Chapter Sixty: Braised Pork Belly with Dried Bamboo Shoots (1)

It wasn't until after 6 p.m. that He Tianyou saw Yu Miaoyin was less busy, so he went over and gave her a bag of chestnuts. "Thank you, Boss Yu."

Yu Miaoyin felt she couldn't accept a gift without having done something for it, so she was too embarrassed to accept it directly. "You gave me a gift last time, why are you giving me one again this time?"

He Tianyou said excitedly, "Thanks to your help, everyone said the chestnuts were good after eating the chestnut and sausage rice. Many people came to the market to buy chestnuts from us. When chatting with those customers, they said they wanted to recreate it at home, so they came to me to buy chestnuts."

"This isn't a very expensive gift, Mr. Yu, you absolutely must accept it! And I'm so happy that you like my chestnuts," He Tianyou said.

"Okay, thank you." Yu Miaoyin happily accepted the bag of chestnuts.

She gave the remaining osmanthus chestnut cake to He Tianyou, who was so happy that he danced with joy, like a child who had received a beloved toy.

"Sis, here's a piece, it's from Boss Yu, it smells so good!" He Tianyou's excited voice could be heard from outside. Yu Miaoyin suppressed a laugh and took Xiao Tangbao's hand. "Let's go."

She noticed a national flag sticker on Xiaotangbao's clothes. "Did the teacher mention the National Day holiday?"

She had time to check the parents' group chat today, and when she opened it now, she saw that the teacher had indeed sent out a notice about the National Day holiday, a seven-day holiday, although it was a seven-day holiday obtained through work adjustments.

It seems that even kindergarten children are suffering from the work schedule adjustment. Tomorrow is Saturday, and everyone still has to go to work or school as usual.

"Yes, when I'm on vacation, I'll be able to help my older sister with a lot of things."

"I can wash dishes, I can wipe tables, I can do so many things!" Little Tangbao patted her chest and said, "I'm really good!"

“Yes.” Yu Miaoyin squatted down and cupped her face in her hands. Her cheeks were as fleshy as white steamed buns. She smiled and said, “You can come to the store as a mascot.”

Hearing what Ayin said, Xiaotangbao unconsciously puffed out her chest when she got home, like a little guard.

For dinner, the two of them simply ate a bowl of fried rice. She had saved some pork belly from making stuffed tofu. After frying the pork belly until the fat was rendered, she added the remaining rice and mixed it with beaten eggs, then stir-fried it all together. The simple meat and egg fried rice was ready, and both the kids and adults loved it.

After the rice noodles cool down, each grain is distinct, coated with the aroma of egg and the oil from the shredded meat, making them incredibly fragrant.

After eating, Yu Miaoyin took Xiaotangbao to see the cantaloupes they had planted before, and then they went outside to enjoy the evening breeze for a while.

"Wow, there are so many chestnuts here!" As she closed the door, Xiao Tangbao saw the big bag of chestnuts, and next to it was a big bag of taro.

"It was given to me by Brother He Tianyou," Yu Miaoyin said. With so many chestnuts and taro, breakfast for tomorrow is sorted.

Before going to bed, Yu Miaoyin soaked the dried bamboo shoots again so they could be used directly tomorrow.

Around midnight, while most people were sound asleep, Xiaoming rolled over for the five hundredth time. He touched his flat belly, which was rumbling loudly.

Because of a fit of pique, he hadn't eaten all day, and the aroma kept replaying in his mind. He found it strange; he had only smelled the aroma, not actually eaten anything, so how could he be so craving it?

Xiaoming rolled over for the nth time. He glanced at the time. At this hour, his parents were still sleeping. He figured he could get up and cook some noodles without disturbing them.

Without hesitation, Xiaoming jumped out of bed, without even putting on slippers, and tiptoed to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator.

A blast of cold air hit him, along with a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance. He carefully searched for the source of the fragrance and confirmed it: it came from the plastic lunchbox wrapped in a freezer bag.

He opened the plastic lunchbox and placed the stuffed tofu and stuffed tofu puffs together. Because of the low temperature, there was a thin layer of light yellow oil at the bottom, and the aroma was locked inside the oil, but... it still smelled so good.

Xiao Ming couldn't imagine how delicious it would be if it were hot.

There was still leftover rice in the rice cooker, so Xiaoming poured in some warm water, took a clean plate, and put the stuffed tofu and stuffed tofu puffs into the rice cooker to keep them warm.

He went to check the refrigerator and saw a bowl of braised rice with chestnuts and sausage. He felt like he was starving, and inexplicably picked up a spoon, scooped up a mouthful, and put it in his mouth.

The savory aroma of the Chinese sausage, the sweetness of the chestnuts, and the fragrance of the rice blend together. The warmth of the mouth allows the solidified fat to slowly melt, making the aroma of the Chinese sausage more pronounced, while the sweet and powdery chestnuts pair perfectly with the cool rice.

When Xiaoming realized what he had eaten, he thought he might be going crazy, but the food smelled really good. He also often bought McDonald's hamburgers and stored them in the refrigerator; they tasted especially good when eaten cold.

So, it's okay to eat this, right?

Even if it gives me diarrhea, it's worth it, the food is so delicious.

He then poured the chestnut and sausage rice into a clean bowl and put it into the rice cooker to cook.

Soon the food was heated up, and he carefully carried it back.

