Chapter Thirty: Smashed Cucumber and Steamed Pork Ribs with Fermented Black Beans
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Grandpa Xu asked Yu Miaoyin for braised beef, and Yu Miaoyin handed him the prepared braised beef.
"If you're not going to eat it, you can put it in the refrigerator and reheat it when you want to eat it," Yu Miaoyin said.
Grandpa Xu agreed on the surface, but what he was thinking in his heart was, "It won't even take half a day to finish, and there's no worry about preservation."
There weren't many people in the shop anymore. She washed the cucumbers she bought, smashed them with the back of a knife, and split them into several pieces. She added some minced garlic and chili peppers, then stirred in the prepared sauce, added sesame oil and chili oil, and mixed it all together. She then sprinkled white sesame seeds on top and mixed it to coat each piece of cucumber with the seasoning and let it marinate for a while.
She took it out and handed it to Xiaotangbao, saying, "Try the cucumber salad your older sister made, it's very refreshing."
Yu Miaoyin also tried a piece herself. The cucumber itself was crisp and juicy, and when it was made into smashed cucumber, it was sour, spicy, appetizing, refreshing and sweet.
"Thank you, sister." Xiao Tangbao used a toothpick to pick up a piece of cucumber. The cucumber, which had been pounded, had tiny cracks that oozed some juice. The prepared sauce was also absorbed by the "cracks" in the cucumber. The dark green cucumber was also decorated with some white sesame seeds and small red chilies.
Little Tangbao took a small bite, and with a crisp snap, it broke in two, and some juice even spilled out and dripped down her chin. "So crunchy! So delicious!"
"Eat more if it's delicious. If you like it, I can smash all the cucumbers in the world into hand-smashed cucumbers for you." Yu Miaoyin was holding back a laugh when she said this. It sounded like a scumbag promising a little girl, "I'll give you the whole world."
Just as they were joking around, Liang Hekang came in carrying pots and pans.
"Boss, here's the bowl you wanted. Something came up and I was delayed." Liang Hekang wiped his sweat as he came in. The tricycle was loaded with packaged pots and pans, which he unloaded and handed to Yu Miaoyin.
Yu Miaoyin handed the finished smashed cucumber to Liang Hekang, "Try it."
The cucumbers were cut into pieces, their bright green color intertwined with the vibrant red chili peppers, emitting an enticing sour and spicy aroma that smelled exceptionally refreshing. It would have been better if they hadn't looked at them; as soon as Liang Hekang saw them, he felt his throat go dry.
"Thank you, boss, you're so kind." After thanking Yu Miaoyin, Liang Hekang went to eat some smashed cucumber.
Yu Miaoyin then went to check the quality of the pots, pans, and utensils.
Upon tasting, the crisp cucumber, bursting with a tangy and spicy flavor, instantly invigorated Liang Hekang. It was incredibly refreshing, with a lingering sweetness. Liang Hekang told himself he could only eat two more pieces. After finishing, he resisted the urge and went to ask the owner, "Boss, how is it? Is it okay?"
"Let me take another look." Yu Miaoyin bought a lot of small clay pots, which can be used to make clay pot rice. The clay pots themselves are not expensive, so when you order clay pot rice delivery, they will even give you an extra clay pot.
She thought of the shop and herself, so she bought herself a few large clay pots, perfect for making soup or other dishes. One was a flat-bottomed clay pot for stewing meat, and the other was for making soup, with a larger capacity.
And some other plates and bowls, it was full.
After getting the new pot, Yu Miaoyin took it to soak in water. After soaking, she cooked some porridge to moisten the pot, which would extend its lifespan.
After finishing with the pots and pans, Yu Miaoyin stayed in the shop to clean.
After receiving the money, Liang Hekang happily ate several pieces of smashed cucumber at Yu Miaoyin's invitation, took the braised beef he had ordered, and went home in high spirits.
Grandma Liang had been discharged from the hospital, and since it was close to the Mid-Autumn Festival, many of her relatives came to visit her. The house was filled with all kinds of gifts and laughter. Several children were running around and playing. When Liang and Kang came in, they were almost bumped into.
"Brother, you're finally back!" It was Aunt's son, still a primary school student. "I missed you so much!"
