Chapter Twenty-Nine: Braised Pork Ribs
Junjun leaned against the door, sniffed, and said, "Grandma, it smells so good, I'm hungry."
Hungry?! This was the first time Aunt Cao had ever heard Junjun say that. Although the child was a picky eater, he didn't have any other bad habits. He just said he didn't want to eat, and Aunt Cao couldn't do anything about it. In short, it was just annoying.
"Jun Jun, do you want to eat this?" Aunt Cao asked, with a hint of anticipation.
Junjun, who was lying on the ground, nodded and then gently twitched his nose. "I'm hungry. I want to eat."
It was quite a distance from Yu's Little Restaurant, but this was the first time Aunt Cao had heard him say he wanted to eat anything. For her grandson's sake, she grabbed her electric scooter keys and said, "Wait here, Junjun, Grandma will go buy it for you. Be a good boy and wait for me at home!"
It's not even one o'clock yet, the owner probably hasn't closed the shop yet.
Aunt Cao, thinking of Junjun, put on her helmet, turned on her electric scooter, and sped to the entrance of Yu's Restaurant. Before she even entered the store, she was drawn in by the rich aroma wafting out.
She swallowed hard; no wonder Junjun liked it.
"Boss." Aunt Cao turned her gaze to the small blackboard hanging on the wall, "Two bowls each of tea egg, mung bean soup, and beef noodles."
"OK!"
After the busiest period, Aunt Cao quickly received her share and rode away on her electric scooter, completely satisfied.
Junjun was indeed very well-behaved and stayed at home waiting, without making a fuss, sitting quietly on the floor looking at picture books.
"Good boy, Grandma's back! Everything you wanted smells delicious." Aunt Cao said as she entered the room and put the things on the table.
"Let's drink some mung bean soup first to cool down in the heat."
Junjun climbed onto the chair, knelt on one knee, and stared intently at the mung bean soup. After Aunt Cao opened a bowl, he said, "Grandma, you drink first."
She had just ridden her electric bike and was sweating. Junjun handed her a tissue, and Aunt Cao wiped her sweat with the tissue. She then picked up her bowl and took a big gulp of mung bean soup. The sandy mung beans were very smooth and the cool, refreshing taste was very soothing.
It tastes delicious; the aroma of mung beans lingers on the tip of my tongue.
At this moment, Aunt Cao opened another bowl and handed it to Junjun. After taking a big gulp, Junjun exclaimed, "Grandma, this mung bean soup is so delicious!"
Aunt Cao finished the rest of the mung bean soup and then thought sadly to herself, "So the reason Junjun doesn't like to eat is because the food she cooks is bad!"
Each person also got one tea egg. Junjun peeled one and put it into the beef noodles, pressing it down. The tea egg, coated with the savory flavor of the braising sauce, smelled amazing, and the beef noodles were delicious too.
Aunt Cao glanced to the side and saw a child who was usually a picky eater engrossed in eating noodles.
This shop really does cure picky eaters! Aunt Cao is truly impressed now.
—
After dealing with the shop matters, Yu Miaoyin followed Liang Hekang to the shop he had mentioned.
Although it was called a shop, Yu Miaoyin felt it was more like a warehouse. The tall shelves were piled with pots and pans of all kinds, from bowls to plates to casseroles and woks, all sorted out and available in a wide variety.
She initially thought there were only bowls, but it seems she was ignorant.
Liang Hekang didn't know what kind of bowl Yu Miaoyin needed, so out of selfishness, he recommended the tableware he would use for the food he wanted to eat.
Liang Hekang picked up a few casserole dishes and said, "Boss, take a look at my casserole dishes."
With a clay pot, the owner can make delicious soups and porridge!
Yu Miaoyin picked it up and tapped it. The sound was clear and resonant, and the porcelain was very solid. It was indeed quite good.
Seeing that Yu Miaoyin liked it, Liang Hekang recommended other pots and pans, "This pot is a bit deeper, which is very suitable for frying things, and it can also be used for stir-frying."
He loves fried food. Now that the boss has this pot, he should definitely fry lots of things!
“This conical bowl is also good. It’s a bit deep and perfect for dishes with broth!” Liang Hekang showed her another bowl. As a food lover, Liang Hekang was still thinking about food when recommending bowls to Yu Miaoyin. Deep bowls are suitable for soup noodles, while conical bowls are suitable for dishes with sauce, such as scallion oil noodles.
Liang and Kang's recommendations were indeed very good. She had just opened the store and made a little money, and wanted to buy them all, but she still resisted and bought only the ones she needed.
Liang Hekang offered her a friendly price, and seeing that Yu Miaoyin had come alone, he said he could help deliver it, since he happened to have a small tricycle.
"Okay, thank you." Yu Miaoyin glanced at the time. "I'm going to the market now."
The sun was at its strongest around 3 p.m., so Yu Miaoyin took a shortcut to the market and bought some pork ribs to take home.
As soon as I got back, I saw Grandpa Xu standing suspiciously at the door. "Xiaoyin, you're back."
