Chapter 51 Soft and delicious, one bite and it's full of...
Yuanyuan is a very proactive child. She picked up the card that Wu Yaoxuan had placed on Song Yu's desk and ran to the office.
Wu Yaoxuan's pupils dilated in shock, and he hurriedly chased after her, shouting, "Xu Shuyuan, stop right there!"
He finally managed to draw this card! He wouldn't have taken it out if it weren't for the fact that he was giving it to Song Yu! If Teacher An confiscated it, he might not be able to draw it again next time.
Yuanyuan wouldn't stand still. The little girl ran to the office like a gust of wind, put the card on Teacher An's desk, and, panting, still didn't forget to complain: "Teacher An, Wu Yaoxuan brought toys to the class!"
Wu Yaoxuan followed closely behind, quickly explaining, "I don't have a Teacher An."
Yuanyuan's eyes widened: "I saw it all, and you're still saying you didn't?"
Wu Yaoxuan quickly tried to cover it up, frantically waving his hands and shaking his head: "I just put it in my schoolbag and didn't take it out. I didn't play with it!"
Yuanyuan: "You took it out, and you gave it to Song Yu? You want to corrupt Song Yu!"
"I didn't!" Wu Yaoxuan felt a deep sense of injustice. How could such a good card lead bad people? He hadn't even given Fang Xiaohao the card when he asked to see it.
Teacher An rubbed her temples.
What's wrong with her today?! They're arguing again! Can't she just have a couple of days of peace?!
Teacher An looked at Yuan Yuan and said gently, "Xu Shuyuan, I understand. I will handle this matter. You can go now."
Yuanyuan naturally believed her teacher, gave a smug hum, and ran out of the office.
She was going to go back and tell Song Yu that she had sued Wu Yaoxuan and brought him down. She'd see if Wu Yaoxuan would dare to bully Song Yu again, hmph!
In the office, Wu Yaoxuan said aggrievedly, "Teacher An, I didn't corrupt Song Yu."
With only one child left and the nagging noise gone, Teacher An finally felt a bit more at ease and patiently asked, "Then why did you give the card to Song Yu?"
Wu Yaoxuan stopped talking, glancing between the lower left and lower right corners, looking preoccupied.
Teacher An appealed to his emotions: "Wu Yaoxuan, I have noticed your recent changes. In my heart, you are a child who knows how to correct his mistakes. But why did you make a mistake today?"
Wu Yaoxuan finally managed to pry open his tightly closed mouth a little: "I... I just wanted to give it to Song Yu."
"Why?" Teacher An asked. "I remember you really liked these cards."
Wu Yaoxuan
Teacher An felt a headache coming on again and could only interrupt: "Wu Yaoxuan, you just need to tell the teacher why you gave it to Song Yu."
Wu Yaoxuan immediately shut up, looking somewhat embarrassed, and lowered his voice: "Zhu Guo also gave something to Song Yu."
"And then?" Teacher An found that even after four years as a kindergarten teacher, she often couldn't guess the children's thought processes, just like right now.
Wu Yaoxuan said, "Giving gifts means we're friends."
Teacher An finally understood: "So you want to be friends with Song Yu?"
Wu Yaoxuan blushed instantly, his eyes darting around, and he didn't say a word.
Teacher An thought to herself, she should have realized it sooner. Mr. Wu had even called her to ask for a different seat for Wu Yaoxuan.
Teacher An thinks that how to guide children to make friends is a topic that could be written into a research paper. She said, "There are many group activities and games in the class where you can take the initiative to invite Song Yu to play together. You don't have to give gifts to make friends."
Wu Yaoxuan kept his head down and didn't say anything, seemingly lost in thought.
Teacher An knew he wasn't a stupid kid. Winter break was almost here, so there was no need to confiscate the student's things now, since he would have to return them during the break, which would be too much trouble.
She handed the card to Wu Yaoxuan: "I'm returning the card to you because you didn't play with it in the classroom. But bringing it to the classroom isn't allowed either. Go back and put it in your bag immediately so no classmate can see it, understand?"
Wu Yaoxuan looked up in surprise, not expecting Teacher An to be so kind today. He quickly nodded, "I understand, Teacher An!"
A smile appeared on Teacher An's face. Another problem had been solved, and the winter vacation was getting closer. That was wonderful.
