Chương 34: Stir-fried Crucian Carp with Patchouli

"Director, look, today we have 30% fewer customers than usual for stir-fries. We prepared a lot more food to accommodate those university students, and now there's leftovers." In the factory canteen kitchen, head chef Huang Fusheng looked at Wang Defa with a worried expression. A cutting board beside him was piled high with various prepared ingredients: beef, pork liver, pork intestines… everything was there, and in considerable quantities.

Wang Defa, his face dark, said in a deep voice, "Today was ruined by Zhou Erwa's restaurant. If those college students came to eat in the cafeteria, there wouldn't be any leftovers, and it would even generate some discussion and a good reputation for the cafeteria."

"That's right! Zhou Yan is a real scoundrel!" Huang Fusheng cursed angrily.

"Director, you have to think of a solution. If this continues, all our stir-fry customers will leave."

"You have the nerve to say that!" Wang Defa glared at him, lowering his voice, but still unable to hide his anger: "I made you the head chef, not just so you could skim some profits! If you can't do a good job, you'd better get the hell out of here! Do you know how awful those workers' insults are? They're practically shitting on my head!"

"Yes, yes..." Huang Fusheng's face turned red from the scolding.

"I'll definitely do a good job."

"Do your mother's business..." Wang Defa was still not satisfied.

"Make sure the stir-fry tastes good. If any more customers leave, I'll send you back to being a kitchen helper!"

"I guarantee that they'll cook well from now on, and there won't be any problems!" Huang Fusheng nodded.

"I'll give you another week to win back the customers you've lost," Wang Defa said, looking at him.

"Crush Zhou Erwa's restaurant."

"Okay!" Huang Fusheng nodded solemnly, then hesitated before adding, "Director, I don't think Zhou Yan can handle this alone. He can only make a cucumber salad; he can't even cook twice-cooked pork properly. His restaurant was on the verge of collapse, but he came back to life selling noodles. There must be some kind of magician guiding him."

"You mean that old bastard Xiao Lei?" Wang Defa asked thoughtfully. At that moment, a middle-aged man dragged a garbage can back into the kitchen, put it in a corner, and took off his apron, preparing to leave work.

"Xiao Lei, come here for a second," Wang Defa said to the man, his tone unfriendly.

"I'm off work. We'll talk about it tomorrow," Xiao Lei turned and left, giving Wang Defa no friendly look.

"Stand down!" Wang Defa laughed angrily.

"Aren't you afraid I'll fire you?!"

"Afraid of my ass!" Xiao Lei paused, turned around to look at Wang Defa, and sneered, "Who do you think you are to fire me? I've been with the company longer than you, and I haven't done anything wrong. What are you going to do to me! But don't get too cocky. If you really piss me off, don't cry when the spatula hits your face. I'm more accurate and stronger than Zhou Yan."

"You... you..." Wang Defa's face turned black with anger. Huang Fusheng quickly pulled Wang Defa back, saying to Xiao Lei, "Master Xiao, this is wrong of you. How can you talk to our Director Wang like that?"

"Shut up too. You can't even pass the third-level chef exam and you're the head chef? All you do is lick Wang Defa's boots—jumping around licking his boots. What kind of person are you?" Xiao Lei sneered, "I have a very easy job now. I get paid as usual, and I still have my seniority. I can just wait to retire and enjoy my old age without being gossiped about."

"You... you..." Huang Fusheng's face darkened. Xiao Lei stormed off without looking back. As he rode his bike out of the factory gate, he glanced back at Zhou Erwa's restaurant and smiled, "That kid has some skills." Zhou Yan had just returned to the shop, parked his bicycle against the wall, and Zhou Fei was already sitting inside, chatting with Zhou Miao about the big fish that Old Zhou had gotten away with. He greeted them, placed the bag Ma Xingye had brought on the counter, and headed towards the kitchen.

"Did you take Xia Yao home?" Zhao Tieying asked. Zhao Hong also looked at him with concern; that college student was so beautiful, had such a good personality, and spoke so softly and pleasantly. She and Zhou Yan looked so well-matched.

"Yes, it's getting dark, it's not safe for her to go home alone," Zhou Yan replied casually. He washed his hands first; the fish had already been cut and marinated with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, and the patchouli, green peppers, and red peppers were also washed.

