Chapter 34: Agastache Crucian Carp!

"Director, look. The number of customers coming for stir-fry today is down by thirty percent compared to usual. We prepared a lot of extra dishes to cater to those college students, and now it's all left over."

In the back kitchen of the factory canteen, head chef Huang Fusheng looked at Wang Defa with a face full of melancholy.

On the cutting board beside him lay an array of prepared ingredients: beef, pig liver, large intestines... everything was there, and in large quantities.

Wang Defa’s face was dark as he said in a heavy voice, "We were disrupted by Zhou Erwa's restaurant today. If those college students had come to the canteen, the food wouldn't have gone to waste; they would have even brought us more discussion and a good reputation."

"Exactly! That kid Zhou Yan is a real piece of work!" Huang Fusheng cursed along with him. "Director, you have to find a way. If this keeps up, all our stir-fry customers will run off."

"You have the nerve to say that!" Wang Defa glared at him, lowering his voice slightly, though his anger was still unmistakable. "I didn't make you head chef just so you could skim off the profits! If you can't do the job, get the hell out of here early! Do you know how foul the workers are cursing us? They're practically shitting on my head!"

"Yes, yes..." Huang Fusheng turned red with embarrassment from the scolding. "I will definitely do a good job."

"Do my ass..." Wang Defa was still unsatisfied. "You better get the flavor of the stir-fry right. If the customers run off again, I'll kick you back to being a prep cook!"

"I guarantee I'll make sure they cook it properly from now on. There won't be any problems!" Huang Fusheng nodded.

"I'll give you one more week to win back the customers we lost," Wang Defa said, looking at him. "Run Zhou Erwa's restaurant into the ground."

"Will do!" Huang Fusheng nodded solemnly, then hesitated before adding, "Director, I don't think that kid Zhou Yan can pull this off alone. He only knows how to toss a cucumber salad; he can't even handle a proper Twice-Cooked Pork. His restaurant was about to collapse, but then he brought it back to life by selling noodles. There must be some mastermind guiding him from behind the scenes."

"You mean that old rogue Xiao Lei?" Wang Defa mused.

Just then, a middle-aged man dragged a food waste bin back into the kitchen, placed it in a corner, and began untying his apron to clock out.

"Xiao Lei, come here a moment," Wang Defa called out to the man, his tone unfriendly.

"I'm off the clock. Whatever it is, talk to me tomorrow." Xiao Lei turned his head and started walking away without giving Wang Defa a shred of respect.

"Stay right there!" Wang Defa laughed out of pure rage. "Aren't you afraid I'll fire you?!"

"Afraid of what?!" Xiao Lei paused, turned back to look at Wang Defa, and sneered. "What kind of nobody are you that you think you can fire me? My seniority is longer than yours, and I haven't made any mistakes. You can't fire me for shit! But don't go dancing around like a monkey. If you truly provoke me, don't come crying when a spatula hits you in the face. I've got better aim than Zhou Yan, and my swing is much harder."

"You... you..." Wang Defa's face turned black with fury.

Huang Fusheng hurried to restrain Wang Defa while saying to Xiao Lei, "Master Xiao, that's not right. How can you speak to Director Wang like that?"

"You shut up too. You can't even pass the Level 3 Chef exam yet and you're acting like a head chef. All you know is how to lick Wang Defa's boots like a toad—always jumping up to please him. What kind of person are you?" Xiao Lei gave a cold laugh. "My job is easy as pie now. I get my salary, my seniority keeps growing, and I just wait for retirement. I don't even have to deal with people's backbiting."

"You... you..." Huang Fusheng's face also darkened.

Xiao Lei walked off briskly without looking back.

As he rode his bike out of the factory gates, he glanced back at Zhou Erwa's restaurant, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. "That kid actually has some skill."

***

When Zhou Yan returned to the shop and parked his bicycle against the wall, Zhou Fei was already sitting inside, chatting with Zhou Miao about the big fish that Comrade Old Zhou had escaped with.

He greeted them, placed the package Ma Xingye had given him on the counter, and headed toward the kitchen.

"Did you see Xia Yao home?" Zhao Tieying asked.

Zhao Hong also cast a concerned look toward him. That college student was so beautiful and had such a lovely personality; her voice was soft and pleasant to listen to. She looked so well-matched with Zhou Yan.

"Yeah, it's getting dark, and it wasn't safe for her to go back alone," Zhou Yan replied casually. He washed his hands first. The fish had already been filleted and marinated with ginger, scallions, and cooking wine, and the Agastache (Huoxiang), green peppers, and red peppers had all been washed.