Before he could finish speaking, the students below cheered, "Yay, it's holiday time!"
Ms. An had no choice but to stop talking. She was used to it; whenever she shared some good news, the students would immediately cheer. It was normal for the younger children to have difficulty controlling their emotions. They were going on holiday soon, so she wanted them to have some fun.
Seeing everyone's happy and excited expressions, Song Yu also felt happy, but he was a little puzzled and asked Yuan Yuan in a low voice, "What will it be like during the holidays?"
Weekends are holidays too, but the students have never been so excited; every little face was beaming with joy.
Yuanyuan was also very excited: "Song Yu! You actually talked to me!"
This was the first time Song Yu had spoken to her during class! Yuanyuan thought they should set off firecrackers to celebrate.
In the past, she was the one who talked to Song Yu, and there was a five-sentence limit. Yuanyuan used to have a lot of objections, but now she can accept it perfectly and even thinks that five sentences are more than enough.
Song Yu was a little embarrassed because the other students were talking loudly and laughing brightly, and Teacher An, standing on the podium, did not stop them.
Yuanyuan quickly said, "Because the winter vacation is very long, and unlike older kids who have homework, I can sleep in every day!"
Song Yu also looked a little excited. Getting up early in winter is a difficult thing for all children. Even though Song Yu has never been late for school, he still stares blankly for a while every morning when he sits up in bed and crawls out of his warm quilt.
"The most important thing is Chinese New Year!" Yuanyuan's eyes were shining. "We can wear new clothes, set off firecrackers, eat lots of good food, and get lucky money! Song Yu, do you have lucky money?"
Song Yu nodded quickly: "Yes!"
He also loves the Chinese New Year. His mother comes back during the New Year and buys him new clothes.
The new clothes are so nice, clean and warm. It's just that he's grown up so fast, he can't wear his old clothes anymore. Song Yu looked at his old clothes and felt very confused. He didn't remember wearing them or being that small.
He also received New Year's money, which his mother and aunt would give him. Song Yu would hide it in a secluded place and change its location from time to time so that Cai Yang wouldn't find it and spend it.
Cai Yang usually runs out of his New Year's money before the Lunar New Year, but Song Yu hasn't used up his New Year's money from last year.
Yuanyuan was extremely excited, full of anticipation for the New Year: "Last year, my grandparents and maternal grandparents gave me a hundred yuan in lucky money! It's a pity that my mother took it, saying she would save it for me, and only left me ten yuan. But my father secretly gave me twenty! I bought a toy gun!"
Yuanyuan made an "eight" shape with her index finger and thumb, held it under her eye with one eye open and one eye closed, and began: "biu biu biu!"
"But the gun will run out of bullets soon. I'm going to buy a big gun with my New Year's money this year!" Yuanyuan said excitedly, then turned to ask, "Song Yu, what did you buy with your New Year's money?"
Song Yu shook his head: "I didn't spend any money."
Yuanyuan's eyes widened suddenly, unable to believe that there were people in the world who could resist spending money, but then she became even happier: "Song Yu, let's spend your money together! Let's go buy bullets to play with!"
Song Yu was startled and quickly shook his head: "I won't buy it, I want to save my money."
Yuanyuan has absolutely no concept of saving money, because her mother saves her money for her: "What are you saving it for?"
Song Yu thought for a moment: "I can buy a lot of things, and I can spend money whenever I want."
Yuanyuan thought Song Yu was right. If she also saved some of her New Year's money, she could buy bullets herself whenever she wanted.
Yuanyuan said, "I've made up my mind, I'm going to save money too!"
"Alright, students, please be quiet." Teacher An gave them a moment to talk and have fun, and then said, "According to our kindergarten tradition, we always have a performance before the holidays. This time, our class's performance is counting ducks. Which students would like to perform for everyone?"
Normally, class activities involve the whole class participating together, but these performance-type programs place certain demands on the children.
Just like the time two years ago when the small class was performing a dance, each student had a stool, but while the performance was going on, one of the children suddenly couldn't find his stool and was running back and forth on the stage, crying in distress, and the scene became quite chaotic.
Since then, kindergarten teachers have been very careful when selecting children for performances, choosing those who are well-behaved, obedient, and intelligent.
