Chapter 56 Cucumber Smashing
After Cheng Yu's mother was added to the group, she sent a voice message.
“My son Chengyu loves to drink cola, so you can add more cola.”
Tang Yiyi replied that she had received the message and suggested adding more cola to the cola chicken leg for a sweeter taste.
Several guests also became active in the group chat.
[Hey boss, could you please put the soy sauce in the steamed egg custard separately? My kid and I both want to try it.]
[Hey boss, I ordered Mapo Tofu, please put less chili, I can't handle spicy food.]
Tang Yiyi replied to each question. "Cheng Yu's mother was so demanding before, why is she suddenly so easy to talk to?"
Perhaps this parent has come to a realization, or perhaps they simply won't have time to cook lunch for their child tomorrow.
Tang Yiyi left the group chat and calculated her earnings for the day, which totaled 840 yuan.
She doesn't plan to make the braised chicken with chestnuts anymore. Chestnuts are hard to peel, and there are requirements for free-range chickens. It takes time to cook, unlike these rice bowl dishes which are quick to serve and less prone to mistakes.
In the evening, Tang Yiyi grilled meat at the shop and bought drinks, and everyone was very happy.
Xiaoyu whispered, "Sister, I hope you earn more and more money!"
Yes, it will.
Tang Yiyi is very confident about the future.
The next day, as soon as it was light, Tang Yiyi got up.
Open the window and breathe in the fresh air.
She didn't have much of an appetite in the morning, so she cooked a clear soup noodle dish, added some greens to the noodles, and fried two eggs, making it a nutritious combination.
Xiao Yu ate his noodles with gusto, his face full of baby fat, looking adorable, and you could vaguely tell he'd grow up to be handsome.
To be honest, Tang's parents had very good genes, and the original owner and Xiaoyu, the siblings, were quite good-looking.
The soft noodles didn't require much chewing; a subtle rice aroma lingered on the tongue. Xiaoyu picked up a clump of noodles with his chopsticks and ate it with relish.
Xiaoyu has been eating very well lately and isn't picky about food at all.
Tang Yiyi picked up her phone and glanced at the time. It was time to leave. She was having dinner at their house, so she quickly washed the dishes and put them away in the cupboard.
As soon as I stepped outside, I could feel that it was much cooler today.
Living in a high-rise building without an elevator, Tang Yiyi had to climb stairs to go up and down. Fortunately, she got used to it over time and could now go up and down stairs without even breaking a sweat.
Xiao Yu followed obediently behind her, carrying his little blue backpack.
As I went downstairs, I ran into Grandma Li, who was coming back from her walk. "Yiyi, are you taking Xiaoyu to school?"
"Grandma, did you come back from your walk in the square?" Tang Yiyi nodded in greeting, then asked.
"Yes, it feels so good to get up early and walk around and breathe in the fresh air."
"Grandma, we'll be going now."
It only takes about ten minutes to ride a bicycle to school, and Xiaoyu was holding onto her clothes tightly from behind.
The morning breeze was very cool, even a little chilly.
Tang Yiyi: "Is Xiaoyu cold?"
"Xiaoyu isn't cold."
After dropping Xiaoyu off at the school gate, the security guard, Lao Wang, greeted Tang Yiyi.
"Boss, do you bring your younger brother to school this early every day?"
Tang Yiyi smiled back, then watched Xiaoyu enter the school.
"Boss, what dishes do you have at the restaurant today?" Old Wang asked.
"Kung Pao Chicken, Steamed Egg Custard..."
Tang Yiyi thought of something and took out a business card from her canvas bag. "This is the restaurant's business card. My WeChat ID is on it. You can order food through it and get a discount."
"Oh," Old Wang said, taking the business card. He might need it in the future, so he'd keep it for now.
After Tang Yiyi left, Lao Wang placed the business card on the table in the security room.
When they arrived at the market, Tang Yiyi parked her bicycle outside.
Go to the market early, otherwise it's hard to buy fresh vegetables. Tang Yiyi plans to buy a few free-range chickens to make Kung Pao Chicken, and also to buy chicken drumsticks, as the bag she bought yesterday is all used up.
Eggs are also a daily necessity in the shop, whether for making tea eggs or steamed eggs.
