Chapter Ninety-Two: Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee + Stir-fried Rice Noodle Rolls...
As the weather cools down, a bowl of hot congee with preserved egg and lean pork is just right. Yu Miaoyin lifted the lid of the pot, and the rice grains seemed to burst open, bubbling and churning with the rising bubbles. The dark preserved egg and tender pink shredded pork were also swirling around. Yu Miaoyin sprinkled in a handful of fresh, vibrant green vegetables, adding a touch of color to the congee. She poured in some sesame oil, and a rich aroma wafted out. The presentation and aroma were both top-notch, and Yu Miaoyin took out several bowls.
A gust of cold wind carrying a warm, fragrant aroma swept over, and Jiajia suddenly felt that this illness had been worthwhile.
"Here, have a few sips to warm yourselves up." Yu Miaoyin served the drinks to everyone.
It wasn't time to open the shop yet, so she wasn't busy and could relax and have a bowl of hot porridge. Yu Miaoyin held the bowl and said to Aunt Zheng, "Aunt Zheng, when you're not so busy, come out and have a bowl of porridge to warm yourself up."
"Okay, thank you, Xiaoyin." Aunt Zheng worked even harder.
"It smells so good, thank you, Sister Yin. It's still hot. If I could drink your porridge every time I'm sick, I'd be willing to be sick every day." Jiajia was particularly enjoying the aroma of the preserved egg and lean pork porridge.
"Silly Jiajia, it's so uncomfortable to be sick," Yu Miaoyin said. The rice-to-water ratio of the porridge was just right, thick and smooth. One sip slid from the mouth to the throat, and the whole body felt warm and comfortable.
"It's delicious, and I feel much better from my cold," Jiajia said. The porridge also contains preserved egg and lean meat, and the aroma of both blends perfectly into the porridge, leaving a savory and fragrant taste on the tongue.
"These preserved eggs are delicious too." They don't have a fishy smell. It's strange, Jiajia doesn't like preserved eggs, but she can drink a whole pot of preserved egg and lean pork congee that Sister Ayin makes.
"I bought this preserved egg from Boss Zhao. I also bought the egg yolks I used to make mooncakes for the last Mid-Autumn Festival from her. You can buy them from her if you like." She was happy to have such a good boss.
“I don’t need your cooking skills. Where can I buy it, Sister Ayin?” Jiajia said, picking up the bowl and finishing the porridge in a few bites. She felt warm and cozy, and even the discomfort of her cold was reduced.
In the park.
A group of idle old men were taking pictures of birds with their "long guns and cannons." Qin Youyi was among them. Cooking was his first hobby, and bird photography was his second.
Yuan Jianjun, one of the bird photographers, also squatted on the ground adjusting parameters and half-squatting to find the right angle, as if he only had eyes for the birds. A Northern Redstart flew up to a branch, and Yuan Jianjun pressed the shutter, the continuous "click-click" sound of his camera clicking incessantly until the bird flew away.
"Uncle Yuan, you're here too! Long time no see! Back to photograph birds again?" Qin Youyi waved to Yuan Jianjun from afar after returning from photographing birds.
He and Yuan Jianjun were close friends despite their age difference, and Yuan Jianjun was like a benefactor to Qin Youyi.
More than a decade ago, Yuan Jianjun ate a meal of stir-fried beef noodles at Qin Youyi's breakfast shop, and ever since then, he has come to eat there whenever he has free time. He likes Qin Youyi's cooking skills, especially his stir-fried beef noodles, and occasionally he will invite a few friends to come together.
In addition, they shared common interests, and gradually became acquainted, visiting each other during holidays. One day, Qin Youyi wanted to expand his shop, and Yuan Jianjun lent him over 100,000 yuan without hesitation, which led to the Xianmanlou chain that has now "bloomed everywhere" in Yuncheng.
It can be said that without Yuan Jianjun, there would be no Xianmanlou today.
"Long time no see, Uncle Yuan. Why haven't I seen you eating at Xianmanlou lately?" Because of Yuan Jianjun's generosity, he can eat for free at any Xianmanlou restaurant, even if he brings his ancestors for eighteen generations.
"Oh... this? Well, I've been so busy lately. I've been craving your stir-fried beef noodles, and Yangzi's too. Their cooking is top-notch." Yuan Jianjun touched his nose, feeling guilty.
A few days ago, after eating Mr. Yu's fried rice and feeling completely outclassed, he lost some confidence and even considered becoming Mr. Yu's apprentice to further his studies. Unfortunately, Mr. Yu had no intention of taking on any apprentices.
