The instant success of the cold dishes on their first day undoubtedly gave Father Wen a massive boost in confidence.
For a man who was constantly preparing for the day his daughter would return to her school life, Father Wen finally felt a sense of security. With the claypot rice, the braised dishes, and the cold platters, he felt that even after his daughter went back to school, he would be able to run this shop successfully on his own!
That evening, as they prepared to launch the braised dishes, Yang Tao and Qu Xiaoyu stayed behind to help greet customers despite having no delivery orders.
“I’ve got nothing to do at home anyway, so I might as well help out here,” Yang Tao thought with a grin. He had already stuffed himself during dinner, and since he had no plans for the night, staying here to move around might just help him digest enough to squeeze in a late-night snack!
Mother Wen set up the stove by the entrance and found a large pot. She poured out some of the master stock and began meticulously arranging the braised items inside. The original stock was already fragrant enough, but now that it was displayed right at the door, the aroma became even more pronounced.
The neatly arranged, colorful braised dishes were the first thing anyone saw upon entering. There were pig trotters glowing with an enticing red luster, chicken feet and drumsticks fried until they had “tiger-skin” wrinkles, braised eggs, duck necks, fried bean curd, and firm tofu…
On a piece of A4 paper taped next to the door, Mother Wen had written: [Braised Dishes].
There were no prices listed because each item was priced differently. Generally speaking, the vegetarian items could be ordered as a platter for twenty yuan, while the meat items were priced individually and could be ordered either as part of a platter or on their own.
People entering the shop asked about the prices, and almost everyone thought they were expensive. Twenty yuan for a platter of braised vegetables! Anywhere else, they would have turned and walked out.
It was only because the Wen family’s rice and noodle platters were so delicious that these people stayed. They sat down one by one and ordered their meals.
After waiting a while, someone finally couldn’t resist the aroma and ordered a pig trotter. Mother Wen fished one out of the pot and placed it on a plate. “Forty-five yuan for one.”
The man who ordered it almost said he didn’t want it anymore. It was expensive—so expensive it made his heart ache.
“Do you want me to slice it for you?” Mother Wen asked.
“…No need. Just give me a glove.”
The man looked at the pig trotter with a face full of misery. After I eat this today, I’m never ordering it again… oh, it smells so good!
The trotter was soft, glutinous, and rich in collagen. He didn’t know how this shop processed them, but there wasn’t a hint of gamy smell, and not a single stray hair to be found. The pork was stewed until it was incredibly tender, possessing a trembling, jelly-like texture. With one gentle chew, it felt as if the collagen was sticking his lips together. The braised fragrance bloomed in his mouth, the savory juices filling every crevice of the meat. It was fragrant without being greasy.
“Delicious!”
His focused, devouring manner undoubtedly dispelled any doubts for those still hesitating.
“Give me a few chicken feet!”
“I’ll take some lotus root. Do you have potato slices?”
“Kelp, firm tofu, and some fried bean curd.”
…
Those who knew how to eat skipped the rice platters entirely. They ordered a bowl of plain rice and had the braised sauce poured over it. A bite of braised food followed by a bite of rice—the taste was surprisingly excellent.
The evening temperature was still high; even after eight o’clock, it was still over thirty degrees outside. Yet, the Wens’ business was surprisingly good. The eight tables inside were quickly filled, and those who came later chose to sit outside.
Mother Wen said apologetically, “We only have two tables today, and one of them is reserved.”
Yang Hong had mentioned at noon that they could set up outside, but Mother Wen hadn’t had time to buy tables in the afternoon. She had to borrow a folding table from each of the two neighboring shops.
One group of customers claimed the first table, leaving the later arrivals frustrated. However, someone had a sudden flash of inspiration.
“Boss, we have tables in our shop too! Let’s move them over!”
Mother Wen looked over and saw several young men from the hair salon down the street. Zhou Xing, the owner of the salon, slapped his forehead. “That’s right! Go move them! Bring some stools too!”
Zhou Hao and Wang Lei had already run off. Mother Wen was speechless—what could she say if people brought their own furniture?
To her surprise, after Zhou Xing and his group sat down and started eating, the people who came later followed suit.
“The boss doesn’t have tables, so let’s go borrow some!”
There were plenty of shops on the street. As long as you asked, surely you could borrow one?
Some people chose to take their food home, though eating at home wasn’t nearly as satisfying as eating here, where one could add more dishes at any time.
The hot evening breeze was not refreshing at all, but with a mouthful of braised meat and a sip of ice-cold beer, Zhou Xing and his group felt like they were in paradise.
“Brother, let’s eat this again tomorrow, okay?”
Zhou Xing took a large bite of a braised egg. “Do you think I own a gold vault?”
The Wens’ braised dishes were truly expensive. Although one could tell they were high quality—the trotters were larger than those in dedicated braised food shops, and the chicken feet were bigger too—who could afford to eat this every day?
“Come, come, sit down! I had the boss save this table in advance.”
Yang Hong greeted several women around her age and sat them down. She turned around and shouted, “Give me two pig trotters, two catties of chicken feet, and a platter of mixed vegetables…”
Zhou Hao said enviously, “…Brother…”
“Shut up,” Zhou Xing snapped.
“I haven’t even said anything yet!”
“Don’t say it. Even if you do, I won’t want to hear it.”
“…They’re so rich.”
“Then can you focus on learning your craft? I asked you to give Lei a haircut—look at what you did! It looks like a donkey chewed on it!”
“The way he dyed my hair looks even worse, okay?”
“With the skills you two have, you’ll never see a day where you can afford three meals of braised meat!”
