Chapter 16

Ralmi

"Hey, what are you doing, exactly?"

"Why don't you try it too? How can you leave such a delicious thing behind?"

Following the man's words, the other two men, who had been hesitating, also started to lick the bowl.

The three guests, who were called Shafei, had truly turned into dogs.

It seemed they were even willing to do the dishes, as the bowls were almost worn out.

*lick* *lick*

Since I had prepared extra sauce and noodles in case of their bulk, I asked if they needed a refill.

I thought the bowls might be worn out if they kept doing this.

"Would you like some more? I won't charge for additional servings."

"R-really? You're giving it to us for free?"

"Sure, give it to us quickly. I've eaten stir-fried noodles in many places, but this is really delicious."

"What is the name of this stir-fried noodle dish?"

The three men looked at me with desperate eyes, as if asking a woman they liked for her name.

Of course, if a woman were asked her name by three men who looked like cattle thieves, she would burst into tears.

"It's called Sichuan Zajiangmian. It's a dish that embodies the longing for spicy flavors of people from Sichuan..."

As I answered, the men were surprised and exclaimed.

"Oh, definitely!"

"Even though it's the first time I've tried this noodle dish, the taste and aroma were excellent. The spicy flavor was also perfect."

The three men continued their praise and, after finishing the refilled bowls, stood up with satisfied faces.

"Owner, how much is it? Please take the money."

The three men, who looked like elementary school students, stood up with black bean sauce smeared on their faces.

I ran to the table with a very proud heart, seeing their praise and appearance.

It's impossible not to feel good when you see customers stand up after a satisfying meal.

However, my proud and happy heart sank when I saw the table they had finished eating at.

Unlike my well-received Sichuan Zajiangmian, the Guchaechoryuksa (stir-fried pork with leeks) had not been touched at all. Or rather, it seemed they had only tasted it.

The meaning was clear.

The food was not tasty.

When customers leave food, it means there is a problem with the food.

When working in a restaurant, it's important to understand what food customers leave, what they finish, and what they request for more.

If you think they just left it because they were full, it could lead to bigger problems later.

Customers never openly complain that the food is not tasty.

If there is a complaining customer, they are truly grateful and thankful.

Most customers, if they find the food not tasty, simply choose not to come back.

So, I needed to find the cause.

Why did the three men, who enjoyed the Sichuan Zajiangmian so much, leave the Guchaechoryuksa?

Guchaechoryuksa, in Korean, is called Buchajapchae.

It's a traditional Chinese dish, a simple stir-fried vegetable dish made with pork and leeks, which was eaten before the introduction of chili peppers.

I tried to recall if there was any mistake in the cooking process.

Guchaechoryuksa is a simple stir-fried vegetable dish where pork, thinly sliced and soaked in egg, is stir-fried with fermented black beans in oil flavored with scallions, garlic, and ginger, then stir-fried again with bamboo shoots and leeks.

Of course, as a Sichuan dish, it must be spicy, using Sichuan pepper and chili.

Since I used the Sichuan pepper directly, I didn't miss anything in the cooking process.

If there was no problem in the cooking process, it could be an issue with the ingredients.

However, the pork was the same as the one used in the Zajiangmian, and the fermented black beans were already used.

The other vegetables were fresh, bought today.

Then what was left?

'Is it the Sichuan pepper?'

If it were a new dish like Zajiangmian, I wouldn't know, but for the customers, Guchaechoryuksa is a dish they have eaten many times.

If there is even a slight difference from what they are used to, they might naturally feel a sense of rejection.

The subtle difference in the taste of the Sichuan pepper might have caused the rejection.

Even a small difference in the ratio or the way the oil is made can greatly affect the taste.

Moreover, Sichuan pepper was a new ingredient for me.

I bowed to the three men and apologized, reaching a conclusion.

Using an ingredient I had never used before was a mistake.

I was excited about the rare customers and might have been too confident in my cooking skills.

"I'm sorry. It seems there were many shortcomings in the Guchaechoryuksa."

The three men were surprised and didn't know what to do when I suddenly bowed and apologized.

They looked at me with eyes wide like startled puppies and said.

"Owner, what are you apologizing for all of a sudden?"

"Well, we were just full from eating too much of the Sichuan Zajiangmian. Don't misunderstand, please!"

They tried to argue that they were full, but it was clearly a lie.

Delicious food always has a special place in the stomach.

And it was odd to see three bandits acting so flustered.

"I'm not. I feel very sorry for dirtying your palates with my inadequate skills."

