Chapter Thirty-One: Sauerkraut Fish + Sweet and Sour Fish + Lotus Root and Pork Ribs...

Although he initially said he would prepare the ingredients, as they chatted, Liang Hekang asked Yu Miaoyin if she could help buy the ingredients, saying he could pay extra.

Liang Hekang: I only know how to eat good food, I can't tell if the meat is good or not, fresh or not. Could you please help me buy vegetables? I'm willing to pay extra! Please help me, boss!

He's a complete novice in the kitchen, and he'll probably only get ripped off at the market. He doesn't even know what kind of fish to buy for making sauerkraut fish.

Yu Miaoyin didn't think much of it and happily agreed, after all, Liang Hekang was offering more money.

Yu Miaoyin wasn't sure if she could come back soon, and worried that Xiao Tangbao would go hungry, so she asked Grandma Chen to help take care of Xiao Tangbao, and Grandma Chen agreed.

Liang Hekang said it was just a regular family dinner, and the guests were all relatives, not important customers. He told Yu Miaoyin not to be nervous and to just perform at her normal level.

After all, Boss Yu's normal level is already incredibly delicious!

The next day, Yu Miaoyin got up very early. The sky was blue in the early morning, with a little bit of sunlight shining down.

After washing up, Yu Miaoyin got on her electric scooter and went out.

It was quiet outside my house, except for the occasional chirping of birds. The closer I got to the market, the livelier it became. The breakfast stalls were already open, and the soy milk was still steaming. Rows of dark blue tents were set up outside the market, and the lively atmosphere rose between these tents and stalls.

After selling the ingredients, Yu Miaoyin used navigation to go to the Liang family's house.

The Liang family home is very large. In the middle is a courtyard, straight ahead is the main house, and turning left and right leads to the garage and a small garden, respectively.

"Hello." Grandma Liang was watering her flowers when she saw Yu Miaoyin come in, so she put down the watering can and asked.

"Hello, Grandma, I'm here to cook," Yu Miaoyin said.

Grandma Liang almost thought she was hallucinating. She glanced at the ingredients in Yu Miaoyin's hand and asked uncertainly, "Are you the owner of Yu's Little Restaurant?"

"Um."

Grandma Liang was utterly astonished. She hadn't expected the owner to be so young, and to be able to make such delicious food at such a young age—it was incredible! She truly believed that cooking was a matter of talent, and this young woman was genuinely amazing!

Seeing her carrying large and small bags, Grandma Chen hurried over to help her, saying, "Welcome, welcome! You've worked so hard, young lady! I didn't expect you to be so young and beautiful!"

"Thank you, Grandma," Yu Miaoyin said with a smile.

"I ate your cooking when I was in the hospital, it was so delicious, incredibly tasty! And the water chestnut cake, all my girlfriends said they loved it too!" Grandma Liang exclaimed again, "I never expected you to be so young!"

The Liang family's kitchen was quite large, with all sorts of seasonings and tableware. Yu Miaoyin checked the seasonings she would need later, just in case she couldn't find them when she needed them.

She first put the pork rib and lotus root soup into a pot to steam. October is the season when lotus roots are abundant, and they are very soft, powdery, and cheap.

When Liang Hekang got up, he ran to the refrigerator in the living room to grab a bottle of coffee to wake himself up. He was still a little dazed when he saw Chef Yu busy in his kitchen.

But the thought of being able to eat a bunch of delicious food in a few hours made him so excited that even the bitter coffee he was drinking tasted sweet.

The Liang family kitchen was more than enough for her to do, and Yu Miaoyin methodically processed all kinds of ingredients. She held the blackfish down and deftly killed it, scraping it back and forth with the blade, making a "swish swish" sound, before scaling and slicing it for later use.

The area outside the living room was already quite lively. Grandma Liang's relatives had all come over, chatting and laughing with the elderly woman.

Meanwhile, a clay pot in the kitchen was simmering a delicious soup, bubbling and steaming, filling the entire room with its fresh aroma, which made everyone curious and look into the kitchen.

