Chapter 87: The Banquet Begins!

Zhou Yan could not help sighing over Master Zheng’s bizarre situation. Getting dragged in as a rural cook just for attending a banquet was one thing, but his competitor turned out to be his own martial uncle?

And that martial uncle was a bit cheeky too. Clearly recognizing him, yet saying nothing, calling him “Master Zheng” over and over while coaxing him into being a kitchen assistant.

He finally found a chance to show off his specialty dish, determined to open the eyes of this countryside cook in front of him.

Little did he know that this so-called signature skill was something the other had already mastered to perfection twenty years ago.

What kind of situation was this?

Zhou Yan, in any case, thought it was quite miserable.

Master Zheng was busy making braised fish. Zhou Yan was about to start slicing pork ears and pork head meat. The idlest person on site now was Master Xiao, who was just waiting for eleven o’clock to fire up the stove, re-steam the dishes in the pot for an hour, and then directly serve the dishes to start the banquet.

Zhou Yan looked at Xiao Lei with a squinting smile. “Master, the pork head meat has to be sliced evenly in thickness to taste good. The aunties in the village are a bit lacking in knife skills, but you used to be the number one knife in the factory canteen. Such an important task…”

“You even dare to mess with your master’s head?” Xiao Lei stared at him, smiling.

“I’m sincere.” Zhou Yan looked innocent, picked up the kitchen knife, grabbed an ear, and sighed. “Fine, fine, I’ll slice it myself. It’s only a few dozen plates anyway.”

His kitchen knife flashed down, and thin slices of pork ear quickly piled up on the cutting board, each piece thin enough to let light through.

The ears had been soaked through with braising liquid. Their color was a bright red, with white cartilage inlaid like patterns, very pretty.

Cutting the ears thin demanded high-level knife skills.

Especially for cold dressed ears: the thinner they were, the better they absorbed flavor, and the more wonderful the texture.

Pork head meat was different. It needed a bit of thickness so you could chew out the rich, braised aroma; but it still had to be sliced to an even thickness.

There were still many good masters in this world.

After watching Zhou Yan slice pork ears for a while, Xiao Lei nodded, went back to fetch his own kitchen knife, and started helping slice the pork head meat.

“Having a master is the best.” Zhou Yan turned to look at him, deeply moved.

“Keep cutting, and watch your fingers.” Xiao Lei shot him a look, then his knife flew over the pork head meat. Neat slices, evenly thick, the perfect thickness for drinkers’ favorite bites, fell onto the cutting board, and he moved notably faster than Zhou Yan.

Auntie Zhao, who had picked up a kitchen knife, quietly put it back.

The old lady stood with her hands clasped behind her back, watching from the side. Seeing Xiao Lei’s knife work, she could not help but nod.

No wonder Zhou Yan’s knife skills were solid. With a master like this, it made sense. Truly worthy of being Master Kong’s apprentice.

The master and disciple handled the cutting; the aunties were responsible for arranging the plates.

There were not enough braised pig snouts to plate alone, so they were combined with the pork head meat on a platter. Each plate held just over a dozen slices, and before long, a whole table was filled.

In one corner of each plate, they scooped a spoonful of mixed chili powder, so anyone who liked spicy food could dip for themselves.

Once the pork head meat was done, Xiao Lei took his knife and went back to direct the helpers to set the pots and stoves on fire, getting ready before service. Zhou Yan, along the way, sliced the beef shank.

On Zheng Qiang’s side, he had just finished frying thirty fish and was preparing the other ingredients. One golden fried carp after another lay in the wooden bucket, each with its skin completely intact, not a tear in sight.

His fundamentals were indeed solid. No wonder the master liked to tease him.

Zhou Yan craned his neck to watch carefully, memorizing all the side ingredients.

Pickled vegetables, cowpea, pickled chili peppers, par-cooked ginger, broad bean paste… it looked a bit like the way he made fragrant fish with patchouli. It should be a sour and spicy flavor profile.

He had felt embarrassed to watch earlier because stealing techniques was looked down upon.

Now it was different. This was his senior brother. It was only right for him to watch.

Suddenly, the sound of gongs and suona drifted in faintly from outside, and then someone cried out in delight, “They’re here! The bride is back!”

