"Grandpa's favorite is braised pig's head meat?" Duan Yuyan asked thoughtfully, looking at the old lady. "Then Grandma, your favorite is braised beef?"
Old Mrs. Qiu looked out the window in silence for a moment, then smiled meaningfully and said, "Perhaps."
Duan Yuyan quietly observed the old lady's profile, thinking: At this moment, she must be reminiscing about the past, right?
But my grandma is so beautiful, even at seventy, she's still a beauty.
Grandpa is so lucky.
The dishes they ordered arrived one after another.
Duan Yuyan quite enjoyed eating at Feiyan Restaurant; the food was good, the presentation was exquisite, and the environment was pleasant, making for a comfortable dining experience.
As the dishes arrived today, her eyes were fixed on the braised pig's head meat.
The braised pig's head meat, sliced to the thickness of a copper coin, was a bright red color. Soaked in the braising liquid, it shimmered like amber, piled high in the center of the plate, looking quite beautiful and tempting.
"This braised pig's head meat is presented quite exquisitely. It looks a bit different from the braised pig's head meat I've seen before." Duan Yuyan said with some surprise.
"The meat looks about the same, but the cold dish chef's knife skills and plating are much better than the previous one." Old Mrs. Qiu said with a smile, picking up a piece of pig's head meat with her chopsticks, carefully examining its texture and color, then slowly chewing it.
Duan Yuyan hesitated for a moment, then also picked up a piece of braised pig's head meat with her chopsticks, turning it over and over to examine it for a while, mentally preparing herself.
Before coming to Sichuan, she would never have eaten these things—pig's head, pig's ears, pig's tail…in her eyes, they were all terrible foods.
In Hong Kong, she ate mostly Western food.
Her father loved Sichuan cuisine, and they even hired a Sichuan chef. That chef had a very strong palate—he was extremely spicy and numbing, even adding Sichuan peppercorns to stir-fried vegetables. The peppercorns hidden in the leafy greens were like assassins; they made her cry several times when she was little.
So, she usually opted for steak or milder Cantonese dishes.
She doesn't like fatty meat, and when she eats twice-cooked pork, she only eats a little bit of lean meat. However, this way of eating doesn't look very good, so she doesn't even touch it when she's eating out.
Pig's head meat is a typical example of half-fat and half-lean meat.
However, this piece of braised pig's head meat, after being soaked in the braising liquid, had its originally greasy fat turn amber, making it look less greasy.
As she brought it closer, she could smell a faint aroma of braised meat, which was... somewhat tempting.
"Just one piece! Let's see what Grandpa's favorite braised pig's head meat tastes like." Duan Yuyan said to herself, putting the piece of braised pig's head meat into her mouth.
It wasn't greasy at all, as she'd imagined. Biting into it revealed a soft, chewy texture, and after a few chews, her mouth was filled with a rich, savory meaty flavor—oily but not greasy, with a strong braised aroma!
Hmm?
This is actually quite delicious!
After swallowing, the lingering fragrance made her want to pick up another piece and put it in her mouth.
When she and her father first arrived in Rongcheng at the beginning of the year, the local staff took them to eat braised beef at a supposedly very famous local braised food shop. It was indeed very popular, and the taste was good.
But the braising liquid at that shop wasn't nearly as good as this; it wasn't as fragrant, and it was a bit too salty.
"Grandma…" Duan Yuyan, who had eaten three pieces, looked up at Old Mrs. Qiu, ready to express her opinion, when she saw a tear roll down her cheek. She paused, then whispered, "Grandma, are you alright?"
The old lady gently wiped her eyes, smiling as she shook her head. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about some things. It's been over twenty years. I never thought I'd taste this again."
"More than twenty years?" Duan Yuyan gasped. "I wasn't even born then."
The old lady put down her chopsticks and said softly, "Don't even mention you. Your father was only in his early twenties back then. Before he went to Hong Kong, your grandfather packed him, your eldest uncle, and your youngest aunt a serving of braised pig's head meat and a bag of steamed buns, and they boarded a train heading south."
Upon hearing this, Duan Yuyan asked in confusion, "Grandma, why didn't you and Grandpa escape together? You stayed behind and suffered so much."
