Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

A genius... What a rare title.

’I’d better get on his good side now.’

He had grown up in a restaurant, so he’d picked up fifty or sixty percent of his father’s knack for handling people.

"Time for the pork trotter!" Huang Ying announced. She set down her chopsticks, grabbed both ends of the braised trotter with a solemn expression, and took a huge bite.

The wobbly skin slid off the bone at the slightest touch. The tendon was soft and tender. With just one bite, juices exploded in her mouth, sending a shiver through her very soul.

’It’s amazing!’

That first bite of the hot, braised pork trotter was pure bliss!

Huang Ying loved braised pork trotters. For five years straight, she had eaten one of Zhao’s trotters every three days. They were her one true love.

She usually bought them cold and steamed them at home, just because she adored that soft, tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

But today...

The position Zhao’s braised pork trotter held in her heart instantly plummeted to second place.

Zhou Yan’s braised pork trotter had just claimed the top spot.

She suddenly understood all of her father’s complaints.

’The difference in the braising liquid is enormous!’

The braising liquid is the soul of any braised dish. It’s what breathes life into otherwise unloved ingredients like pig’s feet and heads, transforming them into delicacies diners crave.

Before, she had always considered Zhao’s braising liquid to be top-notch. It was rich and fragrant, gave the food a beautiful color, and the resulting meat was delicious—far better than any other place.

But in the face of Zhou Yan’s pork trotter, Zhao’s was instantly reduced to just another run-of-the-mill joint.

This had to be from a master stock. The braising liquid’s aroma was incredibly mellow and complex. The spices were blended to perfection—fragrant without being cloying, with a faintly sweet aftertaste from a true, properly-made caramel base.

Huang Ying took another bite. The more she chewed, the more fragrant it became. ’This flavor is absolutely divine.’

Huang Bing hadn’t wanted any, but the way Huang Ying was eating was just too tempting. The pork trotter looked so soft and smelled so good, wobbling with every movement of her hand.

Unfortunately, he was broke and definitely couldn’t spare one-twenty for a pork trotter.

Just then, the factory shifts ended, and workers from the textile mill began pouring into the restaurant, taking seats and ordering.

"Mrs. Zhao, any pork trotters left today? We’ll take one!" a woman at the next table called out.

"There are five left, not counting the pre-orders. I’ll put one down for you," Zhao Tieying answered with a smile.

Hearing this, Huang Ying’s eyebrow shot up. She popped a slice of braised pig’s ear into her mouth, chewed, swallowed, and immediately chimed in, "Mrs. Zhao, I’ll take another braised pork trotter, a whole braised pig’s ear, a braised pig snout, and half a pound of the braised head meat."

Huang Bing’s eyes lit up at her words, and a gratified smile spread across his face.

’That’s my dear sister, alright. All that spoiling her when we were kids paid off.’

’But isn’t that a little much? We haven’t even finished the pig’s ear and snout we already have.’

"More? You won’t be able to finish all that, will you?" Mrs. Zhao asked, looking at Huang Ying with some hesitation. ’This girl is so nice and sweet-tongued, but even if she has money, she shouldn’t be so wasteful.’

"Mrs. Zhao, just set it aside for me. We’ll get it to-go when we’re done," Huang Ying said with a smile. "My mom loves braised pork trotters, and I think yours are just so delicious. I have to bring one back for her to try, and get some snacks for my dad to have with his evening drink."

Huang Bing’s smile vanished.

’So none of that was for me? It’s all for Mom and Dad?’

’I got happy for nothing.’

’All that spoiling was for nothing.’

"Of course. I’ll set them aside for you," Mrs. Zhao replied with a smile.

In the back kitchen, a smile appeared on Zhou Yan’s face. The fish had taken the bait.

The stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings arrived at the table. Huang Bing dished himself a bowl of rice, picked up a piece of braised pig’s ear, and tried it. His eyes lit up. He then tried a piece of the braised snout and exclaimed, "Even the other braised meats are this good?!"

"Don’t make such a fuss, you’re making us look like we’ve never seen good food before." Huang Ying shot him a look, then said with a grin, "The pork trotter is even better. They heated it up specially before bringing it out. It’s so soft and tender, completely soaked in brine. Every chew is full of the flavor of the spices and the meat. The taste is just out of this world."

GULP... Huang Bing swallowed hard. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Huang Ying! You’re trying to make me jealous on purpose, aren’t you!"

"One-twenty each, it’s such a bargain! You have no idea, the trotters at Zhao’s are smaller than this, don’t taste nearly as good, and they still cost one-fifty each. Huang Bing, are you really not going to buy one and try it?" Huang Ying’s smile grew even wider, her tone teasing. "Oh, that’s right, I forgot. You need that ten yuan to buy makeup for your girlfriend and treat your buddies to drinks. If you add a pork trotter to the bill, you probably won’t have enough, will you?"

As she spoke, Huang Ying took another huge bite, then waved the trotter right under Huang Bing’s nose. "Just smell it. It’s so good~ It’s almost unbearable."

’Infuriating!’

Huang Bing clenched his fists, made up his mind, and stood up. "Mrs. Zhao!" he called out. "I’ll take a braised pork trotter."

"Oh, dear. You should have said something sooner. The last one was just ordered by this pretty lady here," Zhao Tieying replied with a good-natured laugh. "Try again tomorrow. We’re all out for today."

"Alright..." Huang Bing slumped back into his seat, defeated.

Huang Ying absolutely lost it.

"What are you laughing at!" Huang Bing shot her a glare. ’I can’t believe it. I finally worked up the nerve, and I still missed the last one.’

’Do these pork trotters always sell this well?’

CLINK!

The tip of a pork trotter appeared in Huang Bing’s bowl.

Huang Bing looked up.

"Just a taste," Huang Ying said, smiling at him. "Don’t worry, I broke it off with my hands, I didn’t bite it."

"I didn’t even really want any..."

"Then give it back!"

"I’ll eat it, I’ll eat it!" Huang Bing snatched the piece of trotter and started gnawing on it.

’Mmm! So good!’

’The skin is so soft! And the tendon is so tender and chewy, a little sticky.’

’Braised pork trotters are amazing—’

’I have to get a whole one tomorrow!’

’This sister... worth spoiling after all.’

After finishing the trotter and washing her hands, Huang Ying polished off a bowl of rice as well.