"Such a pretty young girl, we definitely have to send her back," Zhao Tieying said with a smile, then added with a touch of wistfulness, "It's just too far. She's from Hangzhou, but she's going to university in this mountain city. Tell me, how far is Hangzhou from here?" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

"Over four thousand li (about 2, 000 kilometers), it takes three days by train."

"Four thousand li? Good heavens! I don't even know how much the train fare would cost." Zhao Tieying shook her head repeatedly. She thought even Chengdu was far, and she had only been to Jiaozhou a few times, so she couldn't even imagine how far four thousand li was.

"It's much faster by plane," Zhou Yan said with a laugh.

"Airplane? Who can afford that?" Zhao Tieying shook her head.

"Last time I was at the commune, I overheard them chatting. They said the Party Secretary went on an inspection tour with his superiors, and he needed a certificate from the county to fly there. A ticket costs several hundred yuan, enough to buy a bicycle."

"That expensive?" Zhao Hong gasped, her face filled with shock.

"If you two get married, how often will she visit her parents' home?"

"Huh?" Zhou Yan paused, then smiled helplessly.

"Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? We're not dating, and we haven't said anything about getting married."

"Your sister-in-law is so ambitious! I hardly dare to dream so brightly. Even among college students, Xia Yao is one of the most well-behaved. She's poised and generous, efficient and thoughtful, and her social skills are impeccable." Zhao Tieying got more and more excited as she spoke, staring at Zhou Yan.

"You rascal, go and give it a try! I won't be able to sleep at night if I miss out on such a wonderful daughter-in-law."

"Mom, I'm going to make braised crucian carp with mint. You can handle the braised eel, okay?" Zhou Yan didn't dare reply. She took pickled ginger, pickled cowpeas, and pickled peppers from the sauerkraut jar and chopped them finely. She also minced the ginger, garlic, and chili peppers together – this step was crucial. Only the mint leaves were used, chopped as well, to fully release their flavor.

She heated rapeseed oil in a wok, and when it reached 60% of its maximum temperature, she added the crucian carp and fried it until golden brown on both sides. She then removed it from the wok and set it aside. Adding a spoonful of lard to the remaining oil, she heated it further, then added the ginger, garlic, and pickled peppers and sautéed until fragrant. Next, she added finely chopped fermented bean paste and stir-fried over low heat until the oil turned red.

Finally, she added the pickled cowpeas and stir-fried together. The aroma instantly filled the air – sour, spicy, and fragrant! Sichuan people use a lot of oil, side dishes, and seasonings when cooking fish, all for the sake of that mixed flavor. At this point, add a ladle of water, along with MSG, pepper, sugar, soy sauce, and a touch of Baoning vinegar to enhance the flavor and aroma. Then add the previously pan-fried fish, just enough to cover it in the broth, and simmer over low heat.

Zhou Yan glanced at Zhou Lihui standing by the stove and smiled, "Huihui, want to learn how to cook fish too?"

"Yes," Zhou Lihui nodded, praising, "Uncle is amazing! This fish smells so good, even better than my mom's."

"Your uncle is a professional chef, he's definitely better than me," Zhao Hong, who was tending the fire behind the stove, laughed. In the pot next to them, Zhao Tieying's eel was already cooking; the eel, cut into sections, bubbled in the red broth, smelling quite delicious. Watching Zhou Yan cook these days, Zhao Tieying has also learned some techniques, namely, you have to be generous with the ingredients. As long as the ingredients are delicious, even a braised shoe sole will smell good.

After cooking the crucian carp for six or seven minutes, Zhou Yan took an open plate and removed it from the pot. He increased the heat slightly to reduce the sauce, adding a little cornstarch slurry to thicken it. When the sauce became thick and started bubbling, he added mint and chopped scallions, stir-fried it a few times to allow the mint flavor to fully infuse the sauce, and then poured it over the cooked crucian carp.

The thick sauce, with its interplay of green and red scallions, pickled cowpeas, and pickled peppers, looked incredibly tempting. The aroma of the fish wafted through the air, and Zhou Lihui swallowed hard.

"So fragrant!" he exclaimed.

"This smells amazing! I never expected Zhou Yan to cook fish so well," Zhao Hong also praised. Zhou Momo and Fanwa crowded around the kitchen doorway, sniffing the air incessantly.

"It smells so good! Pot!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up.

"Is it fish? I want some!"

"Yes, it's crucian carp with mint." Zhou Yan handed the plate to Zhou Lihui, smiling, "Go wash your hands, I'll stir-fry a vegetable dish and we'll have rice