Chapter 7 Fish-flavored Shredded Pork
On the way, Lili used her Little Genius smartwatch to tell her grandmother that she was going to eat at Tang Xiaoyu's restaurant before going home.
The sun looked like it was about to set, and the sunlight wasn't so intense anymore.
Tang Yiyi stood at the entrance of the restaurant, looking towards the school gate.
Looking around, there were large groups of children and parents, and teachers were working hard to maintain order at the school gate.
Soon after, she saw Xiaoyu and Grandma Li's granddaughter, whose name seemed to be Lili.
As soon as Lili saw Tang Yiyi, she said, "Hello, beautiful sister. I'm having dinner at a restaurant today."
After saying that, she took off her schoolbag and took out some loose change. "Sister, I don't know if this money is enough."
Although she was a child, her family gave Lili 100 yuan a week for living expenses, and Lili slowly saved up these spare change.
Tang Yiyi smiled broadly, "Sister, I can't accept this money from you, please keep it for now."
Xiaoyu is sorting through the new books that were distributed today. There aren't many, but he cherishes them.
Just then, Lili pulled something out of her schoolbag—a beautiful book cover with pretty patterns. She shook her head proudly and said, "My grandma bought these, they're so pretty!"
Seeing that the two children got along well and the atmosphere was harmonious, Tang Yiyi went to prepare the ingredients. Most of the seaweed and mung bean soup she had cooked in the morning had been sold, but the eggs in Nongjia Yiwanxiang were all gone, and it wasn't a good time to buy them now, as there were no supermarkets nearby.
Seeing that there were carrots, bamboo shoots, lean meat, and peppers, she wanted to make shredded pork with garlic sauce.
Tang Yiyi wrote "Fish-flavored Shredded Pork" on the blackboard, priced at 18 yuan, and then erased the line from the Farmhouse's Fragrant Bowl.
First, shred the washed carrots, bamboo shoots, etc., and set aside.
She had just come out of the kitchen when Lili pointed to the small blackboard and said, "Sister, I want the dishes on that blackboard!"
"What would Lili like to eat?"
"Fish...fragrant shredded pork," Lili stammered.
As he spoke, he stuffed the neatly arranged change into her hand.
Tang Yiyi said "okay" but returned the money to Lili and told her to pay after she finished eating.
Heat oil in a wok over low heat, add chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic, and sauté until fragrant. Then add shredded pork, stirring frequently with a spatula to separate the shreds. The rich aroma of meat will then fill the air.
Turn the heat to high, add shredded wood ear mushrooms, shredded carrots, shredded bamboo shoots, and shredded green bell peppers, then pour in the prepared sauce. Stir-fry for a few seconds, and a rich aroma will waft out.
Lili, who was in the dining area, took a deep sniff and said to Xiaoyu, "Your sister's cooking smells so good!"
Xiao Yu tilted his chin up, a hint of pride in his eyes. He was so happy that his classmate loved his sister's cooking.
After the dishes were served, Lili served herself a bowl of rice and picked up her chopsticks. The food glistened enticingly with oil, and underneath lay a light, dark brown broth that looked incredibly delicious.
Xiao Yu could smell the delicious aroma from the next table. He saw Lili picking up food with her chopsticks. The taste was salty and spicy, with a mix of sweet and sour flavors. The shredded meat was especially tender, and the side dishes were plentiful.
He lowered his head again, picked up a clump of rice, and put it in his mouth.
When Grandma Li came over, Lili was still eating shredded pork with garlic sauce and having a few more mouthfuls of rice.
She complained, "I made dinner at home, but you insisted on eating at a restaurant."
The tone was not strong, and there was not much blame.
Tang Yiyi said at the right moment, "Grandma, Lili likes to eat here, let's eat at my restaurant."
"Yes, Grandma, Yi Yi's family's food is so delicious~", Lili said after a pause, her mouth still busy picking at the food.
That's what she said, but Grandma Li didn't say anything more and just watched her granddaughter silently.
Tang Yiyi said, "Grandma, since you're here, why don't you have some food and go back?"
Lili added in a coquettish tone, "Grandma, please have dinner with me at the restaurant."
Grandma Li had no choice but to nod helplessly at her granddaughter.
After telling her husband that she would be having dinner at Tang Yiyi Restaurant, Grandma Li felt at ease to eat.
When her granddaughter said, "Grandma, this is the dish," Lili gave a thumbs-up.
Grandma Li picked up a pinch of shredded pork with garlic sauce using her chopsticks.
The sweet and sour flavors explode in your mouth, and you can also taste the salty and spicy flavors. With so many side dishes together, the taste is particularly rich, especially the shredded meat, which is very tender.
