Chapter 62 Thousand-Layer Tofu Stir-Fried with Meat
The next day, in the soft morning light, Tang Yiyi got up early.
After washing up, I tied my hair into a neat and defined high ponytail.
Tang Yiyi took a row of eggs out of the refrigerator, turned on the stove to heat the pot, and poured in water.
Once the water boils, add the eggs to cook.
The beans I soaked last night are finally coming in handy.
The soy milk maker I bought arrived. I put in soybeans, added some water, and pressed the switch to cook for a while.
When I went to wake Xiaoyu up, he was fast asleep, snoring, and his face was an unnatural red.
She reached out and touched Xiaoyu's forehead, finding it a little hot.
I took out a thermometer to measure it, and when I looked down, I saw that she had a slight fever.
Xiao Yu groggily opened his eyes, "My head feels so heavy~"
"It must be a cold," Tang Yiyi thought for a moment. "Xiaoyu, you have a cold. Remember to take your medicine after breakfast. I'll ask Teacher Wang for leave for you, and I'll take you to the hospital this afternoon."
"Hmm," Xiaoyu nodded, though he couldn't quite hear what his sister said.
Because he had no appetite, Xiaoyu only ate one egg and half a cup of soy milk in the morning, then shook his head and said, "I don't want to eat anymore."
Xiao Yu put on a mask, and Tang Yiyi took him out.
At the market, the vegetable stall owner, a kind-looking old lady with a round face, greeted Tang Yiyi, "Beautiful lady, the winter melon and greens you ordered are ready for you."
A winter melon is too big to carry, so cutting it into several sections makes it easier to choose.
The winter melon has a faint, refreshing fragrance, and its surface is crystal clear and emerald green. "Not bad, fresh!"
"Our other dishes are also quite good!" the owner proudly recommended.
I also bought the bok choy I wanted at this store.
Winter melon with meatballs. Tang Yiyi went to buy pork to make meatballs. Most of the meatballs sold outside are frozen for too long and don't taste good.
Back at the restaurant, after tidying up the place, we started preparing the tea eggs.
Zhao Nan came over to buy tea eggs. "Boss, do you sell tea eggs now?"
Tang Yiyi recognized him as soon as she saw him; he seemed to be a construction team doing renovations.
"It will be ready in a few more minutes."
Just as Tang Yiyi was wondering how to bring up the renovation, Zhao Nan looked around the shop and said, "Boss, your restaurant is great in every way, but it looks too old and has a vintage feel to it."
"I'm thinking of repainting and renovating the shop recently, so that customers can have a more comfortable dining experience."
“Boss, why don’t you come to us? We’re in this business,” Zhao Nan paused, “and given our relationship with the boss, we can give you a discounted price.”
Having said that, Tang Yiyi was somewhat tempted. "Why don't you renovate at a reasonable price? Our restaurant will cover your meals for the next few days, and we won't charge you."
"Okay, sure," Zhao Nan agreed without hesitation.
The renovation only takes a few days and isn't that tiring. But being able to eat at a restaurant during that time means they've actually made a profit.
Tang Yiyi gave Zhao Nan some tea eggs and wrote today's menu on the blackboard.
Wang Juan came to buy tea eggs. She rode her electric bike here today. "Good morning, boss."
"Looking to buy tea eggs?"
"Uh-huh."
After getting the tea eggs she wanted, Wang Juan didn't rush to leave.
"Boss, does your restaurant need some renovations?"
Tang Yiyi looked up with slight surprise; this wasn't the first person to ask that question today.
"Yes, I will."
Hearing her say that, Wang Juan's eyes lit up, knowing that there was hope.
"Boss, I have a cousin who works in a renovation construction team. He knows a lot about this stuff. If you need renovations, I can contact him to come over and do the work for you."
"As for the price, that's easy to say, just pay whatever you think is fair."
