Chapter Ninety-Four Radish Cake
Chen Xi talked to him a lot, and finally, Liu Yi agreed to give Chen Xi his address. He said he wanted to try the food at the small restaurant and the bamboo-pressed noodles made by Chen Xi's father.
The two had the same IP address. After obtaining the other person's address, Chen Xi realized that he was also from Yuncheng. Fearing that he might do something rash, she immediately expedited the delivery.
As luck would have it, after Chen Xi told her father about this, her father went to the small restaurant. Unfortunately, the restaurant didn't have anything that could be mailed, but coincidentally, the owner, Mr. Yu, made radish cakes.
After learning the whole story, Yu Miaoyin sealed the radish cake she had made and gave it to Chen Xi's father, asking him to send it to that person as soon as possible.
"This...sigh, please don't do anything rash. If you really don't have money for treatment, I can donate a few hundred yuan through a fundraising campaign," Grandma said. "There are still many things to look forward to in this world, such as delicious food. I think he will definitely find hope in life after eating the radish cake that Xiaoyin made."
"I hope so," Yu Miaoyin said softly. At first, some people said that eating her cooking could bring back hope for life, and Yu Miaoyin thought it was an exaggeration. Now that she thinks about it, if it really works, then she has truly done a great deed.
Xiao Tangbao leaned against Yu Miaoyin, her entire weight resting on her. Yu Miaoyin patted her head and asked, "Why are you so thin?"
Soon, Xiao Tangbao jumped up and touched her round face, "Aren't you chubby?"
"You're so thin, have some radish cake." Yu Miaoyin gave her the radish cake she had made; it was still warm.
“Grandma is coming to eat too,” Yu Miaoyin said.
Grandma, who had just been pondering the meaning of life, immediately responded, "The meaning of life? Radish cake is the meaning of my life!"
Radish cake is sweet, fragrant, and has the aroma of rice. If you smell it carefully, you will first smell the aroma of the steamed rice flour, followed by the sweet and salty aroma of the dried shrimp and sausage embedded on the radish cake, and a faint radish fragrance.
Grandma had made this kind of pastry before, but Xiaoyin's version was far superior in terms of appearance. She was amazed by the taste after just one small bite; it was soft, chewy, and the sausage and dried shrimp inside made the flavor even richer.
"I'll fry it up, it'll taste even better." Yu Miaoyin left with the radish cake.
Grandma and Xiaotangbao are both looking forward to it. The taro cake that Xiaoyin made last time was also pan-fried and smelled very good.
First, a sizzling sound came from the pan, followed by a fragrant aroma. Yu Miaoyin brought out the fried radish cake, and both of them stared wide-eyed.
"It smells even better after being pan-fried, Xiaoyin is amazing." The radish cake, which was originally as white as jade, now has a thin layer of yellowish-brown charred edges.
"I really want to take a big bite!" Xiao Tangbao said expectantly. Yu Miaoyin nodded and said that it tastes better when it's hot, so the three of them each took a piece.
The added crispy texture makes it even more delicious. The outside is fragrant with a smoky aroma, while the inside is soft and chewy. The salty and savory flavors of dried shrimp and the sweet aroma of Chinese sausage burst forth from these flavors. It's exceptionally delicious, and both Grandma and Xiaotangbao love it.
Little Tangbao, who had just said she was going to take a big bite, actually only took a tiny bite. She was too reluctant to finish such a delicious thing in one big bite, and was quite satisfied with just a small bite.
This radish cake is perfectly fried, crispy but not burnt, oily but not greasy—it's perfect in every way. The outside is crispy and crunchy, while the inside is soft and chewy. The sausage and dried shrimp are fully incorporated into the cake, and the aroma becomes even more intense when you bite into the sausage and shrimp.
"Xiaoyin, I still have some radishes over there. I'll get them for you later." She only felt at ease giving the radishes to Xiaoyin, because only Xiaoyin would not let them down.
