Duan Yuyan was momentarily stunned when she saw Zhou Yan carrying two dishes out of the kitchen.
She was 1.68 meters tall and usually loved wearing high heels. However, after arriving in Jiazhou, she noticed that the young men here were generally not very tall, so she consciously changed into low-heeled boots.
But this young chef was at least 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist—his physique was even better than that of a TVB star.
Looking up at his face, he had a neat buzz cut, sharp features, and deep-set eyes that seemed to look at dogs with affection. He was looking at her now, and after a brief glance, he gave her a polite smile.
He was indeed quite handsome.
Duan Yuyan is a worldly person, a regular in the front row of Hong Kong Coliseum concerts, and often accompanies her aunt, who is an investor, to visit film sets, so she wasn't prone to infatuation.
But seeing such a young and handsome chef in this small town restaurant was somewhat surprising.
She would find it more reasonable if he was to be grilling steak at a high-end Western restaurant in Central.
But!
Could he have some kind of relationship with her grandmother?
Grandma's long-lost grandson? Her half-brother? Or her first love's grandson?
Duan Yuyan's mind raced, trying to find the answer in Zhou Yan's face.
Damn it!
He's so handsome, he must have inherited Grandma's beauty!
Why did Grandma ask me to find Zhang Ji Braised Food?
To reunite us siblings?
I...wouldn't mind having another handsome distant cousin.
But could my Dad handle it?
And...would he fight me for the inheritance later?
In just a few seconds, Duan Yuyan's mind had already conjured up a whole drama of family feuds.
The content even includes cliched plots like my half-brother falling in love with me and me beating his head off.
Oh! What a terrible guy!
No, no...
Stop overthinking!
Don't overthink it, he hasn't even said a word yet.
As a detective novel enthusiast, she sometimes felt helpless against her own brilliant mind.
To express her apology, she returned Zhou Yan's subtle smile.
Equally stunned was Grandpa Wang Ran, who had extended the invitation. He stared at Duan Yuyan, his mouth slightly agape, his eyes filled with undisguised surprise, his hands trembling slightly at his sides.
How could…she look so much like her?
Long-buried memories, like a pond suddenly stirred up, now surge with turbulent waves.
Yan Fei glanced at Grandpa Wang, his gaze warily fixed on Zhou Yan.
Before leaving Jiazhou, his boss's first priority was protecting Miss Duan and the old lady, and the second was preventing Miss Duan from being targeted by malicious individuals.
Yan Fei earns 800 yuan a month, which is equivalent to the salary of his brother who retired with him for a year and a half. He cherishes this job very much.
The boss said that when Miss Qiu returned to Hong Kong unharmed, he would receive a bonus. He and his wife have already found a house they like in Rongcheng, and they're just waiting for his bonus to come in before they buy it.
In the past few days alone, more than a dozen scoundrel have been chased away from the vicinity of the Qiu family's old house. Even a scoundrel who glances at her will get slapped twice.
His eyes are only filled with the desire for the prize money.
So, when Zhou Yan smiled at Miss Duan, he had already set his sights on him.
However, Zhou Yan's level was far superior to the scoundrel on the street, he was tall and handsome.
The kind of handsome that all men acknowledge must be ruggedly handsome.
Let's observe him further.
Upon hearing Grandpa Wang's words, Zhou Yan smiled and said to the Hong Kong style young lady, "Comrade, you can consider what Grandpa Wang said. Of course, sharing a table at noon and dinner is entirely voluntary; first come, first served."
Carrying a Gucci bag, wearing a Cartier watch, and accompanied by bodyguards, the first person Zhou Yan thought of was that Hong Kong businessman's daughter from the Qiu family's old house on Dong Da Street.
What a coincidence! He hadn't even gone looking for her, and she'd already come to him.
If he didn't seize this opportunity, where would he find connections next time?
Wouldn't he panic upon meeting this rich young lady?
Not at all!
As a food blogger known for his good looks, he has had many encounters with wealthy young ladies and socialites after becoming famous.
Of course, most of his experience was limited to online interactions on WeChat, he had relatively little experience in face to face interactions.
But luckily, he was thick-skinned and not afraid at all.
He'd start by calling her "comrade" establishing his image as a simple, honest young man.
"Comrade?" Duan Yuyan was a little surprised. She had only been called that once in Rongcheng when she met a leader with her father. The leader was an old leader in his fifties.
Others usually called her Miss Duan or Young Lady Duan, some older women called her "good girl" and others called her "little sister."
Hearing Zhou Yan call her "comrade" did feel a bit strange.
She even started to feel guilty.
How could she be so stubborn and stigmatize this "comrade" like that!
Duan Yuyan glanced at the empty table, which faced the kitchen door. Sitting there, she could probably see inside the kitchen, specifically the chefs cooking.
She wanted to observe Zhou Yan more closely.
