Chapter 249 Returning to Hengdian to Open a Shop
The heavy snow that blocked the mountains came unexpectedly. Overnight, the mountains were covered in a thick layer of silver and white. The once surging sea of clouds was frozen into continuous snow waves, and the figures of hikers completely disappeared at the end of the mountain path.
The snow on Wushan Mountain kept falling without stopping. Other neighbors on the mountaintop said that the snow would not melt completely until February or March of the spring, so Yunhai Xiaoyao Shop had to temporarily close down.
Su Yingxue and Xu Qingqing quickly packed up their belongings in the shop, carefully rolled up the account book and the calligraphy "Fireworks warm people, clouds and sea understand hearts," locked the wooden door, and trudged down the mountain through the ankle-deep snow.
Winter days at the foot of the mountain are leisurely. The two stayed at home for a few days, but they always felt uncomfortable without the warmth and smoke of the stove.
Xu Qingqing crossed her arms and laughed, "Sister Su, we can't just sit idle until spring, can we? Why don't we find another place to set up a stall and cook our home-style dishes?" Su Yingxue smiled and agreed.
The two traveled to the vicinity of Hengdian and chose a small shop next to the back street of the film city. The small shop had ten wooden tables and two small private rooms. The stove was set up in the inner room, and the aroma could be smelled out onto the street as soon as the fire was lit.
Business was slow at first, mostly with locals working nearby who would order a bowl of noodles or a stir-fry for a hearty and warm meal, living a simple and peaceful life.
Every day when Xu Qingqing is keeping accounts, she always says, "If only we could have more customers. Our dishes are so delicious, we should let more people taste them."
Su Yingxue remained calm and simply smiled, saying, "Home-style cooking relies on word of mouth; it can't be rushed."
Unexpectedly, not long after, the historical drama "Chang'an Banquet" suddenly became a hit, and everyone was talking about the delicacies in the show. The court dishes and home-style meals that looked so appetizing became the focus of heated discussions among viewers.
No one knew that many of the dishes in the kitchen of the show were specially prepared by Su Yingxue, who was invited by the production team to provide guidance—at that time, the dishes made by the props team always lacked a bit of the authentic, homely feel of cooking.
Having tasted Su Yingxue's home-cooked dishes by chance, he repeatedly asked her to come out of retirement to help adjust the flavors and control the heat. Those seemingly exquisite dishes were actually made with her solid skills in cooking home-style dishes.
At first, no one knew about this, until a crew member came to the restaurant for a meal. He immediately recognized the braised pork ribs with potatoes on the table, slapped the table and exclaimed, "This tastes exactly like the braised pork ribs that the imperial concubine in 'The Banquet of Chang'an' loved to eat! Is the owner the kitchen director from the show?"
The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the film studio.
First, actors and extras from the film crew followed the scent and came to the shop, then fans of the show came specifically to check it out. Before long, the small shop was packed with people.
Every day before dawn, long queues form in front of the shop, with some people willing to wait half an hour for a bowl of winter melon meatball soup.
Some people came specifically for the braised pork rice, saying that even the imperial dishes in the drama couldn't compare to the deliciousness of this home-cooked meal; many others wanted to learn from Su Yingxue, asking her all sorts of questions, hoping to learn some cooking tips.
Xu Qingqing was now extremely busy, taking orders, keeping accounts, serving dishes and adding soup. Her feet barely touched the ground, but she smiled broadly. Her fingers flew across the page as she meticulously recorded the accounts, not forgetting to add annotations as she always did.
"The extras have big appetites; they need plenty of extra rice."
"Actresses are afraid of it being too greasy, so put less sesame oil in the meatball soup."
Su Yingxue was still guarding the stove. The potato and pork rib stew in the iron pot was sizzling, and the winter melon and meatball soup in the casserole was bubbling. The heat was just right, and the taste was still the same as before. The pork ribs were stewed until they were tender and fell off the bone, and the potatoes were full of meaty aroma and melted in your mouth.
The meatballs are firm and chewy, the winter melon is sweet and refreshing, and the soup is so delicious that you'll want to swallow your tongue.
Among the guests were some popular young actors who, after taking off their costumes, sat at the wooden table and ate home-cooked meals with gusto, saying that this hot meal was a hundred times more delicious than the boxed lunches served on set.
A screenwriter who brought the script over ate and exclaimed that he finally understood why the dishes in "Chang'an Banquet" were so moving. He realized that what touched people the most was never the delicacies, but the homely flavors full of everyday life.
Many hikers had come specifically because of the name "Yunhai Xiaoyaopu" (Cloud Sea Leisure Shop), and they shook Su Yingxue's hand, saying, "Shopkeeper Su, we went to Wushan to look for you, only to find out that the mountain was closed due to heavy snow. We didn't expect to run into you here! Your braised pork rice still tastes the same as always!"
The small shop is bustling with people every day, and the aroma wafts far and wide, making it the liveliest spot on the back street of the film studio.
Taking advantage of her free time, Xu Qingqing wrote down the dishes at the small shop in Hengdian in the new ledger, added a few seasonal dishes, and leaned over to Su Yingxue: "Sister Su, do you think we should add a dish of braised beef brisket with radish? It's getting cold, it'll warm you up and go perfectly with rice."
Su Yingxue looked at the densely written words on the ledger, then at the shop full of customers, and nodded with a smile: "Okay, the beef brisket should be with tendons, stewed until tender, and the radish should be sweet and without residue, warming the body and stomach."
The firewood in the stove burned brighter and brighter, and the aroma of cooking food filled the small shop.
Su Yingxue gazed at the crowds coming and going outside the window, her spatula constantly stirring the food. She knew perfectly well whether it was Xiaoyao Shop amidst the misty mountains and seas of clouds or this small restaurant next to the film studio.
She and Xu Qingqing always cooked the same dishes—warm, home-style dishes that exuded a down-to-earth, comforting atmosphere.
That day, the number of customers in the shop was a little slow. Su Yingxue had just taken a pot of radish and beef stew away from the stove when she heard a familiar voice coming from the front hall. Looking up, she bumped into Wang Qian.
That was her former agent, who was now leading a group of people to sit down. Beside him were several unfamiliar directors and a few greenhorn actors, their brows furrowed with unease and anticipation. They looked just like she herself back then, full of longing to enter the entertainment industry.
Su Yingxue felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. The tearing apart of the contract termination in the past and the wasted termination fees suddenly surged into her mind. She felt that she was ridiculously foolish for being so persistent in that circle and willing to be manipulated.
She suppressed her surging emotions, quietly retreated to the kitchen, and handed over all the reception duties in the front hall to Xu Qingqing.
After a few rounds of drinks, the noise in the front hall gradually became unrestrained.
While listening to the commotion in the kitchen, Su Yingxue vaguely heard someone laughing and talking to Wang Qian: "Sister Qian, I heard that you once promoted a girl, but she didn't know what was good for her. Instead of pursuing an acting career, she went to work on set making and selling boxed lunches. She really has no sense."
Wang Qian's face darkened instantly, and she immediately interrupted, her tone full of disdain: "Hey, that girl is just average-looking, and her personality is incredibly stubborn. She doesn't know how to be appreciative, so it's only a matter of time before she becomes famous. She's not worth mentioning."
As she finished speaking, Xu Qingqing was carrying a freshly stir-fried dish of vegetables forward and was about to clear away the empty plates from the table.
During the meal, a thin director suddenly looked at her, his eyes lit up, and taking advantage of his drunkenness, he suddenly reached out and lightly touched her waist.
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