Liu Shengnan was only gone for about five minutes.
As she walked back in with the Sautéed Pork Slices, she glanced down at the table.
Whoa!
How was another dish gone already?
None of them looked like they’d never had a decent meal before, so how could they polish off a whole dish in the blink of an eye?
’Don’t tell me six dishes won’t be enough?’
It was the first time such a thought had crossed Sister Shengnan’s mind.
After all, Boss Su’s portions were very generous. This platter of Sautéed Pork Slices was a prime example—it had almost no garnishes, just heaps of thick-cut meat!
Brother Fang Chang immediately perked up when he saw the Sautéed Pork Slices.
’That’s Boss Su for you,’ he thought. ’Only he would think to make such a classic local dish!’
"Uncle, Auntie, please try this. It’s a local Jingzhou specialty, and it’s also one of Yuanyuan’s favorites."
Jiang Yuan: ’Since when is Sautéed Pork Slices my favorite? I like the *potato slices* in the dish, okay?’
"Huh? Why aren’t there any potato slices in the Sautéed Pork Slices today?"
Jiang Wensheng no longer dared to underestimate the chef. He simply asked, full of curiosity, "Is this Sautéed Pork Slices made with pork?"
Brother Fang Chang nodded. "Yes. It’s all made from pork tenderloin. Please, give it a try."
Jiang Wensheng nodded quietly.
’What a strange dish,’ he thought. ’If it’s made entirely of lean meat, can it really be any good?’
Still, he picked up a piece and took a bite.
’It’s savory and fresh, with seasonings reminiscent of Lu Cuisine. How can tenderloin be this silky smooth?’
’It looks like it was thickened with a starch slurry, but you can’t taste the starch at all. Interesting.’
Jiang Wensheng took another bite. "Could we get some rice?"
"I’ll go!" Fang Chang eagerly dashed out of the private room and into the kitchen.
"Bro! Ladies! We need rice, quick! The Sautéed Pork Slices is amazing and perfect with rice! Everyone’s waiting for it!"
As Aunt Fang went to scoop the rice, Su Chen asked with a hint of anticipation, "So? What did your future father-in-law say?"
He was dying to know what a master of Huaiyang Cuisine would think of his S Level Braised Dried Tofu, which he had made following a famous recipe.
Brother Fang Chang gave him a thumbs-up. "Absolutely incredible! They’re so focused on eating they’re not even talking. My future father-in-law has barely said a word, just keeps chowing down!"
’That’s good.’ Su Chen nodded, relieved.
’It seems the modifications to the side dishes and the flavor were successful, not an unpleasant change.’
Aunt Fang finished scooping the rice and placed the bowls on a tray.
"The steamed oat noodles are ready, too," Su Chen added. "Take them out as well."
Liu Shengnan placed a bamboo steamer on another tray. Inside were neat little rolls of oat noodles, and she arranged three dipping bowls around the steamer.
They contained a lamb broth, a pork rib broth, and a brine from pickled vegetables.
These weren’t ordinary soups to be drunk on their own. If you tried, you’d find them incredibly salty—so salty it would be hard to swallow!
They were meant only for dipping the oat noodles, which would perfectly neutralize the saltiness.
Aunt Fang carried the rice and Shengnan carried the oat noodles. Brother Fang Chang led the way as the three of them returned to the private room.
The moment he stepped into the private room, Brother Fang Chang froze. "Where’s the Sautéed Pork Slices?"
There were no Sautéed Pork Slices on the table waiting for the rice. There was only an empty platter, slick with a bit of grease.
A few stray pieces of scallion were scattered across its surface.
The elders at the table, along with Jiang Yuan, all averted their gaze, refusing to look at Fang Chang.
Brother Fang Chang understood.
’So you sent me out to get rice just so you could scarf down the food yourselves?’
’Are you really treating me like an outsider?’
Father Fang Chang, perhaps sensing the awkwardness in the air, chided him in a low voice, "What are you yelling about? Sit down and eat!"
Brother Fang Chang: ???
’So this is my fault now?’
When Shengnan set down the oat noodles, Fang Chang’s mother’s eyes lit up, and she took the initiative to introduce the dish.
"This is another one of our local dishes, more of a home-style meal. It’s usually us older folks who enjoy it; the young ones aren’t big fans. Please, you two, give it a try!"
As she spoke, she reached out to help separate the oat noodle rolls that had stuck together.
"I just love this lamb broth. It’s so fragrant when you dip the noodles in it!" Father Fang Chang plunged a large bundle of noodles into the bowl.
The gray noodles were now coated in the dark, soy-colored broth, with beads of lamb fat dripping from them. The sight made Jiang Wensheng and Yuan Suzhen’s faces fill with horror.
’One bite of that would be overwhelmingly gamy, wouldn’t it?’
"Alright, I think I’ll stick to the pork rib broth," Yuan Suzhen said, clearly intimidated by the lamb broth.
People from the Su and Zhe region were used to lighter, sweeter flavors. They really weren’t accustomed to dishes with such heavy sauces, oil, and salt.
Brother Fang Chang watched from the side, a little dejected.
’You didn’t seem to have a problem with oily and salty food when you were devouring the Sautéed Pork Slices earlier...’
Then again, Brother Fang Chang found oat noodles to be a curious thing himself.
He remembered that when he was a little kid, he’d burst into tears on the spot if his family made steamed oat noodles.
Brother Fang Chang had even wondered how something as awful-tasting as oat noodles could possibly exist in the world.
But as he grew up, Brother Fang Chang slowly came to accept the staple. Now, if he went a few days without eating it, he would feel like something was missing, a distinct discomfort in his stomach.
Time is a cruel thing, cruel enough to change a person’s tastes and preferences!
And so, thanks to Brother Fang Chang’s influence, Jiang Yuan had also developed a special fondness for this staple.
"Here, Yuanyuan. Try it with the pork rib broth." Brother Fang Chang placed a bundle of noodles in his girlfriend’s bowl.
"I still prefer the stir-fried oat noodles," Jiang Yuan said as she ate.