Chapter 251: Zhong Tiemin
Lu Yunque led Yun Zijin to a restaurant tucked away in a hutong alley. He even used Morse code when he knocked on the door.
Soon, someone came to open it.
"Xiao Lu, you’re here? Come on in!"
But his eyes immediately lit up when he saw Yun Zijin beside Lu Yunque. "And this is...?"
"Hello, Uncle Zhong. This is my girlfriend. Zijin, this is Uncle Zhong. One of his ancestors was an Imperial Chef."
Lu Yunque made the simple introductions.
"Bah! That was my ancestors’ glory. By the time it got to my generation, we’ve gone downhill."
Zhong Tiemin waved his hand dismissively, not seeming to care much about his family having produced an Imperial Chef.
"There are so many culinary families in the country, but not every one of them can say they’ve produced an Imperial Chef."
Yun Zijin wasn’t stingy with her compliments for people Lu Yunque respected.
She was only speaking the truth, though. With so many cooks in the world, becoming an Imperial Chef proved one had extraordinary talent.
"See? This young lady knows how to talk. You’ve been here so many times, and I’ve never heard a single compliment from you."
Lu Yunque let out a laugh, surprised that he had somehow ended up being the one at fault.
"A customer’s loyalty is the best compliment a chef can receive. The fact that I come here so often proves how much I love your food. That’s the highest praise there is."
Lu Yunque wasn’t one to offer compliments willingly; today, the two of them had put him on the spot.
"Heh! Now you’re speaking my language. For that, I’ll show you my best-kept secret today—a family heirloom recipe."
"You two have a seat. I’ll go get started on your food."
With that, Zhong Tiemin turned and disappeared into the kitchen.
The courtyard was set with several solid wood tables. They looked quite old, but it was clear they were kept immaculately clean.
Many older establishments inevitably develop a greasy film on their tables that can never be fully wiped away, but the tables and chairs here had no such feeling.
Lu Yunque led Yun Zijin to a table, and they sat down.
"Aren’t we going to order?"
"It’s Uncle Zhong’s rule: guests eat whatever he decides to make. You can let him know ahead of time if you have any dietary restrictions."
’If that’s the case, this Uncle Zhong is certainly set in his ways.’
’But when someone’s skill is good enough, people will flock to them no matter how strict the rules are.’
"Oh, I see. But how did you find out about this place?"
’Judging by the way Lu Yunque used Morse code to knock, this place probably doesn’t serve just anyone.’
"I was roommates with Uncle Zhong’s son back in college."
’What a fortunate coincidence,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, he never would have known such a special restaurant was hidden deep in this alley.’
"You were pretty lucky, then."
Lu Yunque didn’t confirm or deny it. ’But now that I think about it,’ he mused, ’my luck has always been pretty good, hasn’t it?’
"Since you came here, are you going to let your old roommate know?"
Since he’d found out about this place through his roommate, Yun Zijin felt that Lu Yunque should let him know he was here.
"I already told him, but he’s traveling to find ingredients right now. He isn’t in Dijing."
Although this roommate of Lu Yunque’s had studied business administration just like he had, he’d gone straight home to inherit the family business right after graduating.
These days, he was either on the road or on a plane, always searching for ingredients. The man was basically impossible to track down.
Yun Zijin nodded in understanding and said no more.
They waited for about half an hour. The sky had grown completely dark, but a large lamp in the courtyard, when switched on, brightly illuminated the space and made it easy to eat.
Just then, Zhong Tiemin and his assistant brought out all the dishes for the meal.
"Take a look. If there’s anything that doesn’t suit your tastes, I won’t make it next time."
"You must be joking, Uncle Zhong," Lu Yunque replied. "I’ve been here so many times, and I’ve yet to encounter a dish of yours I didn’t like."
Lu Yunque was well acquainted with Zhong Tiemin’s culinary skills.
A truly skilled chef could make even something like bitter melon into an unforgettable delicacy.
"I’ll have a taste."
Yun Zijin ladled a little soup for herself. She took a small sip, and her eyes immediately narrowed in pleasure.
Unable to find the words to express her feelings, Yun Zijin could only give Zhong Tiemin a big thumbs-up in the end.
"This is delicious!"
Zhong Tiemin had dedicated most of his life to his craft. Seeing someone enjoy his food, and give him such a straightforward thumbs-up, instantly brightened his mood.
"Haha! I like your straightforward nature. You say what you mean, and this old man appreciates that!"
With that, Zhong Tiemin went back into the kitchen.
A moment later, he emerged with a plate of pastries.
"Here! This is my family’s secret recipe for red date cakes. I guarantee one bite will leave you wanting more."
"I’ve taken a liking to you, so I’m making an exception. I don’t give these to my other customers."
Zhong Tiemin placed the red date cakes in front of Yun Zijin, his favoritism on full display.
"I’ve been here so many times, and I’ve never gotten to try these."
Lu Yunque remarked with a hint of jealousy, which surprised Yun Zijin.
’Lu Yunque is friends with Uncle Zhong’s son, and even he has never tried them?’
"Hmph. You’ve eaten here countless times, you brat, and I’ve never heard a word of praise from you. I prefer kids who are honest and know how to give a compliment."
"That’s right. I’m just someone who likes to speak the truth," Yun Zijin said playfully. "But I can’t finish all of these. Here, you can try one."
Yun Zijin picked one up and offered it to Lu Yunque.
He took it without hesitation and had a bite. It was, as he’d expected, completely different from the red date cakes one would normally buy.
Most store-bought red date cakes were overly sweet and became cloying after a few bites, but Zhong Tiemin’s were not like that at all.
The texture was perfect, too—not dry or pasty in the slightest.
’How to describe it...’ he thought. ’It preserved the authentic flavor of the red dates while offering a completely new textural experience.’
Zhong Tiemin saw Lu Yunque’s expression and knew the red date cake had hit the mark.
But that was all there was. He rarely made pastries; he had only made this batch today because he’d had a sudden craving and decided to make a little extra.
"Alright, you two enjoy your meal. I’m going inside to clean up."
Yun Zijin started to ask him to stay and eat with them, but Lu Yunque stopped her.
"Uncle Zhong is always like this. He never eats at the same table as his guests."
It was a strange rule, but Yun Zijin understood.
Yun Zijin only tried one piece of the red date cake before setting it aside.
’They were here for a proper meal, after all, not just pastries.’
"It’s fine," Lu Yunque said. "If we can’t finish them, we can have them packed to take home."
’The texture might be slightly affected after being refrigerated,’ she thought, ’but that’s better than letting them go to waste.’
Yun Zijin nodded, setting the pastries aside, reassured.
"I might be busy all day tomorrow," Yun Zijin said. "If you need anything, send me a message, don’t call. I’ll reply when I see it."
She couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation at the thought of testing the security system Mei Lin had developed.
"What is it? Do you need my help?"
Lu Yunque felt a pang of disappointment to hear that Yun Zijin would be busy all day, but his disappointment quickly turned to concern, worried that she might be tied up with something difficult.
"It’s nothing, just something related to Mr. Tang’s lab."