack up, and there was still a small half bowl of the Gastrodia elata and fish head soup that should have been finished in the dining area. The fish head meat had been completely eaten by Lan Jingcheng earlier, and the huge fish head skeleton was also placed on the bone plate by her. Now there was only milky white soup and a few floating medicinal herbs in the soup bowl.
Lan Jingcheng had been so focused on eating meat and lettuce that she forgot about the delicious and savory soup. To be honest, she was already so full that even if she drank the soup like water, it would still fill her up. So she decided to pack it up.
In fact, if it were any other restaurant with average business, she would sit here and wait for Gu Qingqiu to finish her work and come out so they could sit down and chat together.
But Gu's Private Kitchen was doing so well that all seven tables in the restaurant were full, and there were still many people queuing outside. Even under the scorching sun, they were unwilling to settle for other restaurants. How could she possibly finish her meal and then sit here occupying a table?
This restaurant belongs to Gu Qingqiu; she can't stop her old classmate from doing business and making money.
So Lan Jingcheng waved to the clerk and asked for three takeout boxes, specifying that she wanted one to pack the soup. After the clerk brought the takeout box and bag, she started packing the sesame chicken, the ginger-baked pig's trotters, and the gastrodia elata fish head soup.
When packing the soup, she used a soup ladle to scoop it into the round soup bowl container one spoonful at a time. She didn't want to take out the soup ingredients that she didn't want to eat, which were the medicinal herbs, but after thinking about it, she decided to scoop them out and put them in the container anyway.
These medicinal herbs, like the fish head, are key to the rich and flavorful soup. Soak them for as long as possible; when you reheat them, they will release more of their fragrance, so don't waste them.
After packing, Lan Jingcheng put the three boxes of meat and vegetables with soup into a takeout bag, then got up and carried her bag, gift bag, and takeout bag to the cashier to pay.
Sister Zhou asked with some surprise, "This customer, won't you sit for a while longer? The boss just told us that you are friends and that we'll get together again after she's finished with her work."
Lan Jingcheng didn't expect that Gu Qingqiu had told the shop assistant, but it made sense. She smiled and said, "I thought there were so many people queuing outside, so I might as well take up a spot for nothing. I'll come over and chat with your boss when she's done with her work later."
Sister Zhou nodded: "Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness and support. Why don't you sit on one of the chairs further inside for a while? It's quite hot outside, and there's not much to do here on Suli Street to rest and pass the time."
Lan Jingcheng looked in the direction she was pointing and saw two round high stools that she had noticed when she looked around the restaurant earlier. She thought that the staff could sit down and rest when they were free.
She smiled and nodded, "Sure, thank you. Could you please tell me how much it costs so I can pay first?"
After hearing this, Sister Zhou didn't go to the computer to check the bill. She smiled and said, "Our boss just told us to put this meal on her tab. You don't need to pay. She also said that you shouldn't be shy. It's rare for an old friend to come to the restaurant for a meal and to taste her cooking. It's only right that she treats you."
Lan Jingcheng chuckled after hearing this.
Actually, Lan Jingcheng had thought about this before coming. If she came to eat at Gu Qingqiu's restaurant, Gu Qingqiu would most likely treat her to a meal.
I could probably pay the bill as soon as I ordered the food. At that time, Gu Qingqiu wouldn't know I was there, and even if I told the staff in advance, they might not recognize me. So, paying first would most likely be successful.
But wouldn't doing it this way be too formal?
After thinking it over, she decided to go with the flow, order food, eat normally, and pay the bill as usual. It would be best if she could pay smoothly. If Gu Qingqiu had asked her to come, she would gladly accept.
Before coming over, Lan Jingcheng specially bought a gift for Gu Qingqiu as a small token of her appreciation, so it wouldn't be too impolite.
She smiled brightly and generously: "Okay, thank you so much, boss! I really enjoyed the meal, the food was delicious!"
Sister Zhou was taken aback for a moment. She thought she would have to persuade the other party a few more times before they would accept it, but she didn't expect the other party to be so straightforward and generous. She smiled back and said, "Thank you very much for your affirmation. The boss will definitely be very happy to know."