A long procession appeared on the village road. Zhou Hao, in military uniform, walked at the front, pushing a bicycle. The bride, in a red top and red pants, with a red hair ornament on her head, sat on the bike, smiling like a blossom, looking very festive.

Behind them came the welcoming party carrying the dressing cabinet, shouldering wooden crates, holding the wedding quilt, along with the bride’s relatives and friends coming to the banquet. The formation stretched out in a long dragon, impressively sweeping forward.

Those chatting in the courtyard, the helpers in the courtyard square, and other villagers all rushed to the road to watch the spectacle.

Welcoming the bride was the best show to see in those days.

The village children ran to meet the procession, each racing more happily than the last.

Days when you could get candy just for saying a couple of auspicious words did not come every day.

Crackling explosions!

The eight-hundred-shot firecrackers at the doorway were lit. Everyone covered their ears, smiles on every face.

As soon as the firecrackers finished, a group of little boys charged forward to rummage around, hoping to find a few unexploded firecrackers.

“The old Chen family really pays attention to propriety. So much dowry.”

“The Chen family has money. Their son works at the supply and marketing cooperative, and the bride is a teacher at the town elementary school. Zhou Hao is blessed, marrying such a good wife.”

“Zhou Hao is not bad either. I heard he is already a platoon leader now, an officer!”

The villagers all chattered, some envious, some with a hint of sourness.

Zhou Yan watched with great interest. It was his first time seeing a wedding of this era. The bride was not tall, a little plump, with a round face and a warm, friendly smile. The red clothes made her look lively and full of energy.

You could see the Chen family’s strength. In this era, raising a child with some flesh on their bones was not easy. They were a good match for the old Zhou family.

The suona was playing “A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.” The old master really had some skill; the performance was excellent.

“Don’t stare. Hurry and get the cold chicken salad ready. Cold dishes have to go up first.” The old lady coughed lightly, pulling Zhou Yan’s thoughts back.

“Got it!”

Hearing this, Zhou Yan did not dare delay. He took a chicken from the basket and looked at the old lady. “How should I cut it?”

“Watch.” The old lady took the knife from his hand, first chopping off the neck in one stroke. With a swift slice and crack, she split the head in half and chopped the neck and head into pieces.

Her knife turned, slicing off the legs and wings, which she cut into strips, then chopped again into coin-sized chunks, each piece basically with the skin still attached.

In a short while, the plump rooster had become a basin of chicken pieces in an enamel basin.

“For an outdoor banquet there are lots of people, so cut the chicken smaller. That way everyone can pick more pieces and taste the flavor, and it helps them drink more.” The old lady took out the spice packet she had prepared earlier at the restaurant and began mixing the sauce.

She dissolved salt, MSG, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and white sugar with ginger and garlic water, then added a spoonful of vinegar. She poured one quarter over the chicken pieces and turned them evenly with a spoon.

“For cold chicken salad to be flavorful, you season it first. Add Sichuan peppercorn oil and red oil at the end. If you put the oil on first it seals the meat, the flavor cannot get in and just floats on the surface, almost like a dipping dish. It will not taste as fragrant when you chew.” As she spoke, she opened the red oil jar. After resting for an hour, the red oil was clear in color. She scooped a spoonful and poured it over the chicken. The bright red sheen made it look very appetizing.

One basin of chicken got four spoonfuls.

The old lady held the enamel basin with one hand and the spoon with the other, tilting and shaking the basin while stirring along the edge so every piece of chicken was coated in red oil and sesame, glistening with shine, irresistibly tempting.

After mixing thoroughly, she began plating directly. One basin of chicken filled eight plates. In each white plate, the chicken pieces were coated in red oil, dotted with sesame seeds, bright and glistening, aroma wafting out.

She poured every last bit of red oil and soup stock from the basin over the cold chicken salad, then grabbed a small handful of chopped scallions and sprinkled them on top. The cold chicken salad was done.

The entire sequence of movements flowed like water, leaving Zhou Yan staring, dumbfounded.

【A rather excellent cold chicken salad】

A remark flashed at the bottom of Zhou Yan’s vision.

His granny still had it.

Seventy-five, and still in her prime for breaking new ground.

“Come on, just follow what I did.” The old lady stepped aside and watched Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan did not dawdle. He took out another chicken from the basket and, following her method, started chopping it into pieces.

