txolops Chapter 158 The Delicious Little Girl
Chapter 158 The Delicious Little Girl
2:30 PM, a rented room in an urban village.
In the kitchen, Wang Hai placed the last washed shallot on the cutting board.
Wang Hai shook his slightly sore wrist and looked at the basin next to him.
"Brother Chen, chop all the shallots and get them done!"
This job is really not for the average person. Even with water to keep my eyes from stinging, my arms are so sore I can barely lift them.
Wang Hai rubbed his wrist while turning his head to look at the control panel on the other side.
He should have kept quiet until he saw it, and then he became much more alert.
On the table in front of Lin Chen, the fifty pounds of top-quality pork belly that was originally like a small mountain had now been completely turned into evenly sized cubes.
Each diced meat had a smooth, even cut, with alternating red and white colors, and no signs of being squeezed.
Lin Chen put down the knife in his hand and took a clean, damp towel to wipe his hands.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Lin Chen glanced at the bowl of chopped shallots, nodded slightly, and turned his gaze to the side, "Put the big iron pot on, and get ready to cook it."
"Alright!"
Wang Haiqian was full of energy and immediately moved the iron pot over and placed it on the stove with a strong fire.
At the same time, the newly bought soup pot was cleaned and placed on the spare stove next to it.
Lin Chen walked to the stove and reached out to turn on the gas valve.
Flames leaped up instantly, licking the bottom of the iron pot.
Lin Chen did not pour oil.
He picked up the diced pork belly, which had been specially cut from the cutting board and had a lot of fat, and poured it directly into the hot iron pot.
"Sizzle"
The fatty meat popped and crackled as soon as it touched the scalding hot bottom of the pot.
Lin Chen held a long-handled iron spoon in his right hand and stirred it in the pot.
Within minutes, the diced fatty meat began to shrink slowly, and the edges turned slightly yellow.
A fragrant aroma filled the kitchen.
After all the diced fatty meat in the pot has rendered its oil,
"Pour out the shallots."
Lin Chen said.
Wang Hai immediately picked up the large basin and carefully poured all the chopped shallots into it.
Lin Chen kept stirring the bottom of the pot with the iron spoon in his hand to prevent the chopped green onions from sticking to the bottom.
As the shallots are fried at high temperatures, their spiciness completely evaporates, transforming into a unique, subtly sweet aroma of shallot oil.
As the chopped scallions in the pot gradually turned a beautiful golden yellow, Lin Chen moved extremely quickly and immediately used a fine-mesh strainer to scoop out all the fried "scallion crisps" and put them into a stainless steel basin next to him for later use.
"Brother Chen, aren't you just stir-frying the fried scallion oil with the meat?"
Wang Hai asked curiously from the side.
"If the chopped green onions are too finely ground, the meat will take time to cook through, and if it's left to soak in hot oil for too long, it will burn and become bitter."
Lin Chen explained, then picked up the raw diced meat from the cutting board and poured it into the large iron pot filled with the aroma of scallion oil in batches.
"Sizzle!"
Lin Chen gripped the long-handled iron spoon with both hands.
He was stir-frying the diced pork belly in the pan.
As the meat is continuously stirred, the high temperature completely locks in the moisture on the surface of the diced meat, gradually making it firmer.
"Get the rock sugar and spices."
Lin Chen spoke up.
"They're here!"
Wang Hai handed over a large bowl of yellow rock sugar, followed by a packet of secret spices wrapped in gauze.
Lin Chen poured the rock sugar and the fried golden scallion oil back into the pot, then picked up the large soy sauce container next to him.
The reddish-brown soy sauce was poured down the side of the pot, and as soon as it touched the hot pot wall, it instantly released a rich aroma.
Stir-fry and color.
Once the diced meat in the pot was completely coated with an enticing bright red color, Lin Chen lifted the iron pot with both hands and exerted force on both sides.
"Splash!"
The pot of diced pork belly was poured into the soup pot next to it.
