Chapter Twenty-Three: Stir-fried Pork Belly with Pickled Cabbage + Steamed Egg Custard...
In the last class, Yiling was defeated by one Chinese class, two math classes, and one English class. Xu Jiajia seemed to have had all her energy drained, lying motionless on the table.
She was so hungry!
Xu Jiajia reached under his desk and pulled out a small bread roll from France.
Just as she was about to eat, Yiling gently patted her arm and whispered, "I almost forgot, there's a piece of water chestnut cake that Sister Ayin gave me. Come and try it."
Although it was time to eat lunch, Xu Jiajia still happily expressed that she wanted to eat.
After all, as a high school student, Xu Jiajia wasn't worried about not being able to eat after eating this water chestnut cake. She could digest a mere piece of water chestnut cake by thinking about a math problem.
Yiling brought a few pieces for breakfast, and now there was only one piece of osmanthus coconut milk mille-feuille cake left in the thermos. As soon as she opened it, the fragrance of osmanthus filled the entire classroom.
The high school students, who had been starving all morning and were almost listless, looked up like owls or bamboo shoots sprouting wildly after the rain, searching for the source of the aroma.
Under the envious gazes of the entire class, Xu Jiajia quietly popped a piece of osmanthus mille-feuille into her mouth. The mille-feuille was chewy and springy, with layers upon layers of flavor, each layer distinct – the sweetness of osmanthus mingling with the refreshing sweetness of coconut milk. So delicious! Xu Jiajia felt like she had come back to life!
I wonder what delicious food my super-cooking, gentle, and kind sister will make today! Xu Jiajia propped her chin up and started thinking about today's food, her mouth watering as she thought about it.
After stir-frying the pork belly, Yu Miaoyin added pickled cabbage and stir-fried it until fragrant. Just as she turned off the heat, she saw a girl come in. She put the lid on the pot and left.
Yu Miaoyin wiped her hands and came out of the kitchen. "Hello."
Chen looked around the small restaurant and finally saw the plate of water chestnut cake lying there quietly, exuding a sweet aroma.
Looking at the cross-section again, the layers are evenly distributed and extremely pleasing to the eye. Some cross-sections have plump red beans in the middle, while others are like a layer of amber sealing in clusters of osmanthus flowers, all with a lustrous sheen.
"Boss, how much is your layered cake?" Chen asked.
Yu Miaoyin quoted a price, which Chen Yi thought was quite cheap, but even if it were expensive, she would still buy it... because she was so greedy!
She watched as Yu Miaoyin cut the mille-feuille into small pieces and put them into a box. The mille-feuille, like jelly, trembled gently as it fell into the box.
Chen Yi held the mille-feuille cake and turned her gaze to the words written on the small signboard.
Fried rice noodles with egg, tea eggs, layered cake...
The boss has such a wide range of interests, he even sells other things!
"Boss, are you still making lunch?" Chen asked.
"Yes, I make both lunch and dinner. Would you like to try some?" Chen Yi thought that if the boss could make such delicious layered cakes, he could make anything delicious.
"Of course I want it! What are you cooking in the pot? It smells so good!" Chen Yi is currently on a diet, but she can't resist the aroma. She'll forget about dieting for now!
"The stir-fried pork belly with pickled cabbage is ready. Would you like to try some?" Yu Miaoyin said.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi's eyes lit up. "Great, I want it."
"Here you go." Yu Miaoyin served Chen Yi the stir-fried pork belly with pickled cabbage. Slices of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat were piled on top, with the dark green pickled cabbage and the rich, dark sauce of the pork belly intertwined and mixed together, and there was a little bit of sauce at the bottom of the bowl.
Chen quickly snapped a photo before picking up his chopsticks.
He picked up a small piece of pickled cabbage to taste it. The pickled cabbage, coated with the oily flavor of the pork belly, was crunchy, slightly sour, and then spicy. Just eating the pickled cabbage made Chen Yi feel like he could eat a whole bowl of rice; this pickled cabbage was so appetizing.
