Chapter 84 Honey-glazed pork ribs + steamed egg cake...
She got to know the pork stall owner, whose network spanned various markets and introduced her to many other stall owners. Yu Miaoyin has now become familiar with some chicken, duck, fish, and meat stall owners. These owners know that Boss Yu's cooking is delicious and that she pursues high-quality ingredients, so they give her the best. Boss Yu trusts them, and over time, they have started to cooperate with her.
It's a win-win situation: the vendors can make money, and it's also convenient for Yu Miaoyin. The pork stall owner will deliver the cut of pork she wants to her, just like today.
They'd collaborated many times before, so she was quite confident in their abilities. But today she hadn't bought much, worried about running out of time. Yu Miaoyin brought in the ribs; the ribs were tender, with small bones and plenty of meat, perfect for making honey-glazed braised ribs.
After preparing the char siu sauce, Yu Miaoyin coated the ribs with it. Making honey-glazed ribs requires marinating, and the longer it marinates, the more flavorful it becomes. She calculated the time; it would take at least until the afternoon to marinate.
Yu Miaoyin looked at Grandma Chen, who was reluctant to leave, and found it a little funny. "Grandma, why don't you go practice Tai Chi first? This honey-glazed pork ribs won't be ready for a while. We'll have to wait until the afternoon to eat them."
Grandma Chen, who had just rejected her best friend on WeChat, coughed twice and said, "I won't call anymore, I'll go get some breakfast first."
Grandma Chen was quite afraid that her friends would come after her, so she could only reassure them on WeChat by saying she would treat them to something delicious.
"Why don't you eat here?" Yu Miaoyin said. She went back to the kitchen and opened the steamer. A warm, sweet aroma of eggs immediately wafted out. The pale yellow sponge cake puffed up slightly, its edges still touching the steaming tray inside, and trembled gently as she lifted the lid.
"Grandma, I made sponge cake, you should try some too, and Aunt Zheng as well," Yu Miaoyin called to the two of them.
Yu Miaoyin carefully carried it out and placed it on the table. The sponge cake trembled, quivering like a chick in a storm. Steam escaped from the steamer holes, carrying a hint of milky aroma, and a layer of oily sheen on top, making it look especially tempting.
Unfortunately, Xiao Tangbao went to school before she could eat. Yu Miaoyin cut it into four pieces and gave them to Grandma Chen and Aunt Zheng.
It was still warm inside. When the knife was pressed down, the sponge cake bounced a few times. Then, an even stronger and richer aroma of milk and eggs came out from the cross-section of the sponge cake.
"This sponge cake even smells milky!" Grandma Chen said, "The delicate strands are so tempting."
“Yes,” Yu Miaoyin said. She added milk when she made it, which made it smoother and sweeter, adding an extra layer of flavor.
Freshly made breakfast should be eaten while it's hot. Yu Miaoyin had just finished putting away Xiaotangbao's portion when someone came running up, drawn by the aroma. "Boss, what kind of breakfast did you make? I'll have one too."
Yu Miaoyin shook her head and said, "I don't sell breakfast." The young man exclaimed "Oh," then looked at the sponge cake in Grandma Chen's hand, "Okay."
Grandma Chen quickly took a bite, afraid that someone would steal her breath.
One left, and another came in, "Boss, give me one..."
Yu Miaoyin had no choice but to repeat, "Sorry, I don't have breakfast here."
He exclaimed "Ah!" just like the young man before, then set his sights on Grandma Chen's chicken cake before reluctantly leaving.
Grandma Chen felt that the sponge cake in her hand was under great threat, so she quickly took another bite.
Aunt Zheng joked, "Boss, you could consider opening a breakfast shop."
Sure enough, it really works. The owner just casually made a sponge cake, and it attracted so many people. But whether it stays open or not depends on the owner's decision. Before long, several more people came into the small restaurant, all asking Yu Miaoyin what kind of breakfast she had.
Yu Miaoyin even wanted to hang a sign outside saying, "This shop does not sell breakfast."
Every time someone came in, everyone would stare at the sponge cake in Grandma Chen's hand. Afraid that her sponge cake wouldn't last long, Grandma Chen quickly took a big bite. Just as she had imagined, the cake was soft yet firm, and the aroma of milk and eggs inside was swallowed together.
Grandma Chen and Aunt Zheng were both amazed. Aunt Zheng said, "This sponge cake smells so good."
After tasting the sponge cake, Grandma Chen couldn't bear to take another big bite; she only took a small one. It was amazing—warm and fluffy. The warmth gave her the feeling of snuggling into a quilt that had been sun-dried all day in winter, or the feeling of tucking her clothes into her pants in winter.
Moreover, this sponge cake isn't dry at all; it's incredibly soft. Aunt Zheng can attest to this: "I've made it before, and my daughter said it was too dry."
