Chapter 43 Meow meow meow
The huge soup pot was steaming and there were five or six colanders placed in it. Xu Lijun and Song Lanzhen’s spicy hot pot was in two of the colanders.
Because different ingredients require different cooking times, Jian Yunlan first put in the meatballs and potatoes, which are ingredients that need to be cooked for a longer time, followed by the fatty beef, tripe, enoki mushrooms, etc., and finally the lettuce that can be eaten after just a quick boil.
Xu Lijun and Song Lanzhen only saw that he was extremely skilled in his movements. He seemed to be able to calculate the time to put each ingredient in the pot accurately to the second, without any hesitation.
"Are there any taboos on the seasoning? Do you want it slightly spicy, medium spicy, or extra spicy?" Jian Yunlan took a large bowl and asked Song Lanzhen.
Song Lanzhen said: "I don't have any dietary restrictions, I want...very spicy, hehe!"
Each of these seasonings looks fresh. The minced garlic exudes a fragrant garlic aroma, the chilies are fresh and tender, and the chili peppers are bright red. The most eye-catching thing is the chili oil, which smells completely different from those sold on the market and looks tempting no matter how you look at it.
Song Lanzhen hasn't eaten spicy food for a long time, but when she was young, she loved spicy food. Now that she has finally encountered it, of course she has to eat it to her heart's content.
"Boss, did you make this chili oil yourself?" Song Lanzhen asked curiously.
"Yes, I made it myself, using my own secret recipe." Jian Yunlan smiled, "I also ground the dry ingredients myself."
After hearing this, both of them were so surprised that they couldn't close their mouths.
Jian Yunlan skillfully scooped various seasonings into the big bowl given to Song Lanzhen, and finally scooped a full spoonful of original soup. The light was dim, and the big bowl of soup exuded an aromatic aroma and was bright red in color. Chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chilies filled the bottom of the bowl. Jian Yunlan scooped out the ingredients that were cooked perfectly from the soup pot, and with a wave of the colander, all the ingredients slid into the bowl.
Pour another layer of the original soup and sprinkle with plenty of green onions, coriander and white sesame seeds, and the first bowl of spicy hot pot is ready.
"Be careful of the heat." said Jian Yunlan.
"OK."
Song Lanzhen rubbed her hands together and took the bowl almost impatiently. The red soup in the bowl is very tempting. The hot steam is full of the richness of the beef bone soup and the spicy red oil. The ingredients in the bowl are also very tempting:
Rolled up fat beef, tripe dipped in spicy oil, fried tofu soaked in soup, and fresh and crispy lettuce...
I didn’t think much of it when I was picking it just now, but now that I look at it, this full bowl of food is only one hundred yuan, what a good deal!
Song Lanzhen picked up a piece of fatty beef with chopsticks. The fatty beef was covered with red oil and white sesame seeds. The red oil was still dripping down with the chopsticks.
She couldn't wait to cool it down before putting the hot piece of beef into her mouth.
Song Lanzhen: “!!!”
This piece of fatty beef is thin, tender and cooked to just the right degree. The tenderness of the beef and the satisfying fat are made even more delicious by the red beef bone soup. As you chew, the fat drips out.
This is so delicious!
It doesn't feel spicy when you first taste it, but the more you eat, the spicy feeling gradually spreads in your mouth. Song Lanzhen soon felt her lips numb and her tongue was spicy and hot, and she couldn't help but breathe out.
Because her daughter-in-law doesn't like spicy food, Song Lanzhen hasn't eaten spicy food for a long time. Now her spleen and stomach are finally satisfied by the spicy food. In one word, it feels so good!
After finishing a mouthful of beef, Song Lanzhen picked up a piece of potato. The potato chips were very thick and soaked in red oil. When you bite into them, they have a soft and glutinous texture that melts in your mouth and tastes crunchy.
I don’t know how Jian Yunlan controlled the heat, the potato was so intact that it didn’t even break when I picked it up. It melted in my mouth and was cooked hot in the soup. The taste was amazing.
"Oh my God, it's so delicious!" Song Lanzhen's face turned red from the spiciness. She ate one bite after another and even picked up the bowl to take a sip of the soup.
Although it’s spicy, it’s so delicious!
