Chapter 41 Pumpkin Porridge
At 11:30, Grandma Li went downstairs to pick up her takeout.
On the sofa, Lili was watching cartoons without even moving her eyes. "Grandma, what are we having for lunch?"
At this time of day, Grandma Li would usually be preparing lunch.
But today, "I ordered takeout. Lili, go and call your grandpa to come over for dinner."
“Okay, Grandma.”
When Grandpa Li returned from his chess game, he found his granddaughter staring at him with wide eyes.
"Why haven't you cooked yet, honey?"
Upon hearing this, Grandma Li said irritably, "You went out at seven in the morning and only just got back. You didn't make lunch. Go make it yourself!"
Upon hearing that Grandma Li was angry, Grandpa Li quickly said, "Good old lady, I'll make lunch. You all have to eat, don't just sit there without touching a bite."
"Never mind," Grandma Li said, recalling his recent disastrous cooking attempt—the ingredients were burnt and overly salty, making her scalp tingle. "I came here for takeout; I didn't make lunch."
"The takeout isn't clean, what's so good about it?" Grandpa Li walked over, about to say something.
But seeing how appealing the dishes looked and how well they were presented, I wondered, "Which takeout place did you order from?"
It looked different from what he had imagined takeout to be; it was quite clean.
"It's from Yi Yi Restaurant. Okay, stop asking."
It had rained, but the weather was still muggy, and people didn't have much of an appetite.
Grandpa Li, who had originally wanted some meat, was speechless when he saw that the takeout boxes on the table were full of lettuce.
When he ate the shredded lettuce, Grandpa Li sat up straight and stared wide-eyed.
The lettuce is smooth, crisp, and delicious, with a refreshing vegetable flavor that really helps cut through any greasiness at this time of year.
"Tang Yiyi upstairs is really good at cooking! She can even make ordinary lettuce taste so delicious!" Grandpa Li couldn't help but exclaim, then smacked his lips.
"That's for sure!" Grandma Li nodded in agreement; Yi Yi's culinary skills were evident to all the guests.
This stir-fried lettuce with meat is just right—not too salty, not too bland, but perfectly balanced, refreshing and delicious.
The sliced meat was quite tender and chewy, and the more you ate, the more fragrant it became. Grandpa Li was very satisfied and had long forgotten about his appointment with his friend.
In the end, only a small bunch of tender lettuce shreds remained.
Grandpa Li stretched out his chopsticks, squinted his eyes, and Lili also stretched out her chopsticks to pick up a piece.
Then Grandma Li stopped him, "You're taking food from your granddaughter! How old are you? Aren't you ashamed!"
This isn't a matter of shame! Grandpa Li felt a little wronged, thinking that he hadn't eaten much, and there was hardly any shredded lettuce left.
Lili quickly grabbed the last shredded lettuce, placed it on top of the rice, and gave a slight smile.
Grandpa Li: "..."
How could you treat your own grandfather like this!
Tang Yiyi bought a bag of white radishes in the morning. In the afternoon, when the weather cleared up, she washed the radishes briefly, then peeled and chopped them into pieces, and put them in a bowl.
Then she put salt into the basin and mixed it to make it easier to pickle the radish peel.
A little while later, she carried the basin up to the second-floor balcony, where she usually kept some unused odds and ends, so it wasn't messy.
Walk to an open space, put down the basin, peel off the radish skin inside, and let it dry in the sun for at least a few days.
After finishing her business, Tang Yiyi went downstairs. She wasn't sleepy today and didn't take a nap. Instead, she started calculating the accounts from the past few days.
Most of the customers at the restaurant are repeat customers; some have eaten there more than ten times without getting tired of it, and they often bring their relatives and friends to eat there.
Among them were many primary school students and teachers who chose to eat at restaurants even though the school cafeteria might be cheaper.
Thinking about all this, Tang Yiyi realized that it was her good fortune that the restaurant was so popular with so many diners.
