As soon as they got home, those expectant eyes were cast undisguisedly on Xu Mengyao. Wenxia was the first to speak, urging in her unique cheerful tone:
"Second sister, hurry up, I'm starving, make me something delicious!"
Xu Mengyao smiled, put the things away gently, and brought a large iron pot and oil can, placing them steadily on the coal stove in the main room.
She skillfully poured oil onto a large iron ladle, then poured a full ladleful of it into the pot, then added two ladlefuls of corn kernels. She stood in front of the coal stove, her eyes fixed on the changes in the pot, stirring constantly with her hands to ensure that the corn kernels were evenly heated.
When the corn kernels in the pot began to swell and gradually turned into white round shapes, Xu Mengyao quickly covered the pot. Only crackling sounds could be heard from the pot, accompanied by a faint fragrance. Little Wenxia squatted in front of the coal stove, sniffing hard, as if trying to absorb all the fragrance into his stomach.
His eyes sparkled with anticipation, and he asked anxiously, "Second sister, are you ready? Can I eat now?"
Xu Mengyao gently lifted the lid of the pot, and a richer aroma filled her nose. She smiled and said to everyone, "It's edible, but it's not ready yet. There's still the most valuable step."
As she spoke, she motioned for everyone to grab a handful and try it first. Huang Wenbin threw popcorn into his mouth and praised it endlessly:
"I didn't expect that I could make such delicious popcorn at home. It tastes just as good as the ones I buy outside!"
Xu Mengyao smiled proudly and said, "Brother, please help me get our mother's steamed bun basket. When the last step is done, you will know who makes the best one."
After her eldest brother brought the bamboo basket, Xu Mengyao poured the popped rice into it. She then started the pot again, adding a ladleful of water and two ladlefuls of sugar. She closed the coal stove two-thirds of the way and used medium-low heat to simmer the syrup.
When the syrup bubbled and turned slightly yellow, Wenxia excitedly shouted, "It's changing color!"
Xu Mengyao then closed the oven door and added a spoonful of butter, saying, "Here comes the secret weapon!"
As soon as the words fell, a strong fragrance rushed towards them, and everyone exclaimed in unison: "What a nice smell!"
When the syrup turned a khaki-brown hue, Xu Mengyao scooped up some syrup with a spoon to check its consistency, then quickly added the freshly popped rice krispies. She stirred and fryed the krispies constantly, ensuring each grain was evenly coated in the syrup. Only when there was no excess sugar left at the bottom of the pot did she remove the krispies from the pot and pour them into a basket.
Wenxia couldn't wait to grab the popcorn, but she cried out in pain because of the burn. But she couldn't help but put the popcorn in her mouth to taste it, chewing it while mumbling:
"Second sister, what you cooked is so delicious! This is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten!" Her cheeks were puffed up and she looked like a little hamster.
The eldest brother and sister also praised Xu Mengyao's cooking skills. Huang Wenrong even took a handful of popcorn out to give to Huang's mother who was cooking. Huang's mother praised it after eating it, and walked into the house to praise her cleverness.
Xu Mengyao happily tore apart the sticky popcorn with her hands and savored it carefully. Each kernel of popcorn was coated in the richness of caramel and butter, first crispy and then sweet. She couldn't help but sigh: "Foods high in oil and sugar just make people happy!"
At this time, Grandma Qiu's voice came from the yard, with surprise: "Oh, whose food is this? Why does it smell so good!"
Aunt Feng responded sarcastically, "I don't have such good skills."
When Huang's mother heard this, she immediately replied, "Aunt Qiu, my daughter Juan'er just made some popcorn. I'll bring it out for you to try."
After saying that, she walked out with two bowls full of popcorn and handed them to Grandma Qiu and Aunt Feng in the yard.
Grandma Qiu ate and praised it endlessly: "It's so sweet and fragrant! If my Xinxin were here, he would definitely love it. I have to save some for him."
Huang's mother quickly waved her hand: "Aunt Qiu, don't worry about eating it. I'll make fresh food for Xinxin when he comes back."
Aunt Feng, who was standing by, also took the opportunity to grab a few handfuls of popcorn and quietly stuffed them into her pocket, saying with a smile, "Sister-in-law, your family really knows how to think about food. This popcorn must be quite expensive, right?"
Huang's mother just smiled slightly and did not comment.
At this moment, a group of children, as if drawn by the aroma, rushed into the yard, their little faces filled with curiosity and anticipation: "Auntie, did you make some new food? It smells so good!"
When Wenxia heard this, he immediately transformed into a little host and rushed out excitedly: "Yes, yes, it's mine! My second sister made super delicious popcorn!"
Xu Mengyao followed closely behind, holding a large teacup filled with popcorn that gave off an alluring aroma. She gently greeted the children:
"Come on, come on, try it. I guarantee you've never experienced this taste before."
As she spoke, she carefully gave each child two pieces. After the children finished eating, their eyes lit up, and some even wiped the corners of their mouths with their sleeves and said excitedly:
"Sister Juan, this popcorn is so delicious! It's even sweeter than the ones made with the 'iron bombs' you see during Chinese New Year. How much do you sell it for?"
Xu Mengyao shook the teacup in her hand and said with a smile, "This popcorn is not cheap to make. A teacup costs 20 cents."
When the children heard this, some immediately took out their wrinkled pocket money, some ran home to beg their parents for sponsorship, and some children who did not have enough money gathered together to pool their money to buy it. For a while, the yard was very lively.
Seeing this, Xu Mengyao quickly asked her elder sister to fold a few small baskets with newspaper for the children to put popcorn in. Soon, all the popcorn in the house was gone. So, Xu Mengyao decided to make another pot and suggested:
"Brother and sister, how about we go to the cinema entrance to sell popcorn after dinner? There will be a lot of people there, so it will definitely be popular!"
Huang Wenrong agreed readily after hearing this: "Good idea, this popcorn will definitely sell well."
Huang Wenbin hesitated. He lowered his head, kicked the small stone at his feet, and stammered, "Do I...do I have to go too? My friends all love watching movies. It would be so embarrassing if they saw me selling popcorn there."
Xu Mengyao's eyes were sharp, and she got straight to the point: "Brother, do you think it's shameful for your mother to sell food?"
Huang Wenbin was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't feel ashamed of my mother, I just... I feel embarrassed."
Xu Mengyao knows very well that although the country is now open to supporting individual businesses, in the eyes of many people, small vendors are still inferior professions, and the identity of a worker is the most respectable.
For the sake of her family's future, she decided to teach her eldest brother a lesson, uniting the family's strength and working together to face the outside world. She knew that the Huang family had no connections, and her eldest brother's academic performance was not good enough, so he had no hope of a career in the government. Her family could only make money in business if they wanted to live a good life, and she herself wanted to become a business tycoon.
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