Fortunately, her longtime customers are still here today, praising her skills.
This was the only thing that comforted Qin Youyi. "Uncle Yuan, you must not have had lunch yet. Why don't you come to my restaurant to eat? I'll be cooking today, and it will definitely taste better than my apprentices' cooking."
Yuan Jianjun rubbed his nose again and exclaimed, "I've been craving it too! I've been wanting your stir-fried beef noodles for so long. No other place can make it taste like yours. But I have an appointment today, I'll come again when I'm free. I have to go now, my old friend has already called me several times..."
As Yuan Jianjun spoke, he walked away, and before he could finish his sentence, he had already dashed off.
Qin Youyi smiled sheepishly and waved at him, thinking to himself, "There are still people who like my stir-fried beef noodles, which proves that I'm not bad at all."
Speaking of food, he was also hungry. He decided to eat at Boss Yu's place today; he still couldn't forget that bowl of egg fried rice.
Around 11 o'clock, He Li brought gifts for Xiao Yin. She also bought a lot of clothes for Xiao Tang Bao according to Xiao Ran's aesthetic sense. Xiao Tang Bao liked them very much and expressed her gratitude to the two of them.
He Li looked at the menu on the wall. It had been a long time since she had been to a small restaurant, and now there were so many new dishes. Today there was stir-fried rice noodle rolls with soy sauce and steamed rice noodle rolls with spare ribs. She wanted to eat them all, but she definitely couldn't finish them all by herself.
However, she has a lovely daughter. He Li negotiated with Xiao Ran: "Baby, you eat the stir-fried rice noodle rolls with soy sauce, and Mommy eats the steamed rice noodle rolls with pork ribs. Then we can switch and eat them, okay? That way we can taste both dishes and there won't be any waste."
"Okay," Xiao Ran said.
In the kitchen, Yu Miaoyin took out the rice noodle rolls and sliced them diagonally into small pieces, releasing the aroma of rice batter. After slicing them, she first made stir-fried rice noodle rolls with soy sauce according to the customers' orders. One pot could make several servings at once, which was convenient.
The oil in the wok was hot. Yu Miaoyin poured in the sliced rice noodle rolls and stir-fried them until golden brown on both sides. Then she poured in her homemade soy sauce. This soy sauce was truly fragrant; she had used it to stir-fry bamboo-pressed noodles before, and the diners all raved about it. The moment the soy sauce touched the hot wok, an extremely intense and rich aroma burst forth with a sizzling sound.
The aroma was irresistible. As soon as Yuan Jianjun opened the shop door, he was greeted by the wonderfully authentic scent of soy sauce. Luckily, he arrived early, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get in line.
The fried rice noodle rolls were exceptionally delicious. Yu Miaoyin tossed them a few times, letting the round rice noodle rolls roll in the pan, coating them with the sauce and aroma, making them increasingly oily and smooth with each stir-fry. The originally translucent rice noodle sheets absorbed the sauce, turning a rich, dark brown color, and the hot aroma grew stronger with each stir-fry, drawing the attention of the diners outside.
Like a giraffe.
Aunt Zheng served rice noodle rolls to customers, while Yu Miaoyin took some time to make steamed pork ribs with rice noodle rolls. She placed the pork ribs, which had been marinated in advance with a mixture of soy sauce and cornstarch, on top of the rice noodle rolls and started steaming them over high heat.
"This smells so good! Baby, bring me a bowl, let's each have half." He Li's eyes were glued to the food. She divided it equally for Xiao Ran. Usually, she would give more to the children, but Xiao Yin's stir-fried rice noodle rolls were so delicious that she couldn't bear to part with them.
After the portions were distributed, He Li quickly picked up her chopsticks and took a big bite. The rolled rice noodle rolls were not loose at all, but because they were a bit slippery, she could only pick up a small piece at a time to eat.
The rich aroma of roasted pork intestines and the steaming heat of soy sauce wafted out from the gaps in the rolled-up rice noodle rolls. She swallowed a piece, and it was still so chewy and bouncy. She ate a small piece, not even swallowing it completely, then picked up another small piece and continued eating, completely satisfied.
It made her want to come back and open her own shop, so that when she got tired of running the shop, she could sit in Xiaoyin's shop, have a meal, and recharge her energy.
Xiao Ran also particularly liked rice noodle rolls. She had eaten rice noodle rolls before, but never rice noodle rolls. She originally thought rice noodle rolls were related to pig intestines, but surprisingly, they had absolutely nothing to do with pig intestines. On the contrary, they were incredibly fragrant.