Feng Yuan went into the kitchen, where Yu Miaoyin was making sweet and sour fish.

The fish, now marinated with diamond-shaped cuts, was coated with batter by Yu Miaoyin, who then lifted it by the tail and placed it into the oil pan. The oil sizzled and bubbled, and the crispy crust slowly puffed up, as if coated with a crispy, golden shell.

After frying, Yu Miaoyin took the fish out and drained the oil. Then she poured the boiling hot sweet and sour sauce over the fish. Sizzle—the crispy fish meat absorbed the sauce, and the diamond-shaped cuts were filled with bright red sauce, making it exceptionally tempting.

Another dish is pickled fish. Sprinkle with dried chili peppers, minced garlic, and chopped green onions, then pour hot oil over it. The tangy, spicy, and appetizing aroma is immediately released, making it so fragrant that people can't resist it.

Feng Yuan remembered that she had come to ask the boss if she needed any help, but she was so engrossed in watching the boss cook that she was completely mesmerized. When she came to her senses, Yu Miaoyin called her and said that the dishes were almost ready.

Feng Yuan nodded and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll take it. Your cooking smells amazing."

Having a big kitchen is great. Yu Miaoyin stir-fried sweet potato leaves with fermented bean curd and prepared a cold dish of smashed cucumber. Liang Hekang specifically asked for this cold dish, and Yu Miaoyin helped him put it in the refrigerator, saying, "It will taste better chilled for a while."

Once all the dishes were cooked, Yu Miaoyin took off her apron and came out.

Several people came up to help serve the dishes, and Yu Miaoyin had also cleaned the kitchen spotless. Liang Hekang was deeply moved and couldn't help but admire the aroma of the food. "Thank you, boss. You've worked so hard. This smells amazing!"

The uncle was also quite shocked to see that it was such a young girl. Then he looked at the prepared pickled fish in the porcelain bowl. Bright red chili pepper pieces, bright green scallions, and green pickled cabbage floated on the milky white soup. Slices of snow-white fish floated on top, their edges curling slightly after being drizzled with hot oil, emitting a warm, sour, and spicy aroma.

After seeing the pickled fish, he was even more astonished; it felt like a game-changer. The shock was followed by hunger—the dish smelled amazing! When could they start eating? He couldn't wait!

With several dishes served together, Grandma Liang couldn't keep up the conversation and called out to everyone, "Come and eat!"

They had already smelled the rich aroma, and upon hearing the word, they all set off. The smell was truly intoxicating!

The guests were all seated, and the children stared longingly at the dishes in front of them, their mouths watering. Several of them kept swallowing, their eyes fixed on the food.

Liang Hekang ladled a bowl of pork rib soup for everyone. The soup was clear with only a thin layer of oil floating on top. Large chunks of lotus root and pork ribs lay in the soup, looking particularly tempting.

Liang Hekang sat down and took a sip. It was delicious! It also had a hint of sweetness, a subtle sweetness from the stewed pork ribs and lotus root. The pork ribs were stewed until tender, and the lotus root was soft and powdery. The aroma of the meat mixed with the freshness of the lotus root, and it wasn't greasy at all.

Each child had a glass of cola or orange juice poured in front of them, but few of them drank it; most were holding bowls of soup.

Liang Hekang's cousin, who was sitting next to him, exclaimed "Wow!" after finishing his drink and licked his lips. "This soup is so delicious, even better than cola!"

Feng Yuan also enjoys making soup. This soup is so perfectly made and looks so good. She thought to herself that she probably could never make such a fragrant soup in her entire life.

My uncle agreed repeatedly, his mouth moving constantly, "This pickled fish is also delicious."

