Chapter Sixteen Lotus Root Sandwich

By the end, only a few chili peppers and eggs remained on the plate, clinging to the edge.

Xu Changxing was still not satisfied. He looked at the few remaining stir-fried eggs with two kinds of peppers on the plate. He thought that this last bite would be perfect for mixing with rice.

It's like leftovers; add some rice, mix it up, and it's incredibly delicious—even better than freshly stir-fried food.

Xu Changxing thought so, and Zhou Gui thought so too. Zhou Gui said, "I'll use the rest to mix with rice."

“I want to mix it with rice too, honey,” Xu Changxing said, pointing to the plate of shrimp. “How about I peel the shrimp for you? These shrimp are even tastier.”

"Alright, alright, stop playing the victim!" Zhou Gui said.

"Thank you, wife!" Xu Changxing said loudly.

When Yu Miaoyin brought Xiao Tangbao over, she overheard this conversation. She smiled and thought the family was quite adorable.

Little Tangbao was holding a bunch of snacks, all given to her by the customers. Little Tangbao was adorable, and with her sweet talk and helpfulness, it was hard for any customer not to like her.

She's a little angel, a lovely little angel.

The two had a simple dinner. Every day, Xiao Tangbao would bring her doll and knock on Yu Miaoyin's door, saying she wanted to sleep with her older sister.

At night, the moon hung high in the sky. Xiao Tangbao was telling Yu Miaoyin a story. As she was telling the story, Xiao Tangbao got sleepy. Her voice gradually weakened, and she fell asleep with her head tilted to the side.

Yu Miaoyin smiled and gently brushed a stray hair from her forehead, whispering, "Goodnight."

The next day, bathed in the morning sun and accompanied by the chirping of birds, Yu Miaoyin pushed the little cart that Grandma Chen had given her out. The route to take Xiaotangbao to school was very close to the vegetable market and easy to navigate. She also liked to stroll through the vegetable market in the morning, where she could always find some delicious vegetables sold by the old ladies—fresh, vibrant, and irresistible.

She bought some lotus roots to take home, planning to make some pickled lotus roots to cleanse herself of the greasiness. Yu Miaoyin bought quite a lot. The old woman next to her, who was also selling lotus roots, saw that Yu Miaoyin was spending so much on lotus roots, so she also called out to attract her.

"Young lady, I have some yams here, homegrown. Would you like to take a look?" The old woman picked up a yam and showed it to Yu Miaoyin.

"These are indeed good yams," Yu Miaoyin nodded. "Then I'll order some too, thank you, Grandma."

The old woman was picking yams for Yu Miaoyin when she asked curiously, "Do you own a shop?"

"Yes, it's located opposite Yuncheng No. 1 Middle School." Yu Miaoyin put the yams on the cart and said goodbye to the two elderly people.

Grandma Chen gave her this little cart. She felt sorry for her because she saw her carrying so many bags every day without getting tired.

As Yu Miaoyin walked, she thought to herself that it would be more convenient to buy a tricycle next time.

Back at the shop, Yu Miaoyin first sliced ​​the lotus root, blanched it, and then rinsed it with cold water. Next, she added pickled peppers and pickled pepper brine, along with some small red chilies to increase the spiciness. She also added ginger slices to remove any fishy smell and enhance the flavor. Finally, she poured in a small bowl of a mixture of white vinegar, sugar, and salt.

"Xiaoyin, what are you making? It smells so good." Grandpa Xu asked curiously as he passed by on his stroll.

Yu Miaoyin really didn't know if Grandpa Xu was joking or telling the truth, since it wasn't even finished yet. "I'm making pickled lotus root slices."

"Oh, okay." After saying that, Grandpa Xu took a step forward, but before he had taken two steps, he turned back and said, "Um, could I pre-order one?"

He's been really craving Xiaoyin's cooking lately.

Yu Miaoyin hummed in agreement. "I'll order some for you now. The longer you soak it, the more flavorful it will be."

Yu Miaoyin took a clean little bowl, picked out some food, and gave it to Grandpa Xu. Grandpa Xu took it and said, "I'll give you the money."

"Really, you don't need to."

“You can’t do business without money, silly boy.” Grandpa Xu shook his head, insisting on paying. After paying, he left happily with the pickled lotus root slices.

Back home, Grandpa Xu secretly hid the lotus root slices in the refrigerator. Xiao Yin said that they would be more flavorful if they were soaked for a while before eating. Grandpa Xu calculated the time and set an alarm clock.

Yu Miaoyin used the remaining lotus root to make lotus root stuffed with meat. She minced the pork into a fine paste and added some water chestnut pieces to the filling for a richer texture. She added minced scallions, ginger, garlic, and seasonings, along with a little starch and stirred until well combined. Once the filling was ready, she scooped a spoonful of filling from a slice of lotus root and topped it off. Soon, plump lotus root stuffed with meat were arranged on a plate.

