Chapter 26: Stir-fried Beef + Winter Melon and Pork Rib Soup

Who is it? Knocking on the door at this hour, the knocking growing more urgent with each knock.

Tang Yiyi hurriedly went to open the door, and a middle-aged man in a T-shirt stood outside, looking fierce. "I'm here to collect the rent. Your family hasn't paid rent for several days!"

It turned out to be the landlord. Tang Yiyi looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, I've been busy with business during the day lately."

Upon hearing this, the man seemed less agitated.

"Okay, hurry up and pay the rent. I'll leave once I get the rent."

Tang Yiyi asked the landlord to wait at the door while she went to get the money.

The landlord nodded, and suddenly a delicious aroma wafted over, like the smell of fried food.

He instinctively looked toward the kitchen from which the aroma was wafting. "What are they frying?"

Tang Yiyi came out with cash, about to pay the rent to the landlord. The rent was one thousand a month when she heard the landlord grumbling loudly.

"What did you fry in the kitchen?"

Tang Yiyi replied, "Fried chicken leg, landlord, would you like to try a chicken leg?"

The landlord really wanted to say no; he was just there to collect rent, how could he possibly eat someone else's fried chicken leg?

But in that short time, Tang Yiyi had already turned around and gone into the kitchen, taking out a bowl and two chicken legs.

The fried chicken leg has a crispy, golden-brown skin, with the tender meat inside faintly visible, and it smells delicious.

The landlord was speechless. The chicken leg was fried so well that it was even better than the fried chicken he had taken his kids to the burger joint.

"No need, I'm just here to collect rent."

Tang Yiyi smiled inwardly. The landlord clearly craved this. As soon as she brought out the chicken leg, the landlord's eyes never left the fried chicken leg in the bowl.

"These chicken drumsticks are cheap, landlord, would you like to try some?"

Since he'd already said that, it wouldn't be right for the landlord to remain cold and indifferent, so he had no choice but to say, "I'll just have a fried chicken leg, and you'll have to pay your rent for the next few days!"

It's just a fried chicken leg; it's nowhere near the rent for his apartment in this neighborhood. Although the neighborhood isn't very big or run-down, there are schools, supermarkets, and other amenities nearby, so quite a few people want to rent apartments here every year.

After thinking it through, the landlord stopped arguing and picked up a fried chicken leg to eat.

The first bite revealed a crispy and delicious outer shell. The landlord's eyes widened in surprise—it was so crispy!

Next up is tender and juicy chicken, which is very succulent.

The landlord was speechless for a moment, then quickly ate a few more bites. The tender meat was chewy and juicy, and the more you ate, the more flavorful it became. Even the bones, which were easy to separate from the bone, were fragrant.

Moreover, the fried chicken legs were not seasoned much, retaining their original flavor, yet they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making them incredibly delicious.

The landlord ate two fried chicken legs in one go.

Then the landlord asked Tang Yiyi, "Are there any fried chicken legs left?"

Compared to this fried chicken leg, all the fried chicken I've ever eaten is simply incomparable!

If he could, he would buy all the fried chicken legs from this store and bring them to his son. His son is a very picky eater; he doesn't like rice or vegetables, but he loves fried chicken and hamburgers, though he doesn't eat all kinds.

The landlord was convinced that his son would love the fried chicken legs from this place!

Tang Yiyi: "There aren't any extra fried chicken legs. My brother and I will eat the rest for lunch."

Hearing this, the landlord felt extremely upset. If there weren't other people around and the occasion wasn't inappropriate, he would have liked to lick the bits of fried chicken skin off his fingertips.

Just then, Tang Yiyi said, "Landlord, this is this month's rent."

landlord:"……"

After receiving the rent and leaving, the landlord's mood didn't improve at all. He suggested that the girl from earlier come to their place to make fried chicken legs, and he would pay whatever it cost.

Xiao Yu was fast asleep in the room with his eyes closed, unaware of what was happening outside. He almost missed out on his favorite fried chicken leg.

Tang Yiyi cooked two more dishes and went to call Xiaoyu to wash his hands and eat.

