great-warnovel Chapter 183 The Diner Completely Conquered by Braised Pork...
Chapter 183 The Diner Completely Conquered by Braised Pork...
The words "wait it out" are easy to say, but to actually endure it in this fragrant space is more torturous than being starving for three days and three nights.
On the damp cobblestone path, the cool breeze felt like tiny files, relentlessly pouring into their loose collars.
Zhou Benchang had already eaten lunch earlier that day, so he wasn't too hungry at the moment.
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his toes lightly touching the muddy water, unable to resist peeking through the cracks in the wooden door.
His lips moved slightly, but more than anything, he was relying on his decades of experience working in the red walls to carefully observe the changes in the heat that were slowly spreading from the large pot in the back kitchen.
But the third brother standing next to him looked like he had just gone through a hellish ordeal!
"Gurgle... gurgle gurgle—!!"
The third brother's round belly was constantly protesting.
He shrank his neck somewhat awkwardly, rubbing his stomach with both hands. His face, smeared with cigarette ash, had eyes that were already glowing green with hunger.
What's even more captivating is that during the slow simmering process of Lao Liu's second pot of braised pork, the aroma wasn't static; rather, it developed an incredibly alluring, layered fragrance with each passing second!
During that hour, which felt like an eternity, Lao San not only had to endure the bombardment of distinct aromas, but also had to watch helplessly as the diners who had managed to snag the last batch of leftovers in the lobby feasted heartily.
A young man wearing glasses was seen stuffing mouthfuls of noodles covered in amber-colored sauce into his mouth without any regard for his image. As he chewed, the rich and flavorful sauce slid down his chin, and he was sweating profusely as he ate, exclaiming how satisfying it was.
To the third brother, who was already pressed to the ground, this scene was nothing short of the most cruel form of torture!
"Master Zhou... Master Zhou..."
The third brother gripped his lower back tightly, his eyes bloodshot as if spitting fire, his voice trembling as he swallowed hard in agony:
"I...I've been in the south of the city for so many years, what delicacies haven't I seen? Today...I'm almost driven crazy by this pot of braised pork!! If this meat doesn't come out of the pot soon, I'm afraid I'll really collapse on this muddy ground right here!!"
Zhou Benchang glanced at him pitifully, then patted his shoulder discreetly and whispered, "..."
"Bear with it a little longer. The heat has just reached the critical point. The gelatin on the skin has just completely melted. Serving it up now will give it the most divine flavor."
Just when the third brother felt his intestines were about to be completely ripped out—
"Alright!! The second batch of braised pork with garlic is ready!!"
Old Liu's loud, excited shout, like a savior's cry, echoed throughout the entire noodle shop with a resounding boom!
The thirty or forty diners in line immediately erupted in a thunderous cheer and surged in, filling the dilapidated restaurant with the sound of hurried footsteps.
The third brother pounced on his prey like a hungry wolf, taking three steps at a time, and squeezed his way to the counter in a very disheveled manner.
Zhou Benchang raised two fingers, patted the greasy table somewhat awkwardly, and said in a low voice, "Boss, give me... two bowls."
"No!! Two bowls aren't enough!!"
The veins on the third brother's forehead bulged, his eyes fixed on the braised pork in the iron pot, glistening with amber-colored sugar. He slammed three bright red banknotes on the counter and roared hoarsely:
"Give me the biggest bowl, three bowls! Extra meat! Keep the change!!"
Hearing the roar, Old Liu, who was deftly stirring the pot with a large iron ladle, suddenly raised his head and looked up excitedly at the two strange middle-aged fat men covered in flour stains and with faces covered in soot.
Old Liu sized up Zhou Benchang, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
He felt that the tall, middle-aged, overweight man in front of him, with his hat pulled low, looked vaguely familiar. It seemed that he had just been here at noon that day and had made quite a commotion in the store.
However, at this moment, dozens of customers in the shop were clamoring for more noodles, and Lao Liu was exhausted and sweating profusely. He didn't have the time to dig deeper or carefully examine the details!
