Chapter 11 Fish Head Tofu Soup.

Ever since Zhu Shuangyi and Zhang Hua had what they considered to be a rare and delicious dinner at Gu's Private Kitchen that day, they had been thinking about it constantly.

Lele kept talking about wanting to eat there again, and even made a promise to herself that she would get first place in the next math unit test, just so she could use up her reward to eat at Gu's Private Kitchen again.

Even if parents really want to, they can't openly indulge their children. They should give two reasons for refusing: "You still have to go to school. How can you eat out every night? It will affect your homework. We'll pick up Grandpa and Grandma to eat together on the weekend. We can't leave out the elderly when there's good food."

Lele thought about it and realized that only her parents had money. No matter how much she pleaded or made promises, it was unlikely that they would change their minds.

It's just waiting until the weekend to eat there. I don't even have to be number one in the exam. I can just bear with it.

Finally, the weekend arrived. On my way to calligraphy practice in the morning, I didn't forget to tell my mom, "Mom, remember to pick up Grandpa and Grandma early, and then go to Gu's Private Kitchen for dinner as soon as I finish my get out of class. The owner's cooking is so good, the business must be booming. If we go late, we'll have to wait in line."

Zhu Shuangyi shook her head with a laugh as she drove: "I know, I've been nagging you about it since last night, my ears are practically calloused."

After dropping her son off at calligraphy practice, she went home and took a nap. Then, she planned her time to pick up her in-laws from her husband's house, and then took a detour to pick up her son so they could have dinner together.

On the way, Lele fully utilized her talkative nature to introduce the dishes she had eaten at Gu's Private Kitchen to her grandparents. Using her best descriptive abilities, she used words she remembered and found applicable to describe how delicious the garlic ribs and plum duck were, how good the freshly squeezed orange juice was, and how sweet the soybean, fig, and chicken feet soup was, which she could drink two or three bowls of at a time.

Grandpa and Grandma Zhang listened to their grandson's vivid descriptions and the drooling expression on his face as he reminisced about the delicious meat dishes, their smiles never ceasing.

They were initially a little resistant to their son and daughter-in-law taking them out to eat, as they were used to being frugal and felt that eating at home was fine. But now they were more looking forward to the restaurant they were going to eat at.

Just how delicious must it be for Lele to be so excited that her son and daughter-in-law even came to pick them up to eat together?

It has to be said that they are very gratified by their son and daughter-in-law's feelings.

They quickly parked the car near Suli Street and the family walked straight to Suli Street, soon arriving at Gu's Private Kitchen.

Seeing that there were already three tables of people eating inside, Zhu Shuangyi took bigger steps. Lele ran in and picked a large round table, calling out, "Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, and Dad, come sit here."

Then, glancing expertly at the menu on the wall, she exclaimed in surprise, "All the dishes on the menu today are new!"

Lele was originally looking forward to eating garlic ribs, which were even better than fried skewers, so she was inevitably a little disappointed.

Zhu Shuangyi and Zhang Hua looked at the dishes and thought they looked good, and started planning what to eat.

Grandpa and Grandma Zhang glanced at the menu and muttered to each other that the food was a bit expensive, and there wasn't even a paper menu; they had to look up at the menu on the wall.

Zhu Shuangyi nudged Zhang Hua's waist under the cover of the table, and he immediately asked, "Mom and Dad, we rarely come out, and there are a lot of people today, so how about we order all the dishes to try? Three meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and one soup isn't too much."

“Yes, Mom and Dad, it’s rare to get you two out for dinner, let’s give it a try,” Zhu Shuangyi agreed with a smile.

Lele immediately raised her hand and added, "I want the freshly squeezed orange juice from last time too."

As soon as he came in, he noticed that the restaurant's refrigerator had drinks available, including his usual favorites like Coke, Sprite, coconut juice, and orange juice. However, the freshly squeezed orange juice tasted so good last time that he chose it again without hesitation.

Grandpa and Grandma Zhang thought ordering everything was a bit of an exaggeration, but since their son and daughter-in-law said so and Lele was so looking forward to it, they simply nodded in agreement: "Okay, let's order everything."

"Okay." Zhang Hua finally had time to talk to his son. "Freshly squeezed orange juice isn't on the menu. Ask the owner yourself later."

Lele smiled and nodded in agreement.

Calling the owner over, Zhang Hua said directly, "Boss, one serving of everything on the menu today, plus five servings of rice."

Gu Qingqiu smiled and agreed.

Lele quickly asked, "Boss, the freshly squeezed orange juice you had last time was so delicious, do you still have it now?"

Gu Qingqiu remembered this child; he was chubby and cute, calling her "sister" in a sweet, childish voice. He was also the first and only customer of her freshly squeezed orange juice.

She stocked up on drinks and beer for the shop, but didn't put freshly squeezed juice on the menu, thinking it was unnecessary.

Fruit isn't cheap, and I don't like to dilute it with too much water because it doesn't taste good that way. Selling it at a high price isn't good either, so I just sell it as it comes.

