Chapter 48 Osmanthus Honey

Halfway through the meal, Teacher Chu suddenly remembered something, took out her phone to take a picture, and then posted it on her WeChat Moments.

In less than a minute, I received several messages.

"You're eating so well, Teacher Chu, where are we?"

"These radishes and mutton look delicious. They are so much better than the bland soup in the cafeteria. They taste so much better than the ones in restaurants outside."

"They look familiar...the tables, the chairs...is this the restaurant near the school gate?"

"..."

Teacher Chu was eating rice with gusto when she stopped to type a reply.

The sizzling sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen, and the house was filled with a steaming aroma.

Thankfully, I didn't eat at the school cafeteria, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the delicious braised mutton with radish. The mutton was tender yet chewy, and when soaked in the broth, it was incredibly flavorful. The best part was the white radish, which was soft and glutinous with no astringency on the tongue.

No one can withstand this! Teacher Chu picked up her phone and saw that her recent post on WeChat Moments had received several likes.

The aroma of the sauce exploded in her mouth, so delicious that her mind went blank. The white radish, prepared this way, was soft and tender without any strange taste. The lamb was also well-prepared, chewy, and the rich meaty texture danced in her mouth.

After eating her fill, Teacher Chu let out a satisfied burp. She had never felt so happy before, and was so moved that she wanted to cry.

As I paid the bill and left, I ran into a few colleagues who had come over; they were probably all there for the braised mutton and radish.

As she approached the school gate, she received a message from Teacher Wang:

[Could you please bring me a serving of braised mutton with radish back to my office, Ms. Chu?]

Ms. Chu looked at the restaurant, which was only a minute or two away from her, and thought for a moment: "I'll get you some to take back, Ms. Wang."

[Thank you, Teacher Chu!]

Teacher Chu turned back into the restaurant. Tang Yiyi was puzzled. Wasn't this the customer from before? Did he leave something behind?

Then I heard Teacher Chu say, "Boss, I'd like a serving of braised mutton with radish, to go."

"Okay, just a moment."

...

There was still braised mutton and radish in the pot. Tang Yiyi turned on the stove to heat it up, took out the takeout box, and scooped it out.

Teacher Chu thought it would take a while, but unexpectedly, the packaging box was mentioned very quickly.

Zhao Nan came over and just happened to brush past Teacher Chu, who was walking out.

Mmm, it smells so good, it has a strong radish flavor.

Tang Yiyi stood in front of the stove, while Zhao Nan went directly to the front desk. After looking at the small blackboard, he understood.

He said to Song Man, "Give me a braised mutton with radish."

Song Man wrote it down, printed out the order, and gave one copy to the customer.

Tell Tang Yiyi in the kitchen, "One serving of braised mutton with radish, for dine-in."

Zhao Nan ate a lot, filling a bowl with rice before finding a seat.

A savory aroma of soy sauce wafted from the kitchen, making my mouth water as I thought of his braised mutton and radish.

The desktop is clean; there's no need to wipe it with tissues.

Looking outside, there's an old osmanthus tree by the entrance, its enchanting fragrance wafting in.

Before long, Tang Yiyi brought over braised mutton and radish. The mutton pieces were of uniform size, and the radish was soaking in the bright red broth. It looked very appetizing, and the aroma of the wok was irresistible.

The food looked delicious, and Zhao Nan felt like he was starving, so he couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks.

The braised mutton and radish, freshly cooked, was steaming hot and full of flavor. After blowing on it a few times, Zhao Nan picked up a piece of mutton and put it in his mouth. The mutton was so tender and soft, probably because it had been cooked for a long time. When he bit into it, the mutton fell apart into shreds, requiring almost no chewing. The mutton was very satisfying to eat, and it warmed him up from head to toe.

The white radishes are pretty and small; when soaked in broth, they have a savory, soy-sauce flavor.

Zhao Nan's eyes widened involuntarily; it was so delicious!

After working all morning, only food could make him feel a little better.

