Chapter 162 Peas, Ham, and Chicken Head Rice Stir-fry

With May more than halfway through, temperatures are rising relentlessly, as the summer heat intensifies.

Wenji has become incredibly popular once again.

Crayfish are now in season, especially at this time of year, and they're available everywhere. Green-shelled crayfish have more meat, while red-shelled crayfish have firmer meat. Male crayfish have less soft and thin shells than females, and the size of the crayfish is also important. It's May now, and the crayfish on the market aren't very large, but their shells are soft and easy to peel. Although they're not big, Wen Ji's crayfish are clean and fresh.

Green barley kernels aren't hard to find, since wheat is the main crop grown locally, and many people like to buy them to cook at home. Fresh green barley kernels are delicious whether used in soups or rice dishes. Especially since some people say that green barley kernels can help control blood sugar and reduce fat, coupled with the recent discussions about weight loss sparked by the stir-fried barley kernels sold in shops, there are now many more street vendors selling green barley kernels.

Only crispy pork rinds... Many people take one bite and assume it's just pork cracklings, but Wen Ji's crispy pork rinds are really good, crispy, fragrant and not greasy. Many people even ask Wen's mother if they can buy some crispy pork rinds separately.

But Wen's mother refused them all, saying that making crispy pork rinds was too much trouble. The pig they bought from Feng Huijuan, aside from the scraps they made for themselves, was all used to fry crispy pork rinds. Even that wasn't enough; they recently found a pig farm near Qingtang Mountain and arranged to buy pork from them later.

Ordering pork wasn't so easy, especially since the pig farm regularly supplied several large hotels in the city. When Wenji approached them, they initially refused.

Feng Huijuan talked for a long time, but the other party only said that Wenji's order was not fixed, more today and less tomorrow, which was troublesome.

Just when Wen's mother was about to give up, the matter was unexpectedly resolved.

The solution was surprisingly found when Xiao Ge's mentor intervened and used his connections.

Master Jin has been recuperating at home for almost half a year. During this time, he went from being eager to get the Jin Yu Lou brand up and running to losing confidence.

The apprentice was getting fatter and fatter at Wenji. Occasionally, he would bring back dishes that Master Jin would ponder for a long time after eating them. He would try to replicate them at home, but there were always two or three parts that he couldn't quite get right.

Master Jin was extremely anxious, wanting to ask Wen Fan but feeling embarrassed.

As for Xiao Ge, he's long since forgotten about home. The work at Wenji isn't strenuous, he can learn new things, and the atmosphere is good.

Master Jin couldn't help but feel a little jealous when he saw his apprentice acting like that.

Fortunately, this apprentice hadn't forgotten his earlier words, saying he wanted to get his master into the Wen family business, and he really did remember that.

When Wenji's pork order went wrong, Xiao Ge secretly told his master.

Master Jin devoured the green wheat rice his apprentice had brought back, and the gloom in his heart vanished instantly.

"Alright, go back and tell them that I guarantee this pork will be offered!"

Master Jin had some old acquaintances in the area, and he helped Wen Ji make connections. In less than two days, the pig farm called to say that they could supply the pigs and asked Wen's mother to come and sign the contract the next day.

While Wen's mother was still completely baffled, Xiao Ge happily raised his hand to indicate that it was all thanks to his master.

Mother Wen: "Then I must thank your master."

Mrs. Wen wondered how she should thank him. Should she give the old man a gift or just give him money?

Xiao Ge's answer was unexpected.

“My master doesn’t have any other hobbies, he just likes to cook. Why don’t you let him come and work here when he’s free? He’s not in good health, so he definitely can’t work on time. But the old man isn’t short of money, so we don’t need to pay him a salary. We can just provide meals.”

"Is your master...?"

Wen's mother hesitated for a moment, then stretched out her right index finger and twirled it a few times at her temple.

If someone wasn't out of their mind, how could they come up with the idea of ​​paying to work?

Xiao Ge chuckled a few times, but still explained the inside story to Wen's mother. When she mentioned Jin Yulou, Wen's mother suddenly felt a sense of surprise but also that it made sense.

In the past, she might have suspected that the master craftsman was holding a grudge because Jin Yu Lou had gone bankrupt, but Xiao Ge had worked in the shop for so long and his character was obvious to all, so Wen's mother no longer hesitated.

"Okay, let the old man come."

Anyway, the store is busy enough right now, no matter how many more we bring, it won't be enough.

Take crayfish for example. Just cleaning and preparing them every day is such a hassle. The shop is simply too busy. So, Mrs. Wen found a few part-time workers, all introduced by the neighbors. They work for two hours every morning and two hours every afternoon. They set up small tables and stools at the door, and the group chatted and laughed while processing the crayfish.

The live crayfish waved their large claws, attracting the attention of passersby, even those who weren't customers of Wen Ji. Some customers even took photos and posted them online to prove that Wen Ji actually used live crayfish.

[MuMu: So honest! Many shops use frozen shrimp tails, this is so fresh and peeled... Anyone who said Wenji was expensive, come out here!]

[Shanglin: It's really not bad. A serving of rice is 48 yuan, and the green barley rice is unlimited refills. Not to mention, Wenji's portions are generous; one serving is usually enough for two people.]

[Chen Xixi: God, I've been going for days and haven't been able to eat a single thing. Every time I arrive, they're sold out...]

[Shanglin: Um, sister, if you can't get the risotto, can't you order something else?]

[Chen Xixi: I just want to eat this! Especially the green barley rice! It looks so delicious!]

