Chapter 106: Encountering a Fellow Villager at the Braising Shop
The three members of the Sun family enjoyed the meal immensely, especially Jiawen, who couldn't help but exclaim, "The pickled cabbage and vermicelli soup and the egg fried rice are a perfect match! I never knew you could eat it like this before; I've missed out on so much!"
The fried rice is fragrant, with each grain distinct and slightly oily, completely different from fried rice in other restaurants. It's not dry or choking at all.
So Jiawen never thought of ordering a soup when she ate fried rice before, because the kimchi and fried rice were already very delicious.
Today was my first time trying it, and it felt like opening the door to a new world. The pickled cabbage and vermicelli was especially appetizing, and the drink was incredibly refreshing. Eating it made me feel better and more energetic.
Sun Weidong also praised, "No wonder he's the boss's kid, he really knows how to eat."
Jiawen said, "We'll come again tomorrow."
Sun Weidong readily agreed. Ever since he ate at Song Ji's restaurant, the food he ate at home just didn't taste quite right. He wished he could come every day.
Sun's mother didn't say anything at this point, thinking that her son and daughter-in-law could do whatever they wanted. She was too old to care. Anyway, she definitely wanted to eat more because it wasn't for her.
Seeing his wife and mother getting along harmoniously, Sun Weidong said happily, "I'll go ask the chef if he can stew a chicken for our family."
Jiawen exclaimed "Hey!" trying to stop her. She had just said that as a joke, deliberately trying to shut her mother-in-law up. With Songji's business so good, the chefs must be paid well. Why would they take on such a private job, especially since it was in a restaurant?
But Sun Weidong acted too quickly; he had already rushed to the waiter's side...
A moment later, she returned, looking dejected: "Jiawen, it won't work."
Jiawen scolded, "Are you silly? We can just pack a sauerkraut soup and cook it at home ourselves. It tastes just as good. You should just ask the waiter. They definitely won't take on private jobs."
Sun Weidong sighed: "I should have guessed it sooner. The chef at Song's restaurant is also the owner. She's too busy with her job to take on side jobs."
Jiawen was very surprised to hear this: "Really? The boss and the chef are the same person?!"
“Really, when it first opened, it was just the owner, and we even ate there,” Sun Weidong said.
Jiawen did eat here, but only once during the trial operation period. At that time, several people were blocking the door, and she sat next to them because she was pregnant. She didn't notice what the owner looked like. Sun Weidong went into the restaurant, found a seat, and then took her in to eat.
The food tasted so delicious that Jiawen was so engrossed in eating that she didn't even notice what the chef and the owner looked like. Even when it came time to pay the bill, it was Sun Weidong who did it, so this was the first time Jiawen had heard about it.
In her imagination, the owner of such a high-end and typical private restaurant as Song Ji should be a professional in the catering industry, and the chef should be a person with professional skills. One relies on management and connections, and the other relies on technical skills. There are very few people who can combine the two.
"What does the boss look like?" Jiawen was very curious at this moment.
Sun Weidong thought for a moment: "She's quite a young girl."
Jiawen was even more surprised: "A young girl can actually make so many delicious dishes? I thought it required time and experience."
Sun's mother used to be a skilled cook in the surrounding villages. Upon hearing this, she said, "Cooking still requires talent. The young people from our village who come to the countryside to cook all kinds of dishes taste even better."
Jiawen said, "Then the boss must be someone with a great talent for cooking."
Surprisingly, her daughter-in-law didn't refute her words and even seemed to agree. Sun's mother was delighted and immediately cheered up to tell her daughter-in-law about her past experience as a cook in the countryside.
Seeing that his wife and mother got along quite harmoniously, Sun Weidong breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the two clearly had the same hobbies, such as liking food.
However, although Grandma Sun was confident in her cooking skills, she always ran into trouble with her daughter-in-law. Jiawen just wanted to eat what she liked, and her mother-in-law always gave her nutritious food, but she couldn't accept it.
