Mountain and Sea Canteen - Chapter 9

Around mid-morning, Golden Crow returned from outside.

He had changed his outfit, now wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. His black hair was disheveled, giving him a more youthful and handsome appearance. However, his expression was anything but calm. He looked at Ying Linglong with a hint of frustration and embarrassment.

“Here, these are the things you wanted to buy,” he said.

Chongming stepped forward, first taking the two potted plants from Golden Crow’s arms, then grabbing the various bags and packages he was holding.

Ying Linglong pretended to sigh, “Even after buying you new clothes, you still have that sour face. Only a broad-minded boss like me could tolerate such a cocky employee.”

Her words only seemed to fuel Golden Crow’s anger. Ying Linglong had promised to buy him a new set of clothes, and after making a profit on the first day of business yesterday, she had kept her word by giving him two hundred yuan.

However, the money wasn’t just for his clothes. Ying Linglong handed him a long shopping list, filled with items the shop was missing: three potted plants, a vase, two small decorations, and various kitchen seasonings that hadn’t been fully stocked yet. The list also prominently noted that after buying all these items, the remaining money was for Golden Crow to buy new clothes.

Even though Golden Crow had tried his best to bargain with the vendors, he was only left with a little over fifty yuan in the end.

Ying Linglong said matter-of-factly, “Of course, I calculated the prices. The remaining money should be enough for your clothes. Didn’t I even recommend Jiangyu’s most affordable clothing wholesale market to you? That’s where I bought my clothes too.”

She proudly showed off her plain-colored T-shirt to the two of them, “The plain ones are five yuan cheaper than the printed ones.”

Chongming, who earned a meager eighty yuan a day, chimed in, “Fifty yuan is already a lot.”

Golden Crow glared at him coldly, “Shut up, you enabler.”

Chongming looked confused, “What does ‘enabler’ mean?”

No one explained it to him, so he used the method he had recently learned from his practice tests-guessing the meaning from context-and nodded in understanding. He confidently smiled at Ying Linglong and said, “You’re the boss. Whatever you want to do, I’ll definitely be an enabler.”

Ying Linglong: “Thanks, I guess.”

She pointed to a nearby seat, “There are no customers right now. Go do two sets of practice questions.”

Chongming protested, “Boss, I spoke up for you, and now you’re repaying kindness with cruelty!”

Ying Linglong replied, “This is to help you deeply understand the meaning of the idiom ‘repaying kindness with cruelty.'”

Grumbling, Chongming went off to do his practice questions.

Ying Linglong had promised Director Yang that she would help Chongming pass the Qualification Certificate for Walking in the Human World within a month. So, every time she passed by Chongming, she would peer over his shoulder like a strict teacher, scrutinizing the screen of his phone.

After a few rounds, she realized that Chongming’s grasp of idioms was abysmal-he was just guessing wildly. Fortunately, the idiom section didn’t make up a large portion of the total score.

The next question was a picture-based one.

In the image, a person lay on the ground, clutching a half-eaten moldy fried dough stick, foaming at the mouth and unconscious. Someone nearby was shouting, “Food poisoning!”

The question asked: Please circle the food in the picture.

This was ridiculously easy. Without hesitation, Chongming circled the fried dough stick.

Unsurprisingly, he got it right, but the screen didn’t immediately move to the next question. Instead, bold text appeared: (Correct answer +10 points, wrong answer -100 points).

The next page revealed a public shaming of those who had answered incorrectly. “Those who got this wrong: (Yaoyu), (Qiongqi), (Tulu)…”

Chongming finally saw students who performed worse than him and couldn’t help but gloat, “How could anyone get such an easy question wrong?”

Ying Linglong, however, noticed something off about the species of these “students.” Below the list, there was an example of incorrect answers, so she tapped on it.

The question asked: Please circle the food in the picture. The mentioned Yaoguai had all circled… the person lying next to the moldy fried dough stick.

In their eyes, “food poisoning” had a very different meaning.

There is a beast… named Yaoyu, its cry like a baby’s, and it eats humans.

There is a beast… named Qiongqi, its cry like a howling dog, and it eats humans.

There is a beast, shaped like a goat with four horns, named Tulu, and it eats humans.

No wonder they couldn’t pass the qualification exam! Who would dare let them “walk among humans”? It would be like throwing a mouse into a rice bin, pairing the Big Bad Wolf with Little Red Riding Hood as roommates, or hiring a weasel to guard the henhouse.

Ying Linglong patted Chongming’s shoulder. “Looks like being a picky eater has its advantages.”

What did Chongming love to eat? Jade Essence.

Jade Essence was liquid jade, capable of producing mysterious jade. The Yellow Emperor¹ himself once dined on it. Back in the day, when Emperor Yao considered keeping the Chongming Bird, he ultimately decided to release it because feeding it “Jade Essence” was far too extravagant.

Nowadays, Chongming was down on his luck and couldn’t afford Jade Essence, so he settled for wine to satisfy his cravings.

Ying Linglong encouraged him, “Once you pass the qualification exam, I’ll buy you some Diaotang Wine.”

By noon, the shop had finally become lively, with not only new customers but also returning ones from the day before.

Yuan Wei and a few of his coworkers had recently taken on a job as maintenance workers at Jiangyu University. They were taking advantage of the summer break to repair areas of the dormitory buildings that were usually inconvenient to fix during the school year.

