Chapter Thirty-Three: Stir-fried Beef Kway Teow
On Monday morning, Xiao Tangbao went out with her schoolbag on her back and Yu Miaoyin's hand in hand. She had her hair tied in pretty pigtails and was wearing two hair clips, which were given to her by her older sister Yiling, so she was a little happy.
Xu Changxing also went out to see Xu Ruian off to school. Xu Changxing hadn't eaten at Yu Ji's restaurant for two days and felt unwell. He didn't have much energy on Monday.
He never thought his dad's cooking was bad before, but ever since he tasted Xiaoyin's cooking, he's found his dad's cooking increasingly unpalatable! His palate has become so discerning, there's really nothing he can do about it.
He put the helmet on Xu Ruian, who called out "Sister Ayin" and waved to Xiao Tangbao, "Good morning, little sister, your hair clip is so pretty."
“Your helmet is cool too,” Xiaotangbao said.
Xu Ruian: Really!
Is he really that handsome?
"Xiaoyin, will you open the shop today?" Xu Changxing asked as he rode his electric bike. He really wanted to eat Xiaoyin's cooking. His motivation for going to work was no longer raising his child, but eating delicious food!
"I opened it, and now I'm basically working with those high school students. When they're on vacation, I'm on vacation too," Yu Miaoyin said, although things seem a bit out of control. When she first opened the shop, she thought that since it was near the entrance of the No. 1 High School, her target customers would naturally be those high school students. Who knew that now so many people also come here specifically to eat?
At this rate, she felt she would have to open the shop during her winter and summer vacations.
Xu Changxing nodded and said, "That's good. It's nice to have a good rest during the holidays."
But what he was really thinking was, "High school students, please get more tutoring! Tutoring is good for their grades and health, since they're all preparing for the college entrance exam, and it'll also give me more good food!"
After their conversation, the two of them each took their children to school.
Yu Miaoyin and Xiao Tangbao walked along the road at a leisurely pace, while several late students were rushing ahead, and of course, there were also some who were walking while eating breakfast at a leisurely pace.
On weekdays and school days, everywhere is bustling with activity, especially the vegetable market.
Yu Miaoyin went to a familiar shop to get some beef tenderloin, and then went to an old lady's shop to buy kueh teow. She had thought of making kueh teow when Liang Hekang recommended the bowl to her last time, and now that the bowl had arrived, she rushed to buy ingredients to make it.
The old lady said the kueh teow was all freshly made and not left overnight, so she could buy it without worry.
“Okay, I’ll buy it, thank you Grandma,” Yu Miaoyin said. She has a habit of carrying cash when she goes out, and she usually gives cash to elderly people who are setting up stalls.
"Thank you, young lady." The old woman smiled as she received the cash.
Seeing Yu Miaoyin tidying up, she went over to help, "Miss, you're not eating this alone, are you?"
After all, she bought a lot of beef and rice noodles.
"Of course not." Yu Miaoyin tidied up her things and put them on the cart. "Thank you for helping me, Grandma."
The old woman hummed in agreement and asked, guessingly, "Do you own a shop? Or are you a chef from some big restaurant who came to help with purchasing?"
The old man next door chuckled, fanning himself, and said half-jokingly, "This young lady is clearly not cut out to be a chef. How could she possibly be a chef in a big restaurant?"
Yu Miaoyin was displeased when she heard this. How could she not look like a chef? She said to the old woman, "I am a chef. Grandma, you can come and try my food. My shop is right across from No. 1 Middle School. It's called Yu's Little Restaurant."
"Okay, I'll try it." The old lady smiled. Such a conscientious little restaurant is rare. She comes early every day to buy ingredients, and even if it's not very good, she'll accept it.
The old man next door chuckled awkwardly, and the old woman added, "I bet you're too weak to even kill a chicken!"
"Oh well, I guess I was just being presumptuous!" The old man was rendered speechless by the old woman's retort.
...
noon.
The market wasn't far from the small restaurant, and the old lady ended up having lunch there anyway. She arrived quite late, and the restaurant was already packed with people.
She was happy to see such a good little restaurant full of people.
"Grandma, you're here!" Yu Miaoyin was pleasantly surprised to see that she had actually come.
"It seems there are no seats left in the shop," Yu Miaoyin said softly. Several people behind the old lady in line also sighed, "We arrived too late, so we can only eat standing up."
“Yes, my company is too far from here, it’s not worth going back!” someone else said.
While listening to everyone's complaints, Yu Miaoyin stir-fried the rice noodles. She heated the oil in a wok, added the kale until just cooked, then added the beef and stir-fried quickly over high heat until cooked through. Yu Miaoyin then used another wok to stir-fry the rice noodles, which had already been seasoned with dark soy sauce, until dry, then added scallions and bean sprouts and stir-fried until fragrant. Once the rice noodles were cooked, she placed them on top of the kale and beef from the other wok.
"Young lady, I'll take it home to eat. There's no room here," the old woman said, swallowing hard as she spoke.
Seeing that there were other delicious foods on the blackboard, the old lady was reluctant to spend money, but when she thought about how she had earned some money today with Yu Miaoyin's help and smelled the aroma in the air, she bought a bowl of mung bean soup and a tea egg.
"Okay, take care, Grandma." Yu Miaoyin said goodbye to her and looked into the shop.
The restaurant was packed with people, all eating their meals attentively. Those who finished didn't linger, but even so, there were still no seats available.
