Chapter 10 010 Braised Pig Trotters

The minced meat and eggplant dish successfully won Wu Na's heart, and she instantly fell in love with this sticky and gooey rice bowl.

I don't know how the minced meat in this dish was cooked, but it still retained a crispy texture despite the soft and tender eggplant. The slightly larger pieces of minced meat, combined with the limp eggplant that loses its shape when stirred, look messy, but they are actually incredibly delicious.

Wu Na didn't even bother to eat her favorite pickled chili peppers, just stuffing them into her mouth bite by bite, as if her stomach had become an insatiable hole.

It wasn't until the plate was empty that Wu Na realized she had actually eaten such a large plate of rice!

You know, when you eat in a restaurant, the portion is usually a little bigger than when you order takeout. If that big plate of rice with toppings were in the past, Wu Na would have left at least a third of it, if not half.

But today, not only did she finish all her food, but after burping a few times, she still wanted to eat!

Even though her stomach was full, her eyes were still craving something. Her gaze was fixed on the rice bowl that Wen Fan was serving to someone else, and she couldn't tear it away.

"Boss, one order to go... stir-fried pork with chili over rice!"

Wu Na thought to herself, "This food is so delicious, I should send it to my mother to try."

It's a good opportunity for me to try some new flavors.

Wen Fan readily agreed, packed the food for Wu Na, and casually slipped a bottle of drink inside.

"Boss, I don't want a drink."

Wen Fan smiled and said, "This is for you. My mom said there's a long positive review on the food delivery platform. Is it you?"

She handed over the bag: "Thank you for coming!"

Wu Na was dazzled by the little girl's smile, and felt extremely satisfied.

"Sure, sure. By the way, you look quite young. Are you in university or high school?"

Wen Fan pointed to the English vocabulary book spread out behind the counter: "High school, sister, you're a college student, right?"

Wu Na straightened her chest and said, "I'm a sophomore at Capital Normal University."

Wen Fan was filled with respect: "Then you must be very good at studying."

Wu Na said cheerfully, "It's all about perseverance. If you stick with it for two years, university will be much easier."

Wen Fan lowered her eyes and said, "I still don't know if I can pass the exam."

Wu Na's eyes were full of the wisdom of someone who had been through it all. She patted Wen Fan on the shoulder and said, "Young man, it's just a temporary difficulty. You'll get through it... Which subject are you weak in? Let me give you some advice."

Wen Fan had been waiting for this very sentence, and immediately began to complain to Wu Na.

Poor math skills, can't understand English grammar, can't comprehend physics, chemistry...

Although Wu Na had long forgotten most of her high school knowledge, it was all learned during that time, so she naturally had some study tips.

"Just do as I say! Remember, quantity makes perfect, and a sea of ​​questions reveals true ability! As long as you don't die from overexertion, keep pushing yourself to the limit!"

*****

library.

As the clock struck eleven in the library lobby, food stalls began to appear one after another outside. Under the shade of the trees lining the street, a row of food carts stood like a procession awaiting inspection, each one set up in formation.

At the stalls selling roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), vegetable pancakes, liangpi (cold skin noodles), rice noodles, and mala tang (spicy hot pot), most of the customers are young people in their twenties. After ordering their food, they buy an iced drink from a vending machine. Although it's the height of summer, there's a slight breeze even when sitting under the shade of a tree. After a pleasant meal, they stroll around to buy a milk tea before diving into their afternoon studies.

However, in such hot weather, most people will not choose to leave the library.

Ordering takeout on your phone is a good option. Although eating is not allowed in the library, many people sit on the floor in the spacious hall, enjoying their takeout in the air conditioning. It's better than going out in the midday sun.

As a result, a new sight has appeared at the entrance of the library: delivery riders in various uniforms gather together, hurriedly handing food to customers or placing it on the shelves at the entrance, and then rushing to catch the next order.

Parents drop their children off at the library, which isn't very big. The children run around between the different sections and quickly make friends with their friends.

It was time to pick up takeout, and four or five children ran out together.

One of the little boys said with a boastful tone, "My grandma said she ordered me a spicy chicken burger! And fried chicken and cola too!"

"Wow, Zhang Zhuangzhuang, your grandma is so nice."

The boy named Zhang Zhuangzhuang said smugly, "Luckily, I asked my grandma to take me today!"

If her mom were to bring it, she definitely wouldn't listen to her and order fried chicken and cola.

What do your mothers usually order for lunch?

"I don't know. I want to eat liangpi (cold skin noodles), but my mom said I can't order it because it's too hot and the noodles won't be fresh."

"My mom ordered noodles for me today. Sigh, I actually wanted fried chicken instead."

"Zihan, what about you?"

Chen Zihan honestly replied, "I don't know."

Zhang Zhuangzhuang chuckled and said, "He must have been eating vegetables!"

They were all classmates. Chen Zihan had been suffering from gastroenteritis recently, so her parents strictly controlled her diet. Lately, Chen Zihan's meals have been varied and light.

How many children like to eat bland food? Zhang Zhuangzhuang and the others felt uncomfortable just hearing about it.

Several children found their takeout.

"Wow, my grandma ordered several pieces of fried chicken. We'll each have one piece later!"

They said each person would get a piece of paper, but of course Chen Zihan didn't get any. Zhang Zhuangzhuang thought to himself, "Why does my mom always say Chen Zihan is a good student?"

He's going to eat fried chicken in front of Chen Zihan in a little while, making him so hungry!

"My mom ordered dry noodles, but I don't like dry noodles!"

"How about we switch? My mom ordered fried rice for me."

"Zihan, what did your mother order?"