She glanced at the old man again.
The old man was tall and thin, with a straight back, wearing black-rimmed glasses. His face was covered with fine lines, and his white hair was neatly parted in a 2/8 ratio, suggesting he must have been quite handsome in his youth.
He wore a faded indigo-blue Zhongshan suit, with several patches on the elbows and trousers, and cloth shoes with thick soles. He didn't look shabby; rather, he looked clean and neat, exuding a scholarly air.
Duan Yuyan subconsciously straightened up a bit. She saw a resemblance to Professor Luo from their Chinese Department in this old man, and her eyes naturally showed more respect.
"If you don't mind, that would be a great honor." Duan Yuyan said with a smile.
She had never actually shared a table with a stranger before, but this old man seemed quite amiable, and since he had arrived first and was willing to share, she nodded.
"It's nothing." Grandpa Wang had regained his composure, nodded, and turned to walk towards the table.
"Mom, take the customers' orders." Zhou Yan called out, then went back to the kitchen to busy himself.
Lunch time was the peak period, he needed to get the workers lunch as quickly as possible and give them enough time for a lunch break.
As for why this capitalist's daughter was in his restaurant, Zhou Yan was genuinely curious.
The most likely explanation was that she was visiting Suji and, seeing how popular the restaurant was, had come in out of curiosity.
Anyway, he had to find a way to create some connection with her and find the key to that old house.
Grandpa Wang sat down on the inside.
Duan Yuyan quickly walked over and sat down to Grandpa Wang's right. From this spot, she could see a large area of the kitchen by slightly turning her head, including Zhou Yan cooking in front the stove and the drowsy little girl sitting on a small stool next to the stove.
Huh?
The little girl was rather cute.
But that didn't matter; her gaze was mainly focused on Zhou Yan.
From behind, he wore a white cotton shirt tucked into black trousers, with a belt around his waist that accentuated his slim waist and long legs. He held a spatula in his hand, constantly stirring the food. His shoulders were quite broad, and his rolled-up sleeves revealed a section of his forearm, which was full of well-defined muscles. His fingers were also quite beautiful, long and straight.
Duan Yuyan's throat bobbed.
Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she quickly looked away.
Damn it!
Why are you drooling?!
Yes!
It must be because it smells so good.
It smells so good, it's the smell of meat!
Her gaze shifted to the left, landing on the twice-cooked pork that had just been served at the next table.
Twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, curled slices of pork, green and white garlic sprouts and leaves, glistening with oil—how could it smell so good?
"The menu is on the wall, see what you'd like to order." Zhao Tieying said with a smile as she walked over.
"I'd like a serving of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, and a bowl of rice." Grandpa Wang said.
"Okay." Zhao Tieying quickly wrote on the paper.
Duan Yuyan didn't rush to order. She glanced at the menu first, then her gaze swept over the tables next to her. She asked, "Auntie, what kind of soup did they order?"
"Oh, that's cross-legged beef." Aunt Zhao replied with a smile.
Duan Yuyan frowned slightly, glanced at the menu, and suddenly understood. She happily said, "Then I'll have a serving of cross-legged beef too!"
The beef soup looked good, clear in color. She hadn't had a good soup in a long time.
"Also, I'll have a serving of braised pork ribs, a serving of double peppers minced beef, a serving of cold chicken dish, and a serving of braised pig's head meat." Duan Yuyan quickly ordered, looking at the menu.
After finishing writing, Aunt Zhao looked at Duan Yuyan and said, "Good girl, there's a lot of food for the two of you."
"It's alright, Brother Yan has a big appetite, he can finish it." Duan Yuyan smiled sweetly.
"Mm." Yan Fei nodded. What could he do? The young lady was treating him to meal, whatever she ordered, he could eat as much as she wanted.
"Okay." Aunt Zhao replied, tearing off a piece of the ordered paper and handing it to the kitchen.
Duan Yuyan rested her chin on her hand, pretending to think, but her eyes were fixed on Zhou Yan in the kitchen.
He was so busy, managing two large woks by himself, stir-frying twice-cooked pork on the left and spicy stir-fried pork liver on the right, while also serving braised pork ribs and beef with dried bamboo shoots in between.
He was the only one in the kitchen, and he was responsible for preparing all the food for the nearly sixty or seventy customers in the restaurant.
Despite being busy, he worked with remarkable efficiency.
Dish after dish was brought out of the kitchen and served to the guests.
Whether the food was good or not was evident from the guests' expressions.
Almost every guest wore a satisfied smile.
Such hearty smiles from the delicious food were something she had never seen in the upscale restaurants of Central, Hong Kong, everyone there wore a cautious, forced smile.
She stayed in Jiazhou for more than half a year and didn't feel bored. Besides being able to eat all kinds of strange and wonderful food everyday, seeing the pure and beautiful smiles on most people's faces when she went out was probably a very important reason.