A whole chicken was quickly turned into a basin of chicken pieces. The old lady had already prepared the sauce. Zhou Yan poured one third into the basin and copied her mixing technique, shaking the basin while stirring.

At first he was not used to it, but once he found the rhythm and technique, he realized that this way the chicken did not fall apart easily, and the sauce blended more evenly.

When he added the red oil, the color instantly brightened.

Light flashed in Zhou Yan’s eyes. So this was how it worked.

The old lady was truly a good master. What she taught was always simple and direct, without too many rigid rules, full of street smartness.

【A good cold chicken salad】

Zhou Yan plated it, and the interface offered its sharp review.

Zhou Yan:?

“Rather excellent,” where did that go?

Same pot-boiled chicken, same red oil and seasonings, even the stirring method was the same. How did he end up with two different evaluations?

Zhou Yan was quite indignant, but there was nothing he could do.

“Good, that’s the way to mix it.” The old lady nodded with a smile, very satisfied with Zhou Yan’s technique.

“Grandma! Grandma! The newlyweds are serving tea. Please come sit in the seat of honor!” Zhou Jie ran out anxiously. Seeing the cold chicken salad and braised pork ears and pork head meat laid out on the table, he swallowed hard and exclaimed, “Zhou Yan, you made these?”

“That’s right, I did.” Zhou Yan nodded.

“Amazing!” Zhou Jie said in awe.

“Let’s go.” The old lady straightened her clothes and walked toward the courtyard gate with her hands behind her back.

Zhou Jie quickly followed with hurried steps.

Zhou Yan repeated the process, chopping the remaining two chickens, mixing and plating them.

Cold chicken salad needed time to absorb the flavors to taste its best. Prepared now, it would hit peak flavor right when the banquet started.

With that, the four cold dishes Zhou Yan was responsible for were all completed. He let out a breath of relief.

Auntie Zhao stood by, looking at the more than one hundred portions of cold dishes piled on the table, and also relaxed.

When Zhou Yan cooked, she was more nervous than he was. Messing up in this kind of setting would be hard to explain. Fortunately, Zhou Yan was reliable. The cold chicken salad and braised dishes both looked great, catching the eye of anyone who passed by.

At eleven thirty, the guests began arriving one after another. After registering their red envelopes at the doorway, the hosts arranged seats for them.

Each table got a plate of sunflower seeds so people could crack seeds and start chatting and gossiping. The courtyard square quickly grew lively.

Xiao Lei watched over the stacked steamer baskets. Steam billowed up, the smell of meat filling the air.

Zheng Qiang had already ordered people to heat up three woks and was getting ready to braise the fish.

Today’s guests were mainly relatives and friends from both sides, but there was also a separate table in the courtyard for the county and town leaders.

The old Zhou family had two first-class meritorious service plaques. Leaders often came to visit and offer condolences, and over time they had become familiar.

Now Zhou Weiguo was a member of the town party committee, and Zhou Hao was a platoon leader. Whether he stayed in the army or was demobilized, with this family background, his future was bright.

So when the invitations went out, the leaders all made time to come to the banquet today.

The old lady sat in the chief seat, with Zhou Weiguo accompanying her, then Deputy Director Sun Yan from the civil affairs bureau, Deputy Town Chief Huang Chen, and four town clerks.

Once everyone was seated, they first greeted the old lady.

She had become a martyr’s widow while still young and had single-handedly raised five sons. Her youngest, Zhou Weiguo, had been seriously wounded and discharged from the battlefield, and two grandsons had joined the army.

It was no exaggeration to call them a family of loyal service.

Everyone respected her and admired that a woman alone could raise such sons and grandsons.

They exchanged a few courtesies, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

“For today’s outdoor banquet, I see three cooks. Quite the setup,” Sun Yan said with a smile.

“Yes, it looks very professional, not like rural cooks,” Huang Chen nodded.

The old lady smiled and explained, “At first there was only one rural cook, but something came up suddenly yesterday so he could not make it. We had to invite two head chefs at the last minute. The one who did the cold dishes is my younger grandson, Zhou Yan, also brought in to put out the fire.”

“Dishes are up!”

As they spoke, the helpers came in carrying trays, first serving four cold dishes.

Everyone looked closely, and their eyes lit up.

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