The rich beef bone flavor, without any industrial additives, is strong and fragrant.
Seeing Song Lanzhen eating so happily, Xu Lijun couldn't sit still anymore.
A bit greedy.
But is it really that delicious? Xu Lijun seldom eats this kind of street snack, so she was still a little skeptical at this moment.
"Boss, mine isn't ready yet?"
"Auntie, you need to cook your beef tendon balls for a little longer. They're almost done." Jian Yunlan said, picking up the bowl. "Any food restrictions? How spicy do you want it?"
"I don't eat cilantro," Xu Lijun said, "I don't mind eating anything else. I want medium spicy, thank you, boss~"
"Okay." Jian Yunlan nodded.
Soon, Xu Lijun's big bowl of spicy hot pot came out of the pot steaming hot.
Xu Lijun is a tripe lover, so as soon as she got the bowl, she picked up a piece of tripe with chopsticks without hesitation. The fresh tripe was actually bigger than the palm of your hand, heavy and trembling, the surface covered with crystal red oil, stained with minced garlic and white sesame seeds, and still dripping with soup.
After taking a mouthful of tripe, Xu Lijun was also shocked.
Oh my god, how can it be so crispy and tender!
It is very difficult to control the heat for such thin and fresh tripe. Every time Xu Lijun went to have hotpot, the tripe was either not cooked yet or was already overcooked.
But this tripe is extremely crispy and tender. It can be easily bitten open with one bite, and it absorbs the red soup from the beef bones. The spicy soup makes the tripe look even more tender and fresh. While chewing, the rich soup and tripe juice fill your mouth. The texture is very chewy and chewing it is an ultimate enjoyment.
After swallowing the boiling hot tripe with great difficulty, Xu Lijun picked up a beef tendon ball.
The beef tendon balls were completely different from the frozen balls sold in supermarkets. They had a very solid texture and juice would spurt out when you took a bite. The beef tendon balls are chewy and springy, with fat flowing out, and are particularly delicious against the backdrop of red oil.
These beef tendon balls are actually hand-made!
Xu Lijun held the bowl and was more and more surprised as she ate. I felt a little tired of eating meat, so I picked up a piece of lettuce with chopsticks. The fresh and juicy lettuce made a crunching sound when I chewed it. Because the lettuce absorbs juice, I could taste the rich flavor of the soup base while eating the lettuce. It was even more fragrant than the meat.
"Amazing!" Xu Lijun gave Jian Yunlan a thumbs up, "Boss Jian, your craftsmanship alone is worth a thousand dollars."
The more Xu Lijun looked at Jian Yunlan, the more she liked him.
She had already come to terms with it and felt that she shouldn't worry about her son's marriage status anymore. But while eating such delicious spicy hot pot, Xu Lijun couldn't help but think...
If her son and Boss Jian can succeed, then as his mother-in-law, wouldn't she be able to eat such delicious spicy hot pot every day?
Oh, it really makes people excited.
On the other side, Song Lanzhen had just finished a whole bowl of food and was wiping her sweat with a napkin. She wiped her sweat and said, "It's so delicious, Boss Jian, I want another portion and take it back for my granddaughter Xia Xia to eat!"
"Okay." Jian Yunlan took out the take-away box.
Although Malatang is more suitable for eating on the spot, Jian Yunlan understands that many diners want to take it away. Isn’t it a pleasure to take it home and eat it while watching TV series?
Song Lanzhen started picking vegetables again. The little girl likes to eat quail eggs, so give her a few skewers. The fatty beef... Although the little girl doesn't like to eat fatty beef, her grandmother likes it, so give her a few skewers. Puffed tofu is a must.
As she picked, Song Lanzhen could no longer tell whether she was picking for herself or for her granddaughter.
At this time, several passers-by were attracted and joined the queue to choose food.
Some people couldn't help themselves after seeing the two aunts eating with such relish. Some people want to eat malatang, but are tired of the same old taste of Yang Moufu and Zhang Mou’s malatang, and want to try something new and different.
Of course, there were also two or three high school Omegas who had just finished their evening studies and were mixed in the team. They simply wanted to say a few words to the handsome Alpha.
They were all wearing blue sports uniforms, both boys and girls, looking 17 or 18 years old, full of youth, blushing, whispering:
"It's rare to see an Alpha like this, so gentle and handsome!"
