Chapter 495: Chapter 404: Authentic! Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (Part 2)

In the hearts of Huaxia people, there is always a desire to take root, to settle in a certain place in a certain city, rather than drifting everywhere.

"Boss Chen, I’ve got some good news for you."

"What?"

"Yingzi’s parents called me this morning and said that they are willing to do this business, and they also mentioned that if it’s suitable, they will recommend other clients to me, all from the same village."

Chen Mo finally became serious, "If this business is suitable, they won’t even need to recommend it. I bet people from their village working outside will rush back to seek cooperation."

"Exactly, and just consider whose recipe we’re using!"

Chen Mo ignored Cheng Xiuli’s flattery, "I can’t stay here for many days, so whatever I can do, I will."

With that, Chen Mo self-intentionally began preparing today’s ingredients and seasonings, while Cheng Xiuli, as she had done for the past few days, started recording with her phone.

This was the only option left.

Bao Shuai and his group of three had been completely burnt out by Chen Mo’s snacks; they not only had to set up the stall at night but also prepare ingredients overnight for the next day.

With the addition of Wen Haiping and his wife, they had to prepare more and more ingredients. The headquarters couldn’t send more people over for the time being, so Cheng Xiuli had to use this awkward method to document Chen Mo’s snacks.

"Boss Chen, what are you planning to make today?"

"Today? Today I’m making a rather famous snack, but there’s something I find strange."

"What is it?"

"This snack is famous all over the country, but it’s a specialty from Yunnan. Why are all the people making it from the Northeast now?"

"You mean?"

Chen Mo tossed the cleaned chicken and duck onto the chopping board, "Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles!"

Cheng Xiuli’s pupils contracted, feeling like Chen Mo was joking with her.

Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles, a snack that can be found on any corner in almost every city, is almost as famous as Sha County Snacks and Braised Chicken Rice.

But Chen Mo was right.

It’s clearly a famous snack from Yunnan, but in recent years, all those making Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles are from the Northeast, which is indeed a strange phenomenon. However, this wasn’t Cheng Xiuli’s concern; she had a question, "But Boss Chen, we have related projects in our company for this snack, and... we do quite well."

Quite well?

Chen Mo laughed.

"Don’t rush. Anyway, it’s still early. I’ll make one serving for us to have as lunch. If you approve, we can then think about whether to launch it, okay?"

Cheng Xiuli felt a bit awkward, "I didn’t mean it that way. Fine, let’s do it your way!"

Chen Mo started preparing his ingredients.

According to the recipe provided by the system, traditional Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles appeared as early as the end of the Ming Dynasty, first in Jianshui County, Yunnan.

By the 1930s, there were already restaurants in Kunming specifically selling Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles, and with improved techniques and cooking methods, it quickly became a famous local delicacy and has been passed down to this day.

Chen Mo used to eat this dish quite often too.

Currently, the going rate for a regular vegetarian rice noodle dish is typically around 12 to 15 yuan per person.

Then you can add items; adding four kinds of meat and vegetables might cost an extra five yuan or so, while vegetarian items might be around three yuan.

But in reality, the so-called meat items are just some instant meatballs sliced up, and the vegetarian items are things like lettuce, bean curd, bean sprouts, and such.

The making is extremely simple. Mainly, it involves stewing a pot of onion-infused oil and using very heavy seasoning to make the soup base, then just cooking the rice noodles in it, and it’s done.

But the recipe Chen Mo got was different.

Seeing Cheng Xiuli beginning to record, while preparing the ingredients, Chen Mo gave a simple explanation.

"In Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles, there are actually only three important components; the rest are just unnecessary additions."

"First, a highly heated chicken and duck broth!"

"Second, a platter containing raw kidney slices, liver slices, perch slices, pork tenderloin slices, and other vegetables!"

"And third, a bowl of white rice noodles blanched in boiling water. Using egg noodles isn’t out of the question, but that would be Crossing the Bridge Noodles instead."

Cheng Xiuli chuckled, finding Chen Mo somewhat humorous, though she had never heard of the recipe he mentioned before.

Who puts kidneys, liver, and tenderloin in Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles? Isn’t it typically just slicing up hotpot meatballs and boiling them in?

After saying this, Chen Mo didn’t explain further.

