Chapter 423 - 209: Wait, Bro, Are You For Real?

Chapter 423: Chapter 209: Wait, Bro, Are You For Real?

If a few pork intestines ruined the whole pot of master stock, he wouldn’t know where to turn to cry.

He’d have to ask the old lady for advice on this.

The old lady knew how to braise beef intestines, and that stuff smelled no less intense than pork intestines. She was sure to know.

Of course, braised beef was also an option.

Lanzhou-style noodles were a worthy reference. You just had to shut the doors and windows when slicing the beef, and as long as the wind didn’t blow the slices away, you could stretch fifty grams of beef across ten bowls—a surefire profit.

Zhou Yan’s heart wasn’t that black. Slicing twenty-five grams of beef for a bowl, while still selling it for sixty cents, was also a viable option.

But to do that, the beef would have to be braised the night before, making it perfect for slicing fresh the next morning.

Zhou Yan actually quite liked chicken giblet noodles too. Stir-fried spicy chicken giblets made a great topping, whether for dry noodles or noodle soup. They were delicious either way.

However, Zhou Yan couldn’t get his hands on that many chicken giblets for the time being.

Besides, they were just as difficult to clean as pork intestines. Washing chicken intestines was enough to make a person break down.

He’d decide on adding new noodle types later.

After the morning service ended, Zhou Yan immediately started braising the meat. Mornings were the busiest time of day.

The beef and pig’s trotters went into the pot first. He checked his watch, noted the time, and when it was right, he added the pig’s head meat and pig’s ears.

When the time was up, he turned off the heat and let the meat steep in the pot, allowing the master stock to fully penetrate it and infuse it with flavor.

Mrs. Zhao and Zhao Hong had almost finished peeling the potatoes and lotus roots. Comrade Zhou was off to the side, swiftly slicing potatoes. The large wooden bucket at his feet was already half-full, the slices soaking in well water to keep them from turning dark.

Zhou Yan changed the water for the tofu skin. Letting it soak a little longer wouldn’t hurt.

"Zhou Yan!" Just then, a familiar voice called out from the doorway.

"Brother Ming~~ You’re here!" Zhou Momo’s voice followed, coming from the dining hall where she was drawing.

Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen just in time to see Zhou Ming walking in. A women’s bicycle was parked at the entrance.

"Ming, you don’t have class today?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.

"No class this morning, but I have to substitute for two math classes this afternoon," Zhou Ming said with a laugh.

"Aren’t you a PE teacher? Teaching math?" Zhou Yan frowned.

"Nothing I can do. The math teacher went to a training conference, and since I seemed to have free time, they had me fill in. It’s just two study hall periods." Zhou Ming placed a drawing pad he was holding onto the table where Zhou Momo was sitting and said with a smile, "Momo, I brought you a drawing pad."

"Wow!" Zhou Momo’s eyes lit up. She leaned forward and opened it. The large pad had a thick stack of paper, enough to keep her drawing for a long time. "Thank you, Brother Ming!" she said happily.

Zhou Ming grinned. "You’re welcome. Draw as much as you want. When you run out, I’ll buy you more."

"Mhm, mhm." Zhou Momo nodded, sat back down in her seat, and went back to drawing.

"Did you come all this way just to bring Momo a drawing pad?" Zhou Yan asked with a laugh.

"I was also hoping to get some braised meat for Teacher Song’s lunch. What do you think would be good?" Zhou Ming scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

"Huh? Ming! You can’t do this!" Zhou Yan pleaded earnestly. "Simping gets you nowhere, man! Snap out of it!"

"You don’t get it. Teacher Song is different," Zhou Ming said, shaking his head.

"Look at you, letting your emotions get the best of you again," Zhou Yan sighed.

"Teacher Song really is different." Zhou Ming’s tone grew firmer. "In the few days I’ve been at No. 1 Middle School, she’s taken me to the cafeteria to eat every day, and she always gives me half of her meat. When she saw me walking to work, she even lent me her bicycle, saying she lives close enough to walk for exercise. She also knows I’m one coupon short of a bicycle permit and is trying to help me figure it out."

Zhou Yan: ???

’This plot... something doesn’t sound right, does it?’

’Wait, bro, are you serious?’

’Is this right?’

’Is he already mooching off her?’

He peeked at the women’s bicycle parked by the door. It was pretty new.

"Well... I guess Teacher Song really is different," Zhou Yan said, stroking his chin, still unable to wrap his head around it.

’Different edition, different answer?’

"Yeah, she’s really been looking out for me. It would’ve been tough otherwise, being new here," Zhou Ming nodded in agreement. "But it’s not right to keep doing this. She’s a girl, and I’m eating her food and riding her bike every day. I just want to bring her something to eat too."

"Fair enough." Zhou Yan nodded. "The meat is still steeping in the pot. If you wait another hour, I can slice up a platter of braised pig’s head and pig’s ears for you, and maybe a portion of braised beef?"

Zhou Ming nodded with a smile. "No problem, it’s still early. If I get the meat then, I can make it just in time for lunch. She has class this morning."

"Any progress on you finding a master?" Zhou Yan asked.

Zhou Ming shook his head, a worried look on his face. "Teacher Song said that old Mr. Song Changhe isn’t accepting disciples, and he’s not willing to be interviewed either. I think it’s a long shot."

"I don’t know why the old master is so stubborn. The Emei Spear is one of the four great spears of China, and it’s fading away. It would be a huge shame if he, as a Grandmaster of the Spear Dao, failed to pass on his legacy."

[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: The Legacy of Zhou Ming’s Emei Spear! Emei Martial Arts, a treasure of Chinese culture, is now in danger of being lost. Please assist Zhou Ming in successfully becoming a disciple and carrying on the legacy of the Emei Spear!]

[Mission Reward: Unknown! Accept: Yes/No]

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the system quest that had suddenly popped up.

’I’m a Chef, what can I do about the legacy of the Martial Dao? It’s not like my words carry any weight, right?’

"Zhou Yan, you’re quick-witted. Tell me, what do you think I should do?" Zhou Ming asked, looking at Zhou Yan.

’Oh, well. He’s my brother, after all. I’d have to help him figure something out whether I accept this quest or not.’

Zhou Yan decisively chose to accept. He thought for a moment and said, "I think you still have to start with Teacher Song. If you can win over Teacher Song, once you’re part of the Song Family, you’ll be able to get a word in with the old master. Then everything will be much easier."