ocean-life Chapter 55 The Most Powerful Little Butler
Chapter 55 The Most Powerful Little Butler
The moment that shredded meat was put into his mouth, Zhou Wei seemed to hear the wall in his mind called "reason" collapse with a deafening roar.
He first chewed it carefully, but the sticky sweetness he remembered did not appear. Instead, the pork was extremely tender.
Immediately afterwards, a mild sour and spicy sensation rushed up my throat.
Sour, refreshing yet profound.
Spicy, mild yet intense.
Zhou Wei froze, his mouth stopped chewing, and he was completely rooted to the spot.
His brain was frantically reviewing memories from the past twenty years.
"Something's not right...something's definitely not right," he screamed inwardly.
He remembered that cold winter night five years ago in the north, and that plate of "fish-flavored shredded pork" that had disgusted him for five years.
In my memory, each strand of meat was dyed a strange bright red, and every bite felt like swallowing ketchup, so sweet it was outrageous.
For the next five years, he couldn't bring himself to look at the dish.
However, the taste he was experiencing now, the silky smooth sauce, completely overturned his previous understanding.
"Could it be... that boss from the north lied to me?" A hint of disbelief flashed in Zhou Wei's eyes.
He began to suspect that the restaurant owner might have some misunderstanding about the term "fish flavor".
He began to doubt his taste buds again, wondering if this little shop had somehow reshaped them at that moment.
"This is what shredded pork with garlic sauce should be like." He silently concluded to himself.
Although his heart was in turmoil, Zhou Wei maintained a cold and stern expression.
He swallowed the shredded meat slowly and with all his might, feeling an extremely comfortable warmth in his throat.
His hands were somewhat out of control, trembling as he quietly and discreetly tightened his grip on the chopsticks again.
"How's it going, Mr. Zhou, the great designer?" Old Xu stopped wolfing down his food, deliberately drawing out his words, his face displaying an extremely irritating "I knew you'd do this" expression.
He poked at the remaining half of the shredded meat on the plate with the tip of his chopsticks, his eyes narrowed.
Zhou Wei's hand holding the chopsticks froze for half a second. He raised his head, pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses, and forcefully suppressed the longing in his eyes, his tone flat and devoid of any emotion:
"It's... barely edible. While it doesn't have that nauseating sweetness, the sourness... well, it's still too strong for breakfast."
As he spoke, his chopsticks seemed to have a mind of their own, precisely reaching for the plate.
He didn't choose wood ear mushrooms or bamboo shoots, but instead focused on the shredded meat hidden deep in the sauce that looked like the most substantial piece.
"Smack."
He picked up the shredded meat steadily, and the layer of amber-colored red oil shimmered enticingly under the light.
"Compared to the places you guys took me to before, the seasoning here... is barely passable."
While trying to save face, Zhou Wei quickly put the shredded meat into his mouth.
"Ugh...it smells so good." He couldn't help but groan inwardly.
The smooth, tender texture, the salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors that reach their peak in an instant and then quickly reach a balance—these layers of flavor.
It's even more addictive than when he draws a perfect structural diagram.
Old Xu and A-Qiang exchanged a glance, their eyes both filled with mischievous smiles.
"Oh dear, since you only barely passed, Mr. Zhou, you shouldn't push yourself too hard."
Old Xu, with a serious expression, suddenly reached out and pretended to pull the plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce toward himself.
"Let's leave these 'exciting' jobs to rough guys like us."
You'd better hurry up and finish your architectural drawings; that stuff is high-class and won't upset your stomach.
Zhou Wei's chopsticks paused in mid-air. His eyelids twitched as he stared at the plate of shredded meat that was moving away from him, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
"Old Xu, what are you saying?" Zhou Wei put on a stern face, displaying the authority he usually had when reprimanding people in the office.
"As a designer, you need to learn to observe things from all angles."
I was just taking samples. How can I objectively evaluate the quality of a dish without eating it?
"Sampling?" Ah-Qiang almost burst out laughing.
He pointed to the half-empty rice bowl in front of Zhou Wei, then to the conspicuous red, shiny sheen of oil at the corner of his mouth, and added insult to injury:
"Zhou, this sampling scale is a bit large. I don't know who it was that wanted to work just now."
"You're processing meat shreds much faster than you're processing architectural blueprints right now."
"Nonsense." Zhou Wei was furious and embarrassed. He glared at A-Qiang, trying to "suppress" him with his eyes.
But at this moment, he had a crisp, tender green bamboo shoot stuffed into his cheek, making it bulge out. His original air of sophistication vanished instantly, replaced by a strange kind of comicality.
"Hey, Lao Zhou, don't overdo it." Lao Xu grinned from ear to ear, deliberately shoveling the last few shreds of meat from the plate into his own bowl, smacking his lips as he did so.
"If you really want to eat it, I'll order another serving. This isn't enough for us."
As Zhou Wei watched the shredded pork with garlic sauce disappear rapidly from his plate, the overwhelming force of hunger in his heart finally overcame his pitiful pride.
He didn't let Lao Xu go buy it. He suddenly stood up, and the movement was so big that the wooden chair made a grating creaking sound on the stone floor.
"I think you guys have too much free time. Each of you will have an extra copy of the blueprint review tomorrow!"
