Free Web NovelChapter 81: Chapter 74: Zhou Yan, Stop the Bike!!
Zhou Yan stopped in his tracks, his eyes instantly lighting up.
’This game is really something!’
He had already given up hope of completing the mission. After all, he couldn’t just run off with the old lady’s entire pot of master brine.
That would be *too* filial.
He hadn’t expected the clever system to track his progress and evaluate the mission in real-time.
"What does ’Braised Flavor Encyclopedia (Incomplete)’ mean?" Zhou Yan carefully set down the jar, glanced at the empty doorway, and chose to open the reward.
In that instant, countless pieces of information flooded his mind, surging rapidly.
In a daze, he saw that small, dark room again.
He was in front of a large braising pot, adding all sorts of ingredients. The hot, fragrant steam, thick with the scent of spices, billowed into his face, blurring his vision.
The next moment, Zhou Yan opened his eyes, his gaze clear once more.
His mind was now filled with recipes for various braised dishes. He had completely mastered the pork series: braised pig’s feet, pig ears, pig snout, braised pork belly, pork knuckle, pig tails, braised ribs, braised pork intestines...
Then there was the braised vegetable series: lotus root slices, potatoes, tofu skin, dried tofu, kelp, bamboo shoots...
It included basically all the classic braised vegetables. Lotus root, tofu skin, and bamboo shoots were his favorites.
Then, Zhou Yan saw the list of missing sections from the Braised Flavor Encyclopedia: Braised Duck Series, Braised Chicken Series, Braised Beef Series, Advanced Master Brine Preparation, Advanced Master Brine Maintenance...
Zhou Yan gritted his teeth. ’This system is such a troll.’
He had clearly obtained half of the master brine, yet so much was still missing!
And to make matters worse, the most crucial parts, the "Advanced Master Brine Preparation" and "Advanced Master Brine Maintenance," were also missing.
If it weren’t for his reliable grandmother, even with his newfound mastery of braising pork and vegetables, it would be a case of a skilled housewife trying to cook without rice.
Staring at the grayed-out chicken, duck, and beef series, Zhou Yan found himself getting a little hungry.
But on second thought, he felt a sense of relief.
There were no large-scale chicken or duck slaughterhouses in Suji Town, making it impossible to get a steady supply of fresh chicken feet, drumsticks, or duck heads. At best, he could make whole braised chickens or ducks.
A single braised duck would cost over three yuan. Selling three to five a day would be considered good; it wasn’t easy for them to become bestsellers.
In comparison, the market for braised pork was clearly much larger and was popular with all ages.
Braised pig ears and pig snout were great dishes to have with drinks for many people.
As for braised beef, he could learn from Grandma Zhang Shufen. That was her specialty.
With braised dishes, the most important thing is the brine, followed by the Fire Control during the cooking process.
He didn’t have to worry about the brine now. As for timing and Fire Control, Zhou Yan decided he would go buy a watch one of these days.
Experience was often less reliable than science.
Zhou Yan went out for a bit and came back with some hired muscle.
It was Zhou Hongwei, nineteen this year. He was a generation younger than Zhou Yan and had to call him "uncle." He wasn’t tall, but he was built solid, wearing a tank top that showed off a body full of toned muscle.
He had dropped out of middle school to work with his dad at Suji Pier, carrying and hauling goods. The guy had some serious strength.
"Hongwei, how much can you carry on a shoulder pole?" Zhou Yan asked curiously.
"Around 385 pounds, easy. Even my dad might not be able to out-carry me anymore." Zhou Hongwei grinned, flexing a muscle for Zhou Yan, his face full of pride. "I’m not afraid of anyone at the pier now."
"Impressive." Zhou Yan had to admire that kind of strength.
Zhou Yan was fairly strong himself—stir-frying was physically demanding work—but he was no match for a porter. Theirs was a job of pure strength, something that couldn’t be described as mere manual labor.
"Zhou Yan, is this jar filled with pickled vegetables?" Zhou Hongwei asked curiously, sitting on the back of the bike and holding the jar without the slightest effort.
Although Zhou Yan was a generation older, they were only one year apart in age and had been running around together since they were toddlers. They only put on a show of calling him "uncle" in front of their elders. Normally, even if Hongwei called him that, Zhou Yan would feel too awkward to respond.
"It’s not pickled vegetables, it’s master brine," Zhou Yan said, carefully maneuvering around the potholes and stones in the road. In this era, the village roads were still dirt paths, riddled with pits and in terrible condition.
"You dare to take Grandma Zhang’s master brine! You didn’t... steal it, did you?" Zhou Hongwei’s face turned pale. "You... you stop right now! I’m not helping you carry this anymore!"
Zhou Hongwei, who feared nothing at the pier, was now genuinely scared.
In Zhou Village, Grandma Zhang was an elder respected by all. Everyone in the village knew her braised dishes were top-notch.
During the New Year, close relatives and neighbors would bring beef or a pig’s head to her door, asking Grandma Zhang to help them braise a batch.
Grandma Zhang never charged money, at most taking a pig’s ear or a piece of beef shank as a processing fee.
