The tantalizing aroma wafted through the air, piquing the curiosity of the diners as they thought about the oden that had just been mentioned.

One of them inquired, “Why is this called oden?”

Jiang Zhou hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t reveal that it was due to the Japanese occupation of the three eastern provinces, also known as Guandong, and that this eating style originated from Japan, which the local people here knew nothing about.

Reluctantly, he crafted an explanation, “I’m not entirely sure about the details. All I know is that when it was introduced, it was called Oden. I couldn’t change it right away, so I named it the same.”

The customers didn’t mind, as it was just a name. What mattered was the taste.

With eager anticipation, one of the customers gazed at the simmering pot and watched Jiang Zhou insert the bamboo skewers one by one. The rich fragrance lingered in the air, making their mouths water.

He asked, “How long does this take?”

Jiang Zhou nonchalantly arranged the skewers and presented the sauce he had prepared, “It will be ready soon. They are all precooked. What would you like to eat?”

The man scanned the options, finding everything enticing but hesitating a bit, “How is this priced?”

Jiang Zhou explained, “It’s based on the skewers. This one is vegetarian, one wen per skewer. The half-meat, half-vegetarian skewer is three wens each, and the full meat skewer is five wens.”

He didn’t differentiate between the types of meat, whether it was pork or chicken, and maintained a fair pricing scheme. He sourced pork from Butcher Chen and chicken from Lu Dalang, both of whom provided reasonable prices.

After a brief pause, the man selected a skewer of tofu skin, a skewer of meatballs, and a skewer of meat sausage.

Jiang Zhou’s freshly made sausages, containing finely chopped lean meat stuffed into washed casings, had gained popularity lately, especially among patrons like Wen Yan.

Rather than using the disposable paper cups travelers often remembered, Jiang Zhou provided temporary bamboo bowls made from chopped moso bamboo.

These bowls had the right thickness and were suitable for the purpose. Moso bamboo contained numerous bamboo joints, making it ideal for crafting small bowls.

However, the challenge was that Jiang Zhou couldn’t keep cutting bamboo to make bowls, as it was wasteful and inconvenient to transport. He was concerned that people might discard the bamboo bowls after eating, causing their numbers to dwindle.

To address this issue, he implemented a policy: customers could eat oden at the stall, but if they wanted to take it away, they had to pay a one-wen deposit.

Upon returning the bamboo bowl after eating, the deposit would be refunded.

In a green bamboo bowl, Jiang Zhou assembled the man’s order, adding half a bowl of soup and drizzling some sauce. He handed it over, saying, “That’s eleven wens.”

The man, who had some extra change, handed over the eleven wens without hesitation and reached for the oden.

“He is a seasoned gourmet, so he naturally understands that the deliciousness of a dish depends on the quality of the soup base. Therefore, he didn’t rush to devour the skewers; instead, he took a sip of the soup first.

As soon as the soup touched his palate, his eyes lit up. The soup was delectable without being overly rich; it had a light and well-balanced flavor. This was likely due to the harmonious combination of various ingredients.

The taste was complex and perfectly integrated, creating a delightful fusion. With just one sip, he was captivated and couldn’t resist taking two more sips.

After he finished the soup, he realized his enthusiasm and looked at Jiang Zhou with a hint of embarrassment, asking, “More soup?”

Jiang Zhou chuckled and replied, “No problem!” He then ladled another spoonful of soup into the bamboo bowl.

Having savored the soup and found it to be exquisite, the man became increasingly intrigued by the skewers.

The first item he tried was the tofu skin. It was glossy and delicate, skewered with bamboo sticks of ample length. The upper part of the tofu skin was cut into slices and skillfully threaded onto the skewer. The lower part was cut into thin pieces, creating a beautiful, dangling arrangement.

The tofu skin was easy to savor, with savory mushroom sauce drizzled over it, and the inclusion of peanuts and other ingredients offered a delightful nutty aroma. After consuming half a skewer, the flavor lingered in his mouth.

