Chapter 988: Chapter 412: Who Dates Without Wearing a Helmet? Lin Xu’s Attitude Toward Supporting Impoverished Students

Lin Xu glanced at the sea cucumber simmering slowly in the pot, estimating it would take a few more minutes before it was done. Only then did he pick up a large bone from the basin, tearing off a big chunk of meat with his teeth.

This kind of meat, clinging to the bone and with a bit of fat, was incredibly flavorful, especially after being stewed in sauerkraut soup for so long—not only was it tender, but it had also absorbed the sour and fragrant taste of the sauerkraut.

Taking a big bite was truly an ultimate enjoyment.

While gnawing on the bone, Lin Xu found this method of holding the bone to eat meat quite intriguing.

He thought for a moment and instructed Che Zai:

"Tell Old Hu that we’re eating big bones this weekend. Let him bring some back from the slaughterhouse... how many pounds would be appropriate?"

Lin Xu hesitated for a moment, considering the dozens of employees at the shop, along with Qiang Ge, Yue Liyue, Panda, and others, as well as his in-laws and relatives.

To prevent a shortage, he said:

"Just buy a hundred pounds, with more meat on them. Don’t get a pile of ’dog’s bane,’ there’s not much meat on those."

For braised pork ribs, it’s important to buy bones that haven’t been completely trimmed of meat, which have more meat clinging to them and are the most delightful when stewed.

Che Zai agreed,

"Alright, I’ll let Boss Hu know now, so he can pre-order the big bones in advance."

Lin Xu finished gnawing the meat off the bone, and the sea cucumber in the pot was basically ready.

At this time, there was less broth in the pot, looking as if a layer of starch had been added, and it was very viscous, which was the collagen from the sea cucumber being stewed out.

The sea cucumber itself was also trembling slightly, clearly thoroughly braised.

He ladled some scallion oil into the pot, then swirled the frying pan a couple of times to mix the scallion oil evenly with the broth.

The reason for adding scallion oil was to let the scallion fragrance serve as a complement in the braised abalone with sea cucumber, enriching the flavor profile.

Besides scallion oil, a bit of chicken oil can also be added to increase the umami flavor.

However, considering the chicken umami in the braised abalone sauce, Lin Xu opted for the more aromatic scallion oil instead.

After finishing these steps, he took a slightly deeper large plate from the heated plates and poured the sea cucumber along with the braised abalone sauce into it from the pot.

Thus, the braised abalone with sea cucumber dish was formally completed.

The so-called Liaoning sea cucumber refers to sea cucumbers produced in Liao Ning, which aren’t particularly large, but they are plump and juicy, making them a delicacy among sea cucumbers. Therefore, many dishes use Liaoning sea cucumber to refer to high-quality sea cucumbers.

But in fact, most dishes labeled as having Liaoning sea cucumber use imported mixed sea cucumbers instead of real Liaoning sea cucumbers for cost reasons.

Holding the plate, he went outside where a group of ladies was already waiting.

"Wow, this sea cucumber smells so good."

"I thought it was scallion-braised sea cucumber, but it turns out it’s made with braised abalone sauce. I love this golden color."

"This is a beauty treat, mom, you should eat more of it."

"Director Zeng, stop grabbing, there’s plenty for everyone."

"Don’t rush, let me take a photo first. Everyone is showing off on their social media nowadays, I need to show off too. Sea cucumbers are selling slowly, help us out."

"..."

As everyone chatted and competed for food, Chen Yan took a small bowl with a lid, scooping a large spoonful of sea cucumber from the plate, about four or five pieces, then drizzled some braised abalone sauce on top, filling up a small bowl.

She put the lid on the bowl and handed it to Che Zai:

"Keep this warm in the steamer. Don’t sneak a bite; this is saved for Yuanyuan. She goes out early and returns late; she should eat more sea cucumbers."

Che Zai forced a laugh,

"Even if we wanted to eat it, we... we wouldn’t dare."

This was saved for the boss’s cousin. Who would risk it?

Not far away, at the table where the kitchen staff ate, Qi Siliang, who was scooping rice with blood sausage, nudged Zhuang Yizhou with his elbow and quietly asked:

"Who is this Yuanyuan that Chen always talks about?"

"She’s the boss’s cousin. She works at Ziqiang Shengjian. She gets to the shop before seven every morning and finishes after eight at night, come rain or shine. So when we make something delicious, Chen and the boss’s wife always save some for her."

Qi Siliang didn’t understand:

"Since she’s the boss’s cousin, why doesn’t she directly become a manager at the shop? Why work at Ziqiang Shengjian? Isn’t she making it hard on herself?"

Zhuang Yizhou said helplessly:

"Not everyone wants to rely on relatives and be lazy. Yuanyuan has ambitions. When she first came to Beijing, many companies wanted her to work for them, but she felt her educational background wasn’t good enough and voluntarily became a cashier at Ziqiang Shengjian, never complaining about the hard work."

Comparing himself to his behavior at the Yanjing Hotel, Qi Siliang felt some regret:

"I’ve been a burden to my uncle. If it hadn’t been for..."

"It’s not your fault. It was your uncle’s damned master who set him up, taking advantage and being all about appearances, arranging for his apprentices, stepping on all the industry traps. If he wasn’t unlucky, who would be? But that old man got what he deserved. Rumor has it the boss’s master scolded him so much he nearly had a stroke, and now he’s still ’lying in state’ in the hospital."

The changes at Yanjing Hotel over this period were dramatic enough to shoot a TV series.

An old chef with the surname Meng had been plotting for years, trying to smoothly transfer the management of the Yanjing Hotel’s kitchen to his son, not hesitating to ruin his senior apprentice.

However, in the end, it all fell apart.

Not only did he end up sending his son to jail, but he also lost his own reputation.

The day he was chased and scolded by Master Gao, Xinghai’s grandpa, Guo Jichang, and retired masters like Old Master Dai, Old Master He, and Old Master Qiu from the Fishing Platform watched the drama and immediately held a simple memorial in their group chat for the chef named Meng, announcing his social demise.