Chapter 87 Pineapple Buns + Water Chestnut, Imperata Root, and Sugarcane Juice...
Classes at No. 1 Middle School don't start until 2:30. Yi Ling and Jia Jia are resting, and Xiao Tang Bao is also sleepy and is taking a nap in her little bed at home.
She then started making pineapple buns. She mixed high-gluten flour with salt and sugar until it formed clumps, and used warm milk to ferment the yeast. She poured the yeast into the dough and began kneading. She used her wrists to knead the dough so her arms wouldn't get sore. After kneading for a while, she added butter and kneaded until the dough could be stretched into a thin, slightly elastic film, then placed it in the oven to proof.
Yu Miaoyin set an alarm and dozed off for a while. After the alarm rang, she started making the flaky pastry again. The flaky pastry on top of the pineapple bun is just as important as the crispy bottom of the honey buns she made last time. It's the finishing touch, the essence of the pineapple bun.
After mixing the butter and powdered sugar evenly, add the egg liquid, then add the cake flour and milk powder, gently knead, and refrigerate to relax.
The weather outside was clear and bright, the sunlight not too harsh. Just looking at such a sky was enough to lift one's spirits. Yu Miaoyin stared at the sky for a while, lost in thought. Only after the dough had risen did she get up and go to the kitchen to take out the rounded dough and cover it with the pressed-out pastry sheet.
After brushing the buns with egg wash, Yu Miaoyin put them into the oven. She also wanted to make some sweet soup to take with her, and after thinking it over, she decided to make water chestnut, imperata root, and sugarcane juice, which is refreshing, thirst-quenching, and can replenish water and electrolytes, making it suitable for children who have just finished exercising.
She went to buy ingredients while the pineapple buns were still baking, and returned about ten minutes later. By then, Xiao Tangbao had also woken up.
Most children are quite active and don't like taking naps. She tiptoed downstairs and whispered, "Sister, what are you doing?"
"Pineapple Bun."
Little Tangbao asked curiously, "Is there pineapple inside the pineapple bun?"
"No." Yu Miaoyin explained to her why pineapple buns are called pineapple buns. Children are easily misled by the name and might think, "Is there a child in clay pot rice?", "Is there a wife in wife cake?", or "Are cat ears made from kitten ears?"
"Oh, I see." Little Tangbao suddenly realized that she had learned something new.
Yu Miaoyin pushed the pineapple buns out of the oven, and the sweet aroma filled the entire room with the movement. Yu Miaoyin pointed them out to her: "Doesn't it look like a pineapple?"
The pineapple bun is round and plump, with the flaky crust on top naturally cracking and turning slightly outward after being baked at high temperature. The butter and sugar caramelize into a golden brown color, making it look and look just like a pineapple.
"I'll take it over and share it with Sister Yiling and the others later," Yu Miaoyin said. She then made water chestnut, cogon grass root, and sugarcane juice. She cut the water chestnuts and split the sugarcane, and gave one to Xiaotangbao.
As you chew, the sweet juice inside is swallowed, and the dry residue is spat out.
After adding water, simmer over low heat and let cool.
At this moment, Yiling and Jiajia were also preparing to return to No. 1 Middle School. Yu Miaoyin took out the picnic box, which she had bought a long time ago and was finally going to use it.
We took Xiaotangbao with us, and the group went to No. 1 Middle School together.
On the parents' open day, the school tried its best to present its best side. Walking towards the Hall of Learning, there were paintings by the art class children and some beautiful handicrafts on display. Little Tangbao looked around curiously, like a bee that had wandered into a garden.
Yi Ling and Jia Jia had to go to the classroom to meet up first, while Yu Miao Yin, Xiao Tang Bao, and Grandma Chen strolled around, admiring the scenery of No. 1 Middle School.
The facilities at No. 1 High School are quite good; after all, it's the best high school in Yuncheng. High schools are completely different from kindergartens in every way. Little Tangbao excitedly circled the campus and declared very seriously, "Big sister, I want to study here in the future too."
"Okay." Seeing that she was serious, Yu Miaoyin scratched her head and said, "Then how about I open a shop at No. 1 High School until you graduate from high school?"
"good."
Grandma Chen thought to herself, "It would be great if it lasted until graduation." There are still many years until Xiao Tangbao goes to high school, and she can enjoy delicious food for many more years to come.
