txolops Chapter 61 Kindergarten "Riot"
Chapter 61 Kindergarten "Riot"
"Candy, can I have a purple one?"
"Tangtang, I want to try the white one. I'll trade you my big piece of fish!"
In the classroom of Class 3, the children who usually sit quietly in their seats at mealtimes are now all crowding around Tangtang's desk.
Seeing the pairs of eyes staring expectantly at her, Tangtang did not become possessive of her food.
She remembered Lin Chen's words that morning: good things should be shared.
"Please don't push, everyone. Daddy said we need to line up."
Like a little adult, Tangtang stretched out her two little hands and pressed them down, directing, "I'll use a small fork to distribute them to you, and each person can only get one."
Because I need to save a few for myself.
"Okay! I'll join the queue!"
The little boy Hao Hao, who was the first to come over, quickly stood up straight.
Tangtang picked up a small pink plastic fork, speared a four-happiness steamed dumpling made of purple cabbage dough, and put it into the small plate that Haohao brought over.
Then, she forked a pure white pasta pasta and gave it to another little girl.
Xiao Meng, who had just eaten a spinach steamed dumpling, was now happily given a red steamed dumpling with a dragon fruit dough.
The children who received the steamed dumplings eagerly ran back to their seats with their plates in hand.
Hao Hao picked up the special children's fork and stuffed the whole purple steamed dumpling into his mouth.
The dough is soft, chewy, and slightly elastic. Inside, the shrimp and pork tenderloin filling bursts with a fresh, juicy flavor, mixed with the rich aroma of shiitake mushrooms and the sweetness of corn, creating an explosion in the little boy's mouth.
"Mmm...it's so delicious!"
Hao Hao's big eyes suddenly lit up, and he swallowed it after chewing a few times.
After finishing his meal, he lowered his head and glanced at the luxurious food box in front of him that had once made him very proud.
Inside the food box was a deep-sea cod fillet that had been taken from a high-end Western restaurant, covered in a thick layer of butter sauce.
Hao Hao picked up a fork, poked a piece of fish fillet into his mouth.
The flavors that I usually find delicious suddenly became unpalatable after eating the Four Happiness Steamed Dumplings.
"It tastes awful..."
Hao Hao frowned, put down his fork, and said, "The sauce on this fish is so oily, it's not as delicious as Tangtang's little flower."
I don't want to eat this anymore!
Not only Hao Hao, but Xiao Meng, who was sitting next to Tang Tang, also looked like she wanted more after finishing the red steamed dumpling.
She looked at the expensive thick-cut Wagyu beef sandwich in front of her, and her lips immediately pursed.
"This meat is hard to chew, and it has a strange milky taste."
Xiao Meng reached out and pushed the beautiful wooden lunchbox a little further away. "I never want to eat sandwiches again! I want to eat at Tangtang's house!"
The other children who received steamed dumplings also had surprisingly similar reactions.
Compared to the exquisitely fresh and soft texture of traditional Chinese handmade pastries, these expensive Western dishes, heavy on cheese and butter, which are usually praised by adults, seem greasy and unappetizing.
"Teacher, I don't want noodles anymore, I want candy!"
"Tangtang, how about I trade all my meat for half a little flower?"
The children who didn't get any steamed dumplings were so anxious they stomped their feet, while the children who did get some complained about their lunch. The classroom instantly turned into a complete mess.
Upon seeing this, Ms. Liu, the teacher in charge of the class, quickly clapped her hands and strode over to the middle of the children.
"Alright, alright, kids, get back to your seats!"
Ms. Liu's voice was gentle but stern as she began to maintain order, announcing, "Sharing time is over."
Tangtang's lunchbox only had so little food; she needs to eat lunch too!
"But teacher, my fish doesn't taste as good as Tangtang's..."
Hao Hao looked at Teacher Liu with a wronged expression.
"The teacher knows that Tangtang's lunchbox smells delicious."
Teacher Liu walked over to Hao Hao and patiently explained, "But everyone's own lunchbox is also prepared with hard work by their parents."
Farmers work very hard to grow food, so we must never waste food.
Okay, everyone, go back to your seats and finish what's in your lunchboxes.
Whoever copied a CD today will receive two stickers from the teacher this afternoon.
Hearing the rewards of "Don't waste food" and "stickers," the children, though reluctant to part with Tangtang's steamed dumplings, obediently returned to their seats.