The children were always eager to participate in such performances. As soon as Teacher An finished speaking, pairs of little hands shot up, and expectant eyes looked at Teacher An, as if they were all saying, "Pick me! Pick me!"
But Teacher An was destined to disappoint some children, and called out a few names: "Song Yu, Xu Shuyuan, Zhou Xue..."
When Wu Yaoxuan heard Song Yu's name, his ears perked up. He hesitated, wanting to raise his hand, but was too embarrassed to do so, as he had never participated in any performances before.
He placed his hand on the table, slowly crawled upwards, revealing half of his palm, looking extremely conflicted.
Teacher An stood on the podium, taking in everything below, including Wu Yaoxuan's appearance.
Wu Yaoxuan has changed a lot recently. Although he is still a bit mischievous, he is a smart kid and won't have trouble finding his place. There just happened to be one boy short, so Teacher An directly called out: "Wu Yaoxuan".
The students in the class were all surprised and looked at him.
Wu Yaoxuan quickly withdrew his hand, raised his head and puffed out his chest, looking as if he wasn't afraid of being seen.
His deskmate, Fang Xiaohao, was shocked and whispered, "Wu Yaoxuan, don't go perform, you'll get scolded by the teacher!"
Every time he made a mistake or stood in the wrong position, the teacher would scold him. Fang Xiaohao felt that he would rather play by himself than waste that time.
Wu Yaoxuan raised his chin and snorted, "I won't."
He's now very popular with Teacher An. Not only did she return the card to him, but she also chose him to perform, a privilege only good students are entitled to.
Previously, Wu Yaoxuan was never associated with the term "good student," no matter where he was.
The next class was an activity period, and the selected children happily ran out, surrounding the teacher like a flock of joyful little birds, chattering away:
"Teacher, how do we dance?"
"Teacher, will you teach us?"
The teacher said it was to have the children stand in a row and arrange their positions.
Wu Yaoxuan was the quickest of them all. His eyes darted around, and he ran over quickly, inadvertently standing next to Song Yu.
Song Yu was talking to Yuan Yuan. He had never performed before and was a little nervous.
Yuanyuan said, "It's very simple. There are even special clothes to wear in kindergarten."
Wu Yaoxuan casually remarked, "I've seen many performances."
Song Yu looked at him in surprise. When did Wu Yaoxuan start standing next to him?
But he turned his head away and ignored him.
Wu Yaoxuan thought he hadn't heard him, so he raised his voice and said again, "I've seen the performance many times!"
The emphasis is on "many times".
Upon hearing this, Yuanyuan immediately retorted, "So what? I've performed this many times before!"
Wu Yaoxuan was stunned. If Yuanyuan had heard it, then Song Yu should have heard it too, but why didn't Song Yu talk to him?
Wu Yaoxuan pursed his lips and remained silent.
Seeing that their positions were roughly the same, the teacher didn't re-choreograph the routine and started teaching everyone to dance. The "Counting Ducks" dance is very simple, with the entire performance lasting only one or two minutes. The movements are repetitive, so you only need to alternate between three or four movements. For smart young students, two or three days of practice would be enough.
The teacher stood in front and demonstrated each movement to them. Song Yu found it incredibly novel and followed along attentively. However, Wu Yaoxuan next to him would often call out to him or deliberately bump into him.
Song Yu didn't want to pay attention to him and pretended that she hadn't heard him.
But the teacher heard this and frowned at Wu Yaoxuan: "If you talk again and disturb your classmates, I will punish you by making you stand to the side."
Wu Yaoxuan pursed his lips, looking rather unhappy.
Yuanyuan was overjoyed and whispered to Song Yu, "The teacher punished him, hehe."
The next second, the teacher's gaze fell precisely on Yuanyuan. Yuanyuan trembled all over, like a mouse caught stealing food. She immediately stood up straight, shut her mouth, and her little face was serious.
The teacher let her go.
Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief and didn't dare to speak for the next few minutes.
During a break, Wu Yaoxuan finally couldn't resist and turned to Song Yu, making his first invitation: "Let's go play ball!"
Song Yu didn't even look at him, shaking his head in refusal.
Wu Yaoxuan felt sad and confused. Why wouldn't Song Yu play with him anymore? It wasn't like this before. When they played the ball-throwing game, Song Yu would comfort him.
