Chapter 58 Nine Bowls and Three Rows of Rice
"There are a few steamed buns from this morning. I'll heat them up for you and take them with you on the road."
Du Shaojie immediately put the vegetarian buns into the steamer for steaming cakes to heat them up, then put them into a clean rice bowl and handed them to Zhao Dajun.
Zhao Dajun hurriedly left the canteen with the rice bowl, and then asked Chu Xiaowei to drive him to the highway on a tractor. There was no bus today, and the meeting was notified at short notice, so he had to hitchhike back to the city.
The farm is poor! There is no car of their own, not to mention a small car, not even a large truck.
After finishing the work at noon, Du Shaojie sat down with Qin Xiaomei, Li Guixiang, and Wang Liwen to eat. Li Guixiang kept talking about tomorrow's wedding banquet, and it seemed that she was more nervous than the host family.
"You, a woman, why are you so nagging? Don't you understand that you should trust your employees? Since you have invited Master Du to cook, you should trust him. Besides, with Master Du's cooking level, it is not a small matter to hold a wedding banquet!"
Qin Xiaomei usually has a good relationship with Li Guixiang, but she is very annoyed by her nagging.
The other party's biggest shortcoming is that she is not good at talking, loves gossip, and can't keep her mouth shut. Otherwise, people never call Li Guixiang when they get together sometimes, because she is not good at talking.
"That's not what I mean. Isn't this a chat? Master Du, don't worry, I won't talk anymore."
Li Guixiang smiled awkwardly and hurried to explain to Du Shaojie.
Du Shaojie smiled and waved his hand, indicating that it didn't matter. He didn't care about these things. As long as he could get a chance to practice, he didn't bother to ask about the details.
The next day.
Du Shaojie got up at dawn, then rode a borrowed bicycle and headed straight to Yunfeng Commune.
Although today's wedding banquet is not difficult, it's better to hurry up than late. What you promised to others must be done well, and there must be no loopholes.
As a result, he found a problem on the way. Li Guixiang said that it was only 15 kilometers from the farm to the commune, but she didn't say that this section of the road was all small roads and mountain roads.
If you take the main road, it will be a long detour, more than 30 kilometers.
"No wonder the host said they would send a tractor to pick me up. Only a tractor can barely drive on this road, and cars can't drive through. This silly lady is really unreliable!"
Du Shaojie was so tired that he was out of breath. He had to get off the car and push the bicycle on some sections of the road, which was quite tiring.
Fortunately, he set out early, otherwise he might not arrive in time.
He was rushing to organize the wedding banquet, and the meeting in the bureau was still going on.
The comrades who came from the grassroots all stayed in the guesthouse of the Heavy Industry Bureau. The scheduled time for this meeting is three days. If the agenda of the meeting is not completed in three days, it may be postponed.
There are many topics for the meeting, including what will happen to logistics personnel like Du Shaojie.
Du Shaojie didn't know anything anyway, so he rushed to the venue of the wedding banquet and started to get busy. Although the dishes are not complicated, he will do his best to satisfy the host and the guests.
"Master Du, everything is ready, can we start?"
Li Guixiang hitchhiked back to her parents' home last night. Today, she helped Du Shaojie and worked very hard.
Moreover, she praised Du Shaojie to everyone she met, saying that he was not only the best chef in the area, but also one of the best chefs in the entire Heavy Industry Bureau.
Now that the time was almost up, Li Guixiang ran over to ask if she could cook.
Du Shaojie did not respond immediately. He looked around first. The [Beef Stew] and [Mutton Stew] had been steamed, the [Beef with Sand] and meatballs had been fried, and the chicken soup was almost done. There was nothing missing.
"Go ask the host. If the host agrees, I will start cooking right away."
"I just asked, and the host said that if there is no problem, we can start the feast right away."
"Okay, cook!"
Du Shaojie immediately got into the state, first cooking [Sweet and Sour Carp], and then [Small Crispy Pork].
On the other side, Li Guixiang also cut the [braised beef] and [braised mutton], then placed them in a large bowl and placed some green vegetables at the bottom.
Du Shaojie then made another dish, "Meatballs with Sand". The meatballs and the sand were fried in advance and braised before being put into the bowl.
The remaining "Sautéed Chinese Cabbage with Fungus", "Sautéed Eggs with Chives", and "Braised Tofu" were served in turn. Together with "Chicken Stewed with Vermicelli", the nine dishes were ready.
Li Guixiang directed the helpers to place the nine bowls of food on large wooden trays and serve them in order.
The advantage of this kind of banquet is that all the dishes are served at once, and there is no need to wait for the dishes while eating.
"Let's start the feast."
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
The host and the guests had an interaction, and then everyone started to eat.
"After all, he is a chef from the city, so the dishes are good!"
"Yes, it is delicious. This is the first time I have eaten such a delicious banquet."
"City chef? Isn't he the chef of Laolonghe Farm?"
"What do you know? He came from the city to help the farm. Maybe he will go back next month."
The guests gave high praise to each dish, especially the [Sand-filled Meatballs] and [Chicken Stewed with Vermicelli]. In a short time, almost every table had empty bowls.
Next, everyone aimed at the [Sweet and Sour Carp], which is especially popular among women and children.
In the midst of a peaceful atmosphere, Du Shaojie also filled his stomach.
He felt that this kind of banquet was actually quite good, very friendly to the chef, and generally not so tiring.
"Master Du, thank you for your hard work! People often say 'Nine bowls and three rows of rice, eat a trip', but there are not many chefs who can really reach this level. You opened everyone's eyes today."
Du Shaojie had nothing to do next. He was about to say goodbye to the host, and the host led the bride and groom to salute him.
"You're welcome! I'm the happiest when everyone eats and drinks well. Well, the way back is not easy, so I'll take my leave first. I wish the newlyweds a happy marriage and all the best."
Du Shaojie gave the newlyweds his blessing and left the village on his bicycle.
The host sent someone to take him to the entrance of the village, tied 20 kilograms of rice to the back seat of the bicycle, and then stuffed him with 15 yuan.
The local rice is rare in the province. The northwest region is dry and rainy, and the main crops are still wheat and corn. The area where rice can be grown is very rare.
Du Shaojie did not refuse. After expressing his gratitude, he rode his bicycle away.
Li Guixiang showed her face in front of her family. She left a little later and enjoyed the service of a special car (tractor) to pick her up.
Du Shaojie returned to the dormitory and missed the dinner time again. But this time he was not hungry. As soon as he entered the door and washed his face, Qin Xiaomei and Chu Xiaowei brought him soup and rice.
Soup rice is very common in the local area. In some places, it is called "Jiusianpian", which is a kind of noodle with soup.
It is very simple to make. If there is meat, put some meat, if there is no meat, make it vegetarian. First, use green onions and garlic to stir-fry the pot, and then add diced potatoes, diced yellow carrots, and diced tomatoes.
When the aroma bursts out of the pot, add boiling water.
At this time, start seasoning, add salt, soy sauce, MSG, vinegar, etc., and then you
can put the noodles in. After the noodles are cooked, sprinkle with chopped coriander, and then you can serve it in a bowl and eat. If you like spicy food, you can add some oil and chili in the bowl. If you like sour food, you can add more vinegar.
Du Shaojie quickly finished a large bowl of soup rice, sweating a little, and felt very comfortable all over.
(End of this chapter)
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