“I’ll talk to her in person later. Shall I go sit over there?” Lan Jingcheng pointed to the two round stools at the back of the dining room.
Sister Zhou nodded in agreement and gestured for them to proceed.
After Lan Jingcheng walked inside, she quickly called out the next table's number so they could come in and dine. She led the customers over and asked them to look at the menu first. She then collected the bowls, chopsticks, and plates and put them in the kitchen sink to soak. She also told the owner about her friend waiting on the round stool.
Gu Qingqiu, busy cooking, nodded in agreement.
Sister Zhou took out a rag and wiped the dining table clean. Then she called on customers to take orders, served bowls, chopsticks, plates and tea, without stopping for a moment.
Lan Jingcheng didn't feel bored sitting in the shop. She could easily pass the time by picking up her phone to reply to work messages, read some legal articles that she had recently memorized, or browse some relaxing blog posts and short videos.
Occasionally, she would look up at the glass window that was so close to her and see Gu Qingqiu bringing over the cooked meat and vegetables and placing them there. As if noticing her gaze, Gu Qingqiu smiled at her.
It's a magical feeling, as if we've traveled back in time to those high school years. The two of us were probably almost diagonally opposite each other in the classroom, but when our eyes met, our eyes crinkled with smiles, and everything was understood without words.
Lan Jingcheng smiled and gestured for her to continue working and not worry about him.
Gu Qingqiu gave an OK sign through the glass window, wrote down the table number for the dish, placed the note under the plate, and went back to the stove to continue cooking the next dish, trying to finish as soon as possible so that Jingcheng wouldn't have to wait too long.
Unfortunately, business at the shop has been so good lately that, as usual, I was busy until almost 1 p.m. before I finally finished cooking all the dishes and even prepared food for my own family.
Sister Tang helped carry the meat and vegetables out to the dining table in the main dining area. Recently, because we eat late, we've been eating mostly in the main dining area, while the small folding table in the back kitchen is just gathering dust for now.
Sister Zhou was also settling accounts for the last two tables of customers. After seeing them off, she put the bowls, chopsticks and plates on the table into the kitchen sink to soak, wiped the table clean with a rag, washed her hands, and prepared to come and eat.
Gu Qingqiu told them to eat by themselves at noon, saying that she wanted to chat with her friends. She simply took a plate, filled it with half a bowl of rice, and added a piece of braised pork knuckle with sand ginger, two pieces of sesame chicken, a little bit of salted fish and eggplant stew, and a lot of lettuce that took up almost half the plate.
She placed her lunch and chopsticks on another table, walked over to the inner side of the dining area, and said with a smile, "Jingcheng, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
"It's okay, I'll just play on my phone to pass the time. You should go find something to eat." Lan Jingcheng looked up and said when she heard the voice.
Gu Qingqiu nodded: "Okay, I was just about to come and eat. Come and sit here too, you can watch me eat and chat with me."
"good."
Lan Jingcheng got up and followed her over to the dining table where a plate of food was placed. She sat down and saw the tempting combination of dishes. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "If I could eat a plate of food like this on a weekday noon, I guarantee that all the fatigue after work would disappear, and I would be full of energy. I could work all afternoon without even needing to rest."
The words that had been weighing on her mind suddenly poured out: "The dishes you make are absolutely delicious, no wonder your business is so good and you have so many fans online."
"That Gastrodia elata and fish head soup was truly the most delicious soup I've ever had. I wonder if the Gastrodia elata adds sweetness? The soup tasted quite sweet to me, so it must be more than just the goji berries."
"The braised pork knuckle with sand ginger was also particularly delicious. The pork knuckle was fatty but not greasy, and the meat was tender. The skin had a wonderfully gelatinous texture. As for the sesame chicken, I felt it was much better than what our high school cafeteria made. After today, it might become your restaurant's signature dish, even more famous than the school's. Finally, the braised lettuce in water and oil was also quite good. The lettuce was fresh, crisp, and flavorful."
Gu Qingqiu listened to her with a smile, quite pleased, knowing that Jingcheng was speaking from the heart.
