Chapter 61: This Place Is More Remote Than Imagined, but Very Beautiful
Inside the shop.
When Lin Zhonghai and his group saw that many new customers had arrived, they knew Li You was about to get busy again. They stood up to pay and get ready to leave.
They would chat with Li You the next time they came for noodles.
"We’ll be going now, young man. We’ll be back."
"Alright, take care everyone."
After seeing Lin Zhonghai’s group off, Li You welcomed the teachers in and showed them to their seats.
"There are fifteen of us in total. How about one bowl of noodles for everyone, four portions of twice-cooked pork, and four portions of stir-fried shredded potatoes?" Zhang Qinghe asked.
The teachers all agreed.
Then they ordered their noodles. Some wanted beef noodles, while others wanted Yangchun Noodles.
Li You jotted everything down and went into the kitchen to start cooking.
He started with the twice-cooked pork.
This was the first order of twice-cooked pork he had sold, and Li You was very happy.
He heated oil in the wok. It was important to use pre-heated oil.
Generally speaking, it’s best to use pre-heated oil for stir-frying.
If you use cold oil, a lot of smoke is produced as it heats up.
This smoke can seep into the dish, affecting the flavor.
Twice-cooked pork also requires a decent amount of oil.
Otherwise, the meat can easily dry out and burn, which ruins the texture.
After a flurry of activity, Li You quickly finished all four portions of twice-cooked pork.
The slices of pork had a bright reddish sheen, dotted with pieces of green bell pepper. It looked incredibly appetizing.
He served it to the teachers.
The moment the teachers saw it, they couldn’t help but gulp.
Chu Yiwei, Lin Xin, and the other female teachers normally weren’t big fans of twice-cooked pork.
But now, they all picked up their chopsticks and dug in immediately.
It simply looked too tempting to resist.
The other teachers, of course, did the same, picking up their chopsticks and starting to eat.
With the first bite, they were met with a flavor that was rich but not greasy, filling their mouths with a delightful fragrance. It was more delicious than anything they had ever tasted.
This was, without a doubt, the best twice-cooked pork they had ever eaten in their lives.
It was indescribably refreshing and fragrant.
Zhang Qinghe said excitedly, "Teacher Cai, Teacher Lai, what do you think? How’s the food here at Boss Li’s place?"
At that moment, Cai Peng, Lai Xu, and the other teachers who were visiting for the first time were all filled with regret.
They regretted not coming sooner.
Cai Peng said, "All I can say right now is that I deeply regret waiting until today to come. And now, I’m even more excited for the stir-fried shredded potatoes and the beef noodles."
Lai Xu and the other first-timers all expressed the same sentiment.
Everyone was pleasantly surprised.
Zhang Qinghe laughed, feeling an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
Chu Yiwei, Lin Xin, and the other teachers felt the same.
If all twice-cooked pork tasted this good, they would have become fans long ago.
Of course, it wasn’t too late to start liking it now.
From this moment on, twice-cooked pork was one of their favorite dishes.
Even if eating it might make them gain weight, they couldn’t be bothered to care.
Soon after, the four portions of stir-fried shredded potatoes and everyone’s individual bowls of noodles were served one by one.
They continued to eat.
No, that’s not right. They continued to savor the delicacy.
Fine food wasn’t just about filling one’s stomach; it was about the experience.
Cai Peng, Lai Xu, and the other new teachers were savoring every bite.
After tasting the noodles and stir-fried shredded potatoes, they regretted not coming sooner even more.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.
From now on, they’d have something wonderful to look forward to eating.
They used to think that teaching in Wenxian Town, so far from the county seat, wasn’t ideal.
But now, they realized that teaching in Wenxian Town had its own perks.
All the new teachers were thinking the same thing.
Slowly, they finished everything—the noodles, the stir-fried shredded potatoes, and the twice-cooked pork—down to the last bite.
All the teachers were completely satisfied.
Afterward, they scanned the QR code to pay.
The total came to 382 yuan.
"Congratulations to the Host for selling the first portion of twice-cooked pork.
New main quest triggered: Attract 500 customers to the shop within one week.
Note: The same customer is only counted once per day.
Quest Reward: One recipe, two lottery chances."
Li You was overjoyed.
’The new main quest is finally here!’
’But this quest seems a bit difficult!’
"System, what happens if I don’t complete the quest after one week?"
"The data will be reset, and the quest will restart."
’Then it’s no big deal.’
Li You felt relieved.
’A difficult quest is nothing to be afraid of. I’m sure I’ll complete it eventually.’
After paying, the teachers didn’t head back to the school.
It was Sunday, so there were no classes.
They went to the gorge, planning to take a stroll.
Not long after the teachers left, Ye Shengge returned.
She had been exploring the gorge earlier.
"Boss, I’ll have the twice-cooked pork for lunch today."
Li You said, "I was planning on having twice-cooked pork for lunch, too. How about you don’t order today? It’s on me."
Ye Shengge ate here for every meal, and Li You felt it was about time he treated her to one.
A portion of twice-cooked pork wasn’t expensive; it was the thought that counted.
Hearing this, Ye Shengge smiled. "Alright! In that case, I’ll take you up on that offer."
Li You smiled back. "That’s the spirit."
He then went into the kitchen and stir-fried a large portion of twice-cooked pork.
He added two bowls of rice, and he and Ye Shengge began to eat.
After her first bite, Ye Shengge said with delight, "This really is the best twice-cooked pork I’ve ever had. I think I’m going to eat three bowls of rice today."
Li You chuckled. "Just eat until you’re full. Don’t stuff yourself."
Ye Shengge nodded. "Okay."
After a moment, she asked, "Boss, do you think you’ll be able to find tofu you’re satisfied with tomorrow?"
Li You replied, "It’s hard to say. But tomorrow is market day, so there should be at least twenty tofu vendors. The chances should be pretty high."
Ye Shengge said, "I hope you can find some. I want to try your Mapo Tofu before I leave."
Li You said, "How about this. If I can’t find any tomorrow, I’ll make the tofu myself."
Ye Shengge’s eyes lit up. "Boss, you know how to make tofu?"
Li You smiled. "I do! Making tofu isn’t actually that difficult. The key is whether you can make it well. To make good tofu, both experience and technique are very important."
Ye Shengge said happily, "Now I’m suddenly hoping there won’t be any tofu at the market tomorrow that satisfies you."
Li You couldn’t help but smile.
’This woman is really interested in tofu-making! Oh well. If there’s still no medium-quality tofu for sale tomorrow, I’ll just make it myself.’
The two of them continued their meal.
In the end, Ye Shengge really did eat three bowls of rice.
And Li You ate four.
Twice-cooked pork really does go perfectly with rice.
「...」
Time slowly ticked by until it was three in the afternoon.
A small car with a Heyang City license plate slowly pulled into the parking lot.
There were three people in the car.
They were none other than Qu Feng, He Xianfei, and Zhao Yanglin.
After a four-and-a-half-hour drive, they had finally arrived.
After getting out of the car,
He Xianfei remarked with a sigh, "This place is even more remote than I imagined. We’re completely out in the wilderness."
Zhao Yanglin, however, smiled faintly. "The wilderness has its own unique advantages. Look at the scenery around us—it’s quite beautiful!"
Zhao Yanglin wasn’t annoyed by the four-and-a-half-hour drive; on the contrary, he was in high spirits.
He Xianfei nodded. "If we’re just talking about the scenery, then yes. It’s gorgeous here. So refreshing."