pjbooks Chapter 103 [A Bowl of Longjiang Braised Pork Trotter Rice]
Chapter 103 [A Bowl of Longjiang Braised Pork Trotter Rice]
Chapter 103 [A Bowl of Longjiang Braised Pork Trotter Rice]
The name Cai Jiahao was hardly mentioned in the past.
But now that Zhuang Zicong is back, the topic inevitably comes up.
After all, the three of them have always had a good relationship.
In fact, if he hadn't come back and suddenly chosen not to study and to go into business, his mother would never have come to his door to berate him and his parents, saying that he was not studying well and was affecting Cai Jiahao's situation.
It will never happen.
In the original timeline, I would have gone to a third-tier university and become an undergraduate student.
When I returned to my hometown from Huacheng, I met Cai Jiahao's parents. They greeted me warmly and grumbled about how Cai Jiahao's high school grades weren't good enough to get into university.
They would even say that they wish he could be like them, go to university or something, instead of being a security guard and accomplishing nothing.
That happened in the original timeline, even though they later lost touch as they got married and had children.
But since we live close by, we're bound to run into each other.
Yes, the relationship between both sets of parents is actually quite good.
That would never have happened; it's as if we'd never speak to each other again.
But that's the original timeline.
"Mr. Liu, you can just sign your name here, and also put your fingerprint on it."
"As for the registered capital, we can fill in 200,000 yuan for now. It's a subscribed capital system, so you don't need to pay it immediately. You'll have to bear this cost if something goes wrong later."
"Yes, yes, we registered a limited liability company, which makes it easier to apply for loans and is also more convenient for subsequent financial and tax filing compared to sole proprietorships."
The salesperson's voice pulled Liu Zhuohao's thoughts away from his phone. To Cai Jiahao's message, he could only hurriedly reply, "I'm a little busy right now."
Inside a relatively well-known local agency with a large volume of business, he was sitting in the break room, next to a salesperson he was working with.
The salesperson was a middle-aged man in his early forties, with considerable seniority within the company.
After confirming their identities, they became very welcoming.
"Will I need to go anywhere to get your autographs?"
After signing his name and pressing his fingerprint on the agency agreement, Liu Zhuohao looked at the salesperson.
"Many of the application documents follow a fixed procedure; we'll go to the Industry and Commerce Bureau, the seal-making shop, the tax bureau, and the bank—"
In these places, all the documents have been verified.
The salesperson was very skilled. "We will contact Mr. Liu in advance and send you all the relevant documents. Since you have paid to entrust us, you certainly don't need to run around everywhere."
"After you fill it out completely, we will handle the rest."
"You might need to be present for opening a corporate bank account, and later you'll need to go to the tax office."
Liu Zhuohao nodded. He would do this once every few years.
But some things are subject to frequent changes, and future experiences may not be applicable to the present.
The commission negotiations went very smoothly, and the contract was signed in just one morning.
All that's left is to wait for the process to proceed.
"Mr. Liu, I am somewhat aware of your reputation and what you intend to do next."
The salesperson escorted me downstairs, saying enthusiastically, "I need to remind you that if you're going to open a shop, before you complete the company registration process, do not sign any contracts with landlords, renovation companies, or similar entities. It's best to avoid even verbal agreements."
"To avoid you getting into unnecessary legal disputes later, it's always good to be wary of others, even though you're quite well-known here."
"Sometimes, your fame can even amplify this risk."
Liu Zhuohao smiled and nodded. "I understand, thank you."
This was definitely a well-intentioned reminder outside the scope of their job duties.
Liu Zhuohao got on his motorcycle, ready to go home.
Finding a local, compliant agency to handle company registration can save you a lot of unnecessary detours. They know exactly what materials to prepare and where to submit them, and they're extremely familiar with the process.
During the process of going through the procedures, Liu Zhuohao can do his own things without having to run around.
However, just as he put his hand on the handlebars, he remembered something and took out his phone.
9:46: "Zicong is back. He said he's planning to have a get-together today. Are you coming?"
The message was sent when he first entered the lounge. Liu Zhuohao could only reply hastily before focusing on explaining and signing the commission contract.
Are you still eating?
After thinking for a moment, Liu Zhuohao sent a message: "I'm done with my work here."
The message had barely been sent when a reply came in: "We're at the usual place."
