By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 102 Watch closely, this pot is going to smell delicious! [6.6 thousand words!]

"Go find a job."

Li Younan's words made the already closed and somewhat quiet hot pot restaurant even quieter.

Lu Xiaolan blinked, silently lowered her head, and also scalded a piece of tripe for herself, put it in the bowl, blew on it, took a bite, and said, "Hmm... I can't quite put my finger on it."

For her, most hot pots taste the same.

However, perhaps it was Li Younan's words that gave her a psychological suggestion, so she felt like something was missing, but if she had to say what was missing, she couldn't.

Chen Kunjie paused for half a second, and after confirming that Li Younan's expression was serious, he nodded in realization and said, "Oh, you mean that I'm very capable at work, and I can earn more by taking a job than by running a hot pot restaurant, right?"

Li Younan couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Chen Kunjie immediately burst into laughter, then sighed wistfully, sat down opposite Li Younan, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, then turned his head to the side and gently exhaled smoke in a direction where no one was around.

He took only one puff, then casually stomped the cigarette out on the ground, and then asked, somewhat unwilling to give up, "Is it really that bad? To be honest, I can't really taste the difference."

Li Younan didn't say anything and put several side dishes into the pot.

Chongqing hot pot often uses a nine-compartment grid. Li Younan placed one ingredient in each compartment of the grid and waited patiently for them to cook.

Li Younan raised her eyes: "Let's wait for the hot pot to cook, I'm hungry."

Chen Kunjie blinked and nodded: "Oh, would you like a drink?"

Li Younan said, "Let's get a beer and a can of Jiaduobao for her."

He pointed at Lu Xiaolan as he spoke.

Lu Xiaolan was indignant: "I also want to drink beer."

Then Li Younan tapped him on the head.

This hot pot was certainly not bad; in fact, it was even better than some of the hot pots he had in Chengdu. In short, it was enough to fill his stomach.

However, Li Younan hadn't even taken a few bites before tears welled up in his eyes from the spiciness. He sighed softly, looked around, and said to Chen Kunjie, "Could you please give me another bowl of hot water?"

Chen Kunjie asked with a strange look, "Why do you need hot water?"

But I still got up and went to pour it out.

Then, to Chen Kunjie's utter shock, Li Younan rinsed a slice of blanched beef in boiling water before taking it out to eat.

Chen Kunjie stated that he absolutely could not accept this way of eating hot pot: "You're from Sichuan! You're from Sichuan! Aren't you supposed to be a Sichuanese who's afraid of anything not being spicy?"

Li Younan ignored Chen Kunjie.

After eating for a while, he stood up and asked, "Do you have fried rice with egg?"

Chen Kunjie was still immersed in Li Younan's "soulless" way of eating hot pot, and subconsciously shook his head.

Li Younan sighed softly: "I knew there probably wasn't any, but surely there's some leftover rice, right?"

Chen Kunjie blinked: "There's no leftovers, but there's a pot of this cooked this morning."

Li Younan nodded: "That's fine then, the remaining moisture should be enough..." He stood up and asked, "Where's the kitchen?"

Chen Kunjie looked doubtful: "You're going to make fried rice? I can do it."

Li Younan gently pressed down on Chen Kunjie's shoulder with her hand: "Forget it, I can go by myself."

Chen Kunjie stopped insisting.

After Li Younan entered the kitchen, Chen Kunjie turned his gaze to Lu Xiaolan.

Lu Xiaolan wasn't a social butterfly, and she looked up, somewhat bewildered.

Chen Kunjie smiled and asked, "Are you Li Younan's cousin?"

Lu Xiaolan nodded.

"Smoking?"

Lu Xiaolan looked shocked and quickly shook her head.

"Are you dating anyone?"

Lu Xiaolan shook her head again.

Chen Kunjie laughed heartily: "Then she must be my cousin."

Lu Xiaolan lowered her head cautiously, her expression somewhat strange, and she ate a little faster.

……

Soon, the roar of the range hood filled the kitchen.

Not long after, Li Younan came out carrying a large bowl of fried rice with eggs, and three small bowls in his other hand.

He placed the steaming hot fried rice on the table.

Li Younan said to Lu Xiaolan, "Have some more fried rice with eggs."

Lu Xiaolan nodded quickly.

Chen Kunjie stared at the fried rice that Li Younan had cooked, his expression somewhat strange, and said, "Give me one too."

