Chapter 180 — A Narrow Road Encounter

In the 1920s and 1930s he went to Singapore and improved the recipe, selling both chicken and chicken rice. It proved hugely popular with the locals, who rushed to imitate it, and it could soon be found everywhere, gradually becoming a signature dish of Singaporean cuisine.

Even the daughter of a former Philippine president made a special plane trip just to eat it. So do not underestimate this little bowl of rice—it even earned the name "Presidential Chicken Rice."

Yang Ce had not expected a small bowl of chicken rice to have so much lore behind it, and he could not help clicking his tongue in wonder.

"I never knew there was a story behind it! So which shop is the authentic one, really?"

"Hard to say. Every one of them claims to be the authentic shop, but the taste is about the same. I think there is a decent place near here. I come here quite often," Huang Lin said.

"It seems Chinese food is really popular here!" Yang Yu nodded and said.

"Naturally. Singapore is a country with a great many Chinese. My grandfather was sold here from Hong Kong as a coolie to do hard labor." Huang Lin was somewhat moved. "The ancestors of many Chinese entrepreneurs here started out as coolies. After paying off their indenture, they built everything from nothing through small businesses and grew them big. Every one of them has a legend to his name!"

Yang Xu felt a sudden surge of respect. Only those who had lived through it knew the bitterness of such a struggle.

The car stopped in front of a restaurant that looked quite decent. Yang Ce, Wang Yanqiu, Huang Yan, and Huang Lin got out together and walked inside.

Huang Lin was clearly a regular here. The receptionist knew him and gave him a slight smile before leading them to a table for four.

This was a fast-food style restaurant with no private rooms, so no matter who you were, if you came here you had to eat in the main hall, or else order takeout.

"See what you want to eat?" Huang Lin pushed the menu over to Yang Ce and asked.

"It's our first time here. You decide!" Yang Ce waved his hand and pushed the menu back to Huang Lin.

Huang Lin and Yanqiu were on fairly familiar terms by now, so he did not decline. He simply picked up the menu, ordered four servings of Hainanese chicken rice and a few side dishes, and told the waiter to get them ready.

"Business here looks pretty good!" Yang Ce said, watching the people come and go.

"Yes. Not just the Chinese here, but even native-born Singaporeans really like this flavor. The improved version first stir-fries local spices like pandan leaves, lemongrass, and laksa leaves until they melt together, then cooks the rice in chicken broth. These days, to suit modern people's need for healthy eating, the chefs have adjusted the chicken rice to a moderate oiliness. The grains come out golden, sweet on the tongue, yet not swimming in grease." Huang Lin said. "You see, all kinds of people come here: students, office workers, government employees, and even a few movie stars show up!"

Yang Ce looked around. Indeed, people in every kind of dress were there. It seemed Huang Lin was not wrong: this Hainanese chicken rice really was popular with the locals.

"I wonder if we will run into a star today?" Huang Lin said, and began scanning the restaurant's main hall. But when his eyes swept toward the entrance, the expression on his face froze instantly!

"Second Brother, what is it?" Huang Yan looked at Huang Lin, whose expression had suddenly turned to stone, and asked strangely.

"Li Tianjia!" Huang Lin ground out the name through his teeth.

"Li Tianjia? They came too?" Huang Yan looked where Huang Lin's gaze was fixed and indeed saw Li Tianjia walking into the restaurant together with a man about his own age.

At the same moment Huang Yan lifted his head, Li Tianjia clearly saw him too. The corners of his mouth curved up slightly, and no one could tell what wicked scheme he was hatching.

Li Tianjia said a few words to the other man beside him, and then the two of them swaggered over toward Huang Yan's side.

"The Li family?" Yang Ming had overheard Huang Lin and Huang Yan and asked with a frown.

"Yes, it's them," Huang Yan nodded.

"Heh. I was thinking of going to find them, but they've delivered themselves to our door!" Yang Heng laughed, as if he had discovered a new continent.

"Aren't these Huang Lin and Huang Yan?" Li Tianjia and the man walked up beside Huang Yan's table, and Li Tianjia began to mock them. "The Huang family is about to go bankrupt, and you still have the leisure to eat here?"

"The hell I care. You're not welcome here!" Huang Lin shot Li Tianjia a cold look and said.

"Tsk, still so cocky at a time like this?" Li Tianjia looked at the dishes on the table. "Chicken rice. Ha, this chicken rice. You eat... tsk tsk..." As he spoke, Li Tianjia's hand jerked, and he knocked the bowl of chicken rice in front of Huang Lin onto the floor. The crisp clatter of the bowl and chopsticks hitting the ground immediately drew the eyes of the nearby diners.

"You!" Huang Lin had not expected Li Tianjia to be so arrogant. He glared at him in fury.

"Oh, terribly sorry. My hand slipped and I accidentally knocked over your bowl!" Li Tianjia put on a look of innocence, shrugged, then beckoned to the waiter. "Here, bring this table another bowl of chicken rice. Put it on my bill!"

Yang Ming looked at Li Tianjia's punchable face, and his temper began to fray. But they were in a restaurant, after all, and Yang Yongjin did not want to let this ruin the mood, so for the moment he held back his anger to see just what this fellow was up to!

Wham! Another dull thud, and a bowl of chicken rice came down on Li Tianjia's forehead, smashing him so hard he saw stars!

I've been sick these past two days and overslept. The update is late, and I send my apologies!