He began preparing the ingredients in order, starting with the broth. Chen Mo had carefully studied the original recipe, and the broth for Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles was primarily about stewing the aroma of chicken and duck oil into the broth.

Achieving a state where the broth has no oil, yet the flavor is fragrant and rich.

First, use a regular broth-making method, then add a large amount of chicken and duck oil to the broth. Once the oil slick rises to the surface, skim it off and continue stewing until the broth turns white.

Given this...

With Cheng Xiuli watching, Chen Mo just resorted to replicating the method they used for making milk broth during large banquet preparations to start making the broth.

At the same time, he talked into the phone about his understanding, "For all the ingredients that require broth in the world, we could directly use the Clear Soup and Milk Broth from Lu Cuisine. These two broths have reached an ultimate level; no other broth will surpass them. Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles is all about a rich flavor, so we should just use the Milk Broth."

Making Milk Broth is slightly simpler than Clear Soup, at least it avoids the repeated boiling process.

While stewing, Chen Mo adjusted the heat, figuring it wouldn’t need attending for a while, "I need to go buy some ingredients, you stay here."

"Alright, I’ll keep an eye on it for you."

Chen Mo nodded and drove out of the parking lot in the RV.

...

Dongyang, the People’s Hospital, Proctology Department.

Zhang Xiaobin and Zhao Wenping anxiously waited outside the consultation room.

"It must hurt a lot, right? Ouch, if you were to cut my thigh I might endure it, but if you stick a finger in my butt I’d be done for."

How painful is the Thousand Years Kill? Those who’ve been hit know.

Zhao Wenping touched his cigarette, then remembered smoking wasn’t allowed here, so he had to put it away, "This stuff’s seriously a pain in the ass."

They couldn’t stand, nor could they sit.

Before long, Qian Zhijie came out with a pained expression.

The two immediately went up to him.

"How’s it going, Master?"

Qian Zhijie, holding his butt, said, "Damn it, they told me I need to be hospitalized first and eat light meals for a few days. Once the inflammation subsides, then they can operate."

"Where did the inflammation come from?" Zhao Wenping asked, "Haven’t we been mindful of our diet these few days?"

Qian Zhijie put his arm on his apprentice’s shoulder, "It was all those rabbit heads from yesterday. I figured a little wouldn’t hurt, but who would’ve thought it had such a big impact!"

Initially, it was nothing.

But after going to the bathroom last night and this morning, that small lump swelled up and was even shining now!

The doctor responsible for the examination exclaimed at the sight, saying it was the first time seeing inner hemorrhoids growing like that.

The condition was too severe for surgery; he could only stay in the hospital and let it settle for a couple of days.

"What do we do now?"

"Follow the doctor’s orders, what else can we do?"

Zhang Xiaobin, speechless, went to handle the hospital admission procedures.

Soon after, the group was in the hospital room. Zhang Xiaobin looked at the large ward, "Master, should we, maybe, stay somewhere a little nicer?"

This hospital room was quite spacious but housed six people.

Except for the empty bed, the other five patients were lying face down, looking glum.

Qian Zhijie waved it off, "I’ve seen harsher conditions, it’s a public hospital and insurance doesn’t cover staying in a nice ward. We’re only here for a few days, it doesn’t matter."

The two helped settle Qian Zhijie in, chatted for a while, and then had to head back to work.

Lying in bed, bored, Qian Zhijie didn’t like playing with his phone, so he tried to find topics to chat about with the others.

"Hey buddy, what’s your deal, have you had your surgery yet?"

The guy on the next bed turned his head with pain, groaning.

"Is it really that painful?"

"Yeah, the kill-me-now kind of pain!"

Qian Zhijie took a sharp breath, "Buddy, what brought on this condition for you?"

"Gluttony I guess, eating rich and spicy every day, according to the doctor."

That guy couldn’t help groaning while speaking, it really was painful!

Qian Zhijie sighed, "Same here. I knew I shouldn’t eat such spicy stuff, but just couldn’t resist. Why is that stuff just so damn tasty?"

"What stuff?"

Qian Zhijie perked up and started vividly describing what he ate last night.

Unbeknownst to him, the brothers in the other beds were quietly listening in on his chatter.