Chapter 111 Spring Water Sour Fish Soup
Chapter 111
When Song Yu went to school the next day, he found something strange. As soon as he entered the classroom, all the students' eyes fell on him.
When Song Yu was in kindergarten, he was always among the first few to arrive at class. But after coming to the city to attend primary school, everyone was more competitive. Although he was still about the same in terms of time, he fell behind in terms of ranking.
Faced with those intense gazes, Song Yu frowned slightly and returned to his seat. Before he even sat down, the student behind him nudged his bag and whispered, "Song Yu, why didn't you come to school yesterday afternoon?"
Fu Fu sat beside him, her little face flushed, whether from excitement or heat, she looked at him intently, full of anticipation, but she held back from saying a word.
Song Yu felt even more confused, but still answered, "My mother took me home to rest."
The student behind him asked incredulously, "Didn't you get beaten up?"
Song Yu said confidently, "My mother would never hit me. I didn't do anything wrong."
"See, see!" Fu Fu finally couldn't hold back and shouted, "I told you Song Yu was just playing at home! Song Yu's mom is so nice, she wouldn't hit anyone!"
The student behind him lost the bet and pouted, "But Wang Yuhao got beaten up."
Fu Fu: "He deserved it!"
The student behind him thought about it and realized it made sense. Then, he had an even more curious question and looked at Song Yu with sparkling eyes: "Song Yu, you're really good at fighting! You knocked out Wang Yuhao's teeth!"
The voices of the boy behind him were excited and enthusiastic, showing no opposition to the violence. Most boys in this age group like to chase and play around, and think that fighting is a cool thing.
Song Yu felt this was a huge misunderstanding and patiently explained, "I didn't knock it off; Wang Yuhao knocked it off himself."
"Song Yu, teach me how to fight!" The student in front of me turned around.
Song Yu shook his head: "I don't like fighting, and I won't teach others."
The little boys at the two tables in front and behind Song Yu kept bothering to talk to her. Fu Fu found them annoying and chased them away. She then quietly leaned over and said gloatingly, "Wang Yuhao got beaten up. He has several red marks on his arm. He must have been hit!"
Song Yu didn't know much about it. He had met Wang Yuhao's mother yesterday. Wang's mother doted on Wang Yuhao, so it was unlikely that she would do anything to him. Song Yu turned his head slightly and glanced at Wang Yuhao, just in time to meet Wang Yuhao's hateful gaze.
The moment they met, Wang Yuhao let out a heavy snort and decisively looked away.
Song Yu noticed that Wang Yuhao had changed. During music class today, Wang Yuhao stopped talking to his classmates and disrupting class discipline. Also, during PE class, Wang Yuhao deliberately avoided him and kept his distance from him during group activities.
Fu Fu said happily, "Finally, we won't see Wang Yuhao anymore."
She attributed it all to Song Yu: "Song Yu, you're amazing! You're the one who chased Wang Yuhao away!"
Song Yu was a little embarrassed.
Fu Fu turned her head and asked, "You're so strong! What did you eat or do?"
Song Yu thought for a moment and answered seriously, "I drink milk every day."
Fufu's eyes widened: "Can I drink milk?"
Song Yu said confidently, "Yes, I used to be short in kindergarten, but now I've grown taller and stronger."
Because when lining up for physical education, the teacher moved him a little to the back, and the formation was based on height.
Fu Fu looked serious, and after a long while, she clenched her little fists, as if she had made a difficult decision.
That afternoon, Grandma Fufu, who came to pick up her granddaughter from school, received some wonderful news. Fufu held her hand and said confidently, "Grandma, I will drink milk every day starting tomorrow!"
Grandma Fufu couldn't believe it: "Really, Fufu? If I order it for you, you can't just take a sip and throw it away. You have to drink it all!"
Fu Fu felt looked down upon: "Of course I'll drink it all! I'm going to drink one, two, three, four, five more bottles!"
Grandma: ...That's unnecessary.
"Five bottles are too many, one bottle a day is enough." Grandma's tone was gentle, yet curious. "Why do you suddenly want to drink milk?"
Fufu: "Because I want to grow taller, and I want to be stronger!"
Hearing her granddaughter's ambitious aspirations, the grandmother happily exclaimed, "Great!"
Fufu: "Song Yu grew tall because he drank milk, I want to be like him!"