"Who do you think is more handsome, the boss or Brother Ming?"
"It's hard to compare! Besides, Ming Ge hasn't differentiated yet. If Ming Ge differentiates into Alpha, I will be the first to chase him."
"Is it your turn? I'm already Ming-ge's secret boyfriend...but the boss is so handsome, and the spicy hot pot he makes is so delicious. I'm so conflicted!"
Judging from their looks, 'Ming Ge' should be the most handsome boy in their school.
A few Omegas were chatting and actually chose a boyfriend.
It's really the age of youth...
Everyone couldn't help but sigh.
Soon, a line formed in front of the Malatang stall.
In addition to the group of high school students, many other people were curious about Jian Yunlan and started chatting with her while queuing:
"Boss, you just started setting up the stall recently, right? I haven't seen you before."
“This food looks really fresh!”
"This spicy smell makes me feel itchy~ Did you make this chili oil yourself?"
In between eating spicy hot pot, Jian Yunlan took the time to answer them one by one.
After each diner receives his or her basket and chooses his or her dishes, a large silver dog will pull the corner of his or her clothes.
The dog was very majestic and handsome, but not scary at all, and had an elegant and calm demeanor. The big dog had a small basket hanging around its neck. It stretched out its paw and politely handed a number tag to the person who had chosen the dishes.
"Hahaha, what a handsome dog!" "It looks so polite~" "How did it know what number I was? It's so smart."
Several young people were touched by the scene of the dog working, and they happily took out their mobile phones to take photos and videos.
It’s so cute!
"Boss, is this dog yours?" a high school girl asked curiously.
"He's an employee." Jian Yunlan said, "You can't touch employees casually."
“Ahhhh!”
It's an employee!
It feels even cuter!
Looking at the serious handsome stall owner and the handsome dog, the high school girl held her face with her hands, she was so cute that her nose was bleeding.
There was also a burst of kind smiles in the team.
Soon, the smiles were replaced by shouts of surprise.
"Oh my god, this spicy hot pot soup base is so delicious. I never drink spicy hot pot soup, but I couldn't help but drink several sips."
"Did you eat the tofu? It's amazing, so tender and smooth, absolutely amazing!"
"The enoki mushrooms are the best. The more you chew, the more delicious they are. Oh my god... there's also tripe. I should have ordered more tripe earlier. This tripe is real fresh tripe. I had a tripe at that chain store that tasted like bleach before and it left me with a psychological trauma."
Many people still feel bad when paying for a hundred yuan spicy hot pot, but once they actually eat it, they immediately realize how worth the hundred yuan is.
Apart from anything else, the ingredients are all extremely fresh, the taste of the soup base is needless to say, and the boss's cooking skills are even better, the heat is just right. It is simply the best malatang, the king, the master, the pinnacle!
Such delicious spicy hot pot is not something you can eat easily.
More and more people were attracted by the lively crowd eating spicy hot pot while sweating and breathing heavily, and joined the queue.
...So, when Feng Danqing returned to Malatang, he saw that the Malatang stall, which was empty half an hour ago, now had a long queue.
Some people held their bowls and started eating on the roadside, while others stood on tiptoe and looked forward to it.
Feng Danqing: “…”
Damn it, why did I hesitate!
As a patient with severe decision-making difficulty, Feng Danqing was discouraged by the high price of one hundred yuan and walked to Yang Moufu's door. But she was torn between Yang Moufu and Zhang Mou, and for a moment she didn't know who to choose.
Moreover, the tempting spicy smell of the beef bone red soup was still lingering in her nose, and was even getting stronger.
Looking at the pre-prepared dishes, frozen meatballs, and synthetic meat in the chain store's freezer, Feng Danqing lost her appetite. However, her stomach kept growling, reminding her that she needed to eat.
Finally, Feng Danqing decided that one hundred yuan was fine, she must try what the spicy hot pot tasted like!
Seeing that the line was getting longer and longer, Feng Danqing no longer hesitated and quickly joined the line.
The fatigue, hunger and sleepiness from a whole day's work all came over me.
The warm wind of spicy hotpot blew in front of him, and the people around him were eating enthusiastically, which made Feng Danqing feel even more tired and hungry. The line in front of him seemed to be endless...
