Fried Chicken
"So, I'm considering transitioning to video." Facing the confused gazes of the four people, Zheng Cheng explained.
Confusion gradually turned to horror.
"Brother, are you...wanting to play it safe?" Zheng Sisi asked tentatively.
"What..." Zheng Cheng suddenly realized how misleading his question was and cried out, "No! What are you wiping? Am I crazy? I can't even wipe the edge when I'm wiping the floor!"
"Please wipe the table. My house has a marble floor and it will get scratched if you don't wipe it properly," said Zhou Min.
"No! I mean I want to adjust the weight of food and appearance." Zheng Cheng finished his words in one breath.
"Today's content is rated 6 for appearance and 4 for dishes. We'll focus on grilled crab legs, sea urchin, and daifuku. Zhou Min, please help me benchmark against Peach Juice Yaoyao in future topic selections."
You heard right, Cheng Ge listened to the advice, Xiao Ming was a little touched: "That's great, great, I'll start choosing movies now."
The Little Green Book also intends to focus on appearance and share some life stories.
"I haven't seen you for a few days and you already have over 10,000 followers?" Zheng Sisi clicked on his homepage. "I only have 20,000 followers."
Not only old fans, but also many passers-by in the comment section of the little green book asked who this handsome guy was.
"So I think it'll be easier for Little Green Book to surpass Peach Juice Yaoyao." Zheng Cheng poured the strange sea salt lychee-flavored drink into a glass and sipped it with a straw. "Where's Hanyu? Did he go to the kitchen again just after coming back?"
"Ms. Xu said she had some fresh matsutake mushrooms delivered to her from home but she didn't know how to cook them, so Hanyu went to see her," Zhou Min replied. "I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted on going."
"I'll go take a look." Zheng Cheng stood up and walked towards the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Miss Xu was washing rice. A row of matsutake mushrooms were cleaned and neatly arranged on a stainless steel plate. Hu Hanyu skillfully picked them up one by one and cut them into thin slices.
"Are you here to steal Miss Xu's job?" Zheng Cheng stood beside him. "So many people, are you going to cut them all off by one person?"
"It's not much, it will be quick." Hu Hanyu paused his silky movements, glanced at him, and smiled, "It's out of place for you to stand here."
Indeed, in order to shoot a video today, Zheng Cheng wore a shirt with beaded sequins and jewelry. The four-leaf clover with diamonds around his neck was brighter than the stainless steel stove.
"What? I came to see you and you're trying to drive me away?" Zheng Cheng watched him curiously as he cut the matsutake mushrooms, each stroke very neatly.
"No, no, Hanhan likes you to come." The cut matsutake were neatly placed back on the plate. Hu Hanyu picked a piece from the middle and handed it to his mouth, "Matsutake sashimi, would you like to try it?"
It felt a bit ambiguous when feeding it to his mouth, but Zheng Cheng really didn't want to touch the ingredients, so he leaned forward and took a small bite.
"It's fresh enough, and a little sweet." He covered his mouth and chewed it. The smell of soil and the unique aroma of matsutake mushrooms collided in his mouth. The overly wild taste made him frown. "But this thing is better to eat it cooked."
Hu Hanyu threw the remaining half into his mouth.
Is this correct?
"No, you..." Zheng Cheng didn't know what to say for a moment and looked at him blankly.
"The quality is really good, worthy of being from Young Master Zhou's family." Hu Hanyu didn't care at all, and carefully tasted the flavor. "It should be very good if fried in lard. Miss Xu, would you like to try it?"
Miss Xu shook her head desperately: "Oh my god! I've never eaten raw mushrooms even during a famine."
"Then let's have some matsutake rice later, miss." Hu Hanyu replied with a smile and started to dice the rice. "I'll ask Master Zhou to get a bowl for you."
Miss Xu agreed with a smile.
"It seems that you are more comfortable here than in the living room?" Zheng Cheng originally felt a little sorry and wanted to ask him to go to the living room, but now he saw that he was like a fish in water in the kitchen.
"I'm used to it. I have a lot of work in my eyes." Hu Hanyu kept working. "Anything else you want me to do?"
"Who dares to give you orders? I have questions for you."
"Hmm?" Hu Hanyu stopped what he was doing and looked up at him. "I won't look at the edge."
"I don't believe it!" Zheng Cheng retorted, then remembered, "Hey, that's not what I was asking!"
This person is so annoying!
Seeing Zheng Cheng and Hu Hanyu having a heated discussion through the kitchen door, Xiao Ming returned to his computer, mumbling:
"Are they so close? They seem to be having a great time chatting."