“Okay, okay, your brother missed you too,” Liang Hekang said. Several more children came to talk to him or hug his legs. It took Liang Hekang more than a minute to walk a few meters.
There's a small courtyard at home, and a small stone table where the adults would brew a pot of tea, put some snacks on it, and sit and chat.
"Hello, Grandma, Mom, Dad, Aunts and Uncles," Liang Hekang greeted everyone, still holding a piece of braised beef in his hand.
Feng Yuan smiled and said, "You bought fried chicken again? We're about to eat, so eat less."
Liang Hekang shook his head, looked at the group of people, and then at Grandma Liang. Although he really wanted to eat alone, he thought that these people were his close relatives, so he said, "It's not fried chicken, it's braised beef that I bought at Yu's Restaurant. I'll add some dishes to the meal later."
Feng Yuan and Grandma Liang had both eaten at Yu Ji's restaurant before. When they heard that the food was bought from Yu Ji's small restaurant, they were both very happy. The uncle said, "Great, we'll have another good meal later. I can cook less."
Auntie had also eaten at Yu's Restaurant before, and upon hearing this, she smiled slightly.
After chatting for a few more minutes, the uncle and uncle-in-law went back to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients, while the aunt and grandmother chatted. Liang Hekang took the braised beef over, sliced it, arranged it on a plate, and brought it out.
After the food was ready, the group returned home. Feng Yuan and her aunt helped serve the rice, and the children sat obediently in their chairs waiting for the meal to begin.
The three families sat together. Since they were all relatives, there weren't many formalities. After Grandma Liang started eating, the elders and children also began to eat. My uncle had been craving braised beef since I was cutting it in the kitchen. The cross-section of the braised beef was beautiful, and it exuded a rich, savory aroma that was incredibly tempting.
My uncle took a bite, and the aroma of braised meat and beef filled his mouth at the same time. The sauce was rich and flavorful, and the meat was chewy. My uncle gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Delicious!"
Feng Yuan nodded, "Right? The food at this restaurant is really delicious."
My uncle joked, "That's right. I feel like none of my other dishes can compare to this braised beef."
There was fish and shrimp on the table. Uncle's cooking was delicious, but it was indeed a bit inferior compared to braised beef. Feng Yuan picked out a piece of fish for Grandma Liang, saying, "Your cooking is also very fragrant."
Liang Hekang also said, "That's right, Uncle, my cooking is worlds apart from yours. You are heaven and I am earth!"
My uncle, who usually likes to joke, wasn't saying this out of disappointment, but rather out of admiration that someone could make such delicious braised beef. He waved his hand and said, "It still can't compare to the owner of this shop. It's too good."
...
While they were eating, the uncle made a somewhat impulsive suggestion. He said uncertainly, "We're having a family meal, and Ayu and the others will be back tomorrow. My cooking really can't compare to the owner of this restaurant. How about we invite the owner home and have her cook lunch for us so we can all have a proper meal?"
Liang and Kang almost jumped up, "I agree! I agree!!!"
A table full of delicious food, it must be so wonderful to eat like this!
Feng Yuan and Grandma Liang naturally had no objections. They also particularly liked the food the owner cooked. Uncle Liang also said, "I agree. I just don't know if the owner of this shop is willing. Money is not a problem. I'll pay."
Tomorrow is Saturday. Will the boss have time to cook for them? After all, he cooks so well; he's practically the restaurant's star attraction. He shouldn't leave easily, right? Thinking about this, my uncle felt a little sad.
Liang Hekang said, "Tomorrow is Saturday, and high school students are on holiday. The boss should be free. I'll call and ask if he'd be willing."
Saturday? High school student?
When her uncle asked, he learned that the shop owner's store was located at the entrance of the No. 1 Middle School, and she took a holiday along with the students.
"Okay, okay."
Half an hour later, Yu Miaoyin received a phone call. She was cooking, so Grandma Chen answered the phone for her, "Hello."
After exchanging a few words, Grandma Chen called out to Yu Miaoyin, whose meal was ready. She asked Grandma Liang to help finish and serve the food, and Yiling followed her to the kitchen to help.
"Hello, boss, this is Liang Hekang."
