Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

Li Chunsheng began preparing the ingredients.

Wash, blanch, and skim off the foam.

He first broke the pork bone to expose the pink marrow inside, then put it in a pot of cold water and boiled it over high heat.

He only added the chicken carcass when the broth started to turn white. The chicken carcass shouldn't be cooked for too long, otherwise the broth would turn sour.

The most crucial step is that piece of pork belly.

Instead of chopping the pork belly, he put the whole piece into the soup to cook together.

This is called "borrowing flavor." The pork fat and aroma will slowly seep into the soup, while the collagen in the bone broth will also nourish the pork belly, making the meat tender and juicy without being dry.

Time passed by, and a fragrance began to fill the courtyard.

This aroma is different from yesterday's simple meaty scent; it has more layers. First, there's a strong pork aroma, followed by the sweet and savory flavor of the chicken soup.

Li Chunsheng stood in front of the stove, holding a long ladle, constantly skimming off the surface oil and impurities.

【Ding! 】

[Congratulations, host! After careful preparation, your stock-making proficiency has reached 100/100! Stock quality upgraded!]

Li Chunsheng was overjoyed; things had finally come to a perfect end!

But before he could even feel happy, the system notifications continued.

[Host's basic skills have been detected to be up to standard. New recipe unlocked: Chicken Noodle Soup.]

[Reward: Intermediate-level Ramen Making Skill]

[Reward: Chili Oil Recipe]

"Ramen?" Li Chunsheng was eager to try. Before his rebirth, he had always wanted to learn how to make noodles, but unfortunately he never had the opportunity. He only knew the simplest things like proofing and fermenting dough.

In this era, most noodles in Beiping were hand-pulled or cut noodles. Ramen with such a beautiful presentation and chewy texture was probably rare!

Let's do it.

He found a large porcelain basin, poured in high-gluten flour, added water, a little salt, and a special kind of alkaline water unique to this era, used to increase the elasticity of the dough.

Knead the dough.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dough was repeatedly slapped on the work surface, and with each slap, the surface of the dough became smoother.

Let the dough rise.

While the dough was resting, Li Chunsheng took out the cooked pork belly. The meat was cooked until it was very tender, and it could be easily pierced with chopsticks, having absorbed all the broth.

He cut the meat into large, even slices and chopped a large bowl of scallions.

Half an hour later.

Li Chunsheng held both ends of the dough with both hands.

He spread his arms, the dough drawing an arc in the air, then folded it in half and stretched it out again.

One becomes two, two become four, four become eight.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The noodles slapped against the cutting board, making a crisp sound.

Li Chunsheng threw the stretched noodles into boiling water, cooked them for only three turns, then took them out and rinsed them in cold water to make them more chewy and smooth.

Pour a large spoonful of boiling hot broth over the pork belly, top with three slices of alternating fat and lean meat, sprinkle with a handful of bright green scallions, and finally drizzle with a spoonful of freshly fried chili oil.

Red oil, white soup, green scallions, and yellow noodles.

A burst of spicy and savory aroma instantly filled the air.

Li Chunsheng took a bite first.

The noodles are chewy and springy, followed by the burst of savory broth and spicy chili oil in your mouth. The pork belly is fatty but not greasy, melting in your mouth.

"Holy crap! That's invincible!"

Li Chunsheng slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "If this bowl of noodles were sold outside, who could stop it on Qianmen Street?"

By the time everything was ready, the sun had already risen.

Li Chunsheng pushed a wheelbarrow, which, in addition to the things he had brought back yesterday, also contained a kneading board and a large bag of flour.

Before I even got to the stall, I could see a crowd already gathered around it.

Most of them were laborers, but there were also a few rickshaw pullers, and even two or three people dressed in long gowns who looked like school teachers.

"Why aren't they here yet?"

"Yeah, I'm starving! I'm just waiting for this soup!"

"Hey, do you guys think Boss Mei really ate here yesterday?"

"How could it be fake? I saw it with my own eyes!!"

