txolops Chapter 83 The New Supporting Role of Fried Rice
Chapter 83 The New Supporting Role of Fried Rice
On the dining table, only a pile of clean pork rib bones remained on the plate.
The father and daughter finished off the small dish of sweet and sour, crisp radish slices completely.
"belch……"
Tangtang put down her little spoon, patted her round little belly, and let out a small burp.
Lin Chen put down his chopsticks, took out a tissue, and wiped the little bit of sweet and sour sauce off his daughter's mouth.
"Are you full?"
Lin Chen looked at his daughter and asked.
"Super full!"
Tangtang stretched out her two little hands and made a big circle, "Daddy's sweet and sour pork ribs are so delicious! I ate all the rice in my bowl!"
Lin Chen glanced at his daughter's clean little bowl, a smile playing on his lips.
"After you've eaten, go for a walk in the living room, or play with building blocks for a while to help digest your food."
Lin Chen stood up and began tidying up the mess on the table. "You can't lie down right after eating, or your tummy will feel bloated and uncomfortable, you know?"
"Okay!"
Tangtang nodded obediently, braced herself on the edge of the chair, and carefully slid down. "Then I'll go to the living room and build a giant windmill for Daddy!"
"Go on, but walk slowly."
Lin Chen gave a word of advice.
Watching his daughter run to the playmat in the living room and empty the basket of colorful building blocks into it to play with them, Lin Chen turned around and stacked the empty bowls and plates on the table.
He carried the bowl and chopsticks into the kitchen and placed them in the sink.
Turn on the tap, and warm water flows out.
Lin Chen squeezed some dish soap onto a sponge and started washing the dishes.
After rinsing off the foam, he used a clean cloth to dry the dishes and neatly placed them in the drain rack above.
Afterwards, he washed the rag, went back to the restaurant, and wiped the table spotless.
After completing these basic cleaning tasks, Lin Chen washed his hands and prepared to deal with the remaining dozen or so kilograms of white radishes.
In the basin next to the kitchen counter were the few white radishes that Tangtang had washed clean on the balcony that morning, as well as most of the radishes that Lin Chen had washed himself later.
Lin Chen took the cutting board and kitchen knife.
He first cut the white radish into thick slices, then into strips, and finally into even small pieces about one centimeter square.
The sound of the knife blade hitting the cutting board was continuous and rhythmic, without any unnecessary movements.
"Knock knock knock..."
The more than ten kilograms of white radish were quickly processed by Lin Chen's knife, and the chopped radish pieces filled two large stainless steel basins.
Lin Chen sprinkled an appropriate amount of salt into the basin.
He put on disposable gloves and stirred the radish from the bottom of the basin upwards, making sure each piece of radish was coated with salt.
This step is called "water removal". It uses salt to force out excess water and the raw, pungent smell from the radish, making the pickled radish crisp and refreshing.
Set the radish aside and let it sit.
Lin Chen turned around and picked up the tender ginger, purple garlic and bright red chili peppers he had bought that morning.
With a swift movement of the cleaver, ginger slices, garlic slices, and chili rings were quickly chopped and prepared.
The freshness of ginger, the richness of garlic, mixed with the pungent spiciness of millet peppers, along with the half-bottle of white rice vinegar that Lin Chen had just poured into the large bucket to prepare the sauce, instantly filled the kitchen with an appetizing sour, spicy, and pungent aroma.
Just as Lin Chen was preparing to adjust the sugar ratio and finish processing this batch of radishes.
"Bang bang bang!"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the security door.
"Brother Chen! Are you home?"
With a knock on the door, Wang Hai's voice came through the door.
"It's Uncle Fatty!"
Tangtang immediately put down the yellow building blocks in her hand, stood up from the playmat, and ran to the entrance hall, tiptoeing to reach the doorknob.
With a "click," Tangtang pulled the security door open from the inside.
Outside the door, Wang Hai was wearing a loose black T-shirt and a pair of shorts with letters printed on them, with flip-flops on his feet. His hair was messy, and he had obviously slept in at home on the weekend and had just gotten up not long ago.
"Oh, my sweet Tangtang!"
When Wang Hai looked down and saw the little girl opening the door, the sleepiness on his face instantly vanished.
He chuckled and bent down, gently pinching Tangtang's soft cheek. "What did you have for lunch today?"
