Chapter 105: Fried Rice with Egg and Sauerkraut Vermicelli Soup...
Fu Fu grabbed Song Yu and rushed towards Song's Private Banquet Restaurant as fast as she could. Fu Fu's voice was filled with emotion: "Great! I can finally eat Aunt Song's cooking!"
"Song Yu, thank you, I like you so much!" Fu Fu expressed her feelings enthusiastically.
Song Yu blushed slightly: "You're welcome."
He thought to himself, Fu Fu probably prefers what his mother makes.
This is quite normal. When Song Yu was in kindergarten, she already knew how appealing her mother's food was. After a food sharing session in her class, all the children who had tasted the braised beef gathered around.
When the two children arrived at the restaurant, it was lunchtime. There were quite a few customers, but because Song Ji operates on a reservation system and the tables are far apart, it didn't feel crowded.
Fu Fu knew that she had to speak softly when eating here, so she happily ran into the store and quietly said to Shen Hui at the front desk, "We're here to eat."
Shen Hui recognized Fu Fu very well, or more accurately, she was very familiar with Fu Fu's grandmother, since the old lady was a regular customer of Song Ji's restaurant.
"Aunt Chen," Song Yu called out.
Shen Hui smiled gently. She naturally recognized the boss's children and bent down slightly to ask kindly, "Xiao Yu, Fu Fu, what would you like to eat today?"
Fufu raised one hand: "Auntie, I want to see the menu!"
Fufu was already very familiar with the ordering process, but she encountered a problem when she held the menu. There were so many words on the menu, and she didn't recognize most of them...
The little girl remained silent, appearing thoughtful, before finally deciding to leave the decision to Song Yu: "What would you like to eat?"
Song Yu is a very easygoing child: "We'll eat whatever Mom cooks next."
Shen Hui smiled and said, "Okay."
Shen Hui arranged for them to sit at an empty table. Fu Fu looked around curiously, feeling incredibly excited. This was the first time she had ever eaten out by herself, and it was at her favorite restaurant.
"Song Yu, what does Aunt Song cook?"
Song Yu said, "I don't know either."
Fu Fu rested her chin on her hands, looking on with great anticipation: "This is so interesting! I wonder what we'll get to eat!"
This is probably the joy and curiosity of opening blind boxes; you're filled with anticipation until you open one.
A short while later, Pang Ru brought out the food: two servings of fried rice with eggs, a bowl of pickled cabbage and vermicelli soup, and two small dishes of kimchi.
Fu Fu exclaimed in a low voice, "I love fried rice with eggs!"
The snow-white porcelain bowl holds perfectly separated grains of fried rice, each seemingly coated with golden egg flowers. As soon as it's served, the warm aroma of lard mixed with scallions wafts out, whetting everyone's appetite.
Fu Fu immediately picked up the bowl and shoveled a big mouthful of rice into it, his cheeks moving so fast like a little hamster. As he ate, he said, "This is the best fried rice I've ever eaten, woohoo!"
I'm so hungry I could cry.
After taking a few bites, Fu Fu noticed that Song Yu was serving soup, while the bowl full of fried rice remained untouched. Fu Fu immediately asked, "Song Yu, why aren't you eating?"
"It's delicious. Aren't you hungry? If not, I can help you eat some."
"I'm hungry," Song Yu said honestly, then kindly reminded, "Fu Fu, don't eat too fast, you'll choke."
Song Yu quickly placed the freshly ladled soup in front of her: "Drink slowly."
Fu Fu picked up the soup bowl with both hands, took a big gulp, and immediately let out a low exclamation: "This soup is so delicious! Song Yu, you have to drink it!"
Fu Fu thought this was the best pickled cabbage soup she had ever tasted; it was so delicious that she didn't want to leave the bowl.
Song Yu gently reminded him again, "Drink slowly, don't choke."
Fu Fu: "I wouldn't! Only idiots choke on water, haha, cough cough!"
Song Yu:......
I'm really at my wit's end.
Fu Fu blushed a little, took small sips of soup, and whispered, "I'm not stupid."
Song Yu: "Okay."
Not being ridiculed by her good friends made Fufu feel much better. If other friends in the neighborhood knew about this, they would definitely point at Fufu and laugh non-stop, and give her nicknames.
They're so annoying.
Compared to the others, Song Yu is really good.
"Song Yu, why don't you choke?" Fu Fu asked curiously.
