Chapter 113 Hawthorn Braised Pork, Braised Lamb Chops [First Update]...
Wen Fan's grades were excellent enough that he not only stayed in Class 2, but also received a new certificate of merit.
Wen's mother carefully put away the certificate and asked her daughter if she wanted to treat her classmates to a meal.
Wen Fan nodded: "After the New Year."
Everyone was exhausted after the semester ended. Han Lulu's grades had improved significantly, allowing her to stay in Class 2. Qin He even achieved first place in the class, and the math teacher not only doted on her but also gave her individual tutoring, hoping she would participate in the math competition next semester.
Others, such as He Yuzhen and the class monitor, although their class rankings did not change much, all of them improved in the overall grade.
Teacher Wang was so happy that she had a smile on her face when she handed out the report cards today.
Where there is happiness, there is also unhappiness.
Leaving aside Jin Rui's case of being caught cheating, although the school retained his student status, he certainly couldn't stay in Class Two anymore. Today, Jin Rui didn't even come to pick up his notification letter; Teacher Wang had it kept separately.
As for the students whose names were called after Jin Rui, three or four of them were close to Jin Rui and were destined to say goodbye to everyone when the class division took place.
Fu Chuan's grades were average, hovering around the top of Class 2. Fang Weiyue, on the other hand, had lost a lot of weight in just one semester. With her mind preoccupied, her grades had also plummeted.
Teacher Wang sent out the notification letter, and Fang Weiyue frowned and said, "Focus on your studies and don't think too much about other things."
Fang Weiyue nodded slightly; she knew how the other students in the class viewed her.
—She and Wen Fan switched places.
A semester ago, Wen Fan was worried about Fu Chuan, and her grades dropped and she was in poor condition.
And now, she actually resembles Wen Fan from before.
What's even more frustrating is that even if Wen Fan and Fu Chuan didn't say a word, everyone could see that Fu Chuan was staring at Wen Fan for longer and longer...
Fang Weiyue felt somewhat powerless.
This sense of powerlessness arose from the very first day they met Wen Fan, as if fate was about to push them to opposite ends of a scale, one side rising while the other fell.
Fang Weiyue was secretly heartbroken, while Wen Fan was surrounded by a lively crowd.
The class representatives compared themselves to each other, but Qin He stood with his arms crossed, keeping his achievements hidden.
Wen Fan's math score was undoubtedly the highest, and Qin He looked down on everyone.
Wen Fan put away the notice and said he would treat everyone to a meal.
You decide on the time.
The physics class representative eagerly raised his hand: "How are you after the New Year? I'm going back to my hometown in a few days!"
The others also had their own issues, and Wen Fan thought it would be better to wait until before the start of the semester, so the shop wouldn't be so busy then.
It was agreed that before the tenth day of the first lunar month, Wen Fan would return home and go shopping with his parents.
Wen's mother wanted to buy everything for Wen Fan. After buying a few clothes, she unknowingly wandered to the basement level of the mall.
A supermarket is announcing that new stock has arrived.
Each bright red cherry was like a jewel. Seeing Wen Fan staring at them, Wen's mother generously asked Wen's father to bring out two boxes of cherries.
At this time of year, cherries and strawberries are in season.
After washing up at home, Wen Fan ate cherries with her legs crossed.
The fruit was sweet and sour, and Wen Fan unexpectedly liked it. Upon checking its origin, he was surprised to find that it had traveled across the ocean for more than ten days to arrive, yet it was still so crisp.
Wen Fan ate cherries one after another, then took out a slip of paper to list the ingredients needed for tomorrow.
Thinking about the good business tomorrow, Wen Fan asked his mother if Yang Tao, Qu Xiaoyu, and Yang Fei were on holiday and if they would still come to the store to work during the winter break.
Wen's mother: "I don't think it will work. Yang Fei said he's busy at school, and Qu Xiaoyu's family went back to their hometown. Didn't you see that the pharmacy next door is closed? Yang Tao... your Aunt Song Hui is going back to Northeast China for the New Year, and she'll probably be taking Yang Tao with her in the next few days."
The New Year in the city is always a bit quieter, as many people go back to their hometowns with their parents during winter vacation.
If it weren't for the unpleasant experience she had with Wen's father back in their hometown, they would probably be heading back to the village by now.
"Don't worry, I've already put up the notice, we'll be able to hire people soon."
The work in the shop isn't strenuous, so it would be easy for Wen's mother to find a short-term job.
Sure enough, people came to our door as soon as the poster was put up.
It was someone I knew.
Two students of the old man next door.
Ji Baiyi and Ren Haijin.
Ji Baiyi was obviously brought here by Ren Haijin. Ren Haijin said that he was perfectly capable of doing the job. It was just about cleaning and doing odd jobs during mealtimes.
He'll do it as long as meals are provided!
Wen's mother hadn't expected it to be these two people, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt they were a good match.
After all, we know each other well, so there's no need to even look at the student ID.
"Okay, we work from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a four-hour break in the afternoon. Two meals are provided, and it's 150 a day."
When Wen's mother asked the two where they lived, they both said they were from the city and lived quite far away, but they insisted on living there because they needed food.