Every New Year, his grandfather and his dad treasured the braised pig’s head meat and pig ears from Mrs. Zhang the most. They would divide it into several portions and eat it sparingly, and the two of them could make it last with their drinks from the first day of the New Year to the fifteenth.
If Grandma Zhang ever needed anything, they would be there in a heartbeat, never once refusing. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Zhou Hongwei didn’t dare to imagine what would happen if Zhou Yan had really stolen Grandma Zhang’s master brine. As an accomplice, if this got out, he would be in for a world of hurt!
"Zhou Yan, stop the bike!!!" Zhou Hongwei yelled, his hands trembling as he clutched the jar.
"Quit screaming. My grandma gave me this master brine. She told me to move it to the restaurant to use. Am I crazy? Would I dare steal her master brine? My mom and my dad would beat me to death," Zhou Yan said with a laugh. "Hold on tight. If you drop it or spill it, you’re finished."
"You swear?" Zhou Hongwei was still a bit skeptical.
"I swear!"
"Alright then, I believe you. Ride slower, don’t shake me off," Zhou Hongwei said, hugging the jar tighter. He believed Zhou Yan now.
Grandma Zhang was too much of an authority figure. No matter how much of a rascal Zhou Yan was, he wouldn’t dare to act presumptuously in front of her.
"Are you going to start selling braised dishes? Have you learned how yet?" Zhou Hongwei asked, his face now filled with anticipation.
Grandma Zhang’s braised dishes were delicious, but he could only snatch a couple of slices from his dad and grandpa during the New Year. If Zhou Yan learned how, he could buy them whenever he wanted!
"Guaranteed. Come by and try some next week," Zhou Yan said with a confident smile.
They made it back to the restaurant without any further mishaps.
Zhou Hongwei carried the jar into the shop, placed it in the kitchen, and shook out his slightly numb hands. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"Didn’t you say 385 pounds was easy? And here you are grimacing from carrying a single jar?" Zhou Yan laughed, using an opener to pop the cap off a Celestial Paradise Cola he had bought on the way and handing it to him.
"I was holding it too tight. I was terrified of dropping it the whole way, so my hands went a little numb." Zhou Hongwei took the cola, drank a mouthful, and let out a burp followed by a long sigh of relief.
Zhou Yan smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks for the hard work. Stay and have lunch at the restaurant before you go."
"No need. It’s still early for lunch. I was heading to the pier to haul goods anyway, and it’s actually closer from here. I’m off. I’ll come eat next time." Zhou Hongwei walked toward the door with his cola, greeting Zhao Tieying and Zhao Hong on his way out.
"Let me walk you over," Zhou Yan said, moving the jar to a corner and following him out.
"Walk me my ass. It’s just a few steps, I’ll be there in no time. You get back to your work." Zhou Hongwei waved a hand and left without looking back.
"What did you have Hongwei help you carry back in that jar?" Mrs. Zhao asked, turning to look at Zhou Yan as she skimmed the foam off a broth.
Zhao Hong, who was mopping the floor, also looked over at him.
"Grandma’s master brine," Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"What?"
"You stole it?!"
The two women said in unison.
As the old woman’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law, they knew all too well how much she treasured that pot of master brine.
They wouldn’t dare even touch it, let alone use it. The old lady would genuinely get angry.
’And Zhou Yan just brought it back like this?’
"Quick, bring it back to your grandma! I’ll go with you!" Mrs. Zhao said urgently, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"Grandma gave me this half-pot of master brine herself. She told me to bring it back first, and she’s even coming over tomorrow morning to help me prepare it." Zhou Yan smiled, stopping Mrs. Zhao from running into the kitchen. "She’s going to pass the craft down to me."
Mrs. Zhao was stunned. After a moment of thought, she still looked skeptical. "You swear?"
"I swear." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile and let go of her. "I’m not an idiot. Would I really do something like steal the master brine? If you don’t believe me, you can go back and ask Grandma yourself tonight."
"Oh, good." Mrs. Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. Her heart had been in her throat, and she couldn’t even imagine how she would have explained this to the old lady.
Although the old lady never gave her daughters-in-law a hard time, she had an undeniable authority. They would never dare to do anything that crossed her line.
Zhao Hong also smiled. "Then that means Grandma trusts Zhou Yan’s cooking skills enough to entrust the braised dishes to him."
"Alright, enough talk. I need to bring this master brine to a boil first. If it goes bad in the next couple of days, Grandma really will kill me." Zhou Yan went into the kitchen, took out the large aluminum pot that had already been seasoned, and started thinking about how to set up a temporary stove.
After lunch service ended, Zhou Miao and he used stones and bricks to build a temporary stove on the riverside embankment. They set up the large aluminum pot, brought the brine to a boil, then carefully carried it back to the restaurant. They poured it back into the jar to cool, stretched a layer of gauze over the top to keep out bugs, and didn’t dare touch it again.
"Now all we have to do is wait for Grandma to come help prepare the brine," Zhou Yan said, rubbing his hands together.
He couldn’t help but look forward to seeing Zhang’s Braised Shop revitalized, its name once again famous throughout Jiazhou!
