Volume 3 Hello, Eri Chapter 202: The Tortoise and His Warm Waterhole (Part 2)
The ramen chef looked up at the last man in a suit. Judging from his voice, it was this guy who spoke rudely about his ramen shop. If you want to talk about authentic ramen, there is no one in the shop on this street who makes ramen more authentic than him. The self-righteous elite man dressed in a suit and tie is not as knowledgeable as the cute girl! Didn't expect that I know Chinese, boss? Do you want me to tell you that I not only have the braised large intestines you want, but also the traditional Chinese fried dough sticks and fried ham!
The ramen chef continued to make his noodles, full of resentment. He would not allow anyone to insult his career. On this street, there was no other person who had been immersed in the ramen business longer than him.
It only took the ramen chef a few seconds to determine that this was a tourist group. Serious people rarely run around the streets in kimonos when there is no festival. The foreign men in fuzzy kimonos further proved this point. The expressionless man with ponytail, the gorgeous girl in kimono, and the cold and handsome man with an ascetic look on their face, looked like a group of people who had just finished filming a movie and were out for fun.
"Welcome." The boss uttered that classic greeting and continued to work. On the wooden sign hanging behind him were written the delicious food sold in the store.
"Tonkotsu char siu...beef broth...soy sauce ramen...miso ramen...wochao and soupless dandan noodles! Boss, are you from Chengdu?"
Lu Mingfei glanced at the menu and was stunned for a moment. She looked up and down at the ramen chef with curiosity. The chef was quite old, with his white hair combed into a neat side part. He was wearing the linen uniform that ramen chefs wear, with a black towel tied on his forehead. He looked like he had been dealing with ramen all his life.
It is true that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Such a small shop actually sells dandan noodles. If you put it in an ordinary Japanese ramen restaurant, you probably won’t find this.
"I'm Japanese, but I like China very much. I know a little Chinese and Chinese food." The ramen chef answered in Chinese with a slight accent, which shows that he really only taught himself the foreign language and has never been to China to practice it.
"I want to try some dandan noodles..." Lu Mingfei changed her mind in an instant, "But we are in Japan now, so the traditional pork bone barbecued pork is better!"
"Hi!"
"Miso ramen, thank you." Yuan Zhisheng nodded slightly.
"I can't understand the menu, so I'll have some pork bone char siu too," said Caesar.
"Same." Chu Zihang pointed to one of the wooden signs, "Does that say braised large intestine? If so, could you please give me one too."
"You have good taste, young man!" The ramen chef gave a thumbs up. "Fried food is too bland. The only thing that's unique about my dish is the miso pork intestines. Even if the students from the University of Tokyo don't eat ramen, they'll pack two servings of braised food to go. It's my specialty!"
He took off his gloves, skillfully lifted the soup pot, and turned off the small entertainment TV. As a chef, he would be happy to meet knowledgeable diners, so he gave the freshly made noodles to these young men and women who came to travel.
"Brother, you actually prefer braised large intestine?" Lu Mingfei was surprised to know that Chu Zihang had such a taste for it for the first time. In her eyes, Chu Zihang was the male god of Shilan, a child of destiny, and a rich second generation. People of this status prefer to eat braised large intestine from roadside stalls, which makes people feel as if Caesar's greatest hobby is to eat barbecue on a plastic bench with his feet on.
"I am not picky about what I eat, as long as it is healthy. I like braised large intestines only because my father also likes to eat it. I learned it from him."
Lu Mingfei's heart moved. Chu Zihang seldom talked about his father with anyone. She, Lu Mingfei, was probably the only one. Not many people knew that the father Chu Zihang was talking about was not his rich father, the president, but a driver who not many people cared about.
Chu Zihang looked down at the dish of braised large intestine. If there is no special explanation when the Japanese sell food, it is usually a typical meal for one person, a bit like the small bowls of dishes in China. Everything is a very small portion and it is gone in just a few bites.
He silently picked it up and put it into his mouth. He would never forget the greasy taste no matter how many times he ate it. Every chew was a unique impact on his mouth.