Li Younan pointed to the bowl on the table: "Fetch it yourself."

The three of them each scooped out a bowl.

Li Younan was only trying to fill his stomach, so he didn't cook very seriously.

However, his fried rice is quite different from what most people make. He added some shrimp, making it his own seafood fried rice.

This fried rice has an extremely vibrant and bright color, the heat is perfectly controlled, the rice grains are distinct, the egg flowers are evenly golden, and the shrimp are mixed in, serving as both a garnish and the main ingredient.

Chen Kunjie took a bite, couldn't help but glance at Li Younan a few more times, and then ate his rice even faster.

After finishing a bowl, Li Younan felt it wasn't enough.

After all, the hot pot was a bit too spicy for him, so he didn't eat much and mainly relied on fried rice to fill his stomach.

Unexpectedly, there wasn't enough fried rice... Chen Kunjie, that guy, had no manners at all. When there was only enough for one bowl left in the pot, he actually scooped all the rice into his own bowl before Li Younan could.

For a moment, Li Younan felt a mix of emotions.

While eating, Chen Kunjie said to Li Younan, "Don't be shy, make yourself at home here. If you want more, just cook it yourself."

"Ah……"

Li Younan put down his bowl, remained silent for a while, and then slowly said, "Seeing you in such a sorry state makes me feel much better."

"Depend on……"

The conversation between the two made Lu Xiaolan laugh; her cousin and his cousin's conversation was really interesting.

……

back kitchen.

Li Younan tied on the white chef's apron and rolled up the sleeves.

On the worktable in front of him were all the ingredients and seasonings he had specified.

Chen Kunjie was still not quite convinced, but seeing Li Younan's posture, he felt it was quite intimidating, so he could only say with some doubt, "You really know how to do this? You don't even eat chili peppers."

Lu Xiaolan stood curiously to the side. Usually a chatterbox, she was as well-behaved as a quiet, obedient child in front of strangers.

Li Younan said calmly, "Not eating spicy food doesn't necessarily mean you can't cook Sichuan cuisine well."

He smiled and said, "You have a misconception about Sichuan and Chongqing cuisine. Whether it's hot pot or regular Sichuan food, you think that spiciness represents Sichuan cuisine, or that spiciness represents Chongqing hot pot. That's why your hot pot broth failed."

Then, Li Younan paused and slowly said, "Anyone can add spice, it's just throwing in chili peppers, or using spicier chili peppers... But that's not right. All spiciness is added on the basis of aroma. Only when it's fragrant does your spiciness have meaning. Conversely, if it's fragrant, it's still fragrant even without spiciness."

"It's only meaningful to be spicy if it smells good."

Chen Kunjie muttered these words to himself, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, as if he had grasped something, yet he was also somewhat confused.

At this moment, Li Younan had already skillfully turned on the fire.

"Watch closely, I'll only demonstrate once." Li Younan looked at Chen Kunjie.

"This pot will smell delicious."

The fire in the stove was steady, and in the thick iron pot, the butter was rendered until it was clear and transparent, without a trace of any other flavor, leaving only a clean, meaty aroma that hung heavily in the kitchen.

"Only when the oil is clean and the aroma is right." Li Younan scraped the bottom of the pot with the back of a spoon, making a crisp sound.

With a flick of his wrist, the dark red chili paste slid into the oil.

This chili pepper isn't very spicy; it's mildly spicy and has a strong aroma.

"Hiss—" A wisp of white steam carrying the sweet scent of fermented fruit rose up.

Li Younan held the large ladle and stirred steadily with even force.

The bright red color in the pot slowly settled down, gradually turning into a glossy dark red.

"Temperature control. No matter what you're cooking, temperature control is crucial. Even with the same ingredients and proportions, different temperatures will result in vastly different flavors!"

He stared at the pot, as did Lu Xiaolan and Chen Kunjie.

The air was filled with a rich, spicy aroma, but the spiciness was very mild.

Lu Xiaolan swallowed hard: "Delicious!"

The time has come.

Li Younan scooped up two large spoonfuls of high-quality Pixian chili bean paste and slapped it into the chili oil.

He flicked his wrist, and the large ladle flew through the pot. The aroma of soy sauce and fermented black beans exploded, layering over the previous spiciness.

The oil turns a bright red and translucent, the edges of the broad beans curl up slightly, and the oil droplets roll on the surface, making them look crystal clear.