The old lady smiled, her tone calm. "This was originally our home. Why would we escape? Your grandfather loved this land deeply. He said the knowledge he gained abroad was for the development and construction of our motherland. Since he chose to come back, he wouldn't leave again."
"But my dad said that it was Grandpa who made them leave, and he even sewed several patches into their clothes." Duan Yuyan said, puzzled.
"Staying here was your grandfather's and my choice. Letting the children go was the better choice for them at the time." Old Mrs. Qiu said with a smile. "Your grandfather is a stubborn man, he can endure hardship himself, but he can't bear to see his children suffer."
"Then he could bear to see you suffer?" Duan Yuyan asked with a hint of resentment. "You suffered a lot staying with him."
"He had arranged the tickets and everything back then, so that I could go with the children." The old lady shook her head, her smile softening slightly: "Staying here was also my choice."
Duan Yuyan stared blankly, as if she understood something.
One chose to stay and contribute to the country, the other chose to stay and be with him.
"Grandma, come with me to Hong Kong. Dad, Uncle, and Aunt have all settled down and started families there. Wouldn't it be nice for the whole family to be together? It's too hard for you to stay here alone." Duan Yuyan said gently, her eyes slightly reddening.
Grandpa has been gone for three years, and the old lady has been living alone in the old house, without any of her children.
They were only able to come back to visit at the beginning of this year. How lonely she must have been for these past three years.
"My dear, why are you crying? I'm living a very comfortable life here." The old lady reached out and touched her face, smiling. "Look, this morning I get up and eat half a basket of paper-wrapped shumai, then have a bowl of Ermei tofu pudding. At noon, I go to Zhou Laosan's next door for a plate of freshly braised beef—it's so tender and delicious."
In the afternoons, when I have nothing to do, I get together with a few old friends to play mahjong, or go to the Minjiang River to enjoy the breeze, drink tea, and chat. In the evenings, we go out for Niu Hua spicy hot pot or hot pot together.
The theater puts on Sichuan opera performances every few days. For just a few cents, I can buy a ticket, drink tea, and watch the performance all afternoon—it's so relaxing. My days are all so well-planned, how can I be suffering?"
Duan Yuyan was taken aback by this. She loved to sleep in, and almost everyday she woke up around lunch time. Sometimes the old lady would cook at home, and sometimes she would take her out to eat.
After eating, she would wander around, such as going to a department store, watching a movie at the cinema, or watching a theatrical performance at the theater.
She never imagined that the old lady's day would be so colorful.
"But you have no relatives here. In Hong Kong, we'll all be there for you." Duan Yuyan said.
The old lady smiled and shook her head: "Your father and uncle are busy with business, flying all over the country. Your mother might not even be able to spend three months with him a year, let alone an old lady like me.
Your aunt married a British man. Although she owns property in Hong Kong, she spends most of the year in England, taking care of two children, so she has even less time to spend with an old lady like me."
Duan Yuyan was speechless for a moment. When she was little, she often wouldn't see her father more than twice a month. Now that his business is more stable, it's a little better, and they can eat together more often.
After thinking for a moment, she added, "They may not have time, but I do! Hong Kong is so much fun! I can take you to Ocean Park to see sharks, to the water park to ride roller coasters, to Central Plaza for shopping, to Causeway Bay..."
The old lady looked at her, her smile gentle: "My dear, you'll have your own life too. I never feel like anyone owes me anything. This is the life I chose, every step of the way, so I can bear all the consequences."
Duan Yuyan nestled her head against the old lady's hand. Her grandmother was so cool, so clear-headed that she couldn't refute her at all.
Even her father, a very strong-willed person, was completely submissive and obedient in front of the old lady.
The meal lasted over an hour.
They only ate about half of the four dishes.
The old lady asked the waiter to pack up the remaining half of the braised pig's head meat.
Huang He personally saw them off at the door, where the pedicab that had brought them earlier was already waiting.
"Dad, who was that pretty girl just now? I've never seen her before." Huang Bing had just returned from Suji and was preparing to practice his knife skills again when he saw Duan Yuyan's profile. He was so impressed by her that he felt like he was seeing a fairy. After the tricycle had driven away, he went up to him and asked in a low voice.