The day before, Yuan Wei had stumbled upon this small shop and decided to give it a try. To his surprise, the owner’s home-style cooking was quite delicious. When he checked the bill, he found out that the shop had just opened and was offering discounts, making the prices very affordable. Today, he brought his coworkers along.

To be honest, while there were plenty of good food options near Jiangyu University, they were all laborers who came to the city for work. They did physically demanding jobs, had big appetites, and couldn’t afford to spend too much on meals. For them, filling their stomachs was the most important thing.

Finding a restaurant that was not only filling but also tasty and reasonably priced was like striking gold.

The four of them ordered three dishes and four bowls of rice: Stir-fried Eggplant, Spicy and Sour Shredded Potatoes, and Minced Meat in Sauce. These were all hearty dishes, and the rice could be refilled for free.

After working all morning, the middle-aged men were starving. The tantalizing aroma of the food in the shop only made them hungrier. Fortunately, the dishes arrived quickly, and Yuan Wei immediately reached for the plate of Spicy and Sour Shredded Potatoes.

The potatoes were finely shredded, briefly soaked in water to remove some of the starch, and then stir-fried with Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers for fragrance. The peppercorns were removed, and green and red peppers along with minced garlic were added for extra flavor. Finally, a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt were added before the dish was ready to serve.

Spicy and Sour Shredded Potatoes was a quick dish, perfect for when you’re starving, which was exactly why Yuan Wei had ordered it.

As soon as the potato strands entered his mouth, the crisp texture combined with the tangy and spicy flavors hit him. Yuan Wei quickly took a bite of rice, his cheeks puffing up with satisfaction. After walking under the scorching summer sun, sitting in the cool restaurant and enjoying this dish was incredibly refreshing and appetizing.

His coworkers joined in, and within a few chopstick grabs, half the plate of Spicy and Sour Shredded Potatoes was gone. Just then, Chongming brought over the remaining dishes: Stir-fried Eggplant and Minced Meat in Sauce.

A bit of lard had been added to the oil used for stir-frying the eggplant, which not only softened the texture but also enhanced the flavor. Yuan Wei, of course, didn’t have time to ponder these details. The savory, rich eggplant and the tender, sauce-infused minced meat quickly disappeared into his stomach, and his bowl of rice was soon empty.

Normally, they would chat and joke during meals, but this time, with their bowls practically shining from being so clean, hardly anyone spoke. The men exchanged amused glances and got up to refill their rice bowls.

“Yuan Wei, how did you find such a delicious restaurant in this out-of-the-way place?” one of his coworkers nudged Yuan Wei’s shoulder.

Yuan Wei chuckled sheepishly, “It was pure luck. Yesterday, my job ran late, and I had to find a place to eat on my own. Guess what? I went out the wrong gate! This university is so big. I came out of the south gate and was puzzled why I didn’t see many restaurants. Later, I found out the food street is actually outside the north gate.”

“Getting lost wasn’t a bad thing after all. You found such a great restaurant!”

The men returned to their seats with refilled bowls of rice. Behind them, an elderly man in his sixties walked in. He was dressed simply, wearing a pair of clean black cloth shoes, his posture slightly stooped. However, his bright and lively eyes showed that despite his age, he was still full of energy.

As soon as he entered the shop, he paused, taking in the enticing aroma wafting through the air before stepping further inside.

Old Man Zhang had come here on the recommendation of Professor He Lan. He Lan had a keen palate. Although she didn’t know much about culinary traditions or chef lineages, her sensitive taste buds had earned her a spot in the local gourmet association years ago, where she had met many seasoned food enthusiasts.

Over the years, she had discovered many excellent restaurants through their recommendations. It was rare for her to find a new one herself, and she immediately shared it with her old friends.

Old Man Zhang, excited by He Lan’s recommendation, had hurried over without noticing her note that today’s specials were Spicy and Sour Chicken Offal and Braised Oxtail. He squinted at the handwritten menu, searching for Fish Balls, only to find they weren’t being served today.

When he glanced into the kitchen and saw a young woman busy at work, his heart sank.

It wasn’t that he looked down on young people, but in the culinary world, experience was everything. Even the most talented chefs couldn’t skip the years of practice needed to earn recognition. Many renowned chefs were only known for one or two signature dishes, honed through countless repetitions.

A chef this young simply couldn’t have much experience. Could she have started cooking as a child?

As for the Fish Balls He Lan had recommended, Old Man Zhang guessed they might have been praised simply because of the freshness of the ingredients.

With no Fish Balls on the menu today, Old Man Zhang’s enthusiasm waned. His expression shifted as his growling stomach eventually won the internal debate.

Chongming had been watching Old Man Zhang for a while, fascinated by the man’s ever-changing expressions. He wondered what kind of mental gymnastics could produce such a reaction to such a simple handwritten menu.

“I’ll have the Mapo Tofu and the Spicy and Sour Chicken Offal,” Old Man Zhang finally ordered.

Chongming noted it down and asked, “Would you like the spice level toned down?” The man didn’t look like he could handle too much heat.

“Make it normal!” Old Man Zhang declared firmly.

Could someone who couldn’t handle spice order two spicy dishes in a row?

He loved spicy food!

Footnote:

1. Yellow Emperor(黄帝):A legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation, regarded as a founder of Chinese civilization.