"Hello, Uncle Fatty!"
Tangtang called out obediently, then raised her little face and said happily, "Daddy made me sweet and sour pork ribs for lunch today!"
It's so delicious!
"Sweet and sour pork ribs? Oh dear, I should have set an alarm to come over earlier and freeload off you."
Wang Hai sighed with feigned regret, then changed into slippers and went inside.
In the kitchen, Lin Chen took off his disposable gloves, washed his hands, and walked out while wiping his hands with a dry towel.
"Why are you here at this hour?"
Looking at Wang Hai's unkempt appearance, Lin Chen asked, "Weren't you planning to sleep in all weekend?"
"I just woke up and ordered some takeout to tide me over."
Thinking that I hadn't come to see Tangtang yesterday, and since I had nothing else to do, I decided to stroll over and check on her.
Wang Hai yawned and casually ran his hand through his messy hair.
As soon as he entered the living room, Wang Hai suddenly sniffed twice.
"Brother Chen, what are you doing in the kitchen?"
Why does it smell sour and spicy?
Wang Hai craned his neck curiously and peered into the kitchen. "It's the weekend, aren't we on holiday and not setting up our stall?"
What delicious food are you making now?
As Wang Hai spoke, he walked straight to the kitchen door.
As soon as he peeked out, he saw two large basins on the kitchen counter.
The basin was filled with chopped white radish chunks, and next to it were chopped chili peppers, shredded ginger, and sliced garlic, as well as a large bucket of sweet and sour sauce.
The enticing sweet, sour, and spicy aroma made Wang Hai, who had just woken up, involuntarily swallow.
"Wow, so many radish chunks?"
Wang Hai's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Lin Chen. "Brother Chen, why did you get so many white radishes?"
"We sell fried rice, why have we switched to making pickled vegetables?"
Lin Chen draped the towel he was holding over the back of the chair, walked to the water dispenser, took a disposable paper cup, poured a glass of cool boiled water for Wang Hai, and handed it to him.
"It's not a career change; these are side dishes for my stall tomorrow."
Lin Chen said, "The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and the customers who are queuing up are prone to feeling thirsty and greasy after eating hot fried rice."
I chopped some radish into chunks and made a sweet and sour chilled version. I'll give it to them for free when I set up my stall tomorrow.
After hearing Lin Chen's explanation, Wang Hai, holding his water glass, paused for a moment, then slapped his thigh.
"Brother Chen, you're really good at business!"
Wang Hai took a big gulp of water. "These past two days, with the temperature rising, I feel sweating just standing by the flower bed collecting money, let alone those customers wearing suits and eating hot fried rice."
If you could bite into a cool, sweet and sour crunchy radish halfway through your meal, it would definitely cut through the richness.
Looking at the two large basins of neatly prepared radish chunks, Wang Hai couldn't help but give them a thumbs up.
"But Brother Chen, aren't you being a bit too particular by spending money and effort to give away free side dishes just to satisfy your customers' appetites?"
Our line was already incredibly long.
"It's just a quick thing. Buying some radishes and seasonings at the morning market doesn't cost much."
Lin Chen spoke up, "Since you've taken their money, you have to make sure they eat well."
In summer, appetites are often poor, but a small dish can boost the dining experience, which is essential for long-term business success.
"That makes sense. You see things more clearly."
Wang Hai nodded, then couldn't help glancing at the side dishes in the kitchen. "Um... is this radish edible now?"
It smells incredibly tempting.
"We just salted it to draw out the water, and haven't mixed in the sauce yet. Right now, it only tastes salty and spicy like raw radish."
Seeing Wang Hai's greedy expression, Lin Chen pointed to the refrigerator and said, "Stop thinking about the radishes."
"Go sit on the sofa in the living room. There's half a watermelon in the fridge; I'll cut it for you."
"Alright! Then I won't be polite!"
Upon hearing that there was watermelon, Wang Hai happily picked up his water glass, turned around, and went to the living room, where he struck up a conversation with Tangtang, who was sitting on the playmat.
"Tangtang, come on, let Uncle Fatty help you build the windmill!"
Watching the two figures, one big and one small, playing in the living room, Lin Chen shook his head slightly, turned around and went back to the kitchen to cut the watermelon.