Tang Yiyi smiled and explained to Wang Juan that she had reached a cooperation agreement with Zhao Nan.
After listening, Wang Juan could only say, "Okay, it's fine."
"Your tea eggs are really delicious, my son and I both love them."
Tang Yiyi is slicing thousand-layer tofu, each piece cut into thin slices. This type of tofu has a slightly sweet flavor, and when stir-fried with some chili peppers, it has a rich texture.
Slice the meat into thin slices, then add cooking wine, cornstarch, and light soy sauce, mix well, and marinate.
Not many customers ordered this dish today, so Tang Yiyi didn't buy much thousand-layer tofu.
As Mrs. Su crossed the road, a rich aroma of food wafted from the other side, making her steps unsteady, and she stopped.
Following the aroma, I found a small shop.
Looking inside, it wasn't very bright; it was only about 30 or 40 square meters.
At this time, there were very few customers in the store.
Su's mother discovered that this restaurant mainly sells rice bowls, and oh, the one next door does too, and also sells dumplings.
Selling dumplings and rice bowls together doesn't feel quite authentic.
He Dong's wife came out to pour water. When she saw Su's mother looking hesitant, she immediately switched to an enthusiastic mode, "Come eat at our house, beautiful lady. We have delicious and inexpensive big bowls of rice with toppings. All the diners who have eaten at our restaurant say it tastes great."
"Hmm, let me think about it some more," Su's mother said, not entirely believing her.
A minute later, He Dong's wife, who worked at the restaurant, saw Su's mother walk into Tang Family Restaurant and almost bit her teeth to pieces.
When Su's mother saw that this restaurant only sold rice bowls, she felt it was more reliable.
At a table near the entrance, a customer was enjoying stir-fried tofu with pork; it looked delicious.
Mrs. Su was starving and her stomach was empty. She went to the front desk and said, "Boss, I'd like a thousand-layer tofu stir-fried with pork over rice."
"Okay, just a moment," Song Man printed out the order form, gave one to the customer, and then told the owner the names of the dishes.
Tang Yiyi heated oil in a wok, and as it sizzled, she turned up the heat and stir-fried the ingredients.
As soon as she sat down, Su's mother smelled an overwhelming aroma—the fragrance of oil mixed with the aroma of vegetables, and the meaty scent brought out by the intense heat—all of which wafted over and enveloped her.
Su's mother's stomach rumbled loudly, making a fuss.
The rice bowl was served quickly, and smelling the delicious aroma, Su's mother relaxed, "It smells so good!"
Tang Yiyi: "Enjoy your meal at your leisure."
Su's mother picked up a thin slice of tofu, glistening with tempting oil and sprinkled with chili seeds. It was chewy and smooth, with a hint of sweetness and an indescribable aroma. The slices of meat were also very tender and delicious, but it was a little too hot.
Place a few pieces of tofu and meat slices on the rice, then ladle some broth over the rice. Stir it a few times to mix it well, allowing the broth to fully soak the white rice and turn it into a dark brown color.
This is the most delicious rice bowl she's ever had! The portion size is just right, so you don't have to worry about not being full. The broth at the bottom isn't too heavy on the seasonings, and it's not greasy at all.
The freshly stir-fried rice bowl is full of wok hei (the smoky aroma imparted by a hot wok), bringing out the natural freshness of the ingredients.
Furthermore, if the heat is controlled properly, there won't be any burnt taste at all!
Mrs. Su ate heartily, her eyes squinting in enjoyment.
The smooth and sweet thousand-layer tofu, the tender and juicy slices of meat, and the fragrant and spicy chili peppers make for an absolutely wonderful taste experience – a true delight for the palate!
Before leaving, Mrs. Su got up and went to the front desk, "I'd like two servings of stir-fried tofu with pork over rice, to go."
Before long, Tang Yiyi took the dishes out of the pot, tore off the bag, packed them up, and placed them on the counter.
