Chapter Sixty-Seven: Claypot Rice with Pork Ribs and Sausage. In the comments section, many people said they wanted to come to Yuncheng to take photos with Yang Churuo and eat at small restaurants in Yuncheng.
Yang Churuo thought to herself that her waiting list was already stretched to the brim, but she smiled and thought, "It feels so good to be able to make money."
Yu Miaoyin only found out in the afternoon that her shop had been posted online. Xiao Tangbao was watching the video that Sister Yunhe had taken on her phone.
"This little sister looks like she's enjoying her food so much!" Kindergarten teachers love children like this. Many kids are picky eaters, which is so frustrating for the teachers. She's a good little girl who eats well, and the teachers all adore her.
Xiao Tangbao thought, if her older sister were the head chef at the kindergarten, all the children there would surely eat as well as the older sister on the screen!
She's still young and doesn't recognize many words, but she can understand what people are saying, like "delicious," "I really want to eat," "fragrant," and "so fragrant."
Her lips curved into a smile, it seems many people like her, and many have seen her, more than dozens of kindergarten children, it's amazing.
Yunhe came to the small restaurant for lunch again in the afternoon. When Xiaotangbao looked up, she saw the older sister in the screen walk out of the screen, which she found even more amazing.
"Boss, here's the stove you ordered." A tall man driving a tricycle stopped in front of the door and called out to Yu Miaoyin.
“Okay.” Yu Miaoyin came out to look at the stove, and Grandma Chen and Grandpa Xu also curiously walked outside.
"Wow, what a big stove! What is Xiaoyin going to do with it?" When Grandpa Xu saw the stove, he thought of a bunch of delicious food: roast suckling pig, roast goose, roast duck, and all kinds of roasted meats, roast pigeon, and so on.
Each one smelled so delicious it made people drool; Grandpa Xu was so excited by his own imagination that he cried.
Yu Miaoyin was inspecting the stove when she heard this and replied, "I wanted to make some roast meats or roast goose, and I just happened to find a suitable stove, so I bought it."
She acquired this stove from a closed-down roast meat shop; it's comparable to the pot she uses to boil tea eggs—both were passed down from one person to another.
When Grandpa Xu heard it was roast goose, his mouth started watering. "Okay, when are you going to make it? I definitely want to come and eat it."
He's been craving this roast goose so much. If Xiaoyin makes it, what will happen? He'll be insanely hungry for it.
Grandma Chen and the other diners were very excited when they heard this. Yu Miaoyin said, "I think I'll be making it during the National Day holiday. You can come over if you want to eat it."
Grandma Chen and Grandpa Xu lived quite close to the small restaurant. The aroma of whatever delicious food the restaurant was making could waft right to their doorstep, and the two of them would secretly smile to themselves.
Hearing that the boss could make roast goose, everyone was very excited, and the Yunhe live stream also picked up the audio, making everyone watching the live stream start to crave it.
Yunhe also said, "It seems I have to stay at the small restaurant every day for the next few days, otherwise I won't have any to eat if the owner makes some delicious roast goose or something."
I've already booked my high-speed train to Yuncheng, and I'm here to check out the little restaurant Xiaohe recommended!
I really want to go, but alas, I'm just a brick, meant to be moved wherever needed.
[I will never give up eating at Yu's Little Restaurant!!!]
Yunhe looked at the first comment: "Welcome! If you see me, I'll treat you to dinner."
Thank you, Xiaohe!
After checking the furnace's seal, refractory layer, air ducts, and other components, and confirming that everything was in order, Yu Miaoyin nodded and said, "Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome, you're welcome. Come have some tea sometime." The man waved his hand and, before leaving, glanced at the sign of the small restaurant one last time. He had heard many people say that the food at this restaurant was delicious, but he didn't know if it was true.
Xiao Tangbao and Xiao Ran are both going on holiday, so the two girls are especially happy. Xu Jiajia, however, still has to attend evening self-study sessions, and the evening self-study sessions close to the holiday are the hardest to endure. She can only think about the holiday and can't concentrate on her homework.
Xu Jiajia felt that even the dogs outside were freer than high school students like them who had to attend evening self-study sessions.
"My older sister made claypot rice today, Jiajia, cheer up!" Xiaotangbao said.
"There's claypot rice!" Xu Jiajia exclaimed in surprise, bursting into laughter. "How could I not be happy? I'm super, super happy! I love claypot rice so much!"
Xu Jiajia glanced at the menu and realized that this was no ordinary claypot rice; it was pork rib and sausage claypot rice.
In the kitchen, sliced and diced cured sausages were laid flat on top of cooked rice with a few holes poked in it. After the aroma of the ribs and sausages was released, a ring of oil was drizzled around the edge of the casserole.
"It smells so good! Forgive me for studying so late at night." Xu Jiajia said to Yiling, "I want to study with you during the National Day holiday, and you have to keep an eye on me!"