Yuanyuan immediately wanted to raise her hand to report that Teacher Wu Yaoxuan was speaking, but then she thought that it was break time and the teacher wouldn't care, so she decided to take charge herself. She waved her little fist and said, "I'll hit you again!"
Wu Yaoxuan also started gesturing and said fiercely, "Don't think I can't beat you!"
Seeing that the two were about to clash, Song Yu quickly pulled Yuan Yuan's hand: "Let's go over there."
Yuanyuan happily agreed, and the two children went to play by the flower bed. Unexpectedly, Wu Yaoxuan followed behind them.
Wu Yaoxuan now truly felt wronged: "Don't you like my card? It's very nice!"
Why won't you talk to me?
Song Yu felt a bit annoyed, turned her head, and said fiercely, "You said my mother's braised pork is not good. I don't like you. I don't talk to people I don't like."
Wu Yaoxuan was stunned on the spot.
I even tried to recall when this happened...
Did he ever say that Song Yu's mother's braised meat was not good?
*
Song Xinran is currently making delicious braised pig's trotters.
She saw Huang Yun selling pig trotters at the market this morning. Huang Yun said that the pig was of good quality, with large trotters and thick, plump meat.
Song Xinran was also tempted when she saw it, and remembering that she still had some braising liquid at home, she bought four pig trotters and took them home.
Braised pig's trotters are usually made with the front trotters, which have two thick tendons, a better lean meat ratio, and are cheaper. They also have a softer, more tender, and more flavorful texture after braising, especially the tendons. When you bite into them, you get a wonderfully gelatinous texture and they taste amazing.
The hind trotters have more lean meat and coarser meat fibers, making them more suitable for home stewing and soup making. The stewed soup has less oil, a clear color, and is not greasy. When stewed with vegetables such as corn and radishes, the soup has a fresh and sweet taste.
Song Xinran first took out the braising liquid. The braising liquid, which had been used many times, was well-preserved. It was salty, savory, and thick, and frozen like a piece of chocolate jelly.
She followed the process of "boiling, removing impurities, and adding flavor," put the prepared pig's trotters in, and then just waited for them to simmer over low heat.
Next, we started stewing the pig's trotters. Eating pig's trotters in winter is a good choice. The rich collagen and fat in pig's trotters are very nourishing. If stewed properly, the pig's trotters will be soft, tender, and warm. After drinking a bowl of soup, you will feel warm all over.
Song Xinran added some radish to the pig's trotter soup, thinking that it would be even better if there was corn. The stewed corn was soft and tender, and the juice burst out when you bit into it.
Unfortunately, it's not corn harvest season now, and refrigerators are still a rarity, so people naturally can't freeze and preserve corn after the autumn harvest.
However, the radishes are also good. These radishes are all local white radishes, short and plump, round and plump, some of them are oddly shaped, and they are covered with green and yellow radish leaves.
But it tastes delicious, juicy, with a soft and smooth outer skin and a tender and glutinous interior. It feels like it can melt in your mouth, and when you swallow it, there is a light radish fragrance. It is especially refreshing when eaten with stewed pig's trotters, making it a perfect match.
The pig's trotter soup had been simmering since morning. Song Xinran asked Chen Jingfang to stay and eat with her, saying, "I'm home alone, and it's boring to eat. Keep me company."
Chen Jingfang felt a little embarrassed, but as soon as Song Xinran opened the pot lid, Chen Jingfang felt a bit hungry.
The aroma of pig's trotter soup wafted from the pot lid, a warm fragrance that enveloped you. The rich meaty aroma of the stewed pig's trotters, combined with the unique sweetness of the radish, filled your nostrils, making you feel warm inside.
The rising steam condensed into tiny water droplets on the window, and the kitchen was filled with a warm, fragrant aroma that tickled the tip of one's nose.
Chen Jingfang had stewed pig's trotter soup many times, but she had never tasted this flavor before. She couldn't help but peek into the soup pot. The soup was milky white, with one or two piled-up radishes floating in it, like small islands in the mist. A layer of fine golden oil floated on the surface of the soup, not thick or greasy, giving the warm soup a shiny edge.
Chen Jingfang's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Xinran, this soup looks so good!"