[Bean Sprout: ...Sister, check out this guide on a certain book. If you can't get the risotto, you can order a crayfish dish, then buy a bowl of rice noodles from the food stall near the entrance. Ask them not to add any sauce, and then soak the rice noodles in the crayfish soup. Apparently, it has a unique texture similar to eating barley noodles.]

...

It was a weekend, and Wen Fan arrived at the store in the evening, where he witnessed a strange scene.

Many customers order two servings of the "Nian Zhuan" dish, then leave it on the table without any sauce, as if waiting for the food to be served.

Before long, several steaming hot crayfish dishes were served.

These people took out a few crayfish and placed them on an empty plate, then put the scrambled eggs into the crayfish.

Wen Fan was puzzled, but after figuring out that this was a "second-best" option for those who couldn't get braised green wheat rice, he was convinced.

You have to admire these people's culinary acumen; when it comes to food, their minds become incredibly sharp.

The noodles have a slightly chewy texture and are quickly scooped out after a brief stir in the soup. The duck egg yolk flavor is especially good, with a powdery egg yolk and a rich golden broth. The noodles don't have the chewiness of green wheat noodles, but the wheat aroma is superior. The rough surface allows them to absorb the rich flavor of the egg yolk to the maximum extent. At this point, add a few peeled shrimp tails and stir. This is essentially a bowl of green wheat noodles topped with egg yolk and shrimp.

Similarly, using a spicy sauce results in spicy shrimp over green wheat noodles, while using garlic sauce results in garlic shrimp over green wheat noodles.

The customers squinted as they ate, discussing what could be improved. Some who didn't like the rice noodles ordered just barley rice, which, when topped with crayfish soup, turned out to be a surprisingly delicious dish.

Wen Fan shook her head and went into the kitchen. She still had three tables of guests tonight.

Master Jin, wearing a white apron, seemed a little uncomfortable when Wen Fan came in.

Wen Fan, on the other hand, treated him very casually and found it particularly easy to order him around.

"Master Jin, could you shell these peas for me?"

Remove the heads and shells from the shrimp.

Peel the lychees.

Master Jin was a little nervous at first, but then his mind went blank.

His hands moved mechanically, but his mind kept replaying the image of him in his master's kitchen.

Even though Wen Fan and the master in his memory were separated by decades, the way Wen Fan spoke and his unwavering style made Master Da Jin feel as if his master was instructing him.

"Open the shrimp open, put some dry powder on its back, and then use this rolling pin to pound it."

Wen Fan gave a demonstration, and Master Da Jin took over automatically.

Wen Fan was finally satisfied when he saw that the other party had quickly and skillfully chopped up several shrimp.

Master Jin had been immersed in the kitchen for so many years, and his movements were still quite precise. If it weren't for his age, Wen Fan felt that this was the apprentice he had always dreamed of...

The prawn was pounded into a thin slice, but the prawn meat remained intact, and the texture of the prawn meat was still faintly visible.

Wen Fan boiled the water and blanched the thin shrimp slices in it. Once they changed color, he quickly took them out and rinsed them in cold water. The originally bluish-white shrimp meat turned pink and became bright and shiny.

Wen Fan set the pounded shrimp aside for later use.

Then they started cooking the peas...

As darkness fell, Wenji's shop gradually became bustling with activity. Mi Xiao ran over to tell Wen Fan that the guests had arrived.

"A customer said he knows you and has something to give you."

Wen Fan changed into an apron, puzzled, and went outside. There she was, the photographer sister she had met while hiking earlier.

The photographer smiled and handed over the photos: "I knew it! With food that tastes so good, you must be in the food service industry, but I didn't expect your family to be Wen Ji. Here, I was originally planning to send it to you by express delivery, but when I saw the address, I decided to bring it to you instead."

Wen Fan thanked the other party, his mood instantly soaring.

Mi Xiao leaned closer and immediately spotted the photo.

"Hey, isn't this our egg yolk?"

Mi Xiao's eyes lit up: "So beautiful!"

These photos are great; they make Egg Yolk look especially majestic. There's even a picture of the young owner playing with his dog. In the picture, the young owner, wearing a windbreaker, is squatting down, while Egg Yolk is tilting its head back, its nose almost touching his face. The young owner is smiling and petting the dog's head...

Mi Xiao liked it more and more as she looked at it, and asked Wen Fan if she could draw a picture based on it.

"We'll use that as the background image for our account then."

Wen Fan naturally had no objections. She thanked the photographer sincerely and then turned around and asked Mi Xiao to send over two boxes of crispy sesame seeds.

"It's a great shot, I really like it."

The photographer had come to eat at Wen Ji with a friend, and was overjoyed to receive a thank-you gift from Wen Fan, saying that he could contact him again if needed in the future.

"Besides taking photos, I also introduce dogs to potential partners. I know quite a few beagle owners, and there are usually some events where you can bring your dog to play."

Wen Fan nodded repeatedly as he listened, deciding to go whenever he had the chance!

Wen Fan went into the kitchen, and the photographer sat down, still wanting more.

Opening a box of crispy pork cracklings, a fragrant and crispy aroma wafts out. Carefully taking out a piece and popping it into your mouth, it's crispy and fluffy, just like eating a snack.

"...It smells so good!"

My friend also shared a bite and was full of praise.

"This stuff isn't greasy even when eaten plain."

As his friend's hand reached out again and again, the photographer quietly moved it away slightly.

friend:……

Just as I was about to complain about her being stingy, I saw the food delivery opening move.

Mi Xiao walked over carrying a tray.

"The first dish is stir-fried peas and ham with water chestnuts."

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Author's Note: Two more chapters to come.