When visiting ancestral graves during the Qingming Festival, relatives and friends like to bring homemade sponge cakes. However, no one does it well; they "bite the neck," and after taking a bite, they have to pound their chests twice.
Xiaoyin's creation was soft and springy; "It's delicious."
Everyone praised the chef after each bite, which made Yu Miaoyin happy, and they all enjoyed their meal.
After eating the sponge cake, Aunt Zheng felt full of energy. Outside, birds were chirping. Around 7:30, a super loud athletes' march rang out from Yuncheng No. 1 Middle School.
At this time of day, even the sounds of conversation emanating from the low walls of the school usually carry a hint of drowsiness. After all, they had just finished morning reading and were hoping to catch up on some sleep, but were instead dragged out of bed by the athletes' march to do those dreaded radio calisthenics, which was quite annoying.
But the sounds coming from inside today clearly indicate that everyone's tone is joyful.
Grandma Chen peered inside: "Yi Ling told me that today is the school sports meet at No. 1 Middle School. She said she participated in the high jump and asked me to go over and cheer her on."
During the school sports meet, it is also the school's open day for parents. Parents can register and come in to visit the school and watch the students' athletic performance.
"Is Yiling participating in a competition today?" Yu Miaoyin asked. No wonder these kids were so happy. In high school, the school sports meet and New Year's Eve party were just as anticipated as holidays for these kids.
"No, tomorrow afternoon," Grandma Chen said, explaining that she was going to cheer Yiling on.
"Okay." Yu Miaoyin kept it in mind.
Perhaps because of the school sports meet today, the teachers are not paying attention, and the students have become unruly. It's not even dismissal time yet, and some people have already climbed over the wall of the school to eat at a small restaurant.
"Boss, give me a plate of stir-fried beef noodles." The student in the lead dusted off his school uniform, keeping his good deed a secret.
"Okay." Yu Miaoyin really wanted to ask him if he was alright. The walls of No. 1 High School weren't high, but falling down like that was still a bit painful.
"Brother, are you alright?" someone asked him worriedly.
He coughed twice. "What's the big deal? This is my medal, don't you understand?"
Because of this medal, Yu Miaoyin added extra powder to it.
Actually, it wasn't just them; many people climbed over the low school wall so they could have a hot and delicious meal sooner. There were even a few more bricks on the other side to make things easier for everyone.
That's how teenagers are. Inside the shop, everyone was eating and discussing today's school sports meet, which class had the best results, and which girl was the best. Xu Jiajia watched others slowly accelerate as they ran the 800 meters, and all she felt was envy, as if she was the only one who was exhausted after running the 800 meters.
They then talked about Yiling's project for tomorrow, and the group chatted happily, even those returning to school seemed relaxed and at ease.
In the afternoon, it was shot put and long jump. The playground was filled with cheers. Around 4:30, a group of people looked around to make sure there were no teachers, then ran to the school wall. This group was doing their own "obstacle course." No one knew what delicious food the small restaurant was making, only that the aroma wafting from inside was particularly enticing.
As Xiao Tangbao got off the school bus and walked into her older sister's shop, she saw several people jumping out from the wall of No. 1 Middle School, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, which stunned her.
Once everyone had jumped out, they rushed into the small restaurant.
The older sister came out and took off Xiao Tangbao's schoolbag. "I made a sponge cake. Xiao Tangbao, come and have some."
A group of teenagers heard this and shouted, "Boss lady, can we eat too?"
A girl teased Xiaotangbao, trying to make a deal with her, "Little sister, can you give me your chicken cake? I'll give you ten yuan, okay?"
“I’ll pay twenty yuan to sell it to my brother,” one of the boys said.
"I'm thirty..." It was like an auction, with everyone shouting their names. Hearing this, Xiao Tangbao silently took a bite of her chicken cake to indicate her refusal.
Amidst envious glances from everyone, she quickly popped half a sponge cake into her mouth.
Everyone was just joking. Although they were genuinely envious, they couldn't very well take food from a child. After saying that, they asked expectantly, "Boss lady, what delicious food did you make today?"
"Today we have honey-glazed pork ribs."
Upon hearing this, everyone cheered as if their own class had won the championship.
Xu Jiajia pulled Yi Ling along, with Xiao Du following behind, and the three of them climbed over the wall. "Honey-glazed pork ribs? I want to eat them! I want to eat them!"
Grandma Chen had been craving honey-glazed pork ribs for a long time. Once again, she used the excuse of "I'll treat you to dinner when I have time" to refuse her good friend. She arrived at Xiaoyin's restaurant early and was a little shocked to see Yiling and Jiajia. Wasn't No. 1 Middle School still in session?
