Chapter 211
On this day at school, Su Miao and Ye Jiayin discovered that there was a small stall selling fried buns opposite the bulletin board.
"Sister Jiayin, I'm going to buy some fried buns. Do you want some?"
“What are fried buns?”
"Well, maybe they're called pancakes in your place. They're made by wrapping the filling in flour, like a round bun, and then frying it in a frying pan. It becomes flat when you press it with a spatula. It's very fragrant and crispy right out of the pan, and it's super delicious!"
"Is it a pan-fried bun?" Ye Jiayin didn't quite understand. If it was flattened, would it still be a bun?
"It's different from pan-fried dumplings. They don't have folds or need to be steamed in water. They're just fried in the pan."
It would be better to eat than to say it. Su Miao pulled her directly to the stall and said to the uncle squatting behind the stall: "Hello, I want two fried buns."
The uncle who made fried buns looked about the same age as Su Yuanzheng. When he heard that Su Miao wanted two fried buns, he became visibly nervous.
"Two... two? You want two fried buns?"
Su Miao nodded: "Yes! Two."
"Um... do you like my fried buns with leek and pork filling?"
"I love it! Isn't the most popular thing sold on the street the one with leek and meat filling? Uncle, can you help us make it? We still have to go to school."
Su Miao thought the stall owner was a bit strange. Aren't customers usually happy to come to the stall? Why did this person seem reluctant to start a business?
Hearing that they had to rush to class, the uncle who made fried buns quickly started to work.
He first washed his hands with water from a large bucket, and then, as if determined, he scooped out a large lump of kneaded dough from a large basin.
He kept pinching it in his hands, as if he wanted to flatten it a little so that he could put the filling in.
Su Miao reminded: "Uncle, isn't this too much noodles?"
"Hmm? That's too much. How about this?" The uncle making the fried buns pinched off half of the dough and put it back, stretching his hand for Su Miao to see.
"Um...it should be about the same."
The two girls were amazed by the uncle’s magical operation.
The filling was put in, but a pair of big hands couldn't seal the opening by pinching it again and again, and a little bit always leaked out.
Then the uncle frying the buns said dejectedly: "It doesn't matter if it leaks a little, right? It will be the same as long as it is cooked through in the pan."
Su Miao and Ye Jiayin felt that based on the uncle's cooking skills, they couldn't ask for more, so they nodded silently.
The two dough balls were put into the heated pot. With a "sizzling" sound, the pancake uncle started to look for the spatula busily.
I took out the spatula from the big basin and pressed it on the dough. When I lifted it up, I found that it was stuck. The dough broke and the stuffing inside leaked out.
"Huh? What's going on? Isn't that how it should be?"
Hearing the fried bun uncle mumbling to himself, Su Miao said, "Uncle, you should use a spatula to pour some oil on the dough first, so that there is oil on both sides and it won't stick."
Uncle Jianbao suddenly realized and said, "Ah! So that's how it is. Wait! Let me try again!"
Su Miao couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, how long have you been making these fried buns?"
The fried bun uncle replied confidently: "Oh~ I've been doing this for seven or eight years!"
Finally, under Su Miao's step-by-step guidance, the two unrefined fried buns were finally completed.
After filtering the oil on the filter rack, the uncle wrapped the fried dumplings in oil paper and handed them to the two girls.
"We just opened today, and this is for you. If you eat too much fried buns and it's too hot, you can try something else for breakfast tomorrow."
Su Miao and Ye Jiayin thought this was very strange. Did he not want them to come again? But they still thanked him politely and hurried to school.
Uncle Jianbao sat back on the small stool and heard the conversation between the two girls.
"Miaomiao...is this...the fried buns from Yongcheng?"
"No, no, no! No! I'll take you out for a nice meal this weekend."
The fried bun uncle took out a notebook from his bag and looked at it in confusion. Why didn't he make it? The fried bun lady at the door clearly made it this way!
For several days in a row, Su Miao saw the uncle who had been making fried buns for seven or eight years but was still clumsy.
He didn't care at all whether there was business or not, nor did he think about buying everything quickly. He just sat there for a long time, looking around at the alley.
Ye Jiayin said to Su Miao: "Miao Miao, do you think that fried bun uncle is weird?"
"Hmm, that's really strange. It doesn't seem like he's doing business, it's more like he's just hanging out. If he doesn't make any money, won't his wife beat him up when he gets home?"
This incident gave rise to new speculations when they came back from school.
As soon as he reached the alley entrance, Su Miao saw the old policeman who had interrogated Liu Zhaodi before talking to the owner of the fried bun stall in front.
Today he was wearing casual clothes, and when he spoke to Uncle Fried Buns, he didn't look like he was chatting, but rather like he was explaining something.
Su Miao approached and heard the uncle who made fried buns say, "Okay! It's time to hand over the shift. You didn't have lunch, did you? Take these fried buns and have them."
"Go! Who wants to eat these two pieces of coal? I want to go to Su Ji to drink porridge."
Su Miao called out to the old policeman from behind: "Uncle Wei, do you want to go to my house for some porridge?"
The old policeman turned around and saw her, and said with a smile: "Yes, let's have some fish porridge and go together."
When Su Miao passed by the fried bun stall, the uncle smiled at her friendlyly, and the next second threw a few black fried buns into the trash can, which made Su Miao shake her head.
Su Miao and the old policeman sat at the same table to eat. After taking a few bites, she looked at him twice, with an expression as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Sister, if you have something to say, just say it. It makes me feel uneasy."
Su Miao walked closer, turned around to see if anyone was paying attention to them, and then asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Uncle Wei, do you know the fried bun uncle?"
The old policeman was stunned. "Uncle fried buns? Oh! That one just now? Uh... not cooked! I've had fried buns a few times, and they weren't cooked! Not cooked at all!"
Seeing him trying so hard to distance himself from the matter, Su Miao's doubts grew even stronger. She asked, "That fried bun uncle said he's been making fried buns for seven or eight years. Is that true?"
The old policeman's eyes widened in disbelief. "Seven or eight years? He's so bold! Uh... I mean, he might just be bragging to trick you, little girl."
Su Miao added, "I also think he's just bragging. I don't know if the food he makes is clean. Otherwise, let the comrades from the food supervision department take a look."
The old policeman quickly waved his hand: "Hey~ That's not necessary. I just looked at his ingredients, they must be clean."
Su Miao was now more certain of his suspicions, and whispered, "Uncle Wei, he's actually a member of the Public Security Bureau, right? A plainclothes officer who's monitoring the situation?"
The old policeman was startled and looked around like a guilty thief, making a "hush" gesture with his fingers in front of his mouth.
"What's the point of a little girl being so clever? Just knowing it is enough. You better help to cover it up and don't let Uncle Jianbao get caught!"
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