Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

The spring breeze in Beiping City has already brought a touch of warmth, and the ice in the moat has mostly melted. Li Ji Restaurant, which had been closed for a week for renovations, is reopening today!

"Wow! Good heavens! Is this still the Li's restaurant we used to know?"

Shunzi stood at the entrance of Li's Restaurant, holding two uneaten hot sesame cakes, his neck craned back and his eyes wide open.

The thick brick wall that used to separate the restaurant from the adjacent grocery store has completely disappeared. The two shops have been combined to form a spacious hall of more than 100 square meters. The small wooden lattice windows that used to be covered with paper have all been removed and replaced with large glass windows!

In those days in Beiping, apart from the foreign firms in Dongjiaomin Lane and a few top-notch hotels, what small restaurant would be willing to use such a large piece of glass?

"This is so grand!"

Above the entrance, the gold-lettered signboard bearing the name "Li Ji," personally inscribed by the late Mr. Qi Baishi, is spotless and gleams in the sunlight.

"Open the door!"

With a powerful shout from Da Hu, two brand-new vermilion gates slowly opened to the sides.

"Gentlemen! Please come in!"

Xiao Wu, dressed in a brand-new gray work uniform with a snow-white towel draped over his shoulders, stood at the door greeting customers with a broad smile. "Today is the grand reopening of Li Ji! The owner said that to celebrate, we're launching a new dish: sweet and sour carp! The first ten tables to order will get a 50% discount!"

Sweet and sour carp?

"Let's go! Hurry and grab a seat! The first ten tables get half price!"

The crowd surged into the lobby, instantly filling the once spacious area with a noisy atmosphere.

In the kitchen, the number of stoves increased from two to four, and a large soup pot was specially built for stewing and braising.

In front of Li Chunsheng was a large carp weighing about two and a half pounds.

I bought this fish this morning. Ideally, sweet and sour carp should be made with Yellow River carp. This type of carp lives in the rapids of the Yellow River, has a golden-red tail, and has firm and delicious flesh, making it the most suitable fish for this dish. However, due to limited resources, I can only make do with what I have for now.

The three newly recruited apprentices stood in a row, staring at Li Chunsheng without daring to breathe.

This was the first time they had ever watched their master cook up close since they entered the industry.

"Look carefully," Li Chunsheng said in a deep voice. "Cooking is like life. This sweet and sour carp is all about shape and flavor. The shape should be upright with its head held high and tail raised, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate; the flavor should be a perfect balance of sweet and sour, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. And the foundation of all of this lies in the knife skills."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chunsheng held down the fish's head with his left hand and held the knife in his right hand. He first made a straight cut about 2.5 centimeters apart on both sides of the fish's body, deep enough to reach the fish bone but without damaging it. Then, he tilted the blade at a 45-degree angle and made another diagonal cut at the same spot.

This is the legendary "Peony Flower Knife".

"This is the first time, called 'standing the knife'," Li Chunsheng explained as he cut. "Next is 'pushing the knife'."

He suddenly changed the direction of his knife, gently pushing along the fish bones, and the fish meat instantly flipped up like blooming petals.

A total of seventy-two cuts!

Not a single cut more, not a single cut less.

When Li Chunsheng stopped wielding his knife, lifted the fish by the tail and gave it a gentle shake, the originally flat fish body instantly bloomed open, each piece of fish meat rolled up, with distinct layers, red and white interspersed, truly resembling a peony blooming on a cutting board.

"Every cut cuts through the flesh, but no bones." Li Chunsheng put the fish down. "Remember, only by processing it this way can the fried fish be crispy and tender, so you don't have to worry about getting a bone stuck in your throat when you eat it, because the small bones have been melted by the hot oil."

Tie Zhu stared wide-eyed, drool practically dripping from his mouth: "Master, this is amazing!"

"Next is sizing." Li Chunsheng ignored his apprentices' reactions and continued working.

He mixes flour and starch in a 3:7 ratio, then adds a little water to make a paste. This ratio ensures that the fried crust is both crispy and can hold the juices.

He lifted the fish by the tail, dipped the whole fish into the batter, and moved it up and down to coat each piece of fish evenly with batter.

Heat oil in a wok.

"Heat the oil to 70% hot, then put it in the pan!"

Li Chunsheng held the fish by the tail with his left hand and pinched the head with his right hand, bending the fish body into a U-shape before slowly placing it into the oil pan.