Yu Miaoyin found it amusing, "Why are you here so early? My braised beef isn't ready yet."
Grandpa Xu said with great embarrassment, "Ever since I ate your food, I've been unable to walk. I think about it every day. I don't even want to go play chess with that old man anymore."
With nothing to do at home, he took a walk and eventually came to the entrance of a small restaurant.
The "old geezer" that Grandpa Xu was referring to was probably Grandpa Sun. Yu Miaoyin had inherited the original owner's memories, so she still understood the relationships with neighbors and relatives. Just as she was talking about Grandpa Sun, his phone rang like a barrage of calls, "You rascal, what are you doing all day?"
Yu Miaoyin smiled as she listened to the familiar local dialect.
"I'm busy waiting for meals every day, I don't have time."
"Are you out of your mind?" Grandpa Sun continued to greet him warmly. Perhaps feeling that speaking in dialect was a bit offensive, he couldn't help but utter a few curse words, so he switched to civilized Mandarin, "I've come to have tea with you."
Grandpa Xu often told Grandpa Sun about a super delicious little restaurant that opened near Yuncheng No. 1 Middle School. Grandpa Sun never believed him and even mocked him for never having eaten good food. After being ridiculed, Grandpa Xu stopped recommending the restaurant to him. He made Grandpa Sun pay the price for his behavior, the price being that he would no longer be able to eat at Yu's Little Restaurant.
Yu Miaoyin pulled open the roller shutter, and sunlight rushed in, making the small restaurant seem to glow. Grandpa Xu set an alarm for himself and then went home to meet his friend.
Despite his complaints, Grandpa Sun brought food with him, including several boxes of mooncakes. "Here you go," he said, "I probably won't be able to come for the Mid-Autumn Festival, so I'm giving them to you in advance."
Judging from the packaging, this box of mooncakes was obviously expensive. Touched, Grandpa Xu forgave him and decided to take him to a small restaurant as a way of repaying him.
When friends meet, even though they're past their youthful days, they can still chat endlessly and laugh heartily once they start talking.
Just as he was laughing, Grandpa Xu's alarm clock went off, reminding him that it was time to eat. He called to Grandpa Sun to get up, saying, "I'll take you to eat something good."
"What good stuff? Should we go to Zhang's or some fancy restaurant?" Grandpa Sun also loves to eat. He has a pension, and his children have jobs so he doesn't have to support them. He lives a comfortable life on his pension, eating and drinking happily every day.
"I'll take you to a small restaurant, Yu's Small Restaurant. I guarantee it's better than Zhang's, and it's much cheaper too." Grandpa Xu locked the door and led Grandpa Sun to the small restaurant.
Looking at it, it was only before five o'clock. "Is there really such a rush?"
"If we go any later, we'll be fighting with a bunch of high school kids for food." Grandpa Xu had the foresight to arrive exceptionally early.
He glanced at the food and saw that Yu Miaoyin had made braised pork ribs today, so he quickly ordered, "Xiaoyin, buy me two servings of braised pork ribs!"
The ribs had been prepared in advance. Yu Miaoyin responded from the kitchen, turned on the stove, put in the rock sugar and stir-fried it until it turned caramel color. After adding the ribs and stir-frying them to coat them with the caramel color, she added scallions, ginger and garlic and stir-fried them until fragrant. At this moment, Grandpa Sun was already a little swayed.
He felt that his friend might not have lied to him after all.
As the ribs simmered, the aroma wafting out grew stronger and stronger. The caramelized fragrance of the ribs mingled with the aroma of the sauce, making Grandpa Sun frequently peek inside and exclaim, "It really smells delicious!"
Grandpa Xu snorted. Yu Miaoyin brought out the braised pork ribs for the two of them and then said to Grandpa Xu, "The braised beef you ordered is ready. Come and get it whenever you want."
"Okay, okay, thank you Xiaoyin. I'll enjoy this meal after I finish it." Zhou Gui and Xu Changxing had to work overtime, and Xu Ruian had to go to his tutoring class, so he would enjoy it all by himself.
The bright red and tempting pork ribs were arranged on a plate, glistening with oil, making one's mouth water. Grandpa Sun didn't stand on ceremony with Grandpa Xu and quickly picked up a piece to eat. The tender ribs fell off the bone with a single bite, the salty and savory flavor mixed with a charred aroma oozing from the meat's texture. The meat near the bone had a bit of tendon, giving it a chewy texture and adding to the overall richness of the flavor.
"This is really delicious, I'm convinced. I should have believed you from the beginning!" Grandpa Sun scooped a small spoonful of broth into the rice. The meat juice and sauce mixed together, making even a simple rice dish exceptionally delicious.
It smells delicious! I really envy that old man who lives so close by and gets to eat such a delicious meal! Grandpa Sun thought to himself.
The two of them bickered as they ate, and only stopped talking when the group of high school kids came over.
"I'm so upset, I don't want to take the exam, Yiling," Xu Jiajia said while waiting in line, clinging to Yiling like a leech.
