Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The real name of Brain, who was introduced by KFC to go to Yuan Zhou’s restaurant to eat, was Qin Xiaoyi. He finished his work early today and went home immediately once he got off work.
This was because today was his friend’s birthday. He didn’t know when the trend started but his friends liked cooking dishes by themselves in his home instead of going out to eat hot pot.
Of course, these friends were only confined to some good fellow students in his junior high school.
As for why they liked his home, it might be because he was still single until now.
However, such kind of things didn’t really matter. Anyway, Qin Xiaoyi had already gotten used to that. He had lived in his home alone for a long time and it was good to have some people visit.
Therefore, Qin Xiaoyi went to the supermarket and bought all the ingredients required today, including chicken, duck, and fish as soon as he got off work. There were as many as 6 people in all including himself.
When Qin Xiaoyin carried all the ingredients back home, thrown his business suit aside, and hadn’t even finished a cigarette, somebody knocked on his door.
“Peng Peng”. There came a very loud knock on the door. It was said that people could easily tell who was knocking the door according to the strength of the knock. Judging from the strength of the current knock, they were definitely from the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Central Committee of the CPC.
“Coming, I’m coming. Be patient!” Qin Xiaoyin opened the door unhurriedly.
Happy brought three friends here. One of them even had a bottle of wine and another person was Big Bun who declared himself to be a cook the Chengdu School of Sichuan Cuisines.
As for why his name was Big Bun, it was just because his face was bigger than a small steamed bun. That was why he got this nickname.
They were quite familiar with Qin Xiaoyi’s house, so they all found a familiar place to get seated without Qin Xiaoyi’s help.
“Just help yourself. Get the snacks in the fridge. Twice,” all of a sudden, Qin Xiaoyi said to the birthday person.
And the birthday person seemed to have already guessed that. He cracked a beer and ate a peanut on the tea table first.
It was an old custom for many years that two treats must be offered to Qin Xiaoyi in exchange for a meal cooked by Qin Xiaoyi. And that was the meaning of “Twice” that he had mentioned just now.
After a moment, the remaining two people also arrived. Now, everybody was here.
These people actually didn’t have an intimate relationship when they were in their junior middle school and sometimes, they even had conflicts with each other. When they graduated from junior middle school, there was definitely some who cursed and swore and even prayed that they would never see each other in the future.
But after they graduated from college and worked and encountered each other coincidentally in the same office building several years later, they nevertheless became the best of friends.
Speaking of which, that wasn’t really strange. They just began to reminisce of those slightly bad guys when they met the worse ones.
“It’s so convenient to get together in Xiaoyi’s home.”
“Stop talking. I’m watching TV.”
“It’s my birthday today. Can’t you let me watch the sports channel first?”
Big Bun got antsy after sitting there for a while and then ran to the kitchen. He failed in controlling his turbulent heart and could do nothing to relieve it except finding faults with Qin Xiaoyi.
Qin Xiaoyi had barely taken out all the ingredients and washed them once. He had also chopped the green onions, ginger, and garlic well.
“Do you need me to help?” Big Bun said, “I think it’s time for me to show you how to cook authentic Chengdu School’s Sichuan Cuisines.”
“I don’t want to talk to you and I’m now rolling my eyes at you.”
Qin Xiaoyi had nothing to say to Big Bun. He began to cook the dishes directly.
The first dish was Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce. Although the history of this dish wasn’t very long, it was one of the most well-known, most homely, and most popular dishes in Sichuan Cuisines of either the Chengdu School or Chongqing School.
Therefore, Qin Xiaoyi cooked it very carefully. He specially selected meat that was 30% fat and 70% lean.
His knife skills were just average, but still, he shredded the ingredients and began to stir-fry the dish.
Of course, he had prepared the flavorings of the dish in advance. When the dish was almost done, he poured the flavorings in the frying pan for a quick fry.
It was a very homely cooking method and the dish could also be delicious in this way.
Qin Xiaoyi cooked the Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce quite seriously. There came a sound of “Pi Li Pa La” from the frying pan, which sounded quite boisterous.