When it was a young man's turn in line, he complained, "Boss, there are so many people! Can't you expand your business a bit? Take over all the shops around here, we came late and there are no seats left!"
"Expanding your territory? The diners are giving her too much credit," Yu Miaoyin said with an awkward smile. "It's a very good suggestion. I'll consider it."
The young man didn't take the food to go; instead, he squatted outside and ate the rice noodles. Although it was a bit messy, the stir-fried rice noodles smelled so good that even eating them while squatting was a happy experience!
The stir-fried beef with kale, along with its sauce and other ingredients, is poured over the rice noodles. The rich sauce seeps into the gaps between the noodles, coating them with a glistening sheen. Taking a bite, the rice noodles are springy and slightly crispy, the beef tender, and the kale, after a bite, has a slightly bitter yet sweet aftertaste—a refreshing contrast that perfectly balances the richness of the sauce. The thickened sauce, along with the rice noodles and beef, is delivered to the mouth, slowly spreading across the tongue—delicious!
The young man ate with a sigh, squatting in a corner. He'd only learned this skill back in high school, and he never expected to use it now. The old saying, "A skill is never a burden," is truly true—the wisdom of our ancestors!
Yu Miaoyin felt a little guilty seeing him squatting down to eat.
He Li walked in from outside and was startled to see a young man squatting down to eat. However, when she saw so many people in Xiao Yin's shop, she understood why.
“My shop is right next door, and there are still plenty of empty seats. Why don’t you come and eat at my place?” He Li said.
The young man's legs were a little numb from squatting to eat, and he said embarrassedly, "This isn't very appropriate."
"It's alright, my shop just needs some customers to liven things up, your visit is perfect." He Li smiled gently.
The young man wiped his mouth. "Okay, thank you, sister!!!"
"Sister," He Li thought to herself, "her child is already in kindergarten."
Several customers in the shop had no seats, so He Li invited them to eat at the next table. The group left gratefully with their rice noodles.
He Li sought out Yu Miaoyin because she wanted to eat the fried kueh teow she made. Just now, while she was busy at the shop, she was distracted for a moment by the aroma of Xiaoyin's fried kueh teow.
"Okay, I'll treat you, thank you." Yu Miaoyin quickly stir-fried a plate and handed it to He Li. The rice noodles on the plate were coated in a thick sauce, and the edges of the noodles were still slightly charred from being stir-fried. The beef slices were tender red, mixed with the bright green kale, and the steaming aroma was irresistible.
He Li exclaimed from the bottom of her heart, "It smells so good, no wonder there are so many people here."
She returned to the shop with the stir-fried rice noodles. Sitting down, she picked up a large mouthful with her chopsticks, along with the beef and kale, and put it in her mouth. The beef was tender and in large slices, the rice noodles were fragrant and chewy, and even the broth on top was delicious.
On the other side.
The old woman thought the rice noodles wouldn't taste as good if they got cold, so she walked much faster than usual.
The old man next door was also getting ready to eat. He opened his lunchbox, took a big gulp of tea, and then began to eat.
The old woman put down the mung bean soup and tea eggs, opened the box containing the rice noodles, and instantly, a fragrant aroma wafted out of the box. When she opened it, the rice noodles inside trembled slightly.
She knew the kueh teow would taste pretty good when she saw Yu Miaoyin cooking it, and now that she saw the whole thing, she was even more amazed by both its taste and appearance.
It seems my kueh teow is pretty good! The fried kueh teow smells so good! The old woman thought to herself, then shook her head. No, it should be that this girl's cooking skills are too good. Give her other ingredients and she can make them taste good too.
Feeling a bit warm from walking, the old lady opened the mung bean soup container and took a sip. The sweet taste of mung beans immediately blossomed on her tongue. After finishing the mung bean soup, she washed her chopsticks. Before she could even eat, she noticed the old man next door staring intently at her fried rice noodles.
Seeing his expression, the old woman felt a little pleased. Just now, this old rascal didn't believe that the girl could cook delicious food, but now he was staring at her intently because of the aroma.
"Hey, hey, hey, that's the fried kway teow that girl made. Doesn't it smell delicious? I dare say it's even more delicious than what those fancy restaurants make. How could you say that's possible!" the old woman continued to tease him.
The old man scratched his head. "Did that girl really make it?"
This presentation and this taste... could it really not have been made by a top-tier chef from some grand restaurant?!
"Of course." The old lady was too lazy to talk to him anymore; if she continued, the rice noodles would get cold.
The old lady kept eating the fried kway teow, saying as she ate, "It's so fragrant, so fragrant, so delicious!"
The beef was tender and fragrant, the kale crisp and sweet, and the homemade rice noodles were springy, with the aroma of rice flour mingling with the subtle scents of oil and soy sauce. The light broth made the rice noodles glisten with oil, yet they also carried the smoky aroma of dry-frying and the smoky flavor of a wok. The old woman thought to herself, these delicious rice noodles deserve to be paired with Yu Miaoyin's cooking skills!
The old man, smelling the delicious aroma of the rice noodles, chewed on his own cooking, only to find it tasted like cardboard for the first time. He hadn't been paying attention earlier. Where did this young lady run her shop?!
Why can't he remember?
Finally, the old man put down his food, chuckled, and said, "I was blind and didn't recognize her talent. Where is her shop located? I'll go buy some and try it."
The old woman bit off a piece of the rice noodle. She didn't really want to tell him, that he would never be able to taste something so delicious in his life, but thinking that the owner could make more money, she finally said, "It's Yu's Little Restaurant across from No. 1 Middle School."
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