Chapter Seven: Braised Noodles with Pork Belly and Green Beans
Xiao Du didn't even blink as he watched Yu Miaoyin flip the noodles, which were soaked in broth, up with a pair of chopsticks. Even the dark brown, glistening pork belly and the wrinkled, tiger-skin-like green beans were flipped up as well.
The steaming aroma wafted into Xiao Du's nose as he stirred and poured the food into the bowl. He was hungry from the sight and smell!
Xiao Du swallowed hard. "Help! It smells so good!"
"Eat up, it's still hot." Yu Miaoyin handed the bowl out, smiling as she spoke to Xiao Du, who looked as if he was in a daze.
Xiao Du gave a blank "hmm," admitting that he was indeed stunned by the aroma!
He carefully carried the bowl to the table, the aroma wafting all the way. The eyes of the diners still in line were glued to it. The high school students, whose eyes were blurred from being overwhelmed by their homework, felt their intestines twist in pain when they saw this braised green bean noodles.
As soon as he sat down, he eagerly picked up a large mouthful and put it in his mouth. The thick, sticky sauce coated the noodles, but they weren't dry or greasy; each strand was distinct and chewy. The pork belly was perfectly marbled with fat and lean meat, bursting with flavor, while the green beans were soft yet slightly chewy.
He really didn't want to put down his chopsticks; this braised noodles with green beans was so delicious! He ate more than half of the noodles in a few bites before reluctantly taking out his phone, which was constantly vibrating in his pocket.
Yuncheng No.1 Middle School does not allow students to bring mobile phones, but most people defy the rule, and the teachers turn a blind eye. As long as it does not affect their studies, bringing mobile phones is not a problem.
Xiao Du often keeps his phone in his pocket.
He took it out, quickly turned on Do Not Disturb, and then opened the WeChat group chat.
Group chat messages——
The most handsome man in No. 1 Middle School: @DuChenyang Why didn't you come to play basketball today?
The nemesis of Chinese and English: Damn, you're the only one left. Are you going to get punished by Lao Jiang by standing in the corner?
Xiao Du quickly typed a reply:
Du Chenyang: I'm eating. I'm not going to play basketball here anymore. The food at the new restaurant across from the school is so delicious.
The most handsome man in the school: ? ? ?
The nemesis of Chinese and English: ? ? ?
This is so annoying! When will the school explode?!
After checking and confirming that he had turned on Do Not Disturb and airplane mode, Xiao Du quickly put his phone into his pocket.
He didn't even want to look at his phone; he just wanted to taste the noodles.
He picked up a strand of noodles with his chopsticks, the sauce dripping down the sides, interspersed with green beans and pork belly. The layers of flavor exploded in his mouth, a myriad of tastes. He didn't usually like green beans, but the ones at this shop tasted so delicious he couldn't bear to pick them out.
After finishing the entire bowl of noodles, Xiao Du patted his stomach contentedly, feeling very full. This nameless little shop served such generous portions and the food was delicious; was the owner running a charity?
Thinking that the homework for each subject during evening self-study would drain his energy and starve him, Xiao Du felt he would faint from hunger if he didn't eat some snacks, so he always kept some snacks in his desk drawer.
He happened to be eating at a small restaurant today, and the tea eggs there were so delicious that he couldn't resist buying six to have as a late-night snack.
Xiao Du took six tea eggs and walked out, saying goodbye to Yi Ling and Xu Jiajia, "I'm leaving now, bye-bye."
"Okay, bye-bye." The two said goodbye to Xiao Du.
Xu Jiajia, Yi Ling, and Xiao Tangbao sat together and chatted with her. The two of them ate a little slower than Xiao Tangbao, and since Xiao Tangbao's portion was small, she finished her meal quickly.
Watching her two older sisters eat so earnestly, Xiao Tangbao felt inexplicably a little proud.
Then, their gazes shifted to the two women's wrists. Little Tangbao's mouth opened slightly in shock; both of her older sisters were so thin.
Thinking about it, I unconsciously looked at my own hands for comparison.
My older sister's wrists seem as thin as hers! But she's still young, and her sister is much older. Why is her sister so thin? Is the school food bad? Or will high school food be unpalatable?
Little Tangbao asked in a low voice, "Sister, is the food in high school not good? You two are so thin!"
Yi Ling and Xu Jiajia exchanged a glance. Xu Jiajia said with a look of utter despair, "The food in high school was never good!"
When Xiao Tangbao heard this, she felt sorry for her two older sisters.
She had heard her older sister Yiling say before that going to high school was like locking a group of strangers in a room for three years, making them learn a lot of knowledge, and that the school wasn't free. Most importantly, the school food was terrible.
When Xiao Tangbao heard this, she immediately thought, "No, no, no. Everyone needs to eat to grow, and they must eat delicious and fragrant food to be a happy child."
She exclaimed "Ah!" and asked softly, "I think the food at our kindergarten is delicious. Is the food at your sister's school not as good as ours?"
Xu Jiajia nodded frantically, sobbing, "It tastes terrible. We high school students have it so hard. We sleep later than dogs, get up earlier than chickens, and eat worse than pigs."
Xiao Tangbao was stunned. Just as she was about to say something to comfort him, she heard Xu Jiajia chuckle, "But now your sister has opened a shop near our No. 1 Middle School, and this shop is my motivation for going to school every day! I hope your sister will keep running it forever, otherwise I'll lose my spiritual support when I go to high school!"
Hearing Xu Jiajia say that, Xiao Tangbao smiled happily, as if she had been praised as well. Xiao Tangbao felt as if a little red flower had appeared on her forehead, so she unconsciously raised her head and giggled, saying, "Big sister's cooking is especially delicious, and I feel so happy too. I'm the happiest child!"