Grandma laughed when she heard this, knowing it was related to Song Yu. Fu Fu used to hate drinking milk. If she was given a glass, she would pour it into the sink when no one was looking. After that, Grandma stopped forcing her. If she didn't like drinking milk, she could get calcium from other sources, but the process would be more complicated.
Now that Fufu has brought it up himself, Grandma is naturally overjoyed.
Since making Song Yu her good friend, Fu Fu has become more enthusiastic about going to school, completes her homework more quickly, and her procrastination has improved. She has also started to make changes to her diet.
Grandma sighed inwardly, no wonder parents all hope their children will befriend outstanding children. The saying "one who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black" is an age-old truth.
*
The school incident was just a minor episode for Song Xinran. Shen Hui handled the situation well after she left that day. The dishes that the customers who were eating at the restaurant missed were given away for free on their next visit. For customers who had made reservations, the restaurant arranged for the nearest available date and gave them two extra dishes as a gift.
Shen Hui asked, "Manager Song, could we hire another sous chef?"
Song Xinran said, "I'm also considering this. I'll write a job posting and put it out today. We'll take our time recruiting chefs."
Song Xinran hadn't considered hiring a chef before because there weren't many customers at the restaurant; she and Fan Lei, the cook, were enough.
But after yesterday's events, she realized that she would also face some unexpected situations. She couldn't just close the shop every time something happened; that would be too capricious. Song Xinran decided to run the restaurant properly and naturally make it more standardized.
We should hire an experienced sous chef who can cook simple stir-fries and the like, so that Song Xinran's job will be easier.
Having learned from her past life, Song Xinran understands even more the importance of physical health, which is the cornerstone of life.
As for what kind of person to look for, Song Xinran thought someone like Lei Hong would be good. Back in town, Lei Hong always humbly said that he had only studied cooking for a few more years and was just skilled, but actually had no talent.
However, Song Xinran thought Lei Hong's dishes tasted good. Most importantly, Lei Hong had a strong spirit of research and progress. His restaurant was already in the top tier in the town, but Lei Hong was still constantly exploring new dishes and developing new menus.
Song Xinran briefly explained her requirements to Shen Hui, who frowned slightly and replied, "Okay, manager."
Song Xinran noticed her hesitation and couldn't help but ask, "Are my requirements too high?"
She only has a few requirements: experienced, willing to learn, good character, and must pass her interview.
Shen Hui said, "It's not high, we'll look slowly."
It's not high, but Shen Hui has many years of experience in the catering industry. In this industry, experienced chefs with good cooking skills are arrogant and proud of their skills. Very few of them will take the initiative to learn. Moreover, if someone points out the shortcomings, the chef will get angry and say, "What do you know? You are just a customer and you know more than I do."
And the more skilled the chef, the more arrogant they become.
Shen Hui felt that given Song Xinran's culinary skills, any chef she found would be just as good. The first thing she needed to do was interview Song Xinran.
In addition, it's important to have good character. Shen Hui felt that it's too difficult to know a person's heart, as you can only know their face.
If Song Xinran didn't open her own shop and instead worked as a chef at another restaurant, she would definitely be fawned over everywhere. Once someone is fawned over everywhere, it's easy for them to lose their way.
Song Xinran was the best cook and the kindest person Shen Hui had ever met.
However, this matter must be handled slowly. The atmosphere at Song's is very good right now. If we hire someone who is cunning and deceitful, it would be like a rotten apple spoiling the whole barrel.
After starting work at Songji, Shen Hui was unwilling to recall her days at Rongxia Xiaochu, a place rife with intrigue and backstabbing.
Shen Hui started writing the job posting, and she added a small point to Song Xinran's requirements.
*
Zhong Wei invited his friend to Song Ji's restaurant again, only to be met with a cold reply: "I'm not going."
Zhong Wei urged, "Come on, don't you want to try the spring water sour fish soup?"
"I don't want to. What's the point of trying a fake?" My friend's voice was cold. "Besides, they invited me to eat there last Wednesday, but the restaurant suddenly closed and we canceled. Do you know how much of my time that wasted, and how much money they could have made?"
Zhong Wei clicked his tongue lightly: "I think you're obsessed with money. Last Wednesday was an emergency caused by a family matter at home. It definitely won't happen again this time!"
No matter what he said, his friend still refused. Finally, Zhong Wei used his trump card: "I know a company boss who is planning to give some welfare gifts to his employees for the Chinese New Year. Aren't you planning to launch some kind of practical gift package?"
The other person promptly asked, "When are we eating?"