Li Younan turned to look at Chen Kunjie and said, "Chili peppers aren't really that important. Once you've prepared the base sauce, the amount of chili peppers you add—whether it's extra spicy, medium spicy, or mild spicy—will change the flavor. The key to the base sauce is its aroma!"

The crucial step has arrived.

Li Younan picked up a small bowl from the side, which contained a brownish paste—fermented black beans mixed with fermented rice wine, and two drops of five-year-old Shaoxing wine. This sight clearly lit up Chen Kunjie's eyes…their family didn't have this step in making their hot pot base.

Is this considered a secret recipe?

With a flick of his wrist, Li Younan sent the paste sliding down the edge of the pan into the oil. A soft sizzle followed, and a strange, slightly sweet, wine-like aroma instantly rose, smoothing out all the previous strong notes and making them rich and mellow.

Now it's the spices' turn.

The cracked cardamom pods, plump star anise, and glossy fennel seeds are all soaked in warm water to remove most of their dryness.

Sprinkle the spices into the pot and continue stirring.

The aroma subtly shifts, gradually revealing woody notes, licorice sweetness, and a hint of roasted nutts within the spiciness of the sauce. Finally, there's a small handful of fresh Jiuyeqing peppercorns, vibrant green and plump, clearly a high-quality product with a light numbing sensation and a strong aroma.

Li Younan sprinkled the green Sichuan peppercorns onto the boiling oil and quickly stirred them.

An extremely crisp and penetrating aroma of Sichuan peppercorns bursts forth! Like an invisible thread, it instantly brightens and connects all the rich and complex fragrances.

The deep red, glossy base is dotted with touches of emerald green, making it exceptionally beautiful.

The red waves in the pot gradually subsided, shimmering with a dim light in the residual heat.

"nailed it."

Li Younan put down the spoon. "The flavor is sealed in the oil. Wait for it to solidify before cooking."

Chen Kunjie stared blankly at the pot of hot pot broth.

To the untrained eye, it seems unremarkable.

But having grown up in hot pot restaurants, he knows a lot about the business. The general process of making hot pot broth is similar for most people, but there are still unique secrets in some details.

Li Younan casually demonstrated some techniques he had never seen before when making hot pot base at home, including the amount of seasonings and their proportions.

The aroma is just as good as those from established hot pot restaurants.

Chen Kunjie looked at Li Younan with a complicated expression: "You...your family also owns a hot pot restaurant?"

Lu Xiaolan couldn't help but say from the side, "My cousin doesn't like hot pot."

Chen Kunjie's expression became even more complicated: "How can someone who doesn't like hot pot make such a good hot pot broth?"

Li Younan casually took off her apron and said, "Have you ever been in contact with the top student?"

Although Chen Kunjie and Li Younan were in the same school, Chen Kunjie was an art student and not strictly speaking a top student, so he hadn't had much contact with top students and shook his head.

Li Younan said with a smile, "You'll understand once you get to know those top students. They get good grades simply because they have good grades; it's not that they love studying that much."

Chen Kunjie was stunned for a long time.

He sighed with some complicated feelings before saying, "I'll try your hot pot broth later!"

……

Although Chen Kunjie had already eaten two bowls of seafood fried rice, he started adding shrimp paste now. The hot pot was boiling, and the aroma filled the air.

As Li Younan said, a delicious hot pot doesn't necessarily have to be spicy, but it must be fragrant.

The spiciness level can be adjusted based on the aroma.

Chen Kunjie poured himself a beer, clinked glasses with Li Younan, and said, "You're right, I should find a job."

This time, Chen Kunjie didn't make the bizarre reversal of his thought process as before; it seemed he genuinely believed it.

Li Younan blinked and saw a rare look of frustration on Chen Kunjie's face. He was silent for a moment before saying in an annoyed tone, "You're not really upset, are you? This isn't like you."

Chen Kunjie looked up, thought for a while, and then suddenly slammed his beer glass down on the table, splashing beer everywhere.

Chen Kunjie stared at Li Younan and said, "How about you teach me how to make this hot pot base? Let's open this hot pot restaurant together."

Li Younan was taken aback, his expression somewhat strange: "Open this hot pot restaurant together?"

Chen Kunjie nodded: "To be honest with you, I really came out here with a lot of anger in my heart. My parents have been running the family hot pot restaurant for many years. I also have an older brother who has always listened to my parents and they like him more."

