I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 737 - 329: The Pigeon Is Really Delicious! Dad, You Qualify to Bid for a School Canteen Stall Now! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_2
In an office building at Xierqi, Li Qiang, who was working overtime, took a break from programming. He opened his browser, preparing to slack off for a bit and relax his mind.
He remembered a certain big shot saying that compensation earned from working doesn’t count as making money. Only the pay received while not working truly counts.
To experience the joy of "making money," Li Qiang often slacked off, diligently fleecing the capitalists.
He clicked on a browser bookmark, and the page automatically redirected to the Lin Ji’s Food discussion forum.
Just as he was about to check the day’s topics, he noticed the @mention button on his page showed a 99+ notification.
What? What’s going on? Why have so many people @mentioned me?
He clicked the button, and a barrage of mentions popped up:
"Brother Qiang, was that really you Lele mentioned, the one who fell asleep while coding?"
"Manually @mentioning Brother Qiang, did Dundun help you with your programming? I really want to know!"
"The man blessed by Dundun! You’re trending today."
"Dundun is so good with the keyboard; did you teach it?"
"Having a cat keep you company during overtime? You must be the happiest programmer alive, right?"
"..."
Li Qiang was baffled. What is all this nonsense? How could Dundun possibly help me with programming? Every time I go to the store, it acts all snobby and ignores me. Has everyone lost their minds today?
He scrolled through the recent activity in the forum and finally understood. It turned out Boss Lin had posted the second half of the video of Dundun playing with the selfie camera.
Well then, I absolutely have to watch this.
With that thought, he minimized the browser, leaving the programming interface on the monitor. Phone in hand, he hurried towards the restroom.
Hmm, when going to the restroom during work hours, you have to look like you’re in a desperate hurry, like you really can’t hold it. That way, even if people want to ask you something, they’ll wait until you’re back. If you look too leisurely, not only will colleagues ask all sorts of questions, but even the boss will think, ’This slacker is at it again.’
Once inside the restroom, however, there was no need to rush.
He leisurely put on his Bluetooth earbuds and switched to transparency mode. This way, he wouldn’t miss anything in the video while still being aware of his surroundings.
He entered a stall, closed the door, took a piece of toilet paper from the dispenser, placed it on the seat, and sat down slowly.
He opened the newly posted video and began to watch.
The video wasn’t long, about ten minutes.
But the content was explosive.
Dundun reacted with various actions based on the conversation of the people in the meeting.
It made him laugh out loud several times.
After watching the video and reading the comments, he grew curious himself. Could a cat really be that smart?
He decided that when he went to Lin Ji’s Food for dinner after work, he would observe that chubby little fellow up close to see if it was genuinely that intelligent.
He casually scrolled through the comments. After about fifteen minutes, he finally got up.
First, he made a show of flushing the toilet. Then, he took off his earbuds, pocketed his phone, opened the stall door, and walked out.
Exiting the restroom, he didn’t return to his desk immediately. Instead, he washed his hands leisurely, trying to fleece the capitalists for every possible second.
As Li Qiang was fixing his sparse hair after washing up, he noticed the department’s new manager, Qi Panpan, standing behind him. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her eyes were fixed coldly on him.
This... This is the men’s restroom entrance. What are you doing just standing here?
Trying to appear composed, Li Qiang coughed twice and turned to ask, "Is the women’s restroom full again?"
"Next time, keep it down when you’re watching videos. You were laughing so loudly I could hear you clearly from the women’s restroom."
Brother Qiang suddenly felt as if his petty attempt at cunning had been completely exposed.
He gave an awkward laugh. "I’ll be more careful in the future."
Qi Panpan’s gaze hardened. "So, you *were* really slacking off in the toilet just now? Li Qiang, you’re a technical supervisor now. You shouldn’t be setting an example by leading others to slack off..."
What? You were actually trying to trick me?
Brother Qiang took a deep breath. Just as he was about to leave the restroom, Qi Panpan asked another question, "That error-ridden piece of code you submitted the other day—was it really Dundun who wrote it?"
Li Qiang was speechless.
In the restaurant, Xie Baomin stir-fried the pigeon meat until its outer skin was golden brown and slightly crisp. Then, he added a small bowl of prepared dried chili pieces and two spoonfuls of sugar, continuing to stir-fry.
Once the sugar caramelized, he drizzled a bit of Rice Wine along the edge of the wok.
As the aroma of the wine rose, he added the prepared garlic, followed by Light Soy Sauce and Dark Soy Sauce. He tossed everything to coat the pigeon meat in a glossy, reddish-brown hue.
Finally, he ladled in some Pork Bone Broth.
Pigeon meat is wonderfully flavorful but can lack richness. That’s why stewing it with Pork Bone Broth is essential; it makes the pigeon meat exceptionally savory and delicious.
"If you don’t have Pork Bone Broth," Xie Baomin explained, "you’d have to stir-fry the pigeon in lard. Otherwise, the aroma won’t be sufficient, and it’ll taste a bit lacking. Crispy Pigeon is so popular in the south precisely because the high-temperature deep-frying method enhances the pigeon’s flavor."
After adding the Pork Bone Broth, Xie Baomin poured the water used for soaking Sichuan peppercorns into the wok. He then added the previously fried ginger pieces. Once the liquid came to a rolling boil, he reduced the heat to low, covered the wok, and let it simmer gently.
The initial high heat had seared the meat and driven out some of its moisture. Now, the low heat would allow the rich stock in the wok to slowly permeate the meat. This exchange of moisture is the process by which pigeon meat cooks from raw to done.
"Typically, this braising method is used for pigeon that isn’t perfectly fresh," he continued. "For fresh pigeon, soup is always the first choice. Everyone knows pigeon soup is incredibly delicious. As for the meat itself, not many people pay it much mind."