After returning home, Grandma took all the radishes in the house to Xiaoyin and let her decide what to cook with them.
Yu Miaoyin nodded, "Then I'll make it and bring it over for you to try. Thank you for the radish, Grandma."
—
Because they were in the same city and the shipment was expedited, Liu Yi received the bamboo-pressed noodles and radish cake that evening from Chen Xi, along with notes from Yu Miaoyin and Chen Xi. Chen Xi had written a long letter to encourage him, telling him that there were still many warm, beautiful, and hopeful things in the world.
He received many similar warm words of encouragement from the wonton shop owner, from doctors, and even from complete strangers. He understood that there were many beautiful things in this world, but he couldn't feel them; he felt that these beautiful things had nothing to do with him.
Liu Yi thanked Chen Xi on Weibo for sending him radish cake and bamboo-pressed noodles. Chen Xi quickly replied, telling him to try them and give her feedback.
Since he hadn't eaten dinner yet, he opened the package of radish cake.
As soon as he opened the package, the aroma of radish cake, with its subtle sweet and salty scent, made him pause. The fragrance transported him back to his grandmother's side. His grandmother also made radish cake, and he knew she was making it whenever he smelled this aroma.
It was like going back to his childhood, eating radish cakes made by his grandmother while watching cartoons. He couldn't remember what the cartoons were about, but he did remember that he was happy and carefree at that time.
Thinking of his grandmother and his childhood, he quickly opened the radish cake. Yu Miaoyin had also written a note with tips on how to fry the radish cake. Liu Yi followed Yu Miaoyin's instructions and fried the radish cake until both sides were golden brown. He didn't care that it was hot and just picked it up with his hands to eat.
The first bite is a warm, caramelized aroma and a hint of oil, followed by the flavor of rice milk that quickly fills the mouth. Finally, the salty and sweet notes of dried shrimp and sausage create a perfect balance. He couldn't wait to grab a second one after finishing one. The texture is both firm and soft, becoming more fragrant with each chew.
Liu Yi finished all the radish cakes; they were so delicious. Time beautifies memories, and he thought his grandmother's radish cakes were just as good. But he also knew clearly that someone who could make radish cakes like this was definitely not an ordinary cook.
It was delicious. The radish cake whetted his appetite, and he also cooked himself a bowl of bamboo-pressed noodles with a poached egg. The bamboo-pressed noodles were chewy and had a fragrant egg flavor. He thought it was delicious too, so he quickly sent a message to Chen Xi saying that he really liked radish cake and bamboo-pressed noodles.
The radish cake and bamboo-pressed noodles were both delicious. Thank you so much!
Chen Xi looked at the message cautiously and asked, "See? I told you there are many wonderful things in this world, and delicious food is one of them. I often ate at this restaurant when I was undergoing chemotherapy. I was thinking that I must get well soon so I could eat even more delicious food."
Liu Yi replied: "Yeah, I was thinking of leaving sooner, but then I realized it would be a waste to leave now. I need to eat more so I don't starve. I've thought about getting medical treatment, but I don't have much money. While I can still eat, I'll eat as much good food as possible [laughs]."
Chen Xi stared at the message for a long time without replying. She understood that it wasn't just illness that was troubling people, but also money. There were far too many people in hospitals who chose to give up treatment because they couldn't afford the medical costs.
Liu Yi also likes to post on Weibo, although he doesn't get much traffic or comments, but he feels that it is the only proof of his existence in this world.
Brave and resilient: [Today I received radish cake and bamboo-pressed noodles from a very kind girl. She told me she bought the radish cake from a small restaurant called Yu Ji, and the bamboo-pressed noodles were made by her father. They were both delicious. It's a pity I don't have long to live, and each time I eat them is one less time I can enjoy them, but I'm still very grateful to this girl and hope she recovers soon.]
After posting on Weibo, Liu Yi didn't look at his phone again.