Huang He glared at him and said in a deep voice, "Don't get any ideas. You can fool those brainless girls on the street, as long as you don't kill anyone, I won't bother with you. But Miss Duan, if you dare to have even the slightest ulterior motive, I'll definitely deal with you."
"Dad, I was just asking casually, why are you so fierce?" Huang Bing shrank back and muttered, "Is their family very rich?"
"Hong Kong businessmen, and they have large investments in Rongcheng. Remember, avoid them when you go out." Huang He warned.
"Okay." Huang Bing nodded, watching the tricycle disappear into the distance, and couldn't help but admire, "She's really beautiful."
"Don't you know whose granddaughter she is? Compared to Old Mrs. Qiu back then, she's still a bit lacking." Huang He chuckled.
...
The winter evening breeze was a bit chilly. The old lady tightened her shawl, her gaze fixed on the street lit by scattered lights in the distance, her expression serene.
"Grandma, are you waiting for someone?" Duan Yuyan finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her.
After a long silence, the old lady said softly, "Tomorrow, have Xiao Yan take you to Suji and see if Zhang Ji Braised Food near the stone bridge in Suji has reopened. I want to eat braised beef."
"Okay." Duan Yuyan nodded, her eyes shining.
After half a year, this was the first time her grandmother had asked her to do something! Could the answer lie in Suji?!
A few years ago, the Qiu and Duan family old houses were returned together.
The Qiu family's old house was dilapidated and located in a bustling area, noisy with people coming and going and the constant sounds of boats and ships outside. It was far less desirable than the Duan family's old house, which had more space, a better location, and was better preserved.
When she returned at the beginning of the year, besides spending time with her grandmother, her father also gave her some money to renovate the Duan family's old house. She bought many old items and restored it to an antique style, which her father was quite satisfied with.
However, her grandmother only went to see it for a short while, saying it was well-repaired, but she never stayed there.
Now the Duan family's old house is still empty. They've hired a clan uncle to look after it and take care of cleaning and maintenance.
The Qiu family's old house was really dilapidated. The old lady had rented out two shops, making it crowded and chaotic. Her father wanted to demolish and rebuild it, but the old lady refused.
This worried her father greatly. He could only hire someone to do some simple reinforcement and repairs, but he still felt uneasy about the old lady living there.
That's why he wanted to sell the dilapidated old house of the Qiu family.
The whole family was stubborn, and no one could convince anyone else.
One time, her father came home from drinking with friends and mentioned it to Duan Yuyan, saying that he felt the old lady seemed to be waiting for someone.
So she stayed at the Qiu family's old house, unwilling to leave or demolish it, afraid that the person would return and wouldn't be able to find it.
This situation caused Duan Yuyan to stay in Jiazhou for an extra six months.
Before coming to Jiazhou, her understanding of her grandparents was limited to the discussions they had during holidays when the elders gathered to reminisce about their hometown and parents, she thought she was just a naive, old-fashioned, and stubborn woman from a small western town.
After arriving in Jiazhou, she lived and ate with the old lady everyday, and gradually gained a deeper understanding of this refined and elegant woman.
The old lady came from a scholarly family. She was educated, knew proper etiquette, and was always elegant and dignified in public. Her hair was neatly tied up, and she spoke slowly and deliberately. Her clear eyes seemed to be able to see through other people's thoughts.
She had also studied abroad with her grandfather, seen the world, and was independent-minded and thoughtful. She never lectured, but she wasn't easily persuaded either.
Speaking of her grandfather, her eyes shone with tenderness and pride, still like a devoted wife.
Duan Yuyan had privately asked many neighbors and acquaintances about the couple, and their evaluations were all the same: a model of marital harmony, mutual respect, and deep affection.
All signs pointed to the absence of a third party.
"Suji, Zhang Ji Braised Food, Braised Beef." Duan Yuyan felt like she had obtained a crucial piece of information.
In another month, her friend was getting married, and she would be returning to Hong Kong.
If she can't bring the old lady back, then the task her father gave her will have failed.
Not only did she lose the million yuan bonus, but she also lost her position as the deputy general manager of the branch office.
…
"1323.46 yuan." Zhou Yan wrote down the deposit amount in the ledger, putting stacks of loose change bundled with rubber bands into the box.
The deposits were steadily increasing, but the goal of 10,000 yuan was still far off.
