Chapter 17: Eight-Treasure Pork Trotters

While Bao Heng and the others were still immersed in the volcanic eruption-like fragrance of the pork rib and lotus root soup, the lingering aroma reached the surrounding area.

A diner sniffed the air and suddenly looked up. “What’s that smell?”

“Is that pork rib and lotus root soup? How can it smell so good?”

“I don’t know, but it’s on the restaurant menu. I’ve seen the price, it’s not cheap. It definitely won’t taste like homemade.”

Someone immediately called over Xin Huan. “Do you have any more of that pork rib and lotus root soup? I’d like a portion.”

Xin Huan shook her head and said, “It’s sold out. The soup takes a long time to cook. There were only a few servings today.”

The customers looked disappointed but had no choice but to accept the reality. Still, they remained reluctant. “This is strange. Just the smell alone is heavenly. What if we actually got to taste it?”

There really wasn’t anything fancy about pork rib and lotus root soup. The main ingredients were just lotus root and pork ribs. But the ribs used were both fresh, straight-cut ribs and cured ribs simmered together.

The cured ribs had firm meat, clear grain, just the right amount of fat, and a smoky aroma. They were the best choice for making soup.

Cured meat took a long time to prepare. There was no time to make it fresh when planning to launch this soup. The cured ribs the restaurant now uses were sourced by Nan Tu through a family that had previously supplied cured goods to Nanlai Restaurant.

Their cured meats had been tested over many years by Nan Yuanhai. Whenever cured meat was needed, Nanlai Restaurant only had this one supplier. Nan Tu had also tasted the sample in advance and found that the flavor remained unchanged after all these years, so she placed the order.

This family used ribs from free-range mountain pigs. They were stir-fried slowly with Sichuan peppercorns and salt in a large iron pot for several hours, then cooled and marinated with a secret recipe. The price was high and the output low. If the Nan family didn’t have ties with them, they wouldn’t even have any to spare this year for Nan Tu.

For a chef like Nan Tu, these cured ribs had one obvious advantage. The salt content was low, but the aroma was exceptionally rich. The problem with cured meats was that they were heavily seasoned during marination. If the saltiness wasn’t handled well, it could ruin the balance of the dish.

Now it seemed that the cured ribs had been added in just the right amount.

“Sister Nan Tu,” after Bao Heng and the others left, Xin Huan ran over in a hurry, “Several customers asked if the pork rib and lotus root soup can be pre-ordered since they were disappointed to hear it’s sold out today.”

Nan Tu thought for a moment and said, “Pre-orders are fine, but not for tomorrow. We’re closed for one day tomorrow.”

Nan Tu decided to take a day off.

Running a restaurant was exhausting. Business had been good recently. While she had made more money, it was also really tiring. She decided to take a break and relax for a day.

With that in mind, she announced the news on her Moments feed.

Many regular diners had requested to add Nan Tu as a friend. One reason was to reserve dishes, and the other was because Nan Tu frequently adjusted the menu. She bought ingredients herself from the market and selected dishes based on the freshness of ingredients she encountered each day. Some regular customers couldn’t always get the dish they wanted that day. After she finalized the menu, she would post it on her Moments feed to avoid customers making a wasted trip.

The moment this post was shared in the friend circle, customers who had originally planned to dine at Nanlai Restaurant burst into wails of despair.

“Not opening tomorrow…? My only motivation every day is eating at Nanlai Restaurant. Sob sob…”

“+1, the miserable wages I earn during the day are just so I can eat the boss’s cooking at night. That’s when I feel truly alive. Forget it, I’ll just die tomorrow first.”

More people expressed their understanding. “Boss, have a good rest!”

“Boss Nan isn’t made of iron. Resting well is necessary to have the energy to develop new dishes.”

After replying to a few selected comments, Nan Tu privately contacted Old Man Qiao. He had placed an order a few days ago to eat Eight Treasures Pork Trotter at the restaurant tomorrow. Since the restaurant was temporarily closed, Nan Tu planned to ask whether he wanted to cancel or postpone the order.

“Why cancel? I’m a retired old man with nothing important to do all day. I can wait however long it takes, let alone just postpone it for a day. Nan Tu, is one day off really enough? Take a few more days off if needed. Don’t tire yourself out.”

Old Man Qiao deeply understood the principle of draining the pond to catch fish. Nan Tu must not work herself to exhaustion.