Everyone has their own appreciation ability. Chen Jingfang felt that this pot of soup was like a painting, and it would be a pity to scoop it out and ruin its beautiful, misty atmosphere.
Song Xinran picked up some chopped scallions and sprinkled a light layer on top. The pungent aroma of the scallions mixed with the rich, warm fragrance of the soup, creating an enticing aroma.
She smiled and said, "It tastes even better."
Song Xinran had no intention of being reluctant to ruin the dish. She had made much more beautiful dishes before, let alone a simple pot of pig's trotter and radish soup.
Stirring the pot with a stainless steel ladle, I scooped up a large bowlful. The pig's trotters gleamed with a jade-like sheen, and the chunks of radish soaked up the broth, their white skin turning a creamy yellow.
Even a slight touch of the edge of a soup spoon can cut a radish, demonstrating how soft and tender it has been stewed.
Looking at the soup, Chen Jingfang couldn't help but ask, "Xinran, how did you make the pig's trotter soup so milky white? The color of mine is much lighter when I cook it at home."
Song Xinran said, "After bringing it to a boil over high heat, do not cover the pot. Keep it boiling, and you will see the soup gradually turn thick and white."
Chen Jingfang smiled and replied, "Okay, I'll go home and try cooking it like this."
At noon, the two had a bowl of radish and pig's trotter soup. According to local custom, you have to prepare a dipping sauce with the soup. Chen Jingfang originally thought so too, but Song Xinran said, "You want to try the soup. If you don't like it, then make the dipping sauce."
Chen Jingfang responded and ate a piece of radish first.
Radishes and pig's trotters are a classic combination. I used to stew them at home and they tasted pretty good, but the radishes would be a bit bland.
But as soon as Chen Jingfang tasted the radish today, her tongue detected a different flavor—it was exceptionally sweet and delicious!
One bite and it melts in your mouth, the sweet juice mixed with the freshness of the broth, three parts oily and four parts sweet, very refreshing. One bite and you get all kinds of flavors: fresh, sweet, and warm.
Is this a radish?
Is this what radishes taste like?
After eating, two questions popped into Chen Jingfang's mind. The radishes she ate before didn't seem to be like this, but the most important thing right now was to eat another piece.
She ate several pieces of radish in a row, and felt her body warm up. She then scooped up a spoonful of soup and drank it. The soup was neither fishy nor greasy, and the rich broth slid down her throat. Instantly, her limbs and bones felt warm, and she felt lightheaded.
This soup tastes absolutely amazing!
Chen Jingfang quickly ladled a spoonful of soup for Song Xinran to cool it down: "No need for dipping sauce, it's just right like this!"
She thought that if she added dipping sauce, the overly spicy and salty taste would ruin the delicious flavor of the pot, which would be a loss.
Song Xinran said, "I don't like to have soup with dipping sauce."
Chen Jingfang thought to herself that the reason they like to use dipping sauce here is because they feel that the soup itself lacks flavor, so they use dipping sauce to adjust it. But the flavor is already complete and sufficient, so there is no need for dipping sauce to overpower the main flavor.
The two of them each ate a bowl of white radish. Song Xinran thought that the local radishes from Lingde Town were really good, and the taste was much better than those grown in greenhouses.
As the saying goes, "Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer." She likes to eat according to the seasons. Traditional Chinese medicine has a saying about "winter storage." In winter, the body accumulates internal heat, which can easily cause internal heat. Radishes can aid digestion and moisturize the lungs, and are the best way to balance and resolve greasiness.
Radishes are delicious, so pig's trotters are even more so. The skin and meat are soft but not mushy. When you bite into them, you get a mouthful of gelatinous texture. The muscles and meat have a slight chewiness but don't get stuck in your teeth. Even the bones are infused with flavor. When you slurp one up, your mouth is filled with rich aroma.
After finishing her meal, Song Xinran thought with satisfaction that her cooking skills hadn't deteriorated at all.
After finishing her meal, Chen Jingfang tidied up the kitchen. She originally wanted to go home, but she felt a little tired and had an urge to take a nap after eating and drinking her fill. Seeing that it was getting late, she sat on the cool couch to rest for a while, preparing to continue working in the afternoon.