Even in the evening, there were still quite a few customers. During peak dining hours, there was nowhere to sit, but they didn't seem to complain.
Tang Yiyi thought to herself that she should buy some suitable tables and chairs.
Many adults bring their children to eat here, and they are all very nice, queuing quietly without complaining.
The shredded lettuce was as refreshing and delicious as ever, and many customers who ordered it were pleasantly surprised by its taste.
Later, Tang Yiyi discovered that the lettuce was gone, so she had to ask Song Man to erase the words "stir-fried lettuce with pork" from the blackboard.
Customers kept coming in and asking, "Do you still have stir-fried lettuce with pork?"
He saw a message from a friend on WeChat Moments saying that a delicious restaurant had opened near the elementary school, with affordable prices and incredibly good taste, so he rushed over on an empty stomach.
Song Man shook her head, "I'm sorry, the stir-fried lettuce with pork is sold out. You can look at other things and see what you want to eat."
Upon hearing this, the customer looked disappointed, but since he had already come all this way, he couldn't leave empty-handed. "Let me check the menu," he said.
It was only around eight o'clock when Tang Yiyi finally had time to rest.
I'm busy every day, but I have plenty of time.
Tang Yiyi rubbed her arms, moved her neck, and sighed.
When she first arrived, Song Man had adapted to life in the restaurant. No matter how busy the restaurant was, with the boss in charge, she could always get through it peacefully.
After tidying up the shop, making sure the water and electricity were turned off, and locking the roller shutter door, Tang Yiyi said goodbye to Song Man, "See you tomorrow~"
Then I took Xiaoyu home on a bicycle.
Thinking about Xiaoyu going to school tomorrow and how busy the shop would be, Tang Yiyi finished washing up and went to bed.
The next morning, shrouded in mist, Tang Yiyi rushed to the market without stopping, looking around as she went, unsure of what to buy.
She bought two large pumpkins and some bitter melons from a grandma. The vegetables were really fresh and crisp. They were a little more expensive than those at other stalls, but it was still acceptable.
Tang Yiyi went to buy meat again, as it was an essential part of her daily meals at restaurants. She had originally planned to buy some rice noodles, but the restaurant she originally intended to buy from was closed, and she couldn't find any suitable ones.
Young people like Tang Yiyi are rare in the market. She is very curious about everything and bought a lot of ingredients.
In the end, there was almost nowhere to put the bike basket, so we went back to the restaurant.
Tang Yiyi prepared the tea eggs, soaked the millet and glutinous rice she bought, peeled the pumpkin, and cut it into small pieces for easy cooking.
A little while later, Wang Juan came over to buy tea eggs. She hadn't had time to buy tea eggs since she started bringing Xiao Bao over in the evenings.
I turned back and bought six tea eggs, just like before.
Seeing the soaked millet, Wang Juan asked, "Boss, is this for making porridge?"
Pumpkin porridge.
Upon hearing that there was "pumpkin porridge," Wang Juan didn't rush to leave but instead asked, "How long will it take?"
"Half an hour."
Wang Juan finished eating the tea eggs at the shop, and then went to a nearby supermarket to buy some vegetables and daily necessities.
In the cramped kitchen, the pumpkin porridge in the pot boiled and bubbled, making a "gurgling" sound and bubbling with white foam.
Tang Yiyi stirred the mixture once or twice with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the pot, then added rock sugar.
As soon as she entered, Wang Juan smelled the rich aroma of porridge at the door and couldn't help but swallow.
Tang Yiyi turned around and saw Wang Juan at the kitchen door, and was almost startled.
"When will the pumpkin porridge be ready?" Wang Juan asked.
"It'll be quick," Tang Yiyi continued. "Go outside and wait, it'll be ready soon."
"Okay."
