Chapter 47

When Zhang Tianyuan returned from Fengluan Mountain to Nandu, it was already past seven in the evening. Feeling a bit hungry, he called Xu Gang to ask if they had eaten dinner yet.

The other side said they hadn't eaten yet and were just about to find a hotel for a good meal.

Zhang Tianyuan suggested they eat together, so the two groups met at the hotel entrance. Seeing Liu Mengxun and Mou Ying eating baozi, Zhang Tianyuan felt a bit embarrassed. They were clearly hungry and had been waiting for him to eat.

"Old classmate, we've been hungry for a long time. You have to treat us to a good meal," Mou Ying said with a smile.

"Coming to Nandu, we don't eat expensive food, we only eat the best. There's a restaurant near my old school that serves authentic Sichuan cuisine. I guarantee you'll keep coming back for more," Zhang Tianyuan said with a smile.

"Is it far?"

"Not far, just about a hundred meters away," Zhang Tianyuan said, then he handed the ink-painted vase to Xu Gang, saying, "Hold this carefully. It's worth a few hundred thousand, don't break it."

He was holding the wooden box as if it were a treasure.

Before leaving the temple, Zhang Tianyuan had already agreed with Master Wu Mu to open an account at a Nandu bank and deposit the money there. Master Wu Mu would come down the mountain the next day to help with these matters, so Zhang Tianyuan naturally had to handle the ink-painted vase himself.

"This is a Qing Tongzhi official kiln ink-painted vase. It's worth quite a bit. Old classmate, did you find this treasure at the place marked on the map?" Mou Ying asked.

"Exactly, this is it. Do you want it? If you do, I can sell it to you at a discount," Zhang Tianyuan said. These good things should be sold to close friends first. Although selling them at an auction might fetch a higher price, it wouldn't help in building relationships. In the antiques business, having no friends is a big problem.

"Alright, we're old classmates. Let's make it a million yuan, shall we? Our company has a branch in Nandu. After dinner, we can go there to complete the transaction," Mou Ying immediately agreed. Their company was in this business, and getting such a treasure would definitely boost her performance.

If she bought it for a million yuan, she could probably resell it for two or three million. It would definitely be profitable, given her company's extensive connections, unlike Zhang Tianyuan, who didn't know many people in the antiques world.

"Am I supposed to carry this vase to dinner?" Xu Gang was a bit unhappy, especially since it was so valuable, and he was afraid of breaking it.

"What do you want to do? Should we complete the transaction now? We can't leave it in the hotel room; I don't trust that," Zhang Tianyuan said.

"Let's complete the transaction first. When I booked the hotel, I considered that we might need to handle some business with the branch, so I booked it nearby. It's just down the street, less than fifty meters away," Mou Ying said with a smile, helping her husband out of the awkward situation.

So, the group first went to the Nandu branch of Dachen Fengshang Cultural Communication Company to complete the transaction. After that, Zhang Tianyuan took everyone to the Sichuan restaurant he had always loved.

The restaurant wasn't very big, about six or seven hundred square meters, but it was very clean and had a great environment.

It was a busy time for dinner, and the place was full. Since Zhang Tianyuan was familiar with the owner, the owner arranged a table for them in a small room.

"Brat, you didn't come to see us after graduation. How are you doing now?" the owner asked straightforwardly with a smile.

"Hehe, I'm here now. Remember the usual three dishes, and make them large portions. Give us extra rice," Zhang Tianyuan said with a smile.

"Sure thing, no problem. Large portions of Mapo Tofu,夫妻肺片, and Twice-Cooked Pork, and extra rice. Do you want orange juice?"

"Just add a tomato and egg soup, no orange juice," Zhang Tianyuan said after consulting the group.

"Wait a moment, it'll be right out." The owner left, and Xu Gang's face turned sour.

"Hey, buddy, are you kidding us? You're going to serve us these dishes? We're rich now, right? We can afford to eat some high-end dishes like abalone and sea cucumber. What are you thinking?" Xu Gang grumbled.