Song Yu said, "I've choked on my own before."
"Really?!"
Song Yu nodded. He told Fu Fu that he felt the same way when he first ate his mother's cooking. He choked and felt terrible. He drank a lot of water before his chest felt better.
However, since Song Yu has always eaten the food her mother makes, she no longer wolfs down her food. She knows that even if she eats slowly, she can still get full. If there is any dish she wants to eat, she can tell her mother, and it will be placed on the table the next day.
"I'm so envious of you." After listening to Song Yu's story, Fu Fu couldn't even imagine how happy she would be if she had eaten all the food made by Aunt Song since she was a child.
And Song Yu has been living this happy life for six years! Because Song Yu is already six years old.
Song Yu smiled shyly; he also felt very happy.
At the next table, Sun Weidong also brought his wife and mother to eat.
Since Songji opened, Sun Weidong has become a regular customer, and his wife Jiawen feels uneasy if she doesn't eat there for a day.
Sun's mother said from the side, "Jiawen, I asked someone to buy an old hen from the countryside. It's been raised on pure grains without any feed for several years. I'll make soup for you tomorrow, so drink more of it."
Jiawen joked, "Mom, why don't we take the chicken to Song's Restaurant to cook?"
Sun's mother disagreed: "How can that be? Don't waste food. Jiawen, I know you like Song's food, but restaurant food can't compare to homemade food in terms of nutrition and cleanliness. This restaurant tastes so good, maybe they put some artificial flavoring in it..."
"Mom." Jiawen interrupted her mother, "Doesn't she know whether or not she put flavoring in it?"
Jiawen has a very sensitive palate. She is the first to notice if any of the food in the house has gone slightly spoiled, but others will say there is no problem.
This condition became even more pronounced after she became pregnant, which is the main reason why Jiawen suffered from severe morning sickness.
But after eating Song Ji's food, her morning sickness inexplicably disappeared. Firstly, the food tasted really good, and she felt it would be a waste to throw it up; secondly, Song Ji's food was very fresh and clean, and she couldn't taste any strange smells, so her body naturally accepted it.
After eating at Song's for more than half a month, Jiawen clearly felt that her health had improved, but Sun's mother still held the old idea that her own food was the best, which Jiawen really couldn't accept.
Sun Weidong said, "No, definitely not. Songji's main selling point is deliciousness and health."
Grandma Sun pouted.
Sun Weidong turned to his wife and whispered, "I'll ask the chef later if he takes on side jobs and stew that old hen that Mom asked someone to bring."
Although Sun's mother couldn't hear what they were saying, she could guess the gist of it. She felt a bit uneasy. She was only trying to help her daughter-in-law's health, so how could it be that she was in the wrong?
Song Ji's food is indeed delicious, but it's expensive, and what if a pregnant woman gets sick from eating restaurant food all the time?
Sun's mother is also a great cook in the surrounding villages, so why does her daughter-in-law look down on something that everyone praises?
The more Sun's mother thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt, as if she had a fishbone stuck in her chest. She couldn't spit it out or swallow it down. She couldn't say anything to her son and daughter-in-law, so she could only find fault with the dishes when they were served.
They ordered a large portion of egg fried rice, a portion of stir-fried greens, a portion of pickled bamboo shoots and beef, and a portion of stir-fried meat.
Sun's mother tasted each dish one by one, but finally realized that even if she deliberately nitpicked, she couldn't find fault with the taste. She could only pick and choose: "This beef is too oily. What good oil can a restaurant use? This stir-fried vegetable costs more than ten yuan. I bought fresh vegetables at the market, and the farmers only gave me eight mao a pound of vegetables they just picked from the field. This egg fried rice..."
"The fried rice is so delicious!" came a voice from the next table; it was the voice of a young girl.
Sun's mother turned her head and saw the two children eating. While eating, they couldn't help but praise, "It's so delicious! I love fried rice with eggs! Fried rice with eggs is so good!"
It looked as if they were about to compose a hymn of praise for the delicious fried rice.
Sun's mother shook her head: "Why are two children eating at a restaurant by themselves? Where are the adults?"
"Children are at the age where they are growing rapidly, so parents must not let them eat out just to save money. Make them nutritious meals at home so they can grow taller," Sun's mother said earnestly. "Jiawen, after the baby is born, you can go to work with peace of mind. I will definitely take good care of you at home."
Jiawen thought to herself, she should still let her child eat at Song Ji's. She couldn't let her child suffer.
