Chapter 65: I’ll Go Back After Eating Mapo Tofu Tomorrow
When they heard it was Mapo Tofu, Zhao Yanglin, Qu Feng, and He Xianfei’s eyes all lit up.
What a great dish!
This dish may be a common, homestyle meal that many people know how to cook.
But the truth was, the versions most people made were far from authentic.
Of its eight signature qualities—"numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, crispy, tender, fresh, and vibrant"—most versions only manage to deliver on three: "numbing," "spicy," and "hot."
Basically, "mala tang."
Though, of course, this "mala tang" wasn’t the same as the famous street food.
Moreover, even if they achieved "numbing" and "spicy," it was usually just numbing for the sake of being numbing and spicy for the sake of being spicy. The overall taste and texture were nothing to write home about.
The only quality they could execute flawlessly was likely just one: "hot."
’So, what would Li You’s version of such a dish be like? Would it be one of the best Mapo Tofus out there? Or would it be the pinnacle of the dish?’
This was undoubtedly something to look forward to!
So, Zhao Yanglin made a snap decision. He said to He Xianfei and Qu Feng, "Chef He, Master Qu, you two can head back today. I’m going to stay. I’ll wait until after I’ve tried the owner’s Mapo Tofu tomorrow, then I’ll find a car and head back myself. We passed a small town on the way here, didn’t we? Wenxian Town, I believe? I’m sure there’s an inn there. I’ll just spend the night in Wenxian Town."
He Xianfei and Qu Feng weren’t surprised by Zhao Yanglin’s words.
Because they actually had the same idea.
That’s right. Even He Xianfei had the same thought.
He Xianfei was a master at making Mapo Tofu. Although he couldn’t be called the absolute best, he was definitely in the top tier.
That was precisely why He Xianfei was all the more curious to see just how good Li You’s Mapo Tofu would be.
So, He Xianfei said, "I’m also extremely interested in the owner’s Mapo Tofu. So, I might as well wait until tomorrow to head back. What about you, Master Qu? Are you leaving today or staying until tomorrow?"
Qu Feng said, "Of course I’m staying until tomorrow too."
Zhao Yanglin laughed. "Well, that’s even better!"
Li You was a little surprised, but he welcomed them to stay.
However, there was one thing he had to clarify first.
"Mr. Zhao, Chef He, Master Qu," Li You began, "thank you for your interest in my Mapo Tofu. But there’s one condition for me to be able to serve it tomorrow: I have to find tofu that meets my standards."
The implication, of course, was that it wasn’t certain that he would be serving Mapo Tofu tomorrow. It was possible that he wouldn’t.
Even if he couldn’t find tofu of at least "medium" quality tomorrow morning, Li You planned to make it himself.
But even then, there was no guarantee he could produce tofu of "medium" quality or higher on his own.
So, he had to inform the three of them that it wasn’t a sure thing.
The three of them nodded.
This was a given, and they all understood. The better the chef, the higher their standards for ingredients.
Without ingredients that met their standards, they would refuse to cook, unless the circumstances were exceptional.
"Are you planning to go to Wenxian Town tomorrow morning to buy tofu?" Zhao Yanglin asked.
Li You nodded. "Yes. Tomorrow is market day in Wenxian Town, so there will be more people selling tofu. I’ll go take a look. If I can’t find anything satisfactory, I plan to try making the tofu myself."
At this, their eyes lit up again.
Zhao Yanglin smiled. "Making tofu isn’t hard; anyone can give it a try. But making *good* tofu is another story. It requires both skill and experience. Since you’re planning to make it yourself, you must be an expert."
"I wouldn’t call myself an expert," Li You said. "I’m just going to give it a try."
"Excellent, excellent," Zhao Yanglin said. "Making it yourself is far more interesting! Don’t worry, even if you can’t find the right tofu tomorrow and decide not to serve Mapo Tofu, it’s perfectly fine."
He Xianfei and Qu Feng also expressed the same sentiment.
Li You nodded.
’That’s good.’
With that, he was relieved.
"Chef He, Master Qu," Zhao Yanglin then said, "since we’re staying the night, how about we take a walk through the canyon? After such a wonderful meal, it’s only right that we enjoy the beautiful scenery."
Neither He Xianfei nor Qu Feng had any objections.
And so, the three of them bid farewell to Li You and walked towards the canyon.
Not long after they left, Ye Shengge returned with a good amount of mountain berries she had picked.
This time, they were in a bag.
The bag was a decent size, and it was half full.
Having picked so many tempting mountain berries, Ye Shengge was in a cheerful mood. "Li You, want some more?" she asked. "My treat."
Li You nodded. "Of course. They’re not just delicious, they’re really good for you, too. They have all sorts of benefits—they’re said to help with detoxification, reduce inflammation, and they’re good for your kidneys and eyesight."
"Really?" Ye Shengge smiled. "Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m eating so many."
The two of them continued to eat.
They started stuffing handfuls into their mouths. It was delicious and incredibly satisfying.
When they were done, they were left wanting more, the flavor lingering wonderfully.
"They’re so good," Ye Shengge said. "Better than a lot of store-bought fruit. I bet there are tons of tasty wild fruits in these mountains."
Li You nodded. "There are countless edible wild fruits in the mountains. If not a hundred kinds, then at least several dozen. Many of them taste excellent."
Ye Shengge said, "Next time I come, I’ll look for more wild fruits to eat."
Li You nodded. "Absolutely."
...
At five in the afternoon, Zhang Qinghe, Chu Yiwei, Lin Xin, and the other teachers returned.
"We’ve been out all afternoon. Time to eat and head back to school," Zhang Qinghe said to Li You. "Hey, Boss, we’ll have stir-fry and rice tonight. Let’s get seven orders of Twice-cooked Pork and five orders of Stir-fried Shredded Potatoes."
"Alright," Li You nodded. "It’ll be just a moment, teachers."
After speaking, he went into the kitchen to start cooking.
Before long, the seven orders of Twice-cooked Pork and five orders of Stir-fried Shredded Potatoes were ready.
He brought the dishes to the teachers’ table and served them bowls of rice.
The teachers started to eat.
"Hey, Boss, even your rice is delicious!" Zhang Qinghe said, pleasantly surprised. "It has such a wonderful aroma."
"It really is. I haven’t had rice this good in ages," the other teachers agreed, all delighted.
"In that case, please have some more," Li You said with a smile.
"We will, we definitely will! Your Twice-cooked Pork already makes you want to eat a ton of rice, and now the rice itself is this good. I’m having at least three bowls," Zhang Qinghe declared.
Even the female teachers, Chu Yiwei and Lin Xin, declared that with Twice-cooked Pork and rice like this, they would eat at least two bowls each.
In the end, the male teachers like Zhang Qinghe and Cai Peng ate at least three bowls each, with some eating four.
The female teachers, like Chu Yiwei and Lin Xin, ate at least two bowls, with some having three.
Chu Yiwei herself had three bowls.
’Looks like Teacher Chu can really pack it away, just like Ye Shengge!’
The teachers were completely stuffed.
After paying and resting for a while, they got up to bid farewell and leave.
This Sunday, they were utterly and completely satisfied.
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