Chen Yi held her bowl and ate her meal with a happy expression.
She was even thinking of staying in Yuncheng a few more days before going back; the food the owner made smelled so good. Thinking about it, Chen glanced at the high school across the street and felt a pang of envy for the students there. They were so lucky to be able to eat such delicious food every day.
The pain of high school is similar for everyone, but good food can really soothe all bad moods. Chen Yi remembers that in her high school, she had a half-day off every week, which was called the golden six hours. During those six hours, she would go out with her friends and buy lots and lots of delicious food. Eating good food would make all the pain of the week disappear.
This high school could be ranked as one of the happiest high schools in the country.
Chen Yi picked up another piece of pork belly. The pork belly was stir-fried until it was charred and fragrant, with slightly curled edges, and the fat and lean meat were perfectly balanced. The aroma of the meat mixed with the sour and spicy flavor of the pickled cabbage. One bite, and the fat wasn't greasy, while the lean meat was tender and chewy. It was so delicious and went perfectly with rice.
As soon as get out of class ended, Xu Jiajia, who was as hungry as a tiger, ran faster than anyone else. She grabbed Yiling and said, "Hurry up, hurry up, I'm starving, waaaah!"
"It smells so good! What's that smell?" Xu Jiajia exclaimed as she ran downstairs. It was obvious that the smell was coming from that little restaurant.
So Xu Jiajia ran even faster.
When Liu Jiang came out of his office, he saw Xu Jiajia running out in a flustered manner. He was worried that she might fall, but he was also a little curious about what was outside that would make her run away.
"Yiling, I'll go to the little restaurant and order you something!" Xu Jiajia called out to Yiling, waving energetically as she skipped along. "Come on over!"
Go to a small restaurant? Well... that's definitely worth the trip!
As soon as Liu Jiang thought of his precious daughter eating well, he unconsciously quickened his pace!
As people get older, they can't walk or run as fast as high school kids. Liu Jiang stood among a group of high school students while queuing. Everyone was wearing school uniforms, making Liu Jiang a striking figure. The students also felt uncomfortable while eating, keeping their heads down.
Thousand-layer water chestnut cake? While waiting in line, Liu Jiang glanced at the blackboard and then saw the thousand-layer cake on the table. It had a beautiful cross-section, and Xiao Yu and Yu Ling would definitely like it. Liu Jiang called into the kitchen, "Boss, do you sell this thousand-layer cake?"
Yu Miaoyin was a bit busy, so she didn't look up to answer, "Yes, I'll sell them, but you'll have to wait a bit."
Just then, Grandma Chen came in from outside and saw Liu Jiang saying he wanted to buy water chestnut cake. Seeing how busy Xiao Yin was, she offered to help her, saying, "Xiao Yin, let me help you. You can focus on cooking."
Yu Miaoyin was truly too tired to walk any further. She hummed in agreement, "Thank you, Grandma."
Water chestnut cake cannot be kept for too long, otherwise it will be past its best time to be enjoyed. Grandma Chen told Liu Jiang, "Eat it quickly, or put it in the refrigerator if you don't want to eat it."
"Okay, thank you, Grandma." Liu Jiang packed several more servings of stir-fried pork belly with pickled cabbage before heading back.
Xu Jiajia sat in the chair, watching Liu Jiang's departing figure, and whispered to Yi Ling, "Why does the head of the teaching department come here to get takeout every day? He's actually trying to steal food from us poor high school students!"
Yi Ling: "Sister A Yin's cooking is so delicious, the kids stopped fussing after eating it."
Xu Jiajia picked up another piece of food with her chopsticks. The flavors of the pickled cabbage and pork belly were mixed together. The pickled cabbage was very crisp, and the pork belly was very fragrant. The pickled cabbage was sour and spicy that it was intoxicating. Xu Jiajia's irritable heart, which had been restless all morning, was soothed. Studying was not bad, and she could eat such delicious food every day.
