Chapter 81 Stir-fried Squid
After the huge blunder, Yu's Little Restaurant made its first appearance in front of friends all over the country, and people from all over the country were curious about just how delicious the food was.
But friends who are thousands of miles away from Yuncheng can only watch Yunhe's videos and yearn for more, while some friends who live nearby have already set off by car.
Some people in Yuncheng have an indomitable passion for food. If they see that it's only a two- or three-hour drive away, they'll immediately set off. Compared to other farmhouses that require winding mountain roads, this place isn't in a remote location.
The squid was almost ready. Yu Miaoyin cut the body into diamond shapes and blanched it for ten seconds before taking it out. Squid meat is delicate, and blanching it for too long will make it tough and dry. When stir-frying it, it is important to stir-fry it over high heat to lock in the tenderness of the squid.
So when Xu Jiajia saw the blue flames leaping up from under the pot in the kitchen, her eyes widened. The aroma of scallions, ginger, and chili peppers initially wafted up to the squid, followed by the fragrance of seasonings. Xu Jiajia's stomach started growling again. The squid didn't need to be stir-fried for long; it was ready to serve after a quick stir-fry.
Xu Jiajia was the first to get a bite, and Xiao Du, who had just arrived, also benefited.
The aroma alone was incredibly appetizing. Xu Jiajia rubbed her flat, rumbling stomach. The combination of her hungry stomach and the fragrant food was just perfect.
The squid rings, slightly curled after being stir-fried at high temperature, glistened with oil, each compartment of the diamond-shaped cuts concealing the sauce. The fresh aroma of the squid wafted out with the steam, along with the fragrance of green peppers and sauce. "I'm so hungry! I want to eat three bowls of rice!"
"I want to eat three bowls of rice too." Little Du brought over a large bowl of rice, rubbing his hands expectantly.
Xu Jiajia picked up a piece of squid and put it in her mouth. The sauce at the diamond-shaped cut was particularly rich, and the squid was incredibly chewy and springy, with a lingering umami flavor. Her mouth was full of aroma. It was so delicious that Xu Jiajia wanted to spin around three times, just like when she gets to an exciting part of a novel and switches to a video app to catch her breath before continuing. This stir-fried squid was so fragrant, and it was spicy too, making it especially good with rice.
"Yiling, it's so delicious, so delicious, so delicious!" Xu Jiajia said as she ate. This was her "stress response" to delicious food, just like when she ate bad food, she would get angry and say, "How can this restaurant be so bad?" After a few bites, Xu Jiajia said again and again, "How can it be so delicious? It smells so good."
Yi Ling also particularly liked this stir-fried squid. She usually eats a lot of chicken, duck, fish and meat, so she was amazed when she tasted Sister Yin's stir-fried squid. Every bite was firm and chewy, and the spiciness came up with the hot rice. It was delicious.
Xu Jiajia took a picture of stir-fried squid. She saw that the small restaurant's post was trending and still getting attention, so she posted it directly on Weibo.
User 12345: You wouldn't understand my squid!
The post quickly received its first comment.
Is it a small restaurant? It looks delicious, my mouth is watering.
User 12345 replied: 【It's a small restaurant~ Welcome to come and eat delicious food!】
After replying to the message, a second and a third message quickly followed, and Xu Jiajia's previously silent Weibo account was flooded with likes and comments.
I'm not giving up on going to those small restaurants; they're making me hungry.
[Another small restaurant. Now I understand why Lin Xiangwan is so greedy. Anyone would be tempted. I want to eat here a million times over.]
I'm buying tickets to come to Yuncheng for delicious food right now! I've been looking at pictures of it for days, and every time I see them, I'm drooling!
Scrolling down further, many people expressed their desire and thoughts to come to Yuncheng. Xu Jiajia immediately deleted the post, afraid that more people would see it. After all, if everyone came to the small restaurant to eat, she would have even less food to eat.
We can't compete with a poor high school student like her for food!
Grandpa Xu, Xu Changxing, and Zhou Gui walked towards the small restaurant. From afar, they could smell the aroma of stir-fried squid. The group unconsciously quickened their pace, as the spicy and savory fragrance was simply too appetizing.
Arriving at the small restaurant, Grandpa Xu glanced at the menu and ordered two large portions of stir-fried squid and some other dishes. They had eaten plenty of Xiaoyin's chicken, duck, and fish dishes, each with its own unique flavor. Today, they had added stir-fried squid, promising a completely new taste experience. This stir-fried squid was sure to be delicious, and just thinking about it made Grandpa Xu's mouth water.
Yu Miaoyin heard that someone had ordered stir-fried squid, so she went to make it. Stir-fried squid is quick to make; in just a few minutes, a plate of steaming hot and fragrant stir-fried squid was ready.