“Whoa, don’t get personal! Who says I can’t learn? I’ll start studying hard tomorrow!”
“Fine! You study hard. The day you finally master it, I’ll order a whole table for you!”
…
Beside them, Yang Hong said cheerfully, “See? I told you. This shop’s food is delicious and business is booming. If I hadn’t said something in advance, we wouldn’t even have a seat.”
The woman next to her curled her lips into a slight, awkward smile. “Yes, business is quite good.”
It was strange. From the outside, it looked like a totally ordinary little shop. Was it really worth all this praise? They had already heard about the takeout, and now they were being forced to come eat here once. The group looked at each other, resolving not to say anything mean even if the food wasn’t great.
But as the neighboring tables were served one after another and the aroma filled the air, they began to doubt themselves. Is it really that good?
Yang Tao brought over several plates. The savory-colored trotters and braised items looked better than the last. “Enjoy your meal.”
Yang Hong’s eyes sparkled. “Eat! The stir-fried rice will be out in a bit!”
Everyone picked up their chopsticks, and soon, they were full of praise.
“Good heavens, braised chicken feet can actually taste like this? This is better than the dim sum I’ve had before.”
“Whoa, try this fried bean curd.”
“The place Yang Hong found is really something. No wonder she’s put on weight lately.”
Yang Hong: “…Just eat! Watch out, or you’ll have a day where you get fat too!”
The group burst into laughter. “So what if I get fat? If it’s this delicious, a little extra weight doesn’t matter!”
Soon, Wen Fan emerged carrying a large bowl of stir-fried rice. “Hello, here is the stir-fried rice you ordered.”
Yang Hong acted as if she were seeing a family member when she saw Wen Fan. She greeted her warmly, “Xiao Fan, thank you for your hard work! Have you eaten?”
Wen Fan smiled. “I’ve eaten. I changed today’s stir-fried rice a little, so it might be a bit different from the one you had last time.”
Yang Hong took the rice. “Anything is fine! I trust your skills. Good girl, it’s hot out here; hurry back inside and stay cool.”
Wen Fan nodded. The people next to Yang Hong peered at her curiously.
“Is this the sensible kid you were talking about? She made all this food?”
Yang Hong replied, “Exactly! This child is so obedient and considerate. I wish I had a daughter like this—someone who knows how to care for adults and has the talent to make money.”
The woman beside Yang Hong took a deep breath of the rice’s fragrance and immediately took a spoonful.
The dish Wen Fan made today was Sour Bean Stir-fried Rice.
She had gotten the idea when Father Wen was out sourcing peanuts near the city. He had encountered a family whose pickled sour beans were excellent, so he bought some on a whim. Wen Fan had made minced pork with sour beans at noon, and the small amount of leftover beans was used for the evening’s stir-fried rice.
First, the minced pork was marinated thoroughly with light soy sauce, white pepper, and minced ginger. The meat was stir-fried in lard until loose and then removed. Then, minced garlic, millet chili, and the pickled peppers Wen Fan had bought were fried until fragrant. The sour beans were finely chopped, tossed into the pan, and stir-fried evenly before adding the meat and seasonings.
The meat was fried until it was fragrant and slightly chewy, and the acidity of the beans melded into the pork. Finally, the rice was added and fried until loose.
This bowl of sour bean stir-fried rice was even more appetizing and refreshing than regular stir-fried rice. The sour and spicy rice was fried relatively dry; the slightly dry grains, the minced pork, and the sour bean bits were all mixed together. One mouthful provided everything: sour, fragrant, savory, and spicy. The acidity opened up the appetite; after a couple of bites of rice, a bite of braised meat followed. The rich, silky fragrance of the braised meat and the sour spice of the stir-fried rice were an unexpectedly perfect match.
“Good grief, how did I eat so much!”
One table had four plates of braised meat, two platters of cold dishes, a large bowl of stir-fried rice, three additional portions of plain rice, and various drinks. The four middle-aged women had licked everything clean.
“Oh my god, I’m so full I can barely stand up.”
The sour fragrance of the stir-fried rice was too deceptive. It wasn’t until they had eaten their fill that they realized they could barely walk. The group began to fall into a dazed carb coma, chatting idly. They really wanted to go home and sleep, but they couldn’t bring themselves to move, so they stayed to chat and digest.
“A young girl with skills this good… why is she still in school? She should just help her parents run the restaurant. In a few years, she’d have everything.”
“Exactly. To be honest, opening a shop here is a waste of talent. If she opened one near the CBD, she could sell this for eighty-eight yuan, never mind ten or twenty. Hey, Yang Hong, did you ask what their plans are?”
Yang Hong replied, “I thought the same thing, but the parents said no. They said the child is still young, and if she spends her life around a stove, they’re afraid she’ll regret it.”
“True. If the parents didn’t let her study, they’d be real pieces of work. This is fine—the child helps out, and the parents look out for her future.”
“Look at their kid, then look at mine. My boy does nothing but eat, sleep, and play games. Yesterday he had the nerve to ask me to get him new glasses. I wanted to hit him—his 6.0 myopia isn’t from studying, but from playing games and having his prescription go up every year!”
“They’re all the same. Mine too. I’m just looking forward to the start of the semester so I can ship him off to school.”
“Sigh, don’t talk about it. Comparing people only makes you miserable.”
“Hey, give me one more braised drumstick to take home.”
“I want one too!”
“Tsk tsk, you scold them so much, but you still bring them food.”
“None of us can judge, right?”
“Are we playing mahjong tomorrow?”
“Yes, and we’re coming back here to eat at night.”
“Alright then. We should order a bit less tomorrow; this was too much.”