Chapter 55: All Foodies

Lin Xiangnan was quick when it came to eating, but when it came to work, she lacked enthusiasm.

The restaurant’s lunch service hours were from 11 am to 7:30 pm. Customers arriving before 11 am were not served.

If early birds urged, Lin Xiangnan wouldn’t respond at first. If they persisted, she would coldly reply, “It’s not time yet. Get in line.”

Ye Feiyan’s attitude was more aggressive. “Didn’t you see the sign that says 11 am opening? You came so early and are still urging, aren’t you causing trouble for our comrades?”

Sometimes, she forgot to call someone to pick up their meal, and Ye Feiyan wouldn’t blame them for not hearing.

When it reached 7 pm, she wouldn’t even acknowledge anyone who came. She wouldn’t take orders, as the kitchen was about to be cleaned and they wouldn’t be cooking anymore. It was late and would affect their shift.

This was the standard attitude of the restaurant’s waitresses.

Lin Xiangnan’s indifferent approach was already considered exemplary in the service industry.

Usually, when Lin Xiangnan went shopping, she would complain about the bad service attitude of others, but when it was her turn, she wouldn’t be any better.

Customers could come or not, fewer diners meant less work for them.

Except for Manager Zhao Youliang, who cared about the turnover, the rest of the staff didn’t mind.

During the evening meeting after cleaning up, Zhang Dapang directly stated, “The kitchen is too hot, frying dishes is killing me. Let’s just have two cold dishes tomorrow.”

“But it depends on what vegetables the supply and marketing cooperative has. I don’t have the power to decide.” Zhao Youliang was helpless.

Zhang Dapang shrugged, “I don’t care. If I get sick from the heat, Zhang Yong will have to take over the kitchen.”

Some people were reluctant to take half a day off, while others wished they could work only half a day a month.

Zhang Dapang was the kind of person who loved to eat and was lazy, and didn’t like working. He was a widower, his three daughters were all married, and they all married well, sending him money every month. If he wanted to, he could retire immediately and live with his daughters.

He stayed at the restaurant because, firstly, it was the business he had built in his youth, and he couldn’t bear to part with it. Secondly, the restaurant could get many scarce and ticket-free ingredients. Without the convenience of the restaurant, it would be difficult to buy things even with money.

Zhao Youliang knew what kind of person he was and could only compromise, “Alright, alright, we’ll have more cold dishes tomorrow.”

Hearing this answer, Zhang Dapang nodded in satisfaction, “Then the meeting’s adjourned. Come to my place for braised meat.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone took their lunch boxes or enamel mugs and obediently followed Zhang Dapang to the backyard.

The entire restaurant originally belonged to Zhang Dapang, so he lived in two rooms in the backyard. For privacy, he had built a wall, separating the area he lived in, installed a door, and locked it separately.

As soon as Lin Xiangnan entered, she saw several large jars and many small jars lined up under the corridor outside the kitchen.

Seeing her curiosity, Zhang Yong said, “The first jar is pickled vegetables, the second is soybean paste, the third is salted duck eggs, the fourth is simmered Sichuan pepper oil, the fifth is pickled plum wine…”

As expected of a chef, Zhang Dapang had more ingredients prepared in his own kitchen than the restaurant kitchen.

“What’s on that big winnowing basket? Is Master Zhang growing grass at home?”

“That’s wheat. It’s for making malt sugar.”

Zhang Dapang’s salary was spent every month, and even his daughters’ allowance was used for these delicacies. Seeing Zhang Yong’s familiarity with them, he proudly urged, “You little rascal, stop eyeing my stuff, come in and scoop some braising broth.”

Lin Xiangnan sniffed, unable to resist the temptation of the braised meat, and didn’t dare to linger. She dashed into the kitchen in three steps and got her share of the meat.

Ye Feiyan and Zhao Youliang each got half a catty of braised meat and a bowl of braising broth. Lin Xiangnan took a pound of meat and a few chicken feet. She also wanted a pig’s ear, but Zhang Dapang refused, as he wanted to keep it for himself to drink with.

Today’s restaurant dish was cold chicken, and Zhang Dapang had bought all the chicken feet.

The braised chicken feet smelled incredibly fragrant, and Lin Xiangnan covered her lunch box with one hand and gnawed on a chicken foot with the other.

With one bite, Lin Xiangnan was amazed. The aroma was rich, the flavor was fresh and fragrant, and she hadn’t tasted such authentic braised food in a long time.

“Delicious!” Lin Xiangnan gave Zhang Dapang a thumbs up.

“Of course, our Master Zhang’s cooking is unparalleled.” Ye Feiyan said regretfully, “We give all our monthly meat tickets to Master Zhang! We haven’t saved any.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dapang proudly raised his chin.

He didn’t make any money from sharing this braised meat. Ye Feiyan and the others paid whatever the meat cost, and Zhang Dapang still had to pay for the braising ingredients.

But he enjoyed doing this.

He had been frying those dishes at the restaurant for decades, and they held no interest for him.

His three daughters had good jobs and hadn’t learned much about cooking, so he didn’t hold back when teaching Zhang Yong, hoping that he could quickly learn and fry more dishes so that he could relax a little.

Zhang Yong was strapped for cash and didn’t take any meat, only a bowl of braising broth, but Zhang Dapang still gave him a chicken foot, “Try it yourself. Tell me what braising ingredients you used tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Just as Zhang Yong was feeling touched, Lin Xiangnan spoiled the mood, “Uncle Zhang, can you give me some more braising broth? I want to braise more things.”

Lin Xiangnan weighed her cooking skills and curiously asked, “Uncle Zhang, can you braise beef shank and pig trotters together? How long should you braise them? Should you add salt when braising?”

Zhang Dapang’s eyes lit up, “You want to braise beef shank?”

“No, I was just asking.” Lin Xiangnan only wanted to eat it herself, at most share it with her family, and didn’t want to show off.

Zhang Dapang nodded, didn’t ask further, and only said, “If you need it, I’ll make you a new package of ingredients. But you have to pay for it, you can’t get it for free.”

“Okay.” Lin Xiangnan agreed readily. She was truly tired of the dishes made by the food processor. They were delicious, but the flavor never changed, and she had long grown tired of them.

Zhang Dapang slowly went to get the dried tangerine peel and star anise from the cabinet. After Ye Feiyan and the others left, he pretended to casually ask, “How many pounds of meat are you going to braise? I’ll make you a package of ingredients.”

Lin Xiangnan was startled. Her first reaction was that this fat man was trying to pry information from her, but after realizing it, she thought, this is a great chef, after all. If she wanted to eat something good, she had to ask this master chef for advice.

“Five pounds of beef shank, four pig trotters.”

“So much?” Zhang Dapang’s lips curled slightly, and he suggested, “When you’re done braising, send me half a pound of beef shank. I won’t charge you for the ingredients. Deal?”

“Deal.”

The two looked at each other and exchanged a knowing smile, the same smile of a food connoisseur.

Everyone went through a lot of trouble to get some good food.