Zhong Wei smiled: "Two hours later."
It was impolite to ask someone out on that day, but Zhong Wei did it on purpose.
Sure enough, I heard the person on the other end of the phone grit their teeth and say, "...Okay."
Zhong Wei even changed his clothes specifically because he was going to eat at Song Ji's. Thinking of all the delicious food, he swallowed hard, convinced that Song Ji's food wouldn't win over Lin Jingyuan.
Zhong Wei is that kind of person. He enjoys seeing others contradict themselves, and if that person is his friend, the scene becomes even more interesting.
At noon, during the peak dining hours, Song Ji was not noisy at all. Instead, the enticing aroma of dishes filled the air: the freshness of stir-fried vegetables, the numbing spiciness of chili peppers and hot oil, and the rich smoke from freshly cooked stir-fried meat dishes.
Before Zhong Wei even entered the room, he took a deep breath by the door: "If I could smell this when I was in school, I would rather eat plain rice and enjoy the aroma every day than suffer in the cafeteria."
Zhong Wei has always been a foodie since he was a child, and the days of eating in the school cafeteria are a bitter memory.
Lin Jingyuan, who was his classmate, gave him a disdainful look: "You wouldn't be willing to go back if we really asked you to."
"Hey, wait, can't you smell it?" Zhong Wei quickly waved his hand in front of his nose. "Don't you have anything to say about this fragrance?"
Lin Jingyuan said expressionlessly, "There are plenty of things that smell good but taste bad. You don't know how fast chemical flavorings and additives are developing these days since you're not in this industry."
Zhong Wei just loves to eat; he's not actually in the food service industry. Hearing this, he hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Song Ji definitely doesn't use any of those random spices and additives. I have a very sensitive nose; this smells very natural."
Zhong Wei quickly pulled him inside: "You'll know once you taste it."
Anyway, it's better to try it yourself than for others to say it a hundred times. Zhong Wei felt that no one would dislike Song Ji's dishes. Back then, he and his friends were eating at Yinhe Restaurant. They ordered a whole table of dishes, and in the end, they ate everything, even using the broth to soak their rice. All of these dishes were from Song Ji's takeout.
Food delivered to restaurants can never taste as good or have as many varieties as fresh food served in person.
"Hello, do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked with a smile.
Zhong Wei gave his name and mobile phone number.
"Oh, it's Mr. Zhong. I'm so sorry we had to cancel your meal last time. Please come with me. We'll be giving you two complimentary dishes this time. What would you like to order?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Wei glanced at Lin Jingyuan, raising an eyebrow slightly, implying that Song Ji's service was alright.
Lin Jingyuan didn't say anything. He believed that the most important thing for a restaurant was the food, while other services and decorations were just secondary. However, these secondary services were often overpriced, and many people valued this overpricing.
Just like the sour fish soup made with spring water, which is clearly a local delicacy from Lin Jingyuan's hometown, where you can get a large plate for 15 yuan in town, with very high-quality ingredients, freshly killed fish, and simple and fresh seasonings, but when it comes to the city, with a change of packaging and location, its price doubles.
"I'd like a serving of spring water sour fish soup," Zhong Wei ordered first.
Lin Jingyuan glanced at it and saw the words "68 yuan" prominently displayed after the dish.
Lin Jingyuan glanced at Zhong Wei with a complicated look, thinking that he had too much money to burn. The price of sour fish soup at this restaurant had not just doubled, but increased several times!
Lin Jingyuan glanced at Song Ji. The decor here perfectly matched the place he had imagined as a place specifically designed to rip off people like Zhong Wei.
Zhong Wei ordered three more dishes, and finally said to Lin Jingyuan, "Try the sour fish soup first. Although I've never had it in Quanshui Town, I'm sure it's very authentic and delicious!"
Lin Jingyuan asked incredulously, "You haven't eaten the ones from Quanshui Town, so how can you know they're authentic without comparing them?"
"Although I have no comparison, I have a mouth and a brain. My mouth tells me it's delicious, and my brain tells me it's extremely delicious, and uniquely delicious."
Lin Jingyuan said, "If I hadn't known you for so long, I would definitely think you were paid to advertise for Song's restaurant."
Zhong Wei stroked his chin: "Come to think of it, I've spoken highly of Song's in front of so many people. The owner should give me some advertising fees when he finds out."
Lin Jingyuan wanted to roll his eyes and was too lazy to talk to him.
