Chapter 53: Stir-fried Cabbage with Pork

Although these past few days have been tough, Tang Yiyi feels it was all worth it because she earned several hundred more each day than before.

At first, she didn't have high hopes for He An, but he persevered, working hard every day without complaining.

When there weren't many customers, Tang Yiyi would call Song Man over to help her out and teach her some cooking tips.

During peak dining hours, the three stoves in the kitchen are sufficient.

The next day, Tang Yiyi got up very early, and the outside of the window was shrouded in mist.

After dropping Xiaoyu off, I headed to the farmers' market.

The market was bustling in the early morning, with all sorts of shouts coming from the vendors, much like the markets she had visited in her past life.

The various ingredients were arranged in sections, and they were displayed quite neatly.

Tang Yiyi put on an apron, chopped the cabbage into pieces, and washed the pork, put it in a pot to boil, took it out when it turned white, let it cool and then sliced ​​it.

The cabbage in the wok softened quickly, then pork chunks and red bell pepper slices were added. The half-wok of ingredients looked very tempting. Then a little hot water was added, along with a little salt and chicken bouillon, and finally it was taken out of the wok.

Tang Yiyi brought out packaging boxes to pack the ingredients. She recently bought large takeout containers specifically for this purpose, as they are also environmentally friendly.

At this time of year, residents living near the restaurant can always smell a rich aroma.

Song Man's eyes began to dart towards the kitchen; she really wanted to see how the boss cooked.

After packing up several meals, Tang Yiyi suggested, "The meals are ready, deliver them to the bottom of Xingguang Primary School's teaching building."

In Class 3 of Grade 6, many parents had ordered meals from Tang Yiyi, and as soon as they received the call, they immediately went downstairs to pick them up.

As the homeroom teacher of the graduating class, Yu Ting has been overwhelmed lately. She has to prepare the monthly test papers and write class reports for analysis.

The students from the previous year all did well on the exams, with nearly 80% getting into top-tier junior high schools.

The principal specifically mentioned this at the mobilization meeting, hoping that more graduating class homeroom teachers would devote themselves wholeheartedly to their work.

I didn't even have time to rest my feet, let alone go to the cafeteria for a meal, so I had to order takeout.

The restaurant had a high rating on its delivery service, with monthly sales reaching thousands. At first, Yu Ting thought that since the restaurant only did delivery, the positive reviews might be faked.

A colleague passing by glanced at the picture on Yu Ting's phone and said, "Hey, isn't this restaurant right near our school? I heard the food is pretty good, and many of our teachers have eaten there."

Yu Ting was about to skid away, but managed to stop the car in time.

"Then I'll take another look."

Yu Ting prefers a light diet and doesn't like spicy food, so she ordered a stir-fried cabbage with pork for delivery.

"Okay, I'll wait for the takeout to arrive."

If I had time, I would like to eat at the restaurant.

The delivery driver came to deliver the food, all smiles. The restaurant was just a few steps from the school; making money couldn't be easier.

After receiving the takeout, Yu Ting walked towards her office.

Other colleagues looked over and said, "Teacher Yu ordered takeout? She's been so busy lately, she doesn't even have time to eat. Being a teacher is really tough!"

"Yes, I want to go to a mala tang (spicy hot pot) restaurant in Dongcheng District, but I simply don't have the time!"

"Hey, Teacher Yu, your takeout delivery is pretty fast. It only takes about ten minutes, just a blink of an eye."

Yu Ting: "I ordered from the shop near the school gate."

Everyone: No wonder.

Many teachers mentioned ordering takeout and eating together.

As soon as the lunchbox lid was lifted, a fresh and sweet aroma wafted out, and several teachers looked over and exclaimed how delicious it was.

"It looks quite tempting."

The cabbage slices taste incredibly sweet and have a wonderful aroma, while the meat slices are perfectly balanced between lean and fatty meat, not greasy at all, and tender and juicy.

