This was arguably the best meal Zhou Yu had eaten in over twenty years.
He had never been a glutton, always believing that eating just enough to be full was sufficient; yet, this time, he went back for three full bowls.
Seeing him eat with such gusto, Liu Yu felt secretly proud. But immediately following that, an inexplicable sense of pity arose in his heart. What kind of lives were the common people living in this world? How could a simple bowl of amaranth dough-drop soup be eaten with the enthusiasm one might reserve for a grand feast?
He hadn’t even unleashed his true culinary skills yet! Once he had the money to purchase a variety of ingredients, he would put his full range of braising, frying, steaming, and sautéing techniques to work. Surely, those dishes would completely mesmerize these people.
However, any ambitious claims he made now were just empty words. He was currently so poor that his house was practically empty, and he could only afford to eat leafy greens.
Zhou Yu carefully finished the last of the residue at the bottom of his bowl. When he looked up, he saw the young boy staring off into space with a troubled expression.
Zhou Yu thought, Can he even get distracted while eating? How can a teenager carry so much on his mind?
“Ahem!” He feigned a cough to bring Liu Yu back to reality. “I am full. You should hurry and eat while it is still warm.”
Liu Yu inwardly grumbled, Of course I know you are full. Who in their right mind eats four bowls of dough-drop soup and isn’t full?
Heaven knows how shocked and terrified he had been watching the other man bury his head and devour four large bowls without pause. The ridiculous part was that when he was cooking, he had been worried about making too much and wasting food. Now, he only feared that he hadn’t made enough, making him seem like an inattentive host.
Thinking this, he hesitated. “Brother Zhou, are you really full?”
Zhou Yu nodded with satisfaction. “I am indeed full.” Seeming to realize belatedly that he had eaten quite a lot today, he awkwardly explained, “Xiao Yu, your culinary skills are truly remarkable. Even a top-tier chef might not be able to make such simple vegetarian dishes taste this delicious. I just couldn’t help myself and ate too much; please excuse my poor manners.”
Liu Yu was delighted. What could make a chef happier than being praised for their craft? The answer was nothing.
“Although I cannot afford meat dishes yet, I have plenty of vegetables. If you like it, Brother Zhou, you can come over and eat every day.”
Looking at that bright, enthusiastic smile, Zhou Yu felt an inexplicable, faint sting in his heart.
The boy looked extremely thin, with no meat on his palm-sized face. Even though he had a round, cat-like face, his cheeks had sunken in, leaving a sharp chin that made one’s heart ache just looking at him.
Zhou Yu pondered internally that if he could successfully re-establish contact with J City in a while, he would find an opportunity to return openly. By then, if the boy was willing and the situation had stabilized, he would take him along. Whether he wanted to continue his schooling or do what he loved, he would certainly be able to provide for him properly.
If he wasn’t willing, he could still sponsor him—he would never let the boy spend his days laboring at a street stall only to end up not being able to afford a single piece of meat.
Liu Yu had no idea that this big brother he had just befriended, despite being down on his own luck, was already seriously planning out his future.
He had just thought of a new breakfast item. Ever since he started the stall, he had felt his offerings were too monotonous. Even the most delicious food becomes tiresome if eaten every day.
Liu Yu didn’t want his stall to be eliminated because of a lack of variety. Thus, he had to slowly add new items.
You-tiao would be perfect; they go well with congee, soy milk, or even plain hot water. Although they required more oil and flour than spring rolls, he could raise the price. The customers weren’t fools—wouldn’t they be able to taste the high quality?
Most importantly, you-tiao were not complicated to make; as long as one mastered the heat, it was very suitable for a lazy person like him.
Liu Yu was the type of person who acted immediately once he had an idea. He grabbed the hand Zhou Yu was using to clean the bowls. “Brother Zhou, I am planning to launch a new product tomorrow!”
“Oh? What kind of breakfast?” Zhou Yu asked, showing great interest.
Liu Yu winked mischievously. “I need to let the dough rise for three or four hours first. You will know tonight! I promise it will be just as delicious as my spring rolls.”
Zhou Yu couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, I will be looking forward to it. Go and prep your dough! I will wash the bowls.”
Even though he knew it was very impolite to come to someone’s home for the first time and eat two meals for free—something he never would have done in the past—he had no desire to refuse the boy’s invitation.
He enjoyed the time spent with the boy. It felt as if, after his parents passed away, he finally had a small home again, with a lively, adorable, and lovable little brother.
As the sun was setting, Zhou Yu left the house with a batch of fresh you-tiao tucked into his chest.
Liu Yu had wanted him to stay for dinner so he could hear his feedback, but considering Zhou Yu was unfamiliar with the roads and it was dangerous to travel in the dark, he insisted that Zhou Yu take the first batch as soon as they were fried.
Liu Yu watched until the other man was out of sight before turning back to continue frying the rest.
Since he had to deep-fry them again the next morning, he only fried them until they were half-cooked. This way, the finished product would be even crispier on the outside and tender on the inside after the second fry.
For this new launch, he decided to make fifty or sixty sticks. To avoid impacting the sales of his spring rolls and causing waste, he reduced the daily spring roll count from six hundred to five hundred. This should ensure they would sell out.