Nan Tu said, “I won’t. Grandpa Qiao, then come to the restaurant the day after tomorrow at noon. I’ll make the Eight Treasures Pork Trotter for you.”

Old Man Qiao cheerfully said, “Then I’ll be in for a treat. Back then, your grandfather didn’t like to make Eight Treasures Pork Trotter. Even after being urged three times, he still wouldn’t agree. Thankfully, he passed down his cooking skills to you, so I can get a taste of it now.”

Thinking of this made Nan Tu chuckle. “The Eight Treasures Pork Trotter requires the whole bone to be removed and stuffed with various ingredients. It has to be steamed first, then braised. The process is complicate,d and the ingredients are cheap. My grandfather felt that since the customers were all neighbors, he didn’t want to charge a high price. Plus, even if he did, there wouldn’t be many people willing to buy it. So, of course he wasn’t willing to make it.”

But since someone specifically requested it and could accept the price she set, she was still willing to make it for the customer.

Some dishes, if not made for a long time, even if the recipe is remembered, the small key techniques may be completely forgotten. The frequent updates to the menu at Nanlai Restaurant also took this into consideration.

Old Man Qiao felt Nan Tu was very reasonable and understanding.

He knew there were people who, upon seeing a dish served, would immediately count the ingredients on the plate to calculate the cost. After their calculations, they would say how much the raw materials cost and how much the selling price was, claiming how much profit the shop made. They never considered whether they could make it with the same flavor themselves or how much effort the chef put in.

Dishes that rely on skill but don’t sell for a high price naturally won’t be made willingly.

That’s why now there are all kinds of luxurious meals stacked with expensive ingredients, while dishes that truly test the chef’s skills are becoming fewer and fewer.

To ensure he could continue eating this kind of gourmet food in the future, he praised, “You just set the price boldly. Those who recognize the value will buy it. Those who don’t can only say they don’t have the fortune for it. Setting an unreasonably low price would only waste your skills.”

Old Man Qiao even shared a personal experience with Nan Tu.

Several years ago, his favorite dish was a small restaurant’s fish head tofu. It was crispy, fragrant, and delicious. Although the shop was small, it was always packed. But after eating it once and going back again, the owner told him the dish had been taken off the menu.

Later, he found out that one time, a group of seven people came in and only ordered that dish. They pushed two tables together and didn’t even leave a drop of soup from the fish head tofu. They mixed it all into their rice and ate it clean.

After calculating, the boss realized he was losing money. Since the shop wasn’t relying on that one dish for business, he quickly removed it from the menu.

Old Man Qiao tried earnestly to persuade the boss. Since the reason was due to cost, why not raise the price and put it back on the menu? But the boss refused. He didn’t want customers to think he removed the dish just to raise the price and ruin his reputation for nothing.

The boss also told Old Man Qiao that customers paying for their meals was of course fine. But as someone whose whole family depended on the restaurant, he had to control costs, so he couldn’t be blamed either. Then the only conclusion was that the fish head tofu was too tasty. Since it was the dish’s fault, removing it would solve the problem.

Only Old Man Qiao was left crying injustice over the fish head tofu. As if being too delicious was a sin. He still wanted to eat it. Wasn’t there anyone to care about him?

So when he saw that the prices at Nan Tu’s restaurant were higher than those of other places, Old Man Qiao had always supported it. Some people’s skills really were worth a high price. Little did they know that in those high-star restaurants, a small piece of fish and a few sprigs of greens could sell for four figures. Why couldn’t Nan Tu set her prices a bit higher?

————

When she said rest, it really was just rest.

Nan Tu lay in bed all day at home. Aside from eating and going to the bathroom, she didn’t get out of bed. A beautiful day passed in the blink of an eye.

She couldn’t help but sigh that striving is truly against human nature. Lying flat is the eternal pursuit.

Unfortunately, she still had to get up early the next day.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she discovered that Xin Huan had used the day off to give the place a deep clean. Inside and out, it was spotless. Even the tables were polished to a reflective shine.

“We agreed that both of us would take the chance to rest.” Nan Tu said helplessly. “You’re already busy enough on normal days. With the current workload in the restaurant, you’re the only one still willing to help me. I’m thinking about whether I should hire a few more people.”

When Xin Huan heard that Nan Tu wanted to hire people, she panicked at first. But she quickly realized Nan Tu wasn’t trying to get rid of her. She just thought business was too good lately and wanted to lighten the load for both of them.