Zhou Yan really liked the house he'd seen on Dong Da Street in Jiazhou a few days ago.
The house that was already rumored to be for sale kept nagging at him, and he was always worried that someone else would snatch it up first.
Without money in his pocket, he always lacked confidence.
Now, he could only hope that Old Mrs. Qiu's knot hadn't been resolved and the house wasn't for sale yet.
As long as it wasn't sold, he had a chance.
Zhou Yan was best at solving people's problems; as long as there was profit to be made, he was full of energy.
"I'll go to Jiazhou again this weekend to check on the other restaurants that Grandma used to work with, and visit the house to learn more about it. I need to do some research and preparation beforehand." Zhou Yan thought to himself, making some plans in advance.
Buying this house involved two steps: first, preparing 10,000 yuan; second, solving the problem for that young lady from Hong Kong and persuading the old lady to move out of the old house.
Not easy, not easy at all!
First, he needed to do the first step: save money!
Putting away his ledger, Zhou Yan picked up the book "Life" from beside his bed and began to study.
Ten minutes later, he covered his face with the book and successfully fell asleep.
...
The next day, nearing noon.
A Toyota Crown with black license plates slowly drove along the old street of Suji, attracting the attention of the Suji residents.
The rear window rolled down, and Duan Yuyan looked around at the houses on the street and the simply dressed, curious townspeople.
This car was left to her by her father for her convenience. His company had investments in Rongcheng and Guangzhou, and foreign-owned vehicles were allowed to display license plates.
The driver, Yan Fei, was thirty years old with a crew cut. He was both the driver and, in fact, the bodyguard.
"Miss Duan, the stone slab bridge of Suji is just ahead." Yan Fei parked the car on an open dam.
"I don't see any Zhang Ji Braised Food stall." Duan Yuyan said, getting out of the car and walking towards the bridge.
Yan Fei turned off the car and followed a few steps behind.
Duan Yuyan circled the bridge and saw several stalls: noodles, rice candy, and a braised food stall, but it was labeled "Li Ji Braised Food."
Duan Yuyan tried asking someone.
However, her Cantonese-accented Mandarin clashed terribly with Jiazhou dialect.
She had a long conversation with the old man selling rice candy, finally paying one yuan for a bag, without understanding anything.
Duan Yuyan returned with a bag of rice candy, looking completely bewildered.
She thought she had completely mastered Jiazhou dialect after more than six months, but she had failed miserably!
She then realized that her grandmother spoke with Sichuan dialect, not authentic Jiazhou dialect.
And usually, the neighbors would deliberately slow down their speech to communicate with her, allowing her to communicate without difficulty.
The old man spoke quickly, and his Jiazhou dialect was so authentic that it made her dizzy and lightheaded.
Yan Fei stood beside her, pursing his lips. In just a few minutes, he recalled all the most painful experiences of his life in his mind before managing to suppress a laugh.
He was professionally trained and rarely laughed.
"Miss Duan, where are we going next?" Yan Fei asked with a smile.
His employer paid a high salary, so he naturally had to maintain a good service attitude.
"Brother Yan, could you ask around for me? I feel like they don't understand me." Duan Yuyan asked directly for help. Yan Fei was a local from Jiazhou.
"Okay." Yan Fei nodded, went around asking around, and returned to Duan Yuyan, saying, "Miss Duan, I asked quite a few neighbors, and they said Zhang Ji Braised Food stall hasn't been open for over twenty years."
"Hasn't been open for over twenty years?" Duan Yuyan was a little disappointed. Had the trail gone cold here?
"But a neighbor just said that the grandson of the owner of Zhang Ji Braised Food opened a restaurant near the entrance of Jiazhou Textile Factory and has inherited Zhang Ji Braised Food. The taste is almost the same as the original Zhang Ji's." Yan Fei continued, "Do you want to go and take a look?"
"Grandson? Of course I want to go check it out!" Duan Yuyan nodded decisively. Since she was already here, may be she could buy some braised beef from that grandson and find out some information along the way.
The car started again, and the children who had been surrounding it scattered.
"A car! How impressive! Is this a rich person from the city? Only someone with ten thousand yuan could afford it!"