Sun Weidong saw through his wife's thoughts and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Mom, eat your food, don't think about things that far ahead."
"Pickled cabbage soup, pickled cabbage soup and fried rice are a perfect match!" the little girl next to her whispered to her friend.
Jiawen glanced to the side and saw a bowl of pickled cabbage soup on the children's table. The pickled cabbage was local pickled greens, chopped into small pieces, and thin vermicelli noodles were wrapped around the chopsticks, glistening and translucent.
Just watching them eat, Jiawen could imagine the sour taste. It must be sour with a hint of freshness, the pickled cabbage crisp and refreshing, and the soup full of freshness. He swallowed hard and called the waiter over: "We'd like to order another pickled cabbage and vermicelli soup."
Sun's mother couldn't help but speak up again: "Can the three of us finish all this food? Jiawen, if you like pickled cabbage, we have plenty of pickling jars at home. I heard that the pickled cabbage sold outside is made by stomping on it with your feet."
Jiawen:......
Sun Weidong: "Mom, don't talk about these things while we're eating, it'll ruin your appetite."
Grandma Sun shut up in annoyance.
The pickled cabbage soup arrived quickly. After glancing at it, Sun's mother suddenly asked the waiter, "Is this pickled cabbage clean? My wife is pregnant."
Sun Weidong and Jiawen were both stunned. They hadn't expected Sun's mother to say that so suddenly, and they immediately felt embarrassed. They were about to say something.
Pang Ru then spoke up: "Hello, all the dishes in our restaurant are guaranteed to be clean and hygienic."
"Look, the person sitting next to you is our boss's child. The fried rice they're eating is from the same pot as yours." Pang Ru placed the soup on the table, and although she really wanted to roll her eyes, she held back and replied gently and patiently.
Now, Song Yu and Fu Fu, the two kids, have become living advertisements. Even the boss's child is eating there, so it must be healthy and hygienic.
Sun's mother was speechless. She had just been wondering why the two children were eating so much and were so happy, but it was obvious that they weren't just putting on a show.
Jiawen quickly added, "Thank you. I like all the dishes at your restaurant. I didn't have any adverse reactions when I ate them, so they must be clean and hygienic."
Pang Ru smiled and said, "Thank you for your support."
Jiawen thought to herself, "Isn't my mother-in-law's statement just shrinking the living space for pregnant women? Some people already have a negative view of pregnant women. It's because there are so many people like my mother-in-law that pregnant women are all extra careful, always afraid of being scammed."
But Jiawen felt that there was nothing special about her pregnancy, and that her child had nothing to do with anyone else. She still hoped that others would treat her as a normal, ordinary person.
She had been suppressing her emotions, but now she was too lazy to hold back anymore. She scooped up a mouthful of sauerkraut soup and drank it: "Mmm, this sauerkraut soup tastes really good. The pickled vegetables are crisp and fresh. It's just different from the ones I make at home. Otherwise, how could it be called a restaurant?"
"The owner's children eat at the restaurant, so I can really rest assured about the hygiene."
"I'll come back to eat here tomorrow, and I'll order another serving of pickled cabbage and vermicelli soup."
After Jiawen stopped suppressing herself, her fighting spirit soared. She even suggested to her mother, "Mom, why don't we pack a serving of pickled cabbage and vermicelli soup to take home later and use it to make chicken soup tomorrow? That way, we won't waste the chicken."
Sun Weidong trembled beside him, but he was still somewhat rational and knew who was right and who was wrong. He nodded in agreement: "I think it's a good idea. Jiawen likes sour food, so the pickled cabbage and chicken soup will definitely taste good."
"Mom, when is that chicken coming? You can try the new flavor then."
Sun's mother stopped talking, put down her chopsticks, and didn't want to eat anymore.
But the kid at the next table acted like he'd never seen anything like it before, exclaiming in surprise and saying how delicious it was. It sounded so tempting!
Jiawen also sipped the soup, savoring it slowly. He could hear the crispness when he chewed the pickled cabbage, and he looked very content as he ate.
The freshly cooked, hot sauerkraut and vermicelli soup is tangy and fragrant without being overpowering, clear and with a hint of smokiness, making it very appetizing.
It seems different from the pickled cabbage I make myself...
Sun's mother picked up her chopsticks and silently placed a piece of pickled cabbage and vermicelli on her plate.
We can't just watch others benefit while we suffer losses.
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