Chapter 427 - 210: Zhou Yan, Are You Free This Sunday?

Chapter 427: Chapter 210: Zhou Yan, Are You Free This Sunday?

Beef broth isn’t rare, but few people make soup with beef offal. It’s incredibly difficult to get rid of its natural gaminess.

This soup contained various spices and medicinal herbs that not only perfectly suppressed the gaminess but also enhanced its umami and fragrance.

As a Chef, he knew just how much this demanded of a Chef’s fundamental skills and abilities.

Zhou Yan was just too versatile.

Just then, the Mapo Tofu he had ordered arrived.

Mapo Tofu is a star of Sichuan Cuisine, incredibly famous and reputed to be well-known even overseas.

Le Ming Restaurant had Mapo Tofu on its menu. It wasn’t made by a Kong Sect Chef, but as the restaurant’s manager, he had offered his input several times, yet the flavor never saw any significant improvement.

But it couldn’t be helped. The Chef’s skills were limited; that was the best they could do.

The taste was passable—good enough to fool customers who had never had authentic Mapo Tofu. Besides, the menu needed the dish to round things out.

But this Mapo Tofu made by Zhou Yan... it looked absolutely authentic.

It glistened with sauce and oil, the white tofu tinged with red, dotted with green garlic sprouts and savory ground beef. A thin layer of pepper powder was sprinkled on top, looking utterly tantalizing.

At a glance, it looked nearly identical to a dish served at Chen Mapo Tofu.

The Kong Sect had many representative dishes, but Mapo Tofu was certainly not among them.

His master once said this dish was a true test of one’s skill with seasoning. He and Kong had tried to figure it out a few times but felt they could never quite capture the right flavor, so they eventually gave up.

He was eating alone today. He scooped up a spoonful with his soup spoon and brought it straight to his mouth.

Fresh out of the wok, the first thing you notice about Mapo Tofu is the heat! SCALDING!

Then came the rush of sensations: numbing, spicy, savory, fragrant, tender, crisp, hot, and intact!

It scalded the tongue, but it was just so fragrant!

Kong Guodong couldn’t help but marvel. ’This is no worse than what they serve at Chen Mapo Tofu! In fact,’ he had the distinct, if mistaken, impression that Zhou Yan’s was even more authentic.

The numbing spice, savoriness, and fragrance had all permeated the tofu, which was incredibly smooth and tender.

The ground beef was both tender and aromatic, and paired with the unique scent of the green garlic sprouts, the flavor was simply out of this world!

Kong Guodong served himself a bowl of rice and shoveled in a large mouthful with the Mapo Tofu.

’This is incredible!’

’Now *this* is real, proper Mapo Tofu!’

’What’s that stuff they serve at Le Ming Restaurant? Tofu with meat sauce, at best.’

Alternating between the Mapo Tofu and sips of Kneeling Beef soup, he devoured three bowls of rice in no time. By the end, Kong Guodong was sweating profusely and completely stuffed.

After scraping the last spoonful of Mapo Tofu from the plate into his mouth, Kong Guodong leaned back in his chair, utterly content. ’This is the life.’

’This Mapo Tofu is just too good!’

’He probably learned this dish from a recipe book, too.’

’Because you couldn’t find another Chef in all of Jiazhou who could make Mapo Tofu this good.’

He glanced at the surrounding tables. Customers were holding their bowls, shoveling in rice, each one looking more satisfied than the next.

After decades as a Chef, he knew one thing: a customer’s expression never lies.

Only when someone eats something they find truly delicious does a heartfelt smile appear on their face. The corners of their mouth lift unconsciously, because they are genuinely happy.

Kong Guodong felt both happy and wistful.

With Zhou Yan’s talent, he was destined to become the next great Chef of Jiazhou, perhaps even making a name for himself throughout all of Sichuan.

And a genius like that was fated to have no part in Le Ming Restaurant’s future.

What a lamentable thought.

Kong Guodong put down his chopsticks. He glanced at the packed dining hall and the crowd waiting for tables by the door, then rose to pay his bill.

"Oh, I can’t take your money. We didn’t even get to properly host you," Mrs. Zhao protested.

"You must. Otherwise, I’ll be too embarrassed to come back," Kong Guodong said with a smile, placing the money on the kitchen counter. "I’m just going to take a stroll outside. I have something to discuss with Zhou Yan in a little while."

The moment he stepped outside, he saw a Toyota Crown pull up and slowly stop in front of the restaurant.

The rear door opened, and a beautiful young woman stepped out. She had tightly-permed hair and wore a denim jacket, a black skirt, and small brown leather shoes. She looked incredibly fashionable and chic.

Kong Guodong stared, slightly surprised. "Miss Duan... you’re here to eat?"