Neither of them liked to make noise while eating. After finishing the rice in his bowl, Xiaoyu couldn't resist picking up a fried chicken leg.

Eating fried chicken legs after a meal makes it less likely to clash with the main course and cause a loss of appetite.

Xiao Yu's cheeks were chubby, and his eyes were curved at the corners. The fried chicken leg was delicious; the outer skin was crispy and tasty, and the meat was juicy and fragrant. The chicken leg was tender and easy to chew.

After washing the dishes and chopsticks, Tang Yiyi put them away in the cupboard and started reading.

This book is a complete cookbook with many recipes for everyday dishes. Reading more recipes will make cooking easier.

Just as I was engrossed in reading, there was a knock on the door.

She went to open the door, and Grandma Li outside was holding a bowl and half a winter melon. "Yiyi, Grandma has come to return the bowl and also brought you some winter melon."

Half an hour ago, Tang Yiyi delivered the remaining fried chicken legs to Grandma Li's house downstairs for them to eat.

Tang Yiyi readily accepted the bowl and the winter melon, saying, "Thank you, Grandma!"

Seeing that she was still at home, Grandma Li asked again, "Yiyi, are you resting at home today? Aren't you going to the restaurant?"

"The restaurant is closed for the next two days."

Upon hearing this, Grandma Li exclaimed, "Then many people will definitely not be able to eat."

The taste of the restaurant is something many people will definitely miss.

Then Grandma Li said, "Yiyi, how did you make these fried chicken legs? Lili loves them!"

As soon as the fried chicken legs were served, Lili rushed to eat them. She and her husband are old and have high blood pressure, so they never eat fried chicken legs, which are so oily and salty.

Tang Yiyi frowned slightly. "The key to frying chicken legs is to coat them well with flour and control the heat."

Grandma Li thought it sounded easy, but it was difficult to do, and she admired Yi Yi's cooking skills once again.

"Grandma won't bother you any longer," Grandma Li said goodbye and left.

Around 5 PM, Tang Yiyi peeled the winter melon, washed it, and cut it into small pieces. She carefully washed the pork ribs she bought to remove the blood, then blanched them in a pot of water, skimming off the foam before taking them out.

Prepare ginger and scallions. Put the blanched ribs into a pressure cooker, then add water to cover the ribs by a bit, add a little oil, and cook over heat.

Winter melon cooks quickly, so put it in the pressure cooker later, add some salt, and stir once or twice with a ladle to make the saltiness more even.

As for the beef, Tang Yiyi used it for stir-frying. She cut the beef into thin slices, chopped wild peppers and red chilies, and minced ginger and garlic. After preparing the ingredients, she added cornstarch, soy sauce, and minced ginger to the beef and mixed it well to remove the fishy smell.

Marinated thin slices of beef are stir-fried in oil until cooked through and then removed and set aside. Next, ginger, pickled peppers, and diced red chilies are added, along with a certain amount of pickled pepper brine. The pickled pepper flavor should be rich and strong.

Once the aroma is released, add the beef and stir-fry evenly. Toss the wok over high heat until the aroma rises from the dark bottom of the wok, reaching its peak. Continue to stir-fry until the stir-fried beef is ready.

At this moment, the kitchen was filled with the strong aroma of beef and chili peppers, which was still somewhat pungent even with the range hood on.

Xiao Yu in the lobby seemed to cough a few times.

Make another tomato and egg stir-fry. The creamy tomato sauce coats each piece of bright yellow egg, making it look incredibly appealing. It's perfect for mixing with rice.

Tang Yiyi sprinkled chopped green onions on top of the freshly cooked winter melon and pork rib soup, adding both garnish and flavor.

"What a sumptuous meal!" Xiaoyu exclaimed as he brought out the dishes, his mouth agape.

Xiaoyu saw the chili peppers in the stir-fried beef, and all he could see were chili peppers. He figured it must be very spicy, and he was hesitant to eat it.

The bright red stir-fried beef, with thin slices of beef mixed with chili peppers and other ingredients, creates a visually striking dish.