Alas, this is how working people are, there’s nothing we can do about it.
Every day is so hard and tiring, and I can't rest for a moment.
At this moment, she suddenly saw the lotus lantern hanging on the snack stand not far away flicker like a firefly.
——A breeze blew across her face, as if a pair of gentle hands gently rubbed her temples, and a soft and tender voice seemed to ring in her ears:
"Sister, you've worked hard all day, take a good rest~ Also, remember not to fall in love!"
She calls me sister!
...Wait, what the hell is 'don't fall in love'?
Feng Danqing blinked, and the confused consciousness faded away, and his vision gradually became clear.
Miraculously, the fatigue in her body disappeared completely, her eyes became clearer, and her senses became sharper than before. She could feel the autumn breeze, the stars in the sky, and the noisy voices in the distance.
All this made her feel very comfortable and at ease, as if she was being softly supported by thousands of lights and her footsteps seemed to be walking on clouds. The spicy hot pot stall in front of us seems even warmer and more lively.
People around were also talking about:
"Do you feel that I'm more energetic all of a sudden?"
"I feel so relaxed." "I suddenly don't have any back pain anymore."
"I'm in love and suddenly don't want to send messages to my crush..."
"Yes, is this the power of delicious food?!"
Not far away, Hu Danggui, sitting in the lotus lantern, smiled slightly: The plan works.
After the fatigue disappeared, everyone queued more patiently, and the aroma of spicy hot pot became more tempting.
Feng Danqing looked at the steaming soup pot and the fresh ingredients under the light, his mouth constantly watering.
This was the first time in her life that she felt relaxed in the queue. She felt like she could wait in line for another hundred years!
But she also wanted to eat the spicy hot pot quickly.
It was all her fault. If she hadn't hesitated, she would have probably finished the spicy hot pot by now...
Fortunately, Jian Yunlan was quick at getting her hair permed, and it wasn't long before it was Feng Danqing's turn. After she finished selecting the ingredients with a bamboo basket, she waited patiently. Soon, a bowl full of steaming hot spicy hotpot was handed to her.
Feng Danqing picked up a piece of tofu puff first.
The tofu puffs were soaked up with soup and were soft. When you took a bite, the thick soup gushed out. It’s piping hot and spicy, and the tofu puff itself tastes amazing, very chewy, and the more you eat it the more addictive it becomes.
Have another piece of quail egg with chopsticks. The quail egg is very small, but the yolk inside is very dense, and it flows out like a sandy liquid, making people's mouth water. It is soaked in the spicy red oil soup and is really delicious.
"Oh my god, it's so delicious. The spicy taste is really authentic." Like many other diners, Feng Danqing soon immersed himself in the enjoyment brought by the food and completely forgot himself, "Wow, why didn't I come to queue up earlier..."
More and more people gathered at the Malatang snack stand. It was only Jian Yunlan's first day setting up the stall, but it had already become one of the most popular snack stalls at the entrance of Hetang Community.
So, at 8:30 p.m.
"Today's spicy hot pot is sold out." Jian Yunlan picked up the empty basket of ingredients and announced regretfully, "I will set up a stall at the entrance of the community this week, and it will be open on time at 7 o'clock every night."
Two passers-by were attracted by the aroma and were about to buy something when they heard the news that it was sold out:
"Ah, we're late." "Get off work early tomorrow and come back to buy at seven o'clock!" "Okay."
Many diners who had eaten the spicy hot pot also silently remembered this time.
Seven o'clock...
After finishing a whole bowl of spicy hot pot, Feng Danqing raised his head and burped.
She decided that she didn’t need to worry about anything after get off work tomorrow and would go straight to this snack stand!
.
Song Lanzhen walked into Building 3 of Qinghe in Hetang Community, carrying the spicy hot pot she had packed for her granddaughter.
Hetang Community is a twenty-year-old community with a large area divided into many different areas. Song Lanzhen and her husband live in the villa area, close to the main entrance of the community, but it takes seven or eight minutes to walk to Qinghe.
Qinghe Buildings 1 to 3 are all high-rise buildings with elevators. This area is close to the North Gate Commercial Street and the school, and there are many young people living here, including college students renting houses here, as well as young couples. Song Lanzhen's son, daughter-in-law and three-year-old granddaughter Xia Xia also live here.
