Chapter 16 Braised Winter Melon + Boiled Sliced ​​Pork

The glass of watermelon lemonade was quickly emptied, and the father and son were still somewhat reluctant to stop.

Tang Yiyi took the pickled pepper shredded potatoes out of the wok and served them to the guests. The freshly cooked pickled pepper shredded potatoes were especially fragrant and had a strong wok hei (wok aroma).

Qian Duoduo smacked her lips, feeling incredibly hungry, and picked up her chopsticks to start eating. Before she could even catch her breath, the shredded potatoes were still a bit too hot to handle, but they were sour, spicy, and incredibly chewy.

Even the simplest potato is transformed into a delicious dish here; no one can resist pickled pepper potato shreds.

Qian Yi nodded with a smile. This pickled pepper shredded potato dish was freshly stir-fried. He saw the owner make it himself and then serve it, unlike some restaurants that prioritize speed, stir-frying the food, putting it in a package, and then serving it after just heating it up when customers order.

I picked up some pickled pepper potato shreds with my chopsticks. They were full of starch, so satisfying! Because of the pickled peppers and chili peppers, the taste wasn't monotonous. The combination of sour and spicy flavors made it so delicious that I never got tired of it.

Qian Duoduo really wanted to invite a few of her close friends over, because nothing could compare to the hot and sour shredded potatoes in front of her—they were incredibly delicious with rice.

Even his picky dad loves to eat it; what child could resist?

When Xiaoyu came home from school, he was covered in sweat, and his clothes were soaked.

Seeing how hot he was, Tang Yiyi poured a glass of watermelon lemon juice, without adding much ice, and gave it to Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu has always had a sensitive stomach; even in the summer, eating too much ice makes him prone to diarrhea.

"Thank you, sister~ You've worked hard."

Xiaoyu couldn't wait to take a bite. Wow, it tasted sweet like watermelon juice, with a hint of sourness—a perfect balance of sweet and sour, with a lingering aftertaste.

Because of the ice, it tasted so refreshing. Xiaoyu's eyes crinkled at the corners, and it seemed like the weather wasn't so hot anymore.

Xiaoyu quickly finished a glass of watermelon lemon juice, and couldn't help but lick the juice-covered corners of his mouth, not wanting to waste food.

Hurry up, the two of them won't have time to eat lunch. It's just simple home-cooked food, but Xiaoyu has a good appetite.

Tang Yiyi was pleased to see this, and even put a piece of egg into his bowl, saying, "Xiaoyu seems to have grown a little taller recently, he must be eating well!"

Xiaoyu's face was bulging from eating. "Xiaoyu needs to eat more to grow taller and become an adult, so that your sister won't have to work so hard."

The siblings are more than ten years apart, but they have a deep bond over the years, even though they sometimes bicker and argue.

It was only 3 p.m., and all the watermelon lemonade prepared in the morning was sold out.

After class, Ms. Wang returned to her office and opened her food delivery app. "Huh? The restaurant's new watermelon lemonade is sold out so quickly!"

In the blink of an eye, the delicious food was gone.

The other teachers returned to their offices one after another, and it's unclear whether they were the first to discuss what to eat for dinner.

"A mala tang (spicy hot pot) restaurant opened near the school. My friend said it's really good. How about we get together and go eat there?"

The person who said this was Teacher Chu. She had been craving spicy hot pot for a long time, but unfortunately, she couldn't find a suitable partner.

"Sure, but do you have a lot of ingredients for mala tang? Won't it be too spicy?"

"..."

Teacher Wang rarely participates in such topics; she just listens quietly as an audience member, and at most, she might say a word or two when she gets interested.

This time, a teacher prompted her, "Teacher Wang, have you decided what to eat tonight? Why don't you come with us?"

Unless there's something urgent, Teacher Wang rarely refuses dinner invitations from colleagues and friends.

But this time, she nodded and suggested, "Going to a dinner party is great, but I have a place for the party, I don't know if everyone will be satisfied."

In the evening, things finally calmed down, and Tang Yiyi went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for herself and Xiaoyu.

Just then, a group of people, both men and women, entered the restaurant, including Teacher Wang.

"Hello, Sister Xiaoyu," Teacher Wang greeted her, "Our office is having a get-together."

"Oh, welcome~ You can look at the blackboard and see what you'd like to eat, then you can order."

There are seven teachers in the same office, so we'd need to order at least five or six dishes.

When everyone looked at the blackboard, they saw that there were only three dishes and watermelon lemonade as drinks. It was a bit too shabby for a get-together.

Faced with the puzzled looks from everyone, Teacher Wang gave a wry smile. Only she knew that the food at this restaurant was top-notch and no other restaurant could compare!

She could only explain, "This restaurant doesn't have many dishes, but they are definitely delicious."

The others were skeptical. If they didn't know Mr. Wang's character, they would have thought he was a shill hired by the restaurant owner to advertise and attract business.