Song Xinran called her to another room to rest: "This is the room my sister stayed in when she came. Why don't you take a nap? There's no need to rush to work. There's not much to do this afternoon. Otherwise, people will say I'm abusing people."
Her tone was teasing, clearly a joke, but Chen Jingfang said seriously, "Xinran, I'm lucky to be able to work for you. If anyone says you mistreat people, I'll be the first to rush up and argue with them."
Song Xinran couldn't help but laugh: "You should rest for now. There's no one like that yet."
She's not the type to be intolerant of people being idle when she hires them. As long as they do their assigned work well, she won't care what they do in their spare time. She believes in efficiency by preparing in advance, not by assigning too little work.
Chen Jingfang is a very efficient person. Whether it's preparing food or setting up a stall, she is quick and efficient.
Chen Jingfang didn't get home until the afternoon. As soon as she got home, the child rushed up to her and hugged her leg affectionately, saying, "Mommy is finally back."
The mother-in-law said, "He was looking for you at noon, and it was only with great difficulty that he managed to coax you into taking a nap."
Chen Jingfang felt both warm and a little guilty. She had eaten and slept well at noon today, and felt that she hadn't felt so relaxed and happy in a long time.
Holding her child's hand, Chen Jingfang said, "I had lunch at Xinran's house today. It was getting late after I finished eating, so I didn't come back."
Is your boss having guests over today? Are they busy?
Chen Jingfang: "It wasn't a treat, it was just that they stewed a pot of pig's trotter soup and asked me to stay and eat with them."
The mother-in-law said, "Your boss is so nice. Was the soup good?"
Chen Jingfang immediately perked up and praised it enthusiastically: "Delicious! Absolutely delicious! I've never had such a delicious soup before!"
The mother-in-law was a little surprised. Chen Jingfang's attitude towards food was that as long as it was edible, she was fine with it. Whether visiting relatives or attending a banquet, she would always say "it's okay" when asked about the taste.
Thinking back carefully, it seems that after working for this current boss, she felt that she couldn't use all the words of praise she could to describe any food he made.
It's just a pot of soup. No matter how delicious it is, how delicious can it be? My mother-in-law has lived for sixty or seventy years and thinks all soups taste pretty much the same.
Chen Jingfang said, "The soup base was milky white, and the aroma wafted out as soon as the lid was opened. It was so delicious! The pig's trotters were stewed until they were so tender that the meat fell off the bone without you even having to chew them. The radish was also very flavorful and tasted even better than the meat!"
Seeing how happy she was, her mother-in-law said, "Then let's make pig's trotter soup tomorrow too?"
"Okay!" Chen Jingfang readily agreed. She had just eaten a lot of radishes and pig's trotters at noon, and felt that the food was piled up in her throat and she couldn't eat anymore. But in just one afternoon, she started to crave it again.
"Xinran also told me a secret trick on how to make soup thick and white. Mom, you can try it at home tomorrow."
The mother-in-law nodded and smiled, "Okay, you can come back for dinner tomorrow."
The child took her hand and called out, "Mommy, come back and we'll have meat!"
Chen Jingfang said, "Okay, let's eat together."
The mother-in-law said, "It takes a long time to coax Dongdong to eat; this child is very picky."
Chen Jingfang also knew that her child was a picky eater. She thought that if Dongdong tried a bite of Xinran's boiled radish, he would definitely eat it without being coaxed, and he wouldn't even need to be fed.
Xinran's child is very well raised; he is fair-skinned, well-behaved, and clearly not a picky eater.
But if you can eat Xinran's homemade food every day, what is there to be picky about?
Thinking about it this way, Chen Jingfang felt that Song Yu was a very lucky child. Looking at her own child, she felt a pang of pity for him, since no one in her family had the cooking skills to do that.
*
At this moment, Yuanyuan was having a free meal at Song Xinran's house, but she was doing so openly and honestly.
The little girl climbed onto the dining table, her eyes fixed on the braised pig's trotters and trotter soup on the table. She casually pointed to the gifts on the sofa and said, "Aunt Song, my mom asked me to bring these candies for Song Yu."
Then, he made a half-circle with his arm, pointed at the food on the table, and grinned happily: "I want to eat pig's trotters!"
Seeing her greedy expression, Song Xinran smiled and said, "Just take it if you want to eat it."