Liu Yu took a bite of a you-tiao with some plain boiled water and felt very satisfied, growing more confident by the moment.
Inside a cramped brick house in Qinghe Town, Zhou Yu sat by an iron stove, boiling congee.
He had heard the boy say that this fried dough, called you-tiao, was best enjoyed with plain congee to bring out the flavor.
The pot began to bubble, and he busied himself putting out the firewood and ladling a bowl of porridge, blowing on it a few times.
The you-tiao didn’t look as crispy as when they were fresh out of the fryer they were a bit soft but that didn’t stop them from smelling just as fragrant.
He took a bite. The texture was different from the spring rolls Liu Yu had specially saved for him in the morning; these were chewier. Even though it was just the pure, mixed aroma of flour and oil without any other flavors, it grew unexpectedly more fragrant the more he chewed.
He liked it very much. He ate the you-tiao and the porridge until he was full, and the bag was empty.
Zhou Yu thought to himself: with such skills, once the boy arrived in J City, he would probably be able to cure the picky-eating habits of those young masters in no time. If he, an adult who usually didn’t care much for food, couldn’t resist the temptation, he didn’t believe anyone else could.
After a restful night, Liu Yu stood at his door, half-asleep, as Zhou Yu arrived on time the next morning.
At 6:00 AM, the sun hadn’t fully risen, and the air was filled with a refreshing scent of earth and grass. Liu Yu followed behind the wooden cart, flicking the dew off the weeds on the side of the road as he walked.
In high spirits, he hummed a tune that was entirely out of tune—aimless and grating—which made Zhou Yu, who was pulling the cart ahead of him, laugh out loud.
An energetic adult truly made a difference; they arrived in half the time it usually took for the hour-long walk.
Even so, quite a few people were already loitering around his usual stall location. Seeing Liu Yu arrive early, they happily lined up.
Someone in the crowd teased, “Little Boss, what happened today? You are here unusually early.”
Liu Yu knew they were joking about his usual lack of urgency in making money. He didn’t rush to explain, just chuckled and said, “I am launching a new item today called you-tiao. It is five cents each, and there are only sixty available, so it is first come, first served!”
Seeing the breakfast stall had a new item, the crowd grew interested. Five cents wasn’t exactly cheap for the people in town, but it wasn’t a fortune either. As long as it was delicious, they were willing to splurge for a taste, so they clamored to buy some.
Xu Liping was squeezed into the line as usual. Ever since he had brought spring rolls home last time, his family felt like their mornings were incomplete without them. Seeing everyone fighting over this new thing called you-tiao, he gritted his teeth and bought five. Even though it was expensive, it wouldn’t be right to let his child have a taste of the new treat while he, his wife, and his parents just watched.
Zhou Yu wrapped the you-tiao carefully and handed them to him. Xu Liping thanked him and secretly weighed the paper bag in his hand. It didn’t have much weight—five sticks for twenty-five cents. Usually, that would be enough to buy a dozen crispy spring rolls. He wondered what was so special about this that it would sell for such a high price.
Xu Liping tossed the bag back and forth, unable to figure it out, so he hurried home.
“What about the spring rolls? Why did you bring back this new thing today? Were you too late and couldn’t buy any?” Father Xu asked as he walked up to him.
Xu Liping knew his father was complaining that he hadn’t brought spring rolls.
He wanted to retort, but as a small rich second generation who relied on his parents for support, he just kept his temper and said, “This is a new breakfast item from the owner of the spring roll stall. It is called you-tiao. It is so popular that you have to be early to get them; otherwise, you won’t even get a chance to grab one!”
Father Xu’s expression softened, and he reached out to take the paper bag. Just then, Mother Xu brought a bowl of white congee into the front hall, and the family sat down for breakfast.
“Mm, these you-tiao are delicious. They look like they would crumble to the touch, but they are actually quite fragrant and chewy!” Mother Xu said, taking one to eat.
Hearing this, Father Xu dropped his act, gave one to his little grandson, and picked one up for himself.
“I knew I hadn’t made a mistake. Tell you what, even though the stall owner is young, his craft is one of a kind. I actually think these you-tiao are a step above the spring rolls. It is just a bit too expensive—five cents for one!” Xu Liping said, his head buried in his food.
His wife, sitting on the side, didn’t respond. Compared to you-tiao, she preferred the spring rolls; the filling inside was very flavorful and could count as a dish on its own.
Father Xu, however, scoffed coldly. “What did I say? You don’t know the value of food if you don’t manage the household. These you-tiao are made of pure dough; the ingredients are not something those thin-skinned, vegetable-filled spring rolls can compare to. How could they be cheap?”
The you-tiao had clearly replaced the spring rolls as Father Xu’s top favorite.
He had the means to make money and a broad perspective; as long as he ate well, he didn’t care about spending a little extra. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked his son to go to the street to buy breakfast every single day, rain or shine.
His little grandson, nestled in his arms, didn’t understand what they were talking about. He just kept stuffing you-tiao into his mouth, thinking they were absolutely delicious—even better than the pastries his grandparents only made during the New Year.