Chapter 729: Chapter 632: Snowball Fights and Bathhouses—The Cozy Life in the Northeast
"It’s definitely delicious, just not that remarkably so."
Liu Hehe continued chopping the squash while chatting with Zhou Ruoqing: "Wang Fan’s culinary skills are so high that even our Northeast cuisine has improved significantly in flavor. But Ruoqing, I still advise you to eat less at lunch. The evening meal is the real highlight, hehe."
Zhou Ruoqing was a bit surprised: "Can I go too?"
Liu Hehe obviously replied, "Why not? You’re one of the employees now."
Zhou Ruoqing awkwardly said, "You two aren’t getting paid, but I am, so it’s different."
Liu Zhaofeng hurriedly said, "It’s the same. Although we said we don’t want any pay, Wang Fan still forces money on us every day."
Zhou Ruoqing laughed, "So I can have a special meal tonight, too?"
"Of course, you can. By the way, Ruoqing, do you have any plans this afternoon? We’ve arranged to meet some friends for a snowball fight. Want to join and experience our Northeastern snowball fight culture?"
It snowed heavily overnight; even now, it’s still sprinkling lightly. It would be such a waste not to have a snowball fight in such weather. To Liu Hehe, powdery snow is the best kind of snow.
Zhou Ruoqing was clearly very interested in this suggestion: "I have nothing going on, but will Boss Wang let us go?"
Liu Zhaofeng explained, "We close at two o’clock every afternoon, that’s our daily schedule. Wang Fan cooks from 10 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon, and the two of them will go with us too."
"Alright, count me in. I’ve had snowball fights in Beijing as well, and I can make snowballs really fast."
After speaking, Zhou Ruoqing gleefully went back to her bountiful harvest, unaware that Northeast snowball fights were nothing like what she imagined.
Although the sky was still dropping light snow, Erbin’s snow removal efficiency was exceptionally high, so the main roads had almost no snow buildup and did not significantly affect travel.
The immediate consequence of this was that the line in front of Wang Fan’s shop kept growing longer.
Wang Fan’s cooking spatula was moving so fast it almost started smoking, yet he couldn’t keep up with the number of people.
Wang Fan was a bit puzzled; today’s efficiency wasn’t lower than yesterday’s at all. By this efficiency, the line should be getting shorter, not longer!
Did another big wave of little princesses arrive?
He guessed half right.
Indeed, there was a big wave of newcomers, but they weren’t from the South. They were locals from the Northeast!
The day before yesterday, people from Erbin came; today it was different, with many from neighboring cities and provinces!
"Today, I must taste how amazing this Northeast cuisine, which I’ve been eating half my life, can get."
"Some people exaggerated it too much, saying it’s top-notch. I need to see how ’top-notch’ it really is."
"I came because of its reputation. I’ve eaten Northeast cuisine my whole life, and suddenly it’s become high-end. I need to experience what’s going on."
"Hey, bro. Where are you from?"
"I’m from Tieling, buddy. Where are you from?"
"Siping."
"I’m from Changchun. Want to sit at one table later?"
"Sure, sure, just make sure to estimate the portions, have fun, but don’t overdo it. With this cold weather, it wouldn’t be good to have any issues."
"This brother is considerate. There’s always an online debate about which is colder, the North or the South. It makes me laugh. In the South, ’cold enough to freeze a person’ is just a figure of speech. Here, it’s real life."
"Our turn now, quickly find a place to try it. Is it really that amazing?"
Wang Fan’s cooking skills were already famous, but some people who had eaten Northeast cuisine all their lives weren’t open to other cuisines. Lately, Wang Fan was cooking Northeast dishes, and with the relentless promotion from satisfied diners, this was the result today.
This big bowl of bountiful harvest doesn’t require bright colors, exquisite plating, or precisely measured ingredients. It simply highlights one trait—perfect with rice!
The color, the combination, the tender texture, makes you want to heap it over rice and shovel it into your mouth.
"Whoa, you’re not kidding, you’re really not kidding."
"It sure is more fragrant than others’. No wonder people online praise it so much."
"This trip was definitely worth it just for this meal even if it was just for the rice."
"So delicious. The ribs are fragrant, and the side dishes are too; it’s that pure, fragrant aroma. You can tell not much seasoning is used. And I’m picky with food."
Uncle couldn’t resist serving himself a big bowl too.
Half a bowl of rice topped with a generous layer of veggies, two spoonfuls of broth, and a juicy, white green onion.
Take a bite of rib, a bite of the green onion, a spoonful of rice soaked in broth. The deliciousness almost made my head spin.
The fried chicken shop owner swallowed hard, saying with a wry smile, "Uncle, I’m not saying you can’t eat in my shop, but you have to consider my feelings a bit, right? You’re making me drool."
Uncle chuckled, "Wanna try some? I can give you half. I haven’t touched this side yet."
The fried chicken shop owner’s eyes lit up, "That would be great, Uncle. Hang on, I’ll get a bowl. Then I’ll fry a couple of chicken steaks, and I have some strong liquor. How about we have a couple of drinks?"
"Sure, let’s have a bite, especially because as long as this young guy is here, I don’t have to worry."
Uncle thoroughly enjoyed life now. In Beijing, there always seemed to be an invisible wall between people, causing an unconscious distance. In the Northeast, there’s no such concern at all.
...
"Are there any precautions for a snowball fight?"
Comments