When good friends come to visit, Yiling will definitely welcome them warmly. "Okay."
Xiao Du scratched his head, "Hehe, when it's mealtime, I'm going to eat here too."
"The claypot rice is here!" Aunt Zheng warmly brought over the claypot rice. Her daughter was also there, and seeing her daughter chatting happily with another girl, she felt a warmth in her heart.
The irresistible aroma of the claypot rice with spare ribs wafted out from the cracks in the clay pot, making one's mouth water. Xu Jiajia could even smell the aroma of fermented black beans. Hot claypot rice is definitely best eaten while it's still hot.
Xu Jiajia quickly opened the lid, and a plume of steam rose up, releasing an even richer aroma. Inside the claypot rice were vibrant green vegetables, and the high temperature had rendered out the oil from the sausage and ribs, giving them a glistening sheen—one a striking contrast of red and white, the other a rich, dark brown.
What's even more amazing is that Xu Jiajia used a spoon to pry the edge, and a whole piece of golden and crispy rice crust was turned out.
"This rice crust smells so good, Sister Ayin is amazing." It's incredible that she can make rice crust smell so good.
In Xu Jiajia's eyes, Sister Ayin's level of excellence is equivalent to that of the top scorer in the joint examination of eight provinces.
Xu Jiajia crushed the rice crust and mixed it with the rice and sausage. The fat from the sausage seemed to have melted and seeped into the rice, making the fat translucent. It smelled amazing.
Xu Jiajia swallowed hard several times before starting to eat. Her teeth touched the crispy rice crust, golden and crunchy, with a smoky aroma from the wok. It was coated with the oil from the sausage and the sauce from the ribs, making it both crispy and chewy. Even the rice was coated with the oily fragrance.
Xu Jiajia picked up a piece of pork rib and began to taste it. The rib was marinated and then braised at high temperature, and the aroma of fermented black beans permeated it very well. The meat was tender and easy to separate from the bone, with a rich meaty flavor.
Compared to the chestnut and sausage rice, this has a different flavor. They are both delicious in their own way. The chestnut and sausage rice features sweet and sticky chestnuts complementing the salty and savory sausage, while the pork rib and sausage claypot rice combines the aroma of meat with the savory flavor of the marinated sauce.
Xiao Tangbao watched Jiajia eat and thought that Jiajia's eating tasted just as good as the food the older sister on the screen was eating.
The aroma wafting from the hot claypot rice with pork ribs and sausage is simply irresistible; anyone who's undecided will turn around and head into the small restaurant at the mere smell of it.
Yunhe is also live-streaming her meal with everyone. As she eats, she praises, "These ribs are so fragrant, I don't even want to throw away the bones. The crispy rice inside is incredibly crunchy, and it tastes amazing when paired with the chewy rice."
"When making claypot rice, a layer of oil is poured on top, but because the ribs and sausages are quite oily, this layer of crispy rice absorbs the meaty aroma, making it crispy yet moist. The sausages are very fragrant, no wonder the locals in Yuncheng love to eat them. Although they are made with diced fatty pork, they are not greasy at all."
"Some friends know about the fascia attached to the bone; it's super delicious," Yunhe said while eating, her description prompting a flurry of comments from her viewers on the other side of the screen.
Please, just give me a bite. I'll do anything except betray my country.
"Actually, it tastes even better. I can't find any words to describe it. Everyone must try it for themselves." The rice, crispy rice, and sausage all combine to create an explosion of flavor in your mouth. It's incredibly delicious and addictive.
Yunhe's words made everyone even more eager for the food at the small restaurant.
The people in line were also very tempted by Yunhe's description. After all, who wouldn't be tempted by such a big pot of hot, oily claypot rice? That person must be someone who can achieve great things, with such great self-control.
Around six o'clock, the high school students had to go back for evening self-study. Xu Jiajia, who had eaten a full meal, strolled back slowly with Yiling by the arm, as if digesting her food.
The customers had changed, and the pork rib claypot rice was particularly popular, selling out quickly. Fortunately, Yu Guang was lucky enough to snag the last serving.
Yu Guang smiled victoriously and sent a message in the family group chat.
His mother urged him to come home quickly, full of anticipation.
Claypot rice tastes best when it's hot and fresh out of the pot. After sending the message, Yu Guang put on his helmet, got on his electric scooter, and drove inside.
"Xiaoming, Dad will be back soon." Mom knocked on the door. "Dad bought claypot rice."
Xiao Ming put the books away and replied, "Okay."
We were just talking about claypot rice, and here it is! Yu Guang was carrying the claypot rice, still wearing his helmet. His mother laughed at him, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Of course." Yu Guang put down the three claypot rice dishes, took off his helmet, and called Xiao Ming to come out and eat.
