Chapter 91 Fried Rice in the Food Street?
"Set up a stall at the food festival in the scenic area."
When Su Yingxue heard Zhou You's invitation, she was deftly flipping the fried eggplant cakes on the griddle. Beneath the golden, crispy exterior, the purplish-red eggplant flesh steamed and emitted an enticing aroma. Business had been pretty good these past few days; many people, like Zhou You, had bought unfinished buildings and came specifically to see them after construction resumed. Several water stalls had also sprung up nearby, clearly seizing the opportunity.
“That’s right.” Zhou You nodded, a professional smile on his face. “Let me introduce myself. I’m the operations manager of the Sanyue Mountain Scenic Area. We cordially invite you to participate in the scenic area’s first food festival and set up a stall.”
Su Yingxue looked up and saw the young man who had bought eggplant cakes from her just a few days ago had transformed into a scenic area operator. She was a little surprised, but not entirely unexpected. In this small city, social networks are inherently small, and everyone has a few acquaintances in passing.
"What kind of benefits are there?" Su Yingxue put down the shovel, wiped her hands, and asked directly. She wasn't the kind of person who would be easily swayed by superficial words; in business, she valued substance.
"We'll waive the stall fee for the first three days," Zhou You said, holding up three fingers. "We'll also provide vehicles to help transport ingredients and equipment. We'll definitely promote you through various channels."
"How many days is the food festival?" Su Yingxue asked.
Zhou You answered decisively: "Seven days. Starting the day after tomorrow. Our scenic area is fully prepared, don't worry, we'll definitely make money."
Su Yingxue took out her phone and quickly searched for information about March Mountain. Although the mountain wasn't very high, it was still over 200 meters tall. It covered a total area of over 3,000 mu (approximately 200 hectares), with a vegetation coverage rate of over 95%, and streams flowing year-round.
Legend has it that this place was a summer resort for a nobleman during the Three Kingdoms period, and the ruins of a summer palace and ancient temples can still be found on the mountain. Many ancient literati left their calligraphy and paintings here. However, nowadays, it is more of a cultural landscape. It is said that wild boars have been spotted at night, but these are just locals talking about it and no one takes them seriously.
As a small hill in Ancheng, a third-tier city, March Mountain mainly attracts elderly people from the surrounding area who like to exercise there in the mornings. For young people, its height is simply not worth making a special trip for.
"Okay, I'll go. Let me get ready." Su Yingxue finally agreed. Anyway, she was free, so she might as well go to the scenic spot and earn some extra money on the side.
"Haha, okay, I'll drive over the day after tomorrow morning to help you move your things upstairs." Zhou You was so happy that he almost jumped for joy when Su Yingxue agreed. Before leaving, he emphasized that she shouldn't stand him up.
As soon as everyone left, Su Yingxue immediately summoned the system: "System, what did you say you were supposed to do when you issued the task? I didn't hear you clearly?"
"Fried rice with egg," the system's voice replied calmly.
Su Yingxue was stunned: "No, why would I sell fried rice instead of my perfectly good fried eggplant cakes?"
Those are things from our grandparents' generation. Who would travel all the way up the mountain to eat fried rice these days? They can make it at home, why would they spend money to buy it?
"Don't question the system. Otherwise, you'll be penalized." The system's voice suddenly turned cold, and Su Yingxue immediately thought of the pitiful little savings in her bank account. She wisely shut her mouth.
"Alright, fried rice with egg, that's fine," Su Yingxue consoled herself. "Maybe someone's tired from climbing and wants to replenish their carbohydrates..."
She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sky, then muttered angrily under her breath, "Wait, it's only a little over two hundred meters high, who would come to eat fried rice on that mountain?"
Su Yingxue took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Since the system had issued the task, she had no choice but to do it. She took out her phone and started searching online for various recipes for fried rice.
"Alright, I'll start learning the egg fried rice recipe and try making one at home first," she muttered to herself, tying on her apron and heading to the kitchen. Perhaps this would be the most special food festival experience of her life. Who knows? Maybe this seemingly ordinary egg fried rice would create an unexpected miracle on that little hill.
At six in the morning, Su Yingxue was already standing in the kitchen, wearing her faded blue plaid apron. The iron wok on the stove gleamed coldly, as if reminding her—today's practice of making fried rice with eggs could not tolerate the slightest carelessness.
She first took out three plump, round free-range eggs from the refrigerator. She had bought them yesterday from a farmer in the suburbs; the yolks were a deep, autumnal color, like maple leaves. "System, what's the proper way to crack eggs?" she muttered softly. Although she received no response, the image of her grandmother cracking eggs automatically flashed into her mind—pinching the egg between her fingertips, gently tapping it against the edge of a pan, the shell cracking, then breaking it open along the crack, the golden yolk slurping into the bowl.
Three egg mixtures gathered in the porcelain bowl, forming a small sun. Su Yingxue picked up her chopsticks and began to stir, her wrist moving nimbly in circles. At first, the egg mixture was a thin, pale yellow, but as the chopsticks swirled faster and faster, it gradually turned into a thick, even golden paste, with fine bubbles rising to the surface.
"You need to beat the eggs until they foam up so they'll be fluffy when you fry them." This is a key point I noted down a couple of days ago when I was looking at recipes on the system.
Next, she prepared the rice. She specifically chose Wuchang rice from Northeast China, cooked it in a rice cooker in advance, and then spread it out on a bamboo sieve to dry overnight.
“Leftover rice is best.” Su Yingxue grabbed a handful of rice and squeezed it in her hand. The grains were loose and not sticky, like round little pearls. She poured the rice into a large bowl and gently broke up any clumps with chopsticks.
She lit the fire and poured in the oil. When the wok was just starting to smoke, Su Yingxue poured in a spoonful of Golden Dragon peanut oil. The moment the oil heated up, she quickly poured in the egg mixture. The instant the egg mixture touched the hot wok, milky white bubbles immediately appeared around the edges, sizzling happily.
She quickly stirred the egg mixture with a wooden spatula, causing it to expand into fluffy golden clouds in the pan, before breaking it into small pieces when it was half-cooked.
"Now add the rice." She poured the loose rice into the pan, mixing it thoroughly with the egg mixture. The spatula struck the pan with a crisp rhythm, and the rice bounced and tumbled in the pan. Su Yingxue sprinkled in a little salt and added a small spoonful of light soy sauce for flavor. As she continued to stir-fry, the rice gradually turned an enticing golden color, each grain coated with the aroma of egg.
At the last minute, she grabbed a handful of chopped scallions and sprinkled them in. The vibrant green scallions, upon contact with the hot pan, instantly released a rich, fragrant aroma.
"It's done!" Su Yingxue turned off the stove and ladled the fried rice into a white porcelain plate. The golden rice grains were dotted with egg flowers and green scallions, and the aroma wafted straight to her nose.
She scooped up a spoonful and tasted it—the egg flavor was rich yet not greasy, the rice grains were distinct yet perfectly cooked, and the saltiness was just right. It turns out that this seemingly simple fried rice involves a lot of skill, from ingredient selection to cooking time and temperature. This bowl of fried rice might just really shine at the food festival.
Alright, let's head to the food festival.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com