Duan Yu Yan glanced at him, a flicker of confusion on her face. She clearly didn’t recognize him, but she still gave a polite nod. "Yes."

Kong Guodong didn’t press the matter. He simply gave a polite nod in return and walked off toward the river.

What left a deep impression on him was the car’s black license plate. Mr. Duan had brought this very Miss Duan to Le Ming Restaurant for a meal once. Manager Liu had told him at the time that the car was an import and cost several hundred thousand yuan.

Back then, private citizens couldn’t even own cars. Mr. Duan was a highly successful and wealthy Hong Kong Businessman who had returned to the mainland to invest.

’To think she had her driver bring her all the way to Suji, just to eat at Zhou Yan Restaurant.’

’Zhou Yan’s reputation had really spread far and wide.’

"Yuyan!" Zhou Momo had already stood up when she saw the car. As soon as Duan Yu Yan got out and started walking over, Momo immediately came bounding toward her.

"Momo, come here! Let me give you a hug!" Duan Yu Yan bent down with a grin, scooping Zhou Momo into her arms. She turned her cheek and smiled. "One kiss."

"MWAH~" Zhou Momo leaned in and planted a kiss. "You smell so nice! Like flowers."

"That’s the scent of violet. You have a very sharp little nose," Duan Yu Yan said with a laugh, gently tapping the tip of Momo’s nose.

"What kind of flower is a violet? Is it pretty?" Zhou Momo asked curiously.

"They’re purple flowers. One stem has lots of little blossoms, and they look beautiful when they bloom together in a field," Duan Yu Yan explained patiently. "The language of flowers says: ’Love is ancient and unchanging, violets are eternal.’"

"Oh." The little one nodded, only half-understanding. Her gaze quickly shifted to Duan Yu Yan’s ears, and she exclaimed in awe, "Yuyan, your heart-shaped earrings today are so pretty! They’re so sparkly, it’s like they’re glowing."

"You noticed! I got these at an auction in Paris..." Duan Yu Yan told Yan Fei, who had just parked the car, to get in line for a table while she took Zhou Momo aside to play.

By the time Duan Yu Yan went inside to eat, the second wave of diners had already finished, leaving only a few scattered tables occupied.

She had come alone today, so she invited Yan Fei to eat with her. That way, she could order more dishes and try a bit of everything.

Duan Yu Yan studied the menu carefully, then asked in confusion, "Mrs. Zhao, why isn’t Snowflake Chicken Porridge on the menu? I read in the newspaper that Zhou Yan can make it, can’t he?"

"Zhou Yan said it’s not a dish that goes well with rice, and it’s rather time-consuming to prepare. You only use the breast meat from a whole chicken, which is too wasteful, so it’s not on the menu for now," Mrs. Zhao explained with a smile. "If you want to try it, just ask Zhou Yan to make a special portion for you sometime. It tastes absolutely wonderful, piled up just like a little snow mountain."

"Okay, then I’ll have him make it for me next time." Duan Yu Yan nodded with a bright smile. She could feel the favoritism and special treatment from the older woman.

She chose an empty table and sat down, then began to order. "In that case, I’ll have the Yu-Shiang Shredded Pork..."

Yan Fei, sitting beside her, also looked over the menu.

Duan Yu Yan turned to him and said, "Fei, what would you like to eat? You can pick two dishes today. That way, you can bring your wife and kids here next time."

"Whatever you order is fine, Miss Duan. I’m not a picky eater." Yan Fei was taken aback for a moment and quickly shook his head, but a warmth spread through his chest.

The plane tickets were already booked. Miss Duan and Mrs. Qiu would be leaving next week.

His stint as their driver and bodyguard was also coming to an end.

It was the most lucrative job he’d had since leaving the military. At eight hundred yuan a month, he had earned over six thousand in just eight months.

That was enough money to buy a house in Jiazhou or even Rongcheng.

It was no exaggeration to say that Miss Duan and Mr. Duan had changed his life.

He was incredibly grateful to them.

His previous salary was only sixty yuan a month. At that rate, it would have taken him ten years to earn six thousand yuan!

He just wondered if there was still any hope for a bonus. He had initially been worried that kid Zhou Yan would cause trouble, but he had been surprisingly well-behaved. He never came to Qiu Mansion again, nor did he try to seek out Miss Duan privately.

’Crew Cut was really different from those dyed-hair punks.’

"Fine," Duan Yu Yan said, turning back. She ordered two more dishes, then began admiring Zhou Momo’s recent drawings.

After lunch, Duan Yu Yan saw Zhou Yan emerge from the kitchen. She stood up and asked, "Zhou Yan, are you free this Sunday?"

Yan Fei, who was diligently carrying out his "clean plate" duty, snapped his head up and looked nervously at Zhou Yan.

’Wait, Miss!’

’You’re about to leave, and you still want to ask him on a date?’