The two received a message from their homeroom teacher saying that Xiaoming had started studying hard again, and they were incredulous when they saw the photo. However, they both agreed that Xiaoming had been possessed.
This is not their son.
The three sat in a staggered manner. Mealtime is a good opportunity for family heart-to-heart talks, but neither Yu Guang nor his mother liked to lecture people at the dinner table. So they could only speak tactfully, in a tone and words that would not offend their son, "Xiaoming, if you don't want to study, then don't. We'll choose a good major and school, and you can still have a bright future."
Yu Guang nodded, "Yes, yes, you can go to whichever school you want. Your parents will support you. If you don't get into high school, you don't have to. Just experience it."
Xiao Ming chewed on the fragrant claypot rice, the rich flavor of fermented black beans faintly appearing in his mouth, while the more intense and obvious aromas of sausage and spare ribs exploded in layers in his mouth.
He looked up and saw Xiaoming, who was reluctant to leave the food at the small restaurant, say, "Dad, Mom, I want to take the entrance exam for the No. 1 Middle School."
Mr. Yu coughed after taking a sip of water. Mrs. Yu reached out and touched his head. "You don't have a fever, do you?"
"No, I'm serious."
Since their son said so, the two of them naturally supported him. "Okay, Xiaoming, we're happy that you think this way, but it's okay if you don't pass the exam. You can do whatever you want."
Yu Guang said this, but in his heart he was already overjoyed. After all, his son was determined to get into the top high school. How touching!
"I will definitely get into No. 1 High School, I'm not kidding," Xiaoming said, his enthusiasm and determination resembling that of a teenage boy shouting a slogan.
"Can you tell your mother why?" Yu's mother was genuinely curious. How could someone who was addicted to games and even skipped classes say something like, "I want to get into the top high school"?
"Because the food at that little restaurant across from No. 1 Middle School is so delicious, I want to eat there every day."
"???" Three question marks popped into their heads, but after taking a bite of the food, they didn't find it strange anymore. After all, who wouldn't want to eat such delicious food every day?
Yu's mother said, "If you really get into the top high school, we'll give you two thousand yuan for meals, and we'll reimburse you for the rest of your expenses, such as books, daily necessities, clothes, and shoes. Is that okay?"
Yu Guang quickly added, "Yes, yes, we mean what we say."
"Okay." Xiaoming, who was already full of motivation, was now even more excited, wishing he could memorize another five hundred words right away.
The wind was a bit chilly at the end of September, but Yu Guang felt his blood boiling with excitement. He sent a message to Xiao Ming's homeroom teacher—
Yu Guang: Hello, Xiaoming's homeroom teacher. Xiaoming used to skip classes all the time, and we parents felt we hadn't done a good enough job, which only caused you trouble. In short, we are very sorry. You mentioned these past few days that you've seen Xiaoming studying hard. I asked Xiaoming, and he probably genuinely wants to study hard. So, I'd appreciate it if you could keep a closer eye on him. His foundation is relatively weak, and he's fallen behind in many subjects. I'm worried he won't be able to keep up.
Soon, the homeroom teacher's reply arrived.
The homeroom teacher said, "The third year of junior high has just begun. We'll have one or two rounds of review, going over the previous material again. Xiaoming has a good foundation, and I believe that as long as he's willing to work hard, he'll definitely succeed. I know many people who only started working hard in their third year of junior high, and many of them got into high school, some even getting into top schools like No. 1 High School and the affiliated high school. It's never too late to start. We teachers are very happy that Xiaoming has realized his mistake and will pay close attention to him. Let's work together, parents and teachers."
Hearing his homeroom teacher say this, Yu Guang was especially happy. Getting into No. 1 Middle School meant he had two feet in the door of a second-tier university. The school had a strong teaching staff and a high college entrance rate. He couldn't say that 100% of students would get into a top-tier university, but 80% or 90% would. Therefore, parents in Yuncheng with children in junior high school all hoped that their children could get into No. 1 Middle School.
After all, when high-scoring students are enthusiastically publicized every year, people can't help but feel envious and think that if their own children could get into such prestigious schools, they would definitely be able to do so as well.
Although it's a beautiful fantasy, it's better to be the tail of a phoenix in a good school than the head of a chicken in a bad school.
The homeroom teacher sent a second message.
Class teacher: May I ask how you educate your child? Your experience is very valuable for us to learn from.
After all, to persuade a student who had given up on themselves to return to the right path, one must be incredibly persuasive; as a teacher, she'd have to learn from every angle. However, using financial power is also possible. For example, a million-dollar reward for passing the exam—who wouldn't be tempted?
Xiao Ming's father thought for a moment and typed a reply—
"Actually, we didn't say anything. It was Xiaoming who wanted to study hard and said he was determined to get into No. 1 Middle School because he really liked the food at the small restaurant across from No. 1 Middle School."
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