After helping Xiaoyin sell her water chestnut cakes, Grandma Chen sat down opposite Yiling and Jiajia and said with a smile, "Yiling seems to have gained a little weight."
Xu Jiajia squeezed Yi Ling's wrist, "I also feel that I've finally gained a little weight after eating here with me every day!"
Yiling used to be very thin and didn't like to eat, which made Grandma Chen feel especially sorry for her. But now that she's gained a little weight, Grandma Chen is relieved.
Yi Ling said softly, "Because Sister A Yin's cooking is very fragrant."
"That's right, my cooking isn't as good as Xiaoyin's. I wish I could cook as well as Xiaoyin," Grandma Chen said with a smile, "but I don't have that talent."
Grandpa Xu, who was listening nearby, chimed in, "I don't have that talent either. Xiaoyin's cooking is so delicious, especially the water chestnut cake yesterday, it was so good!"
"Yiling gave me a piece too, and it was really delicious," Xu Jiajia sighed. "It's a pity we don't have any now."
Yu Miaoyin brought over a large plate of stir-fried pork belly with pickled cabbage and a bowl of steamed egg custard. "Thank you for helping me, Grandma. I made an extra bowl of steamed egg custard. Let's eat together. Come and try it."
"Thank you, Xiaoyin, but I'm so sorry." Grandma Chen's gaze fell on the steamed egg. The steamed egg custard had no air holes at all, and looked like a jelly, with only the simplest soy sauce, sesame oil, and chopped green onions on top.
She did come here to eat, and she helped Xiaoyin out of the blue; it wasn't a big deal.
Yu Miaoyin smiled and brought over two bowls of rice. "You said you treat me like your granddaughter, so why are you always being so polite with me?"
She looked at the two girls, both quite thin; high school really does take its toll. "If you're not full, you can eat some more. There's plenty of food here."
Xu Jiajia nodded, her eyes sparkling, and said, "Thank you, sister!"
Yi-ling also said, "Thank you, Sister A-yin. I'm so happy to be able to eat your delicious cooking every day."
Speaking of this, Xu Jiajia remembered the beef pie Yiling mentioned, and she felt that Yiling was so lucky. Xu Jiajia even thought, if she couldn't be Sister Yin's sister, couldn't she at least be Sister Yin's neighbor!
"I'm glad you like it. Eat well and study hard," Yu Miaoyin said. "Try the steamed egg custard."
Grandma Chen took the lead and scooped a spoonful into the rice, causing the steamed egg custard to tremble slightly.
As soon as she put it in her mouth to taste, she could feel the smoothness of the steamed egg custard, with a rich egg flavor and a light oil aroma. The soy sauce and scallions added a salty and savory flavor to the custard, along with the fresh aroma of scallions. Grandma Chen was amazed countless times, wondering how someone could cook so well. It was just a simple bowl of steamed egg custard, something everyone could make, but Xiaoyin made it exceptionally delicious.
"Sister, your steamed egg custard smells so good!" Xu Jiajia felt her taste buds were elevated after taking a bite. Her mouth was truly blessed to be able to eat such delicious food!
"Thank you for the compliment. I'm happy that you like it," Yu Miaoyin said.
Grandma Chen then tried the stir-fried pork belly with pickled cabbage and praised it highly. The sour, spicy, and crunchy pickled cabbage and the perfectly marbled pork belly slices were incredibly delicious with rice.
Xu Jiajia and Grandma Chen both like steamed egg custard mixed with rice. When they were eating the last bite, they each scooped out a small spoonful of steamed egg custard and mixed it with the rice.
The smooth steamed egg custard wraps around warm rice. The first taste is the sweet and delicate flavor of the egg custard, followed by the salty and savory taste of soy sauce and sesame oil. The rice and the smooth steamed egg custard mix together, becoming soft and moist.
This simple bowl of steamed egg custard mixed with rice is so delicious it's irresistible!
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