The meatballs he tasted next were wonderfully chewy, and the sausages were firm and satisfying. It was evident that a lot of care and effort had gone into preparing them.

At least for a food lover like him, it was highly satisfying.

He savored every drop of the soup base before reluctantly setting down the bamboo bowl. He felt a comforting warmth spreading through his entire body and remarked, “This is exceptional and perfectly suited for the current season.”

He noticed that more and more people were flocking to the stall.

As the crowd grew, the man realized he couldn’t keep Jiang Zhou’s business waiting any longer, so they bid his farewells. Jiang Zhou was busy skewering more items for the other patrons and simply said, “Come back next time.”

.

The people in this town weren’t like those in the countryside, who could just laze around by the warmth of a kang in winter. They had their responsibilities and couldn’t avoid work even in winter. It was time for a brisk winter walk.”

The weather had turned bitterly cold, with the biting wind seemingly piercing through to the bone. The intense cold left people’s lips chapped and their teeth chattering. Hence, when people ventured outside, a warm stove and a bowl of oden offered the much-needed comfort and solace.

Jiang Zhou was a genuinely contented person. Observing the satisfied customers huddled around his stall, enjoying their oden, filled him with boundless energy and enthusiasm.

As noon approached, the townsfolk began to hurry home for lunch, causing the stalls to quiet down.

This was the perfect time for Wen Yan to bring food to Jiang Zhou.

Initially, Jiang Zhou had planned to make do with oden, but Wen Yan insisted on bringing him food, believing that a few skewers of oden were not enough.

Upon arrival, Wen Yan’s ears were red from the cold, his hands holding the basket felt frigid, and his face had paled. Seeing this, Jiang Zhou felt immense concern. He quickly pulled Wen Yan to the edge of the pot, rubbing his cold hands and then taking them into his own warm ones.

Jiang Zhou had been bustling about and was warm all over. Now, he was rubbing his hands together with Wen Yan to share his warmth, saying, “I told you not to come. Look at your freezing hands. You might get frostbite this year.”

Wen Yan’s hands alternated between hot and cold, and the tips of his fingers felt a little itchy. Observing his wife, Jiang Zhou’s heart warmed, and he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll prepare some ointment for you, and you can apply it to your hands for protection.”

Countryside people rarely suffered from frostbite, as they were accustomed to handling ice-cold water for tasks like starching clothes and washing food. Nevertheless, Jiang Zhou had taken exceptional care of Wen Yan in the past, avoiding him touching cold water as much as possible, which had resulted in fewer sores.

Wen Yan understood that Jiang Zhou’s intentions were born out of care and love, but he didn’t want his partner to dwell in guilt. So, he gently covered Jiang Zhou’s hand and said, “No need to feel guilty. I’m just grateful you’re back. I didn’t endure that year in vain.”

Without waiting for Jiang Zhou to respond, Wen Yan opened the basket he had brought, revealing a bowl of noodles.

He explained, “I thought you wouldn’t want to eat those cold meals in this weather, so I made you a bowl of noodles.”

The noodles were egg noodles with chopped green onions sprinkled on top. Several large pieces of meat adorned the dish, along with pickled bamboo shoots, a serving of green vegetables, and another of bean sprouts.

It had been a while since Wen Yan had prepared a meal for Jiang Zhou. Likewise, it had been a year since Jiang Zhou had tasted Wen Yan’s homemade noodles. Both of them were a bit tentative, one filled with eager anticipation, and the other savoring the dish carefully.

After savoring the last bite, Wen Yan couldn’t help but inquire, “How was it?”

Jiang Zhou smiled with closed eyes, reminiscing the rich flavors in his mouth, and responded nostalgically, “It’s delicious. The best food is the one cooked by my wife.”

Wen Yan blushed and lowered his head, feeling shy.

The warmth between the two didn’t last long. As they shared this intimate moment, two people approached the stall, loudly demanding a refund. Their harsh tone and unpleasant demeanor drew the attention of many others.