The breakfast shop at the south end of the bridge was under renovation for more than two months, and its loyal fans were on tenterhooks for just as long.
Not to mention their unique tea-infused double-yolk eggs, just think of their incredibly delicious seaweed soup – it's mouthwatering just to think about it.
What's most infuriating is that there's nowhere to buy either of these. Other breakfast shops can't make them taste the same. They put in plenty of ingredients, but something's missing.
The diners, with empty stomachs, could only console themselves as they munched on fried dough sticks, egg pancakes, jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes), and vegetable pancakes on their way to work, finding the food utterly tasteless.
Other customers might at most complain about the owner behind their backs or express their feelings on social media, hoping that the breakfast stall owners in their social media feeds will have a change of heart and open their shops soon.
But Aunt Zhou would glance at the renovation progress every morning when she passed by to buy groceries, showing even more concern than the boss, Xu Milu.
Today was another day she couldn't buy any tea eggs, so Aunt Zhou naturally didn't give Jiang Liu, who brought his son over for a free meal, a friendly look.
"Tell me, what's the use of me raising two sons? Huh? What's the use! I can't even buy breakfast for you, and at my age, I can't even afford a tea egg. My life is so miserable."
Jiang Liu's face turned green; this really was his own mother.
So, in your heart, I'm not even worth as much as a tea egg?!
Grandpa Jiang shook the newspaper in his hand, slowly put down his reading glasses, and added insult to injury:
"This isn't just any ordinary tea egg; it's a delicious seaweed and egg drop soup, a fragrant double-yolk tea egg!"
"If they're not open for business, I can't exactly hold a knife to their throat to buy them breakfast, can I? Besides, which breakfast stall doesn't have tea eggs and seaweed soup? I can just go to another stall."
Jiang Liu was utterly helpless. He grabbed a steamed bun and tried to stuff it into his son's mouth, but Jiang Zhouzhou wouldn't cooperate at all, shaking her head like a rattle drum.
"I don't want to eat this, I want to eat eggs!"
Seeing that his son was the same way, Jiang Liu felt a chill run down his spine.
"No, I've heard that some unscrupulous businesses are adding poppy shells to their food to enhance the flavor. Could it be that they added something they shouldn't have?"
Grandpa Jiang put down his newspaper and began to scold his son in a bad mood:
“Your dad has eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice. Didn’t I ask you to have it tested last time? The food in that shop is very clean. Besides, your mom is very picky; she can definitely taste any strange flavors.”
"The test results you sent last time were from their company, weren't they?"
Jiang Liu nodded thoughtfully:
"There's really no problem. The ingredients are all pollution-free, highly nutritious, and have no pesticide residue at all."
Aunt Zhou rolled her eyes:
“I’ve been keeping an eye on it these past few days. Their house is almost finished with renovations and will open on the 15th of this month. Your brother and sister-in-law will bring An’an back to celebrate your dad’s birthday, and they’ll eat at their house.”
Jiang Liu was somewhat dumbfounded:
"Mom, just because the tea eggs are cooked well doesn't mean the food will taste good. What if they don't taste good? My sister-in-law will complain about this and that again."
In the end, it was Grandpa Jiang who made the final decision:
"By the time you realize it, all the good stuff will have been snatched up. Anyway, it's your dad's birthday, so it's settled."
...
...
It was already 9:30 p.m. when Liu Qingqing finished working overtime. As soon as she got back to her rented apartment, she kicked off her high heels, threw herself barefoot on the sofa, and couldn't help but complain:
"Lily, let me tell you, our department manager was like a madman today. He made me revise this report over and over again. He even made me book the restaurant for the department dinner. How am I supposed to manage in such a short time?! Besides, if I book something expensive, the boss will be unhappy; if I book something cheap, the food won't be good. Whoever wants to do this thankless work can do it. I'm not putting up with this anymore!"
Liu Qingqing's roommate, Zhang Li, shook her phone at her:
"Qingqing, don't be angry. I have some good news for you. You'll be fully recharged after hearing it!"
Liu Qingqing asked curiously, "What good news? You found a boyfriend?"
"Go! Go! Go!"
Zhang Li chuckled:
"Didn't that breakfast stall in Nanqiao turn into a restaurant? I just saw someone post on WeChat Moments that it's all renovated and will open in a couple of days. Isn't that good news?!"
Liu Qingqing rolled over and sat up abruptly, her eyes lighting up:
"real?!"
God knows how she got through the past two months. Her favorite egg pancakes and jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes) have lost their flavor, and all she craves is that delicious taste.
Liu Li said with a grin:
"Do you think I'd lie to you? They've already put up their sign. How about it, why don't you book their restaurant for your department's dinner? Even if the food isn't great, I don't believe their tea eggs won't win over your manager!"
Thinking of the delicious taste of tea eggs, Liu Qingqing seemed to have developed a conditioned reflex, and couldn't help but swallow hard, saying fiercely:
"Fine! If they're not satisfied, I'll stuff them with tea eggs until they burst!"
...
...
Xu Milu had already decided on the head chef for the food stall; she planned to ask her maternal grandfather, Old Man Liu, to take the job.
When he was young, Old Liu collected scrap and traveled all over the country. Later, he somehow acquired half a cookbook. When he responded to the country's call to join the army, he worked in the cooking squad for two years and was truly a backbone elite of the cooking squad.
In his own words, on the days he was in charge of cooking, even the pigs in the team that were used to eating leftovers would not get any food.
Later, when Old Liu was discharged from the army, the army was unwilling to let him go back to get married, unless his family urged him to.
Liu Hongmei learned her skills from Old Man Liu. Although she only learned a little bit, she could handle both hot and cold dishes. Even the filling for the buns was personally instructed by Old Man Liu.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
