Chapter 88 Salty Zongzi
In the past few days, many merchants on the street have started selling rice dumplings. Xu Qingmeng has also seen them. Most of them are in the ordinary triangular shape.
There are two ways to wrap zongzi: long strips and square corners.
What Xu Qingmeng was best at making were the quadrangular pyramid-shaped rice dumplings, which attracted the attention of He, Xu's eldest sister-in-law and others.
"This looks good, and it can hold a lot of stuffing. Little sister, please teach me." Wang Cuiqin, the eldest sister-in-law of the Xu family, was very curious, so she moved a small stool and sat in front of Xu Qingmeng, wanting to learn.
Xinting is a studious person, so she also has to learn. He is a bit clumsy with her hands, but that doesn’t affect her desire to learn.
Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Li knew that they would make rice dumplings today, so they did not go back and stayed. Now, several people were sitting around Xu Qingmeng.
Xinting was the fastest learner. After Xu Qingmeng taught her only twice, she was already able to wrap a complete rice dumpling.
"Aunt, look, it's done." Xinting smiled happily, then showed it to Xu Qingmeng like she was presenting a treasure.
Xu Qingmeng checked it carefully, then looked at Xinting and said, "It's OK, not bad, but it's a little loose. When you wrap it, pinch it tighter to prevent the filling from coming out when you cook it."
"Yeah." Xinting agreed, and sure enough, the next one was even better.
Xu Qingmeng looked at him with a smile on her face, feeling happy that her daughter had grown up.
Xinting usually doesn't talk much and isn't as lively as Xunger, but the girl has a keen eye and does things neatly and efficiently, and she's also deft with her hands. She's a very down-to-earth girl.
The little girl has a strong learning ability. When Xu Qingmeng is cooking, as long as the little girl is around, she will teach her a little bit, and the little girl learns quickly.
Xu Qingmeng could let Xinting do the lunch set meal and simple vegetarian dishes.
Thinking about the upcoming pastry shop, Xu Qingmeng suddenly spoke up, "Xinting, have you thought about your future plans?"
Xinting was having fun wrapping rice dumplings when she suddenly heard her aunt's words and was panicked for a moment.
"Little... aunt, did I do something wrong? Or did my mother make you angry last time I went back? I..."
Xinting looked nervously at the aunt and Wang Cuiqin, then turned to look at He, and finally at Xu Qingmeng. She suddenly didn't know what to do and tears were about to fall.
Xu Qingmeng quickly comforted him: "What are you thinking about? Nothing, I just asked casually to see if you have any ideas about the future."
He and Wang Cuiqin looked at each other, and they both understood Xu Qingmeng's thoughts and knew what she was going to say next.
Xu Qing dreamed that she had stabilized her mentality, so he smiled and said, "Xinting, look at you, not only are you very skillful, but you are also very thoughtful. You can't stay in this restaurant forever."
"Ah? No...can't I stay here forever?" Xu Xinting looked confused.
She felt that things were pretty good now. Before, when her aunt was at home, things were better. But ever since her aunt got married, her mother didn't care about her at all. She had endless work to do every day, and all the delicious food was provided to her younger brother.
At her aunt's place, she eats well, sleeps well, and gets paid monthly. Her aunt buys and washes clothes for her and teaches her many things she doesn't know.
Her uncle also taught them how to read, and Grandma He didn't treat her as an outsider and was always very caring about her. She felt that she had a very happy month and didn't think about anything else at all.
Xu Qingmeng felt helpless seeing her niece like this.
Wang Cuiqin, the eldest sister-in-law of the Xu family, was also helpless. It was really... that the unruly sister-in-law could raise such an honest child.
Wang Cuiqin smiled and tapped her on the forehead: "Silly girl."
This sister-in-law really loves her well, she really loves her from the bottom of her heart.
As for the matter of Xun Ge'er, the Gu family couldn't be blamed, but the sister-in-law still arranged a way out for Xun Ge'er. Now it was Xin Ting's turn.
The Gu family also agreed that the sister-in-law’s good days are still to come.
Xinting pursed her lips, touched her head, looked here and there, still confused.
Xu Qingmeng said directly: "Before I went back, I talked to your grandfather and your father and wanted you to follow me in the future. I wonder if you are willing?"
"Aunt? Am I not following you now?"
Wang Cuiqin patted her and said, "Your aunt wants to take you as her apprentice and teach you cooking skills. If you learn well, you will be as good as your aunt in the future."
Xinting finally understood, and she was so happy that her eyes narrowed with laughter.
"I do, aunt, I do, but... but you also know, my mother..." Xu Xinting lowered her head embarrassedly.
Xu Qingmeng and Wang Cuiqin looked at each other. Although Xinting was very happy, she was also afraid that her mother would act unreasonably and cause trouble for her aunt.
Xu Qingmeng smiled and said, "That's not something you should worry about. You just need to work hard, okay?"
"Yes, aunt, I definitely will." Xinting kept nodding her head.
He and others also laughed.
By the evening, all the rice dumplings were wrapped, three large pots in total, with five flavors in total: fresh meat dumplings, egg yolk dumplings, candied date dumplings, red bean dumplings, and a mixture of egg yolk and fresh meat.
In the evening, Xu Qingmeng had already cooked some. Rice dumplings with fresh meat and egg yolks were her favorite, so she cooked more.
As soon as the rice dumplings came out of the pot, Shen Jinwen appeared as if he had smelled something.
He and the others had never eaten salty rice dumplings, and they didn't know whether fresh meat rice dumplings or egg yolk rice dumplings were delicious, so they discussed that if they really couldn't eat it, they would just eat one among themselves, and if it didn't taste good, forget it.
Shen Jinwen heard it, but didn't say anything. He just took a fresh meat and egg yolk rice dumpling and opened it immediately.
The salty glutinous rice in the rice dumplings is seasoned in advance. The glutinous rice is stained with a light soy sauce color, and the fat from the fat inside the rice dumplings slowly seeps out, and the tempting aroma hits your nose. As soon as you open the rice dumpling leaves, the aroma is in the air.
"Yes, it's this smell, it makes people salivate." Before he finished speaking, he took a bite, instantly revealing half a brilliant egg yolk and half a piece of meat. The color soaked in the thick sauce made it even more tempting.
"Daddy, I want one too!" Rongrong grabbed his trouser leg tightly, opened her little mouth wide, and called out eagerly.
Shen Jinwen took another big bite, leaving only rice grains the size of Rongrong’s fingernail: “It’s not easy for children to digest too much glutinous rice, so you can just taste it.”
Xu Qingmeng and others looked at each other in silence.
If you bully a child so righteously, you should at least leave some meat for the child.
Fortunately, Rongrong was naturally good-tempered. She didn't dislike it. She hugged the sticky rice dumpling skin tightly and carefully bit off a small piece of the rice dumpling. She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and said, "It's really delicious."
Shen Jinwen laughed loudly and rubbed Rongrong’s head a few times.
Seeing that the little guy had no objection to the salty taste of the rice dumplings, I bought a lot of meat and egg yolk rice dumplings when I left.
I only took a few of the sweet candied date and red bean rice dumplings.
(End of this chapter)
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