The No. 1 Middle School of the city is not far from the north gate, so many high school students who go to school as a day student rent houses here.
Among these high school students, some rent houses by themselves, while others are accompanied by their parents or elders. It is now nine o'clock in the evening, time for evening self-study. Many students in high school uniforms, carrying large backpacks, walked into the building with tired looks on their faces.
As soon as Song Lanzhen walked into the lobby of the building, she saw several aunts and sisters standing there eating melon seeds and chatting.
The weather has turned cold recently, and people don’t like to chat outside anymore. They all choose to chat inside the building. When they see Song Lanzhen, the aunts all reach out and ask her to join the group chat:
"Sister Song, you came to see Xia Xia again today? What delicious food did you bring for Xia Xia?"
"I packed some spicy hot pot," Song Lanzhen smiled and picked up the takeaway box in her hand, "I'm bringing some for my Xia Xia."
"Oh, spicy hotpot..."
"Is it hygienic?"
Several aunts looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
Can the spicy hotpot you take out be delicious?
Everyone is the main person responsible for cooking at home, and they usually look down on unhygienic takeout, chain stores, snack stands, etc. Song Lanzhen had complained to them about this before, so why did they change their ways now?
Song Lanzhen saw the confusion in everyone's eyes, but didn't explain much.
She was even happy that other aunts didn't understand.
The more people know about this delicious spicy hot pot, the more competitors there will be!
It’s better not to create trouble for yourself.
...Yes, although she had only eaten it once, Song Lanzhen had already developed a sense of competition.
The aunts didn't dwell on this issue and quickly moved on to a new topic:
"My kid is going to be a senior in high school recently, and he's exhausted every day."
"Sister Han, you have to make some pork rib soup or something for Xiaolin to nourish her. By the way, what happened to the burst water pipe you mentioned earlier?"
The person being asked was Aunt Han.
Aunt Han had a bob haircut and was holding a cute little Teddy bear in her hand. She scratched her head and replied:
"Thanks to Xiao Ming for helping me with the water pipe issue..."
As she spoke, Aunt Han looked towards the distance and her eyes lit up.
She waved happily: "Speak of the devil, Xiao Ming is back!"
The aunts followed her gaze:
The automatic door in the lobby opened with a click, and a young man walked in.
He was eighteen years old, the age when growth spurts occur. He was tall and thin, typical for boys of his age. He wore a slightly loose school uniform with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The boy stood tall and straight, carrying a bag of rice on his shoulder, revealing clear muscle lines on his arms.
When he spreads out his five fingers, he can still see calluses on the palms, which are the result of his hands being used to doing heavy physical work.
The boy's skin was a tan from the sun.
The young man was followed by a large grey dog half the height of a man. It was hard to tell what breed it was, it seemed to be a local dog, and it followed him obediently with its tail between its legs.
"Xiao Ming, come here!" Aunt Han called him happily, "I haven't thanked you properly for helping me fix the water pipe before. Come to my house later to have some soup. I just made some nourishing soup. You can bring some back for your brother."
Yu Ming came closer, so Song Lanzhen could see his face more clearly.
The most eye-catching thing about the boy is his eyes.
——Eighteen-year-old Yu Ming has a pair of sharp eyes that do not match his handsome appearance.
Those eyes are dark and bright, and one look at them reminds people of a wolf cub who grew up alone. He is fierce and wild, but when facing his elders, he will obediently retract his claws.
"My brother...my brother is not here these two days. He went to a summer camp." The boy lowered his eyelashes and answered Aunt Han in a gentle voice, "Aunt, please save the soup for Xiaolin. I have to review for the monthly exam when I go back."
When Yu Ming said this to the aunts, the big dog next to him lay obediently on the ground, not barking, but looking at the aunts with a pair of big wet eyes.
The big dog was very familiar with Song Lanzhen. It came over and sniffed her palm, then licked her obediently, rubbing against her affectionately, and made a small sound in its throat: "Woo."
"This dog is so well-behaved!" Song Lanzhen said happily.
Looking at the dog, she remembered the big dog she saw at the spicy hot pot stall today. Although the big silver dog was majestic, it was a bit aloof and not very friendly.
