The next day at noon, in the kitchen, Su Dashan was preparing braised pork belly.
This was the signature dish of Su Ji, sold for over twenty years. When people in Linshui County talked about braised pork belly, they would always mention, "Su Ji's version is decent, really solid." Su Dashan had his own method for this dish—selecting pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, cutting it into cubes, blanching it in cold water, and skimming off the scum. Then, he would remove the meat, drain it, heat a little oil in the wok, add sugar, and stir-fry over low heat until the sugar melted and turned amber. Next, he would add the meat cubes, stir-frying to coat each piece with the caramelized sugar. After that, he would add water to cover the meat, along with soy sauce, yellow wine, ginger slices, and scallion knots. Once brought to a boil over high heat, he would reduce it to low heat and let it simmer slowly.
He worked meticulously, following every step with precision. But Su Mo, watching from the side, felt something was missing.
The meat simmered for nearly half an hour, and the aroma emerged—a familiar scent of meat infused with soy sauce and yellow wine. Su Dashan lifted the lid and poked the meat with chopsticks—it was tender but not yet melt-in-the-mouth soft. He covered the pot again and continued simmering over low heat.
Su Mo, chopping vegetables nearby, smelled the familiar aroma but her mind was elsewhere. She remembered her master from her previous life saying that braised pork belly, though seemingly simple, truly tested one's skill. The heat, seasoning, and reduction—if any of these were off, the flavor wouldn't be right.
She looked at her father's pot of meat. The aroma was rich, but she felt something was missing. Was it depth? Was it richness? She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Dad," she suddenly spoke up, "can I give it a try?"
Su Dashan looked up. "Try what?"
"Braised pork belly," Su Mo said. "I want to try a different method."
Su Dashan fell silent for a moment. He looked at his daughter, then at the bubbling pot of meat. After a while, he said, "Alright. Tomorrow, you make a pot, and I'll taste it."
The next day, Su Mo woke up early and went to the market to buy meat.
Back home, she began preparing the seasonings. Ginger had to be old ginger, sliced. Scallions—only the white parts, cut into sections. Garlic, smashed. Two dried chilies, broken apart. One star anise, a small piece of cinnamon bark, and two bay leaves—these spices were not originally used at Su Ji. She had specifically bought them from an herbal medicine shop, just a small amount.
Su Mo first heated the iron wok and rubbed the pork skin against it to remove any remaining bristles, a step that also helped eliminate any off-flavors from the skin. Then, she scraped the skin clean with a kitchen knife. Next, she placed the whole piece of meat in cold water, added scallions, ginger, and yellow wine for blanching, skimmed off the scum, removed the meat, rinsed it with warm water, and dried it with a clean cloth. She then cut the meat into large pieces about two fingers wide. After that, she heated oil in the wok, added the pork belly, and stir-fried over high heat until the meat no longer stuck to the wok. She then reduced the heat to medium-low, letting the meat sizzle in the wok. She patiently stir-fried until the surface of each piece turned golden brown. Leaving a little oil in the wok, she added rock sugar. Instead of stir-frying the sugar over high heat, she slowly melted it over low heat until it dissolved into a deep amber color with small bubbles. She then added the meat cubes, quickly stir-frying to evenly coat each piece with the caramelized sugar.
Next, instead of adding water, she drizzled yellow wine along the edge of the wok. With a sizzle, steam rose, and the aroma of wine mixed with meat instantly burst forth. After the wine aroma slightly dissipated, she added hot water—it had to be hot water, as cold water would cause the meat to shrink and become tough. The water covered the meat, and she added ginger slices, scallion sections, garlic, dried chilies, star anise, cinnamon bark, and bay leaves. Then, she added soy sauce—a newly purchased kind, dark in color and rich in flavor, but expensive.
The water was brought to a rolling boil, and the scum was skimmed off. Then, she poured the entire pot of meat into an earthenware jar—braising meat in an earthenware jar ensured more even heating and better heat retention than an iron pot. She covered it with the lid, leaving a small gap, placed it on a small stove, and let it simmer over the lowest heat.
This simmering went on for the better part of an hour.
During this time, Su Mo did not lift the lid, only occasionally listening to the sounds. The broth bubbled gently and steadily inside the jar, with a soft "gurgle, gurgle." The aroma seeped out through the gap in the lid, thread by thread, growing richer and more mellow. It wasn’t just the scent of soy sauce but a layered, deep, and lingering blend of meat, wine, sugar, and spices.
Zhou Yunniang was attending to customers in the front hall and, catching a whiff of the aroma, couldn’t help but poke her head in to ask, "Nian He, what are you making? It smells so good."