Such smiles can only be seen on the faces of children in Hong Kong's streets shrouded by skyscrapers.
Life had slowed down, money was harder to spend, but her spirit was rich and relaxed.
She had read more books in the past six months than she had in her four years of university.
He looked so young, yet he seemed like a very skilled chef.
This surprised her somewhat.
She had assumed there was an older chef in the kitchen, and he was just an assistant.
"Hello, my name is Wang Ran, and I work as a librarian in Suji Town." Grandpa Wang said with a smile to Duan Yuyan.
Duan Yuyan quickly replied, "Hello, my name is Duan Yuyan, and currently… unemployed."
So he's a librarian!
A common alias chosen by powerful figures!
The most famous is undoubtedly the librarian at Peking University.
Professor Luo highly praises his literary and military expertise.
Duan Yuyan's attitude became even more respectful. As a graduate of the Chinese Department at the University of Hong Kong, she already felt a subtle pressure.
Don't worry, she definitely won't reveal her profession!
"Duan..." Grandpa Wang's hand trembled again.
"Duan Yuyan." Duan Yuyan continued.
"A good name." Grandpa Wang nodded with a smile. "Judging from your accent, you've returned from Hong Kong?"
Duan Yuyan looked at the grandpa with some curiosity: "Yes, your Mandarin is quite good, and you can even tell my accent. Have you been to Hong Kong or Guangdong before?"
Unlike others, this grandpa spoke to her in Mandarin, with a light Sichuan accent, which she could easily understand.
A hint of reminiscence appeared in Grandpa Wang's eyes, and he nodded slightly. "I went there, but it was in the 1940s, when I was fighting the Japanese."
Duan Yuyan felt a surge of respect, mixed with surprise. This old man looked scholarly, he didn't seem like a veteran who had fought the Japanese.
"Back to visit relatives?" Grandpa Wang asked casually, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist.
"Yes, I..." Duan Yuyan nodded, about to continue.
"Miss Duan, please have some soup first." Just then, the cross-legged beef arrived, and Yan Fei immediately interrupted her, picking up a bowl and ladling her a small bowl of soup.
"Okay." Duan Yuyan nodded, quietly drinking her soup.
Her father had told her not to blurt things out in public, especially to strangers.
This old man gave her a sense of respect, so she subconsciously said a few more words, but upon reflection, she felt he seemed a bit deliberate.
Yan Fei nodded slightly to Grandpa Wang, showing respect for the veteran of the War of Resistance, but also clearly indicating the need for distance.
Hong Kong businessmen of this era were always a target, and this old man's question made him wary.
Grandpa Wang smiled but didn't ask any further questions.
Duan Yuyan took two sips of soup, her eyes immediately lighting up. She blew on the hot soup, then took two more sips.
This beef soup is so delicious!
The broth was exceptionally clear, with only a slight sheen of oil on the surface. It wasn't greasy at all, and there was no gamey smell.
She looked at the bowl, picked up a slice of beef, and without dipping it in chili powder, put it directly into her mouth.
The beef was incredibly tender, giving her a feeling similar to eating Chaoshan beef hot pot.
The cooking time was perfect, it was exceptionally tender, bursting with juice when chewed, even more flavorful than Chaoshan beef broth.
One slice after another, all six thin slices of sirloin went into her stomach.
She felt a lingering desire after finishing.
Duan Yuyan rummaged through the bowl: tripe, beef intestines, and beef tendon.
She tried a piece of tripe, a very distinctive ingredient in Sichuan hot pot. Even though she didn't like offal, she found it hard to resist its crisp texture.
Crispy, crunchy, crunchy!
It was crunchy yet incredibly tender, melting in her mouth.
It was just lacking in flavor.
She picked up another piece of tripe, dipped it lightly in the chili powder, coated it with a little chili powder, and then put it in her mouth.
"Mmm! So fragrant!"
It changed! Completely changed!
The tripe, which had originally tasted ordinary, seemed to have been given a finishing touch, instantly becoming delicious.
The chili powder looked fiery red, but the spiciness wasn't overpowering.
It was primarily fragrant, with spiciness as a secondary flavor, making it quite enjoyable even for someone like her who prefers milder spice.
After finishing the tripe, she tried a piece of beef tendon, which was soft and chewy.
Hmm…it wasn't her preferred taste.
As for the beef intestines, after a moment's thought, she refused to try them.
Duan Yuyan's gaze returned to the menu, a thoughtful expression on her face: "Sixty cents for six slices of beef, six slices of tripe, five cents per slice—cheaper than hot pot!"
"Auntie, we'd like two more bowls of cross-legged beef." Duan Yuyan raised her hand to signal, then pushed the earthenware bowl in front of Yan Fei and said with a smile, "Brother Yan, this is yours."
Yan Fei: "Huh?"
(_)
You know how to eat.