“I’m not tired at all. Working here is much easier than fighting mutant beasts. Plus, there’s no danger.” And there were unheard-of, unseen-before gourmet dishes to eat. The employee benefits were top-tier. Only a fool would dislike this job.

Hiring new people really needed to be put on the agenda. Nan Tu began to ponder. When Xin Huan had just come to the restaurant, the circumstances were special. Nan Tu didn’t have a single crystal core on hand, so the issue of salary was skipped, and she only promised full room and board.

Later, as more mercenaries started coming to eat, they brought a decent number of crystal cores. Nan Tu used part of them to let the system exchange for money. The rest were meant to pay Xin Huan’s wages.

But the moment she brought it up, Xin Huan reacted strongly and refused. She said outright that Nan Tu had saved her life and was providing such good living conditions. She didn’t need anything extra.

Nan Tu definitely didn’t see it that way. Who wouldn’t need money to fall back on? If Xin Huan had had savings at that time, she wouldn’t have been forced to hastily join an unreliable mercenary team and end up abandoned in the desert. Xin Huan now felt crystal cores were unimportant because her life revolved around Nanlai Restaurant. With no place to spend them, naturally, they held no value.

Although Xin Huan firmly refused to take crystal cores as her salary, Nan Tu still quietly saved them up for her. When the day came that Xin Huan wanted to leave, she would hand over all the salary she had accumulated for her.

Now the issue of hiring people has come up again. Given the situation of the restaurant, it was obviously more convenient to recruit people from the post-apocalyptic plane. As for suitable candidates, Nan Tu had no clue for the time being.

————

At noon, the number of guests gradually increased. Old Man Qiao also came excitedly to eat the Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter he had been longing for, but there was a little tail following behind him.

It was Old Man Qiao’s daughter’s friend, Du Xiaofeng, a food column writer.

This combination was a bit strange at first, but considering Du Xiaofeng’s profession, everything made sense.

Du Xiaofeng came to Jiangyao City this time to experience the local customs and culture, and to gather material for her food column.

So she immediately thought of her friend Qiao Li. Qiao Li had once joked that her father was practically a folk gourmet. There wasn’t a single restaurant in Jiangyao, big or small, that he hadn’t been to. When Du Xiaofeng came to Jiangyao, she could just ask Old Man Qiao for restaurant recommendations.

So Du Xiaofeng really came. Seeing that Old Man Qiao was indeed insightful, and even knew the development of local food culture like the back of his hand, she even planned to write an interview piece on him.

Just as they were discussing which restaurants were worth recommending, Qiao Li suddenly walked over and got straight to the point. “Dad, are you going to eat Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter for lunch?”

A trace of panic flashed across Old Man Qiao’s face. He mumbled, “Is that so? I think I reserved a spot for today. Did I mention it to you?”

Qiao Li, having successfully tricked him into confessing, said smugly, “You didn’t tell me. I heard it from your precious parrot. If you hadn’t been mumbling to it all the time, how would it have learned?”

A trace of regret crossed Old Man Qiao’s face. His little treasure was too smart for its own good. Look, didn’t it ruin his plan today?

He pretended to be calm. “The bill’s paid, and the food is already being made. If I don’t go eat it, should I let it go to waste? Wasting food like that would keep me up all night.”

The reason for this silent back-and-forth between father and daughter was today’s dish, the Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter.

Just listen to the name. Pork trotter and glutinous rice. One is greasy and the other is hard to digest. Neither is suitable for someone like Old Man Qiao, an elderly man. A small taste would be fine, but Qiao Li knew well that when encountering a favorite dish, it was common for Old Man Qiao to accidentally overeat.

But she had something to attend to soon and couldn’t supervise her father to eat less. What should she do?

Her gaze turned to her friend Du Xiaofeng. A flash of inspiration came to her. “Xiaofeng also really likes Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter. Dad, why don’t you take her to eat? You two can eat and chat. It’ll be more atmospheric.”

Du Xiaofeng was a guest from afar, and Old Man Qiao couldn’t possibly eat alone. Eating too much alone would be too much, but eating with someone else would be just right.

Du Xiaofeng stood to the side, stunned. She was only so-so about pork trotters and found them greasy.

Qiao Li pulled her aside and whispered, “This restaurant is my dad’s new favorite. The taste must be excellent. It’s perfect for you to try. I also have a favor to ask. Don’t let my dad eat too much, especially that Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter.”

