Chapter 35:
“My surname is Zhu. You can just call me Shopkeeper Zhu. May I ask what your names are? What things do you want to sell?”
Shopkeeper Zhu greeted them very politely as soon as he arrived. He seemed quite humble and refined.
Compared to the overbearing Shopkeeper Wang from Hongyun Tower, the difference was immediately clear, and it gave a very good impression.
“Shopkeeper Zhu, we’ve heard of you. We come from Zhao Li Village. This is my husband Li Sanmao, and I am Luo Zhi’er!”
“Oh, so it’s the young man Li and Luo Niangzi from Zhao Li Village visiting Yumian Tower. I wonder what things the two of you want to sell…”
“Shopkeeper Zhu, take a look at this thing in the jar in my arms first! This is termite mushroom oil. It can be used to mix with noodles, rice, rice flour, vermicelli, and such.”
Luo Zhi’er opened the lid, having learned from the previous lesson.
She first brought out a product that hadn’t appeared in the market to sell and attract him, so that people wouldn’t lose interest and reject her before even seeing the thing!
“Oh?”
Shopkeeper Zhu seemed quite interested. He looked at the thing in the jar—a layer of white solidified substance—and leaned down to sniff it. It had a somewhat strange taste.
There were also some yellowish, slightly burnt fried things mixed in the oil. “Young lady, is this thing made with lard?”
“That’s right! It’s made with animal oil and a kind of wild mushroom from the mountains and wilderness that has extremely high nutritional value, plus a special preparation method of mine!”
Saying it this way was also to make him feel that the ingredients were natural and harmless, and to know that this skill wasn’t that easy to replicate.
This place was in the northwest, where noodles were the staple. This stuff mixed with noodles was also a new style of flavor!
“I see your restaurant sells noodles, rice, vermicelli, and such staples. This would be perfect to make something new!”
“Hmm, that sounds pretty good. I just don’t know how it tastes when eaten?”
Because this thing looked a bit poor in appearance, didn’t smell all that appetizing, and the color wasn’t pretty either…
“Of course it tastes fresh and delicious when eaten, with a rich and unique texture, extremely high nutritional value, and it can nourish the spleen and stomach, replenish blood and moisten dryness, improve immunity and stamina, and such effects!”
Shopkeeper Zhu saw her body was so stout, sweat dripping from running, and her eyes were indeed bright and sparkling, introducing this thing with great confidence…
To be honest, this thing really didn’t look all that good in appearance!
Seeing her tanned dark from the sun, she must have run to quite a few restaurants. He was different from others in temperament. Just based on her perseverance, he had to give her a chance to try!
“How about this: my restaurant has steaming hot rice and noodles. I’ll have the waiter take you to the kitchen to make some. Then bring it out for me to taste. All right?”
Luo Zhi’er was delighted inside. “Good, no problem at all, Shopkeeper Zhu. There are other ingredients in this bamboo basket. May I boldly use them to make a dish for you to taste? If it’s not good, then forget it. I won’t charge a penny.”
“That sounds great!” Shopkeeper Zhu agreed without thinking!
“Waiter, take this Luo Niangzi to the kitchen and say hello to the two chefs!”
“Yes!”
Luo Zhi’er picked up the jar and gave Li Sanmao an affirming look to reassure him, then followed the waiter to the kitchen.
Li Sanmao was led by Shopkeeper Zhu to a slightly off-to-the-side small room inside the restaurant, where he set down the bamboo basket and waited.
Luo Zhi’er was led straight through the restaurant passageway, waddling along until she reached the backyard.
Passing through the backyard, she could see people busy inside at a glance, with waiters passing dishes on the path.
She glanced at the dishes—they were indeed staples like pulled noodles, belt noodles, fried noodles, shredded meat noodles, and such.
The back kitchen was also very busy, with only two chefs frying noodles and fried rice flour…
The other helpers included three cutting vegetables and preparing ingredients, and two old women washing dishes in the backyard.
