Chapter 159: Lamp Shadow Beef

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Lamp Shadow Beef

Nan Zhi never expected that a small conflict would break out at the door just because she’d let a bored Nan Yi come out for a bit.

It wasn’t a big deal and was resolved quickly, but somehow, Nan Yi had gotten caught up in it!

Anxious, she hurried out to check on Nan Yi.

She only truly breathed a sigh of relief after confirming he wasn’t hurt.

She admonished him in a serious tone:

"Don’t run off to dangerous places in the future!"

If anyone else had said that, Nan Yi would have argued and retorted.

But before Nan Zhi, Nan Yi could only nod obediently in agreement.

Nan Yi didn’t forget to mention how Fu Yunfeng had helped him.

Nan Zhi was filled with relief and gratitude.

"Did Yiyi say thank you properly?"

"Of course! I even gave them the sour plum soup Mom simmered for me!"

Nan Yi proudly puffed out his small chest!

’He was a good boy who always repaid a kindness!’

Nan Zhi had specially brewed the sour plum soup, and after getting Nan Yi’s permission, she had shared it with all the children.

It was sweet and sour, a great appetizer, and perfectly suited to the children’s palates.

However, Nan Zhi used a traditional, ancient method to make the soup. The process was multi-staged and complex, so it didn’t yield a large quantity. By the time it was divided up, each person received very little.

The amount was so small, it was probably just enough for an adult to get a taste.

After a moment’s thought, Nan Zhi brought out the Sichuan snack she had made for herself—Shadow Puppet Beef.

Nan Zhi didn’t have any particularly strong preferences when it came to flavor.

But if she had to choose, she did love spicy food.

Back in the Otherworld, she had traveled deep into Sichuan to learn from and exchange ideas with numerous top master chefs. Her mastery of Sichuan cuisine was second to none!

It was just that her health had been poor for a time, so she’d been very careful with her diet to protect her digestive system.

She would only occasionally have a taste of something spicy to satisfy a craving.

Only recently, as her health improved to the point where she was no different from any healthy young person, did she slowly begin to indulge her love for spicy food again.

This Shadow Puppet Beef was one such snack she’d made for herself.

Nan Zhi always put the most care into cooking for her family and friends.

She sliced fresh beef into large, paper-thin pieces. They were as thin as a cicada’s wing; when held up, you could see the shadow of a lamp through them, just like the screen in a shadow puppet play.

After the slices were evenly sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorn salt, they were air-dried in a well-ventilated spot for a full eighteen hours until the beef was hard and dry.

The beef slices were then fried in a wok until crisp. Next, she reheated the wok with oil and stir-fried them with cooking wine, chili powder, sugar, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and five-spice powder, finishing it all with a drizzle of sesame oil.

It might not sound overly complex, but each step was a test of the chef’s skill and was also incredibly time-consuming.

If it were on the menu, the workload would be overwhelming, even for Nan Zhi.

That’s why she only made it for herself now and then to satisfy a craving.

She recalled Fu Chao casually mentioning once—

His parents had completely different tastes. His mother preferred light, fresh flavors, while his father was addicted to numbing, spicy food. He was always caught in the middle.

Since the person who had helped Nan Yi was Fu Chao’s father, this Shadow Puppet Beef should be right up his alley.

Nan Zhi took the Shadow Puppet Beef she’d just finished that morning but hadn’t yet touched, steeled her heart, and put half of it onto a plate.

Then she called Nan Yi over.

"Take this beef to that grandpa as a thank-you gift."

Nan Yi was surprised and recognized it immediately.

"This is Mom’s!"

He had been with Nan Zhi while she made it. He’d stood watch by her side as she stir-fried, the chili fumes making his eyes water, so the memory was deeply ingrained!

The thought of having to share his mom’s snack with someone else made Nan Yi a little unhappy.

Nan Zhi found his protectiveness over the food rather amusing.

"Mom will make more later. Right now, we need to thank that grandpa first, right?"

Nan Yi lowered his head and thought hard for a long moment before nodding reluctantly.