Immediately afterwards, Lin Chen picked up the boiling water next to him and poured it into the soup pot until the water level just covered the diced meat.
"Glug glug..."
Lin Chen pressed the large spice packet into the soup.
Wang Hai stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the bubbling, reddish meat chunks in the large bucket, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
"Gulp."
Wang Hai swallowed hard. "Brother Chen...this tastes amazing!"
Just smelling this aroma now, even without any other dishes, I could easily eat three large bowls of rice!
Lin Chen took the lid and put it on the large bucket.
Turn the heat down to low and simmer.
As Lin Chen spoke, he turned the gas valve to its lowest setting, leaving only a small flame to slowly simmer the minced meat.
After doing all this, Lin Chen looked up at the clock on the wall.
It was a little past four in the afternoon.
"handwashing."
Lin Chen took off his apron and hung it behind the door. "Go pick up Tangtang."
"Alright!"
Wang Hai looked away from the large bucket and quickly washed his hands at the sink.
The two got into the van and drove towards Qiming Bilingual Kindergarten.
……
At 4:30 pm, at the kindergarten gate.
The school bell rang on time.
Lin Chen and Wang Hai stood outside the pick-up and drop-off area.
Not long after, Tangtang, carrying her little backpack, spotted Lin Chen at a glance and happily ran over with her short legs.
Lin Chen bent down and caught his daughter who was lunging at him.
Teacher Liu followed behind with a smile.
"Mr. Lin, Mr. Wang, come pick up Tangtang."
Teacher Liu greeted her politely.
"Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Liu."
Lin Chen nodded slightly.
"It's not hard work. Tangtang was especially well-behaved during her afternoon nap today, and she even folded her little blanket herself when she woke up."
Teacher Liu smiled and patted Tangtang's little head.
"Hehe, because I'm a big kid!"
Tangtang puffed out her little chest, revealing two adorable little tiger teeth.
"Great!"
Wang Hai, standing nearby, chuckled and gave a thumbs-up. "Come on, come home with Uncle Fatty. There's a huge surprise waiting for you at home!"
"What surprise is it?"
Tangtang blinked her big eyes curiously.
You'll know when you get back.
Wang Hai deliberately kept everyone in suspense.
After a brief farewell to Teacher Liu, Lin Chen picked up Tangtang with one hand, and the three of them turned around and got back into the van, heading towards the urban village.
……
At 4:50 PM, downstairs at the rented apartment.
The bread truck stopped, and Lin Chen opened the car door and took Tangtang out.
"Daddy, what good stuff has Uncle Fatty prepared?"
Tangtang held Lin Chen's hand as they walked into the stairwell, asking him questions with curiosity.
The three of them had just stepped into the stairwell and hadn't even reached the second floor yet.
Tangtang suddenly stopped.
The little girl sniffed, and her big eyes widened instantly.
A rich aroma of meat wafted through the cracks in the door of the second-floor rental room, drifting into the hallway.
"It smells so good!"
Tangtang tilted her little face up, her big eyes sparkling, "Daddy, did you make something delicious?"
"Hmm, a new dish for tomorrow."
Lin Chen led her upstairs.
Reaching the door, Lin Chen took out his key and turned the switch to open the security door.
"Click".
As soon as the door was pushed open, the aroma of soy sauce, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly rushed in and completely enveloped the three of them.
Tangtang didn't even bother to change into her slippers before running off to the sliding door to the kitchen with her short legs.
She gripped the glass door frame with both hands, stood on tiptoe, and tried hard to look inside.
On the kitchen stove, wisps of white steam were rising from the giant bucket, and a bubbling sound kept coming from the pot.
"Gulp."
Tangtang stood at the door, smelling the aroma of meat.
The little girl stared intently at the big bucket, her little hands unconsciously touching her tummy.
"Daddy..."
Tangtang turned her head and looked longingly at Lin Chen as he walked over. In a soft, coquettish voice, she said, "Tangtang's tummy says it wants to eat the delicious food inside right now..."