“I don’t necessarily want to start my own business and achieve great success. I just want to do things independently. Brother, do you understand? If you’re not independent in your career, you’ll always feel like you’re living in your parents’ shadow. You can’t say no to whatever they say.”

“I just want to break out of this predicament. But after thinking about it, I have no idea what I can do. Although we graduated from the same university, I studied arts and physical education, while you studied a prestigious major. You can become an engineer, but I don’t know what I can do.”

"Many of my classmates ended up becoming teachers, and I'm a little unwilling to accept that. After thinking about it, I realized that I grew up in a hot pot restaurant and I know a lot about hot pot, so I thought I'd open a hot pot restaurant."

"But then we come back to that question: if I open my own hot pot restaurant, my parents will think, 'Isn't the big hot pot restaurant at home enough for you to run?'"

Li Younan silently finished the last bit of beer in his glass before saying, "After all that, to sum it up, you opened a hot pot restaurant to achieve financial independence, right?"

Chen Kunjie then revealed that playful expression again: "High achievers are different, that's exactly what I mean, a very apt summary."

Li Younan leaned back in his chair, looking around the shop.

The shop is indeed a bit dilapidated. Not to mention the small size of the shop, the kitchen has almost everything you need. Although it's a bit old, it's not a big deal. It's clean enough after a little cleaning.

Li Younan then asked, "Do you have a chef and waiters?"

Chen Kunjie opened another bottle of beer, poured one for himself, and then poured one for Li Younan.

Li Younan gently covered the rim of the cup: "I'm almost done."

Chen Kunjie said nonchalantly, "You're not driving, and you're just here for fun. You've only had a little to drink, what's there to be afraid of? Have some more."

Lu Xiaolan, standing next to Chen Kunjie, blinked her big eyes at him. After he poured Li Younan a full beer, she secretly took the beer bottle and poured herself a glass when the two weren't looking. She took a small sip and curiously savored the taste.

She has a strict upbringing; to be honest, she's never even drunk beer before.

Li Younan saw it too, but he was too lazy to say anything to Lu Xiaolan.

At this point, Chen Kunjie slowly steered the conversation back to the previous topic: "Because the shop is relatively small, I don't plan to hire a chef; I can do it myself. I've hired two waitresses, both young girls who came here to work, around eighteen or nineteen years old, didn't finish high school, and are quite honest; that should be enough. There's also an auntie who washes dishes; she lives nearby."

Li Younan nodded. Then, Chen Kunjie looked at Li Younan expectantly: "Then how about you consider it?"

Li Younan hesitated for a moment, then instead asked, "How much is the annual rent for this shop?"

Chen Kunjie chuckled: "This shop is free."

Li Younan was slightly taken aback: "No money?"

Chen Kunjie nodded: "This is our family's shop."

“My parents have been in business for so many years, they must have bought some assets. This shop is for me, but of course, my brother has one too.”

“It was rented out before, and it was used as a hot pot restaurant by someone else. The owner was from Longchang. He ran it for seven or eight years, and now he has returned to his hometown. Everything inside was left behind, and I inherited it.”

Li Younan nodded, silently calculating in his mind. After a while, he slowly asked, "How do you plan to split the profits?"

Chen Kunjie hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Having grown up in a business environment, Chen Kunjie has seen too many acquaintances turn against each other after partnering in business due to unequal distribution of profits.

Seeing that Chen Kunjie was hesitant, Li Younan suddenly smiled and said, "I'll give you a suggestion, listen to it first."

Chen Kunjie nodded.

Li Younan said, "I will teach you how to stir-fry this hot pot base."

"Although you watched me demonstrate it once, I'm sure you didn't remember everything, especially how to control the heat and the corresponding seasoning ratios. You should know that the ratio will actually change when stir-frying different amounts of hot pot base, because different seasonings are involved, and the heat will change depending on the amount. It's very complicated."

"If you're quick to learn, it will take you at least a few days to learn it."

After a pause, Li Younan, feeling a bit thirsty, took a sip of beer and continued, "Then, this shop definitely needs to be renovated."

"A new store should certainly have a fresh look. Although the store is small, it's not difficult to renovate, but it will still take at least one or two weeks. It would be best to use carpentry for the finishing touches."

Li Younan casually pointed to some cracks and peeling paint on the wall, "Covering those places with exquisite woodwork will give people a brand new feeling."