I still remember that when my mother saw Chu Zihang eating this kind of food at home, she would always pinch her nose and wave her hands in disgust, asking why he always liked to eat this kind of food like that guy? He never answered, but just smiled and said it was quite delicious, but in fact he didn't like this taste either. Unfortunately, he inherited his taste buds from his mother, not his father.
But he still forced himself to learn to accept this kind of food. After so many years, braised large intestines are no longer so hard to swallow for him. They taste like gummy candies with a little more flavor. He couldn't help wondering why his father liked this. Maybe in those hot summer nights, the inexpensive braised large intestines sold at roadside stalls were the only snack his father could afford. So a driver who drives a shuttle bus for a big boss wouldn't be rich, but he shouldn't be poor either. Who knows where he spends his money? Could it be that eating braised large intestines every day would eat up all his salary?
No one will ever be able to answer Chu Zihang's questions. The only thing he can do is to go to the same few roadside stalls to eat braised large intestines every time he goes home. Sometimes he just sits at the stall and doesn't pack any to take home because his mother doesn't like the taste.
The stall owner was a bald, greasy-faced middle-aged man. A few times when he was drunk, he sat down and chatted with Chu Zihang about life. He said, "I always thought you looked familiar. I used to have a few people who loved to eat my braised large intestines, but later they all moved away or went to other places. They didn't greet me loudly. I was a kind-hearted man who supported them for so many nights, and I thought my cooking skills had improved."
Chu Zihang thought about it and said, "It's ok. If the old doesn't go, the new won't come. Boss, your braised large intestine is delicious. You must keep doing it. I'm abroad now, but every time I come back, I will definitely patronize your stall." The boss was so happy that he patted his thigh and handed over a cigarette to Chu Zihang, wanting to call him brother. Chu Zihang had never seen such an enthusiastic greasy man before, so he had to put on a face and call the boss "big brother".
"Just looking at your appearance, I wouldn't think you would be that kind of person." It was rare to see some humanity in Chu Zihang, and Caesar couldn't help but interrupt. He didn't know that the father Chu Zihang was talking about was not that father, but he thought that the fact that his son liked what his father ate meant that the relationship between the father and son in the Chu family must be very good. He was a little envious of a father and son like him who were no different from enemies.
Lu Mingfei thought to herself, "Caesar, you don't know a lot. Senior brother is just a top-notch gossiper! He's cold on the outside but super hot on the inside. Can you imagine him saying he's your boyfriend just to smooth things over for you? If he were a beautiful woman, I guarantee you'd be won over by him!"
"I'm not used to sharing my life with others. I always keep a distance from everyone. It's natural that I would receive such comments." Chu Zihang said calmly.
"I didn't expect you to be so self-aware!" Caesar was very surprised. He thought Chu Zihang was the kind of person who would say that he didn't have facial paralysis and that he wasn't disliked.
"Are you surprised?" Chu Zihang took the bowl of noodles that was offered to him. The steaming hot air enveloped his face, making his words sound a bit like a provocation.
"It's really surprising to suddenly know that my opponent has a side that I don't know about." Caesar opened his chopsticks and prepared to enjoy the authentic street-side Japanese tonkotsu ramen. "Compared to the relationship in your family, my family can only be called a loving father and a filial son."
"Isn't this a nice word?" Yuan Zhisheng expressed his confusion. He had already eaten a full stomach before coming to pick up the plane. He only ordered a bowl of ramen with the three specialists out of courtesy. It would be nice to have more food.
"Your Chinese level has been exposed, hasn't it?" Lu Mingfei smiled and twirled the disposable chopsticks that were still in her fingertips, pointing the tail of the chopstick at Yuan Zhisheng, and said proudly, "In this context, loving father and filial son is a derogatory term! I don't know if you have played Warcraft: Frozen Throne. Prince Arthas was bewitched by Frostmourne and killed his father, causing his country Lordaeron to become a wasteland of undead plague. The prince's father never affirmed Arthas until the prince was 19 years old and praised him for the first time. The relationship between them can be described as loving father and filial son."
"Damn it, Caesar, you killed your own father?!" Yuan Zhisheng showed a horrified expression for the first time.