Upon entering the vegetable section, the fresh lettuce on the stalls caught her eye. She replaced the bok choy with lettuce, thinking it would be great to make garlic lettuce.
I picked out some lettuce. The lettuce was very fresh and tender, crisp and refreshing. I stir-fried it with some minced garlic to add a savory aroma.
The owner was an old man with a slightly hunched back. He used an old-fashioned scale to weigh the items. He carefully read out a number and bought some scallions, ginger, and garlic at the same time. They settled the bill together at the end.
Returning to the restaurant with her haul, she noticed a table wasn't set up properly. She adjusted it before taking the ingredients to the kitchen.
I bought two large trays of eggs from an egg vendor. They were fairly clean. After a quick rinse, I put the eggs, tea leaves, spices, and other ingredients into the rice cooker, added water, and turned it on.
Because I was making steamed egg custard, I hadn't used the pressure cooker for a while. I took it to the sink to rinse and scrub it clean, and then washed all the pots and pans in the kitchen. It looked spotless, which made the diners feel at ease eating there.
The drumsticks need to be scored, then fried. When the time is right, pour in some cola.
When Song Man came over and saw such a large bag of ingredients, she knew from the grand scale that there were quite a few customers ordering food today, and she would be busy.
"Xiaoman, go ahead and keep an eye on things. There might be customers coming to buy tea eggs later." Although she was preparing ingredients, Tang Yiyi still kept an eye on the outside.
Take the tofu from the bag; each piece is tender and white with a very delicate surface. Cut it into small, evenly sized pieces for making Mapo Tofu.
The steamed egg custard in the pressure cooker is ready quickly. Turn off the heat, remove the pressure cooker, and open the lid after two or three minutes.
The steam was very moist, and the steamed egg custard in the bowl was golden and beautiful, very bouncy, with a smooth and delicate surface and no small holes.
When it was served, Song Man looked at it and exclaimed, "It's so beautiful, this steamed egg custard!"
It looks so delicate, even though she's eaten steamed egg custard at home before.
"Come and have a taste."
Tang Yiyi took the bowl down and then went to get two small bowls and two spoons.
The steamed egg custard was so delicate that Song Man was reluctant to ruin it, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and scooped it out with a spoon.
When I put the steamed egg custard in my mouth, wow, it was so tender and had no eggy taste. It was like eating a bouncy jelly!
Adding a little more soy sauce would make it taste even better.
Tang Yiyi seemed to guess what Song Man was thinking, "Would you like some soy sauce?"
"Mmm," Song Man nodded, her eyebrows curving into crescent shapes.
With the addition of soy sauce, the steamed egg custard not only tastes tender but also has an extra layer of savory sauce flavor, making it very rich in taste.
"It's so delicious! I'm so satisfied!" Song Man exclaimed excitedly.
Tang Yiyi ate very little noodles this morning, but the steamed egg custard was perfect for breakfast.
It's smooth and tender on the palate, with a rich egg flavor and a strong savory sauce aroma.
After Grandpa Zhao finished shopping at the supermarket, he entered the house and found his grandson watching him on the sofa.
"Grandpa, what are we having for lunch?" Zhao Jianhao asked, hoping to have chicken legs again.
"We'll eat carrots and broccoli," Grandpa Zhao said, placing the vegetables in the kitchen. He had gone out to buy them this morning.
"No, I want to eat chicken legs." Hearing this, Zhao Jianhao was a little sullen. Carrots and broccoli are no match for chicken legs.
Seeing his grandson looking worried, Grandpa Zhao sighed and advised, "Chicken legs have a lot of hormones in them, it's not good to eat too many. I'll order you some cola chicken legs in a couple of days."
"Hmph, fine," Zhao Jianhao said, arms crossed.
Tang Yiyi tied on an apron, walked into the kitchen, deftly picked up a cleaver, smashed the washed cucumber, then chopped garlic, poured the garlic into the chopped cucumber, added salt, vinegar and other seasonings, and stirred well to make it more flavorful.
The method is simple, but it's delicious, combining the refreshing taste of cucumber with the aroma of garlic.
For customers who order a lot of food, Tang Yiyi plans to give them a side dish of smashed cucumber, a popular side dish with rice.
Whenever Tang Yiyi cooks, she puts her whole heart into it. Soon she has finished cooking, packed the food orders, handed them to He An, and rode her electric bike to deliver the food.