Old Liu wiped the sweat from his face, chuckled憨厚ly, and replied loudly:
"Alright, sir! Three large bowls of braised pork noodles are ready for you right away! Go inside and find an empty table to wait!"
Two minutes later.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Five large, coarse porcelain bowls, each a size bigger than his old face, were deftly and heavily stacked by Old Liu on the old wooden square table in the far corner.
In the heavy porcelain bowl, thick, amber-colored sauce was still seeping steam from the edge of the alkaline water. The finest pork belly, with its perfect balance of fat and lean meat, was neatly arranged. The purple-skinned garlic, melted into minced garlic, carried a sweet aroma of wine and, with a bang, completely engulfed the entire corner.
Zhou Benchang moved two bowls, picked up his wooden chopsticks, and prepared to slowly savor the subtle changes in the cooking temperature.
But the third brother sitting opposite him went completely insane in that instant!
"Awooo—!!"
The third brother let out a low growl.
He grabbed a pair of wooden chopsticks in each hand, and with a swift, terrifying motion, his two large, black hands simultaneously picked up braised pork and shoved it roughly into his mouth!
"Smack! Smack! Glug!!"
In that instant, the third brother's cheeks were stuffed full and round, like a land squirrel with its belly full of food!
The skin is soft and chewy! The meat is tender and juicy! The flavor is rich and satisfying!
The aroma of meat, which had been brewing for an hour, exploded on Lao San's tongue! The succulent, firm pork belly melted in his mouth like tofu, and the melted purple garlic was incredibly sweet, mixed with the fragrance of Shaoxing wine!
"Delicious!! It smells so damn good!!"
The third brother didn't even bother to chew properly; his eyes were wide open, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing wildly.
He held a pair of chopsticks in each hand, frantically stuffing handfuls of alkaline noodles soaked in red oil into his mouth with his right hand, while his left hand kept feeding him succulent spiced meat with the wooden chopsticks!
This ferocious eating style, with its simultaneous attacks from both sides and without a moment's pause, this utterly unrefined "refugee-like" scavenging, instantly stunned the diners at the surrounding tables!
"Holy crap!! Look at that painted-face uncle in the far corner!!"
"My goodness... Could this be a refugee just dug out from under the paving stones in the south of the city?! Eating chopsticks with both hands, one after the other?! This is the first time I've ever seen someone eat braised pork noodles with such a frantic style!!"
"Hahaha! Look at his cheeks, they're so bulging, like an old sow that hasn't eaten a grain of rice in three days!! That's so hardcore!!"
"Hey! You know what, watching him eat like this, even though I was already full, my stomach is starting to rumble again! Old Liu's braised pork at his noodle shop is truly addictive!!"
A dozen or so diners around whispered and burst into laughter, filling the somewhat dilapidated old shop with a crisp and cheerful atmosphere.
But at this moment, the third brother was completely oblivious to any teasing or jokes!
In his world, the Su Group, the business model, the prestige of Young Master Su… all of that was shattered in an instant by the most exquisite flavor in his mouth, leaving not a single trace!
In the past, if he were to encounter such a fine dish at a high-end restaurant in the south of the city, according to his old habits, he would definitely bang on the table, hold up a high-end wine glass, and savor it with a group of cronies, boasting about it at length.
But now...
After enduring a full hour of extreme hunger purgatory, he simply couldn't stop doing this!
At that moment, the third brother completely understood—
Why was his high and mighty young master acting like a starving ghost in the car just now? He also completely understood why Zhou Benchang, the dignified master chef of state banquets, had to stand with him for an hour, pinching his nose and wiping cigarette ash, even though he was already full, and then ordered two more dishes!
"Slurp—! Slurp—!!"
The third brother didn't even bother to wipe the tears that were burning his eyes. He buried his huge head and swung his two big hands in turn, creating a sound like thunder and lightning.
The tenderness of the braised pork, the aroma of the minced garlic, the chewy texture of the piping hot noodles...
He ate voraciously, oblivious to the fact that his stomach was bloated and he was nearly choking on the coarse noodles!
That moment, in the dark corner of this small noodle shop.
There are no henchmen or lackeys of any financial giants.
There was only one diner who was completely won over by the braised pork...