After strolling around for more than ten minutes, students from each class filed out and walked onto the playground. Jiajia took Xiaotangbao's hand to play.
Yiling changed into a pair of loose school uniform shorts and walked onto the playground. The first event was the high jump. At the same time, a 50-meter sprint was taking place at one end of the playground. Aunt Zheng was there, and Yu Miaoyin greeted her.
Jiajia, Xiaodu, Yiling's classmates, and teachers all stood aside, ready to cheer Yiling on.
"Is this Boss Yu?" Teacher Li asked, noticing Yu Miaoyin and the things she was carrying.
"Mm." Yu Miaoyin smiled.
In an instant, the other students all came running at the sound, surrounding Yu Miaoyin as if they had seen a big star. "Sister Ayin, we really like you. Your cooking smells so good!"
"Yes, yes, our motivation for going to school is to eat the food you cook."
"I absolutely love your claypot rice, it's so fragrant! I did really badly on my English test last time and I was feeling really down, so my friend brought me to your little restaurant to cheer me up. Boss, please stay open until I graduate high school, okay?!"
Surrounded by people, Yu Miaoyin smiled again and nodded, "Okay."
It was like a fan meeting, but thankfully, after the high jump started, everyone's attention shifted to Yi Ling.
Yi Ling has long arms and legs, and when she takes a running start and jumps, everyone starts shouting and cheering for her. The atmosphere is as if everyone on the playground is shouting.
Jiajia and Xiaodu held up signs they had made, which read, "Yiling, Yiling, you're the best! You're the strongest!" Xiaotangbao also shouted enthusiastically. Grandma Chen couldn't keep up, and she looked worried, afraid that Yiling might accidentally fall.
At first, Yu Miaoyin thought that Xiaotangbao's cheering song was a bit too exaggerated, but now she realized that at the school sports meet, it was like "the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their own unique abilities," with all sorts of creative ways to cheer, which was especially fun.
The teenager's physical fitness was indeed excellent; Yiling gracefully cleared the bar and landed on the mat. She jumped beautifully, and Jiajia and her classmates cheered excitedly, while the onlookers joined in the cheers.
As the pole slowly rose, Yi Ling jumped quite well, drawing cheers from all around. Little Tang Bao, her face flushed with excitement, pulled Jia Jia along, praising Yi Ling repeatedly: "Yi Ling is so amazing! She jumps so high!"
She jumped up and down several times, but she couldn't jump as high as Sister Yiling.
Grandma was recording the whole time, and the classmates were also recording and taking pictures. When Yiling came offstage, the classmates swarmed over to hand her bottled water.
Seeing how amazing their student was, the homeroom teacher and Teacher Li felt genuinely proud and then walked with Yiling back to the classroom.
The project for Class 11 has temporarily ended. A dozen or so students are scattered around the base camp, eating snacks and chatting.
Grandma Chen wiped Yiling's sweat, and the classmate handed Yiling and Jiajia the potato chips that the homeroom teacher had bought, asking them if they wanted some.
"Yiling, I'll make a pineapple bun and some sweet soup. Are you hungry?" Yu Miaoyin placed the picnic box on the table.
Yi Ling hadn't eaten much to begin with, and the exercise had burned off a lot of energy. Once her adrenaline was depleted, she naturally got hungry. Plus, the aroma of the pineapple buns that Sister Yin had made was so strong that it was impossible for her not to be hungry.
There were paper cups in the base camp. Yu Miaoyin poured the prepared water chestnut, cogon grass root, and sugarcane juice into the paper cup and gave it to Yiling. Xiaotangbao, Grandma Chen, Jiajia, and Xiaodu all received a cup of sugarcane juice.
The weather wasn't particularly hot today, but it was perfect for drinking sugarcane juice. The juice had a smooth, refreshing taste, and a subtle sweetness lingered after it slid down the throat. Yu Miaoyin didn't add sugar to the juice because the sugarcane itself was sweet enough, like taking a big bite of fresh sugarcane. The addition of water chestnut pieces and Imperata cylindrica root added a touch of refreshing sweetness.
"This is so delicious!" Jiajia took her milk tea away. She thought the sugarcane juice made by Sister Ayin was even better, with a mild and sweet taste.