Chen Xi stared at his reply for a long time. She wanted to do something for him, but she didn't know what she could do.
Before closing the shop in the afternoon, Yu Miaoyin received a piece of pork belly delivered by the pork stall owner.
"What should we make tomorrow? I think this pork belly is so good; using it will bring out the best in this fine pork belly."
"I'm making braised pork rice," Yu Miaoyin said. She told Xiaotangbao to go home first, while she stayed at the shop to make the braised pork. The braised pork, which had been soaking overnight, was sure to be delicious.
"Okay." The pork stall owner drove away on his motorcycle. She wished she could wake up at noon so she could go to Boss Yu's shop for a delicious braised pork rice.
Yu Miaoyin put the prepared spice packet into the braising pot, then added the prepared meat. After caramelizing the sugar, the braised meat looked extremely tempting. After simmering over low heat, Yu Miaoyin turned on the keep-warm mode to let the pork belly soak in the braising liquid, making the flavor even richer.
After returning home, she went to bed early. The next morning, she got up to check on the braised meat. As soon as she lifted the lid, Yuan Jianjun quietly walked in. "Boss, what are you making? It smells so good!"
"This is the braised pork I made; there will be braised pork rice today."
Yuan Jianjun scratched his head. He really wanted to ask Boss Yu why he couldn't buy breakfast. Before, he could get up at six in the morning to photograph birds, and if Boss Yu opened at five in the morning, he could get up at four for breakfast.
Never underestimate the determination of a foodie.
Yu Miaoyin saw through his thoughts. "I don't make breakfast here. Grandpa, why don't you go out and have breakfast before you come back? We'll have braised pork rice for lunch today."
Yuan Jianjun nodded, turning back every three steps, before finally leaving. While photographing the birds, he was still preoccupied with his braised pork rice, and was unusually distracted. Perhaps the birds sensed it, because as he was taking pictures, he suddenly felt something warm on his hand. He touched it, and it was sticky!
Upon closer inspection, good heavens, it was bird droppings.
After wiping it off with a tissue, Yuan Jianjun quietly changed his profile picture to one of the same pomelo leaf as his daughter's, to ward off bad luck.
Fortunately, after much anticipation, eleven o'clock finally arrived, and he packed up his gear and headed to the small restaurant.
Jiajia doesn't have this problem. On holidays and weekends, she can sleep until one or two in the afternoon. But because she misses the food that Sister Ayin makes, she sets an alarm for herself. After washing up, she rides her electric scooter to a small restaurant to eat.
The first person to arrive was Grandpa Xu, who had the advantage of being there at the right time and place. Sitting in a chair in the small restaurant, Grandpa Xu kept sending messages to Grandpa Sun.
"I used to think my location was bad because I wouldn't get any sleep when all those kids from No. 1 Middle School got up to study. But now I really appreciate it. I can eat Xiaoyin's cooking as soon as I step out of the door. It's priceless."
"Old Sun, why aren't you coming to eat? Is the food bad?"
In short, Grandpa Xu's message was so annoying that not only Grandpa Sun on the other side of the screen wanted to beat him up, but Qin Jianjun also wanted to beat him up.
After sitting down and ordering his food, Qin Jianjun quietly opened a rental app to see if there were any suitable apartments for rent in the area.
"Dinner's here! Grandpa Xu is just as punctual as Jiajia every day," Yu Miaoyin joked, serving Grandpa Xu braised pork rice.
Jiajia, whose name was called, glanced at the familiar old man, and Grandpa Xu also looked at the familiar young girl. The two smiled at each other, achieving a silent, friendly exchange typical of foodies.
The meat was braised in advance, so the meal was served quickly; in no time, the braised pork rice for three people was ready.
Just as Grandpa Xu was about to eat, his eyes were drawn to a daily news article about Yuncheng that was pushed to his phone.
The reason is simple: this news is related to Yu's Restaurant.
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