"That's a Crown car, it costs several hundred thousand of yuan, and it has a black license plate. Even people with only ten thousand yuan can't afford it, so it must be a foreign businessman. See that young woman? Her accent is exactly like that of Hong Kong and Taiwan stars on TV. She's probably here to find her relatives."
"Fang San is really knowledgeable. People who have been to Guangzhou are different!"
"Isn't that just a capitalist's daughter? Humph!"
The neighbors gossiped.
In an era where motorcycles were considered luxury vehicle and even a 28-inch bicycle was enviable, driving a car was truly beyond the imagination of the small town residents.
Turning from the old street onto the main road leading to the textile factory, the road conditions improved significantly.
Duan Yuyan wanted to keep a low profile, so she had Yan Fei pull over a few hundred meters from the factory gate and walk over.
"Jiazhou Textile Factory is a major foreign exchange earner in Jiazhou…" Yan Fei said to Duan Yuyan as he walked half a step behind.
His role as driver had multiple roles, besides driving and acting as a bodyguard, he also served as a translator and guide.
Of course, with a high salary from his employer, doing extra work was to be expected.
"Look, Zhou Erwa Restaurant is just ahead." Yan Fei pointed out.
At that moment, an elderly man with gray hair rode past them at a leisurely pace on his bicycle, glancing at the Zhou Erwa Restaurant sign with a slight smile.
"Can a small restaurant near the factory gate really make delicious braised food?" Duan Yuyan looked up at the simple, hand-painted sign. A small table stood outside, where an uncle was slicing pig's head meat, with a large pot behind him steaming.
The color of the pig's head meat was almost identical to what she had last night, and the knife in the uncle's hand was so fast it was almost blinding.
Looking into the restaurant again, she saw it was completely packed.
This surprised her a little.
Wanting to gather information from vendors, she decided to buy something from them first—a trick her father had taught her.
"I'm actually hungry, let's have lunch first." Duan Yuyan said to Yan Fei, stepping into the restaurant.
Grandpa Wang parked and locked his bicycle, just stepping into the restaurant as well.
"Old man, eating? How many people?" Zhao Tieying greeted him with a smile.
"Yes, just one person." Grandpa Wang replied with a smile.
"Sure, there's a table over there being cleared away, just a moment." Zhao Tieying nodded with a smile, pointing to the table near the kitchen door at the far end.
Zhao Hong had already cleared the dishes and was wiping the table.
"Sure." Grandpa Wang nodded.
Zhao Tieying then noticed Duan Yuyan entering, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She smiled and asked, "Good girl, you're here for meal too? How many people are coming?"
"Two people." Duan Yuyan replied, holding up two fingers. She spoke the simple, common phrase with ease, as if it was second nature to her.
This auntie looks so kind, always smiling, and she even called her "good girl"!
"Two..." Zhao Tieying looked around, a little embarrassed, and said, "I'm sorry, good girl, you might have to wait a while, there are no empty tables right now."
"Wait for a table?" Duan Yuyan was a little surprised. She hadn't expected such a small restaurant to be so popular. She had eaten at Feiyan Restaurant so many times, but she had never had to wait for a table.
Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen carrying two plates of spicy stir-fried pork liver. Seeing Grandpa Wang, he was pleasantly surprised and said, "Master? What brings you here?"
"Your braised meat is excellent. I came to try your stir-fried dishes today." Grandpa Wang replied with a smile.
"Welcome to offer your guidance." Zhou Yan smiled, serving two plates of spicy stir-fried pork liver to the two tables next to him. "Please have a seat, there's a table that's been cleared out."
While talking to Grandpa Wang, Zhou Yan glanced back and saw a strikingly elegant young woman standing at the restaurant entrance.
Tall and slender, with curly hair, delicate features, and light make up, she exuded a refined air.
She wore a beige turtleneck underneath a high quality black suit jacket, wide-leg jeans, brown low-heeled ankle boots, a black beret, a sparkling Cartier diamond watch on her right hand, and a Gucci bamboo bag with the double G logo prominently displayed.
Wow!
A Hong Kong socialite!
Uncle Wang didn't rush to sit down. Instead, he turned to Duan Yuyan and Yan Fei and smiled, "I think you'll be waiting for a while. If you two don't mind, you can share a table with me. I'm only ordering one dish, so it won't take up much space and won't make a difference."