Soak the dried mushroom in warm water until softened and cut into slices. Do the same with the dried shrimp and then finely chop them if they are big in size
Cooking:
Preheat a large wok or skillet. Add 2 Tbsp of oil or lard. Add slices of pork belly and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add dried shrimp and shiitake mushroom and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the veggies. Cover with a lid and let them cook for about 2 minutes
Add the dried noodles. Don't stir it at this point. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes or until the noodles are half-cooked. Use a chopstick to loosen the noodles a bit. Add the seafood and seasonings, cover and let them braise for another 2 minutes or until the noodles are cooked but not mushy. Have a taste of the broth and adjust the seasoning as necessary
To serve:
Portion the noodles into an individual serving bowl. Top with fried peanuts and roasted seaweed. These are optional, but that's the version of heng hua lor mee I had in my hometown. Serve this immediately as the noodles will get soggy the longer they sit in the broth
Notes
In Putien, red mushrooms are also used to prepare braised noodles. I can't get any red mushrooms here. If you can, certainly use them.
If you have pork broth, you can use it instead of chicken broth for more original Putien lor mee