sinovels Chapter 65 Labor-Capital Shu Road 3
Chapter 65 Labor-Capital Shu Road 3
Chapter 65 Labor-Capital Shu Road III
Watching Zhang Dashan's departing figure, Su Weiwei rested her chin on her hand and said with a smile, "Senior, it seems your 'big pig's trotter' is about to conquer another picky stomach."
Wang Sheng, while clearing away the dishes, smiled and said, "I hope so."
Time flew by and it was Wednesday morning next week.
Jinling South Railway Station, Exit.
Amidst the bustling crowd, a tall, capable young woman emerged, pulling a small carry-on suitcase. She wore a well-tailored beige suit skirt over a light blue silk blouse, paired with nude pointed-toe stilettos. Her makeup was exquisite, and her long chestnut hair was meticulously styled. Her eyes conveyed the sharpness characteristic of a career woman, along with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.
It was Zhang Dashan's older sister, Zhang Ya.
"Sis! Over here!" Zhang Dashan's signature loud voice stood out among the crowd waiting to greet people at the station. He waved his thick arms, grinned, and squeezed through the crowd.
"Hill."
When Zhang Ya saw her younger brother, a gentle smile appeared on her face. Then her gaze fell on his empty hands. She raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a hint of playful reproach, "Tsk, you only have one carry-on suitcase (the larger items were all mailed). How dare you come to pick me up empty-handed?"
Not even a bottle of water? You're such a heartless and unloving younger brother! Did you run out of living expenses?
Or...did you get a girlfriend at school? You've spent all your money on romance and forgotten about your older sister?" She looked at her brother half-jokingly and half-seriously.
"Hey sis! What are you thinking!" Zhang Dashan snatched the carry-on suitcase from Zhang Ya's hand and chuckled, "I'm taking you to eat something delicious! I guarantee you'll forget all about CDs! It's better than buying you ten bottles of water!"
"Is it delicious?"
Zhang Ya was amused by her brother's exaggerated expression, but then she wondered, "We just got off the high-speed train, and instead of taking me to a hotel to settle in or to look around near the company, you're taking me straight to eat? Where? Jinling Grand Hotel? Or some popular private restaurant?" She guessed, thinking that her brother was going to spend a lot of money.
Zhang Dashan shook his head mysteriously: "None of that! Just come with me! I guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised! It's an absolutely top-notch delicacy you've never tasted before!"
He pulled his sister along and headed towards the subway station.
Zhang Ya was being dragged along by her younger brother. Looking around at the surroundings, she felt uneasy.
Subway? This route—
Why does it feel like it's getting more and more like a university town? Are the best restaurants in this kind of place?
Twenty minutes later, standing at the somewhat worn-out entrance of "Jinling University's First Canteen," Zhang Ya was completely dumbfounded.
She looked at the students carrying backpacks coming and going, then looked down at her expensive business suit and high heels, and then looked up at the cafeteria's simple, even a little greasy, signboard. She almost lost control of her expression.
"—Zhang Xiaoshan!"
Zhang Ya took a deep breath, trying to maintain her elegance, but her tone already carried disbelief and a hint of anger at being tricked. "You rushed me all the way from the station, without even giving me a sip of water—just to bring me to the university cafeteria?!"
She pointed at the cafeteria entrance, her voice rising slightly, "This is the 'top-notch cuisine' you were talking about? A welcome-back feast for me? You—have you really run out of living expenses or are you possessed? What good food can you possibly have here? Boiled shredded vegetables? Boiled cabbage?"
She simply couldn't associate "top-notch deliciousness" with the university cafeteria; her impression was still stuck in the greasy, salty memories of her student days.
She was already counting to three!
Let Zhang Dashan rethink it!
"Oh, sis! Please trust me just this once!"
Zhang Dashan stamped his foot in frustration. He knew all too well how picky his older sister was about food. "It's not the communal cooking! It's the food at window number 07 that I told you about! Boss Wang! His food is absolutely amazing! Even better than the old-established restaurants in Chengdu! He specially made his signature pig's trotters for you today! Go in and try it, you'll see! If you don't like it, I'll give you my entire month's living expenses!"
Seeing her younger brother's confident yet flustered expression, Zhang Ya was skeptical.
Although her younger brother is sometimes unreliable, he has become very picky about food since he was little, thanks to her influence. For him to praise it so highly—could there really be some kind of hidden master in this cafeteria?
"Fine—fine." Zhang Ya rolled her eyes at her younger brother, feeling a mix of "I'll see what kind of trouble you can cause" and "I'll just treat this as an experience," before being half-pushed and half-pulled into the cafeteria by Zhang Dashan.
Second floor of the cafeteria, in front of window number 07.
Zhang Ya's high heels clicked on the slightly oily floor tiles, causing her to frown slightly.