As the crowd was buzzing with discussion, Shunzi, with his sharp eyes, spotted Li Chunsheng pushing his cart over.

"Here he comes! Here he comes! Manager Li is here!" Shunzi's voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the entire street.

The crowd swarmed around him in a flash, startling Li Chunsheng.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Sorry! Slow down! Don't push!" Li Chunsheng steadied the handlebars. "Sorry, I prepared some new tricks today, so I'm a little late."

"New trick? What new trick?" Shunzi swallowed hard. The taste of that bowl of wontons from yesterday had been lingering in his mind all night, and he was even dreaming about eating wontons.

Li Chunsheng didn't say anything, but immediately removed the wooden planks and set up the stove.

The fire had been lit long ago, and as soon as the lid of the soup pot was lifted, an aroma several times stronger than yesterday instantly filled the noses of everyone present.

Shunzi's eyes widened in astonishment: "Shopkeeper, what kind of soup is this? It smells even better than yesterday's!"

"This is an improved version of the broth," Li Chunsheng announced loudly. "Today, besides wontons, we're mainly selling this chicken broth ramen!"

"Ramen?" In those days, people in Beijing ate mostly sliced ​​noodles, and stretched noodles were also available, but ramen like Li Chunsheng's was really rare.

"Just you wait and see!"

Li Chunsheng washed his hands and stood in front of the cutting board.

He knew that to do business, especially the food business, besides good taste, you also needed a gimmick; in modern terms, you needed to be able to make a living!

He pinched a piece of dough that had been rested from the basin, and without using a rolling pin, he kneaded it directly into a long strip in his hands.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The dough made a rhythmic, crisp sound as it was slapped against the work surface.

The surrounding crowd craned their necks to see.

Li Chunsheng grabbed the dough with both hands, pulled hard, and spread his arms like a roc spreading its wings, instantly stretching the noodles.

"Great!" someone couldn't help but shout.

Immediately afterwards, Li Chunsheng clasped his hands together, slammed them together, and then pulled them apart, his movements fluid and graceful.

As the flour flew, the dough in his hands became thinner and thinner, eventually turning into countless strands of noodles as thin as silk threads.

"This one isn't broken either!"

"This skill, it must take at least ten or eight years to master, right?"

"This young boss is a real hidden talent!"

Li Chunsheng flicked his wrist, tossing the noodles into the boiling water, and shouted, "First batch of noodles! Anyone want to try some?"

"Me!" Shunzi was the first to jump out. "How much is a bowl?"

"A large bowl costs eight copper coins, a small bowl costs six copper coins! Wonton with noodles costs ten copper coins!" Li Chunsheng set the price.

It's a bit more expensive than wontons, but for manual laborers, noodles are more substantial and filling.

"Give me a big bowl!" Shunzi slammed ten copper coins onto the table.

"Okay!"

Li Chunsheng ladles the noodles, pours the soup, adds the meat, and drizzles the oil, all in one smooth motion.

When the large bowl of bright red, oily, steaming ramen was placed in front of Shunzi, the sound of people swallowing their saliva filled the air.

Shunzi couldn't wait to pick up a mouthful of noodles; the noodles were distinct and glistening with broth.

"Slurp!"

Shunzi took a big gulp, then drank a mouthful of soup.

"Ah!" Shunzi let out a long, blissful sigh, his face full of ecstasy. "Awesome! That's fucking awesome!"

Shunzi's shout completely ignited the crowd.

"Give me a bowl! I want a large bowl too!"

"Don't push! I was here first!"

"Boss, I'd like a bowl of wonton and chicken noodle soup!!"

The crowd, who had been observing, eagerly handed over their coins.

Li Chunsheng was so busy he barely had time to breathe, but the smile on his face grew ever wider.

The system notifications in my mind kept ringing incessantly.

Making one serving of ramen increases proficiency by 1.

Making one serving of ramen increases proficiency by 1.

[Received heartfelt praise from diners, reputation points +5]