"Hurry up and deliver the food. Be careful on the road."
As a first-year student, Cheng Yu doesn't usually have homework, but he still doesn't like going to school.
His mother picked him up from school at noon and took him home.
"I'm so hungry," Cheng Yu said pitifully, rubbing his empty stomach.
Cheng Yu's mother: "Xiao Yu, the takeout will be here soon, wait a moment."
The food delivery was fast; the delivery person brought it right to my door and even knocked on the door.
Upon receiving the takeout, Cheng Yu's mother said, "Thank you, delivery guy!"
This delivery driver is responsible; he even delivers the food to the door, unlike some delivery drivers who just leave the food lying around in some corner.
She gives this store a perfect score for delivery alone; she doesn't know how the food is.
"My takeout is here!" Cheng Yu jumped up from the sofa excitedly.
The dining table was fairly clean, and Cheng Yu's mother placed the takeout on the table.
A faint, sweet aroma wafted out. Cheng Yu opened the takeout box with her small hands and saw a dark brown chicken leg, unlike the golden chicken legs she had eaten before.
Cheng Yu wasn't sure if it tasted good, but she leaned closer and smelled the sweet, fragrant aroma emanating from the lunchbox.
I took out disposable chopsticks, dipped one chopstick into the soup, and carefully put it in my mouth.
Mmm, it tastes like cola!
"Mommy, this is cola!" Cheng Yu exclaimed in a bright, childish voice, her eyes sparkling with delight.
"Yes, this is cola, cola chicken leg."
After she finished speaking, Cheng Yu's mother went to the kitchen and brought out two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, which she had made herself, but they didn't look very appealing.
Cola chicken drumsticks, there are four drumsticks, lots of meat on top, and thick cola at the bottom.
"It should be delicious," Cheng Yu thought, picking up his chopsticks. These were both his favorites. He picked up a chicken leg, took a bite, and found it full of meat—so tender and juicy.
Unlike the fried chicken I've had before, this one has a slightly sweet taste and isn't very crispy, but the chicken leg is easy to separate from the bone, and it bursts into your mouth with a cola-like sweetness.
"Come on, Xiaoyu, have some vegetables," Chengyu's mother said, putting vegetables on his plate. "Eating only chicken legs isn't good; it's easy to become malnourished and gain weight. A balanced diet of meat and vegetables is the only way to get proper nutrition."
"Don't eat vegetables!" Cheng Yu's face scrunched up when he saw vegetables; vegetables were his least favorite food.
Cheng Yu is a picky eater and doesn't like vegetables, as the doctor has mentioned.
Cheng Yu's mother wanted him to eat some vegetables, but each attempt ended in failure. Being a parent is really difficult.
The sweet flavor slowly melted in his mouth, and Cheng Yu ate with great relish. The chicken leg was so delicious that none of his other friends could get any.
"Mom, take a picture of me."
Cheng Yu's mother took a picture of him eating and posted it on her WeChat Moments.
"Xiaoyu, is the chicken leg delicious?" Chengyu's mother put down her phone and asked.
With chicken still in his mouth, Cheng Yu mumbled, "Hao... Chi~ Very... Hao Chi."
After saying that, he started gnawing on the chicken leg again.
There were four chicken drumsticks in total. Cheng Yu's eyes lit up, and he picked up a drumstick and put it in his mother's bowl. "Mom, have some chicken drumsticks."
Cheng Yu's mother, who was eating, was speechless.
When did their child become so well-behaved? They've learned to be considerate of their parents.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't touched. Cheng Yu's mother kissed her son and said, "Thank you, my darling."
"Mom won't eat it, give it to Xiaoyu."
After saying that, he put the chicken leg back into Xiaoyu's bowl.
Xiaoyu was immediately unhappy. "This is what Xiaoyu gave to Mom. If Xiaoyu gets to eat it all, then Mom won't get a single chicken leg!"
The chicken leg that used to taste sweet and delicious no longer tasted good.
Seeing that her son was unhappy, Cheng Yu's mother put away her chopsticks and said, "It was my fault. I appreciate Xiao Yu's kindness."
She originally intended to give all the chicken legs to her son, since he loved them. But she, being a grown woman, no longer enjoyed chicken legs as much.
But we still have to give our son face.