Hot food is definitely more delicious than cold food. The oil melts into a thick sauce, which drips onto the rice when you pick it up. The stuffed tofu puffs are huge, and the chewy meat filling paired with the soft tofu puffs creates a variety of textures. The top layer of the meat filling is crispy, while the inside is tender and smooth. The stuffed tofu is even more so.

The braised rice with chestnuts and sausage is even more fragrant. When you part the rice, the sausage has a glossy sheen, and when you bite into it, the oil oozes out slightly. The aroma is even stronger when it's hot. The chestnuts are soft and fluffy, and their sweetness blends into the rice. Every bite is warm and fragrant.

It smelled so good! Xiaoming devoured all the food. After finishing, he felt a little annoyed. He had just argued with his parents; how was he going to explain it to them?

...

The next morning, Yu Miaoyin steamed taro for Xiaotangbao's breakfast. The taro was very sweet and fragrant, and it didn't choke her at all.

She also brought a few to the shop for Aunt Zheng to try, and Aunt Zheng liked them very much. "If you add some sugar, you can make it into a sweet soup."

Yu Miaoyin took out the soaked dried bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoots, which were originally dried like stick insects, stretched out after absorbing the water. The pork belly she bought from the market was also very fresh, with a clear distinction between fat and lean meat. Making braised pork belly with dried bamboo shoots would definitely be a great dish to eat with rice.

"Taro sweet soup, I love it too." Yu Miaoyin remembered Aunt Zheng's words and planned to make some taro sweet soup. She actually preferred sweet potato soup; a bowl of it in winter was so comforting and warming.

"By the way, do you have any plans for National Day?" Yu Miaoyin asked Aunt Zheng, knowing that she would definitely be open for business during the holiday.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, several people traveled from afar to eat here. What if they come during the National Day holiday as well?

I'm sorry, I can't bring myself to do anything that would upset the little girl.

"What can I possibly do?" Aunt Zheng said. She knew that the catering business was busiest during holidays. Moreover, she heard from her daughter that the boss's food had been posted online and gone viral, seen by netizens from all over the country.

Aunt Zheng found it amazing that so many people from other places had watched these videos. After all, Aunt Zheng had lived in this area for decades; she had met people from her own village and heard gossip from other villages, but she knew nothing about the stories of villages further away. For her daughter's education, she moved to the city, further weakening the connections between people. So she found it incredible that the internet could bring so many people together.

And does that mean a lot of people will come to eat at the restaurant? She asked her daughter this question, and her daughter replied, "Of course, after all, the food the owner makes smells so good."

Aunt Zheng and Yu Miaoyin finished the preparations together. The pork belly had been cut into evenly sized small pieces and put into a pot. After the fatty parts rendered their oil, they added scallions, ginger slices, and star anise and stir-fried until fragrant. Then they added light soy sauce and dark soy sauce and stir-fried to coat the pork pieces evenly. They poured in hot water and simmered it. When it was almost done simmering, they added the soaked bamboo shoots. Estimating that the time was about right, Yu Miaoyin transferred the braised pork belly with bamboo shoots to a clay pot and simmered it over low heat.

The casserole heats up evenly, and when simmering over low heat, the fat from the pork belly will seep out and gradually infuse into the dried bamboo shoots and broth. This allows the dried bamboo shoots to fully absorb the aroma of the meat and the flavors of the seasonings, while the pork belly absorbs the delicate fragrance of the bamboo shoots. The flavors of the two blend together deeply, making it incredibly delicious.

When it was first moved in, the soup was still bubbling away.

Yunhe got up from the teahouse recommended by everyone. She felt that the food at this restaurant was just average. The fried rice noodles were the only decent dish, but they didn't really deserve to be called delicious, or even worthy of her recommendation.

After all, she carries the expectations of many fans. If she recommends something that doesn't taste good, she'll feel guilty! Yunhe is determined not to let any of her fans suffer.

This footage is also unusable, so Yunhe started the live stream again, saying, "Good afternoon, everyone."

Fans flocked in.

[Good afternoon, Xiaohe. Have you had lunch yet?]

[What delicious food did you discover this morning? Please recommend it to us! I'm planning a trip to Yuncheng during the National Day holiday and will be eating at the restaurants you recommend.]

Are the ladies upstairs also going to Yuncheng? I'm going too!

Yunhe sat on a park bench. The public facilities in Yuncheng were quite good, and the air was fresh and the scenery was pleasant.

She looked at the comments and said, "I haven't had lunch either, so I don't have any good food recommendations for now. I'd also like to know where to find some good food."

Yunhe said bitterly that even as a food blogger who reviews and explores restaurants, she couldn't find any good ones.

The live stream was filled with cries of "My live stream to watch while eating is gone! My live stream where I lied about dieting is gone!"

[This person from Yuncheng doesn't know what good food Yuncheng has.]

[Xiaohe, do you want to go eat at Yu Ji Restaurant? I've been drooling over the pictures everyone's posted lately.]

[+1+1 I'm really looking forward to it too! The food they posted looks so delicious, it's making my mouth water! I'm so hungry!]

To be honest, a large part of my trip to Yuncheng was to eat at this restaurant, and of course, to take some beautiful photos.

Looking at everyone's comments, Yunhe thought to herself, "Yu's Little Restaurant? I've never heard of it. Could it be some hidden gem in the streets and alleys?"

She quickly asked everyone, "Where is it? I just didn't know where to eat lunch, so let's go here."

[It's located opposite Yuncheng No.1 Middle School, and it's called Yu's Little Restaurant!]

The high school? The small restaurant across from the high school?