Chapter 123 Actually, there aren't many ways to cook pig's head meat well, and it's not exactly a particularly common dish...
Actually, there aren't many ways to cook pig's head meat well, and it's not exactly a common home-style dish. Most home-style stir-fries featuring pig's head meat are usually spicy. He Zhao doesn't like spicy food, so he rarely cooks it himself, and besides, the spicy version is only so-so. Furthermore, compared to pig's head meat, He Zhao still thinks pig's ears are tastier.
Even if you buy it from outside, it's not easy to find delicious cold-dressed pig's head meat. Pig's head meat is the meat from the pig's head. What's sold outside is usually braised, but that part of the pig's head isn't exactly high-quality meat. There's bound to be some fat, and the meat is quite mushy. Plus, this part of the pork has a very strong porky smell, so He Zhao doesn't usually eat it.
Because of the strong porky smell, it's often heavily seasoned to mask it. So, when you buy it and bring it home, it's hard to say whether you'll taste the seasoning or the pork head meat. However, some people really like the porky smell and the rich, oily, and spicy flavor, finding it particularly good with alcohol.
This thing has a polarized reputation; people who like it absolutely adore it and can drink a couple of ounces of liquor with a serving of braised pig's head; people who dislike it really hate it and don't want to eat it at all.
But what the tall man said piqued the interest of both He Zhao and Qiao Yanyu.
As soon as Qiao Yanyu heard about the extra spicy version, she felt her mouth start to water. She was someone who really liked spicy food, and in addition, He Zhao had been eating a light diet these past few days, wanting her to rest properly... He Zhao's cooking was really good, and he made her different dishes every day, but sometimes after eating too much at state banquets, she craved some junk food.
So when she heard Zhang Shuyao's mother's invitation, her eyes lit up instantly.
He Zhao was curious because the tall man's first bite was clearly a non-spicy version of pig's head. She had eaten pig's head a few times, but either the porky smell couldn't be masked, or the seasoning was too strong and made her feel nauseous. In short, she had never actually eaten a non-spicy, delicious pig's head.
But now, the tall guy has a non-spicy pig's head that he'd crave even in his ghost days. As a gourmet, how could He Zhao not be curious and tempted? That's why she answered so directly—yes.
Under Qiao Yanyu's direction, He Zhao tidied up the room. He Zhao also wiped away the magic array that Qiao Yanyu had prepared earlier and took back the talismans that were pasted on the wall to prevent the tall man from suddenly going berserk. After that, they left the conference room, met up with Zhang Shuyao, and took a taxi to the apartment that Zhang Shuyao and her daughter were currently renting.
This was a rather dilapidated old neighborhood without an elevator. Fortunately, Zhang Shuyao and her family rented a place on the first floor, so they didn't need to climb stairs, and Qiao Yanyu was able to reach their apartment easily. It was a small house with a yard, not very spacious, probably only fifty or sixty square meters at most, but it had two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, making it very suitable for the mother and daughter to live in.
Zhang Shuyao's mother had also placed some styrofoam boxes in the small courtyard, inside which she had already planted some vegetables, such as chili peppers, garlic, and scallions. After arriving home, Zhang Shuyao's mother asked them to sit for a while, as she planned to go buy some more vegetables.
Actually, she had prepared some food in advance. The braised pig's head meat was already prepared and was in the refrigerator. They planned to celebrate in the evening after things were settled, but they didn't expect He Zhao and Qiao Yanyu to join them. So they had to go buy some groceries now.
Zhang Shuyao's mother was very warm and hospitable. She even asked He Zhao and Qiao Yanyu to make a phone call and invite Wang Yu and Li Xia over as a way of thanking them for their help.
He Zhao pursed her lips. She didn't want to bring a third wheel, so she didn't call Wang Yu when she went out today. The two of them took a taxi directly. But she didn't expect that she would still have to call Wang Yu and Li Xia over now.
She wanted to keep quiet, but since she wasn't the one hosting, she could only nod and send a message in the group chat of the four of them. Whether the other two saw it or not was none of He Zhao's business.
Zhang Shuyao's mother went out, but Zhang Shuyao didn't stop working. She first pulled the table out from behind the wall, then arranged the chairs, and when she realized she didn't have enough chairs, she borrowed two from her neighbor. Then she wrung out a rag and wiped all the tables and chairs down, before heading out herself: "I'm going to buy some drinks, what do you want to drink?"
He Zhao thought that pig's head meat was a good snack to go with alcohol, so he specifically asked Zhang Shuyao to buy a few bottles of beer, without feeling embarrassed about making a minor run errands and buy alcohol.
Zhang Shuyao nodded and went out the door as well.
Just then, He Zhao's phone rang. He opened it and saw that damned Wang Yu had already seen it and quickly replied: "Coming right away."
He Zhao pursed her lips, still quick to read the messages. She didn't let Wang Yu off easily, reminding her not to freeload and to bring something over, as the other person wasn't well-off and she shouldn't be a burden. This was a small matter for Wang Yu; she was an investigator too, with plenty of savings.
Before Zhang Shuyao's mother returned, Wang Yu and Li Xia had already arrived. Both of them were somewhat of a drinker and carried a case of beer: "When eating pork head, a dish that goes well with alcohol, we definitely need to have some drinks! Drinking baijiu is a bit too much, let's have some beer instead."
