Chapter 148
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: A Taste of Sichuan at Yongho
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Entering Yongho Chinese Restaurant with Yi Areum, I said nothing at first.
"Wow, Director, you have dinner here?"
It looked like an ordinary Chinese place from the outside, but Yi Areum was peering around the shop in wonder, as if it were something amazing.
"I drop by often. The owner got treatment at our clinic a while back."
"Ah!"
"They serve some pretty unique dishes too."
I'd said we were going for jjajangmyeon, but that was just a figure of speech for hitting up a Chinese joint.
In truth, I hadn't eaten jjajangmyeon here all that much.
The somyeon noodles here were incredibly similar in taste to those from the Gold Flower Inn, my old haunt in Chengdu.
—Hey, kid, bring me some bamboo leaf liquor, somyeon, and a plate of dumplings.
That was what I'd said the first time I visited Yongho.
Not to Jin Yongho, but to Jin Yunho.
He often hung out at his dad's restaurant, and he'd been thrilled to see me at the counter.
—Right away, ma'am!
I hadn't expected Jin Yongho to actually make somyeon, though.
And it was delicious.
It wasn't like the common noodles you get in Korea.
Nor was it the bland somyeon served at any random inn in the murim world.
It was exactly the somyeon from Gold Flower Inn that I loved!
With that signature spicy kick!
'Come to think of it, I owe them a lot...'
I'd even treated the head chef there and gotten friendly with him.
Not that I'd done much for him.
It wasn't some chronic condition like what cooks deal with, but a stab wound from a blade.
Actually, that head chef from my favorite inn turned out to be a retired murim powerhouse who'd made waves back in the day.
He'd declared retirement to pursue his passion for cooking and live happily, only to get dragged into old grudges against his will.
The gash was deep, so they'd wanted to transfer him to the medical hall for stitches, but he'd stubbornly refused to set foot in the Tang Family Estate.
I couldn't do brain surgery like Hua Tuo opening skulls in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but suturing a stab wound? Piece of cake.
It was actually unusual for me, who mostly treated civilians, while the doctors there were trained for warriors' trauma and poison research.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say the Tang medical halls were the best in the Central Plains for trauma care... Maybe he had some grudge against the Tangs?
Anyway, I'd disinfected it as best I could and dusted on some golden wound salve.
Luckily, with his warrior's recovery, he was back on his feet in days.
That incident got us close, and he'd even customize dishes for my orders after.
After years of nothing but Sichuan food, I was dying for something like kimchi jjigae.
"Wow, they have so many unique menu items!"
Yi Areum remarked.
Over there, I'd craved Korean food, and now back in the modern world, Sichuan flavors were calling again.
And Jin Yongho was the perfect chef to satisfy my jumbled tastes.
He had Korean-style Chinese dishes like jjajangmyeon, jjambbong, dumplings, and tangsuyuk, plus his personal Chinese experiments on the menu.
"Right? That's why I come here a lot."
"Haha, I'm thrilled you like it, Director. Not as many folks stop by as I'd hoped."
"Oh... Don't Chinese customers come?"
"Mostly them, actually. But I figured wuxia food fans like me would drop in sometimes."
Jin Yongho said sheepishly.
Even wuxia fans don't usually seek out the food.
Unless you're like our Clinic 4 directors, going all-in on costumes and decor.
"Still, you've honed your skills this far—no worries if you get isekai'd into a wuxia novel. In three years, you'd be head chef at Chengdu's top inn, and in ten, you'd open your own place and build the whole building."
"Hahaha! Just hearing that gets me pumped!"
Jin Yongho clapped along with me.
"Isekai? You mean like... getting possessed by a ghost?"
But Yi Areum just tilted her head, not getting it.
Ahh, such a pure mind!
"Th-there's this genre of novels. Modern person goes to a wuxia world, learns martial arts, uses modern knowledge..."
Saying it out loud felt so embarrassing.
I tried to brush it off vaguely.
"I'll study it!"
"No, don't."
Yi Areum's burning passion latched onto the wrong thing.
That's not it. No need to study. Pretend you didn't hear.
"Noona, are you getting into wuxia?"
Suddenly, Jin Yunho jumped in, talking to Yi Areum.
He must've heard my voice from the side room off the kitchen.
"For beginners, start with classics like Swordsman of the Southern Region..."
"No, I'm not starting."
"Nah, that's too old and tough to read now. Mount Hua it is..."
"No, no one's starting! Director, seriously, no need to read them."
How many "no"s was that?
I barely stopped the Jin father-son duo from their weird recruitment pitch.
"Come to think of it, first time seeing you here, miss. No wuxia knowledge, not much Chinese food either?"
I'd come with Seoin Ae from his treatment days, and other staff a few times.
First with Yi Areum.
"Yeah, she's our deputy director. She worked her butt off on chuna therapy today, so I brought her for something tasty. No pressure!"
I playfully crossed my arms in an X.