It was so delicious to eat it while it was hot! Grandpa Xu picked up several pieces of squid in a row. The squid was very chewy and tasted especially good. He chewed on the squid along with its freshness and the salty and savory sauce. His mouth was filled with a wonderful aroma, making it impossible to stop eating. He kept eating one bite after another. The rice mixed with the sauce that seeped out from the squid tentacles and diamond-shaped cuts became even more delicious. Xu Ruian loved it so much that he kept saying how much he liked it.
"Once you get into No. 1 High School, you'll have plenty to eat every day!" Xu Changxing told Xu Ruian. In the hearts of the people of Yuncheng, No. 1 High School held a position comparable to Tsinghua and Peking Universities. Many elementary and middle school students in Yuncheng had heard the saying at the start of the school year: "Put your heart into studying, and one day you'll get into No. 1 High School."
Xu Ruian is still a primary school student, and the high school entrance exam is still a long way off, but hearing his father say that, and with his mouth full of delicious food, he clenched his fist and said, "I will definitely get into No. 1 High School in the future."
That way I can enjoy Sister Ayin's delicious meals every day.
Children's education should start from a young age. Xu Changxing was very satisfied with his son's answer, so he ordered another dish.
The National Day holiday passed quickly, Lin Xiangwan's filming in Yuncheng was over, and Yun He returned to her hometown for some business. The number of unfamiliar faces gradually decreased, and the small restaurant had more regular customers, whom Yu Miaoyin eventually got to know.
When the door opened again, Xiao Tangbao was already carrying her little schoolbag and ready to go to school. Yu Miaoyin looked at the child's lifeless face, with marks on her face from sleeping on her side. "Don't you want to go to school?"
"Hmm..." Little Tangbao nodded honestly and admitted, "I want to stay at home with my older sister and watch cartoons."
Little Tangbao is a little girl whose world is very simple. She thinks that being able to stay with her older sister and watch cartoons is the happiest thing.
"Your older sister misses you too. Be a good girl and go to school. When you come back, I'll give you something delicious to eat, okay?" Upon hearing that there was something tasty, Xiao Tangbao nodded happily, then asked eagerly, "What are you going to eat?"
"It's a secret, I'll open the blind box when I get home," Yu Miaoyin said.
Little Tangbao is also looking forward to it. The golden cake and layered cake that her older sister made last time were so delicious. She wonders what delicious food her older sister will make today.
"Goodbye, big sister." At the kindergarten gate, Xiao Tangbao waved goodbye to her, "I'll miss you."
After saying goodbye to Xiaotangbao, Yu Miaoyin went to the market and bought some beef brisket and bamboo shoots. A heavy rain had poured down today, making the air a bit chilly, but it was still some time before true winter arrived in Yuncheng. However, she had heard that some cities were already wearing fleece-lined sweatshirts.
Because she was making a clay pot beef brisket with bamboo shoots today, Yu Miaoyin skipped the clay pot rice and opted for a new dish instead. Her small restaurant introduces new dishes quite quickly; whatever she makes is entirely up to her liking, with little constraint. Other restaurants stick to one dish, maintaining stability and competitiveness. But Yu Miaoyin isn't afraid; everything she makes tastes delicious, and everyone likes it.
Around 11 a.m., several people had already arrived at the small restaurant.
After Zhang Yuling and Xiaoyu ordered their food, they sat and waited for Liu Jiang. Xiaoyu had changed a lot recently; she liked eating at small restaurants, and she would happily finish her meals every time she bought food.
Zhang Yuling silently observed her and noticed that she seemed to have gained weight. Thinking of this, she unconsciously curled the corners of her mouth.
"When will Dad get off work?" The family ordered two servings of braised beef brisket with bamboo shoots, a serving of char siu, and a bowl of country-style fragrant soup.
"Almost there, almost there, Dad's still busy," Zhang Yuling said, as the braised beef brisket with bamboo shoots was already on the table. The outside of the clay pot was still very hot, emitting a pungent steam. The broth inside was constantly bubbling and sizzling at the bottom of the pot, which is why the dish is called a "sizzling clay pot."
"Mom, are you hungry?" Xiaoyu asked, knowing she was hungry.
"Why don't we eat first, and then order another one for Dad when he gets here?" Zhang Yuling suggested. She was also looking tempted, and if they waited until Liu Jiang got off work to eat, it would be a waste of such a delicious braised beef brisket with bamboo shoots.
"Okay!" Xiaoyu silently apologized to her father, then happily picked up her chopsticks and began to eat the braised beef brisket with bamboo shoots.
Large chunks of beef brisket and plump, tender, and glossy bamboo shoots—wouldn't one bite be bursting with juice?
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