Chapter 341 - 186: Driven to Tears by the Braised Meat Wrap

Chapter 341: Chapter 186: Driven to Tears by the Braised Meat Wrap

But it was just as delicious.

GULP~

The passing children all swallowed hard, and the one who was already crying started crying even louder.

Worn down, the parent approached with an apologetic smile. "Hi, are you selling these pancakes? My kid’s crying his eyes out from the smell. I’m at my wit’s end with him. I can pay."

"I’m sorry, this is our lunch, so we can’t sell it," Zhou Yan replied with a polite smile. There were only about twenty pancakes, which might not even be enough for one per person in their own family.

Besides, with so many kids watching, if he sold one, he’d have a whole crowd of them wailing.

’He hadn’t decided to set up a stall to sell braised meat wraps on Laoxiaoding just yet.’

"Alright, sorry to bother you." The man nodded, turned, and left with the crying child in his arms. "Let’s go, my little master. I’ll take you down the mountain for some bobo chicken!"

"With skills like these, you’ll never go hungry anywhere," Zhang Zhengping said with a laugh.

The old madam also nodded with a smile. "A chef’s work is demanding. As long as you’re diligent, you’ll always have a bowl of rice to eat."

Zhou Yan worked quickly, making one wrap after another. Soon, everyone in the Zhou Family had one in hand and started eating, their praises ringing out endlessly.

The old madam took a piece of wax paper, folded it into a pouch, and filled it with some lotus root slices and potatoes for the children who were staring with longing eyes. The kids were overjoyed.

Second Aunt had clearly done a headcount—twenty-six corn pancakes, not one more, not one less.

The last one was for Zhou Yan himself, made with a double portion of braised meat, plus some tofu skin and potato.

The potato was so soft it crumbled at a touch, basically becoming mashed potatoes.

Finally, he added a few strips of pickled radish and wrapped it all up in the pancake.

A line of text from the Identification ability appeared in the corner of his eye:

[A Corn Pancake Wrap That is Difficult to Appraise]

The description amused Zhou Yan. He raised his wrist to look at his watch. Good heavens, he had been cooking for almost an hour.

The steaming corn pancake was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, stuffed full of braised pork head. With one bite, the creamy mashed potato, paired with the soft-but-not-mushy tofu skin and the crisp pickled radish, created a symphony of textures.

The grease from the braised pork head was fully absorbed by the corn pancake, infusing it with a savory, meaty aroma that grew more fragrant with every chew, while the pickled radish cut through the richness and added a refreshing crunch.

Compared to the complex, crispy texture of a *jianbing guozi*, this "wrap whatever you have" creation was indeed a bit lacking, and somewhat hard to describe.

But to be able to eat such a hot, braised meat wrap out in the wilderness on a mountain was deeply satisfying.

Those who weren’t full ate steamed buns, pairing them with the braised pork head and braised vegetables, and they still ate with great relish.

"Comrade, this braised meat of yours is fantastic! My grandson loves it. Did you make it yourselves, or did you buy it somewhere?" an old man asked Zhou Yan, approaching with a cheerful smile.

Hearing this, many others also turned to look at Zhou Yan.

This large family was eating with such enjoyment that for those who were still hungry or had only brought steamed buns and crackers, it was pure torture.

But you had to admit, that braised pork head smelled absolutely divine.

The children were also gobbling up the braised vegetables with relish, praising them nonstop.

Kids don’t lie about food; they’ll never force themselves to eat something they don’t like.

So, they too were very curious about where this braised meat came from.

Once they got down the mountain, they could swing by and buy some to have for dinner.

"Sir, I made this myself. I sell braised meat for a living," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "My shop is in Suji, the first one at the entrance of the Jiazhou Textile Factory. It’s called Zhou Yan Restaurant. If you want to try it, you can stop by sometime when you’re free."

"Suji, you say? Alright, I’ll definitely come by to try it sometime. My brother-in-law is from Suji," the old man said, nodding with a smile.

The others also mentally took note.

Suji wasn’t too far away. They could go for a visit someday when they had time.

After lunch and a short rest, the group packed up their things and started down the mountain at a leisurely pace.

"Brother, my legs are so sore. I want a piggyback ride~" Zhou Momo said in a cute, whiny voice, tugging on the hem of Zhou Yan’s shirt and pouting.

"I’ll carry her!"

"Momo, let Jie carry you!"

"Mingming can carry you too!"

Before Zhou Yan could even say a word, his cousins had already swarmed over. Even Zhou Ming, whose hand was still wrapped in a bandage, was looking eager.

"Come on, I’ll carry you!" Zhou Yan scooped the little girl up with a laugh, then shot his cousins a somewhat smug smile. "You guys just walk. I can handle her."

"If you get tired, let me know, and I’ll take over," Zhou Jie reminded him before continuing down the path.

Fanwa watched Zhou Momo, who was now perched on Zhou Yan’s shoulders, with a hint of envy in his eyes. He turned to Zhou Fei and said, "Dad, my legs are sore too. I also want..."

"Don’t even think about it. You’re already in elementary school, stop getting silly ideas. Who are you trying to wear out?" Zhao Hong cut him off mid-sentence, lightly twisting his ear. "A boy of the Zhou Family can’t complain after just a few steps."

Fanwa’s face turned red. He nodded and said, "Oh! I’m not tired anymore!"

"Go on and chase after your older brother. He walks faster than anyone!" Zhao Hong said with a laugh.

Fanwa grinned and scurried off down the mountain path, chasing after Zhou Lihui.

Perched on Zhou Yan’s shoulders, Zhou Momo chattered nonstop at first, but her words grew fewer and fewer. Before long, she was slumped over his head, fast asleep.

The little one had been running around all day and was worn out.

Worried she wouldn’t sleep comfortably, Zhou Yan had Zhou Jie help lift her down from his shoulders so he could hold her in his arms.

She was just a tiny thing, curled up asleep in his arms. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she looked just like a little gummy bear.

"I’ll hold her in the car." When they reached the bottom of the mountain, Zhao Tieying took Zhou Momo from Zhou Yan’s arms and got into Comrade Zhou’s car.