When I firmly apologized again, they waved their hands and said.

"Hey, this person is really..."

They suddenly looked away, avoiding my gaze.

I bowed to them and asked politely.

"Even though you are not martial artists, you carry swords, so you must practice martial arts, right?"

"Well, of course. Isn't it obvious?"

"I practice cooking in the kitchen with the same mindset as martial artists practicing their skills. Not satisfying the customer's palate is clearly my mistake. Just like a martial artist who is not well-trained and gets hit by a sword, I cannot blame others and only blame myself."

The three men exchanged glances at my firm words, and one of them was pushed forward.

It seemed he was the leader of the three.

He resisted being pushed forward but eventually gave up and tried to go back into the group, but the others were firm.

He was pushed forward, turned around, and clenched his fists.

The other two turned away, avoiding his gaze.

The man who was pushed forward asked in a low voice.

"Hem... What's your name?"

"I am Liu Qingyun."

"Ah, I see. I'm Lushu. Since you said so much, I can't just leave after eating such delicious food. You're not from Sichuan, right?"

When the man said that, the two who had turned away looked back in shock, hugged the man, and covered his mouth.

Lushu looked like he had done something very bad.

"Lushu, you idiot! Think about the owner's dignity! What are you doing in front of everyone?"

"Yeah, this guy is just thoughtless!"

The man called Lushu roughly pulled away their hands and shouted.

"Hey! You fools! That's the problem with you! You should practice cooking with the same mindset as practicing martial arts, but you're going to lie about it?! How can you refuse the sincere heart of someone who is learning with the same mindset as a martial artist!"

The man roared and then smiled at me.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, what you said is correct. And I am not from Sichuan."

"Of course, I knew that."

I asked the man politely.

The problem I was thinking about.

"Is the reason my Guchaechoryuksa was lacking perhaps due to the Sichuan pepper?"

"Indeed, you don't seem to be from Sichuan. No, it's because of the 'ma'."

"Really?!"

I couldn't understand what the man called Lushu was saying.

I thought the problem was definitely the spiciness of the Sichuan pepper, but it was the numbing flavor of the 'ma'.

'Is there a problem with the Sichuan pepper?'

I thought the Sichuan pepper wasn't much different from what I used in my previous life, but it was the flavor of the Sichuan pepper.

I looked confused, and Lushu asked.

"Do you know that 'ma' (numbing) should include 'la' (spicy)?"

'The numbing flavor should include a soft spiciness?'

I looked bewildered at this incomprehensible combination.

The numbing sensation in the mouth or throat from Sichuan pepper is caused by a physical reaction to a substance in the Sichuan pepper, which sends a signal to the brain, so there was no room for spiciness.

"Spiciness in the numbing flavor?"

At my question, he grimaced and laughed like a mischievous child.

"You must be very curious, right?"

"You said you practice cooking with the same mindset as practicing martial arts, right?"

"Yes, that's correct, sir."

"Then why do you ask for everything to be taught? Practicing martial arts requires personal enlightenment. Hahaha!"

Lushu laughed heartily, took out a silver coin from his pocket, and placed it on the table.

"I'll be going now, after a good meal."

He left with the other two.

As I stared at his back, I heard a voice.

"Hey, you dirty Lushu! If you're going to teach, teach properly! Anyway, your character is bad."

"You! Your temper is always bad! I ate delicious food, but now I feel uncomfortable."

"You guys! That's why you're no good!"

The sound of their bickering came from outside.

I rushed out and bowed to them.

"Lushu and the other two, can you please come back again? I want to serve you a Guchaechoryuksa that will satisfy you!"

"Sure, I'll be looking forward to it! Hahaha!"

The man waved and laughed as he walked away.

Then the others started scolding him.

"You show off! You didn't even teach properly because of your bad temper!"

"Owner, I'll definitely come back. I'm already craving the Sichuan Zajiangmian."

"You! Are you saying the Guchaechoryuksa was not tasty?!"

"No, that's not what I meant!"

The three left, bickering as they had come.

The sun was slowly setting beyond them.

***

That night, a small bonfire was lit on a road not far from Shenwuxian.

Annoyed voices echoed from the bonfire in the middle of the night.

"Lushu, you crazy guy! What were you trying to do, showing off and leaving the inn!"

"Hey, how can you stay there with such embarrassing talk!"

"Anyway, because of you, we're homeless! Ugh! I have to go collect some firewood!"

*crack*

*crack crack*

The sound of the three men swatting mosquitoes echoed on the road until dawn.