One by one, they picked up their forks with a pitiful look and began to eat their favorite fancy Western food as if it were wax, while their eyes kept glancing at Tangtang's lunchbox.
After finally calming the agitated children down, Teacher Liu breathed a long sigh of relief.
She turned around and walked to Tangtang's seat.
In Tangtang's pink insulated lunchbox, there were originally twelve neatly arranged four steamed dumplings, but now only four remain.
Because the children were so crowded together when they were dividing the dumplings, Tangtang was a little flustered when using the small plastic fork, and accidentally punctured the skin of one of the white steamed dumplings.
A thin slit opened in the dough, revealing the tender, delicate minced shrimp inside, and a small piece of bright orange carrot garnish on top.
A faint, pure aroma of fresh meat wafted out from the crack and precisely entered Teacher Liu's nasal cavity.
Although Teacher Liu was trying her best to maintain order, she had already smelled the unusual fragrance from being so close.
Just then, Tangtang sat on a small chair and looked up at Teacher Liu with her little face.
The little girl picked up a small plastic fork, pierced the skin of the half-steamed dumpling, and handed it forward.
"Teacher Liu."
Tangtang's voice was clear and her big eyes were full of sincerity. "Daddy said that good things should be shared with good friends, and we should also be grateful to our teachers."
You work so hard taking care of Tangtang every day, here, have some!
Looking into the little girl's innocent eyes, Teacher Liu felt a sudden warmth in her heart.
"Tangtang is such a good girl."
Teacher Liu smiled and shook her head. "However, the kindergarten has a rule that teachers are not allowed to eat the children's lunch."
"Eat your own food, Tangtang. Eat more so you can grow taller."
"But...but this little flower accidentally got a scratch."
Tangtang stubbornly held up her little fork, her face full of anticipation. "Daddy said that teachers usually have to talk a lot and are very tired."
The teacher will just take a bite; it's not dirty inside.
Seeing Tangtang holding up her little hand with her eyes full of anticipation, Teacher Liu hesitated.
She knew that if she didn't answer, the little girl would definitely be very disappointed.
In addition, the soul-stirring aroma of pastries was constantly testing her sense of smell.
"Then... the teacher will try a small bite."
Thank you for your kindness, Tangtang.
Teacher Liu smiled somewhat embarrassedly.
For hygiene reasons, she turned around, took her clean spare spoon, and gently took the half-broken four-happiness steamed dumpling from Tangtang's fork.
"Tangtang, hurry up and eat it, or it'll get cold."
Teacher Liu gently gave her instructions.
"Um!"
Tangtang happily picked up her little fork and began to tackle the three remaining steamed dumplings in her lunchbox.
Teacher Liu stood by the aisle, looking at the half of the exquisitely shaped pastry in the spoon.
There's no heavy sauce to cover it up, and no complicated spices to season it.
It's just the simplest ingredients: flour, vegetable juice, shrimp, and lean meat.
Teacher Liu slightly opened her mouth and put the half of the steamed dumpling into it.
Gently close your upper and lower teeth.
For an instant.
Teacher Liu's eyes widened suddenly, and she froze on the spot.
The dough was steamed to perfection, soft yet with a slight chewiness unique to flour.
But what truly amazed her was the filling!
The sweetness of the shrimp and the tenderness of the pork tenderloin blend perfectly, bursting with juice in your mouth.
The diced carrots and shiitake mushrooms add a touch of crispness and a rich aftertaste.
Not a trace of fishiness, only a fresh and clean taste!
"this……"
Teacher Liu was completely shocked and swallowed the food in her mouth.
She stared blankly at the pink lunchbox in front of Tangtang, her mind reeling with turmoil.
What kind of divine skill is this?!
This seemingly unremarkable traditional Chinese pastry completely shattered her previous belief that foreign cuisine was the pinnacle!
Cooking temperature, seasoning, and knife skills.
This is definitely not a children's bento box that an ordinary parent would just whip up in the kitchen.
This ultimate extraction and combination of the original flavors of ingredients is a level of skill that even the most romantic Michelin-starred chefs could never achieve!
Teacher Liu took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart, and a sincere bitter smile appeared on her lips.
She now fully understood the children's "riot" from earlier, and even she herself, after finishing half a steamed dumpling, had lost all expectation for the teachers' lunch.