Chapter 5 Tea Eggs
After lunch, the long afternoon always makes people drowsy.
The intense, scorching sunlight poured in, and the only thing running in the room was an old fan, emitting a heavy creaking sound.
The heat couldn't be dispelled at all, and Tang Yiyi thought to herself that when she had money in the future, she would definitely install an air conditioner in the restaurant.
It wasn't mealtime yet, so the two of them rested on the table and took a nap.
When Tang Yiyi did the accounting that evening, she found that there had been more customers that day, and she had earned about 500 yuan.
Just before the start of the school year, she finally paid Xiaoyu's tuition in full.
On the first day of school, Xiaoyu seemed a little nervous, as he hadn't seen his classmates and teachers all summer.
Tang Yiyi put his little schoolbag on his back, straightened his clothes, took him to school, and then went to the restaurant.
Just as they left the residential area, a dog ran towards them. Xiaoyu hid behind her and cautiously peeked out.
Tang Yiyi found it amusing. "Don't be afraid. As long as you don't provoke the dog, it won't hurt you."
Sure enough, the dog just circled around her feet and then walked away.
Arriving at the gate of Xingguang Primary School, all I could see were students and parents. Some of the younger students were not used to the start of school and were crying in front of their parents.
She glanced at Xiaoyu, her face calm. Fortunately, Xiaoyu was emotionally stable; otherwise, taking care of a younger brother and running a restaurant would be exhausting.
A banner has been hung at the school gate that reads, "Welcome students and teachers back to school."
Even though there were many people, Lao Wang on duty still saw Tang Yiyi and greeted her, "Hello, boss, here to drop your child off at school."
Tang Yiyi smiled and nodded, then led the child toward the school.
Looking around, Xingguang Primary School has a good environment. Although it is a public primary school, the tuition is not cheap. No wonder so many parents are willing to send their children to study here.
She was looking around the school when a female teacher walked towards her. At first, she didn't recognize who she was.
Until the female teacher said, "Xiaoyu looks like he's grown taller again," and then turned to look at Tang Yiyi, "You must be Xiaoyu's older sister?"
With his older sister present, Xiaoyu mustered his courage and introduced her, "Hello, Teacher Wang, this is my older sister."
Tang Yiyi smiled and said, "Teacher Wang, just call me Yiyi."
After learning about their family situation, Teacher Wang said directly, "Xiaoyu, if you need anything in the future, you can tell me."
The original owner had never met Xiaoyu's homeroom teacher before, but from what her parents said, she knew that the homeroom teacher was a very responsible and conscientious teacher.
Tang Yiyi: "Xiaoyu, hurry up and thank Teacher Wang."
She handed Xiaoyu over to his homeroom teacher and then went to the restaurant.
At this moment, Teacher Wang said, "Sister Xiaoyu, do you own a restaurant near the school gate?"
Teacher Wang suddenly remembered this. If she remembered correctly, she had eaten at the restaurant owned by Xiaoyu's family a year ago and recognized the owners as Xiaoyu's parents.
Tang Yiyi nodded, and heard Teacher Wang say, "When I have time later, I'll take my colleagues to a restaurant."
"Let me say hello to Teacher Wang in advance."
I rushed to the restaurant without stopping; the ingredients I bought yesterday will last until today.
The first day of school was packed with customers, and the restaurants that had been closed during the summer vacation were all open for business.
Tang Yiyi filled a basin with clean water, washed the eggs, cooked them in a rice cooker, cracked the shells, poked a toothpick into the yolk, added bay leaves and other spices and dried chili peppers, and finally added a handful of tea leaves and water to cover the eggs. She bought very good tea leaves because that's what makes tea eggs taste good.
A pot of eggs takes twenty minutes to boil, and Tang Yiyi happened to come over to clean.
Having run a restaurant in my past life, I know that if the hygiene isn't maintained for a day, the shop can easily become filthy.
Especially in the kitchen, where the smell of cooking oil is very strong, she has to wear a mask, tie on an apron, fill a basin with water, put in a towel, add a few drops of dish soap, and wipe the stove all over.
After cleaning, the tea eggs in the rice cooker were ready.
She hadn't eaten much that morning, so she took out a tea egg and peeled off the shell.
Put it in your mouth, mmm, the egg white sauce is very flavorful, and even the egg yolk is very tasty.
This batch of tea eggs was not wasted.
Wang Juan came to take her child to school. The child leaned on her shoulder and cried, "Bad mommy, I don't want to go to school."
Liu Xiaobao just started first grade this year, and for him, there is no place he hates more than school.
It was Wang Juan who tricked him into sending him to school.
Hearing the commotion and crying, Wang Juan frowned. She had to go to work later and couldn't afford to be late.