They used only the simplest packaging box. After picking up a bit of cabbage and placing it on top of the fragrant, soft rice, they started eating.

The sweetness of the cabbage, the tenderness of the sliced ​​meat, paired with rice, is simply irresistible.

I thought I wouldn't like Chinese cabbage, but I was surprised to find its sweet flavor bursting in my mouth.

"Is it good? How does it taste?" Teacher Gu asked.

Yu Ting pursed her lips, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "It's delicious. It's a pleasant surprise. The combination of cabbage and sliced ​​meat is quite good."

After saying that, Yu Ting lowered her head, picked up her chopsticks, and continued eating.

Other colleagues who also ordered rice bowls: "..." They're all rice bowls, so why do other people eat them so deliciously?

My own rice bowl isn't bad, but it's not particularly tasty either. It's like a chicken bone – I feel it's a waste not to eat it, but continuing to eat it feels like having a fishbone stuck in my throat.

Especially compared to the stir-fried cabbage and pork that the teacher ordered, it seemed bland and tasteless.

They were all eating rice bowls with toppings; Yu Ting might have been starving to eat so heartily.

After finding some reassurance, a few teachers smiled and asked, "Teacher Yu, are you very hungry?"

Yu Ting didn't even look up and continued eating; no one could disturb her now.

Yu Ting left no food behind and then felt sleepy, probably because she had eaten too many carbohydrates.

As Zhou Qiang wished, he got to eat the ribs, which were indeed delicious.

But the problem is that the students who ordered food today are eating stir-fried cabbage with pork, which looks just as good as his garlic ribs!

"I also want to eat stir-fried cabbage with pork," Zhou Qiang said, frantically fiddling with the rice, inexplicably angry.

Gu Jia and the others were diagonally behind them. When Zhou Qiang turned around, he saw that they were enjoying their food and eating with increasing relish.

Zhou Qiang quickly sent a message to his mother, "I also want to eat stir-fried cabbage with pork!"

Why do we get different meals even though we ordered from the same restaurant?

When Zhou Qiang got home, he threw his schoolbag onto the sofa with a loud thud, very angry. "I'm so angry! Everyone else who ordered food got cabbage and pork stir-fry, but I'm the only one getting ribs."

"I also want to eat stir-fried cabbage and pork, otherwise it's not fair!"

"Vegetables can't compare to the aroma of meat," Zhou's mother shrugged, unable to understand her son's thought process.

Zhou Qiang spoke with increasing enthusiasm, arms crossed, glancing at his mother.

Zhou's mother had no choice but to say, "I'll order you stir-fried cabbage and pork for lunch tomorrow, so you can't make a fuss this time!"

Zhou Qiang snorted coldly, deciding to see how things went.

Zhou's mother asked in the group chat: "Why didn't you tell me there was cabbage for lunch today? It made the child throw a tantrum."

Tang Yiyi: "..."

Next, Zhou's mother said in the group chat: "[I need a plate of stir-fried cabbage and pork for lunch tomorrow. Can you deliver it to the tutoring center near the school?]"

Tomorrow is Saturday, and Zhou's mom is worried that there won't be any deliveries.

Delivery is free for orders within two kilometers of the restaurant, including weekends.

Most sixth-grade students attend tutoring classes on weekends, which are located near the school.

Many parents in the group saw this and started ordering food.

If the children go to tutoring classes, then the parents don't have to rush to deliver lunch.

"Boss, you don't have enough dishes to choose from!"

When Tang Yiyi returned after throwing out the trash, she saw this voice message and listened to it.

"Our restaurant is a small business with limited staff. We don't focus on the quantity of food served, but rather on the quality. We prepare four to five dishes every day. Please understand and thank you!"

Quite a few parents wanted to order meals, so Tang Yiyi took out paper and pen to write it down, afraid of making a mistake.

The number of people in the food ordering group is still increasing at a speed that Tang Yiyi never imagined. It looks like tomorrow will be busy.