She walked out, but Wang Juan's thoughts were still on the pumpkin porridge in the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Tang Yiyi turned off the stove, took a dry towel and put down the clay pot. The steaming aroma of porridge wafted into her nose.
Wang Juan had just finished scanning the QR code to pay for the porridge when the hot and sweet pumpkin porridge was served, and it felt so comforting.
Looking at the pale yellow pumpkin, it seems to blend perfectly with each grain of rice, its texture as delicate as silk.
Because it was still hot, Wang Juan could only patiently blow on it first, and only started ladling out the pumpkin porridge when it wasn't so hot anymore. Once again, she couldn't help but admire how beautifully the porridge was cooked; the pumpkin porridge she put into her mouth made her eyes light up.
The natural sweetness of the pumpkin blends with the aroma of the rice, resulting in a silky and sweet taste that isn't overly sweet. The rice grains are also plump, soft, and melt in your mouth.
It was truly wonderful! Wang Juan didn't even know how to describe it.
A tea egg to fill your stomach, paired with sweet and delicious pumpkin porridge, creates a wonderful taste sensation.
I also feel a warm current flowing through my body, which makes my stomach feel much better sometimes.
Wang Juan finished the rest of the meal in a flash, and then packed up a serving of pumpkin porridge and a few tea eggs to take to Xiao Bao.
I called Xiaobao at the appointed time and waited at the school gate.
Not long after class, Liu Xiaobao heard that there was something delicious to eat and ran over.
The students in the classroom couldn't help but glance at him several times. What was Liu Xiaobao going to do running so fast?
Seeing Xiaobao, Wang Juan waved and handed him porridge and tea eggs through the iron fence, saying, "Eat quickly, and I'll pick you up after school this afternoon."
"Okay, Mom," Liu Xiaobao said with some reluctance. No child likes going to school; school isn't fun, kindergarten is more enjoyable.
Carrying his things, Liu Xiaobao turned back to the classroom.
Before he could even sit down, Little Tyrant came over and stared intently at what was in his hand. "Liu Xiaobao, what's that in your hand?"
The Little Tyrant didn't say it smelled good, but the closer you get, the stronger the fragrance becomes.
Liu Xiaobao was a little nervous. "My mom brought me eggs and porridge."
"Tch, it's just eggs and porridge," Little Tyrant said, immediately losing interest. He was already tired of eggs and porridge; they only smelled good.
Liu Xiaobao sat down, lifted the lid, and let the pumpkin porridge cool down.
Then I ate the tea eggs, which were as delicious as ever. Don't be fooled by their dark color and unappealing appearance; they are very tasty, with a rich savory flavor. The yolks and whites are equally delicious, neither dry nor greasy.
Ah, that familiar taste!
After Liu Xiaobao finished eating one, a shadow fell in front of him; Little Tyrant was coming again.
He even said, "Liu Xiaobao, can you sell me this tea egg? I'll pay you ten yuan!"
Ten yuan should be enough to buy a tea egg, no matter how delicious a tea egg is.
"I won't buy it!" Liu Xiaobao said without thinking, quickly protecting the remaining tea eggs.
Little Tyrant, don't come any closer!
Little Tyrant snorted coldly and left dejectedly.
Liu Xiaobao quickly ate the tea egg, but he choked because he ate too fast. He then saw the pumpkin porridge and drank it with his mouth against the side of the bowl.
Wow, this pumpkin is so sweet and soft, unlike any I've ever had before. The rice is also melt-in-your-mouth and has an indescribable aroma.
The porridge smells wonderful, and the pumpkin is a beautiful golden color, smooth and delicious.
Liu Xiaobao even thought that pumpkin porridge was tastier than tea eggs.
He drank it straight away, feeling quite satisfied. He smacked his lips, not wanting to waste a single drop.
The other students, seeing this, were drooling with envy.
The most upset one is Xiaobawang. Why can Liu Xiaobao eat so deliciously? Even his breakfast of pasta with juice isn't as tasty.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