"Such a beautiful girl, of course you had to see her home," Zhao Tieying said with a smile, adding with a hint of emotion, "It's just too far. She's from Hangzhou, studying in the mountain city. Tell me, how far is Hangzhou from here?"

"Over four thousand li. It takes three days by train."

"Four thousand li? Good heavens! The train fare must be astronomical." Zhao Tieying shook her head repeatedly. Even Rongcheng felt far to her, and she had only been to Jiazhou a few times; she couldn't even imagine how far four thousand li was.

"It's fast by plane," Zhou Yan joked.

"A plane? Who can afford that?" Zhao Tieying shook her head. "Last time I was at the commune office, I heard people gossiping. They said the Secretary went on an inspection trip and had to get a certificate from the county to fly. A single ticket costs hundreds of yuan—enough to buy a bicycle."

"That expensive?" Zhao Hong gasped, looking shocked. "Then if you two get married in the future, how often can she visit her parents?"

"Huh?" Zhou Yan froze for a moment, then laughed helplessly. "Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? We aren't dating, and we haven't said anything about getting married."

"Your sister-in-law certainly has a vivid imagination! Even I wouldn't dare dream that big. Even among college students, Xia Yao is one of the most well-behaved ones—graceful, efficient, and excellent with social etiquette." Zhao Tieying grew more enthusiastic as she spoke, staring at Zhou Yan. "You kid, you should give it a shot. A daughter-in-law that good... if you miss out, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

"Mom, I'm making Agastache Crucian Carp. I'll leave the braised eel to you," Zhou Yan said, not daring to engage further.

He took pickled ginger, pickled long beans, and pickled peppers from the vat and minced them finely. He then minced the ginger, garlic, and chili together; this step was crucial.

For the Agastache, he used only the leaves, mincing them finely to ensure the flavor was fully released.

He heated rapeseed oil in a hot wok. Once the oil reached sixty percent heat, he added the crucian carp and fried them until both sides were golden, then set them aside.

Using the remaining oil in the pan, he added a spoonful of lard. Once the oil was hot, he tossed in the minced ginger, garlic, and pickled peppers to release their aroma, followed by finely minced bean paste. He stirred it over low heat until the red oil emerged, then added the pickled long beans.

The aroma instantly surged—sour, spicy, and fragrant!

When Sichuanese people cook fish, they use plenty of oil, side ingredients, and seasonings to achieve this specific blend of flavors.

At this point, he added a spoonful of water, seasoning it with MSG, pepper, sugar, and cooking wine to enhance the umami, along with a little Baoning vinegar to remove the fishiness and boost the aroma.

He added the previously fried fish, ensuring they were just submerged in the sauce, and let them simmer over low heat.

Zhou Yan glanced at Zhou Lihui, who was standing by the stove, and smiled. "Huihui, do you want to learn how to make fish too?"

"I do!" Zhou Lihui nodded, admiringly. "Uncle, you're amazing. This fish smells so good—even better than the ones Mom makes."

"Your uncle is a professional chef; of course he cooks better than me," Zhao Hong laughed from behind the stove.

In the pan next to them, Zhao Tieying's eel was already simmering. The cut pieces of eel bubbled in the red sauce, smelling quite delicious as well.

Watching Zhou Yan cook these past few days, Zhao Tieying had learned a few tricks: don't be stingy with the seasonings. As long as the seasonings are good, even a shoe sole would taste delicious.

After the crucian carp had simmered for six or seven minutes, Zhou Yan took an open plate and removed the fish.

He increased the heat slightly to reduce the sauce and added a bit of starch water to thicken it. Once the sauce became thick and started bubbling, he added the Agastache and chopped scallions. After a quick toss to let the Agastache flavor fully meld into the sauce, he poured it over the cooked fish.

The thick sauce, intertwined with scallions, pickled long beans, and the red and green of the peppers, looked incredibly enticing atop the fish.

As the fish aroma wafted through the air, Zhou Lihui swallowed hard. It smelled amazing!

"This smells incredible. I didn't expect Zhou Yan to be so good at cooking fish too," Zhao Hong remarked in admiration.

Zhou Momo and Fanwa crowded at the kitchen doorway, their noses twitching as they sniffed the air.

"Smells so good! Brother!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up. "Is it fish? I want some!"

"Yeah, Agastache Crucian Carp." Zhou Yan handed the plate to Zhou Lihui and smiled. "Go wash your hands. I'll stir-fry a vegetable dish, and then we'll eat."