Zhang Shuyao sat on the other side, feeling a little awkward. She was a minor and couldn't drink alcohol.
After a while, Zhang Shuyao's mother also returned with groceries. Seeing that everyone was there, she smiled and said, "You guys watch TV for a while and have some snacks. I'll cook." As she spoke, she took out some snacks from the bag she was carrying.
They bought mostly vintage items: sunflower seeds, peanuts, and rice cakes, along with loose candy. He Zhao and his group didn't complain at all; Wang Yu even slipped a handful of sunflower seeds into Zhang Shuyao's hand as she grabbed some.
They started chatting about something that happened to Zhang Shuyao: the ungrateful kids her father was sponsoring. After their righteous exposure, they learned that those ungrateful kids weren't having an easy time at school. Except for the youngest elementary school student who was let off the hook, the others experienced firsthand what it felt like to be bullied and isolated.
Wang Yu peeled some peanuts and stuffed them into her mouth while continuing to talk: "It's already too good for them to be isolated. Wasn't Zhang Shuyao bullied? That lunatic Cui Zhe even poked her with a pen. I heard they even paid some compensation this time. Zhang Shuyao, how much did they pay?"
Hearing that those ungrateful people weren't having an easy time either, Zhang Shuyao was actually a little happy inside. But when asked about it, she nodded and then shook her head: "Not much. That grandma is quite pitiful. My mom and I agreed not to ask for more. It was clearly Cui Zhe who made the mistake, but grandma still has to pay for the compensation."
"You're still too kind. But his family isn't well-off, so even if the compensation isn't much, it'll still be enough to make Cui Zhe heartbroken for a long time. By the way, Zhang Shuyao, which school do you want to go to?"
"Any school is fine, I'm not picky."
Her kind yet somewhat cautious demeanor amused Wang Yu, who then put her arm around Li Xia, saying, "Then you should ask your sister Li Xia for help. She definitely knows more about these things than I do. If you try to curry favor with her, she might be able to get you straight into the best high school in the city."
Li Xia patted her hand: "We must follow the rules."
He Zhao and Qiao Yanyu didn't talk much. The two of them were facing each other, and He Zhao was peeling peanuts and melon seeds for her. She was muttering to herself, "I shouldn't have invited them. Look, they're just freeloaders."
Qiao Yanyu smiled but didn't reply. He Zhao didn't need her to respond either, and just continued talking on his own. After a while, He Zhao clapped his hands and stood up: "I'll go to the kitchen to see if you need my help."
Qiao Yanyu nodded: "Go ahead."
He Zhao wasn't used to owing favors, and she couldn't let Zhang Shuyao's mother cook for such a large group of people all by herself. Seeing He Zhao go to help, Li Xia also went over. She knew that Qiao Yanyu and Wang Yu definitely couldn't cook, but looking at He Zhao, she also felt that He Zhao didn't seem to know how.
Li Xia wasn't the only one with this thought; Zhang Shuyao and her mother shared it as well. Only Wang Yu scoffed, "The boss can't cook? You're kidding! She's the best cook I know!" Wang Yu truly had the right to speak, after all, she had tasted the chicken soup before, albeit only a little, but the taste—she would never forget it!
When Li Xia entered the kitchen, she saw He Zhao chopping vegetables at the chopping block. Her movements were incredibly efficient and fast; the chopped vegetables were neatly arranged, making her look very skilled. Especially since she was currently slicing potato shreds, which are usually done with a shredder these days, but He Zhao was using a large cleaver, and the potato shreds she produced were not only exceptionally thin, but each one was also the same thickness.
That knife skill is amazing.
Li Xia and Zhang Shuyao's mother both widened their eyes, truly surprised to find a hidden culinary genius here. So, these home-style dishes became a kitchen for He Zhao, with the two of them assisting. However, when it came to the braised pig's head, He Zhao stepped aside: "You do it."
Zhang Shuyao's mother wouldn't hold back; this was her specialty, and she was certain that even the best chef couldn't cook this braised pig's head better than her. Her husband and daughter didn't eat much chili, so Zhang Shuyao figured out how to make a non-spicy version, while she herself preferred the extra spicy version.
The pig's head, which had been in the refrigerator for several hours, was taken out early. It was still a bit chilly that day, and eating anything too cold wasn't good, but pig's head wouldn't have that crispy texture if it wasn't chilled in the refrigerator. Now was the perfect time to cut it, and after a quick cold salad, the flavor would really shine through.
When making the cold pig's head salad, Zhang Shuyao's mother was completely different from when she cooked ordinary dishes. She was exceptionally confident, a confidence that seemed to come naturally. By the time the two dishes of cold pig's head salad were ready, it was time for dinner.
Even if Wang Yu was immature, she wouldn't stand still. She had already set the table with bowls, chopsticks, and drinks. Apart from Zhang Shuyao drinking her beverage, she opened five cans of beer, waiting for all the dishes to be served so they could start eating.
As each dish was placed on the table, Wang Yu's mouth watered. She had just peeked into the kitchen and saw that He Zhao was the head chef for several of these dishes!
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