He went out, carrying the plate steadily.

On his way through the dining room, he attracted the attention of many other customers—

"Is that beef jerky? It looks delicious!"

"That authentic numbing and spicy aroma... Ugh! Why isn’t this on the menu?"

"Hey, kid, is that beef for sale?"

"..."

Nan Yi shook his head and explained that it was a snack they had made for themselves.

The journey to Qing Qing and Fu Yunfeng’s table was quite an ordeal.

When he finally made it, Nan Yi let out a small sigh of relief.

Meeting the surprised gazes of Qing Qing and Fu Yunfeng, he stood on his tiptoes to place the plate in front of Fu Yunfeng.

"Here, this is for you!"

Fu Yunfeng froze for a second before it quickly dawned on him that this dish must be a thank-you gift from Nan Yi’s mother.

Remembering the woman he’d glimpsed earlier—the one who’d seemed vaguely familiar—Fu Yunfeng reflected on what a good upbringing Nan Yi must have.

Still, he politely declined:

"There’s no need. Didn’t you already give us the sour plum soup?"

"Mom said that wasn’t enough."

Nan Yi repeated honestly.

Fu Yunfeng had no choice but to accept.

Of course, there was another reason...

This plate of Shadow Puppet Beef was simply too enticing!

Fu Yunfeng loved spicy food and had eaten his fair share of Shadow Puppet Beef, so he recognized it at a glance.

But he could guarantee that out of all the Shadow Puppet Beef he’d ever had, this was absolutely the most beautiful and fragrant portion he’d ever seen!

The beef slices were paper-thin, with a glossy, reddish sheen. When he picked up a piece with his chopsticks, he could faintly see the light behind it through the meat’s fibers. It truly lived up to its name.

The moment he put it in his mouth, an intensely authentic numbing and spicy flavor exploded, running rampant and making his mouth water uncontrollably.

As he chewed, the beef was slightly tough—thin and crisp—but the longer he chewed, the more he could sense the underlying tenderness of the meat itself.

And with every chew, that numbing, spicy flavor continued to intensify.

But the heat wasn’t harsh; instead, it was exhilarating and deeply satisfying, with a finish that lingered on and on!

Fu Yunfeng’s eyes lit up as he ate!

"Delicious, isn’t it!"

It turned out Nan Yi hadn’t left. He was standing guard, waiting for Fu Yunfeng’s verdict.

Fu Yunfeng nodded without a second thought.

"This is the best Shadow Puppet Beef I’ve ever had!"

Nan Yi’s head bobbed happily.

His face was practically glowing with the words: ’See! My mom is just that amazing!’

He skipped and bounced away, ready to report back to his mom.

The moment he was gone, the attention of everyone else at the table snapped to the beef.

Assistant He and Xiao Chen dropped their pretense of being invisible and stared intently at the Shadow Puppet Beef.

Assistant He managed to maintain some semblance of restraint.

Xiao Chen, on the other hand, swallowed hard.

Fu Yunfeng was quite generous. He pushed the plate toward the center of the table.

"Want a taste?"

Assistant He still had the presence of mind to decline politely at first.

But Xiao Chen seemed completely bewitched, utterly forgetting she was sitting in front of her big boss.

She picked up the serving chopsticks and carefully transferred a piece into her bowl.

Tears almost sprang to her eyes with the first bite.

"So spicy, so spicy! HSSS... HAAA..."

She kept sucking in air but couldn’t stop chewing.

The sheer bliss on her face, born from the food, was impossible to miss!

Assistant He finally couldn’t take it anymore and picked up the serving chopsticks as well.

"Well, I’ll have a taste then."

Then he did the exact same thing as Xiao Chen—

He cried out about the spice while being utterly unable to stop eating.

That small plate of Shadow Puppet Beef didn’t just conquer their table; it even had the people at the next table drooling!

They even asked Fu Yunfeng if they could pay him for some!

Fu Yunfeng politely refused.

Then he noticed Qing Qing secretly eyeing the Shadow Puppet Beef.