Chương 21: How does it taste?

"Wang Laowu's noodles cost three cents a bowl, but I still managed to bankrupt him with my six-cent bowl!" Zhou Yan placed the oxtail bones at the bottom of the pot and said with a smile, "Besides, our soup pot is made with plenty of ingredients. It not only has offal but also beef, and the Chinese herbs we add are quite expensive."

"Of course, most importantly, it tastes good and is worth six cents."

"Exactly! Zhou Yan's soup pot tastes amazing, and I'm sure a lot of people will eat there!" Zhao Hong carried out two buckets of well water and poured them into the large pot as she spoke. Zhao Tieying had been learning to make braised beef for the past two days, and Zhao Hong had eaten it with her for two days, so she had a lot to say. Zhao Tieying smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll listen to you. You're the boss, so you decide."

By the time they opened for business in the morning, the beef bone soup in the large pot had been simmering for two hours. The aroma of the beef bone soup, mixed with the fragrance of spices and Chinese herbs, seeped out from the cracks in the wooden lid and wafted into the flow of bicycles going to work at the textile factory gate.

"It smells so good! Is this beef soup simmering so early in the morning?"

"It smells like beef soup, but this aroma is so unique. It's making me hungry just smelling it this early." The workers, sniffing the aroma, all looked towards Zhou Erwa's restaurant. A large, eye-catching pot stood at the entrance of Zhou Erwa's restaurant. Everyone had seen it these past few days, but today, the side facing outwards had several large characters painted in red.

"Qiaojiao Beef? What's that?"

"It's probably the soup pot from Zhoucun. Many cattle slaughterers in Zhoucun sell offal soup, but it smells a little different. It doesn't have that fishy, pungent smell I had last time."

" It says below, 'Beef offal soup pot with added Chinese herbs, a family secret recipe.'" Some workers came over to examine it closely, while others came for noodles.

"Aunt Zhao, what exactly is this 'Qiaojiao Beef'? Can we eat it this morning?" A female worker asked Zhao Tieying, who was standing at the entrance. The workers also all looked at Zhao Tieying.

"Qiaojiao Beef is a medicinal dish passed down through generations in our village of Sha Niu Zhou. It's not only delicious, but it also has the effect of dispelling cold and dampness," Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

"You can't have it this morning; the broth needs to simmer for eight hours. Come over after work today at noon, and you'll be able to have the first broth, at its freshest and most delicious. It'll be wonderful; you'll know once you try it."

"Simmered for eight hours?" The workers were somewhat taken aback. However, Zhao Tieying's words had indeed piqued their curiosity. Medicinal cuisine sounded quite high-end. Customers who came to eat noodles would casually ask about it. Zhao Tieying answered every question, following the script Zhou Yan had trained her on over the past two days, only mentioning Qiaojiao Beef and omitting the broth pot. This piqued the customers' curiosity. Zhou Erwa's restaurant gained its first wave of publicity for Qiaojiao Beef.

After closing in the morning, they began preparing for the noon opening.

"Aunt Zhao, well said." Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen and gave Comrade Zhao Tieying a thumbs up.

"Get lost!" Zhao Tieying rolled her eyes at him, her upturned lips showing a hint of smugness....

"Deputy Factory Director Lin, are you feeling unwell? You've been sneezing a lot." Outside the textile factory's conference room, Zhao Dong quickly caught up with Lin Zhiqiang and asked with concern. Lin Zhiqiang sniffed, his nose red from being rubbed with toilet paper, his face showing undisguised fatigue. He forced a smile and said, "I've been traveling all over the province these past few days, and then I had two days of meetings in Chengdu, so I'm really tired.

I caught a bit of a chill last night, but it's nothing serious." As he spoke, he turned away and covered his mouth and nose to sneeze.

"You don't look like you're alright. Go to the infirmary and get some medicine, go home and get some rest. Your health is important," Zhao Dong quickly said.

"No, I have a technical sharing session this afternoon, I can't miss it." Lin Zhiqiang shook his head, then smiled and said, "Come on, let's go to Zhou Yan's for noodles. I haven't had his noodles for days, I'm really craving them. We'll eat first, then we can get the medicine." He patted his black briefcase as he spoke, "I brought something good." Zhao Dong's eyes lit up, but he looked troubled and said in a low voice, "It's not appropriate during work hours, is it?"

"What do you think it is?" Lin Zhiqiang laughed, taking out a glass bottle from his briefcase. It was labeled 'Donghu Vinegar'.

"Vinegar?" Zhao Dong scratched his head awkwardly, "I thought it was wine."

"This is genuine Shanxi aged vinegar. A fellow villager brought it for me. It's said to be the vinegar used at state banquets." Lin Zhiqiang carefully put the vinegar back in his briefcase.

"I just can't stand the sour taste. I need chili peppers to really enjoy it. I get really anxious if I don't eat spicy food for a day." Zhao Dong shook his head.

"I'm the complete opposite of you. If I don't get jealous for a day, I get really anxious," Lin Zhiqiang laughed. The two chatted and laughed as they walked towards the main gate. It was lunchtime, and many workers were heading towards the factory gate to grab something to eat at the stalls outside.

"Why is there a stove at the entrance?" Lin Zhiqiang noticed the stove at the restaurant entrance immediately. His gaze shifted downwards, and he asked in surprise, "Qiaojiao Beef? A new dish?"

