Chapter 50 Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (1)
When Chen Churuo and Lu Yao arrived at the small restaurant, her previously irritated face immediately broke into a smile.
Lu Yao asked her, "What's wrong with you today? You seem to be in a bad mood."
Yang Churuo was hiking, watching the sunrise, and chatting with friends the day before yesterday, but she came back to work today and faced with a pile of work to be done. How could she not be annoyed?
"Because I have to go to work, I have a lot of work left undone," Yang Churuo sighed.
Lu Yao nodded. "I'll treat you to this meal. Don't look so sad. Take your time. If you can't do it, I'll help you."
Yang Churuo almost jumped up, "Thank you, Sister Lu Yao! You are the best boss in the world, the best sister in the world, the light of the whole world can't compare to you!"
The two went into the restaurant and ordered several dishes. Yang Churuo was particularly happy while eating, saying, "This eggplant is delicious!"
The eggplant's skin wrinkled slightly after frying, but the inside remained soft and tender. It didn't absorb any oil, but instead absorbed the meaty aroma of the minced meat and the savory flavor of the sauce. Every bite offered such a rich taste, making it exceptionally delicious.
Lu Yao also noticed that the small restaurant had hired a new person. The aunt looked kind and worked very quickly. With an extra employee to help, the boss wouldn't have to work so hard.
"Thank you for your help. There aren't as many people now, so you can go eat first. I can manage on my own," Yu Miaoyin said. With her help while preparing the food, her workload was reduced, and she was indeed much more relaxed.
"Okay, thank you, boss." Yu Miaoyin handed her the stir-fried eggplant with minced meat and shredded potatoes.
Across the table sat a group of high school students who seemed to have a good relationship. Aunt Zheng wondered if her daughter had so many good friends at school.
Xu Jiajia was telling jokes and sharing gossip she'd heard when she got to the school sports meet. She asked, "What events are you planning to participate in?"
Yi Ling shook her head, "I'll do the high jump, my homeroom teacher keeps asking me to."
Jumping sports aren't suitable for Xiao Du, but he has strong explosive power in running, so he said he might participate in the 4x100 meter relay. Xu Jiajia was just asking casually; she doesn't have any particular strengths or favorite events. For her, the school sports meet means a whole day without classes, which means she can play on her phone all day, and openly at that—it sounds amazing!
However, the most important thing right now is the parent-teacher conference. Xu Jiajia plans to confess everything when she gets home and try to get a lenient sentence, so that she won't suffer such a terrible fate on the day of the parent-teacher conference!
Xu Jiajia ate while thinking. She started by saying that her Chinese test went okay, but her math test was too difficult; even the math geniuses at her school said they couldn't do it. First, she talked about her weakest subject, then her strongest... and also, this eggplant smells so good.
Xu Jiajia couldn't think of a solution. How could she think about things that made her unhappy while eating? Xu Jiajia scolded herself and put the eggplant into her mouth. She really loved this fried eggplant; it absorbed the sauce perfectly, and there was lots of minced meat on it. It tasted even better with rice.
Around 7 PM, Aunt Zheng and Yu Miaoyin washed the dishes and tidied up the small restaurant together. Little Tangbao liked this aunt very much because the aunt would praise her for being cute whenever she saw her.
Yu Miaoyin then spoke to Aunt Zheng about something else, "I usually come around this time. Just make sure you come at the right time. My closing time is 7 PM. If there are any unexpected situations, we'll treat it as overtime and pay you accordingly."
"Okay, thank you boss, thank you so much." Aunt Zheng happily went home.
The Xu family.
After Xu Jiajia came back from evening self-study, she changed her shoes and peeked inside. Her parents were still awake, one looking at her phone and the other at her tablet.
Xu Jiajia sighed inwardly, thinking that it wasn't her fault for not doing well in school; her parents weren't exactly studious either! That's how it's portrayed in short videos anyway!
After coughing twice, Xu Jiajia told her parents about her grades. Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and she didn't even have the confidence to talk about the subjects she did well in.
Mrs. Xu turned off her phone and smiled, "Jiajia, tell Mom about your final exam results."
Xu Jiajia roared inwardly. Last semester's grades were based on first-year high school knowledge. She was now a second-year high school student, and there was an extra stroke in the second year, so studying was definitely going to be more difficult!
Xu Jiajia whispered her grades. Xu's mother was about to say something when Xu's father patted her hand and said, "You've worked hard studying. Your parents know you've tried your best. Although there weren't many results, it's just a slight decline. It's not like you've fallen to the bottom, right?"
Xu Jiajia: "???"
Although Xu Jiajia didn't know why her father was acting so strangely today, she had already finished telling him about her grades. Xu Jiajia smiled and continued, "Mom and Dad, there's a parent-teacher conference the day after tomorrow. Are you coming?"