By the way, the broth should also be good for mixing with rice. Scoop two spoonfuls of broth onto the rice, and the white rice will be fully soaked in the broth, making it look incredibly tempting, with a reddish and glossy appearance.

Zhao Nan brought a spoon. Eating rice with a spoon is the best way to enjoy it. The rice that he put into his mouth was fragrant and soft, and it was infused with the flavor of the soup, making for a rich taste.

It's not greasy or nauseating when eaten with rice; instead, it's fragrant and spicy, making it irresistible.

As Xiaoyu tidied the table, he felt a surge of pride seeing the guests enjoying their meal so much.

No one could dislike the food my sister makes!

Zhao Nan finished the soup completely, not even leaving a drop. It was such a waste, and he didn't know if he would ever be able to eat such delicious food again.

After paying, Zhao Nan left the restaurant satisfied.

The osmanthus flowers in front of the door are in full bloom.

During lunch, Xiaoyu suddenly exclaimed, "The osmanthus smells so good!"

With so many osmanthus blossoms on the tree, Tang Yiyi wanted to pick some to make osmanthus honey.

Wash the dishes and utensils and put them in the sterilizer.

Tang Yiyi brought a long bamboo pole with a piece of cloth underneath to catch the osmanthus blossoms.

Upon learning that she was going to pick osmanthus flowers, Xiaoyu skipped his afternoon nap and ran over to watch.

Tang Yiyi used a long bamboo pole to hit the osmanthus tree, and the osmanthus blossoms immediately fell, bringing a fragrance. Most of the osmanthus blossoms were caught by the canvas.

A small portion... Xiaoyu picked up the small portion with his hands, carrying a large bag.

Her face showed a childlike, innocent smile; she was truly adorable.

The collected osmanthus flowers need to be washed repeatedly, and salt and water should be added to wash them clean before draining.

After draining, marinate with salt for a while, then pour it into honey and let it sit for a few months before drinking.

"It smells so sweet!" Xiaoyu exclaimed from the side.

The combination of osmanthus and honey is fragrant and sweet, and when brewed into water, it leaves a rich, sweet aroma in your mouth.

Tang Yiyi has not used up all the osmanthus flowers yet, and she plans to make osmanthus wine with the rest.

First, soak the glutinous rice overnight before steaming it to make sweet rice wine.

Looking at it, Song Man thought the boss had incredibly skillful hands.

After finishing, Tang Yiyi was covered in sweat and sat down to rest for a while.

"Yiyi, are you still busy?" Grandma Li's cheerful voice came from behind.

Tang Yiyi: "Grandma is resting."

"Wow, your restaurant looks so different now with the new tables and chairs," Grandma Li paused, "They look clean and brand new."

"Grandma, please sit down. Is there something you need?"

Grandma Li had just sat down when she patted her head, remembering what she was doing. "Grandma brought you a jar of osmanthus honey. I made it a few days ago."

After saying that, he took out a jar of osmanthus honey from his bag and handed it to Tang Yiyi.

Tang Yiyi quickly waved her hand, "Grandma, I just made osmanthus honey myself."

As he spoke, he led Grandma Li toward the kitchen.

In the kitchen, a jar of osmanthus honey sits on the stove. The amber-colored honey is coated with golden osmanthus flowers, and it looks fragrant and sweet.

Grandma Li smiled and said, "Grandma didn't know you made this yourself. We made a lot at home. Please accept this jar."

Every autumn, Grandma Li's family would pick osmanthus flowers to make osmanthus honey. After two or three months, they would use it to make water or to make bread slices. The taste was sweet and delicious, and even picky Lili loved to drink it.

"Thank you, Grandma," Tang Yiyi said, deeply moved. Since the incident at the original owner's family, some relatives had distanced themselves from the original owner and her family, but Grandma Li's family still treated the original owner the same as always.

"Grandma, are you coming to the restaurant tonight? What would you like to eat?" Tang Yiyi asked.

She didn't want to owe anyone a favor.