Several teachers didn't want to leave, so they said, "Let's just have our meal here."

There were only three dishes on the blackboard: pickled pepper shredded potatoes, boiled sliced ​​pork, and braised winter melon. Since there were so many people, we ordered three dishes, including two servings of the boiled sliced ​​pork.

Tang Yiyi has made pickled pepper shredded potatoes so many times these past two days that now, when she makes it again, it's like a high school senior going into the exam room after a lot of practice problems—she's completely at ease.

The pickled pepper and potato shreds were ready, steaming hot. Xiaoyu volunteered to take them to Teacher Wang's table.

Upon seeing Xiaoyu, Teacher Chu felt he looked somewhat familiar, "This child..."

"Xiaoyu, you're all grown up now!" Teacher Wang didn't hold back her exaggeration, and then introduced him to the others, "This is my student Tang Xiaoyu. The restaurant is now run by Xiaoyu's older sister."

"Oh, I see. This child is really good. He's both easy to take care of and makes us proud." Many teachers looked at Xiaoyu with loving eyes.

Once a dish is served, it's hard to ignore it, especially this pickled pepper shredded potatoes, which is colorful, fragrant, and delicious, easily whetting one's appetite.

Before all the dishes were served, no one touched their chopsticks; everyone silently endured it.

Tang Yiyi took half of the peeled winter melon, removed the seeds and sliced ​​it, and then sliced ​​the scallions, ginger and garlic. She then blanched the winter melon, heated oil in a wok, sautéed the scallions, ginger and garlic until fragrant, then added the winter melon and stir-fried it. She poured in oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, MSG and other seasonings, and cooked the winter melon over medium heat.

Finally, after thickening the sauce with cornstarch slurry, sprinkle with chopped green onions, stir-fry, and serve.

When the braised winter melon was served, the other teachers turned their heads away, unable to look at its tempting color, and some really couldn't resist the urge to eat it.

Boiled pork slices are Tang Yiyi's specialty. She puts the sliced ​​pork tenderloin into water seasoned with salt, scallions, ginger, and peppercorns, adds some starch, and mixes the pork slices together. This makes the pork slices much more tender.

Heat the pan, add chili peppers and several spices, and stir-fry until the oil turns red.

The teachers waiting outside: It smells so pungent, but it also smells so good.

Around this time, Tang Yiyi put the meat slices into the pot, stirred them a few times, heated oil in another pot, and poured the hot oil over the meat slices to bring out a double aroma.

Xiaoyu wanted to go into the kitchen to get some, but the smell of chili peppers made him cough violently.

"Xiaoyu, don't come in."

As soon as she finished speaking, Tang Yiyi came out with two servings of boiled pork slices. Instantly, all the guests in the room looked over, or more accurately, they looked at the boiled pork slices she was holding.

Enjoy your meal.

When all the dishes were served, everyone surprisingly picked up their chopsticks at the same time.

On the contrary, Teacher Wang was a step behind, thinking that everyone was about to say something.

All three dishes smelled delicious, and no one knew which one to eat first, but no one was worried about not being able to eat them all. The portions here are comparable to those in the north; two or three people can easily eat one dish with rice and be full.

In the pickled pepper and potato shreds dish, the pickled peppers and potato shreds were the same color, while the green and red chili peppers stood out prominently. Underneath the braised winter melon was a dark brown broth; a thin slice of winter melon was translucent and very pretty. And in the bowl of boiled pork slices, a layer of tempting red oil floated on top, the pork slices soaking in the oil looking incredibly appetizing.

Teacher Wang first picked up some pickled pepper potato shreds, which tasted as delicious as before, with a perfect blend of sour and spicy flavors, making it a great accompaniment to rice.

The teacher who suggested going to eat mala tang (a spicy hot pot dish) was amazed when he tasted the boiled pork slices. He was impressed by how the pork slices were made so spicy and flavorful, so tender and smooth, like sliding down a slide on his tongue. The rice, soaked in chili oil, became fragrant and delicious.

No matter how spicy hot pot is, nothing can compare to boiled pork slices in your mouth. The owner has the skills of a master chef. Even someone like her who loves spicy hot pot thinks boiled pork slices is the most delicious thing in the world!

Everyone's satisfaction was written on their faces. They shoveled rice into their bowls, all quietly and silently eating their meals.

The seven people finished all four dishes, leaving not a drop of soup, which can be considered as practicing the "Clean Plate Campaign" advocated by the school.

Teacher Wang felt so happy; this was the most delicious pickled potato shreds she had ever eaten! The texture was delicate, the flavor was rich, and it wasn't oily at all.

Teacher Chu patted her round belly and exclaimed, "I'm so full! I'm stuffed!"

Everyone was very satisfied with the dinner. After paying the bill, they left humming a tune.

A note from the author:

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