Xu Jiajia couldn't agree more, nodding vigorously, "We also really want to be your older sister's younger sister!"
She wished she could eat such delicious food every day!
"What are you saying?" Yu Miaoyin had a moment to herself, walked over to Xiao Tangbao, and gently touched Xiao Tangbao's face with her hand. "Are you full? Do you want to eat some more?"
Xiao Tangbao handed her clean bowl to Yu Miaoyin, then patted her little tummy. "I'm a little full, but I still want to eat the braised pork that my older sister makes, so I need to save some room for the braised pork."
Xu Jiajia finished the last bite of noodles, looking aggrieved. "Boss, I was just thinking about how I can become your little sister. I also want to eat braised pork!"
Amused by her words, Yu Miaoyin chuckled, reached out and touched the leg that was hugging her, tilted her head back and blinked at Xiao Tangbao's head, and said regretfully, "I probably can't be one anymore, but if nothing unexpected happens, I will continue to open here at Yuncheng No.1 Middle School. If you like, you can come and eat here more often."
Hearing Yu Miaoyin say that, Xu Jiajia felt relieved, but then prayed frantically in her heart, hoping that nothing unexpected would happen! Otherwise, how would she get through high school?
"By the way, boss, why doesn't your shop have a sign?" Xu Jiajia asked. She always wanted to recommend this shop to her classmates, but she could never remember its name.
Yu Miaoyin thought for a moment and said, "I'll put up a sign for the small restaurant once I've saved up more money."
When she transmigrated, the original owner had almost no money left after paying for her aunt's medical treatment. Fortunately, her aunt had left behind a small restaurant; otherwise, she really wouldn't know what to do.
Now, her small restaurant is doing quite well. After deducting the cost of ingredients, labor, and various other expenses, she can earn a considerable amount of money every day, at least more than she would have earned working a regular job.
Xu Jiajia was even more concerned about the shop's situation than Yu Miaoyin. As she left, she repeatedly said, "Boss, you absolutely have to stay open until I graduate high school! Even after I graduate, you still have to stay open! I'll definitely come back to eat here!!!"
"Okay." Yu Miaoyin couldn't help but laugh as she looked at her fans' enthusiastic support.
After most of the high school students had left, Yu Miaoyin tidied up the kitchen and then went back to cook something delicious for Xiaotangbao.
Little Tangbao is still like a little adult, wiping the table with a rag and straightening the chair.
Just as Yu Miaoyin put the bowls into the sink, she heard footsteps.
A woman arrived, her hair tied back, dressed casually, and carrying a canvas bag. Although there was nothing written on her face, Yu Miaoyin instinctively assumed she was a teacher, and a Chinese language teacher at that.
Yu Miaoyin was right; Teacher Li was indeed a teacher, but she taught English.
Teacher Li glanced at the small restaurant; it was clean, hygienic, spacious, and bright, and most importantly, the aroma wafting from it was wonderful.
After grading homework all afternoon and attending meetings for half a day, Ms. Li went from being so angry that she was half full to being so hungry that she was dizzy. When she came out of the school gate, she smelled the delicious aroma outside and could hardly walk away.
"What else is there now?" Teacher Li asked, placing the canvas bag on the table.
"All we have left is braised noodles with green beans. Would you like to try it?"
"Okay." After saying that, Teacher Li thought to herself, she had just smelled a very fragrant tea egg in the air. Could it be that she was just imagining things because she had been hungry for too long?
Yu Miaoyin went back to the kitchen and ladled out a large portion of braised noodles with green beans for her. Boss Li had just been complaining to her colleagues in the group chat, saying that the essays written by these students were all hilarious and were really making her angry.
Mr. Li listed the students' various crimes in the group chat, becoming more and more agitated as he typed, feeling his anger rising again.
"Your noodles." With a soft voice, Teacher Li looked up and saw the braised noodles with green beans, and all her anger vanished.
The noodles smell so good... The first thing that wafts into your nostrils is the rich, fatty aroma of stir-fried pork belly, mixed with the savory flavor of dark soy sauce. The taste is even better; the pork belly fat coats the noodles, making them moist and flavorful, while the fresh aroma of green beans bursts forth with each chew, creating layers of flavor that spread across your tongue.
"Boss, you just opened your shop, right?" Teacher Li swallowed the noodles into her mouth, savoring the crispness of the green beans and the tenderness of the pork belly, as various aromas burst on her tongue.
Why didn't she usually find the food outside the school so delicious? Did those kids get to eat such good food every day? She should have gone with them to find food.
“Yes, it just opened a few days ago,” Yu Miaoyin said.
Teacher Li nodded twice and couldn't help but praise, "Your noodles are especially delicious."
"I'm glad you like it," Yu Miaoyin said.
During her spare time, Teacher Li took a quick look at her work group chat.
Math teacher Wang: I don't have this problem. Those students who don't know how to write it out just copy a solution.
Chinese teacher Chen: I correct the essays. Those students' imaginations and ideas are truly boundless and wonderful, and each essay is 800 words long!
As they chatted, the conversation turned to food again.
Seeing everyone enthusiastically discussing which restaurant was good, Teacher Chen said that a new restaurant had opened near Happiness Square and the food was pretty good, but the price was a bit expensive.
Teacher Wang also said it was delicious.
Teacher Li slurped up a mouthful of noodles and replied—
English teacher Li: There's a newly opened shop across from the school gate that sells incredibly delicious noodles!
Several teachers looked at the food across from the school and wondered what good food it could possibly be. But they still replied that they would try it next time.
Ms. Li just wanted to eat her noodles while they were hot, so she stopped checking the group messages and simply turned off her phone, eating her noodles in big mouthfuls.
Students and homework are none of her business!
All she wanted to do was finish her bowl of noodles!
A note from the author:
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