"Braised pork belly," Su Mo replied.
"Braised pork belly?" Zhou Yunniang was taken aback.
Su Mo smiled but said nothing.
Su Dashan, chopping firewood in the backyard, also caught the scent. He paused his axe, stood still for a moment, then resumed chopping, though his rhythm noticeably slowed.
As the lunch rush approached, Su Mo lifted the lid of the earthenware jar.
A cloud of steam burst forth, carrying with it a rich, complex aroma that instantly filled the entire kitchen. The sauce in the jar had reduced to a thick, glossy consistency, shimmering with a deep red hue. The pieces of meat trembled slightly in the sauce, their skin a translucent amber, the fat glistening and clear, the lean meat tender and falling apart.
She gently picked up a piece with her chopsticks. The meat wobbled, almost falling apart, yet remained intact. Carefully, she placed it in a bowl and ladled a spoonful of sauce over it.
"Father, Mother, try this."
Both of them stared at the meat in the bowl, momentarily stunned. This meat looked different from what they usually made—darker, shinier, as if coated in a layer of light. The fatty parts were translucent, revealing the texture within. The lean meat was so tender that it fell apart with the slightest touch of the chopsticks.
Su Dashan picked up a piece first and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, very slowly. His brows furrowed at first, then gradually relaxed, and finally, they smoothed out completely. He didn’t speak, but the look in his eyes changed.
Zhou Yunniang also tried a piece. She let out a soft "ah," then picked up another piece, savoring it carefully before saying, "This meat… how is it so… so tender? It melts in your mouth and isn’t greasy at all. The flavor is rich, so fragrant!"
Su Mo looked at her father.
Su Dashan remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "How did you make it?"
Su Mo explained the steps. Su Dashan listened without interrupting. When she finished, he picked up another piece of meat, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. After swallowing, he set down his chopsticks and looked at his daughter.
"The spices," he said, "I’ve thought about adding them before. But your grandfather wouldn’t allow it. He said braised pork belly is about the natural flavor of the meat, and adding spices would overpower it."
"Spices enhance the flavor, they don’t overpower it," Su Mo replied. "Used skillfully, they can make the meat even more fragrant."
"And the earthenware jar?"
"The earthenware jar heats evenly and retains heat well. Simmering it slowly over low heat allows the meat to absorb the flavors and become tender."
"From now on," he said, "you’ll be the one to make the braised pork belly."
Su Mo was taken aback. "Father…"
"You did well," Su Dashan interrupted her, his tone calm. "Better than I did. From now on, this dish will be made your way." With that, he turned and left.
Zhou Yunniang watched her husband’s retreating figure, then looked at her daughter, her eyes reddening. She walked over and patted Su Mo’s head. "Your father… he’s acknowledging your skill."
Su Mo looked at the clay pot on the stove, feeling a surge of warmth in her heart. It wasn’t pride or arrogance, but a heavy, grounding sense of being recognized.
"Mother," she said, "let’s taste it and decide on a suitable price."
"Alright!"
During the midday rush, on the wall of Su Ji Eatery, next to the wooden sign that read "Braised Pork, 25 Wen," Su Dashan added a new line in small charcoal characters:
"New-Style Braised Pork, 30 Wen."
A regular customer came in, saw the sign, and chuckled, "Shopkeeper Su, braised pork has old and new versions now? How new can the new one be?"
Zhou Yunniang smiled and said, "Just give it a try, and you’ll see—it’s definitely different!"
"Alright, I’ll have a serving of the new one to try!"
In the kitchen, Su Mo lifted the lid of the clay pot. Steam and aroma rushed out as she ladled a portion into a coarse porcelain bowl, drizzling it with thick, rich sauce. The pieces of meat trembled slightly, deep red and glossy.
When the dish was served, the regular customer took one look and exclaimed, "Wow, that color!"
He picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. He chewed, paused, then chewed again. Then, he set down his chopsticks and let out a long sigh. "Worth it," he said with just one word before picking up another piece.
That single "worth it" caught the attention of other customers. "Shopkeeper, give me a serving of the new one too!"
In the kitchen, Su Mo ladled out serving after serving. The meat in the clay pot gradually diminished, but the aroma grew richer and richer.
After closing, Zhou Yunniang counted the money, grinning from ear to ear. "We sold over twenty servings of the new braised pork! Nian He, your skill is truly unmatched!"
Su Mo, washing the clay pot, smiled and said, "It’s because Father let me try."
Su Dashan, wiping down the stove, looked at his daughter with a smile and said, "It’s our Nian He who’s amazing, doing what her father never could."