"Maybe they were talking about the content. I just showed him our statistical report for that day." Zhou Min was being forced by Zheng Sisi to play racing, and he looked like he had lost all hope in life.
"It has to be Teacher Zhou. All the traffic of Peach Juice Yaoyao has been decrypted." On Gu Shao's birthday, Xiao Ming was looking at the data at Zhou Min's house. He basically did it all by himself, and Xiao Ming was busy feeding the animals.
“…Call me Zhou Min.”
"So, according to Zhou Min's statistics, the more popular contents on Taozhi Yaoyao include curious and down-to-earth restaurant reviews. I can only ask you to help me think about this." Zheng Cheng held the table and spoke for ten minutes, finally pausing.
"Hmm." The rice cooker began to play the crisp music, and Hu Hanyu washed his hands without stopping. "Auntie, where's the oil?"
"Did you hear that? Give me some reaction." Zheng Cheng was already a little impatient due to the other party's lack of reaction.
"Got it, no problem." Hu Hanyu walked around him and took out the marinated chicken thigh from the refrigerator to check. "You can go back to the living room."
"Are you chasing me away?" Zheng Cheng followed him. "Hu Hanyu, can you be a little polite? I've been talking to you for a long time, and you just agreed so casually and told me to go back to the living room?"
"I didn't just agree to the sponsor's request casually. I promised to complete the task." Hu Hanyu turned around, grabbed Zheng Cheng's shoulders and pushed him out of the kitchen. "We need to use oil. The kitchen will turn into a Turpan soon. You get out first."
Before Zheng Cheng could react, the kitchen door behind him closed again.
Second time! Second rejection!
Hu Hanyu?!
"But would it be too offensive if I just call him Zhou Min?" Yan Xiaoming was still struggling with the issue of address.
"You are older than me, so you can call me brother." Zhou Min pushed his glasses.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," Xiao Ming refused frantically. "Can you stop emphasizing age? I'm the oldest now."
"Okay, Lao Ming, stop for a moment." Zheng Sisi interrupted him and turned to Zhou Min. "Brother Zhou Min, tell me first, how did you manage to break my record while being disgusted?"
"Because it's just boring, not difficult, it's just driving." Zhou Min handed the controller back to her and stood up. "I'll go check the kitchen."
Zheng Cheng walked out from the kitchen with a gloomy face.
"It seems the talks went smoothly." Zhou Min sat down again.
"Looking at Brother Cheng's expression, everything is indeed going well." Xiao Ming laughed.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Zheng Cheng threw himself onto the sofa. "Hu Hanyu locked me out again!"
Zheng Sisi: "Oh my, double kill."
Zhou Min: "A second success."
Xiao Ming: "It's okay, brother. Two is not three."
“Get out, get out, get out!”
There is nothing I like to hear from this group of people.
The shell of the freshly cooked fried chicken nuggets has been dyed dark brown by the Maillard reaction, and there are still small bubbles on the surface, emitting an enticing aroma with a sizzling sound.
"Uh oh~" Zheng Sisi was like a dragon, waving her hands and trying to spit out hot steam from her mouth.
"I'm so anxious for you. How can it not be hot when it comes out of the pot? Eat slowly." While blaming his sister for being impatient, Zheng Cheng picked up the chopsticks.
No one can resist the delight that comes with the sugar and oil mixture.
The chicken legs that have been marinated in advance have moisture and sauce locked firmly in the crispy shell. When you take a bite, the juice flows into your mouth, the aroma hits your nose, and the crisp sound reaches your ears. No one has time to talk anymore, and everyone is fully enjoying the trio brought by the Karaage chicken nuggets.
"Wow, this is amazing." Xiao Ming swallowed the chicken and took out his phone to take two close-up photos of the chicken nuggets.
"Hey, there's no need to post it since I did it." Hu Hanyu stopped him.
"No, I posted it on my Moments myself. Seriously, it's so awesome." Xiao Ming took the photo and picked up the chopsticks again.
"Crazy Thursday doesn't taste good anymore." Zheng Sisi had already picked up the third piece and put it into her mouth without saying anything else.
"Leave some for me and go fry the matsutake mushrooms first." Seeing that they were all satisfied, Hu Hanyu stood up with a smile and walked towards the kitchen again.
"After all, he used to run a restaurant." Xiao Ming was still sighing as he walked away, "With this level of quality, if he opened a restaurant downstairs from my house, I could eat there every day."
"Have you tasted the relic today?" Zhou Min asked Zheng Cheng, who had been silent.
"Well, forget it."
Chicken karaage is just a popular Japanese snack, hardly worthy of kaiseki cuisine. Yet, it's precisely this kind of food that possesses the power to make everyone happy. Even the picky Zheng Cheng couldn't resist grabbing another piece.