Since her friend said so, Du Xiaofeng finally agreed. “Okay, if we can’t finish the pork trotter, I’ll have it packed up.” As long as Old Man Qiao didn’t eat it all, it would be fine.

On the way there, even Du Xiaofeng could feel Old Man Qiao’s excitement. He was like a child being taken to buy candy by his parent.

“Uncle Qiao, is this restaurant really that good?”

Old Man Qiao beamed with joy. “Of course. I was a regular at this restaurant more than ten years ago. There were some complications in between, and I didn’t get to eat there for years. Luckily, the shop has reopened.”

More than ten years ago, huh. Du Xiaofeng thought that must be an old establishment. A stereotypical image of the restaurant’s chef immediately popped into her mind. A middle-aged man, with a shiny bald forehead, short and chubby, thinning hair. This was based on her years of experience as a food column writer. Many chefs, after years of being exposed to smoke and heat in the kitchen, didn’t even have body hair anymore.

In his mind, Old Man Qiao couldn’t help but compare the old Nanlai Restaurant with the current one. In terms of experience, Nan Tu still lagged behind her grandfather, which was unavoidable. But this child had creativity and was willing to explore. Her skills and talent even showed signs of surpassing Nan Yuanhai. It was only a matter of time before she made up for the lack of experience.

Old Man Qiao arrived right on time. The Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter had just been prepared. To accompany the dish, he also ordered a cold appetizer and a serving of soup, which were soon served.

The Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter looked ordinary at first glance. It was a plate drenched in thick, red sauce, cut into small sections for easy handling, yet still maintained the full shape of the pork trotter, making it hard to see the hidden intricacies inside.

Old Man Qiao was truly a gourmet. Having ordered the Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter, the accompanying dishes he chose were also spot on.

There was a vegetable and fish fillet soup. First, the fish fillet was boiled in a clear broth. Then, meatballs were added to enhance the flavor. Finally, vegetables were blanched in it. The result was a crystal-clear bowl. A cold dish of mixed crispy shreds. Shredded jellyfish skin and white radish were refreshing and crunchy. Even before eating, it felt cooling.

Du Xiaofeng wasn’t particularly interested in the pork trotter and was considering whether to order another dish. But Old Man Qiao had already warmly invited her to try the Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter.

“Alright, I’ll try it.” She forced a smile, silently thinking that if she got a mouthful of greasy fat, what excuse could she use to decline Old Man Qiao’s enthusiastic recommendation? Should she say she was on a diet? Or that she was avoiding certain foods due to medication?

As her mind worked, her chopsticks had already reached her mouth. Du Xiaofeng took a bite, chewed slightly, and her expression immediately turned colorful. She cast a surprised look at the Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter on the table. Was this really the pork trotter she had in mind?

All the bones had been carefully removed. Not just the main ones, even the tiny fragments were filled to the brim, allowing the soft and tender pork trotter to still hold its shape.

Stuffed inside was the Eight-Treasure filling with glutinous rice as the main ingredient, dried bamboo shoots, ham, chestnuts, and other ingredients that Du Xiaofeng couldn’t even identify, all finely diced. One bite and the outer skin and meat melted like aspic jelly. The oiliness had already been absorbed into the glutinous rice filling, giving it a translucent honey-brown color, yet it wasn’t greasy at all.

Sensing something was off, she looked up and saw that Old Man Qiao hadn’t moved his chopsticks at all. He was sitting upright, watching all of Du Xiaofeng’s changing expressions. He had clearly anticipated her underestimating this dish and was waiting to see the moment she was amazed.

Du Xiaofeng pretended to be annoyed and said, “Uncle Qiao! Were you waiting to see me make a fool of myself?” She had already noticed that he saw her underestimating the Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter but deliberately didn’t warn her. Fortunately, she hadn’t said anything disparaging. Otherwise, she didn’t know how embarrassed she would have been now.

Old Man Qiao said, “This experience is good. You can write it into your article.”

Only then did he begin to savor it happily and even tried with interest to identify the ingredients in the eight treasures. “Chestnuts, ham, diced shiitake or diced button mushrooms? No, none of those have this kind of fresh flavor…”

There was one ingredient he just couldn’t identify, which made Old Man Qiao scratch his head in frustration. Meanwhile, Du Xiaofeng had already forgotten the blunder she had just made and hadn’t stopped using her chopsticks. A few bites of pork trotter, followed by a sip of the light and fresh fish soup, then a chopstick of the refreshing double crunch mix.