While waiting for the food, the waiter served them tea and complimentary fruit. Zhong Wei ate a pear and found it to be juicy and tender, with no grit at all.
"Try it! It seems like Song Ji's fruit tastes better than the ones outside!" Zhong Wei pushed the fruit plate in front of Lin Jingyuan.
Lin Jingyuan didn't move. He looked around, observing the other customers and mentally calculating Songji's profits.
"Take a bite of this pear, and it will absolutely open the door to a whole new world for you!" Zhong Wei enthusiastically promoted it.
Lin Jingyuan: "I think you're quite ill. You'd better go to the hospital to get checked out."
What's so special about fruit? Lin Jingyuan just doesn't like eating fruit.
Zhong Wei felt that he was being unfairly treated, so he decided to eat it himself.
After finishing the pears, I felt full and my appetite returned. At that moment, the waiter served the first dish: stir-fried cabbage with vinegar.
Stir-fried cabbage with vinegar is a very simple and common home-style dish, but Song Ji's dish seems to naturally distinguish itself from ordinary home-style dishes when it is served. The cabbage leaves are crystal clear with a slight golden hue, and the soy sauce is evenly coated on the cabbage, making it look very appealing.
The aroma is slightly sour, but it's not the typical acetic acid; it's refreshing, mixed with the fragrance of garlic and the wok hei (the smoky aroma from stir-frying), instantly whetting one's appetite.
Zhong Wei's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he restrainedly reached out to Lin Jingyuan: "You try it first."
Zhong Wei felt that he didn't need any fancy dishes; just this simple stir-fried cabbage with vinegar would be enough to tame Lin Jingyuan.
But then his phone rang. Lin Jingyuan answered it, gave him a look, and went outside to answer the call.
Zhong Wei: ...
What kind of call is this, coming at such an inopportune time?
He also wanted to see Lin Jingyuan's expression change drastically after taking a bite of cabbage, and how he would be embarrassed on the spot.
Zhong Wei shook his head. It seemed that he was the only one who could benefit from this dish of cabbage. He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. He found that the sourness was just right, the cabbage was sweet and crisp, and the flavor of the cabbage blended with the garlic to create a very unique taste.
"It's so delicious!" Zhong Wei said happily.
...
When Lin Jingyuan returned after making the call, he was shocked to see that there were hardly any dishes left on the table: "You invited other people too?"
Zhong Wei let out a burp: "No, you've been on the phone for too long, I've almost finished eating."
Lin Jingyuan: "...You can eat this much by yourself, is your stomach okay?"
Zhong Wei said, "That's why I always restrain myself from coming to Song Ji."
He sighed, half happy and half annoyed, and said, "Every time I come here, I can't help but order more food, and then I have to finish it all. My stomach can't take it."
Lin Jingyuan didn't know what to say: "You should take care of your health."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the waiter placed a steaming bowl of hot spring water sour fish soup on the table.
You don't even need to get close; a unique sour aroma wafts over you, mixed with the warmth of the soup. The sourness isn't sharp or pungent; instead, it has a soft, fruity acidity that, along with the smoky flavor, seeps into your stomach.
The fish was incredibly fresh and delicious. Even a careful sniff revealed no fishy smell whatsoever. The aroma, enhanced by the ginger and garlic, was warm and comforting. Before even touching the chopsticks, one could already imagine the warm, sour soup sliding down the throat, causing saliva to involuntarily well up in the mouth and instantly whetting the appetite.
Zhong Wei immediately picked up his chopsticks, but Lin Jingyuan stopped him: "Wait."
Zhong Wei: ?
Lin Jingyuan stared intently at the plate of sour fish soup. A layer of clear oil floated on the golden broth, but it didn't look greasy at all. The thick broth coated the snow-white fish pieces, which were cooked just right, revealing the delicate texture between the fibers. It was sprinkled with bright green scallions, and a few pieces of sour fruit floated on the surface of the broth, making it look incredibly vibrant.
Lin Jingyuan picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, and savored it.
Zhong Wei: ? ? ?
What the hell are you doing?
I held his arm down to make him wait, but then he started eating with his other hand first.
Do such people exist?
"Hey!" Zhong Wei was about to cause trouble.
Lin Jingyuan then realized what was happening, apologized, and let go of his hand, explaining, "I thought this dish was a bit strange, so I tried it first."
Zhong Wei: "What's strange?"
Lin Jingyuan frowned slightly and thought for two seconds: "I need to take another bite to taste it."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