Upon seeing these words, Liu Zhuohao was taken aback at first, then laughed and typed a reply: "Okay, I'm coming over now. Don't order for me, I'll order myself later."
After sending the message, he told Huang Weixiong and the others that he wouldn't be going back for dinner, and then rode his motorcycle back to their usual spot.
—Braised pork trotters with rice!
A bowl of Longjiang braised pork trotter rice reveals a man's romance.
In small cities like theirs, young people often have very fixed itineraries when they go out. For example, they might meet up somewhere to have a cup of milk tea, then go shopping, have a meal in the mall, or go to see a movie nearby.
There are only one or two places I can go.
Shopping, dining, watching movies, and drinking bubble tea are things I only do after I have a girlfriend.
For Liu Zhuohao and his two friends, their so-called "old haunt" was a pork trotter rice restaurant near the school.
After school, the three of them would head straight to the pork trotter rice place, hastily grab a meal, fifteen yuan each, plus one yuan for white rice, making a total of sixteen yuan. After that, they would buy a bottle of water and go to the nearby Xintiandi internet cafe.
This progression continues from elementary school to middle school, and then to high school.
The only changes might be that the price of braised pork trotters rice has increased, as well as the variety of drinks. At first, it was always Coca-Cola, then people started drinking Fruity, then Gatorade, Dongpeng, or simply a big bottle of Yibao.
However, the prices at internet cafes have remained largely unchanged as long as you don't book a private room.
When did you miss it?
Liu Zhuohao's mind raced, recalling, "Oh, two years later."
One summer vacation, when we went there together, we found that the pork trotter rice shop had been turned into a barbecue rice shop.
Later, it seems that road construction started on that street, and even the internet cafes were shut down.
His memory ends there.
After that, the gatherings became more casual, with no "old spots" anymore, and the number of gatherings decreased.
Arriving at a familiar place, Liu Zhuohao's vision was a little blurry, but he still parked his motorcycle by the roadside and headed towards the braised pork trotters rice.
"Hey, here he comes, boss."
It wasn't a proper restaurant, just a small shop with tables and chairs set up on the sidewalk. As soon as Liu Zhuohao approached, the two people sitting there talking noticed him.
Upon hearing Zhuang Zicong call him "boss," Liu Zhuohao noticed Cai Jiahao next to him turn and glance at Zhuang Zicong.
"Here it comes, here it comes."
Liu Zhuohao walked over with a smile, nodded to the two of them first, and then called out to the owner inside with familiarity, "Auntie, give me one fresh out of the oven! Do you have any four-point gold ones today?"
He stared longingly at the large pot steaming with heat.
One by one, the glistening, dark brown pig's feet were soaked in a thick braising sauce, their skin and flesh trembling as if they were about to melt from the bone, making him swallow hard.
"Oh my, you little rascal, long time no see!" The aunt deftly fiddled with the gold bars using long tongs. "You've really made something of yourself these days—four-point gold, huh? Yes, yes, yes, you're lucky, the last few left!"
"The tall young man who came alone earlier, I asked him and found out that it really was you who went to Minsheng Bank before."
"No wonder he looked familiar before—"
Although they had known each other for a long time, the aunt didn't actually know the names of the three of them. She always referred to Cai Jiahao as the tall one and herself as the strong one, and of course, Zhuang Zicong who wore glasses.
"Give me a few more pieces, give me a few more pieces."
Liu Zhuohao watched as the aunt used tongs to take several pieces of pork trotters, still bone-in and juicy, out of the pot and deftly slide them across the cutting board. "Wait, don't remove the bones, just leave them like this, Auntie, just put them on top of the white rice."
Seeing that the aunt was about to help remove the bone, he quickly stopped her.
With her movements, the piping hot pig's trotter was firmly placed on top of the already served, perfectly separated white rice with a "smack".
The scalding hot sauce instantly seeped in, spreading a dark, enticing stain between the glistening white rice grains.
The caramel color of the skin and flesh, the translucent tendons, and the deep red lean meat clinging to the bone—the layers are distinct, steaming hot.
Liu Zhuohao sat down with a plate of meat, not caring that it was hot. He pinched the fattest piece of the hoof with his right thumb and forefinger.
Zhuang Zicong looked at the mountain of food piled on the plate, exchanged a glance with Cai Jiahao who hadn't said a word, and then said to himself, "Damn, you can eat this much now?"