Grandma Li: "Let's do it another day. My son and daughter-in-law are coming home for dinner tonight, and I need to go home to prepare dinner."

"Okay, Grandma."

On a sweltering afternoon, the sky was overcast, without a ray of sunshine or rain.

But Tang Yiyi didn't feel hot.

The next day, Tang Yiyi drained the glutinous rice that had been soaked overnight, sprinkled osmanthus flowers on it, poked a few holes in it, and steamed it in a steamer.

Once steamed and cooled, sprinkle with sweet rice wine starter evenly to ensure the glutinous rice has successfully fermented into sweet rice wine. Then add cooled boiled water, cover with a cloth, and seal.

Tang Yiyi seemed to smell a sweet wine aroma.

"Boss, what are you doing?" The sudden voice startled Tang Yiyi.

The person who came was Liu Juan, who brought Xiaobao to buy tea eggs.

Then I saw the owner take osmanthus flowers and spread them on the glutinous rice.

"This is osmanthus-flavored rice wine, but it's not drinkable yet," Tang Yiyi recognized the person, a serious tea egg enthusiast.

Upon hearing "Osmanthus Wine," Liu Juan licked her lips, but when she heard "it can't be drunk yet," her eyelashes drooped, and she sighed inwardly.

"It's okay, I'll come back in two or three days to buy osmanthus wine," Liu Juan thought it through. Good food is worth the wait, and she was going to drink osmanthus wine anyway.

The son standing beside him nodded emphatically.

"Six tea eggs as usual?" Tang Yiyi asked.

Liu Juan nodded and asked, "Is there pumpkin porridge today?"

The pumpkin porridge that day was sweet, delicious, and served hot. It was especially good in the morning; it warmed my stomach and made me feel much better overall.

"No."

"Then six tea eggs."

In the morning, parents bring their children to school, and many of them are adults who haven't eaten breakfast.

I always buy some food from the shop near the school gate before going to school.

The restaurant's tea eggs smelled so good that many parents and students came looking for them.

Seeing how fragrant the tea eggs were, I was puzzled as I had never tried them before.

Then, as soon as the tea eggs were in hand, the shells cracked slightly, revealing light brown egg whites inside, with the dark brown lines gradually deepening, and a tea aroma wafting through the air.

It has a soft and tender texture with a springy feel. The egg yolk inside is full of aroma, sandy and salty, and the tea and braised flavors intertwine on the lips and teeth, making it very delicious.

Their eyes lit up with delight; these tea eggs were definitely the best they had ever eaten!

Su Yue went back to school to finish her last assignment, and Gu Jia came over to buy tea eggs.

There were so many people when I got to the entrance.

It was packed with people, all buying tea eggs. The owner at the front was maintaining order, saying, "We have tea eggs, please line up."

Gu Jia waited in line, glancing at her watch occasionally. There were still twelve minutes left, but there were so many people ahead of her. How could she possibly buy a tea egg and get back to the classroom before class started?

Three minutes later, she bought five tea eggs and ran to school without stopping.

Don't be late!

I finally made it back to the classroom before the school bell rang.

"Here you are, Xiaoyue, your tea egg." She quietly handed the tea egg to her best friend.

"Thank you, Jiajia."

Before class started, both of them were thinking about tea eggs and really wanted to eat them.

Later on, I was able to concentrate on the lesson.

At 10 a.m., Tang Yiyi peeled and shredded the carrots, washed and cut the pork into small pieces, and prepared the scallions, ginger, and garlic.

Before the guests arrived, I rinsed the rice and then steamed it in the rice cooker. The rice I bought was of good quality; it cooked soft, sticky, and fragrant.

Tang Yiyi handled the ingredients with remarkable efficiency and skill, a sight to behold. Her calm and composed demeanor was reassuring.

Busy with her own thoughts, Tang Yiyi was oblivious to what was happening outside, immersed in her own world.

"Sister Yi, someone has ordered stir-fried shredded carrots with pork and stir-fried cabbage," Song Man's clear voice came through.