Maybe it’s because I’m a working dog.
"Well, its name is Liangliang." Yu Ming smiled and touched Liangliang's head casually.
Liangliang happily tilted his head and rubbed him.
"You really don't want to drink the soup Auntie cooked?" Aunt Han was a little sad. She patted Yu Ming's shoulder and felt distressed. "Xiao Ming, you study so hard every day and don't eat well. You seem to have lost a lot of weight..."
After Aunt Han said this, Song Lanzhen also discovered it.
The young man in front of me is indeed a little too thin. On the one hand, it is because of puberty, and on the other hand, it really makes people feel that he is a little malnourished.
Yu Ming shook his head, his eyes bright: "Next time, thank you auntie."
"...By the way, I just passed by the post station, and they said this was Aunt Li's rice, so I carried it over on the way and will leave it at Aunt Li's door later."
Yu Ming pointed to the bag of rice on his shoulder.
Aunt Li quickly said, "Okay, okay, kid, I've told you so many times not to bother you so much! Studying is hard enough."
The other aunts surrounded Yu Ming and said:
"Yes, Xiaoming helped us move a lot of things before. He worked so hard." "He also helped my family walk the dog and move the sofa before!" "When my youngest child was sick, it was Yuming who carried him to the community hospital."
Song Lanzhen's son and daughter-in-law had just moved in, and Song Lanzhen herself didn't live here, so she didn't know Yu Ming very well.
From what the aunts said, Yu Ming seemed to be very popular in Qinghe Building 3.
——He is very enthusiastic and will take the initiative to help everyone, such as carrying rice, repairing water pipes, walking the dog and other dirty and tiring work. He always helps silently and never asks for credit.
In addition, Yu Ming studies hard and ranks among the best in school, a typical "other people's child".
Which aunt wouldn’t like a child like this?
"It's just a piece of cake." Yu Ming smiled.
It is the critical time for growth, but Yu Ming is so thin.
The aunts had nothing to repay him with, so they all wanted to invite him to their homes for dinner and cook for him:
"I'm going to make corn and pork ribs soup tomorrow. Xiao Ming, you can come and drink it too. You need some nutrition so you can grow taller."
"Yes, it is the critical period of differentiation. We need to nourish ourselves well... Xiaoming, auntie will make you some egg custard tomorrow and send it to you."
"Our nanny is going to make Zhuangyuan Jidi porridge tomorrow, with lots of meat and fish. Xiaoming, come to our house for dinner!"
Yu Ming declined one by one, but there were too many aunts and he was a little overwhelmed at once.
Seeing that everyone was talking, Song Lanzhen kept silent, seeming to be out of touch with the group.
She felt a little embarrassed, and suddenly, on impulse, she handed the spicy hotpot in her hand forward and said:
——"My packed spicy hotpot is fresh, fragrant and spicy. The tripe is bigger than my face. It's fragrant and greasy. It's delicious. Yu Ming, do you want to try it?"
The air was still.
Yu Ming: “…”
Other aunts: “…………”
They wanted to cook special meals for Yu Ming, making pork rib soup, egg custard, and traditional Chinese porridge.
——How come there was a spicy hotpot mixed in?
How unhealthy!
The aunts looked at Song Lanzhen with condemning eyes, Sister Song, you are too out of line.
Yu Ming's expression also seemed a little surprised.
Yu Ming doesn't like spicy food.
There is no special reason. He was just born in the water town of Jiangnan, and has had a light taste since childhood. He likes to eat foods like steamed sea bass and red bean porridge.
Malatang... He had eaten it once during an autumn outing organized by the school. It was truly a dish from hell. It was so spicy that the young Yu Ming burst into tears and his throat was on fire, leaving him with a deep psychological trauma.
After that, he swore that no matter how hungry he was in this life, he would never eat malatang again.
Yu Ming lowered his eyes and said, "Sorry, Aunt Song, I don't eat spicy hotpot."
As soon as he finished speaking, he was suddenly startled.
——A fragrance wafted over from somewhere.
The aroma is very rich, with the spicy flavor of beef tallow bone broth and the freshness of various ingredients, making people drool just by smelling it.
...a little bit, tempting.
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