Xu Jiajia quickly stopped the two of them: "I'm telling you, whatever you do, don't go to the parent-teacher meeting. After the school leaders' broadcast meeting, the next thing is the homeroom teacher's motivational speech. It's so boring. Our school leaders' speeches are so long and tedious, and their Mandarin isn't even standard. It's pointless to go there. Don't waste your time. You might as well stay home and rest."
This is torture for parents, and for students, it's torture because during the one-on-one parent Q&A session, questions like "How has my child been behaving lately?" or "Why has my child's grades dropped so much?" will be answered. And then their parents will find out about things like being late or daydreaming in class...
In the end, Xu's mother and father looked at each other for a moment, then nodded. Xu Jiajia thought it was a sure thing, but to her surprise, the two of them said in unison, "Go, how could we not go?"
“This is your parent-teacher conference. Your mom and dad will be there on time and won’t be late,” said Xu’s mother.
Xu Jiajia felt that her parents were behaving unusually well today. With a troubled expression, she went to her room, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Yiling: "Yiling, I have to tell you, I seriously suspect that my parents have been......"
Seeing that Jiajia wasn't there, Xu's mother said, "This time her regression is quite serious. I don't mean to blame her, but I really suspect that she's in a relationship now."
“Yes, she’s dropped a few places in her grades now, and she’ll drop dozens or even hundreds of places in the future! What if that guy says he wants to break up with Jiajia? Jiajia will be heartbroken…” Mr. Xu had a vivid imagination; he simply didn’t dare to think about what would happen next.
Ms. Xu also said, "We absolutely must attend this parent-teacher conference!"
—
The next afternoon, Yu Miaoyin saw Grandma Chen fiddling with something, and she went over to take a look out of curiosity.
"What is this?" Yu Miaoyin asked.
"I'm drying preserved mustard greens," Grandma Chen said.
Yu Miaoyin glanced at the dried preserved mustard greens, which had become wilted and soft from the sun.
"Now is the harvest season for preserved mustard greens, which is indeed a good time to make dried preserved mustard greens. Grandma, you are amazing!" Yu Miaoyin said. "There are also many dried preserved mustard greens on the market now."
"Yes, although other places sell it, I also want to try making it myself to keep myself busy." Grandma Chen smiled at her, "When I'm done, I'll give you some to try."
"Okay, then I'll thank Grandma in advance."
Actually, dried mustard greens can be made from more than just mustard greens; they can also be made from mustard greens, rapeseed, radish greens, and so on. These vegetables, after being dried and pickled and fermented, develop a unique salty and fragrant aroma. Because Yuncheng is rich in mustard greens, people there generally choose to make dried mustard greens from them.
The pickled mustard greens are harvested from September to November, which is also the perfect time to dry them and preserve them for a long time.
"Once it's done, we can make steamed buns with preserved mustard greens, which are very fragrant. We can also make steamed pork ribs with preserved mustard greens, which is simple and easy to make," Grandma Chen added.
Yu Miaoyin added a very common way to cook it, "You can also make braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens."
"I love braised pork with preserved mustard greens, but I don't know how to make it. It always turns out too dry. The last time I made it, it was too oily!" Grandma Chen said, thinking of that plate of braised pork with preserved mustard greens. The greasy feeling lingered in her mind, which is why she hadn't eaten it for a long time.
Grandma Chen said that her cooking wasn't very good, but then she changed the subject and said, "But if you cooked it, it would definitely be very delicious."
Xiao Tangbao chimed in, "Yes, I also think that the dishes my sister makes smell very good. I'm sure her braised pork with preserved mustard greens would be delicious too."
Yu Miaoyin thought for a moment and said, "Grandma, I didn't know what to cook tomorrow. Now that you mention it, I'm thinking of making braised pork with preserved mustard greens. If you want to try it, you can come over for lunch tomorrow."
Just then, I saw Grandma Chen making dried preserved mustard greens, and she wanted to eat some too. Since I didn't know what to make tomorrow, I decided to make braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens. It's a classic dish that many people should like.
“Okay, I’ll definitely come to eat. I’m going to Yiling’s parent-teacher meeting tomorrow.” Grandma Chen said to her with a smile, she was really looking forward to the braised pork with preserved vegetables tomorrow.
"There's a parent-teacher conference tomorrow?" Yu Miaoyin had recently overheard these high school students discussing this, and found their wailing and howling rather amusing.
I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
"By the way, Xiaoyin, you should prepare more food tomorrow. I think those parents will come to eat here too," Grandma Chen said.
"Okay, thank you for reminding me, Grandma."
After chatting for a few more minutes, Yu Miaoyin took Xiaotangbao home.
The next day, Yu Miaoyin remembered Grandma Chen's reminder and bought a lot of pork belly with Aunt Zheng. The two of them then went to the dried goods store to buy dried preserved vegetables.
