The Game of Life

But if you’re seeking a truly traditional experience, the first choice must be pulled noodles, although their preparation tests a chef’s skills considerably, demanding at least three to five years of dedication before mastering them, which explains their rarity.

Jiang Feng, newly arrived in Beiping, had the opportunity to accompany Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, around various locales and tasted the restaurant’s Zhajiang noodles. Unfortunately, Jiang Feng didn’t choose well that time; the noodles were rolled by hand and cut, served with only a single type of garnish—julienned cucumber. A single mouthful of the salty Zhajiang noodles nearly did him in.

Later, Jiang Feng also consulted Chen Mengxing, who told him that the most authentic Zhajiang noodles would always be those made at home, as those sold outside could never compete for authenticity. Even in renowned old establishments like Eight-treasure House and Yonghe House, where a serving might cost a hundred or so, the taste, while good, somehow felt less comforting.

Zhajiang noodles are a taste of home that naturally cannot be replicated by outside shops.

Yonghe House’s kitchen does have prepared Zhajiang ready, suggesting that Zhajiang noodles likely feature on the publicly available menu on ordinary days.

Upon seeing the movements of Cao Guixiang’s hands, Jiang Feng knew she was making pulled noodles.

The method for making pulled noodles is somewhat similar to that of hand-pulled noodles, but it can’t be said that pulled noodles are the same as hand-pulled noodles.

The technique for making pulled noodles is more complex, with key steps including kneading, resting, slamming, and stretching the dough. The most famous and representative of these pulled noodles are “Dragon Whiskers” noodles, which are what Jiang Jianguo made for Jiang Weiming’s 99th birthday longevity noodles.

Pulled noodles are made by repeatedly folding and pulling double strands of dough; seven folds make large pulled noodles, while twelve or more folds create “Dragon Whiskers” noodles. However, the culinary industry now defines the minimum standard for Dragon Whiskers noodles as fourteen pulls, which pulls a single dough ball into 16,384 strands. Jiang Feng vaguely remembered that the record for the finest Dragon Whiskers noodles was twenty or more pulls, meaning that millions of strands could be pulled from a single dough ball. Such top-tier pulled noodle skills could be described as nothing less than magical.

Cao Guixiang took quite some time making the noodles, as she started from scratch with kneading the dough. By the time her bowl of Zhajiang noodles was ready to serve, it was already late afternoon.

Jiang Feng carefully counted and Cao Guixiang pulled eleven times. For someone who wasn’t a White Chef, her skill in noodle pulling was certainly superb.

It was the first time Jiang Feng had seen such fine noodles used for Zhajiang noodles.

After pulling the noodles, Cao Guixiang cooked them in a pot, preparing the garnishes as she waited for the noodles to done.

The Zhajiang was ready-made, and the garnishes weren’t fixed but generally depended on the season. Besides cucumber, a constant feature, other ingredients were left to chance.

Cao Guixiang hesitated, chopped half a cucumber, added some shredded radish, peeled a couple cloves of garlic, and then prepared no other garnishes.

Jiang Feng could roughly guess her intentions; the noodles could be meticulously prepared, as they’d be hidden under the garnishes and Zhajiang anyway, and too elaborate a display of garnishes might inadvertently expose the cook’s meticulousness.

After preparing the garnishes, Cao Guixiang waited quietly by the pot. Once the noodles were cooked to a clear appearance, she quickly lifted them out, rinsed them with cold water to cool and wash away the surface starch, then drained and put them in a bowl, layering on the Zhajiang and garnishes in turn—thus, a seemingly ordinary bowl of Zhajiang noodles was completed.

Qin Guisheng had been sneakily watching from a distance and, upon seeing the finished Zhajiang noodles, came over to take a look, immediately complaining, “Junior sister, don’t be stingy just because the master is paying. Why did you put so little garnish? You could have added a few more types!”

Cao Guixiang gave Qin Guisheng a disdainful look and said, “What do you know? Is his window fixed yet?”

“No idea, I couldn’t tell, but when I went up just now, I saw him still working on it,” Qin Guisheng replied.

Cao Guixiang took a deep breath and went upstairs with the bowl of Zhajiang noodles.

Zhang Chu was still at his usual spot, fixing the window frame, and it seemed the repair was nearly complete. Cao Guixiang stood behind him with the bowl of Zhajiang noodles for a long while without him turning around.

“Um, Master Zhang… Have you had lunch yet?” Cao Guixiang finally asked.