Everyone came specifically for her honey-glazed pork ribs. Yu Miaoyin went to the grill, bent down, and took out a whole, uncut rib. The marinade and the juices that seeped out after grilling mingled and slid down, releasing an incredibly tempting aroma. Beneath the dark red skin, droplets of oil sizzled and danced…
Yu Miaoyin hung the honey-glazed pork ribs up like a roast goose. The sight of the whole strip of glistening, dark red ribs was so striking that everyone quickly lined up. Xu Jiajia thought to herself, "This time, climbing over the wall was worth it."
With a swift motion, Yu Miaoyin sliced the meat off the bones, separating the ribs from the firm meat. The first portion was for Xiao Tangbao.
The kindergarten teachers said that Xiaotangbao doesn't eat much during afternoon tea time, which is worrying them. They found out that Xiaotangbao thinks the school food is bad and wants to go home to eat her older sister's cooking.
The kindergarten teachers knew that Xiaotangbao's older sister was the owner of Yu's Restaurant, so they expressed their deepest understanding, since they also wanted to eat the delicious food at Yu's Restaurant.
Little Tangbao carried her special big bowl to the table, and countless eyes stared at her, all looking incredibly hungry.
Xu Jiajia was so tempted that she wanted to gnaw on her own hand. The light above made the honey-glazed pork ribs lying on top of the rice look even more enticing. Xiao Tangbao patted her belly and quickly picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.
Xu Jiajia leaned on Yi Ling's shoulder, avoiding looking at the scene. After all, she was really craving it, and she was afraid that Yi Ling would rush up and snatch Xiao Tang Bao's honey-glazed pork ribs after she got carried away with her appetite.
Several students who had climbed over the wall were also anxiously queuing up. After feeding their classmates all afternoon, they too were starving. When the school bell rang to signal the end of class, a fragrant plate of honey-glazed pork ribs was served from the food counter.
Xu Jiajia felt saved. This honey-glazed pork ribs weren't cheap, but she was willing to pay for something delicious. Everyone else agreed that a higher price was fine; they were paying for the taste. If they thought it was expensive, they could just go to a cheaper, larger-portion rice noodle shop instead of morally blackmailing the owner into thinking it wasn't worth the price. If they could make such delicious food, they should be making lots and lots of money, okay?!
She quickly picked it up and put it in her mouth. It was incredibly noisy outside. The students from No. 1 Middle School knew that Boss Yu had made delicious honey-glazed pork ribs, so they all crowded into the small restaurant, making it impossible to move.
While everyone else was still in line, she had already started eating.
The moment you take a bite, the juices and sauce hidden inside the meat burst open, releasing an even stronger aroma that lingers around your nose. The edge has a slightly caramelized honey flavor from the high temperature, combined with the aroma of oil and charcoal from the high-temperature baking.
She loved eating meat so much that she popped a whole piece of honey-glazed pork rib into her mouth, swirled it around, and then spat out the bone. A large chunk of meat was chewed, its slightly crispy exterior contrasting with its tender, juicy interior. The subtle aroma of caramel and the rich, savory flavor intertwined in her mouth.
"This honey-glazed pork ribs is so delicious." Xu Jiajia said as she ate. She ate quickly and finished a large portion of honey-glazed pork ribs and more than half a bowl of rice in no time.
Grandma loves children who eat heartily. "Would you like some more?" she asked.
"Yes!" Xu Jiajia said. She eats quickly and digests quickly, and soon, with her grandmother's care, she ate two more pieces of honey-glazed pork ribs.
Her favorite part was the tendon clinging to the bone and holding the lean meat together; the juices and honey-like aroma absorbed by the tendon were slowly released with each chew. After grilling, the originally translucent tendon became oily and tender. Xu Jiajia tasted a richer, more fatty aroma in the tendon than in the lean meat, while the slightly charred edges of the tendon added an extra layer of smoky fragrance…
Yu Miaoyin took the last piece of braised pork rib and said to the students who came after her, "There are no more honey-glazed braised pork ribs."
She didn't make much to begin with, and with so many people, it sold out quickly. Hearing this, everyone stayed, even though they had come specifically for the honey-glazed pork ribs. But the other dishes in the small restaurant smelled delicious too, and they were reluctant to leave.
The long queue was quite a sight. When Liu Jiang came out, he regretted not having taken advantage of his position to go earlier.
Lin Xiangwan and Chen Yufei, who were squeezed among the students and dressed so thickly that they could hardly be recognized as human, were exchanging crying emojis on WeChat.
With Aunt Zheng's help, Yu Miaoyin quickly prepared other dishes.
Grandpa Xu arrived late and missed the honey-glazed pork ribs. He only ordered a bowl of pickled noodles. While he was eating the noodles, the noise outside attracted his attention, and he paused in his hand holding the noodles.
Someone returned from gathering intelligence and shared it with a friend, and Grandpa Xu listened intently—
"There seems to be a TV station outside."
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