It was July, and with no air conditioning here, the heat inside was imaginable…
They curiously looked at this plump woman blocking the light at the doorway, wondering what she was here for.
She came with the waiter? The two chefs were stir-frying, and they became alert.
They exchanged a glance. This woman’s body was so stout, holding a jar in her arms and carrying a cloth bundle. Could she be here to apply as a kitchen helper?
“Luo Niangzi, these two are Yumian Tower’s two chefs. The slightly fatter one is Chef Xie, and the older one is Chef Li.”
“Hello, Chef Xie. Hello, Chef Li!”
Chef Xie nodded slightly. Chef Li didn’t even turn his head.
“Waiter, this lady is…” Chef Xie asked puzzledly…
“Chef Xie, this is Luo Niangzi. She’s here to sell food. Shopkeeper Zhu let her borrow the kitchenware and ingredients in the kitchen…”
“Oh, like that…”
Chef Xie was stir-frying inside. When he saw her come in, he wiped his hands twice and walked over, pointing to the things nearby.
“Then use whatever you need, Luo Niangzi. This is oil, soy sauce, vinegar, chili powder, chili powder, and other seasonings. The rice flour is in this drawer… Over there are vegetables and meat. This pot next to me is free for now. Use it to stir-fry!”
“If you need anything, come find me!”
“Okay, thank you, Chef Xie!”
This put her at ease. A trace of friendly kindness appeared in Chef Xie’s eyes.
No wonder they were nervous—the restaurant’s business hadn’t been good lately. He was also afraid of new chefs coming to replace them.
In these times, making a living was hard. Good jobs were not easy to find!
Chef Li coldly stir-fried the rice. Seeing her squeeze sideways through the door, he frowned slightly and muttered, “The kitchen is steaming hot and the path is narrow. How can it accommodate someone with such a build to work?”
“Overestimating herself. Who knows what she’s thinking, selling some food? People are busy, and this is just adding chaos?” His attitude was particularly bad, as if he was in a bad mood…
Luo Zhi’er needed to pass behind him. “Sorry… let me pass…” Chef Li impatiently shifted position, taking a while to move aside…
He pulled a long face, as if Luo Zhi’er owed him millions. “People are busy to death, and she comes to add chaos. What a trouble!”
Luo Zhi’er held back and smiled at him. “Sorry, Chef Li, for causing you trouble.”
“Hmph!”
Chef Li didn’t turn his head and continued flipping the rice…
“Luo Niangzi, don’t mind him. Chef Li is just like that—stubborn personality!” Chef Xie said politely…
“No problem.”
Luo Zhi’er went in and put the jar on the cutting board. This restaurant was different—it had all the necessary seasonings, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, chicken, duck, fish, meat, all kinds of vegetables…
She uncovered the lid and scooped three big spoonfuls of the stuff into a small pot to melt over high heat. She ladled about a bowl of rice from the rice pot and stir-fried it.
She forcefully mashed the rice ball so the grains separated, then poured the melted termite mushroom oil over the rice and stirred evenly…
She thought she should add some scallion greens and garlic sprouts, but they were at the entrance area where she came in…
She had to pass behind Chef Li. Naturally, he didn’t move. She asked nicely, but Chef Li muttered a few curses.
Luo Zhi’er felt that making a living was full of obstacles everywhere. In this restaurant, except for this Chef Li, the others were okay. She hoped her thing could help them—it was a win-win!
No time to think too much. She picked some, washed them clean, and squeezed past behind him again…
Her thing didn’t look great, but the kitchen instantly filled with a special aroma wafting everywhere. A flash appeared in Chef Li’s eyes…
To keep the rice from cooling, she planned to have the waiter send it to Shopkeeper Zhu first to taste, then she would make the next dish.
Just as she finished mixing the rice, Chef Li scolded her. “If you’re done, get out. It’s too crowded here. Don’t add more chaos. Waiter, take her out quickly!”
