CHAPTER 65: 65 CHAPTER DELICIOUS BRAISED NOODLES!

"Don’t panic, everyone, we are the police!"

Zhang Cheng took out his police badge to show to the flustered diners around him.

Ma Ran had already pinned down the fugitive and was pressing on his hands.

The nearby customers, hearing this, were not only unafraid but excited.

"A fugitive? Alive?"

"This is a fugitive? Get a couple of people over here to help!"

"What crime did he commit? He doesn’t look like good news at first glance!"

Zhang Cheng and Ma Ran knew they couldn’t delay too long in a crowded place.

Luckily, several of the customers lined up were police officers from the city’s Public Security Bureau. They immediately also flashed their police badges and then came over to help, escorting the fugitive, Zhao Fu, out of the mall.

Zhao Fu was almost crying with regret. He had eaten steamed buns made by Jiang Feng a while ago in the mountains, which were so delicious he had them for three days straight. Afterward, he became fixated on the things Jiang Feng made. At noon, he came across a video of Jiang Feng online and found out that Jiang Feng was setting up a stall at Juxing Shopping Mall. Although Zhao Fu had never been to this place, he took a taxi right away just to have a bowl of noodles made by Jiang Feng. But to his dismay, he ended up not getting his noodles but losing his freedom instead!

"Murder! The police are committing murder!" Zhao Fu shouted wildly, trying to create chaos to escape.

"Behave yourself!" a police officer glared at him.

Zhao Fu knew he couldn’t run away and immediately stopped speaking.

The surrounding customers started clapping and cheering.

"Well done!"

"That kind of fugitive should’ve been caught long ago!"

At this moment, Executive Chef Jiang also heard the commotion outside. He thought something had happened, so he immediately stuck his head out to look.

"What’s going on over there?" Executive Chef Jiang asked.

"The police caught a fugitive; just now that fugitive was lining up to buy noodles!" a diner who saw what happened explained.

"Ah?" Executive Chef Jiang was a bit dumbfounded, "That happened?"

"Executive Chef Jiang, are my noodles ready?" that diner asked again.

"Just a moment, they’ll be right up."

Executive Chef Jiang went back to making noodles. After operating his stall for a while, he’d come across all sorts of situations. To think there was even a fugitive in the queue. But it had nothing to do with him. Executive Chef Jiang just needed to keep making his noodles.

At that moment, a customer looked at the signboard and ordered the day’s special: green bean braised noodles.

"All right, just wait a moment."

Then, Executive Chef Jiang asked the four or five people behind, "Does anyone else want the green bean braised noodles? I can make a larger batch all at once."

"I’ll take some!"

"Me too."

Two people immediately responded.

Many people suffer from difficulty making decisions. The so-called "difficulty making decisions" can also be described as "anything works"; not having a particular preference and being okay with any choice makes it hard to decide. Upon hearing Executive Chef Jiang’s question, two people immediately agreed.

"Okay, just a moment."

Executive Chef Jiang went back to the stove to prepare.

In a basket beside him was a fresh batch of snapped green beans.

Executive Chef Jiang took out a large portion of fresh noodles. He first sprinkled them with cooking oil, mixing it in evenly. This step was to prevent the noodles from sticking to the pot during braising. Many people’s noodles end up either clumping together or sticking to the pot, severely affecting the texture. Executive Chef Jiang had his own unique secret method. By stirring them with cooking oil, the noodles would neither stick to the pot nor to each other, ensuring that every part of the noodles would absorb the flavors well when stir-fried.

Then, he heated the wok, poured in cold oil, and added some slices of meat to stir-fry. The evenly marbled slices of meat hit the pan, instantly sizzling with a SIZZLE. The aroma wafted out in an instant. Soon, the red and white meat slices turned brown. Jiang Feng added green onions, ginger, and star anise, continuing to stir-fry to ensure all the fat from the meat slices was rendered out. Then, he added light soy sauce to enhance the flavor and dark soy sauce for color. Within moments, the meat slices turned a deep soy-sauce hue, and the flavor intensified.

Next, he added all the green beans, seasoned them with a bit of salt, and began to stir-fry. The rendered fat from the meat mingled with the green beans, and the fragrance grew ever more intense. He added a little water to create a gravy, scooped out a bowl of this liquid to sprinkle over later, and then topped the green beans with the prepared noodles.

Time to braise!

After braising for five minutes, he sprinkled the reserved gravy over the noodles and continued to braise.

Another five minutes passed. The liquid in the pot had evaporated, and he mixed the noodles with the green beans and fried meat until evenly combined.

And thus, a pot of piping hot green bean braised noodles was complete.

Jiang Feng took three plates and portioned the green bean braised noodles into each. The noodles on the plate, now thoroughly enveloped in the sauce, took on a deep, soy-like hue. Each strand glistened with oil, emanating an irresistible fragrance. Amidst the noodles, green beans and pieces of meat provided an appealing visual contrast. This plate of green bean braised noodles radiated waves of temptation.

Jiang Feng brought over the three plates and said, "Your braised noodles are ready."

Upon hearing Jiang Feng’s words, the three customers immediately came over to take their noodles.

Customers waiting in line turned their heads to look at the braised noodles in the plates and couldn’t help but swallow.

It looked so delicious! The noodles were glossy and shiny. The savory fragrance of the meat mingled with the aroma of the green beans, creating an excellent sensation.

Several diners started discussing with their companions.

"What do you want? I feel like everything would taste great."

"I want to try the fried sauce noodles, to taste that flavor."

"I think the braised noodles would taste better since the flavor is fully absorbed into the noodles, offering a better texture."

"The broth from the sliced noodles also looks nice; those eating it seem to be really enjoying themselves!"

"What should we do? It’s so frustrating! Why can I only eat one kind?"

The customers were once again facing the dilemma of choice. Everything seemed delicious, making it hard to decide. Noodles are a staple food; one bowl usually fills a person up, and most people can’t handle a second. Many people just picked one at random, accepting whatever they got.

The customer who got the braised noodles found a spot and sat down. He took his chopsticks and simply stirred the noodles. Actually, there was no need to mix them, as Jiang Feng had already distributed the noodles, green beans, and meat slices very evenly.

The diner first tasted the noodles to savor their flavor.

The taste of the braised noodles was indeed richer than the other dishes. After all, they had been simmering in the pot for more than ten minutes; the meat’s fat fully clung to them, and the flavor had penetrated deeply. The combination of green beans and meat also created a wonderful chemical reaction—neither too greasy nor lacking in meaty fragrance. The texture of the noodles was fantastic: slippery and smooth. Upon entering the mouth, the sauce immediately stimulated the taste buds. Saliva secreted during chewing mingled with the gravy, and that sensation was the ultimate indulgence.

The diner ate with great satisfaction, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

His gaze fixed firmly on the plate of braised noodles, he picked up a piece of green bean and put it into his mouth. The taste of the meat had fully infused into the green beans, which were quite elastic. The original flavor of the beans was completely masked, leaving only the savory taste of the meaty broth. The green beans also tasted good.

And the fried meat? It was even better. Jiang Feng’s handling of the meat was exceptional; the fried meat was superb in both texture and flavor.

Such a plate of braised noodles was irresistible.

"This wait in line was truly worth it!"

The customer ate with contentment, finishing off the braised noodles as if a whirlwind had swept through his plate.

Several onlookers watched him. Seeing how deliciously he ate, a craving stirred in their mouths too. They thought about how wonderful it would be if they could get their hands on a plate of green bean braised noodles like his.