"Sizzle!!!"

A series of popping sounds rang out in the oil pan, and white foam instantly billowed up inside.

Li Chunsheng did not let go, but steadily held the fish head and tail, letting the fish body set in the hot oil. Scalding oil splashed onto the back of his hand, but he did not even frown.

"That's called defining the nature of something," Li Chunsheng continued to explain.

After several dozen seconds, feeling the fish harden, Li Chunsheng released his grip and sank the entire fish into the oil.

The golden carp tumbled in the oil, its once soft flesh now bursting open, head held high and tail raised, truly resembling a golden carp striving to leap over the Dragon Gate!

"Fry until golden brown, remove and drain excess oil. Then, once the oil temperature reaches 90% of its maximum, fry again!"

This set of movements was fluid and seamless, without the slightest hesitation.

When the golden, fragrant carp was placed on the long platter, everyone in the kitchen was drawn to it.

But it's not over yet.

The soul of this dish lies in that last spoonful of sweet and sour sauce.

Leave some oil in the pan, add minced scallions, ginger, and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add water, sugar, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.

Li Chunsheng stirred the broth rapidly with the spatula, watching as large bubbles rose in the pot, then turned into small bubbles, becoming thick and glossy red.

"This is the 'slippery varnish,' or what we in the trade call 'brightening oil.'"

Finally, pour in a spoonful of boiling hot oil.

"Whoosh!"

The bright red, thick sweet and sour sauce sizzled as it was poured over the fried carp.

Accompanied by a pleasant sound, a rich aroma of sweet, sour, and caramelized flavors instantly filled the kitchen.

Yunniang, carrying a long platter and with a smile on her face, walked out of the kitchen.

Sweet and sour carp! Wishing everyone a prosperous and successful new year, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, achieving great things step by step!

The dish was served at the table in the very center, a table that Shunzi and his group of rickshaw drivers had shared.

Shunzi stared wide-eyed at the large, bright red carp on the table, its head held high and tail raised.

"Wow! This is absolutely gorgeous!" Shunzi couldn't help but exclaim. "Look at it, it looks like it's about to take flight!"

He picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of fish.

As the chopsticks picked it up, the crispy outer shell made a soft crackling sound, revealing the snow-white fish meat inside, still steaming hot.

Shunzi dipped the fish in the bright red sweet and sour sauce and put it in his mouth.

First, a rich sweet and sour flavor assaults the taste buds, followed by the crispy and fragrant outer skin, and finally, the tender and fresh fish meat.

Sour, sweet, crispy, tender, and fresh!

The five flavors blend perfectly in the mouth, without a trace of earthiness, only a feeling of pure bliss.

"Mmm!!!" Shunzi slapped his thigh. "Delicious! It's fucking delicious!"

The diners around swallowed hard.

"I want one too!"

"Give me one too! I want this big carp!"

"This has a great meaning! Eating it will bring you wealth! I'll have some too!"

For a moment, the entire lobby was filled with the sounds of people ordering food.

Li Chunsheng stood in the kitchen, turned around to look at his three apprentices who were still in a daze, and said calmly, "Do you understand now?"

All three shook their heads.

Li Chunsheng wasn't annoyed. If he could learn it after watching it once, he wouldn't be a teacher.

"Big Tiger!" Li Chunsheng shouted into the lobby.

"Coming!" Xiao Wu ran over. Li's restaurant had hired a new waiter the other day, so Da Hu didn't have to keep an eye on things in the lobby all the time. "What are your orders, boss?"

"Go and tell the customers that this sweet and sour carp is complicated to make and can only be supplied in limited quantities each day, with a limit of 15 per day. If it is sold out, please come back early tomorrow."

"Alright! I'll go right now!"

"Wait a minute," Li Chunsheng called out to Xiao Wu, "Also, tell them that we'll be serving a new dish for each of the next two days. They'll both be great with rice, and the prices will be affordable. We guarantee they'll eat their fill!"

"Okay! Boss, I'll go right away!" Xiao Wu wiped his sweat, turned around and ran out again.

P.S.: It's going to be available for purchase tomorrow. I was originally planning to post this chapter tomorrow, but I thought I'd post an extra one! Five chapters tomorrow! 1.2 words!

Please see the launch notes for the update schedule. Wishing all the best to everyone a prosperous Year of the Horse!