Quite a few students are discussing this, and it seems that the troubles of high school are all similar. But there are also some more optimistic ones, saying, "Finally, it's vacation time! I love vacation!"
Xiao Du's grades are comparable to Xu Jiajia's, but he doesn't hate exams. Exams mean he doesn't have to do homework at night, which is a great thing!
Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching again, and Yu Miaoyin thought she should start making mooncakes to give to her neighbors as a thank you for their care. Besides, she felt more at ease eating mooncakes made by herself. Furthermore, Yu Miaoyin was quite confident; she believed her homemade mooncakes were truly delicious, better than anyone else's.
Xiao Tangbao doesn't go home after school; she stays in the shop with Sister Ayin. Her pencil spins on the white paper as she thinks about some unhappy things. Although she's a little sad, the thought of Sister Ayin makes her sadness slowly dissipate.
Xu Jiajia had two things she absolutely had to do here: eat and play with Xiao Tangbao.
It's so much fun to tease kids! "Little Tangbao drew a mooncake today! You're such a great little artist!"
Yiling chimed in, "Yes, it's so beautiful! Your sister Jiajia can only draw stick figures. You're a complete winner compared to her!"
Yu Miaoyin watched them fooling around in the kitchen, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
Xu Jiajia was a bit talkative, but thankfully, she stopped talking after the braised pork ribs were served. The amber-colored ribs were still slowly dripping with sauce, and their appearance was absolutely stunning. Xu Jiajia was speechless and quickly sat down to eat.
The ribs were very flavorful with a rich, caramel-like aftertaste. Xu Jiajia exclaimed as she ate, "I can't believe there's such delicious food in the world!" Even the rice was so fragrant, unlike the pale yellow rice at school. The rice at Sister Ayin's place was chewy and soft, with each grain distinct and glistening with a warm sheen. She could eat a whole bowl of it with the sauce from the braised ribs.
"I don't even want to have a holiday anymore," Xu Jiajia said leisurely.
Yi Ling: ? ? ?
Xiao Du? ??
Does she have a fever?
"Where can I find such delicious food during my vacation? My holiday happiness is diminished a little!"
Now that you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense!
The two nodded in agreement. Yi Ling smiled and said something extremely cheeky, "Maybe Sister A Yin will feed me something else delicious, hehe."
Xu Jiajia: Shut up!
She wants to be fed too!! She wants to eat delicious food every day!!
Because the beef noodles she had at noon were so effective at treating picky eaters, Aunt Cao no longer wanted to be a doctor herself. She preferred to go to Yu's small restaurant to get a prescription, which was convenient, time-saving, and labor-saving. Moreover, Aunt Cao found all the food at Yu's restaurant delicious.
Aunt Cao was drawn in by the rich aroma of braised pork ribs even before she entered the door. She thought to herself, "I'm so grateful to Liu Jiang for recommending such a good 'doctor'!"
Thinking that her daughter-in-law and son would definitely like it, Aunt Cao packed several portions to take home.
Yu Ji's food is nothing short of a medical miracle. Aunt Cao brought the food home, and Junjun immediately ran over, "Grandma, what are we having today!"
"Braised pork ribs".
Junjun's eyes lit up when he heard that, "I love braised pork ribs!"
Aunt Cao thought to herself, "You little devil! She's made braised pork ribs so many times before and you never ate them, but now you say you love braised pork ribs the most?!"
However, Dr. Yu's medicine really did have miraculous effects, which can be called a medical miracle! In the future, if any child has picky eating or other difficult problems, Aunt Cao will recommend that she go to Dr. Yu's to "grab" a meal and try it.
"Alright, alright, come and eat." Aunt Cao took out a plate and poured out the food. The two children were also getting ready to go home.
As her son came in and took off his shoes, he smelled a wonderful aroma. "Mom, what did you make today?" he asked.
I haven't seen her for only a few hours. Has Grandma gone to her studies?
The daughter-in-law also came back. She said, "It smells so good! Come quick, I want to eat!"
"I bought it from outside," Aunt Cao said.
The two men gathered around to take a look. The ribs were still steaming hot, red and glistening with oil, covered in thick broth. They looked absolutely delicious. Just a few glances at them made his stomach rumble.
Aunt Cao brought the food over to the two of them, saying, "Eat quickly, eat while it's still hot."
After stewing, the meat became very tender and absorbed the aroma of the soy sauce, star anise, and bay leaves—it smelled wonderful! Some of the ribs had a little bit of fat on them, making them even more flavorful. Even the bones were exceptionally tender and flavorful; if you bit into the marrow, you could taste a smooth, slightly savory juice. This meal completely relieved the fatigue of our long day at work.
"It's so delicious! I'll buy from this store every time. It's so fragrant!" my son said.
Aunt Cao saw that this person was in such a hurry to eat that they hadn't even sat down yet, and was eating standing up. She couldn't help but laugh and say, "Alright, alright, sit down first."
The son sat down awkwardly, realizing that even though he was quite old, he still acted like a child, unable to move forward when he saw something delicious, and had completely forgotten to sit down!
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