Chapter 56: Another New Menu Item
Soon after, all the bamboo grubs were gone, except for a few that the two children, Wei Yu and Wei Yuxi, had saved.
That was the end of the bamboo grub feast for the day.
They hadn’t eaten their fill, but the experience itself had been incredibly fun.
’We’ll have to eat them again next time we get the chance.’
The fire was extinguished.
Next up was dinner. After they ate, it would be time to head back.
"Boss, I’d like an order of stir-fried shredded potatoes and a large bowl of beef noodles," Liu Xu said.
"A large bowl of beef noodles for me too."
"I’ll have the stir-fried shredded potatoes with rice."
"..."
"Boss, we’ll have two orders of Cabbage in Boiled Water and two large bowls of Yangchun Noodles," said Jiang Caidong.
After that, Wei Ping’s family ordered four large bowls of beef noodles and two small bowls.
After jotting down everyone’s order, Li You headed into the kitchen to begin.
Ye Shengge didn’t order yet. She planned to let the others eat first.
Besides, she lived right here in Wenxian Town, very close by.
She leaned back in a chair by the door to rest for a bit.
The customers’ orders came out of the kitchen one after another.
Each dish was brought out to the respective customer.
First they’d feasted on rustic delicacies, and now they were eating a meal meticulously prepared by Boss Li.
’This is pure bliss!’
The customers ate with immense enjoyment and satisfaction.
After slowly finishing their meals, they scanned the code to pay.
Li You did a rough calculation; this wave of spending from the customers would definitely exceed 1500 yuan.
’In other words, the main mission to break 8000 in daily sales is about to be completed.’
Sure enough.
After one customer paid, the system’s voice chimed in.
"Congratulations, Host. Main Mission: ’Exceed 8000 Yuan in Single-Day Revenue’ has been completed.
Reward: One Recipe, One Lottery Draw."
’I really did complete the mission today.’
This was a fulfilling, happy, and exciting Saturday.
Li You was incredibly excited.
However, he didn’t check his rewards immediately.
The customers were saying goodbye to him.
He had to see them off first.
"Boss, we’re heading out. Today was really fulfilling and fun," Liu Xu and the others said.
"Alright, take care. Thanks for your business."
"We should be the ones thanking you, Boss. Goodbye, Boss!"
"Goodbye! Be safe on the road!"
"Boss, we’re leaving too. We’ll be back next weekend," Wei Ping said with a smile.
"You’re welcome anytime!" Li You replied, also smiling.
"Goodbye, Uncle Li You!"
"Goodbye, Yu, Xiaoxi!"
"Boss Li, if you’re ever in the county seat, I truly hope you’ll stop by Noodle Delights for a visit," said Jiang Caidong.
Li You nodded. "Alright. If I’m ever in the county seat, I’ll be sure to drop in on you, Boss Jiang."
Jiang Caidong laughed. "In that case, I’ll be eagerly awaiting your visit, Boss Li."
Liang Heng also chimed in, "You’re more than welcome at Noodle Delights, Boss Li."
Li You nodded. "Thank you, Master Liang."
He thought for a moment, then added, "Master Liang, I was wondering, what are your thoughts during the process of preparing Yangchun Noodles?"
Liang Heng froze. A moment later, he was overcome with an unprecedented wave of surprise and excitement.
’Is Boss Li about to give me some pointers?’
’This is an incredible surprise!’
Overcome with excitement, he immediately launched into a discussion with Li You.
After their conversation, Liang Heng felt as if he had experienced an epiphany, a sudden, clarifying enlightenment.
This made him even more excited.
He then straightened his clothes, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will never forget the pointers you’ve given me today."
Li You waved his hand dismissively. "Master Liang, you’re overstating things. I wouldn’t call it guidance, just a friendly exchange."
Liang Heng remained endlessly grateful. He knew that Li You had used the "exchange" as a pretext to intentionally give him some pointers.
He would be forever grateful.
Jiang Caidong was also very excited.
He knew that with Li You’s guidance, Liang Heng’s Yangchun Noodles would definitely improve significantly.
While it still couldn’t compare to Li You’s version, it was now a sure thing that his noodles would surpass those of Qu Feng, who had previously come to compete.
With this, Noodle Delights’ business would certainly get even better.
Thinking of this, Jiang Caidong also said gratefully, "Thank you, Boss Li!"
Li You said, "You’re too kind, Boss Jiang."
After that, the two expressed their gratitude once more before taking their leave.
After the two of them left, only Ye Shengge remained.
Ye Shengge didn’t seem to be in a hurry to eat, so Li You decided to open the Storage Pavilion and check his mission rewards first.
He couldn’t wait any longer.
’I’ll check the recipe first. What kind of dish will it be this time?’
’I can’t wait!’
He found the unopened new recipe in the Storage Pavilion.
He opened it.
"Mapo Tofu!"
It was Mapo Tofu. Li You was overjoyed.
This was another extremely famous and classic dish in Sichuan cuisine.
And its fame was different from that of Cabbage in Boiled Water. Mapo Tofu’s fame was the very down-to-earth kind.
Many people don’t know about Cabbage in Boiled Water, but they definitely know Mapo Tofu.
If you had to choose one dish to represent Sichuan cuisine, Mapo Tofu would be the most frequently chosen one.
This dish used tofu as its main ingredient, supplemented with minced pork (minced beef was also an option), and was prepared with seasonings such as doubanjiang, chili powder, ground Sichuan peppercorn, and starch.
The entire dish is characterized by eight words: "numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, crispy, tender, fresh, and lively." This is known as the eight-character maxim.
Sichuan cuisine is divided into two major categories: "spicy" and "non-spicy."
The "non-spicy" category is represented by Cabbage in Boiled Water.
And the "spicy" category can be represented by this dish, Mapo Tofu.
This dish has now traveled across oceans and found its way onto the dining tables of many other countries, becoming an internationally famous dish.
Many people know how to make this dish.
It’s a common homestyle dish. Many restaurants also have it on their menus.
However, those who can make it truly authentic and delicious are few and far between.
One might even say they are extremely rare.
It’s a dish that’s easy to learn but hard to master.
Li You also knew how to make it, and he quite enjoyed doing so.
Because he really liked to eat it.
However, his version wasn’t authentic, and the taste could only be described as decent.
But now, he was about to master the definitive method for making Mapo Tofu.
He began to learn immediately.
Soon, the definitive method for making Mapo Tofu, along with all its related knowledge, was imprinted in Li You’s mind.
’Magical, yet real.’
"Recipe: Mapo Tofu.
Ingredients: Tofu, minced pork (or minced beef), doubanjiang, chili powder, ground Sichuan peppercorn, soy sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, starch, salt, etc."
Li You was delighted to see the updated Mapo Tofu recipe.
Next up, the lottery draw.
There was only one chance, so he might as well use it right away.
"System, lottery interface."
"Lottery interface opened."
The familiar lottery interface appeared before Li You’s eyes again.
The four major sections—Recipes, Ingredients, Cookware, and Other—were all beckoning to him.
’Which section will it land on this time?’
’This is so exciting!’
He started the draw.
The wheel spun rapidly before stopping, the pointer aimed at the "Recipe" section.
A recipe! This meant he was about to get another new dish.
’This is awesome!’
Li You was once again overjoyed.
’So, what new dish will it be?’
The answer was about to be revealed.
A very beautiful gift box appeared.
Ribbons flew, and the gift box opened.
"Twice-cooked Pork!"
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There have been a lot of generous readers casting their monthly tickets these past two days.
Thank you to all you generous readers for the monthly tickets!
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