Zhou Wei dropped a completely ineffective threat, and then, amidst the unrestrained laughter of his two friends, hurriedly headed towards the cashier.
At this moment, the noise inside the Human World Fireworks shop had reached its peak.
Steam rose, laughter filled the air.
Zhou Wei was in the back half of the line.
My initial anxiety subsided when I saw that small pink figure behind the checkout counter.
A family of three lived in front of him.
Typical tourist attire.
The father carried a heavy SLR camera, the mother wore a light-colored trench coat, and they held the hand of a little girl named Guoguo who was about the same age as Mengmeng.
Guoguo, with her two little braids sticking up, was looking up at the "pink creature" sitting on the high stool with a shocked expression.
At this point, Mengmeng had completely entered "professional mode".
The round little tail on the back of her pink "work clothes" jiggled with her movements.
Although facing rows of tall adults, Mengmeng's little face was still slightly tense, but her cashiering skills were already quite impressive.
"Uncle, a serving of shredded pork with garlic sauce is thirty-eight yuan."
Mengmeng tried her best to make her voice sound clear and resonant, but the last syllable still had a slightly soft, babyish tone.
"Please scan this green sign, confirm, and then show it to Mengmeng, okay?"
Guoguo's mother was stunned. She tugged at her husband's sleeve and muttered softly:
"Honey, look, isn't this child about the same age as our Guoguo?"
This is...this is incredibly capable.
Look at how natural she is, she's just like a little adult!
Guoguo couldn't resist any longer. She broke free from her mother's hand and, like a curious kitten, cautiously approached the cashier.
With both hands gripping the edge of the counter, he stared wide-eyed at the two long ears on Mengmeng's head that swayed slightly with her breathing.
"Sister...are you working?"
Guoguo asked in a soft voice, her tone filled with boundless admiration for the "world of big kids".
Mengmeng was checking the previous customer's payment when she heard "sister," and her round eyes lit up instantly.
If it were a couple of days ago, she would have immediately snuggled into Chen Feng's arms, or simply crawled under the platform.
But in the past two days, she faced so many loud uncles and aunts on her own, and also received so much kindness.
The small "safe zone" in her heart has unknowingly expanded to the entire shop.
She puffed out her little chest, straightened her little apron like an adult, and gave Guoguo an extremely bright smile, even with a bit of a "little boss" air about it.
"yes!"
Mengmeng proudly raised her little head, her two rabbit ears swaying happily in the air.
"I'm helping my dad make a lot of money!"
"Wow--!"
Guoguo let out a long gasp of amazement, her eyes practically sparkling with wonder.
"Make a lot of money? You mean, all the money these uncles and aunts give you is for you?"
"It's for my dad!"
Mengmeng corrected him earnestly, then, as if sharing some incredible business secret, she lowered her voice and secretly swiped her chubby little hand under the counter.
"Dad said he wants to earn lots and lots of money to support Mengmeng and Xingruo, and also to buy us new clothes."
So I must stay here and watch the counter, so Dad doesn't have to work too hard.
Zhou Wei, standing at the back, heard these innocent yet sensible words from a child, and his anxious heart was filled with an indescribable tenderness.
Looking at Mengmeng's serious little profile, he suddenly felt that coming today was definitely the right decision.
Guoguo has now become a die-hard fan of Mengmeng.
She turned around, glanced at her father who was getting a camera, and muttered under her breath:
"Dad, when are you going to open a shop? I want to make a lot of money for you too."
"Ahem, right away, right away, we'll start as soon as we get back, we'll start as soon as we get back."
Guoguo's dad chuckled awkwardly twice, then quickly gave Mengmeng a thumbs-up:
"Little friend, you're amazing! Seriously, I've been to so many places, and you're the most capable little housekeeper I've ever met."
When praised by the adults, Mengmeng seemed to be inflated, and she visibly "floated" up.
Her little hands worked even busier on the checkout counter, and she didn't forget to show off her "artistic achievements" to the new little friend.
"Look at the rabbit on that wall!"
Mengmeng stretched out her little finger and pointed proudly at the graffiti covering an entire wall in the store.
"I drew all of those! I drew them bit by bit for my dad, looking at the book."
My dad says I'm the most amazing little painter in the world.
Guoguo followed the direction and looked over, then covered her mouth with her two little hands due to excessive excitement:
"Good heavens! Did you draw all of these? Even the rabbit eating grass?"
Sister, you're amazing!
Mengmeng's bunny ears seemed to be so happy they could fly away.
She pursed her lips shyly, but still readily agreed:
"Hehe, right, right!"
Two little girls, separated by the not-so-high cash register, created a pure and warm little world in this bustling shop.
The sense of pride that came from the recognition from her peers made Mengmeng's timidity lessen.
She felt that she was no longer the timid little girl who would hide behind her father and dare not face anyone, but a star that could shine brightly in the darkness.
Standing at the back, Zhou Wei pushed up his glasses and gave Guo Guo's parents, who had turned to look at him, a kind smile.
Then, when he finally reached Mengmeng, he spoke gently to the smug little rabbit:
"Hello, my most amazing little housekeeper. I'd also like a serving of the best Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce), may I?"
Mengmeng looked at the gentle uncle and sweetly replied:
"Of course! Uncle, you have excellent taste! The shredded pork Dad stir-fries is so good it practically dances!"