"I don't know why I want to throw this bowl of ramen in your face... From the source, your Chinese is limited to daily use and communication, and your understanding of Internet buzzwords and slang dialects is basically zero." Caesar frowned, "Anyway, it means that my dad and I don't get along very well. In my eyes, he is a stud, and I can never find him when I need him. If I call him, I usually hear another woman kissing his neck and saying darling, "Don't worry about him, let's continue to be coquettish." Even he himself said that I am so handsome, and the meaning of life should be to travel around the world and spread this beauty to all the beautiful girls in the world who are crying out for food."
"I never thought that with such a father, you could grow up to be such a pure man today..." It was also the first time that Lu Mingfei knew about Caesar's family secrets. She just wanted to express her contempt for this shameless stud.
"Perhaps the only thing I can thank him for is that I am so handsome. Any other behavior of him makes me feel like a fighting machine that is in heat at any time and anywhere." Caesar's words were vicious. He rarely spoke like this, and even his face showed disgust as if he had seen garbage.
"Hearing what you said, I feel like my dad is a bit of that too..." Lu Mingfei stared at the bowl of soup in front of her and spoke with emotion, "I was thrown into my uncle and aunt's house when I was very young, and grew up there all my life. If I didn't have photos of my parents at hand, I would have forgotten what they looked like. They haven't called me or written any letters in these years. The only letter was from Professor Guderian. Could it be that in their eyes, I am not as important as that old man! I always feel that my parents are getting unreliable. I don't know where in the world they are now. Maybe they have even forgotten that they have a daughter!"
"I thought the three of us wouldn't have anything in common, but I didn't expect that everyone would have something to say about the issue of parents." Caesar glanced at the wooden sign. Although he couldn't understand most of it, he still knew the Chinese character for "wine". So he raised his hand to greet the boss, and four glasses of sake were pushed in front of each person.
Caesar raised his glass of sake towards Yuan Zhisheng, as if it were a microphone: "Would you like to have some too? Everyone says that you are a bit out of place if you don't say anything."
Originally, Yuan Zhisheng was just quietly listening to the three people chatting about family matters. As the rain stopped and the night deepened, he couldn't help but feel a little emotional. It should have been a relaxing thing for everyone to sit in the ramen shop and eat a hot bowl of noodles and chat about everything. Yuan Zhisheng just planned to listen and not get involved, but Caesar's actions forced him to join the fight.
"I may disappoint you." Yuan Zhisheng picked up the wine glass and clinked it . However, he did not drink. He just put it to his lips and made a gesture that seemed to be drinking. "I have never met my father, and he did not leave me anything memorable. I don't know his appearance, hobbies, or personality. I am an orphan. I was adopted with my brother when I was young. It was not until I grew up that my bloodline of this surname was confirmed. I returned to where I should go, and slowly learned and grew up until I became a man who should take on responsibilities."
Because the ramen chef was also present, Gen Chisheng deliberately concealed some words that might arouse people's imagination, such as his family name Genji. There are people with the surname Genji nowadays, but people on the dark side will know Gen Chisheng's identity when they hear it.
"Like Lonesome George. Do you know Lonesome George?" Yuan Zhisheng continued.
"I've heard of it. It's very famous. Some people say it's the loneliest animal in the world," said Chu Zihang.
The giant tortoise is the largest terrestrial tortoise in the world. The largest giant tortoise can grow to nearly two meters and weigh more than 200 kilograms. The Galapagos Islands in South America were once the habitat of giant tortoises. These clumsy big guys lived peacefully away from human life until they were discovered by sailors who were exploring the New World. The sailors carried the giant tortoises onto the ship one by one. These guys very resistant to hunger and will not die for a whole year without food or water. They are fresh meat stocks that will not rot. Even Darwin did this and took twenty giant tortoises with him when he left the island. But sometimes, in order to clear the inventory of goods, the sailors would throw these turtles that could not swim into the sea.
There are fewer and fewer tortoises on the archipelago. The rarest of them is the subspecies on Pinta Island. There is only one male Pinta Island tortoise left on record. When it was found, it was huddled alone on the deserted Pinta Island. The vegetation on the island had been eaten up by introduced goats.
Since no second Pinta Island tortoise of the same species could be found, this tortoise was taken to the national park to protect the last species and was named George. People called it Lonely George.