"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?" Yu Miaoyin asked, sitting in a chair.
"Here's the thing, I don't know if you'll be free to come over and cook tomorrow. We've prepared all the ingredients, pots, pans, rice, oil, and salt. You just need to come and cook. The price is negotiable!" Liang Hekang said.
Tomorrow is Saturday, and all the high school students will be home. She will definitely have some free time. After thinking about it, she figured she could make a good deal by cooking a meal at someone's house, so she nodded and said, "Okay, shall I come tomorrow?"
"Yes, yes, we'll pay you based on how much food we want to make and the portion sizes, which will definitely be much higher than the market price. I'll add you as a friend and we can chat later," Liang Hekang said excitedly, and everyone around him smiled happily.
"Okay." Yu Miaoyin hung up the phone.
Grandma Chen brought out the dishes. "What's wrong?"
"Someone wanted me to come to their home to cook, and they said they'd pay me a lot of money, so I agreed," Yu Miaoyin said.
It's quite common to hire a chef to come to your home for private cooking, so Grandma Chen wasn't surprised. "Okay then."
Yiling handed the rice and chopsticks to everyone, saying, "Sister Ayin's cooking is exceptionally delicious. It's such an honor for anyone to have Sister Ayin come over to cook!"
"Sweet talker, time to eat." Yu Miaoyin cooked two simple stir-fries. Although Yiling had already eaten, she couldn't resist the temptation and came over to have some more.
Yi Ling took a picture and sent it to Xu Jiajia, who then sent several murderous emojis to express his condemnation of Yi Ling.
The stir-fried cabbage was soft, but not mushy; it had a slight crunch. Yu Miaoyin didn't add any seasonings, which made the cabbage even crisper and sweeter, giving it a refreshing and clean taste.
"This cabbage smells so good! The cabbage, cabbage, and other vegetables in our school cafeteria are all so watery and not tasty at all!"
Another dish was a simple steamed spare ribs with fermented black beans. The spare ribs were coated in a glossy sauce, the meat so tender it fell off the bone with the slightest touch, and the bones were also tender and flavorful, releasing juices with every bite. The fermented black beans were dark and shiny, releasing a burst of salty and savory aroma when you bit into them. The steaming broth mixed with the meat juices, carrying the freshness of the spare ribs and the saltiness of the fermented black beans, and poured over rice. Mixed together, it was incredibly delicious.
Xiao Tangbao usually eats very elegantly, taking small bites at a time. But today, I don't know if she was hungry or if the food was too delicious, she ate very big bites, and some rice grains even got on her face.
After dinner, Yiling offered to wash the dishes and pushed Yu Miaoyin toward the living room, saying, "How could I let you eat and drink for free? Sister Ayin, you go and rest. Go quickly, I'll help you."
Finally, Yu Miaoyin chatted with Grandma Chen, Yiling washed the dishes and tidied the kitchen, and Xiaotangbao went to take a bath.
The Liang family had just finished their meal, and the group sat around a small table, looking very serious as if they were discussing something important.
Feng Yuan served the prepared smashed cucumber to everyone. Liang Hekang took a bite, but in his heart he thought, "It's definitely not as good as the one made by the owner of Yu Ji's restaurant!"
"I want to eat sweet and sour pork ribs!" my cousin said.
"Write it down, write it down," Grandma Liang said.
“Soup too…” Feng Yuan suggested.
Write it down. Write it down.
“I want to eat…” my uncle said.
Liang and Kang wrote down everything everyone said, and the group discussed what to eat the next day, wanting to try almost anything. After a heated discussion, they finally came to a conclusion.
Because they cooked a lot of dishes, and the Liang family wasn't short of money—eating out would be more expensive—and considering the owner's excellent cooking skills, they felt the deal was worthwhile. So Grandma Liang said she would give the owner more money, since running a business isn't easy.
"Okay, okay," Liang Hekang said.
Finally, Liang Hekang sent the menu and price list to Yu Miaoyin.
Yu Miaoyin was a little surprised when she saw the price; he was offering far too much money. She then looked at the menu and saw that there weren't that many dishes; if she prepared in advance, she could manage by herself.
Yu Miaoyin sent him a WeChat message, indicating that she would come to his door on time.
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