Chapter 158: Delicious Beyond Belief

Liu Chunyan and her husband discussed the matter and decided to first consult the elderly Liu parents. If the old couple were interested, they could come over and stay for a while; if not, they would drop the idea.

They also brought this up with Chen Xin. Chen Xin thought it was quite a feasible plan. Grandpa Liu and Grandma Liu were not difficult people to get along with, and the fresh air and wonderful environment of the mountain here would be beneficial to their health. Originally, Chen Xin had intended to suggest to Grandpa Liu upon her return that they spend the winter at the older couple's own purchased house in Binnan. Now that Liu Chunyan had proposed this alternative, she had no reason or grounds to object, leaving the final decision entirely up to Grandpa Liu and the others.

As everyone was chatting, Sister Zhang soon called out for them to come and eat.

The chef's culinary skills went without saying—his preparation of game meat was truly exceptional. Even Lei Bang, who was accustomed to top-tier chef-prepared meals, was thoroughly astounded upon his very first bite.

"This chef has genuine talent. With a signature skill like this, as long as he doesn't mess around, the business is bound to thrive. When I get back, I'll brag about this to my buddies and bring them over for a few meals. You'll definitely have repeat customers here."

Lei Bang was straightforward; as long as Sister Zhang and her team didn't substitute inferior ingredients, he would certainly be willing to choose their establishment.

"Our Uncle Zhou is exceptionally skilled in the kitchen, and his absolute masterpiece is snake meat. It'll be served shortly. None of you are afraid of it, right?"

Many people loved game meat, but when it came to creatures like snakes and rats, some lacked the courage to partake. Take Chen Xin, for instance; she wouldn't dare eat rat meat, avoiding even farm-raised bamboo rats as if they were the plague. However, she had no aversion to snake meat, and she particularly enjoyed drinking braised snake soup.

There were very few wild snakes left in the mountains, and with current environmental protection regulations emphasizing strict prohibitions against casually catching and eating wild snakes, unless one crossed paths with them by pure accident, catching snakes on the mountain for sale was strictly forbidden. The snakes sold at the farmhouse restaurant were semi-wild farmed snakes.

"You have no idea how terrified I was when I first went to inspect the place. Those dense tangles of snakes writhing together—my legs were literally shaking." Sister Zhang considered herself quite bold, but when she visited the snake farmer's household over in Linshan Village, she had desperately wanted to turn around and run away.

"The owner knew he was raising a bit too many snakes, so he chose a location on a slope deeper inside the mountains of Linshan Village. He leased half a mountain to build a breeding farm and quietly built it up to its current scale. But I heard him say that for the first few years, the output was minimal, and the company that had previously promised to buy his stock had long since vanished. Now the snakes he's raising have nowhere to go. If I hadn't stepped in, he probably would have had to cull a portion of them by force."

A forced culling meant directly killing and burning the snakes. These were living investments; who would be willing to do such a thing unless forced by absolute desperation?

"I've signed an order with him, but our farmhouse restaurant has just opened and we can't take off much volume yet. I estimate some of it is still going to go to waste."

Just at that moment, the waiter brought over the freshly prepared spicy and pungent snake segments. A dragon-and-phoenix soup was also set upon an alcohol stove in the middle of the table, allowing them to simmer and eat simultaneously. Once the solid ingredients were mostly consumed, the snake meat would be thoroughly boiled down, and tossing some noodles or vermicelli into the rich leftover soup made for an extraordinarily delicious treat. For those who preferred a lighter flavor, dipping the meat into a fiery sauce filled the mouth with fragrance.

Chen Xin found herself deeply captivated by the spicy snake segments, and after gnawing on a section, she simply couldn't stop.

Not only her, but Lei Bang and Zhou Hao also experienced a sudden brightening of their eyes, their hands reaching out faster than anyone else's for fear that a moment's hesitation would cost them a piece.