The waiter was holding the mixed rice, caught in a dilemma…
“But… Shopkeeper Zhu said…”
“Hasn’t she finished? The kitchen still needs to make things for customers! Who has time to play around with her?”
Luo Zhi’er coldly glanced at him, a look of contempt. Unable to tolerate anymore, no need to hold back. When necessary, she had to be forceful. Some people, if you give them a step, they’ll think you’re easy to bully!
Her fat hand casually grabbed the cleaver, spun it in her hand, and with a “thud,” she chopped down on the pork on the cutting board…
With swift hand and blade, she didn’t even realize how deftly she did it. She picked up the meat chunks and chopped them into shreds with thud thud thud—her movements lightning fast, completely ignoring him.
Especially since she was stout, chopping meat with a cold face like chopping a corpse—that momentum truly shocked Chef Li. This fat body wasn’t wasted…
“You… you… You’re dissatisfied with me? How dare you…”
“You do your thing, I’ll do mine. I haven’t eaten your family’s rice. This is what Shopkeeper Zhu instructed me to do. You’re not cooperating and deliberately suppressing me—what’s your motive?”
“If you haven’t dealt with me before, you might not know—I’m Luo Zhi’er, no pushover!”
One chop, and she split the trimmed pork bone in two…
Chef Li’s face turned pale then green. At his age, to be threatened like this.
He thought she was some countryside woman who hadn’t seen the world, who would give up disheartened with a little pressure! He didn’t expect her to be so stubborn and even dare to despise him…
Still the type not afraid of boiling water even if dead pig-like—her heart’s endurance like forged iron. Back then, any apprentice he trained would fear him as soon as his face darkened…
Could it be that he was getting old?
Luo Zhi’er put oil in the pot, grabbed some chili peppers from the ground, stir-fried them a few times, then added the chili-fried meat to the termite mushroom oil—the flavor immediately changed.
Once this was done and plated, she added water, got some noodles to boil, made a dry-mixed termite mushroom oil noodle dish, and sent it out…
While she worked on the side, the two chefs had different expressions…
Actually, they could see it clearly now—this dish was like a seasoning. The staple was simple; the key was using the stuff from that jar for flavoring!
They didn’t know what that was made of. Soon, Chef Li and Chef Xie were summoned upstairs by Shopkeeper Zhu…
Luo Zhi’er looked at the shredded bamboo shoots she brought, then at the kitchen ingredients, and suddenly got an idea. She started making the next dish.
She cut shredded meat, got peanuts, cut the shredded bamboo shoots shorter, shredded wood ear mushroom, diced radish, sugar, salt, soy sauce, sesame… and so on.
Soon the kitchen and backyard were filled with aroma. A plate of fragrant fish-flavored shredded pork rice bowl came out…
She conveniently took three small bowls for the waiter to bring up. After the waiter sent them to the second floor, Luo Zhi’er washed her hands and face, then sat on the stone bricks in the backyard to rest…
The kitchen was steaming hot—it was really too much for her.
She fanned herself, looked toward the second-floor back window, a trace of worry in her eyes. Chef Li had gone up too.
If this restaurant failed, her hope of selling the termite mushroom oil today would be slim…
Could she come to town again next time? How long would she have to wait? Ancient times were hard to mix in, but she wouldn’t give up. The old woman washing dishes nearby saw a flash of worry in her eyes.
From her attire, she knew she was a countryside woman, probably not living well. “This lady, you’re here to sell food too?”
“Yes! Granny!”
“Hehe, that food you made earlier smelled so fragrant. I was drooling just from the smell. Shopkeeper Zhu is sure to like it.”
This granny was warm-hearted. Luo Zhi’er knew she was encouraging her. “Thank you, Granny. But Chef Li probably doesn’t think so…”
“Is that so? Chef Li has worked here for many years and has seniority. Normally he shouldn’t be like that. Your dish smells so special and fresh—if it were me, I’d definitely buy this recipe.”
“Hehe, then I’ll borrow your auspicious words!”