The fish meat is snow-white, tender, and chewy, infused with the tangy aroma of pickled cabbage and the spiciness of bird's eye chili. Flipping it over reveals tofu puffs and enoki mushrooms underneath. The enoki mushrooms have absolutely no fishy taste, are crisp and chewy, and the tofu puffs have soaked up the tangy and spicy broth—it's incredibly appetizing. Soaking rice in this pickled cabbage broth is absolutely delicious!

At the dinner table, everyone praised Yu Miaoyin's cooking, from the sauerkraut fish to the sweet and sour fish. The sweet and sour fish was the most popular with the children; the younger cousin said to Liang Hekang, "Brother, try this sweet and sour fish! It's so delicious and appetizing!"

"Okay." Liang Hekang picked up a small piece of sweet and sour fish and put it in his mouth. The crispy outer shell contrasted with the tender fish meat inside, and the two intertwined to create a rich texture. The sweet and sour sauce was delicious and savory, and it tasted especially good when wrapped around the fish or poured over rice. It was very appetizing.

"Delicious, delicious," Liang Hekang said.

The relatives also praised her, saying, "Yes, this little girl is amazing!"

My uncle chewed on a pork rib in the soup and exclaimed, "The owner's cooking is so delicious! I'm so lucky to be able to eat her food every day!"

Speaking of this, Liang Hekang thought of Xiao Tangbao, that cute little girl. This girl is so lucky to have such a good cook as her older sister!

My cousin chewed and chewed, then said with a satisfied look, "I don't want to go home anymore. I want to eat delicious food here every day. The food at home isn't good!"

The children's innocence made everyone laugh. After finishing their meal, everyone scooped up another bowl and tasted all the dishes Yu Miaoyin had made, praising each bite as they went.

Chef Yu's dishes, even something as simple as stir-fried sweet potato leaves with fermented bean curd, were exceptionally delicious. The stems were crisp, the leaves glistening with oil, all infused with the aroma of fermented bean curd. They ate with great relish, thoroughly enjoying the meal. Everyone was completely satisfied, wishing they had smaller appetites; otherwise, with such an appetizing dish, they could have devoured a whole pot of rice!

After everyone had eaten their fill, they sat in their chairs chatting and digesting their food. Feng Yuan brought out the cucumber salad that Yu Miaoyin had made, and several people went up to try it. It was sour, spicy, and refreshing, cool and delicious.

Several people also praised it highly.

Liang Hekang simply couldn't bear to part with such delicious food, so he scooped half a bowl of rice for himself and poured the broth from the pickled fish over it. The rice, soaked in the freshness and aroma of the pickled fish, was so fragrant and delicious that it made him want to eat more.

When clearing the dishes, Liang Hekang couldn't bear to throw away the remaining soup. He planned to buy some tofu puffs and enoki mushrooms to cook in it. With the soup base, it would definitely be delicious.

When she got home, Xiao Tangbao was already at Grandma Chen's. Yu Miaoyin gave some of the mooncakes and fruit that Liang Hekang insisted on giving her to Grandma Chen.

Grandma Chen knew she wasn't a good cook, so she bought some shrimp and fish, intending to steam them. She figured it might not taste great, but at least it wouldn't be too bad.

I just don't know if Xiaotangbao, who eats such delicious food every day, can actually eat the food she makes...

Grandma Chen put the prepared shrimp into a plate, just about to make steamed fish, when Yu Miaoyin knocked on the door, "Grandma, I'm back, and I'll bring you something."

Yi Ling and Xiao Tang Bao came to open the door together. Yu Miao Yin rubbed Xiao Tang Bao's face with the back of her hand and asked her, "Did you listen to Sister Yi Ling and Grandma Chen today?"

"Listen, Sister Yiling said I'm the cutest and most obedient child in the world!" Xiao Tangbao said proudly.

Grandma Chen came out of the kitchen. "I was just about to cook. Haven't you eaten yet? Bring an extra bowl and chopsticks to my place. But the taste is definitely not as good as yours."

Yu Miaoyin put the things on the table, glanced into the kitchen, and said with a smile, "Are you making steamed fish? That's easy, I'll do it."