She had come under Qiao Li’s “imperial decree” and was justifiably fighting Old Man Qiao for the Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter.

While eating, she reflected that no wonder Old Man Qiao liked Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter—it was soft and glutinous, requiring no effort to chew, perfect for the elderly. But it wasn’t just for the elderly. When a dish tasted this good, what young person could resist? A love for good food was something everyone shared.

Old Man Qiao was still pondering whether it was shiitake or button mushrooms. A figure quietly appeared behind him and revealed the answer.

“It’s porcini mushrooms. Choose the thick stems and dice them; they have the best texture.” There’s actually no fixed formula for what counts as the eight treasures. Some include green peas, pork tripe, and dried scallops. Others add shrimp and diced sea cucumber. Sometimes seasonal ingredients are used, like this time, Nan Tu added fox nuts and porcini mushrooms.

“So that’s it!” Old Man Qiao suddenly understood.

Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter is somewhat similar to Eight-Treasure Duck or Stuffed Suckling Pig. They all use sealed aroma-capturing methods, and the ingredients are wrapped inside other ingredients. This method enriches the layers of the dish, balances the flavors, and also partially seals in the aroma.

It was only for the sake of easier eating that it was pre-cut before being served. Otherwise, once the pork knuckle was cut open, who knows how the fragrance would have burst out.

That was a bit of a pity. Old Man Qiao said, “Next time we order Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter, just bring the whole thing to the table. I’ll cut it myself.”

Nan Tu remained strict and said, “Don’t even think about it anytime soon. How’s your blood fat level?”

Old Man Qiao’s expression turned awkward, but remembering Du Xiaofeng was nearby, he introduced, “This is the owner of Nanlai Restaurant and also the head chef, Nan Tu.”

Du Xiaofeng was momentarily dazed. Ever since she stepped into this restaurant, one surprise had followed another. This was the chef of today’s dish? She’s way too young!

She found it absurd. Could that online joke about a fresh graduate with ten years of work experience actually be true?

Seeing her thoughts, Old Man Qiao added, “The original Nanlai Restaurant was run by Nan Tu’s grandfather. I never said the head chef hadn’t changed!” That made sense. So it was a family legacy. When Du Xiaofeng looked at Nan Tu again, she had a hint of respect in her gaze. Truly young and capable.

Material +1.

After thinking for a moment, Du Xiaofeng understood. Although Old Man Qiao made her stumble on the Eight-Treasure Pork Trotter, he didn’t deliberately lead her into another trap. If he had introduced Nan Tu before she tasted her cooking, Du Xiaofeng would likely have made another mistake—not only judging the dish by its name but also judging the person by their appearance.

In order to gather more material, Du Xiaofeng deliberately waited until the lunch rush was over and Nan Tu was free before asking if she could write about the two generations behind Nanlai Restaurant in her food column.

Nan Tu thought for a moment before replying, “Of course you can. But please focus more on the old Nanlai Restaurant. As for the current Nanlai Restaurant, there’s no need to mention its specific location.”

Du Xiaofeng found it strange and asked, “Isn’t this also a way to promote the restaurant? I do have a bit of name recognition…”

“That’s exactly why,” Nan Tu explained, “You see, our restaurant is only so big. If a huge crowd of new customers comes because of your influence, the old regulars will have nowhere to go. Also, we don’t have enough staff right now and can’t serve that many people.”

Promotion by a celebrity does bring visible benefits, but the aftereffects are hard to predict. If the restaurant constantly has long queues, the regulars who have supported Nanlai Restaurant through its hardships won’t be able to eat and will gradually stop coming. New customers are often driven by curiosity. While some may turn into regulars, most of them won’t.

By then, if the old customers are gone and the new ones don’t return, wouldn’t Nanlai Restaurant be back to square one?

Also, if new customers flood in, Nan Tu won’t be able to receive her plane restaurant system visitors, and the system would start acting up again.

Du Xiaofeng looked at Nan Tu with admiration. So young yet able to see the future of the restaurant so clearly, without being tempted by immediate gains. No wonder she could manage the restaurant so successfully. In her view, Nan Tu’s future achievements surely wouldn’t be limited to just one restaurant.

Then she could only sacrifice her own face and write more about her many “face-slapping” moments at Nanlai Restaurant.