This kind of delicacy required the large iron wok and wood-fired stove of the countryside to truly shine; cooking it on a small urban gas stove would simply be a waste of ingredients. Furthermore, the chili peppers used by Uncle Zhou were a locally grown round bell-chili variety. Beyond their searing heat, they possessed a unique fragrance that ordinary people might miss, though culinary aficionados could readily distinguish the subtle differences among various ingredients.

Aside from these round bell-chilis, the dish was fried in oil infused with mountain-produced mountain pepper. Not everyone was accustomed to this particular oil, but those who adored its flavor regarded it as the masterstroke of the dish.

"How many portions of these snake segments can Uncle Zhou prepare in a day?"

"Quite a few, though I haven't paid attention to the exact count. Aside from Uncle Zhou handling the seasonings himself, assistant workers help out with chopping and washing. Why do you ask?"

"To help you drum up business, of course." Chen Xin pulled out a wet wipe to clean her hands. "Your farmhouse restaurant hasn't established its reputation yet, and the customer traffic is low. I reckon the amount of food you need to cook daily isn't very large. Before that picks up, you can completely leverage these snake segments to break into the market and build up your popularity. Let me tell you, Uncle Zhou's technique with the snake segments is absolute perfection—I have never tasted anything so incredible. You should get a vacuum-sealing machine, make a batch first, vacuum pack them, and I'll take some away with me when I leave to give out as gifts."

Sister Zhang didn't suspect Chen Xin of deceiving her, but she remained deeply skeptical about the claim that snake segments alone could help her build a clientele. People around these parts ate snake, of course, and there were certainly skilled cooks, but she had genuinely never heard of anyone surpassing Uncle Zhou.

"I'll take a batch too. Calculate the price, and I'll buy them."

Lei Bang was a connoisseur at heart. While other game meats each possessed their own merits, just as Chen Xin had stated, this was the first time he had ever encountered snake segments of this flavor and quality.

"By the way, please ask Old Uncle Zhou if he can reduce the spiciness just a fraction. Some of my friends can't handle heat this intense."

"Alright, I'll go ask Uncle Zhou about that. Are you guys really going to buy them? Because I'm about to place the order."

"Why would I lie to you? Hurry up, and the sooner the better so I can take them with me when I leave this time."

Lei Bang practically wished he could tell everyone to stop eating and pack the remaining portions up for him instead.

Lei Bang had a wide circle of friends and brothers, and it wasn't always appropriate or convenient to make a big show of treating everyone to other types of game meat. But snake segments were different. As Chen Xin mentioned, they could be eaten cold, making them wonderful snacks to accompany drinks just as they were. Alternatively, if stored in the refrigerator, one could simply transfer them onto a plate and warm them in the microwave for a minute or two to reveal an entirely different yet delightful experience.

It was rare for a group of men to gather without drinking alcohol, and they always liked having a few braised delicacies on hand for their drinks. If they were now given the chance to taste this mountain specialty, those buddies of his would undoubtedly be thrilled out of their minds.

Zhou Hao also subtly indicated that if there were any extras, he would like to take some along as well. His leave was about to end, and upon returning, he undoubtedly needed to bring back some local food and drinks for his colleagues and fellow servicemen. Since these snake segments tasted phenomenal to begin with and their shelf life would be correspondingly extended through vacuum sealing, they would make for prestigious gifts. Nothing could be more appropriate.

As for the vacuum-sealing machine, Liu Chunyan's factory happened to have them; once things were prepared here, they could simply go up to her factory and bring one back for immediate use.

"What do you all think about turning these snake segments into canned food?" Although Liu Chunyan's current factory focused on canned fruits, she was far from satisfied with their existing production line. If they could expand their business scope, it would undoubtedly benefit the factory's future development.

However, nobody had ever attempted canned snake meat before. Whether it was feasible and how it could be executed were questions that Liu Chunyan would certainly have to investigate and test through dedicated personnel.