The child buried her face in the bowl, and greedily stuffed several pieces of rice noodle rolls into her mouth, filling both sides of her mouth until they were bulging before she started chewing.
The outside looks rich and dark brown, and it tastes incredibly fragrant. Even when rolled up, the inside remains moist and flavorful, with the sauce seeping in and the rice flour aroma combining to create an extra layer of deliciousness.
"It's delicious! This is so delicious! Mom, can we buy another one? I'm still not full." Xiao Ran eats quite slowly, but she always eats exceptionally fast when she comes to Xiao Yin's place. Sure enough, she finished a plate of stir-fried rice noodle rolls with soy sauce in no time. The bowl was spotless; if it weren't for the oily sheen, you really couldn't tell it had been used.
"Baby, wait a little longer. There's still steamed pork ribs and rice noodle rolls left. If you eat too much, you won't be able to eat anymore." They were only half full now. If they ordered another serving, they would definitely be full. They would leave the remaining space in their stomachs for the steamed pork ribs and rice noodle rolls.
Xiao Ran nodded. "Okay."
The two had just finished their soy sauce rice noodles when Yuan Jianjun's portion arrived. He had been watching others eat it for a long time, and now he finally got to try it. Ah, it smelled so good! The aroma was simply irresistible. In ancient times, if you were forced to confess something with a plate of rice noodle rolls like this, he would confess to anything.
Despite his craving, he used his last bit of willpower to pull out his camera and take a picture of the rice noodle roll.
After filming, Yuan Jianjun immediately brought the plate to his mouth and began to eat heartily. This way, he could enjoy the fragrant aroma while preventing the rice noodle rolls from slipping off, achieving two goals at once.
After taking a bite of the rice noodle roll, Yuan Jianjun was so impressed by how delicious it was that he briefly forgot his mother's name. The aroma in his mouth was even stronger than the aroma he had smelled. The rice noodle roll was coated with soy sauce and had a slightly crispy outer layer. It was so incredibly fragrant that he couldn't help but stomp his feet.
The outer skin is very flavorful, and the inside isn't bland either. Each layer is delicious in its own way as you bite into it. The outer skin is fried until crispy and fragrant, with an incredibly rich soy sauce. The second layer is slightly less flavorful, but still incredibly delicious. The last layer reveals the natural aroma of the rice noodle roll itself. Because you chew it in large bites, the flavors of the innermost and outermost layers combine perfectly—it's simply amazing!
Yuan Jianjun's phone, which was on the table, kept ringing. He turned it off, a message popped up, and the screen lit up again. He turned it off again, and it lit up again a short while later. After several repetitions, a video call came in from the other end, the sound echoing throughout the small restaurant.
"You old geezer, how many years has it been since you last ate?"
The moment the call connected, Yuan Jianjun was still eating rice noodle rolls with gusto, his mouth glistening with oil, looking as if he hadn't eaten in years.
This is Liang Yusheng, one of Yuan Jianjun's good friends. He was sick and bored in the hospital, so he kept calling his friends to bother them.
Yuan Jianjun, who was being harassed, snorted: "What do you know? This is Boss Yu's stir-fried rice noodle roll. You've never had it before and you're just jealous of me."
Liang Yusheng snorted. Although he didn't approve of his friend's way of eating, he was indeed attracted by the soy sauce fried rice noodle rolls in front of him. Plus, he was in the hospital and his mouth was practically dry. Seeing such a plate of rice noodle rolls, it would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted.
But he could never show it. Liang Yusheng said, "What good stuff is this? What good food can such a shabby little restaurant cook? Old Yuan, can you send me some food? My daughter feeds me plain porridge every day, I can't stand it."
"What do you want to eat?" Yuan Jianjun was about to name the dishes at the small restaurant when Liang Yusheng quickly spoke up, "Go to Xianmanlou and buy me a plate of stir-fried beef noodles, and also pack a plate of the stir-fried pig intestine noodles you ate."
As soon as Qin Youyi pushed the door open, he heard the voice of Grandpa Yuan, who had just told him that he would come to his place for dinner when he had time. Moreover, Grandpa Yuan said something that was extremely hurtful to Qin Youyi.
"If you don't eat at Xianmanlou today, let me tell you, this restaurant is miles ahead of Xianmanlou. I've been eating here every day lately, you're missing out."
Qin Youyi: TT
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