Winter melon and pork rib soup: the winter melon is incredibly green, and the pieces of pork rib meat are stuck to the bones, looking firm. The soup is clear and mellow.

There's also scrambled eggs with tomatoes, which looks and smells delicious, with a strong sweet and sour aroma.

Staying at home wasn't as busy as being in a restaurant. Tang Yiyi was still hungry and urged, "Xiaoyu, let's eat."

The aroma of the spicy sauce was quite intoxicating, so Tang Yiyi immediately picked up a chopstick of beef and put it in her mouth along with the chili peppers. The beef was indeed as tender and smooth as she had imagined, with a delicious flavor. After being marinated, it no longer had any fishy smell, and the chili peppers were spicy enough to make the taste much richer.

Even though it's a bit spicy, pairing it with rice is just the right way to cool down the spiciness and make you want to eat more.

"Xiaoyu, do you want some beef?"

Beef is quite nutritious and good for your health.

Xiao Yu shook his head vigorously, resisting, "No!"

"I want to eat scrambled eggs with tomatoes."

A white porcelain bowl holds scrambled eggs with tomatoes, the tomatoes and eggs inseparable, the egg pieces golden yellow, and the tomato juice bright red.

Xiao Yu picked up a tomato with his chopsticks. The tomato was soft and flavorful, melting in his mouth. The sour sauce melted in his mouth, and upon closer tasting, it even had a slightly grainy texture.

With its strong sweet and sour aroma, Xiaoyu kept eating it. The sourness slightly outweighed the sweetness, but neither was excessively sour or sweet, which is something most children would love.

The egg slices are tender and fragrant.

Xiaoyu took a spoon, poured a few spoonfuls of tomato and egg scrambled egg sauce onto the rice, and stirred it a few times to make sure the rice and sauce were fully mixed.

Tang Yiyi said deliberately, "Xiao Yu really knows how to eat!"

With this method of eating, Xiaoyu felt that there wasn't as much rice left in the bowl, and the sweet and sour taste of the rice made it even more appetizing.

After the meal, Tang Yiyi ladled out a bowl of winter melon and pork rib soup, which was perfect to drink after the meal.

Xiaoyu followed her actions, ladled out a bowl of soup, and then took a sip. The soup was very delicious, and it felt like you could taste tiny pieces of winter melon. It was smooth, refreshing, and very good at cutting through the richness of the soup.

After Tang Yiyi finished her soup, she put a piece of pork rib on Xiaoyu's plate.

"Thank you, sister!" Xiaoyu picked up the rib and started gnawing on it. The meat on the rib was very fragrant, tender, and easy to chew.

The two didn't have any activities planned for the evening. Tang Yiyi felt a little unaccustomed to not having to cook or work. Since it was still early before bedtime, she said, "Xiaoyu, let's go for a walk."

"good."

It's much cooler at night than during the day, and there's a breeze.

Along the way, many parents brought their children out for a walk to digest their food. Tang Yiyi kept an eye on Xiaoyu's reaction, afraid that he might suddenly think of his parents and become sad.

Fortunately, Xiaoyu is very cheerful. Sometimes he looks at the flowers and plants by the roadside, and sometimes he looks up at the sky and points to the stars, saying, "There are so many stars!"

Tang Yiyi also looked up and nodded.

She noticed the moon was quite full tonight and remembered that the Mid-Autumn Festival was in a few days. She asked Xiaoyu, "Xiaoyu, would you like your sister to take you back to our hometown for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Even though their uncle's family wasn't particularly close, the original owner's parents and relatives were still there, and they would return to their hometown every Mid-Autumn Festival.

Xiaoyu didn't think for long before saying, "I don't want to..."

Seemingly worried about something, Xiaoyu changed his mind and said, "As long as my sister is here, I can go back to my hometown for the Mid-Autumn Festival."

His eyes shrank back, and it was clear that the original owner's uncle's family had left a bad impression on Xiaoyu.

Tang Yiyi hugged him, feeling a little sorry for him. "Let's go back to our hometown for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Don't worry about anyone else, Xiaoyu."