Chapter 354 - 190: So Delicious You Cried?

Chapter 354: Chapter 190: So Delicious You Cried?

Lin Zhiqiang entered the restaurant and greeted Zhao Tieying. "Hey there, got a table for us? I brought a friend to eat."

"Director Lin, you’re here." Zhao Tieying glanced around the restaurant, then pointed toward the kitchen. "There happens to be one table left over there. Go ahead and sit down. I’ll be over to take your order in a moment."

"Great." Lin Zhiqiang turned to Qian Siyuan. "Mr. Qian, looks like we’re in luck. We got the last table."

"Our luck is good indeed," Qian Siyuan said with a smile and a nod. The restaurant wasn’t large, but it had close to twenty tables, and the main dining area was packed with workers from the textile factory.

’At first glance, you might mistake it for a company cafeteria.’

As they walked further in, Qian Siyuan’s eyes scanned the tables, curious to see what people were ordering.

He recognized the Mapo Tofu. He’d had it the day before yesterday at the Guocheng Silk Factory cafeteria. It was numbing and spicy, and the flavor was decent. A bit salty, but it went great with rice.

He’d also tried the Twice-Cooked Pork. A restaurant back in Rongcheng made a delicious version when he first arrived, though it was a little greasy.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. His eyes landed on a dish of shredded pork in a glossy, crimson sauce on a nearby table, and they lit up. "Director Lin, is that... Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork?"

"Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork?" Lin Zhiqiang followed his gaze. On the adjacent table sat a freshly served plate of shredded pork stir-fried with bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms. It really was Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork.

’But does Zhou Yan Restaurant even have this dish?’

Lin Zhiqiang turned to look at the menu. Sure enough, in the stir-fry section, there was a new wooden plaque: today’s new dish—Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork, two yuan per serving, listed right alongside Twice-Cooked Pork.

"Yes, it’s Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork," Lin Zhiqiang confirmed with a nod.

Qian Siyuan swallowed, his voice slightly hoarse. "Let’s order the Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork, then."

"Of course, one order it is," Lin Zhiqiang agreed.

The three of them took their seats.

Lin Zhiqiang pointed to the wooden plaques on the wall. "Mr. Qian, take a look and see what else you’d like to order."

Qian Siyuan studied the menu for a moment before shaking his head with a smile. "I don’t know much about Sichuan Cuisine. You’re the expert on this restaurant, Director Lin. Please, you decide."

"What are your preferences, Mr. Qian? Should I pick a few milder dishes?" Lin Zhiqiang asked, looking at him.

Qian Siyuan replied, "Actually, I quite enjoy strong flavors. I’ve gotten used to the food here in Sichuan. There’s no need to order milder dishes on my account; that would defeat the purpose of enjoying Sichuan Cuisine."

"Understood. In that case, I’ll order a few representative dishes for us to try." Lin Zhiqiang nodded. Just then, Zhao Tieying came over to take their order. He ordered Kneeling Beef, braised beef, a braised vegetable platter, Mapo Tofu, flash-fried pork liver, and the Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork.

For three people, five dishes and a soup was more than enough.

He had originally wanted to order the Huo Xiang Carp, but Qian Siyuan mentioned he wasn’t good at eating crucian carp because of all the fine bones, so Lin Zhiqiang decided against it.

Huo Xiang Carp is another very distinctive Sichuan dish. After all, in many other regions, crucian carp is considered practically waste material—discarded after being used to make broth, due to its countless tiny bones.

But in Sichuan Cuisine, there are all sorts of ways to prepare crucian carp.

The fish’s tender, flavor-absorbing flesh makes it incredibly popular.

It’s as if the people of Sichuan are born with a knack for eating fish; even children as young as six or seven can deftly handle them.

Qian Siyuan looked around, taking in the atmosphere. The restaurant struck him as peculiar.

It couldn’t compare to the modern restaurants in the United States, nor could it hold a candle to the lavishly decorated establishments in Rongcheng. It was simply a small, privately-owned eatery, the kind commonly found in any county seat or small town.

The floor was rough concrete, not even tiled. The walls, however, had been given a coat of white limewash, which made the dining hall feel a little brighter and more spacious.

Incandescent bulbs hung over each table, but their low wattage left the restaurant feeling somewhat dim.

’If a place like this were in the United States, I would never even step inside.’

And yet, in this very environment, the floor was swept clean, the tables and stools were wiped spotless, and you couldn’t see so much as a greasy fingerprint on the tabletops.

He remembered how, when dining at a large restaurant in Rongcheng, his own shirtsleeve had been stained yellow by a greasy spot on the table.

’This little restaurant is actually more meticulous.’

As a self-made man, he tended to notice these kinds of details.

Based on this point alone, his opinion of the little restaurant improved significantly.

Everything had to be judged in its proper context. In this Southern Sichuan Town, where rammed-earth houses were everywhere, a concrete building like this was already quite respectable.

And the clientele consisted of the town’s highest-paid workers—the textile factory employees.

The menu prices were comparable to those in a Rongcheng Restaurant, which meant they were probably on the expensive side for this town.

He trusted the judgment of the crowd.

Still, his eyes kept drifting back to the Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork at the next table. Watching the diners’ expressions of surprise and satisfaction as they ate it, he found his own anticipation becoming almost unbearable.

’Is it that same flavor?’

Lin Zhiqiang watched him for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Mr. Qian, are you a fan of Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork?"

Qian Siyuan pulled his gaze away and smiled. "To be honest, this is the first time I’ve seen this dish since I arrived in China. It looks excellent."

"Your ancestral home is in Zhejiang Province, isn’t it, Mr. Qian?"

Qian Siyuan nodded. "My father was from Hang City. On this trip, I first went to Hang City to pay respects to my ancestors. I met my father’s older brother there—my uncle. He’s eighty years old now."

"What a coincidence. My wife is from Hang City, and I worked in Hang City and Su City for several years myself."

"So, you’re from Shanxi, studied abroad, married a woman from Hang City, and now you’re settled down working in Sichuan?" Qian Siyuan chuckled. "You’ve certainly had a colorful life."

"I’m in technology, so I go where I’m needed. It’s a good life," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile. "The Jiazhou Textile Factory is doing very well these days. The new production line we brought in is on par with advanced international standards, our techniques are constantly improving, and things will only get better from here."