“Do you really know how to cook this dish? How can you add black fungus that has even been soaked in hot water to the Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce? Do you know it will affect the taste?” Big Bun said hurriedly when he saw the shredded black fungus thrown into the pan.
Qin Xiaoyi behaved as if he hadn’t heard him. He continued adding winter bamboo shoots, shredded carrots, green onions, and endive sprout in the frying pan.
“The authentic Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce of the Chengdu School absolutely requires shredded green peppers and carrots,” Big Bun said. “Cooking places importance on color, fragrance, and taste, especially in the Chengdu School’s Sichuan Cuisines. The dark green, red, and flesh color are the most perfect color assortments.
“With regards to the taste, the slight pungency of the green pepper and the mild sweetness of the carrots are the most perfect match.”
Speaking of theories, he was really knowledgeable. The reason why Big Bun stressed so much on the Chengdu School’s Sichuan Cuisines was that he couldn’t make his mark in any other Sichuan Cuisines. There were quite a few renowned chefs in this area.
Strictly speaking, there was not an authentic successor of Sichuan Cuisines in Chengdu. Therefore, the mice will play while the cat was away.
“Are the Sichuan Cuisines of Chengdu School really cooked in the way you mentioned?” Qin Xiaoyi suddenly turned to ask him.
Big Bun was startled when he heard him ask. In normal times, Qin Xiaoyin was usually made speechless by his grumbles and it was quite a long time ago that Qin Xiaoyi contradicted him.
“Of course. Who do you think I learned from to cook the Chengdu School’s Sichuan Cuisines?” Big Bun said immediately.
“But the Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce I ate in a restaurant was just like the one I’m cooking now. And that restaurant also cooks authentic Chengdu School’s Sichuan Cuisines,” said Qin Xiaoyi.
Big Bun said immediately without even thinking for a second, “Then it is surely not authentic.”
“Let’s do this. Tomorrow, I will take you there to eat it. If it’s not authentic, this meal is on me. But if it’s authentic, you have to treat today. What do you think?” Qin Xiaoyi said that.
Big Bun hesitated for a little while. He was a cautious man and felt that Qin Xiaoyi was a little abnormal today. Abnormality inevitably meant a trap.
On this matter, however, he would sacrifice no more than some meal expenses if he was wrong. How much money could a meal cost? A restaurant where they could order the Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce wasn’t likely to be a high-class or expensive one, not to mention he had really learned about the Chengdu School’s Sichuan Cuisines before.
Thinking of that, Big Bun did not feel any fear. He was afraid of nobody in the aspects of the Sichuan Cuisines from Chengdu School. Therefore, he agreed to Qin Xiaoyi’s proposal immediately.
Qin Xiaoyi turned his back to Big Bun and began to prepare the next dish
After all, Big Bun was always loyal to his friends, it was just that he liked grumbling and posturing.
“Hey, look at you. How can you stir-fry the Double Cooked Pork like that? You must…”
Big Bun continued talking and talking. Qin Xiaoyi stopped his shame and thought resolutely that he must order a Tea Egg the following day.
“Also, you must add the chopped chili pepper earlier and cook attentively.”
“You didn’t even pluck off all the duck feathers.”
Qin Xiaoyi continued to order dishes in the heart, “Plus Dongpo Pig Knuckle and Jinling Prawns.
…
On the following day,
Qin Xiaoyi drove Big Bun toward Yuan Zhou’s restaurant. He specially borrowed the car from his colleague. He would rather drive by himself than take a taxi.
“What’s the name of the restaurant we are going to? Let me check Meituan for the rating.”
“The restaurant isn’t that famous, so you can’t find it on Meituan.”
On the way there, Big Bun asked Qin Xiaoyi and Qin Xiaoyi answered.
Big Bun looked at Qin Xiaoyi suspiciously.
Qin Yi said quite affirmatively, “Trust me, there isn’t this restaurant in Meituan. Attracting people to get a higher rank always equals a trap.”
Big Bun had originally been slightly suspicious, but he suddenly felt relieved in the face of such a serious promise, thinking that there was nothing to fear since it wasn’t even registered on Meituan.