Liu Zhuohao didn't have time to answer; he simply brought the pig's trotter to his lips, making a soft "sizzle" sound.
With almost no effort, the trembling, braising-soaked pig skin slid into my mouth like jelly.
The complex and rich aroma of salty and sweet sauce explodes on the tongue.
The crust is flaky and tender, yet it retains a trace of elasticity, maintaining its shape.
But when Liu Zhuohao ground it between his teeth, the remaining elasticity immediately melted away, and a mouthful of sticky collagen slid down his throat.
Is it too greasy?
It would be a lie to say that such a large piece of pig skin isn't greasy.
But it smells very good.
Liu Zhuohao took another bite. The translucent, crystal-clear tendon had already been braised until it was soft and tender, with just the right amount of chewiness. It provided a wonderful resistance while chewing, and then melted away obediently, leaving a mouthful of rich, gelatinous flavor and a sweet aftertaste.
Finally, there's that last bit of lean meat clinging to the bone, soaked in the broth, its fibers loose and savory.
He greedily sucked the braising liquid from between the bones, then scooped up a spoonful of rice soaked in the sauce, which had become oily and savory, and put it into his mouth. The aroma of rice, meat, and braising sauce blended and rose in his mouth.
Liu Zhuohao's forehead instantly broke out in a fine layer of sweat as he exclaimed, "Delicious!"
Watching them eat like that, Zhuang Zicong couldn't help but look down at the ordinary, lean pieces of pork trotters in the bowl, his tone full of doubt: "No, is it really that delicious?"
Liu Zhuohao raised his head, a little bit of glistening sauce still on the corner of his mouth.
His gaze swept over his two old friends, and he grinned, "You two have no sense of taste at all."
"All they ever order are skinny, dry dishes; they're so tough."
"These 'four golden touches' are the essence of braised pork knuckle rice."
Cai Jiahao, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, uttering his first question after a long separation: "What is Four-Point Gold?"
"Look, it's the part of the pig's trotter where the muscles are most tender, the collagen is thickest, and it still has some bone attached." Liu Zhuohao pointed with the tip of his chopsticks at the few pieces of bone-in meat on his plate, trying to find a vivid analogy. "How should I describe it—it's like stewed ribs; among a pile of bones and meat of various shapes, there are always a few pieces of middle-section ribs."
He looked at the two of them, "You know what mid-section spare ribs are, right?"
"When it's stewed until it's very tender, the meat, along with the tendons that wrap around the bone, can be easily sucked off the bone. When you chew it, you get a rich meaty flavor as well as a layer of crisp, chewy tendons. The texture and flavor are on a completely different level from the ribs you get before and after it."
3
"Therefore, in the wet market, the price of the middle section of pork ribs is naturally different from that of the scraps."
"Doing business really broadens one's horizons," Cai Jiahao murmured, taking a sip of tea from a disposable plastic cup.
These words caused Liu Zhuohao to pause slightly.
Clearly, Cai Jiahao was not completely unaware of what had happened to him these past few days; he simply chose to remain silent and observe.
"This has nothing to do with doing business." Liu Zhuohao shook his head, his tone serious. "It's purely based on my experience eating these. Come on, why don't you try some? I think Auntie should have a few pieces left in the pot."
This has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I'm doing business.
This is part of the benefits of the self-media era.
Some things that only seasoned gourmets who have been eating for decades know are now being shared freely online. Many life experiences are no longer secrets, breaking down information barriers between industries and even between countries.
"I'll go tell them!" Zhuang Zicong volunteered, picked up his and Cai Jiahao's bowls, and got up.
Suddenly, only Liu Zhuohao and Cai Jiahao remained at the small square table.
The air was quiet for a moment, with only the sounds of diners at the next table chewing and the traffic on the street.
Liu Zhuohao cleared his throat and started a conversation: "How have you been lately? Have you kept up with your studies?"
'
He himself found the question somewhat amusing.
It's a bit like visiting relatives during Chinese New Year. Those relatives you're not very familiar with like to ask polite questions about your studies, work, and so on.
They didn't really want to know; they just had nothing else to say and asked casually.
"It's alright." Cai Jiahao's answer was brief and vague, his eyes fixed on the table.
This reaction makes it even more plausible.
That clearly meant they didn't want to delve deeper into the topic.
Liu Zhuohao was very familiar with this situation; he had experienced it many times before.
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