Hearing someone speaking to him, Zhang Chu turned around and saw Cao Guixiang holding a bowl of Zhajiang noodles. He paused and responded, “Ah, no… ”

Jiang Feng stood next to Zhang Chu, and from his perspective, Cao Guixiang looked just as beautified as a drama’s lead actress with a beauty filter turned on.

The slanted afternoon sunlight filtered through the open window and fell on Cao Guixiang, lighting up her silky black hair and making her fair face stand out.

With big, bright, and animated eyes, and a smile on her face that gently lifted the corners of her mouth, her otherwise ordinary features, under the sunlight akin to 20 million soft pixels, suddenly seemed delicately charming.

At such a moment, if there was an apt background music, Jiang Feng wouldn’t believe it wasn’t a scene where the leads meet for the first time.

It really seemed like heaven was helping Cao Guixiang, how could the angle of the sunlight be just so perfect.

Zhang Chu was stunned.

Never had he thought he would be unable to tear his gaze away from a girl upon the very first glance, not even willing to blink.

Zhang Chu always felt that storytellers’ tales of love at first sight, heartfelt emotions upon the second glance, and the stories where even family opposition couldn’t keep lovers apart were deceitful, but now he was experiencing the sensation of love at first sight firsthand.

That feeling where just one look could make you forget how to breathe, how to open your mouth, how to speak.

“That, I, I, I made a bowl of zhajiangmian, I think you probably haven’t eaten yet, fixing the window frames, that, you worked hard fixing the window frames, so I… I…” Cao Guixiang was so nervous being this close to Zhang Chu for the first time that she started speaking incoherently.

“My master said, in such hot weather, you helping our store fix the window frames for nothing in return is truly hard work, so he asked me to make a bowl of zhajiangmian to thank you,” Cao Guixiang said.

Zhang Chu also regained the ability to organize his speech and said, “It was just what I should do, ah, no, I mean, thank you.”

Zhang Chu took the zhajiangmian from Cao Guixiang’s hands and started eating the noodles.

After working all morning and midday, Zhang Chu was indeed hungry. He ate the noodles in big bites, not realizing the hidden mystery within the bowl.

Cao Guixiang was too embarrassed to keep staring at Zhang Chu, so she looked out the window instead. Just then, Mr. Che began his storytelling session at his street stall, and Cao Guixiang finally found an entry point for conversation.

“Actually, I’ve seen you before. I often see you from the second floor when you stop by here during noon or the afternoon to listen to Mr. Che’s storytelling. I also like listening to Mr. Che tell stories, though I usually listen from the second floor,” Cao Guixiang said.

Zhang Chu swallowed the noodles in his mouth and asked, “You like listening to Mr. Che’s stories too?”

“Yes,” Cao Guixiang nodded, “I think Mr. Che tells the Generals of the Yang Family particularly well.”

“What part was he up to yesterday afternoon? Where should he be at today?” Zhang Chu asked.

“Today he should be telling the story of the execution at the gate,” Cao Guixiang said, sneaking a glance at Zhang Chu.

Zhang Chu didn’t know what to say, so he just continued eating the noodles, quickly finishing off the bowl.

Cao Guixiang hadn’t thought of what to say next to Zhang Chu, so she just stood there, brewing in her own awkwardness.

Having finished the bowl of noodles, Zhang Chu looked at the empty bowl and mustered the courage to ask, “Comrade, my name is Zhang Chu, may I know what your name is?”

“My name is Cao Guixiang, Cao as in Cao Cao, Gui as in osmanthus, Xiang as in fragrance,” Cao Guixiang said.

“Thank you for the zhajiangmian, it was delicious,” Zhang Chu said.

“It was my pleasure.” Delighted by Zhang Chu’s compliment on her noodles, Cao Guixiang cheerfully carried the empty bowl down the stairs.

Qin Guisheng had been waiting downstairs early on, and now, seeing Cao Guixiang’s joyous face, he hurriedly asked, “What’s the matter? Did something good happen?”

“He praised the zhajiangmian I made as delicious!” Cao Guixiang was so elated she was beside herself with joy.

Qin Guisheng: ???

“Second senior brother, do you think I should just go and deliver him a meal tomorrow? I’ll tell him it’s because he did such a good job fixing the window frames that our store wanted to thank him, so specifically asked me to deliver the meal to him.”

“Junior sister, calm down a bit, the way you are right now is just…”

Jiang Feng was enveloped by a mist of confusion, barely making out the last few words from Qin Guisheng.

“Bewitched by beauty!”