She loves oranges, especially sweet navel oranges. After eating the sweet and juicy flesh, she can dry the orange peel, which will still smell fragrant.

There were indeed a few oranges left. Gu Qingqiu smiled and nodded, "Yes, you want a drink, right?"

Lele looked at her family: "Grandpa and Grandma, would you like some freshly squeezed orange juice? It's so delicious. Mom and Dad, would you like a glass too?"

Grandpa Zhang asked, "Boss, do you provide tea here?"

Gu Qingqiu nodded: "Yes, we have Tieguanyin, Pu'er tea, chrysanthemum tea, and monk fruit water. Which would you like to drink?"

Grandpa Zhang looked at his wife, son, and daughter-in-law with questioning eyes, and Grandma Zhang said, "Let's drink chrysanthemum tea, it'll cool us down."

Zhu Shuangyi and Zhang Hua naturally had no objections.

Gu Qingqiu nodded in agreement, then remembered something and asked, "By the way, little one, should the freshly squeezed orange juice be at room temperature or iced?"

She specially dug out her old molds, washed them, froze some ice cubes, and put them in the refrigerator, thinking that on such a hot day, customers would occasionally ask for ice in their freshly squeezed juice, and she could also occasionally have a whole glass of chilled juice to drink.

Lele naturally wanted to drink something cold, but still asked her mother, "Mom, can I drink something cold?"

He also knows that it's not good for children to eat cold things, so he strictly follows his agreement with his mother in this regard. For example, he can only drink iced beverages or ice cream once a week, and he hasn't had any this week.

"Okay, but please add less ice." Zhu Shuangyi nodded in agreement, thinking that the lemon shredded chicken would probably be quite spicy. Besides, it wouldn't be good to spoil the fun of the kids eating out.

"Okay, I understand. Please wait a moment." Gu Qingqiu first went to the cashier to print out some menus for them, then counted out bowls, chopsticks, and washing tools for each person, then brewed a pot of chrysanthemum tea for the customers before going into the kitchen to get busy.

The Zhang family was waiting for their meal. The elderly couple's eyesight wasn't very good, but their sense of smell was quite keen. They smelled the aroma of meat and dishes wafting from nearby tables and said with a smile, "No wonder Lele has been wanting to come and eat here. The food smells pretty good."

Grandma Zhang observed the details: "Moreover, this store is clean enough. I just reached out and touched the table and there was no grease or dust at all. The air conditioning was on just right and they weren't stingy with the air conditioning."

Zhu Shuangyi smiled and said, "This shop is quite nice. The decor is bright and the owner seems very clean and hygienic. The transparent kitchen makes us feel at ease."

As they were talking, braised pork with preserved mustard greens was served.

Everyone stopped talking and started eating with their chopsticks.

Zhu Shuangyi had been looking forward to this meal for a long time, and she couldn't help but compare everything she ate at work these past two days with Gu's Private Kitchen, which only made her more and more depressed.

Although she was a little disappointed that she didn't see the chicken and potatoes she had been craving, she was still looking forward to the braised pork with preserved mustard greens, which was clearly a hearty dish.

The braised pork belly had three distinct layers of fat and lean meat, a very neat and beautiful arrangement. She rolled it up so that the fat and lean meat overlapped, then put it in her mouth and took a bite.

The braised pork belly is tender, savory, and fragrant. The fat from the pork belly moistens the lean meat, and it also has the unique salty-sweet aroma of preserved mustard greens.

After tasting the whole braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens, Zhu Shuangyi was captivated by the flavor. When she picked up another piece of braised pork belly to eat, she still resisted the urge to eat only the lean meat and reluctantly put the fatty meat in her bowl.

Zhang Hua wasn't as restrained as his wife. He ate the meat in big bites, letting the salty aroma of the braised pork with preserved vegetables spread in his mouth. The next second, he would take a couple of mouthfuls of the freshly served white rice. Mixed together, it was incredibly delicious.

He also specially picked up some preserved mustard greens to eat. The preserved mustard greens were soaked in the special sauce and had the aroma of meat. They were loose and had a salty and sweet taste, making them a great side dish to eat with rice.

Lele fell in love with braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens after just one bite; she never imagined that pork belly could be cooked so deliciously.

His mind is completely focused on food. If you were to ask him now which is the best, braised pork with preserved mustard greens or garlic ribs, he would probably hesitate for a long time before deciding which one to choose.

When the shop owner brought him a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, Lele had his answer. He wouldn't choose any of them; freshly squeezed orange juice was the best, and freshly squeezed orange juice with ice was the best in the world.

He took a sip; the orange juice with ice was even sweeter than the last one. The fresh aroma of oranges lingered on his tongue and nose. He chewed a few times, swallowed the distinct pieces of fruit, and couldn't help but smack his lips.

Lele offered, "Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, and Dad, let me pour you some orange juice."