Mrs. Su left satisfied with her takeout.
The children will be getting out of school soon, and it will be lunchtime soon.
Many parents came to pick up their children to go home for dinner. Tang Yiyi's restaurant was not big, but its signboard was very eye-catching and attracted attention.
Some parents who weren't in a hurry came over to take a look and realized, oh, it's just a small restaurant; how come they hadn't noticed it before?
Walking into the restaurant, I saw the prices on the menu and they were really cheap. I decided to bring my child to eat there.
Tang Yiyi gripped the wok handle, tossing the food in the wok. The aroma of the food and oil wafted out with the clanging of the spatula, enticing passersby who were about to leave to turn back to the restaurant almost instinctively.
It smells so good, it must taste really good.
When Teacher Wang came to eat, he found that every table in the restaurant was full of customers.
"Hello, teacher," Song Man greeted with a shy smile.
Teacher Wang felt that Song Man seeing her was like a student seeing a teacher, which she found somewhat amusing.
"Give me a beef offal and radish stew, with the vegetables and rice separately, and I'll pack it up."
There are many dishes like beef offal and radish soup, and it's better to package the vegetables and rice separately.
"Okay, teacher, please wait a moment."
Here, Su's mother arrived at Class 3, Grade 6.
As soon as she knocked on the door, all the students in the classroom looked over, and she called out, "Yueyue."
Su Yue ran out happily, "Mom, what brings you here?"
"Have you eaten yet, Yueyue?" Su's mother gestured to the takeout food in her hand. "Mom packed two rice bowls for you and Jiajia."
"Not yet, Mom. I'll go call Jiajia so we can eat together."
Inside the pavilion, two children sat on stone stools, eagerly opening their takeout boxes.
"The one near the school gate!" Su Yue and Gu Jia said almost in unison. Realizing this, they looked at each other and then smiled.
Confused, Su's mother asked, "What are you two doing, playing riddles?"
“It’s not Mom,” Su Yue explained. “The place Jiajia and I were talking about is the little restaurant you took away from. We often eat there; the food is delicious!”
"This thousand-layer tofu is delicious, you two should try it," Su's mother said, becoming quite talkative when the topic came up.
"Uh-huh."
The two of them had been in class all morning and were exhausted, hungry, and their heads were spinning.
The aroma wafted over, and my mind seemed to clear up considerably.
Su Yue blew on the food a few times before picking up her chopsticks, afraid of burning her mouth.
The thousand-layer tofu cubes are really fragrant, bouncy and tender, with an indescribable slight sweetness and a slightly spicy aftertaste. They are fragrant and spicy, with a very rich flavor.
You can feel the delicate texture of the thousand-layer tofu on your tongue, with a subtle bean aroma.
"It's a little hot, but it's delicious!"
Her expression was a bit exaggerated, but Gu Jia genuinely believed it was delicious; otherwise, the shy Xiaoyue wouldn't have shown such an expression.
The thousand-layer tofu had no burnt taste at all and was very sweet and fragrant. It tasted even better with a bite of rice.
Gu Jia also began to eat heartily, nodding in agreement.
Seeing the children eating so heartily, Su's mother was very happy.
Children should eat more so they can grow tall.
After lunch, around 1 p.m., there were basically no customers left in the shop.
Tang Yiyi told Song Man that she would take Xiaoyu to a nearby hospital.
From making an appointment to seeing a doctor, and then receiving the diagnosis and prescription, it was all quite fast.
Xiaoyu is afraid of injections and doesn't want to get an IV drip.
The doctor didn't insist on it; he just prescribed some medicine and gave it to the child.
"Xiaoyu, is there anything you want to eat?" Tang Yiyi asked on the way back.
Xiaoyu didn't eat much today.
Xiaoyu pointed to the old man selling candied hawthorns not far away.
Tang Yiyi went over and bought four skewers, gave one to Xiaoyu, and then went back to the restaurant.
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