I'm looking forward to the matsutake mushrooms even more.
Frying matsutake mushrooms with lard brings out the explosive aroma of the mushrooms. Compared with the high-end aroma of butter and milk, the simple lard can better bring out its original flavor. Just a few touches of coarse salt make it so fresh that it will make your eyebrows drop.
"Now I understand why you all said bad things about the Dobinmushi we had for lunch," Xiao Ming sighed. "That umami taste was so fake. This is the real freshness of matsutake mushrooms."
"The umami substance in fungi is mainly guanylic acid, which is naturally different from that prepared by monosodium glutamate." Academic Zhou Min analyzed while eating.
Compared with the impact of fried matsutake mushrooms, the mild soy sauce seasoning of matsutake rice greatly reduces the aggressiveness of matsutake mushrooms, making it a matsutake dish that most people can accept.
"Brother, why do I feel that the Michelin three-star restaurant I ate in Tokyo is just so-so?" With the refreshing seasoning of the matsutake soup, Zheng Sisi's eating manners became elegant.
"The three-star Michelin restaurant doesn't just cook for you by the head chef." Zheng Cheng looked at Hu Hanyu who was sitting on the outermost side with a dim look.
The heat from the kitchen was suffocating, and there were still traces of sweat on Hu Hanyu's forehead. The food he ate looked delicious. He was not particular about details and ate in big mouthfuls, but he ate it all up.
"Thank you for your hard work, Hanyu." Zhou Min patted him. "It's your first time at my house, and you've been busy all afternoon."
Hu Hanyu was eating and couldn't speak, so he just smiled and waved his hand.
"Let him be busy. He's happy to do it. You can't ask him to come out." Zheng Cheng had actually calmed down a long time ago and was not forgiving in his words.
"Zheng Cheng knows me. I like to get my hands dirty." Hanyu looked at him. "Is there anything else you want to eat?"
"Just don't turn me down again." He understood her after just a few meetings? Being very familiar, Zheng Cheng deliberately turned his head away.
"I got it. Next time I'll lock you in the kitchen and take a sauna with me." Hu Hanyu continued eating with a smile.
I won’t go a second time, Zheng Cheng asked Miss Xu to give him some more rice.
Zheng Cheng had an appointment with Dr. Yin tomorrow, and he was leaving, so the party ended before eight o'clock. Zheng Sisi regretfully wanted to go home with Zheng Cheng, but he refused, so she could only return to Zheng Mansion alone.
"Let me know you're safe after you finish your medical examination tomorrow. Your parents are worried about you." Zheng Sisi called out to him before getting in the car.
Originally, he didn't want Hu Hanyu to know about this, but now he had heard it. Feeling his curious gaze, Zheng Cheng turned his head to the window as soon as he got in the car.
"Hanyu, let me take you first." Xiao Ming started the car. "Brother Cheng, I'll go home with you. It's just right to edit the video tonight."
"Do you live with Zheng Cheng?" Hanyu asked.
"We don't live together, but Cheng-ge at night...haha," Xiao Ming said, looking guiltily at Zheng Cheng through the rearview mirror. "Can I tell you?"
"You've already said it all, why are you asking me again?" Zheng Cheng sighed.
It would be better to do it himself than to let others talk. He sat up straight and told Hu Hanyu briefly that he had suffered from insomnia for many years and would see a psychologist tomorrow.
There was no way to hide it from him. I had a breakdown in front of him in the elevator last time.
"That's quite tiring. I couldn't sleep well." This was all Hu Hanyu said after listening.
"My emotions...sometimes I can't control them." Zheng Cheng lowered his head and his voice became softer as he spoke. "I didn't mean to mention the relic, even though you can be quite annoying sometimes..."
"It will be fine."
An arm was thrown over his shoulders.
Zheng Cheng looked up and saw Hu Hanyu's face right next to him, and he shrank back in fear.
The hand on his shoulder pressed hard, and Hu Hanyu's low voice was in his ear: "It's okay, you will be fine."
"Oh...oh." Somehow, Zheng Cheng suddenly felt relieved when he heard these words.
What did Hu Hanyu know? Zheng Cheng thought he was funny, but a part of his heart seemed to think he understood and was willing to believe him.
They soon arrived at Hu Hanyu's house. He said goodbye to the two of them, agreed to find the next restaurant to review, and then got out of the car and left.
In the living room, Xiao Ming was typing away on the keyboard, while Zheng Cheng lay on the sofa with his eyes closed, feeling that he would be able to fall asleep quickly today.
It'll be alright, he told himself, his hand stealing over his shoulder from under the blanket.
How can just three short words be so convincing?
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