Grandpa Zhang and Grandma Zhang were also attracted by the appearance of the braised pork with preserved mustard greens. In the past, when they went to banquets, they liked this kind of glossy and red dish the most. They knew that it would fill their stomachs just by looking at how oily it was, and the taste was probably not bad either.

They each picked up a piece of braised pork with preserved mustard greens and were immediately captivated by its soft and tender texture.

As they get older, their teeth aren't as strong, so they can't eat many slightly hard vegetables. They usually have to cook the vegetable hearts until they're very soft before they can chew them. This braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens melts in your mouth; it falls apart without you even having to chew it. The salty and savory flavor of the preserved mustard greens stimulates your taste buds, and before you know it, you've swallowed it.

Grandpa Zhang ate two slices of braised pork with preserved mustard greens, then ate another slice of braised pork with preserved mustard greens mixed with rice. He felt that this meal was worthwhile.

Grandma Zhang usually pays great attention to health, adhering to the principle of eating until she is 70% full, never eating more than three servings of any dish, and only tasting high-fat meat dishes.

But at this moment she felt she didn't need to be so restrained, and relaxing a little wouldn't hurt. She ate three slices of braised pork with preserved mustard greens and a lot of rice, and felt much more energetic.

That feeling of excitement and satisfaction from eating delicious meat and vegetables.

Hearing that her grandson was being so well-behaved, Grandma Zhang smiled and said, "No need, Lele, you can drink it."

She glanced at the large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in her grandson's hand, its bright orange color brimming with fruit pulp, and knew that the ingredients were plentiful; this shop was a truly honest establishment.

Grandpa Zhang also said that drinking chrysanthemum tea would be fine.

Lele originally wanted to pour some for them to drink, but since her grandparents' cups contained chrysanthemum tea and their bowls had leftover rice, she had to give up.

Zhang Hua and Zhu Shuangyi, the parents, didn't stand on ceremony with their son. They took turns taking the glass of orange juice and drinking a few mouthfuls without any hesitation, which was quite refreshing.

Under Lele's angry gaze, she handed him back the half-empty glass of orange juice.

"My son is so good. I'll bring you here to eat again next time," Zhang Hua comforted him.

The second dish arrived: fish head tofu soup.

The soybean, fig, and chicken feet soup last time was an unexpectedly wonderful experience; Zhu Shuangyi almost drank every last drop of soup left in the bowl.

When she got home, she looked it up on her phone and found out that the soup had the effects of nourishing yin, relieving dryness, replenishing blood, and beautifying the complexion. She even made a pot of it at home yesterday, and it tasted pretty good, but not as good as the one in the restaurant.

Therefore, she had high expectations for the soup at Gu's Private Kitchen.

This fish head tofu soup looks milky white and fragrant, with scallions and goji berries floating in it as garnish. The red and green colors are particularly eye-catching. The fish head is half exposed, surrounded by small cubes of tofu. It is hard to tell whether the tofu is white or the soup is whiter. The steam carrying the freshness rises straight up.

She simply gave the remaining white rice in her bowl to her husband, picked up a soup spoon and ladled herself a full bowl of soup with a little tofu.

While it was still steaming, she scooped up some thick, white soup with a spoon and tentatively put it in her mouth. The fish soup wasn't as hot as she had imagined, and it was perfectly acceptable.

The soup was very flavorful, with a subtle bean aroma from the fish head and a perfectly balanced salty taste.

Add another spoonful with a red goji berry, savor the freshness of the fish soup, then chew the goji berry a few times to break it up. This time, it also has a touch of the goji berry's sweetness, which you then swallow.

Zhu Shuangyi really liked the fresh and delicious flavor, and drank several mouthfuls before scooping up a piece of tofu to eat.

The tofu becomes even smoother and more tender after being simmered in the soup, like expensive silk, giving it a wonderful texture. When you bite into it, you can taste the original bean flavor, along with a hint of saltiness, making the flavor even richer.

Zhang Hua quickly finished his rice with the preserved vegetables and braised pork, then hurriedly followed his wife and scooped up a bowl of soup to drink.

Once you start drinking it, you can't stop: "The soup is so fresh, the fish flavor is strong, and the tofu is so tender and smooth. I never knew that cooking tofu could be so delicious."

Grandpa and Grandma Zhang had a good appetite. They finished their bowls of white rice with braised pork belly and preserved mustard greens. When they heard what their son said, they each scooped up a bowl of fish head tofu soup and drank it.

Grandma Zhang sipped the fragrant soup, exhaling the steam, the fresh fish flavor still lingering on her lips: "This owner's cooking skills are really good; he can even cook fish head tofu soup so fresh and savory."

Grandpa Zhang drank half a bowl of soup and ate two pieces of tender tofu. He laughed and said, "Judging from the fact that the soup is so white and thick, almost like tofu, I know the owner's skill level is quite high."

Just as they were drinking their soup, lemon shredded chicken and garlic shrimp were served.