—

At 12 o'clock, Zhong Siqi was the first to rush out of her workstation to clock in, which aroused the curiosity of her colleagues.

Zhong Siqi drove her electric scooter to Yu Ji Restaurant. Before she even parked, she smelled a faint fragrance mixed with the warm air. It smelled wonderful.

Several students were already sitting in the shop. Zhong Siqi sighed, "I'm already in my twenties, and I still have to compete with high school kids for food!"

Yu Miaoyin brought out the lotus root stuffed with meat. The stuffed lotus root was round and plump, with a little bit of meat filling oozing out from the lotus root holes, which looked very tempting.

She was full of resentment at work on Tuesday, but as she sat down and looked at the lotus root stuffed with pork that her boss had made, much of her resentment disappeared.

Before I even ate, my phone started ringing; it was a message from our work group.

Who stole my takeout?!

You stole all the feed for the cattle and horses!

[Takeout delivered home]

...

Zhong Siqi was surprised that someone would steal takeout food even though she was already at work; she thought these things only happened in college.

After the woman whose takeout was stolen finished sharing her story in the group chat, she probably had no other options, so she continued sending messages—

Are there any recommended restaurants near the office? I'm worried about the delivery time if I order takeout.

Zhong Siqi had just put the lotus root sandwich into her mouth, but hadn't even taken a bite yet. Out of kindness, she typed a reply: "Yu Ji Restaurant across from Yuncheng No.1 Middle School has very fragrant and delicious food. Most importantly, it's very cheap, and it's also quite close to our company!"

The sister in the group replied "ok," but I don't know if she'll come.

Zhong Siqi did a great thing. She put down her phone and ate lotus root stuffed with meat in peace. The lotus root slices were still crisp and crunchy. After being fried, they were incredibly crispy. The meat filling inside was firm and chewy, mixed with the fragrance of lotus root. The water chestnut pieces added inside made the meat filling taste rich and varied.

Zhong Siqi exclaimed in amazement, "There are such delicious foods in the world!"

A bite of rice, a bite of lotus root stuffed with meat, and some pickled cowpeas made by the owner—it's pure bliss.

Zhong Siqi took a picture of lotus root stuffed with meat and sent it to her friend.

Zhong Siqi: Let me tell you, the food at Yu Ji Restaurant across from Yuncheng No.1 Middle School is really delicious, you have to try it!

Zhong Siqi posted it in the family group chat again.

Zhong Siqi: Mom and Dad, I ate some super delicious lotus root stuffed with meat! It's right across from Yuncheng No.1 Middle School. You should try it next time!

Dad: If you don't have money, Dad will give you some, honey. What good stuff could possibly be across from this high school?

Mom: I agree. Don't be stingy with money; we live to eat.

Zhong Siqi: But the food in this shop smells really good! How can you not believe your daughter!

...

Xu Jiajia comes to the store to eat every day. She can't live without Yu Ji. If Yu Ji closes down one day, she will lose her spiritual support during her high school years.

Seeing that there was still fragrant chili oil in the shop, she scooped some out and spread it on the lotus root stuffed with meat.

The lotus root sandwich with meat has a bit more spiciness, making it even more delicious and incredibly satisfying. Biting into the golden and crispy lotus root sandwich, the first layer of chili oil stimulates the taste buds, making the crispness and sweetness of the lotus root slices even more pronounced. Next comes the aroma of meat, with finely chopped water chestnut pieces in the meat filling, giving it a granular texture and even a hint of juice, which, together with the lotus root slices, neutralizes the greasiness of the meat filling.

Xu Jiajia was so engrossed in the delicious food that she thought to herself, "If I could eat this delicious food every day, I wouldn't mind spending my whole life in high school."

At Grandpa Xu's house on the other side, Grandpa Xu was taking a nap in his rocking chair when he was suddenly woken up by a ringing bell.

Grandpa Xu jumped up; the ringing bell was a reminder that the pickled lotus root slices were ready to eat!

He quickly opened the refrigerator and took out the pickled lotus root slices. The aroma of the pickled peppers hit his nose directly. The white lotus root slices were coated with a little bit of millet pepper. They smelled so good, they made his mouth water.

Grandpa Xu picked up a pair of chopsticks to taste the dish. Looking at the pickled lotus root slices, he was having a fierce internal struggle, wondering whether he should leave some for the children.

It's not easy for kids to work, so it's nice to let them try some of this.

But there wasn't much of it, and he was still craving it.

After a long internal struggle, Grandpa Xu finally decided to save some for the children.

When you put a slice of lotus root in your mouth, the sour and spicy flavors of pickled peppers and the fresh spiciness of millet peppers rush to your tongue. The lotus root slices are chilled in the refrigerator, making them refreshing and delicious. The sour and spicy flavors are invigorating and also help to cut through any greasiness and stimulate your appetite.

Grandpa Xu ate one piece after another, and when he saw that there weren't many left, he clapped his hand to warn himself that he couldn't be tempted anymore!

A note from the author:

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