The next day, Xiaoyu didn't have to go to school. I originally wanted him to sleep in a little longer, but after cooking porridge, I came out of the kitchen and saw Xiaoyu rubbing his eyes.

"Sister, I want to go to the market today," Xiaoyu said in his childish voice.

Xiaoyu lives a monotonous life, going back and forth between school, home, and restaurants every day. He hasn't been to any other places besides school, home, and restaurants in a long time.

Taking him to the market to relax would be a good idea.

There are also several breakfast shops in the market, and many customers are buying steamed buns at the entrance.

Noticing Xiaoyu's gaze, Tang Yiyi asked, "Xiaoyu, do you want to eat steamed buns?"

Xiaoyu thought for a moment and nodded.

Upon arriving at the breakfast shop, Tang Yiyi pointed to the menu and asked, "Would you like a meat bun, a red bean bun, or..."

A few seconds later, Xiaoyu pointed at the golden sesame balls, his eyes shining.

Finally, Xiaoyu took two sesame balls, blew on them a few times, and then took a bite. The first bite was fragrant with sesame, crispy and delicious, and very sweet.

"Is it delicious, Xiaoyu?" She wanted to learn more about Xiaoyu's hobbies.

Xiao Yu nodded, his words somewhat unclear: "Hao...Chi~"

Back at the restaurant, Tang Yiyi put down a bag of chestnuts that was more than half full. They were really heavy, and her arms ached from carrying them.

To make braised chicken with chestnuts, a seasonal specialty, I bought a few more free-range chickens. The vendor cleaned them on the spot, and I also bought three bottles of dark soy sauce. This kind of seasoning is used up quickly, so it's okay to buy more.

Tang Yiyi brought out tools to peel chestnuts, while Xiaoyu was looking at the bag of chestnuts.

"Sister, I want to help," Xiaoyu said earnestly.

"Okay, Xiaoyu, let's see how your sister cracks open a chestnut first."

After saying that, Tang Yiyi took out a chestnut, used a tool to scratch the chestnut shell, and soon a golden chestnut appeared in front of her.

"Xiaoyu seems to know how, let me try."

Later, Song Man joined in, and passersby saw the three of them peeling chestnuts inside the house, creating a strangely heartwarming scene.

Teacher Wang was on her way to school to pick up a lesson plan when she saw the scene in the restaurant. She turned around and walked over.

"Sister Xiaoyu, are you peeling chestnuts? What are you planning to cook today?"

To be honest, Teacher Wang was prepared to have lunch at a restaurant. After finally having a relaxing weekend, she naturally wanted to treat herself to a good meal.

"Today I'm making braised chicken with chestnuts."

"By the way, Sister Xiaoyu, a few parents in our class want to add you on WeChat to order some food."

“Oh, Teacher Wang, I understand,” Tang Yiyi stood up from the small stool. “Our restaurant is currently running a food delivery promotion. We’ve hired a dedicated delivery person, and it’s one yuan cheaper than the restaurant’s price. Delivery is free within two kilometers of the restaurant.”

The more I listened, the better it seemed.

Tang Yiyi went to the front desk and got a card for Teacher Wang.

After glancing at the card, Teacher Wang smiled and said, "If I need anything another day, Sister Xiaoyu, I'll ask you to order food."

Welcome!

A moment later, Tang Yiyi began chopping the free-range chicken. Holding the cleaver, she swiftly sliced ​​off even pieces of chicken onto the cutting board. The rhythmic "thump-thump-thump" of the chopping sounded, like a beautiful melody. In the blink of an eye, a large bowl of chopped chicken was ready.

Tang Yiyi has found her footing; she now possesses about 70-80% of the knife skills she had in her previous life.

As soon as tutoring class ended, Gu Jia packed her books into her bag. "Xiaoyue, where do you want to go for lunch?"

"How about we eat at a small restaurant?" Su Yue winked mischievously.

“Sure,” Gu Jia nodded in agreement. Her mother had forgotten to order lunch today, so she had to walk to the restaurant.