Yuanyuan swallowed hard, remembering her mother's advice to be polite, and gestured for her to go first: "Aunt Song, please go first."
Song Xinran wasn't hungry, but she still took a sip of the soup first. It was sweet, fragrant, and tasted quite good.
Her action was a signal, a signal that it was time to eat. Without a second's hesitation, Yuanyuan grabbed the braised pig's trotter, opened her mouth wide, and stuffed it into her mouth, making a cat-like "mmm" sound: "Delicious, delicious, delicious!"
Yuanyuan thought everything Aunt Song made was delicious, even her braised pig's trotters were unique!
When she used to go to the park with her grandparents, her grandfather would buy her roasted pig's trotters, braised pig's trotters, and so on.
The first bite tasted pretty good, but it was so hard to chew, especially the tendons in the pig's trotters. They were impossible to bite off, and even if you managed to bite them off, they were impossible to chew properly.
Yuanyuan ate very irritably, and when she couldn't finish chewing, she threw the whole pig's trotter, bowl and spoon, into the trash can.
This is so annoying! It's making her teeth hurt so much from chewing on this pig's trotter!
After returning home, Yuanyuan looked in the mirror, opened her mouth, and carefully examined her teeth. She was relieved to find that she hadn't eaten any pig's trotters. She secretly vowed then and there that she would never eat pig's trotters again.
Bad stuff!
But today, Yuanyuan went against her own thoughts, or rather, while eating braised pig's trotters, she completely forgot that she had said such a thing before.
This braised pig's trotter is so delicious! You can bite off the thick skin and tendons without even using your teeth. It's so chewy and soft in your mouth, and the skin is like milk pudding. But there's no such delicious and savory milk pudding in the world.
The slightly numbing flavor of Sichuan peppercorns permeates the dish, while the chili peppers add a touch of spiciness. The soy sauce, star anise, bay leaves, and other seasonings blend together smoothly, creating a perfect balance. There's even a hint of sweetness after swallowing.
All the flavors kept stimulating my taste buds, making it impossible to stop eating.
Compared to Yuanyuan's "hungry cat pouncing on its food," Song Yu ate much more politely, praising as she gnawed on a pig's trotter: "Mom's braised pig's trotters smell so good! I've never eaten such delicious pig's trotters before."
He rarely ate pig's trotters before; at his aunt's house, all the good things went to Cai Yang.
"Mom is the most amazing person in the world!" He sucked on the pig's trotter skin on his fingers. It was because the stew was too soft, and when he gnawed on it, his fingers were too strong, so the skin stuck to it.
"When I grow up, I want to make braised pig's trotters for my mom!" After slurping them clean, he wiped his hands with a tissue, stood on a small stool, and ladled out three bowls of soup.
She picked up the bowl, took a sip, her eyes lit up, and immediately exclaimed, "Yuanyuan, the soup is delicious too, you should drink the soup!"
Yuanyuan's hands are always busy; she holds a pig's trotter in one hand, nibbling on one side and eating the other, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Upon hearing Song Yu's words, she lowered her head, placed her mouth close to the rim of the bowl, pressed the bowl with both wrists, and tilted it slightly so that she could drink the soup.
The moment she took a sip, she nodded quickly: "Delicious, delicious, so delicious!"
Surrounded by a sea of delicious food, Yuanyuan felt there was no happier time than this.
After gnawing on braised pig's trotters, eating stewed radishes, and finally having a small bowl of rice soup, Yuanyuan patted her round belly and went home.
Song Xinran said, "Yuanyuan, take some back with your parents."
Yuanyuan waved her little hand, exuding a mature air: "No need, Aunt Song, my mom told me not to pack it up and take it home."
"I'm going back now, don't bother seeing me off." She turned to Song Yu and said, "See you tomorrow."
When Yuanyuan got home, she found her parents waiting for her. She waved her hands and said, "I was very polite today, I didn't pack any leftovers."
"Mom and Dad, guess what I ate today?"
Mr. Xu: "Oden?"
Xu Ma: "Bo Bo Chicken?"
Yuanyuan shook her head: "No, none of those. It's braised pig's trotters and stewed radish."
Her eyes sparkled: "Oh my god, Aunt Song's braised pig's trotters are so delicious! I've never eaten such delicious pig's trotters before. They're so soft, and every bite is so chewy and tender."