As Aunt Zheng went on a big shopping trip with the boss, she thought to herself, "No wonder so many people like this store. I've heard high school students and working women say many times that they love this store and feel full of energy after eating there."
The owner uses top-quality ingredients, so it's normal that people like it.
Back at the shop, Yu Miaoyin soaked the dried mustard greens she had bought from the dried goods store in water until they unfurled.
She chose three-layered pork belly, also known as lower pork belly. This part of the pork belly has distinct layers, even fat and lean meat, and tender texture, making the braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens very fragrant.
Because making braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens is quite time-consuming, the two of them immediately got to work. Yu Miaoyin first blanched the pork belly she bought, poked some holes in it, and then marinated it in dark soy sauce for ten minutes to color it. Poking some holes would make it easier to form tiger-skin patterns when frying it later.
She started another pot, a deep and large one. When the oil was hot enough, she put the pork belly in and fried it until the skin was golden brown and wrinkled, with slightly charred edges. In another pot, she stir-fried the soaked preserved mustard greens with some sugar and light soy sauce until dry and fragrant. Then she sliced the pork belly, arranged it in a bowl, topped it with the stir-fried preserved mustard greens, and steamed it.
Because it's a shop, her steamer is very large and has multiple layers, so she can make many servings of braised pork with preserved mustard greens at once, which is convenient.
—
"Welcome to the parent-teacher meeting for Class 11, Grade 11. I am..."
Parents sat in their children's seats, while the children stood next to or behind their parents. The focus of this parent-teacher meeting was the parents.
After listening to the school leaders' broadcast meeting, Jiajia's mother had already scanned Jiajia's desk thoroughly. She then glanced at Xu Jiajia, who was standing obediently, not flirting with any of the boys, her face practically screaming, "I don't want to go to the parent-teacher conference."
Many students' parents didn't come, and Xu Jiajia was very envious of them.
"The results of this month's exam are out, and I believe the students have already told their parents. It's normal to see progress or setbacks in exams..."
Xu Jiajia's heart tightened. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that get out of class was almost over before the teacher started talking about the monthly exam. Would she still be able to go eat?
She wanted to eat, waaaaah, she was so hungry! She had been on tenterhooks all morning, but quickly finished her breakfast.
Xu Jiajia's thoughts drifted to the small restaurant. Why did she feel like she smelled a very delicious aroma? Or was she just hallucinating from hunger?
Xu Jiajia glanced at the wall clock, then at the teacher who was talking non-stop, and felt utterly hopeless!
Xu's mother noticed something was wrong and quickly took out her phone to send a message to Xu's father.
Xu's mother: Jiajia seems absent-minded. What's wrong? She wasn't like this before get out of class ended, but now that get out of class is about to end, she seems lost in thought. Is she thinking about something?
Mr. Xu glanced at his daughter and noticed her strange behavior. He agreed.
Mr. Xu: Yes, could it be that you're thinking about going on a date with your boyfriend? I also wanted to go out with you when I was in high school. I was afraid you'd have to wait too long when the teachers kept us late. My daughter is just like me.
Xu's mother: You'll learn bad things instead of good ones! Is early romance in high school something to be proud of?
The thought that her daughter might actually be in a relationship, and that it might cause her grades to drop, or even lead her to think about losing weight, was unacceptable to her.
Mr. Xu: But... the person I had a crush on back then was you.
Mrs. Xu: Shut up, let's not alert him. Let's observe first. Well, after all, this is our daughter's first relationship. Judging from her reaction, she probably really likes that guy.
It wasn't until the bell rang that the homeroom teacher realized she had talked a bit too much. She quickly smoothed things over and let everyone go after talking for another five minutes.
Xu Jiajia exclaimed, then muttered to herself, "Waaah, it took five minutes, it's so uncomfortable."
Mr. and Mrs. Xu exchanged a glance. Mrs. Xu said, "Jiajia, your father and I have something to do. Go eat by yourself. We'll head back now."
Xu Jiajia had originally planned to take her parents to a small restaurant, but upon hearing this, she could only nod. After all, they might have to wait in line for a long time if they went there now, so she would invite them another time when she had the chance.
"Okay." Xu Jiajia pulled out her small wallet. "I'm going now, I'm going to eat. Bye-bye, Yiling, I'm going now!"
Yi Ling agreed, and the next second, Xu Jiajia flew away like the wind, running faster than anyone else.
Mrs. Xu said softly, "You miss him that much? You ran so fast just to have dinner with him?"
She even abandoned Yiling. Wasn't Yiling her best friend? Didn't they usually eat lunch and dinner together? Did she abandon her friend after starting a relationship?
Xu's mother imagined a whole drama unfolding in her mind...
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