Cheng Yu's mother opened her mouth and bit into the chicken leg. The sweet aroma that wafted over seemed to envelop her, and the sweetness in the air didn't feel cloying.
The sweet and salty flavors surged in her mouth, leaving Cheng Yu's mother, who wasn't used to sweets, speechless for a moment.
This chicken leg... is really good! No wonder my son loves it.
You can enjoy the tender and juicy chicken leg, while the sweetness is not cloying. The more you taste it, the more fragrant it becomes. After absorbing the cola juice, the chicken leg becomes tender and flavorful, unlike any chicken leg I've ever had before.
Mix it with rice, pour two spoonfuls of soup over the rice, stir it a few times, and eat it with a spoon. It goes very well with rice; it's not just spicy food that makes rice go well with rice.
When Jianhao's grandfather saw the post on WeChat Moments, he thought, "Hey, the takeout packaging in the photo looks just like the one I ordered from."
Just then, Zhao Jianhao stormed over, shouting, "My cousin Xiaoyu got chicken drumsticks, but I didn't..."
"They're still eating yesterday's cola chicken leg, it's infuriating."
Zhao Jianhao had a headache and really wanted to beat up his grandson.
You ate it yesterday, and someone else is eating it today. Isn't that fair?
After finishing cooking, Tang Yiyi received a message from Jianhao's grandfather.
"Boss, can you deliver a cola chicken leg order right away?"
Tang Yiyi hadn't replied yet when she received a red envelope from the other party.
We're out of chicken drumsticks. It's too late to buy more and cook them later.
After explaining to the other party, I quickly returned the red envelope.
The elderly person immediately typed and sent it over.
Do you have cola chicken drumsticks for lunch tomorrow? I want to order some; my grandson is begging for them!
No wonder, Tang Yiyi replied: [Yes.]
My phone beeped twice while I was having lunch.
Tang Yiyi checked the group chat after seeing a few more messages.
[Hey boss, the cucumber salad you sent us, our whole family ate it! The cucumber was so crisp and refreshing, we all loved it!]
[Turns out the cucumber salad was a freebie, thank you so much boss! Wishing you great fortune!]
[What do you mean, boss? Are you discriminating against us? Why didn't we get a free cucumber salad?]
The last message was from Cheng Yu's mother in the group chat.
Several people were also somewhat angry, wondering why they hadn't been given sliced cucumbers.
Tang Yiyi explained: "Sorry everyone, I forgot to mention in the group announcement that customers who order five or more meals will receive a free serving of cucumber salad."
She felt a little uneasy, realizing she had forgotten to inform the guests; she wondered if they would have any objections.
[Free cucumber salad, huh? @Boss, I want to order five servings for tomorrow noon, just enough for my whole family!]
[There aren't enough people in my family, so I asked some relatives to join us in ordering. Sliced cucumber? I'd like to try some too.]
[@Boss, I want...]
More people started ordering food from her, with one person ordering five takeout meals at a time, leaving Tang Yiyi speechless.
The temptation of a free cucumber salad must be too great for customers.
Even Cheng Yu's mother shamelessly asked Tang Yiyi at the end.
"Boss, can I order a single serving of cucumber salad? And also order takeout."
A serving of smashed cucumber doesn't require many dishes, so giving it away for free to customers is a token of her goodwill.
Tang Yiyi thought for a moment and realized that she would have to buy more cucumbers and garlic tomorrow, as the cucumbers were being consumed too quickly today.
Cucumbers are cheap and quick to prepare, so they can be prepared in advance.
Tang Yiyi replied in the group chat: 【Thank you everyone for your support. I'll be sending you a beautiful cucumber salad tomorrow.】
The customers immediately agreed and celebrated in the group chat.
That evening, Tang Yiyi calculated the number of orders for tomorrow. If no customers requested refunds, she would be overwhelmed with orders.
Before closing the store, a customer tagged Tang Yiyi in the group chat.
[Boss, I'm a student and I don't have any money. Could you send me a free takeout order?]
Upon seeing this message, Tang Yiyi's lips twitched. What a weirdo!
Before she could even type, she saw many customers criticizing the person.
[How dare you eat for free and still be so enthusiastic? Have you no shame!]
[It's unreasonable for students not to pay.]
Boss, please ignore this person, they're infuriating!
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