After finishing his drink, Xiao Du gave a thumbs up and said, "Sister Ayin, you're amazing! You can make sugarcane juice that tastes so good, even better than cola."
The classmates were also very envious and even more eager to taste the sugarcane juice.
"And pineapple buns too." Yi Ling was in a great mood. She was so happy to be fed pineapple buns made by Sister A Yin after the high jump.
It was still warm. She broke it open and saw that the inside was soft and fluffy, with evenly spaced air pockets that let out wisps of sweet, warm steam. The flaky crust on top crumbled as she broke it open.
Jiajia caught the falling pastry with lightning speed and popped it into her mouth. The pineapple bun was crispy and fragrant. The puffed-up pastry on top of the pineapple bun cracked into a grid pattern and was baked to a golden brown.
Even the crumbs smelled delicious to outsiders. Little Tangbao munched on her bread, shaking her head. Jiajia took a big bite and swallowed half a bread.
This is Jiajia's attitude towards her favorite food: devouring it with gusto. The flaky crust on top is incredibly fragrant, crispy, sweet, and melts in your mouth with a buttery aroma. It's an absolute perfect match with the bread underneath, where the wheat and subtle milky flavors are infused into the bread. Even after you finish eating, the sweet aroma lingers in your mouth.
"Authentic and delicious," Grandma said. Coming to watch Yiling jump high and getting such a delicious pineapple bun was totally worth it.
A group of people were eating pineapple buns, and the aroma instantly filled the playground. Many people smelled the fragrance and looked over. Some bolder students even came up to Yu Miaoyin and asked if she could sell them one.
Although she had done a lot, she didn't need the money, so after thinking it over, she refused, and the two left with regret.
Jiajia's homeroom teacher passed by and casually remarked, "Boss Yu is truly amazing. Even her pineapple buns smell so good. I was just telling my colleague that being your sister must be such a blessing."
Little Tangbao rested her chin on her hands and smiled happily and contentedly. She felt like the happiest child in the world.
It seems many people want to be the elder sister's younger sister, but the elder sister only has one younger sister.
Yu Miaoyin took out a pineapple bun from the box and gave one to her. The homeroom teacher's eyes flashed with three parts disbelief, four parts flattery, and three parts eagerness to swallow the pineapple bun immediately. "Thank you, Boss Yu. You are truly beautiful inside and out!"
The homeroom teacher was easygoing, and no one felt uncomfortable sitting next to the students. She quickly started eating the pineapple bun, and it tasted just as wonderful as she had imagined. The bread was still warm, and she felt as if she had grasped an extremely sweet cloud. It was just the right amount of sweet, with a flaky crust and soft bread—fragrant, sweet, and incredibly delicious.
In no time, the homeroom teacher finished the bread and then regretted that she had eaten it too quickly. She should have savored it more. She could only regretfully reminisce about the taste of the pineapple bun.
The students who were drinking milk tea and eating snacks were also very tempted. This taro boba milk tea was not good at all, and the cake box tasted just so-so. It was definitely not as delicious as the sugarcane juice and pineapple buns made by Sister Ayin.
"Would you like to try some sugarcane juice?" Yu Miaoyin turned to ask them. One pineapple bun wasn't enough, but a small cup of sugarcane juice for each person would be sufficient.
The students were overjoyed and immediately stood up to get sugarcane juice from Yu Miaoyin.
No one was greedy; everyone only took a small cup, enough for a couple of sips. Each person savored it with great relish.
This sugarcane juice was definitely much better than the taro bubble tea they bought. It had absolutely no additives; the pure, natural sweetness slowly emerged from their mouths. After drinking it, everyone felt like they could run 800 meters without any problem.
...
The school sports meet is a three-day event, and today is the second day. The 4x100-meter relay race is also tomorrow. With nothing to do, the students in Class 11 started chatting with Yu Miaoyin. In just half an hour, she received countless "confessions" of affection from her classmates.
She had to leave because she needed to open her shop. At first, her classmates were very reluctant to see her go, but when they heard that she was opening a shop, they quickly "sent" her away.
Yu Miaoyin was both amused and exasperated. She left Xiaotangbao with her classmates to pet, and then went out herself.
As soon as she stepped out the door, she saw two people standing in front of her small restaurant. They were dressed very conservatively, their faces obscured, and their movements were rather furtive.
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