She smacked her lips: "It smells incredibly delicious! Ah! It must be the most delicious braised pig's trotters in the universe!"
"Mommy, can I go to Aunt Song's house again tomorrow?" Yuanyuan blinked her eyes. "I was very good today and didn't pack any food."
Mr. Xu had been swallowing hard. He should praise his daughter for being polite today, but what could he say... He wanted to eat braised pig's trotters too!
They sell them in the city, but I couldn't find any good ones. The pig's trotters they sold were very tough; they were cooked through, but not tender at all.
The outer skin of the pig's trotters still has some flavor, but the inside is very bland, and some that are not cleaned properly still have a strong odor!
If left out for too long, even the outer skin will dry out in the wind, making it very difficult to bite off a piece.
Song Yu's mother's braised pig's trotters are definitely not like this. I know from Yuan Yuan's words that they must be delicious!
Xu's mother also gulped down two mouthfuls of water and forced a smile at her daughter: "Yuanyuan was great today."
But in her heart, she thought, "If Yuanyuan could bring some back, that would be great! It's braised pig's trotters!" She loved braised pig's trotters, just like Yuanyuan's father.
Xu's mother felt very regretful, for it is truly impossible to have both politeness and delicious food.
*
On the other side, Song Yu ate a radish and said to Song Xinran, "Mom, Wu Yaoxuan apologized to you today."
Although Yuanyuan finished eating and went home, Song Yu could continue eating at home. He thought the radish was really sweet and delicious, hundreds of times better than the radishes he had eaten at his aunt's house before!
Song Xinran asked in surprise, "Why is he apologizing to me?"
She didn't even know Wu Yaoxuan; it was just that Song Yu always mentioned him. Every day after school, Song Yu would tell her about things that happened at kindergarten.
Song Yu said, "Because he said his mother's braised pork wasn't good, he was lying!"
Song Xinran chuckled softly: "And then?"
Song Yu said, "Then I forgave him."
He's a very generous kid. When someone apologizes, he'll say it's okay, like it's a pre-programmed routine.
"Mom," Song Yu said softly, with a slightly shy expression, "Wu Yaoxuan said he wants to play with me and be my friend."
Song Xinran asked, "So what does Xiao Yu think?"
Song Yu said, "Our Class 1 is a big family. He wanted to be friends with me, so I agreed. I will talk to him in return when he talks to me."
However, Yuanyuan doesn't seem to like Wu Yaoxuan. She makes faces every time she sees him, and Song Yu thinks it will be difficult to get Yuanyuan to play with Wu Yaoxuan.
But he'll find a way.
"Mom." Song Yu seemed to remember something, slid off the stool, ran to her schoolbag, took out an eraser and handed it to her, "This is from Zhu Guo."
"I also gave him a star pendant."
Song Xinran took the eraser. It was very well made, and children love little things like this.
She smiled gently and said, "Xiao Yu is really popular in class."
With so many children wanting to be his friends and giving him gifts, Song Yu will have a very happy time at kindergarten.
Song Yu pursed his lips, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. His eyes were bright; this was the first time he had experienced something like this.
When he lived with his aunt, no other children ever told him they wanted to play with him or be his friend.
Although he really wanted to join their game, he was too shy to speak up.
He has made many new friends, and many classmates invite him to play games.
Song Yu thinks kindergarten is great, and he wants to go to kindergarten for the rest of his life!
After taking a bite of the pig's trotter, his thoughts shifted to, "Mom, pig's trotters are so delicious! Can I have some pig's trotter noodles?"
This is a habit I developed at my aunt's house; whenever I encounter something delicious, I want to use it to make dough.
Song Xinran pinched his cheek: "Of course you can."
She had another idea in mind. Braised pig's trotters were originally just a spur-of-the-moment decision, but everyone who tried them liked them, which meant there was a good market for them.
Song Xinran has decided that next time she goes to the market to sell braised meat, she will also bring pig's trotters to add a new product category and attract more customers.
With Chinese New Year just over ten days away, this is the time when people are most willing and able to spend money, and when they have the most money. People who have been working away from home for a year also return home to spend. Many restaurants can make up 50% or even more of their total annual profit during the Chinese New Year month.
She made as much money as possible while everyone was willing to spend it!
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