Sun Weidong happily told the waiter that he wanted to pack two portions of sauerkraut and vermicelli soup to take home. Actually, he only needed the sauerkraut soup, but Sun Weidong thought more comprehensively. The vermicelli soaked in the soup was also incredibly delicious, and it could be eaten alone as a meal.
He wasn't actually this frugal before, but he really felt that good food shouldn't be wasted.
*
Song Ji's business has been very good since it opened. Many customers who come to eat not only order a lot of dishes on the spot, but also pack a freshly cooked dish to take home when they leave.
Song Xinran then realized that Song Ji's customers were no longer limited to the residents of No. 8 Tongyin Road Community, but also included many people who came specifically because of its reputation.
Although she didn't do any advertising or marketing, word-of-mouth recommendations from diners were the most effective way to spread the word.
On Monday, the day the shop was closed for the day, Song Xinran went to the Fresh Braised Food Shop. She had been working there for three months and the job was very easy. Except for going there for an hour every Monday, everyone at the shop was like they didn't exist.
She had completely trained Shi Hui and knew that he was making his own braising liquid, but he hadn't been able to get the right flavor. If Shi Hui came to ask her for advice, Song Xinran wouldn't mind teaching him a little out of politeness.
Wei Dong was even more eager to bother her less, as if only in this way could he prove that the braised food workshop could operate normally even without her.
Song Xinran didn't care what others were thinking; as long as the facts were in her favor, that was enough.
As soon as she arrived at the braising workshop that day, Shi Hui greeted her with a smile on his young face: "Master Song, you've arrived. I noticed that the temperature is a bit high today. Although it's still early, it's hot facing the boiler. I'll do the work today. Would you like to rest for a bit and give me some pointers?"
Song Xinran gave him a half-smile and said, "Okay."
She'll definitely have an easier time if she doesn't have to do the work herself.
After Song Xinran entered the kitchen, she began preparing the braising ingredients. Shi Hui knew this was her secret recipe, so he tactfully left the kitchen.
Actually, Song Xinran didn't think it was a secret recipe. She had taught Ge Xia in town. However, everyone has a different understanding and mastery of the braising ingredients, and there are slight deviations in the amount of braising ingredients added each time. You just need to be careful with the cooking time and heat. You need to know how long to cook each ingredient so that it can release its flavor completely, without it becoming bland due to too short a time or having an off-flavor due to too long a time.
After she prepared the ingredients, she sprinkled the braising spices into the pot and called out to Shi Hui.
Shi Hui immediately jogged in with a plate in hand: "Master Song, I'm here."
He placed the plate on the counter and brought a stool to Song Xinran: "Master, please sit down and have some fruit. I'll take care of cooking."
Yes, the plate Shi Hui was carrying contained cut fruit, including watermelon, grapes, and apples, with a plastic fork standing on top. Each type of fruit was arranged neatly, giving it a rather refined look.
Song Xinran raised an eyebrow and sat calmly to the side, occasionally instructing Shi Hui to adjust the fire to high or low, which Shi Hui was doing with great enthusiasm.
A short while later, Wei Dong also arrived. He wasn't surprised at all to see Song Xinran leisurely sitting next to him eating fruit while Shi Hui was working with a big laugh.
Wei Dong nodded in agreement: "Xiao Shi did a good job today. Young people should learn and do more."
Shi Hui smiled and said, "I will, store manager."
After cleaning up the ingredients needed for the day and moving them to the kitchen, Fan Qiu saw Song Xinran instructing Shi Hui on the control of heat and time. She couldn't help but feel jealous when she looked at Shi Hui. She knew how beneficial it was to learn a skill. When she first started working as a waitress at the hotel, she didn't know much about it and no one guided her.
Shi Hui was just a cook at a braised food shop, yet he was fortunate enough to receive guidance from Chef Song, even though he had initially spoken ill of Song Xinran with her.
Fan Qiu said sarcastically, "Xiao Shi has been working diligently for a few months now. At first, he felt tired and wanted to find someone to help him."