Until Zhang Dashan pulled her to the side of the line, she saw the entire view of window number 07—a completely different Japanese-style minimalist open kitchen from the others, impeccably clean and tidy. Behind the counter was a woman wearing an apron, moving nimbly...
The handsome young chef (Wang Sheng) and the beautiful girl (Su Weiwei) next to him who was packing food quickly and didn't look like a cafeteria worker, eased her initial resistance.
"Boss Wang! Sister, this is Boss Wang!" Zhang Dashan excitedly introduced, "Boss Wang, this is my sister Zhang Ya! I brought her here especially to try your pig's trotters!"
Wang Sheng looked up, saw Zhang Ya, and nodded politely: "Hello, welcome. The pig's trotters are ready. Please come inside and have a seat. It's quieter in the backyard." He gestured for Su Weiwei to lead them to a small table in the backyard.
Zhang Ya sized up Wang Sheng, then looked at the bright and clean operating room, and her suspicions lessened a bit.
At least—the hygiene conditions and the chefs' demeanor far exceeded her expectations of a university cafeteria.
Upon arriving at the small kitchen in the backyard, two bowls of pig's trotter soup were already laid out on the old square table. The rich, milky-white broth was filled with large, tender, and tempting pig's trotters, accompanied by a bright red dipping sauce and two bowls of rice.
The aroma irresistibly entered Zhang Ya's nasal cavity.
It was a kind of overpowering meaty aroma that she had never smelled in the cafeteria or even in some mid-range restaurants—an aroma that was extremely rich, savory, and had a gelatinous, sticky feel! It seemed even purer, richer, and more enticing than the aroma of the old-brand pig's trotters from CD in her memory.
Her stomach, quite uncooperatively, rumbled. Having not eaten anything on the high-speed train, the aroma was a perfect, targeted attack.
"Sister, sit down! While it's hot!" Zhang Dashan pulled out a chair and stuffed chopsticks into his sister's hand.
Zhang Ya composed herself, trying her best to maintain the demeanor of a professional. She first picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of soup.
The broth was so thick it was almost like rice milk, and it was snow-white and flawless. She gently blew on it and carefully put it into her mouth.
boom-!
Warm, mellow, and incredibly fresh! The rich aroma of meat is complemented by a hint of sweet, soft, and slightly chewy kidney beans, completely free of greasiness, leaving only a mouthful of richness and satisfaction! This soup—is purer and more delicious than any broth she has ever tasted! Is this really made in the cafeteria?
She put down her spoon, her eyes changing. She picked up her chopsticks and reached for the enormous pork hock. The moment the chopsticks touched the skin, the amazingly soft and tender texture made her fingers pause slightly. With a gentle pinch, a large piece of meat, tendon, and collagen attached to the skin separated easily. She imitated her brother's earlier actions, rolling it in the bright red, tempting dipping sauce, which exuded a complex and spicy aroma, before putting it in her mouth.
next moment!
The tip of your tongue is ignited first!
Spicy, pungent, salty, slightly sour, and with a unique fermented sour aroma and smoky texture—the complex impact of the dipping sauce explodes in your mouth like fireworks! Then, with a gentle bite, the incredibly soft and tender pork skin, the chewy tendons, the melt-in-your-mouth collagen, and the tender lean meat melt effortlessly, releasing an explosively rich meaty aroma and a satisfyingly mellow collagen sensation! This soft, succulent texture combined with the vibrant, unrestrained dipping sauce creates a perfect harmony in her mouth!
"Mmm—" An uncontrollable moan, filled with utter satisfaction, escaped Zhang Ya's throat. She even forgot to chew, simply holding that mouthful of pig's trotter in her mouth, savoring the unparalleled flavor feast unfolding layer by layer in her oral cavity! The texture! The taste! The layers! The balance!
She suddenly looked at her younger brother, her eyes filled with shock and an accusation of "Why didn't you say so sooner!"
Zhang Dashan proudly raised his chin and mouthed, "I didn't lie to you, did I?" Then he buried his head and continued to eat voraciously.
Zhang Ya no longer hesitated, and no longer cared about her elegant demeanor (although her movements were still much more refined than her brother's). She ate a bite of pig's trotter, a mouthful of dipping sauce, and a spoonful of rice soaked in broth—she ate faster and faster, her cheeks slightly flushed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose. It seemed that even her expensive suit could not restrain her enthusiasm for food.
Every bite is amazing, every bite is pure enjoyment! This pig's trotter soup—perfect! Absolutely perfect!
From the selection of ingredients to the cooking time to the seasoning, it's impeccable! She even felt that all the so-called "old brands" she had eaten at in CDs paled in comparison to this bowl of pig's trotters!
When she finally put down her empty bowl (she had finished all the soup) and wiped the little bit of red oil that had accidentally gotten on her lips with a tissue, the aloofness of a career woman on her face had long since disappeared, replaced by the joy and amazement of having eaten to her heart's content.
"It's so delicious!" Zhang Ya exclaimed sincerely.