Li Younan glanced at the floor. "The floor itself doesn't matter. Then we can hang some red lanterns. Hmm, the renovation... the cost shouldn't be too high."

Chen Kunjie was stunned for a moment, and wanted to ask something, but Li Younan reached out and pressed him down, signaling him to let him finish speaking.

Li Younan continued, "Then, the new store still needs promotion, which I can also handle. By the way, you probably don't know, but I'm now a super internet celebrity."

Li Younan said this without blushing or skipping a beat.

Chen Kunjie scoffed, clearly not believing it.

Li Younan was too lazy to explain and continued, "These are all the things I can do."

"And then let's talk about you. You are the real business owner and manager."

"Especially this hot pot broth recipe, I'm only teaching it to you."

"So even if you hire a chef in the future, you still have to make the hot pot broth yourself every day... Of course, if you insist on handing it over to someone else, I have no objection."

"Once you get the hang of it, I don't think it will take too much time."

"Then, regarding operation and management... it's always better to be here and oversee things yourself. This shop isn't very big, just eight tables. Even if all eight tables are full every day, or if we take a turnover of 15 tables, it's not a huge amount. You should be able to manage it."

Then, Li Younan paused, his expression becoming somewhat serious, and said, "Our respective contributions are difficult to quantify. So, trying to get to the bottom of it and calculate it would be too complicated and troublesome... Let's be straightforward and split it 50/50!"

Chen Kunjie was stunned for a moment, his mind still processing the information from Li Younan's words.

Li Younan wasn't in a hurry. After speaking, he calmly and patiently waited for Chen Kunjie to consider.

After all, the idea of ​​partnering up was proposed by Chen Kunjie himself, so it doesn't matter if he doesn't want to accept it.

Some things are easier to do once they've been clearly explained from the beginning.

Undoubtedly, Chen Kunjie will indeed devote a lot of time and energy, and since the shop is also his, his initial investment is certainly substantial.

However, making money is a complicated matter, requiring more than just capital and management investment. Especially in the catering industry, you either need to control the traffic entry point or have a core selling point, both of which Chen Kunjie lacks, while Li Younan can provide them.

Although it may seem that Li Younan doesn't need to put in much effort in these two aspects, anyone with discerning eyes knows the value and importance of these two things.

Just as 99% effort and 1% inspiration make up 100% success, Li Younan provided more than just 1% inspiration.

It all depends on whether Chen Kunjie can come to this conclusion.

Just as Li Younan was pondering, Lu Xiaolan reached for the beer bottle again, and Li Younan slapped her.

She immediately pouted, looked aggrieved, and withdrew her hand, angrily picking up two slices of tripe to vent her frustration.

Suddenly, a glint of light flashed in Chen Kunjie's eyes, and he downed the beer in his glass in one gulp. "Alright, fifty-fifty it is! Brother, as long as you teach me the secret recipe for this hot pot broth, I'll go it fifty-fifty with you!"

Li Younan was somewhat surprised and asked curiously, "Don't you want to check my profile? Do you believe I'm a super popular internet celebrity?"

Chen Kunjie said with a disdainful look: "Whether you are a super big internet celebrity or not is not important at all. I don't need you to promote my products. Didn't you say you would help me renovate? If you renovate and give me the secret recipe for hot pot base, I will accept your half investment."

Li Younan immediately smiled and nodded: "Okay, since you trust me so much, I will definitely not let you down."

Li Younan had no taste in his mouth, so he reached out and picked up a chicken foot that had been simmering in the pot for a long time, and said, "But there's a problem. You've been learning a skill from your parents for so many years, but haven't you learned even a single trick from them?"

Li Younan thought that since his parents had run a hot pot restaurant for so long, their hot pot broth must be very delicious.

Chen Kunjie sighed slightly: "To be honest, the flavor you just ate was taught to me by my parents. Our family's hot pot should taste pretty much the same."

Li Younan's expression was strange.

While it's true that ordinary people can't really tell the difference between good and bad hot pot, the hot pot broth that Chen Kunjie made... well, it wasn't anything special, but it certainly wasn't bad either.

But can hot pot broth of this quality really stay open for so long?

Seemingly sensing Li Younan's curiosity, Chen Kunjie chuckled and said, "The biggest feature of my parents' hot pot restaurant is... generous portions. It's because of that that our business has always been very good."

Li Younan paused for a moment, then chuckled. Well, this can be considered a unique feature.

(End of this chapter)