Shi Hui immediately understood Fan Qiu's implication and slid down to apologize: "When I first came to the braised food workshop, I was ignorant and impulsive in my words and actions. Now I wish I could do more, and all of this is training for me."
Wei Dong stepped in to smooth things over: "It's good that Xiao Shi has this idea. Xiao Fan, have you gotten used to working at the braised food workshop yet?"
“Of course I’m used to it,” Fan Qiu said, then moved closer to Song Xinran. “Chef Song, is it hot in the kitchen? I’ll bring the fan in from outside to cool you down.”
Fan Qiu acted immediately, taking the small fan that Wei Dong was supposed to own from the shop to the kitchen, turning it on to Song Xinran at a low setting, and sending out a gentle breeze.
Song Xinran: "...Thank you."
She had noticed Shi Hui and Fan Qiu's overly enthusiastic attitude towards her long ago, seemingly after the incident at the braised food shop where someone had vandalized the store. Sometimes their excessive enthusiasm made her uncomfortable, but since she didn't visit the shop often, she let them be.
Fan Qiu stood beside her, tidying up her things as she spoke to her: "Chef Song, I heard your child is already seven years old and in elementary school, right?"
Song Xinran hummed in agreement.
Fan Qiu said, "I really envy you. You have your own career at such a young age, and you take such good care of your family."
Song Xinran encouraged her, saying, "Take your time, you can do it too."
Fan Qiu looked somewhat excited: "Really?"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Of course."
Fan Qiu said, "I also plan to earn money to learn a trade. A person still needs a means to make a living."
Song Xinran said, "Sure, you can learn whatever you like."
Listening to their conversation, Wei Dong knew things were going badly. Fan Qiu was also a very good waitress, and he couldn't afford to risk anything after all the hard work he had put into making the braised food shop what it was today. So he quickly changed the subject: "I heard there's a restaurant in the south of the city that sells braised beef. A plate only has three ounces of meat, but it costs 48 yuan!"
Braised beef is also a dish at the braised food stall, priced at 25 yuan per jin (500g), which is relatively expensive and not many people buy it. Most customers come to the stall to buy braised vegetables, braised pig's head, and the like.
The braised beef at this restaurant is three times more expensive than in the store!
Fan Qiu's attention was indeed diverted; she was both curious and incredulous: "Selling for such a high price, do people actually buy it?"
"Of course! Their business is booming, and you have to queue up to get a table. You can queue for a week!" Wei Dong said in an exaggerated tone.
"How is that possible!" Even Shi Hui, who was watching the fire, chimed in, "Are these people crazy to queue for so long just to eat a plate of braised beef?"
Wei Dong shook his head: "You don't understand. Rich people think differently from us. They just want to eat something unusual."
“Do rich people really need to queue for so long? Who has that kind of time?” Fan Qiu noticed the flaw in Wei Dong’s words.
Wei Dong said, "It's just like scrambling for train tickets to go home during the Spring Festival. We just want to get home, so we don't care if we have to wait in line for a few days. Rich people just want to enjoy the food, and besides, they can always find someone to wait in line for them."
Shi Hui said, "I really have money to burn. Our braised beef is so delicious. I've never eaten beef that tastes better than this."
As he spoke, he smiled ingratiatingly at Song Xinran and said, "Chef Song, your culinary skills have truly broadened my horizons and I've really learned a lot."
Song Xinran smiled. She didn't want to listen to their conversation, but she was sitting there anyway, and those voices were drilling into her ears.
The more she listened, the more familiar it seemed; it sounded a bit like her own shop.
I couldn't help but ask, "Manager Wei, where exactly is the store you mentioned?"
Wei Dong was surprised that she was also interested, and immediately became even more excited: "It's in the south of the city. I don't know exactly where, but I heard from people that a meal there costs several hundred yuan per person, tsk tsk."
Song Xinran: ...