She said, "I'm so happy to receive so many compliments from you. Simmering gastrodia elata and fish head together adds a sweet and savory flavor to the fish soup, making it taste wonderfully sweet. If you have the chance next time, try my braised pig's trotters and see how they compare to this ginger-baked pig's trotters. The water-oil braising method for lettuce uses less oil and salt, preserving the lettuce's crispness and tenderness while being healthy and low in fat."
"As for the sesame chicken, I wouldn't dare say it's more famous than the high school cafeteria's. In our Jiang City, who doesn't know that L High School's cafeteria has the best sesame chicken? The fact that you think it tastes better than the high school's is already the greatest affirmation for me."
Lan Jingcheng nodded: "It is indeed the gastrodia elata that brings the sweetness and aroma to the soup. When I was eating it just now, I didn't know if I could eat the gastrodia elata and the other ingredients, so I simply didn't touch them."
Gu Qingqiu explained, "Besides Gastrodia elata, the soup also contains Ligusticum chuanxiong, Poria cocos, and Angelica dahurica. I used cooked Gastrodia elata, and the pieces of Gastrodia elata can be eaten after cooking. The texture is quite smooth, and the taste should be pretty good."
"Oh, I see. I didn't finish the soup, so I packed it up with the herbs. I'll heat it up and try it tonight," Lan Jingcheng said with a sudden realization. Seeing that Gu Qingqiu had been talking and hadn't eaten, she said, "You should eat quickly. You must be starving after working so hard for so long."
Gu Qingqiu nodded in agreement, picked up her chopsticks, and took a piece of sesame chicken to eat. Just as Lan Jingcheng and some customers had praised, it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a sesame aroma and a savory flavor. It was absolutely delicious when mixed with a mouthful of rice.
Actually, after preparing the ingredients in the morning and making the first sesame chicken, she tasted it first and thought her skills were pretty good. It tasted very similar to the one she had eaten in high school, or even better.
The sesame chicken from the cafeteria back in high school was probably left out for too long, so the skin was crispy but a bit soft, and it was always very salty. The freshly made chicken I made myself was at its crispiest, the meat was tender and juicy, and the saltiness was just right—flavorful but not overly salty.
As she chewed, she couldn't help but nod, secretly praising herself for controlling the saltiness and cooking time so well—it was fantastic!
Seeing her reaction to eating the sesame chicken, Lan Jingcheng knew she liked it too, and asked with a smile, "Isn't it delicious? Even the chefs at L Middle School's cafeteria would feel ashamed after eating your sesame chicken."
"It smells delicious, then I won't stand on ceremony and accept your praise." Gu Qingqiu smiled and picked up another piece of pig's trotter to eat.
When you bite into the pig's trotters, the first taste is of sand ginger, followed by the aroma of pork and a salty flavor. They are soft, tender, and fragrant, making them quite delicious.
Lan Jingcheng recalled what she had said earlier: "I was really looking forward to your braised pig's feet, and your braised beef, chicken, duck and braised platter, right? I've seen these in your restaurant's official account notes. A lot of netizens are hoping for a limited-time return, just like the handmade fish balls before. I can't help it, speaking of handmade fish balls, I suddenly really want to eat your handmade fish balls again."
She laughed so hard she was shaking, looking radiant and beautiful.
After listening, Gu Qingqiu knew that she must have read through her family restaurant's official notes many times to be so clear about these things.
"The handmade fish balls were just back in business recently. If you want some, I'll make some more for you when I have some free time and happen to have some fresh silver carp. If we have braised pig's feet then, the braising liquid will last at least three days once it's prepared. I'll definitely be able to make braised chicken, duck, and beef. I'll let you know in advance, so come and have some when you have time."
"If you don't have time, I'll save it for you and have a delivery person bring it to your place later."
Lan Jingcheng smiled happily: "Okay, let me know when you're making braised pig's feet or anything like that. If I don't have any cases to attend court, I promise I'll come and support you. As for the handmade fish balls, you don't need to. I was just craving them. You're so busy running your restaurant, you don't need to make handmade fish balls. Just from the name, you know it's hard work and difficult to make."
Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "Okay, I'll see how I can arrange it. If the shop makes braised pig's feet or similar items, I'll definitely call you."
She chatted with Lan Jingcheng while eating, listening to Lan Jingcheng talk about her work at the law firm and some interesting cases she had handled. Then she heard Lan Jingcheng ask her, "Qingqiu, why did you suddenly leave the publishing house and come back to open a restaurant?"
Lan Jingcheng remembers that Qingqiu had a very clear goal during high school: to study Chinese literature and work in writing after graduation. She was a very standard and excellent liberal arts student back then.
Gu Qingqiu frankly said, "Actually, my parents died in a car accident when I was a sophomore in college. After that, I was in a daze for a long time. Even after graduating and successfully getting a job at a publishing house, I wasn't very happy. For a long time, I felt too insensitive and my ability to feel the world became very weak. Then one day, I suddenly thought, why don't I come back and start running this restaurant that holds memories of my parents and grandfather? Maybe that can change my current situation."
Seeing that Lan Jingcheng's beautiful phoenix eyes were almost filled with tears, she smiled and said, "I'm also quite fortunate. Although I never thought of taking over our family's restaurant before, I've learned some techniques for handling ingredients and cooking through exposure to the local food. Plus, with my experience in cooking since my sophomore year, the food I make tastes pretty good. After quitting my job, I came back to open the restaurant and successfully ran the business."
She looked at Lan Jingcheng with a charming smile, "Don't I look great right now? My complexion is rosy, and I'm in a good mood. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I'm riding high."
Looking at her radiant smile and hearing her words, Lan Jingcheng couldn't help but laugh out loud. She sniffed lightly to relieve the rising soreness and nodded, saying, "I'm sorry, Qingqiu, I didn't know..."
Gu Qingqiu shook her head and said softly, "It's alright, it's all in the past."
Perhaps because she was talking about her parents' passing, her voice was tinged with sobs.
Lan Jingcheng continued, "You look great right now. Your complexion is rosy and you look very healthy. You look very pleasant. It's certainly something to be proud of that the restaurant is doing so well."
She exclaimed, "Thankfully, the business is up and running, and it hasn't let your courage and hard work go to waste. And to be honest, I almost feel that your past studies in Chinese literature and your work as a publishing editor were a waste of your talent and opportunity to become a culinary master. The dishes we just ate were absolutely amazing; one meal like that will make you happy all day."
Gu Qingqiu laughed after hearing this: "It seems that I stumbled onto the right path by accident. Now that so many years have passed, I have gradually come out of it. Only when I live well can my parents be at ease."
"Yes, to be honest, Qingqiu, I didn't expect you to have gone through such a huge change over the years and still be in such good shape. It's really not easy, and I admire you very much," Lan Jingcheng said sincerely. "I don't know what else to say. I don't think you need my comfort in your current state. So I wish you all the best in the future and that your business will flourish!"
Gu Qingqiu thanked her and said, "Thank you, and I wish you all the best in winning the cases you're handling, and that you'll soon become a nationally renowned lawyer!"
Lan Jingcheng laughed out loud and nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, I hope we can both get better and better."
After the slightly heavy topic was moved on, the conversation gradually lightened, and the two talked about the current situation of some of their high school classmates. Gu Qingqiu mainly heard about it from Lan Jingcheng, and she didn't expect that the lawyer, who was usually very busy with work, knew so much.
As they chatted, the conversation somehow veered into gossip, and Lan Jingcheng brought up a couple from her high school class who had been caught and talked to by the school teachers but still maintained their secret relationship until graduation.
This relationship was considered a touching story by everyone in the class at the time. Unexpectedly, they broke up during their freshman year, then seemed to get back together after a while, only to break up again during their senior year. Not long ago, the guy publicly announced his new girlfriend on social media, and the girl seems to be living a carefree and happy life.
Gu Qingqiu vaguely remembered what had happened. Back in their freshman year, the couple didn't post about their breakup on social media. It seemed like one of her classmates had told her the secret. After that, she noticed that the two of them wouldn't like each other's posts on social media. Then one day, they suddenly started liking each other's posts again, which meant they were breaking the ice and getting back together.