I grabbed my child and headed away, even if I had to drag him to school, when suddenly I smelled a strong, overpowering fragrance wafting from the direction of the school gate.
She instinctively stopped and began to search. Wang Juan hadn't even eaten breakfast because she was taking care of the child.
Liu Xiaobao, perched on his shoulder, even forgot to cry and muttered, "Smells so good~"
We walked over with the child and arrived at the restaurant entrance.
The decor is simple and unpretentious. When you go inside, you'll find that the store is small but very clean and hygienic.
"Mommy, I want to eat!"
Wang Juan finally realized that the child had stopped crying after smelling the fragrance.
Then she saw Tang Yiyi and asked, "Boss, it smells so good, what did you make?"
"Tea eggs".
"A few dollars each."
Three pieces.
Wang Juan's salary wasn't high, and she felt it was a bit pricey, but it smelled so good that she figured she could just buy two to try.
"Give me two tea eggs."
Then he remembered that there weren't enough tea eggs and he wouldn't be full, so he saw "cold noodles" and the price written on the blackboard and said, "I'll have another cold noodle dish."
She and Xiaobao shared the food; that should be enough.
Wang Juan helped Xiao Bao find a seat. Xiao Bao's eyes lit up. Now that she didn't have to go to school and had food, she was very happy.
Tang Yiyi took two tea eggs out of the rice cooker, put them in separate plastic bags, and handed them to the guests.
Wang Juan: "Xiao Bao, time for some tea eggs."
Then she tapped the tea egg on the corner of the table, and Xiao Bao copied her, filling his nostrils with its aroma.
Xiao Bao couldn't help but swallow.
The eggs, covered in brownish-red streaks, looked incredibly tempting.
Liu Xiaobao took a bite; the egg white was firm, the broth was rich, and the egg flavor was smooth and savory, making it not dry at all.
Wow, his eyes lit up!
Wang Juan finished a tea egg in just two or three bites. When did she develop such a good appetite?
"Mommy, Xiaobao wants to eat more."
Wang Juan had this idea in mind, so she ran to the front desk and bought four more tea eggs.
At this moment, Tang Yiyi brought them their cold noodles.
Looking at the cold noodles that looked just like those sold at roadside stalls, Wang Juan took a small pea and put half of it into her bowl.
The mother and son began to eat the noodles heartily. The noodles were smooth and chewy, and the bottom of the bowl was filled with broth. After stirring it a few times, the noodles were very flavorful. It was a little spicy, but acceptable. The cucumber shreds were refreshing, and the corn crunches were crunchy. Together, they made for a very rich flavor.
In less than two minutes, the mother and son finished a bowl of cold noodles. They were a little full, but they still wanted to eat more, so they both set their sights on the tea eggs on the table.
She peeled off the shell, slurped it a few times, and stuffed it into her mouth. It had no eggy taste, the saltiness was just right, and it didn't have that medicinal taste she hated. Wang Juan was so happy she almost cried.
Wang Xiaobao also saved a tea egg for his friend at school. If they weren't so close, he would have kept the tea egg for himself; it was just too tempting!
When paying, Wang Juan's heart was bleeding. It cost 26 yuan, enough for two takeout meals. But the restaurant's cold noodles and tea eggs were so good that she ate until she was stuffed.
Wang Xiaobao was carrying a tea egg in his hand. He was less resistant to going to school. There was delicious food and friends at school, so he would try to be a good boy.
The aroma of the tea eggs was indeed strong, and along the way, children and parents asked Wang Juan where she bought them.
Upon learning that the food was purchased at a restaurant near the school gate, the less anxious children and their parents went to the restaurant first before registering for school.
Tang Yiyi was tidying up the table as guests arrived one after another.
They asked if they still had tea eggs, and the children and parents bought several, worried that they might not be able to buy any later.
There were only six or seven tables in the store, and there was nowhere for the children and their parents to sit. They ate standing up and were speechless after just one bite.
These were the best tea eggs they had ever eaten. They weren't dry or bitter, and had a rich, savory flavor with no strange taste. Even their tongues were tingling with delight.
Before 10 o'clock, a pot of tea eggs was sold out.
The students and parents who didn't manage to buy any were left speechless. "I wish I had bought tea eggs at the restaurant first before going to school."
Wang Xiaobao was carrying tea eggs when all his classmates gathered around him, asking, "Where did you buy those?"
Even the teachers who were reporting to the students noticed him, staring intently at the tea egg in his hand.
Wang Xiaobao quickly protected his tea egg, which was for his friend. "It was...bought at a shop near the school gate."
Even though he was a little shy and spoke softly, his classmates still heard him clearly.
A note from the author:
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