If it really is her shop, then this rumor is too unreliable. The cheapest stir-fried vegetables are only 15 yuan, and a bowl of fried rice is less than 30 yuan. How can it cost several hundred yuan per person?
Upon hearing her words, Shi Hui quickly replied, "Master Song, they're just famous for it; when it comes to taste, yours is definitely the best!"
Fan Qiu chimed in, "Chef Song's cooking is the best I've ever had in my life!"
Song Xinran: "...Thank you."
However, she was still a little upset and asked Wei Dong again, "Is it a restaurant located in the No. 8 Tongyin Road residential area?"
Wei Dong clapped his hands: "Yes, yes, that should be it. Some big bosses mentioned it during dinner. I overheard it from the side, but I couldn't remember clearly. Chef Song, now that you mention it, I remember. That's the name!"
Song Xinran was truly heartbroken.
Good heavens, she thought to herself, has Song Ji's reputation spread so fast? Wei Dong had even heard of it, but the rumors were a hundred or two miles away from the truth.
"Chef Song, you know this restaurant too? Have you eaten there? What's it like?" Wei Dong was genuinely curious. He couldn't afford it with his salary, but he wanted to know exactly what the boss meant by the delicious taste.
Song Xinran: "..."
"I only heard about it today." She brushed it off, though strictly speaking, it wasn't exactly a lie, as Song's and the shop Wei Dong mentioned were completely different things.
She stood up, glanced at the braising pot, and said to Shi Hui, "Let's add the vegetables. It'll be ready in a little while."
Shi Hui's heart immediately surged with excitement: "Alright!"
The aroma of braised pork wafted out of the kitchen, carried by the wind, lingering for a long time. Soon after, a young man came with an elderly woman in her forties or fifties: "Mom, I'll take you to have a bowl of braised pork rice. It tastes great here."
"Xiao Guang, is this shop expensive? I told you I'd just cook a bowl of noodles at home, but I brought you some." The old lady looked at the shop with some hesitation.
"It's not expensive, not expensive at all, I can afford it!" the young man said.
"You're unemployed now, so you need to be more frugal," the old woman nagged.
The two walked into the braised meat shop, and the young man said, "Two bowls of braised pork rice, and an extra serving of braised beef."
"Xin Ran!" a middle-aged woman's voice rang out, "It's you, Xin Ran!"
An older woman wearing a floral shirt called out to Song Xinran. At first, the woman's eyes showed some fear and timidity, but after Song Xinran turned around and recognized her, the woman's expression brightened with joy and she smiled: "Xinran, it's me! I'm Aunt Deng, who used to live across from you. You used to call me Aunt Deng!"
The old woman extended her kind hand to greet her: "I heard from Xinwen that you're in the city now. I didn't expect to run into you. Have you had breakfast yet?"
"Xiao Guang, hurry up and order one for your sister Xin Ran." The old lady was very enthusiastic, and then introduced her to her son next to her, "Xiao Guang, this is your sister Xin Ran! Don't you remember? When you were little, your sister Xin Ran would take you to the fields to find sweet potatoes to eat."
"Sister Xinran." Xiao Guang was very young, wearing a T-shirt with a misshapen neckline, but he was very proactive, with a bright smile on his face. "Sister Xinran, what would you like to eat? I often eat here. I highly recommend the braised pork rice, and there are many other delicious dishes too. Sister, take a look at the menu!"
Xiao Guang pointed to the menu prices pasted on the wall next to him: "I've had braised chicken tail, braised cucumber, and edamame before. Would you like a drink, sis?"
Looking at the mother and son, Song Xinran tried hard to recall, but since she wasn't the original owner of this body, the memories she could recall were all very vivid. Now, however, she was completely lost and could only say, "No need, I've already had breakfast."
Fan Qiu then brought out two servings of braised pork rice and placed them on the table: "You are from the same hometown as Chef Song. The manager said that these two servings of braised pork rice are a gift for you."
Wei Dong stood by the kitchen, smiled slightly, and felt that he had done Song Xinran a favor.
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