I found it quite interesting back then, so even now, decades later, I still have some recollection of it whenever it's mentioned.
Remembering how everyone was saying in private back then, wondering if this couple could go from campus to wedding dress, always holding beautiful expectations for such love, Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "These things are really unpredictable; you never know where people will end up together."
She changed the subject, "Like us, we haven't been in touch for so many years, but we suddenly got back in touch because of a previous contract, and now we can get together at the dinner table to chat and laugh about the people and things from high school. Isn't that amazing?"
Lan Jingcheng nodded: "It was really amazing. Looking back now, I'm still very grateful that you chose to ask me for help with the contract, which allowed us to reconnect."
Otherwise, we'd just be high school classmates who only have each other's contact information and exchange likes on social media.
"No need to thank me, I'm also very grateful to myself," Gu Qingqiu said with a smile.
Seeing Gu Qingqiu eating the salted fish and eggplant stew, Lan Jingcheng laughed and said, "You have no idea how much I regretted it just now. I thought that I couldn't eat that much by myself and it wouldn't be appropriate to pack it up, so I reluctantly gave up the salted fish and eggplant stew, which looked rather ordinary. But when I saw the people at the next table eating it, I was so tempted."
The salted fish and eggplant stew was indeed delicious, especially good with rice. The salted fish was very salty and fragrant, and the eggplant was soft and flavorful after absorbing the oily and salty sauce. The minced meat at the bottom was also very savory and meaty. Gu Qingqiu had just eaten two or three bites of rice with it.
After hearing Lan Jingcheng's words, she said, "It's simple. We cooked a whole pot of salted fish and eggplant stew for lunch. We'll just get you a bowl and scoop some out for you to try."
After she finished speaking, she stood up, went to the standing cupboard by the glass window to get a new set of bowls and chopsticks, and then came over to Sister Zhou and Sister Tang's table and scooped some salted fish and eggplant stew, scooping up some salted fish, eggplant and minced meat.
Sister Zhou and Sister Tang even asked the boss to scoop out more for them to eat with their friends, saying there was too much meat and vegetables for them to finish. Gu Qingqiu laughed and said it was enough.
Taking the small half-bowl of salted fish and eggplant stew handed to him by Gu Qingqiu, Lan Jingcheng smelled the familiar salty aroma. Because it was so close, the aroma became even stronger. He was already craving it. He had been talking for so long and his stomach had digested quite a bit, so he wasn't too full. It was the perfect time to start eating.
She smiled and said, "Thank you for satisfying my last craving. Today is destined to be perfect; I got to try all the dishes!"
"Haha, that's good. Eat up!" Gu Qingqiu said.
Lan Jingcheng nodded in agreement, picked up her chopsticks, and ate a piece of salted fish. The pieces of salted fish were very small, and they had a slightly crispy and fragrant taste. The dried fish meat was relatively firm, and you could taste the salty and fragrant flavor that had permeated the fish meat fibers, as well as a faint plum fragrance.
Next, the eggplant slices, cooked until soft and tender, are incredibly delicate to bite into, soaking up the oily and savory sauce—absolutely delicious. If you could mix them with some rice at this moment, it would be the perfect treat, worth more than any delicacy.
The minced meat was also delicious, fully absorbing the salty and savory flavor of the sauce, with the aroma of salted fish and the fragrance of eggplant.
She exclaimed, "This salted fish and eggplant stew is really delicious! I never thought it could be made into such a dish. It's an amazing dish to eat with rice!"
It's a pity that people who want to maintain their figure shouldn't eat too much of this dish, otherwise Lan Jingcheng would have to eat it every time she went back, even if the taste wasn't as good as the restaurant version.
After all, each dish at Gu's Private Kitchen is limited, and who knows when we'll get to eat this salted fish and eggplant stew again.
Gu Qingqiu laughed and said, "If you like it, eat more. There's more in the pot over there after you finish this one."
Lan Jingcheng nodded in agreement and began to enjoy her meal.
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