"Just order something normal. Their ganjjajang's great, chili shrimp too."
I recommended to Yi Areum.
"What're you having, Director?"
"Me...?"
I wasn't getting jjajangmyeon, but still.
"I called you here to try the revamped yuxiang rousi."
"Yeah, was thinking yuxiang rousi and somyeon. Don't mind me."
"Ah, got it."
Yi Areum pondered the menu, referencing my picks.
"I'll try the twice-cooked pork."
She went for Sichuan.
"Jjajangmyeon's fine too..."
"I wanna challenge something new!"
I said it was okay again, but she was set.
Hmm, twice-cooked pork should be fine. Pork and veggies stir-fried, mild seasoning.
"Ooh, great choice."
But the chef wasn't mild.
"Huiguo rou—twice-cooked pork. Odd name, right? Boil the pork once, then stir-fry it back in the wok. 'Back to the pot,' hence the name."
"Ooh, cool!"
"They used to boil pork for rituals. After, it'd be cold, so they'd stir-fry with veggies. Foreign versions skip boiling, so they miss that flavor."
"Whoa, so you do it authentic?"
"Of course. Gotta fry the veggies in the pork boil fat."
Jin Yongho lit up at Yi Areum's reactions, rambling about twice-cooked pork and yuxiang rousi.
Even I, who'd eaten tons of it, learned new stuff.
Master made it sometimes, inns too, but never heard that.
"Here we go—yuxiang rousi, twice-cooked pork, and somyeon!"
"Thanks for the meal!"
Food arrived soon.
Too much meat? I took a bite of yuxiang rousi.
"O."
The tangy new yuxiang sauce blended perfectly with Jin Yongho's signature spice.
"Delicious!"
My short praise—unlike Yi Areum's flair—but...
"To the director's taste?"
Jin Yongho caught my real delight.
"Mind if I try?"
"Go ahead. Dig in together."
Passed her yuxiang rousi, tried her twice-cooked pork.
"Mmm, that familiar taste. Perfect."
"Didn't you study in China, Director?"
"Uh... yeah... briefly... very briefly."
All that spicy meat made gaoliang liquor call to me.
"Bamboo leaf green?"
"Yes!"
Jin Yongho nailed it, bringing zhuyeqing.
Master disliked the strong herbal taste, but I had the romance.
Had to pair it with yuxiang rousi, somyeon, dumplings.
Always a set, so it felt natural.
"Dad, just a sip..."
"No."
Jin Yunho, sharing my fantasy, begged—but still a decade early.
"It's just herbs and booze. You'll hate it."
"But you're chugging it, Director!"
"Haha."
I backed Jin Yongho, but no conviction.
"It's love-it-or-hate-it. Might disappoint as an adult."
"Ugh!"
"If you really want, I could make it sans alcohol, just herbs..."
What was in it? Angelica, tangerine peel, gardenia, clove... strong clove note.
"That'd just be herbal medicine!"
Inevitably. It's medicinal liquor.
"Alright, don't bug the directors eating. Back inside!"
"Haha, it's fine. How's the shoulder, boss?"
"Perfect, thanks to you! I'll come right away if it acts up."
"Good to hear."
"Yes. Sorry for the noise. Yunho's into cooking lately, experimenting together."
"Great dad."
Not just Yunho being loud, though.
"You guys are so fun!"
Yi Areum enjoyed their chat too, so I let the recruitment slide.
We bantered warmly.
Finishing with bitter-sweet-strong liquor, spicy-tangy meat, even spicy somyeon—an ultra-stimulating dinner.
"If your stomach's off tomorrow, head upstairs for some Bunhwan Geumjeong Gisandan. Teacher Joo Hee probably prepped some."
"Psh, this won't upset me."
"You handle spice well?"
"Love it. I'm a regular now. Twice-cooked pork was amazing! Next, spicy jjajang, then shanguo."
Earlier, I wondered if she meant it or just humored me.
Now I got it.
She hadn't praised the liquor or yuxiang rousi once.
Always genuine empathy...
Glad the pork suited her.
"Food aside, chatting off-duty with you was a blast! You're no ordinary after hours!"
At the intersection to our homes, I bid Yi Areum goodbye.
Home, I booted the computer.
'My off-duty routine's nothing to brag about anywhere.'
No weird fantasies, please.
Post-spicy feast, gaming's my routine.
"O."
Logged in, greeted guildmates—right-side message app blinked.
[Yeowon, off work? Vacation approved for that date I mentioned! No issues flying out!]
Phone check, links followed.
She'd even found flights.
[Got direct flights for max stay! Less than a month out, slim pickings.]
Figured.
Holiday rush, last-minute.
Pricey, sure.
But when else to spend?
I clicked Hwang Seoyeong's link to pay.
[Huh?]
Not just schedule—it was booked.
[Paid? What?]
[You got lodging, so I handled flights!]
Hwang Seoyeong had already paid.