On their first day on the job, the two were shocked by the number of customers in the store.
People started lining up at 10 a.m., even though the store was supposed to open at 11:30 a.m., they came an hour and a half early to wait. And it wasn't just one or two people doing this; it was a long line of people.
Many shops near the school gate were closed, and the stationery store next door had even put away the clutter in front of its door, leaving only a bare open space.
The queue stretched for ten meters along one side of the stationery store, and by 11 a.m., there were already more than thirty people in line.
Seeing that things weren't going well, Wen's mother asked Wen Fan if they could start, and how many tables they could take at noon. Wen Fan estimated for a moment and said that he could only take a maximum of forty tables, no more than that.
Wen's mother quickly distributed the number plates, and then began to persuade people to give up.
Someone jumped up and down: "I arrived half an hour early!"
Why can't I eat even though I arrived half an hour early? I'm so angry!
Wen's mother could only say, "Please come early tonight."
The man angrily replied, "Then I'll come and wait at three o'clock this afternoon!"
He refused to believe that he could go hungry!
...
Ji Baiyi and Ren Haijin were both a little confused, but they quickly forgot about it.
Wen Fan started cooking in the kitchen, and the two of them were responsible for serving dishes, taking orders, cleaning, and greeting customers.
Today's menu is hanging on the small blackboard.
Braised Lamb Chops
Braised Pork Belly with Hawthorn
Pork tenderloin (with purse)
...
Before we could even finish looking at the menu, someone shouted loudly.
"Give me a serving of braised pork!"
Braised lamb chops!
"Braised pork with hawthorn... It sounds delicious! I'd like two portions, one to eat here and one to take away."
Wen's mother: "Sorry, sales are limited."
One serving of each dish can be ordered per table.
"Okay, then I'll have one... and another one of pork tenderloin."
Hehe, I've never tried it before, I'll give it a try.
Wen Fan was busy in the kitchen, and the first dish served was braised pork with hawthorn.
The braised pork with hawthorn berries was simmering on the fire early in the morning. Each serving was small, served in a small clay pot placed on a heated stove. The pork, along with the hawthorn berries, made the color and flavor of the braised pork even more appealing.
Ren Haijin carried the dish past us, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the braised pork.
People say that a good dish is one that looks, smells, and tastes good, but it has to be admitted that color is always the first impression. The beauty of braised pork is an undisguised allure.
The distinct layers of meat are piled up randomly, and the hawthorns are coated with broth, like a simple sketch with a layer of glossy oil. Even before you take a bite, you can almost taste the sweet and sour flavor of the hawthorns.
Please enjoy your meal.
It can't be slow; if the chopsticks are even a second slower, it's disrespectful to the braised pork.
With a slight tremor, the chunks of meat, glistening with a deep reddish-brown sauce, slid smoothly between the lips and teeth. The rich fat melted like solidified cream, and the explosive aroma of sugar and oil instantly enveloped the tongue. This kind of meat is best paired with a bowl of steaming rice, or a fluffy white steamed bun. Break the bun open, put two pieces inside, and slam your hands together; the fat disappears into the bun, leaving only two distinct dark red oil stains.
Some people were already craving it and kept asking why their food hadn't arrived yet. They suggested that the braised pork be served first so they could have some.
As we were talking, the braised lamb chops we ordered were served.
Similar to the previous dish, this is also a main dish, so it is served on a heated stove.
The lamb chops were coated in a sticky sauce, so tender they almost fell off the bone, and steamed with enticing heat.
Although both dishes, like the previous braised pork with hawthorn, belong to the braised category, no one can say that the two dishes are similar.
When the braised lamb chops are heated, they release a complex aroma of meat and spices. The lamb chops, with their perfect balance of fat and lean meat, are braised for a long enough time that the bones fall off easily when picked up with chopsticks. When you bite into the lamb, you can taste its rich, meaty flavor and an irresistible, fatty aroma.
Don't throw away the bones after you finish eating the lamb. The tendons and remaining meat close to the bones, along with the collagen-rich interosseous meat, are sticky, chewy, and delicious.
Many people squint their eyes while eating, because although you can't eat this piece of meat directly, it is exceptionally delicious.
"My goodness, this mutton is so delicious! Could it be one of those really expensive kinds of mutton?"
Some people say you're overthinking it. Just looking at the price, you can tell that the mutton is just what you'd find in the market. The restaurant's cooking skills are so good that people keep questioning the price of the ingredients themselves.
The braised mutton was already delicious enough, and then the pork tenderloin was served next.
The food was served faster than expected, yet no one questioned the restaurant's use of pre-made ingredients.
"If any factory could produce pre-cooked meals of this quality, I'd gladly contribute my entire wallet every day!"
The plate was filled with egg-skin pouches that looked like lucky bags, and everyone took out their phones to take pictures first.
"Just for its appearance alone, it's worth it!"
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Author's Note: The second update will be tomorrow at noon [Um, because I'm adjusting my sleep schedule, there was no update at 12 noon, it's usually around noon the next day]. I definitely won't be late tomorrow!
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