Grandma Li was full of praise in her heart. She had also made shredded pork with garlic sauce, but why couldn't she make it taste like this? To be able to run a restaurant, Yi Yi's cooking skills are top-notch!
The two ate silently, one chopstick after another, until not a single bit of the shredded pork with garlic sauce was left.
As dinner time approached, the restaurant's business picked up.
Grandma Li went to pay the bill. If she hadn't seen Tang Yiyi busy, she definitely would have asked how to make shredded pork with garlic sauce.
A few more customers came and ordered shredded pork with garlic sauce. Tang Yiyi stir-fried a pot of shredded pork with garlic sauce, but she didn't dare to stir-fry too much at once, for fear that it wouldn't be flavorful enough.
The person who came was Uncle Li. He had seen Lao Wang eating at this restaurant at noon in the group chat, and the dishes he ordered looked very good. He came over as soon as he got off work.
I asked Tang Yiyi and learned that the shop only had shredded pork with garlic sauce and seaweed and mung bean soup.
"I want both of these!" It's not easy to have a good meal here, so of course I should enjoy myself. I don't care about the price. Besides, I remember this restaurant's dishes aren't expensive.
The owner quickly turned on the heat of the wok, poured in oil, added the ingredients, and within minutes the dish was ready.
When the dish was served, Uncle Li was swallowing hard, and his stomach was rumbling.
Food is the most important thing for people; being able to eat is a blessing.
Uncle Li quickly picked up his chopsticks and started eating. The first bite was of smooth shredded meat with a delicate texture. The black of the wood ear mushrooms, the red of the carrots, and the pale yellow of the bamboo shoots combined to make it very appetizing.
As he ate, Uncle Li's eyes widened in amazement. It was heavenly food; this was the best Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) he had ever tasted!
People in the work group were discussing what to eat for dinner, whether to eat in the cafeteria or outside.
Uncle Li chuckled, took a picture of the food, and posted it in the group chat. It was a casual shot, without any editing, but it looked pretty good.
This immediately prompted his colleagues to ask, "Uncle Li, where are you eating?"
Old Wang went even further, guessing that the table in the picture looked familiar. "Old Li, you wouldn't be eating at the restaurant near the school gate, would you?"
"Yes," Uncle Li readily admitted.
This time, he was the one who was envied, especially by Old Wang, who was drooling over the food photos.
Anyway, Uncle Li was in a good mood. After eating a few bites of food, the fatigue from a day's work disappeared.
He felt much more refreshed, as if he had taken some kind of magic potion.
Just as I was finishing my meal, a phone call came in. It was from Li Shuyuan's son, who was abroad.
There's a time difference between the two places, so his son checked the time in China before calling to ask, "Dad, have you eaten?"
The father and son hadn't been in touch for a long time, and Uncle Li had a lot to say. "Have you eaten? You look thinner. Have you been eating on time?"
My son is a workaholic. When he's busy with work, he always forgets the time and doesn't even have time to eat.
"I ate," the son replied, "but this place is a food wasteland; the food here isn't as good as what I had back home."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Li felt both distressed and guilty. "There's a restaurant near our school that serves really good food. I'm eating shredded pork with garlic sauce right now."
The son was incredulous. Could the food near Xingguang Elementary School really be good? He'd tried it before, and it was just so-so.
Fortunately, it's not expensive, so some students will go to buy it with their friends after school when they're hungry to fill their stomachs.
The father and son chatted for a while, and then the son got down to business, "Dad, I'm coming back to spend National Day with you this year."
"Okay, be careful, and remember to eat well..." Facing his son, whom he had finally managed to contact once, Uncle Li, who was usually taciturn, became more talkative.
Tang Yiyi cooked two dishes for her and Xiaoyu's dinner.
As evening approached, it became much cooler outside.
The two of them added some vegetables to their rice, moved a small stool over, and sat outside to eat.
Watching the sunset paint the sky red, birds soaring high, and a cool breeze blowing in your face, dispelling the heat, is incredibly pleasant.
Office workers who had just finished a long day at work were filled with emotion and envy upon seeing this scene.
There weren't many customers in the evening, so it wasn't too busy.
Around eight o'clock, Tang Yiyi finished tidying up, made sure the water and electricity were turned off, and pulled down the roller shutter door.
She took Xiaoyu's hand and led him home.
Back home, Tang Yiyi did the math. She was almost shocked by her earnings; after deducting the cost of ingredients and other expenses, she had made nearly a thousand yuan that day.
She watched TV with Xiaoyu for a while, and noticed that Xiaoyu's clothes didn't fit well, so she thought she would take Xiaoyu to buy some clothes when she had time.
When the time came, sleepiness crept in, and Xiaoyu said in a childish voice, "Sister, I'm going to sleep now~"
"Okay, get some rest."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