Chen Zihan pulled out a disposable lunchbox: "Set meal."

The children immediately began to sigh.

"That's it, yours is definitely the worst."

Chen Zihan also lowered his head, looking very distressed. He felt he was already much better, but his mother was still telling him to avoid certain foods. Catching a glimpse of Zhang Zhuangzhuang excitedly unpacking fried chicken made Chen Zihan feel even worse.

He also really wanted to eat fried chicken burgers.

The children found a table about one person wide and put their food on it.

As soon as Zhang Zhuangzhuang pulled out his fried chicken burger, it drew envious glances from the surrounding children. He tore open the wrapper, took a big bite of the burger, and his little eyes were full of pride.

Chen Zihan also opened her food packaging bag, looking at the healthy and light meal with a bitter expression.

Zhang Zhuangzhuang was even happier, chewing loudly.

Chen Zihan opened the lunchbox...

"Wow, Zihan, your food smells so good!"

"It really smells so good."

Chen Zihan was also surprised. His mother had just called his smartwatch and said she had ordered takeout from a new restaurant.

Is this new takeout food really that good?

Zhang Zhuangzhuang sipped his cola, nonchalantly saying, "Even if it tastes good, it's still just rice and stir-fried vegetables. Haven't you guys had enough of what you eat at home?"

"But this dish smells really good..."

The other two boys' eyes fell on the lunchbox, where they saw a compartment filled with braised pork trotters with peanuts and soybeans in a thick, reddish-brown sauce, topped with a few scallions, the color just like the ones they had seen in picture books.

Zhang Zhuangzhuang was furious: "What's so fragrant about it! I wouldn't eat this even if it were given to me for free! It's nowhere near as good as fried chicken or a hamburger!"

Chen Zihan had already broken his chopsticks apart. Regardless of what Zhang Zhuangzhuang and his two other friends were saying, he picked up a piece of pig's trotter first.

The stewed pig's trotters were so tender that the gelatinous outer skin could be easily torn apart with a gentle bite...

The two friends next to me were really drooling.

"Is it delicious? Is it delicious?"

Chen Zihan didn't even bother to nod, and ate several bites in a row, stuffing her mouth full.

"Hao Chi!"

He was generous; although he was reluctant, he pushed it forward, making it seem like he wanted to share it with his friend.

The two children happily stretched out their chopsticks.

"It's so delicious!"

"Wow, these peanuts are delicious!"

"The soybeans are soft too!"

"Don't push me, I want to eat a piece of eggplant!"

"These green beans are different too."

Zhang Zhuangzhuang was a little angry, and even the hamburger in his mouth didn't taste good anymore.

Chen Zihan ate in silence, afraid that if she ate too slowly, her friends would eat all the food.

The box of food was packed with rice, and the mother had made sure the rice was packed tightly, enough for one adult to eat.

With the combined efforts of the children, the lunchbox was quickly devoured. Even the last bit of broth from the pig's trotters was poured over the fried rice, and the child eating it squinted his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the meal.

"It's so delicious!"

Chen Zihan ate until her belly was round and full, and happily discussed with her friends which dish was better.

Zhang Zhuangzhuang, the only one who didn't get any vegetables, angrily took a bite of fried chicken.

It's just a boxed lunch!

But...it really tastes delicious.

...

"Zihan, where did your mom order takeout from?"

That evening, Zihan's mother received an inquiry from her son's best friend's family.

Even though her son had said countless times that "lunch was delicious" when she picked him up, Zihan's mother really didn't expect that such a simple meal would make these children care so much.

She took out the business card she received that morning and slapped it on her.

"This is the one."

One of the parents slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I received this this morning, and I threw it away!"

These days there are so many salespeople; you can collect seven or eight flyers just by walking around the street, but she doesn't even look at most of them.

Zihan's mother casually forwarded Wen's mother's business card, saying, "I just noticed this shop is unusually clean."

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhuangzhuang's maternal grandmother, unable to bear his fussing any longer, also called.

My grandson threw a tantrum as soon as he got home, insisting that the fried chicken and burger he had for lunch were no good and that he wanted a set meal instead.

"Chen Zihan eats better than me!"

Zhuangzhuang's grandma frowned: "Don't you love fried chicken the most?"

Zhang Zhuangzhuang jumped up and down: "But fried chicken isn't good! I want rice and stir-fried vegetables!"

He was annoyed by Chen Zihan, but all afternoon, his mind was filled with that braised pig's trotter.

He was so angry that he wanted to buy pig's trotters to eat on his way home that night, but after taking a couple of bites, he felt something was wrong.

It doesn't taste like that at all!

"I want to eat pig's trotters with peanuts and soybeans inside!"

Grandma Zhuangzhuang didn't know how to do it. When Zhuangzhuang's mother came home, she slapped the little brat who had been making a fuss twice.

Seeing her crying grandson, Zhuangzhuang's maternal grandmother began to complain.

"The child wanted to eat a pig's trotter, and look why you hit him?"

Zhuangzhuang's mother said irritably, "It's so annoying to see him jumping around like that... Mom, can you please stop buying him fried chicken and cola? Look at his size!"

He's only in second grade, but he's already developing horizontally.

Zhuangzhuang's grandmother felt guilty and, after thinking for a while, went to ask Zihan's mother for her contact information.

Zihan's mother readily handed over her business card, but Zhuangzhuang's grandmother was stunned when she saw it.

Isn't this the same company she was chasing after this morning for the vegetable testing report?

Zhuangzhuang's maternal grandmother's face turned pale and then red, and in the end, she could only send a red envelope to Wen's mother with a bright red face.

Hello, I'd like to order some food for tomorrow.

A note from the author:

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