The Republic of China: From Storyteller to God

"Han Zhongli, drunk, swayed with his arms wrapped around the jar, his head tucked into his chest; Zhang Guolao, drunk, tossed his cup and kicked in a flurry..."

Huang Feihong silently recited the mantra, pondering and trying to learn the moves Liu Che had described in the story.

But when he tried to further develop this idea and incorporate his own boxing style into it, he always felt it was very awkward.

The Hung Kuen style he learned is known for its hard-hitting and solid stances.

Even the most agile Crane Style Fist requires a very high level of foundation in horse stance.

Drunken Fist, with its varied footwork and even rolling and dodging on the ground, clashes considerably with his own school's style of boxing.

Watching Huang Feihong keep trying and figuring it out, Liu Che didn't offer any guidance.

With his martial arts mastery, he could immediately see the crux of Huang Feihong's problem and knew how to solve it.

But he didn't want to force things to grow too fast.

Ultimately, the path of martial arts depends on one's own comprehension.

The principles of boxing that you figure out for yourself are the only ones that truly belong to you.

Even if what others tell you is correct, it's still theirs.

Only when you truly understand and thoroughly grasp the principles of boxing can you develop your own unique set of boxing theories.

If Liu Che were to offer guidance, he could certainly help him quickly master the Drunken Fist.

But if he wants to improve further in the future, it will be even more difficult.

This is what is meant by having a weak foundation.

Therefore, Liu Che simply simmered the oyster soup on the side, glancing at it every now and then.

Huang Feihong pondered for two hours before finally stopping.

Upon seeing this, the militia members rushed forward and asked, "Master, how is it? Have you created Drunken Fist?"

"No, it can't be that fast! It's still early!"

Huang Feihong smiled and shook his head: "This set of boxing techniques seems casual and without any rules, but in fact it contains boxing principles and is very sophisticated."

This style of boxing couldn't have been created in less than a few years.

Although he failed to create a new style of boxing, he did not come away empty-handed.

Through his study of Drunken Fist, he gained a deeper understanding of his own style of boxing.

Looking at Liu Che, who was still simmering oyster soup, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Unexpectedly, he was able to refine his boxing skills and find the threshold to understand the principles of boxing from a story.

Ah Che is truly his benefactor!

He stepped closer to Liu Che, looked at the oyster soup in the pot, and asked, "How much longer do you want it to simmer?"

"It depends on the heat."

Liu Che estimated the amount of water in the oyster soup in the pot: "It will probably take at least three hours."

"Let me take your place, you go and get some rest."

Huang Feihong took the initiative to make the suggestion.

"No need, I'm not tired."

Liu Che laughed and said, "You don't need to stay up with me. Go and get some rest. You have to open the restaurant tomorrow, so don't let it interfere with your business."

It's already late at night. If we stay up for another three hours, it will be dawn.

Po Chi Lam had to open for business every day, and Wong Fei-hung also had to hold consultations there.

Liu Che was not a person who did not know manners.

Borrowing someone's yard to make oyster sauce is already a lot of trouble for them.

How can I possibly make someone stay up all night with me?

Huang Feihong tried to persuade him several times to no avail, and had no choice but to give up.

But he had already made up his mind.

A-Che's story helped him find the principles of boxing, and he couldn't leave this kindness unreturned.

If A-Che can really make oyster sauce, he must help A-Che make this business a success.

After confirming several times that Liu Che did not need any help, he went back to the inner room to rest.

Liu Che also saw off the militia members, while he and A Wu stayed by the pot, watching the fire.

Once the oyster meat is boiled into oyster soup, the work becomes much easier.

All you need to do is keep an eye on the fire, control the heat, and stir constantly to prevent sticking; then you can leave the rest to time.

As time went by, the oyster soup in the pot became thicker and thicker, until only one-third of the original volume remained.

Liu Che took out several sheets of paper used for writing prescriptions and, referring to the time on his pocket watch, recorded the cooking time of the oyster soup.

Of the ten hours of simmering, eight hours are spent reducing and concentrating the liquid.

The later the time goes, the more crucial it becomes.

Keep the oyster soup at a gentle simmer, with the sides rolling but the center not boiling.

Liu Che recorded the time and the state of the oyster soup every fifteen minutes.

As the oyster soup gradually changed color, Liu Che began to record the time every five minutes.

Gradually, the oyster soup changed from a bluish-white color to a pale yellow color, and the aroma became increasingly rich.

Liu Che instructed A Wu to stir the oyster sauce continuously while he kept precise timekeeping.

The oyster sauce changes rapidly during this period.

In just a few moments, the oyster sauce turned golden yellow.

At this moment, Liu Che extinguished the fire under the first pot.

Then, every five minutes, he would extinguish the fire in one of the pots.

By the time he extinguished the fire under the last pot, the oyster sauce in the pot had turned dark brown.

"Bring me a bowl of water."

Liu Che gave instructions to A Wu.

By this time, it was already dawn.

A-Wu ran into the kitchen and brought over a bowl of water.

The door to the inner room was pushed open, and Huang Feihong woke up and got out of bed.

"It smells so good!"

As soon as he pushed open the door, he smelled the rich, fresh aroma filling the air.

The essence extracted from hundreds of kilograms of oyster meat was also steamed into the air by the heat, drifting in the air.

Without even washing up, he went straight to the courtyard.

Liu Che was using a spoon to scoop up oyster sauce from the pot and drip it into a bowl.

Huang Feihong approached and curiously looked at the thick, dark brown liquid in the pot: "Is this oyster sauce?"

"right."

Liu Che gently flicked his wrist, and a drop of oyster sauce dripped from the spoon into the bowl of water.

It did not sink to the bottom of the bowl, but floated on the surface of the water, remaining as a droplet for a long time.

"It fell into the water and floated on it; it really is oil."

Wong Fei-hung exclaimed in surprise, "Ah Che, you've made oyster sauce!"

"This is not finished yet."

Liu Che shook his head, dipped his finger in some oyster sauce from the spoon, and tasted it.

It has a fresh and rich flavor upon entry, but the aftertaste is somewhat bitter.

This means that the oyster sauce in this pot was ruined.

Then, Liu Che tested the oyster sauce in the ten pots one by one.

The oyster sauce in the first pot wasn't concentrated enough, so it sank to the bottom after being added to the water.

The oyster sauce in the second pot could barely float, but it quickly dispersed.

This indicates that the moisture content is still relatively high.

Starting from the third pot, the oyster sauce inside would solidify and not disperse.

However, it lacked sweetness and did not meet Liu Che's ideal standard.

After comparing them, Liu Che finally determined that the oyster sauce in the seventh pot was the most perfect.

Its concentration is up to standard, it has enough umami flavor, and there is no bitter aftertaste.

Liu Che drew a circle on the timer for turning off the heat of the seventh pot, and the first round of the experiment was considered over.

After he finished the test, everyone at Baozhilin got up.

Some of the militia members have also returned.

Everyone was very interested in this so-called oyster sauce.

Seeing that Liu Che had made oyster sauce, the militia brothers were eager to try it.

However, Liu Che stated, "This oyster sauce isn't for eating directly; it's for stir-frying."

So Liu Che asked them to go to the market and buy some vegetables, beef, and other ingredients, intending to try cooking with oyster sauce.