"You know nothing. If you come to Nandu and don't eat these three dishes, you haven't really been to Nandu. I've tried everything in Nandu, and these three dishes are still the best," Zhang Tianyuan said with a laugh. "If you don't believe me, you'll see after you eat them."

"Tianyuan, I've always heard about these three dishes. They are said to be the basics of Sichuan cuisine, each with its own story. Can you tell us about them?" Liu Mengxun, who was like a princess, was not as picky as Xu Gang. After leaving home, everything was new to her, and she wanted to try everything. Since Zhang Tianyuan said they were good, they must be good.

"Mapo Tofu was created by Chen Senfu, the owner of a small restaurant near Wanan Bridge in the northern suburbs of Nandu during the early Qing Tongzhi period. Some say his name was Chen Fuchun. His wife, Liu, had a pockmarked face, so people called her 'Chen Mapo.' The braised tofu she created was called 'Chen Mapo Tofu,' and the restaurant was later named 'Chen Mapo Tofu Restaurant.' A poet from the late Qing Dynasty, Feng Jiayi, wrote in 'Jincheng Bamboo Branch Poem': 'Mapo Chen is still famous, the tofu is the most delicious. The curtain moves at Wanan Bridge, let's drink spring wine and get drunk.' Mapo Tofu has become famous nationwide and even in countries like Japan and Singapore," Zhang Tianyuan explained.

"Wow, it's even exported," Xu Gang said in amazement.

"You silly boy, haven't you watched 'Chinese Cooking'? Don't you know about Xiao Dangjia? The first dish he made was Mapo Tofu. I suggest you watch it to understand why Mapo Tofu is so good."

"I never watch anime."

"No childhood! How sad!" Zhang Tianyuan shook his head.

"Stop interrupting. What about the other two dishes?" Xu Gang clearly didn't want Zhang Tianyuan to keep teasing him and changed the subject.

"Twice-Cooked Pork is considered the king of Sichuan cuisine. It's the embodiment of Sichuan cuisine. When you mention Sichuan cuisine, you think of Twice-Cooked Pork. It's a dish that's perfect in color, aroma, and taste, and it's the best side dish. If you look down on Twice-Cooked Pork, you're looking down on Sichuan cuisine!" Zhang Tianyuan said with a smile.

"I can't bear that sin. I'm not that great," Xu Gang said, waving his hands.

"Twice-Cooked Pork is like a magical elixir for the Sichuan people. After a hard day's work, even if you're exhausted, just one plate of Twice-Cooked Pork with two bowls of white rice will make you feel refreshed and full of energy. You can then speak loudly and confidently: 'You brat, shrimp!'"

"Blowing it up!"

"Blowing what? It's true! The history of Twice-Cooked Pork can be traced back to ancient imperial sacrifices. It's not only historically significant but also incredibly delicious. You'll see how good it is after you eat it!" Zhang Tianyuan saw that Xu Gang was almost drooling and couldn't help but laugh. This guy said it wasn't good, but he clearly wanted to try it.

"Alright, alright, Twice-Cooked Pork is great. What about the 夫妻肺片?" Xu Gang treated Zhang Tianyuan like a food encyclopedia, trying to whet his appetite before the meal.

"According to legend, in the 1930s, in the Shaocheng area of Nandu, there was a man named Guo Chaohua who, with his wife, sold cold mixed lung slices. They operated the business themselves, walking the streets and alleys, carrying a basket and calling out to sell. Their lung slices were truly delicious, surpassing all others. They selected the best ingredients and prepared them meticulously, making them very appealing. The seasoning was also excellent, and they became very popular. Over time, people began to distinguish their lung slices from others and called them '夫妻肺片' to differentiate them."

"Right, I heard that the famous Sichuan calligrapher, one of the 'Four Elders of Sichuan,' Mr. Zhao Yunyu, once wrote a calligraphy for 夫妻肺片. Is that true?" Liu Mengxun asked.

"Of course, it's true, and the calligraphy is still there. The 夫妻肺片 in this restaurant is also a joint operation, and it's very authentic. You'll have a great time tasting it," Zhang Tianyuan said with a smile.