"Looks like it's a new dish. Zhoucun's hot pot is quite famous. There's a Zhou's Hot Pot near the dock that's pretty good. Zhou Yan is from Zhoucun, and it smells quite delicious." Zhao Dong had eaten a bowl of noodles there the day before yesterday, but there wasn't a sign on the stove then. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The broth, simmered for eight hours, emitted a meaty aroma that wafted through the steam, tempting everyone's mouths.

"This is a traditional Chinese medicine recipe passed down through generations, and it can even dispel cold and dampness. Interesting." Lin Zhiqiang carefully read the small print below and teased, "I'll order one later and try it. If it really works, I won't even need to go to the hospital." Zhao Tieying, standing behind the stove, had already spotted the two of them and greeted them with a smile, "Please, gentlemen, have a seat."

"Okay," Lin Zhiqiang replied, and he and Zhao Dong entered, finding an empty table to sit at. The workers in the shop greeted them warmly. Lin Zhiqiang was the factory's technical leader; although he was the deputy factory director, he had no airs and was highly respected by the workers.

"Gentlemen, what would you like to eat today?" Zhao Tieying came forward, looking at Lin Zhiqiang's red nose and pale face, and asked with concern, "Have you caught a cold?" Zhao Tieying had a very good impression of Xia Yao; the Lin family was approachable, grateful, and easy to get along with.

"It's nothing, just a bit of a chill," Lin Zhiqiang forced a smile.

"I saw your new 'Qiaojiao Beef' dish is supposed to ward off the cold, right? Give me a bowl, and a bowl of braised pork rib noodles too."

"I'll have a bowl of double-pepper beef noodles," Zhao Dong said. He wasn't in a hurry to order the Qiaojiao Beef. He'd had hot pot before; the Zhou Ji restaurant at the dock was only four or six cents a bowl, much more expensive than others—fantastic! Let Lin Zhiqiang try it first; if he liked it, he could order it later.

"Okay, I'll make it for you right away." Zhao Tieying walked towards the big pot, saying, "Speaking of warding off the cold, my husband caught a chill a couple of days ago. He ate a bowl of 'Qiaojiao Beef,' sweated it out, and was better that same day. It works really well." The menu on the wall had a new dish: Qiaojiao Beef, which cost six mao a bowl. The price is about the same as a bowl of noodles. If you want to eat rice, it's an extra 10 cents. It's not cheap.

So none of the customers in the shop have ordered anything yet; they've all ordered noodles. Hearing that Lin Zhiqiang ordered "Qiaojiao Beef," everyone looked at him, their faces full of anticipation. Someone had to be brave enough to try it first. Lin Zhiqiang noticed their gazes and said with a smile, "I see you guys aren't very confident about this new dish, so I'll try it for you. If you like it, then you can order it."

"Okay!" the workers replied with smiles. Zhao Tieying, who was initially quite happy about the opening, became a little nervous upon hearing this. This was a chance to open up sales channels! She picked up some tongs, grabbed a handful of cabbage, and blanched it in the strainer.

She then scooped out a beef intestine and a piece of beef tendon from the bubbling broth, chopped them into small pieces, and placed the blanched cabbage at the bottom of a ceramic bowl before covering it with the beef intestine and tendon. She picked up a handful of tripe, quickly dipped it in and out of the pot, then scooped it into an earthenware bowl. She took three thinly sliced pieces of the beef brisket, blanched them briefly in the broth, and then removed them from the pot.

Using a large ladle, she ladled a spoonful of broth into the bowl, sprinkled some chopped scallions on top, placed a soup ladle in the bowl, and served it directly to the table.

"This is a dipping sauce," Zhao Tieying said, smiling as she served the beef brisket with a dipping sauce before stepping aside. The guests craned their necks to look, their eyes lighting up.

"This bowl of 'Qiaojiao Beef' looks like quite a lot of meat! It looks like at least three ounces."

"Others use cheap offal like beef liver and lungs, but they use beef intestines, tripe, tendon, and even brisket!"

"I wonder what it tastes like, but it smells amazing." Lin Zhiqiang also examined the bowl of "Qiaojiao Beef" in front of him. The broth was clear, without any impurities. The thinly sliced beef was pink and visibly tender. The aroma was irresistible, a blend of spices and herbs, quite enticing. He picked up a ladle, took a sip of the soup, and his eyes lit up immediately. This soup was incredibly delicious!

The beef bones and offal were stewed together, and the flavors were perfectly balanced by the spices and herbs. There wasn't a hint of gamey taste, only an intensely delicious umami flavor. This was different from the umami flavor created by MSG; the broth, made from long-simmered beef bones, had a refreshing aftertaste. He drank several mouthfuls in a row, and his body warmed up instantly. A light sweat broke out on his forehead, and his previously tired spirit was greatly lifted.

"This soup is so delicious!" Lin Zhiqiang exclaimed, picking up a piece of tender, pink beef with his chopsticks. The beef was sliced very thinly, comparable to the beef in Lanzhou noodles he'd had during his business trip. He dipped it in the dipping sauce, and it was immediately coated with a generous amount of chili powder. He was astonished by the taste. The beef slices were large, thin, and tender—absolutely divine!

The chili powder was the perfect finishing touch, adding layers of spiciness, with the aroma being the main attraction—a perfect match for the beef. He tried the beef intestines, tripe, and tendon one piece after another, and drank several more mouthfuls of soup. Zhao Dong, standing beside him, couldn't help but swallow several times. Lin Zhiqiang was eating with such relish that he couldn't help but ask, "How does it taste?"