Qin Huai had previously rated his own snacks. Although many snacks were rated B-level, there’s a difference even among B-level snacks.
Returning home for the New Year without reliable help, many snacks would be downgraded.
The longevity noodles were downgraded significantly.
Longevity noodles have two main essences: one is the noodles, and the other is the broth. At Huang Ji, Zheng Siyuan loved eating longevity noodles in the morning mainly because of the broth. The broth used for cooking longevity noodles was personally made by Huang Jia.
Although ranked at the bottom, Huang Jia was at least a disciple worthy of entering the Chef Record, and his broth-making skills were undeniable.
That single pot of broth was something many chefs of ordinary talent couldn’t achieve in a lifetime.
Granny Qin’s chicken soup wasn’t bad, but it was just an ordinary chicken soup.
Given the variety of snacks to be made today, it was impossible for each to be made with such precision, so today’s longevity noodles were actually only —
[Longevity Noodles C+ Level]
The C+ level longevity noodles were quickly finished, and Qin Huai thought his cousin probably wouldn’t have the stomach capacity to eat a second bowl of longevity noodles today.
Qin Huai looked down at the Four Happiness glutinous rice balls in his bowl.
[Four Happiness Soup Dumplings B Level]
The steady performance of the Four Happiness soup dumplings was due in no small part to Aunt Wang’s exceptional meat chopping skills.
As a specialized chopper of beef balls for at least 360 out of the 365 days a year, Aunt Wang might not be extremely skilled in knife work, but she certainly had her own insights in meat chopping. When Qin Huai saw her in the kitchen that afternoon, he felt that Aunt Wang’s meat chopping was quite good.
Aunt Wang didn’t know what Four Happiness soup dumplings were but she knew what kind of filling Qin Huai wanted.
Qin Huai took a bite of the pure meat filling dumpling.
The essence of pure meat filling dumplings is that the meat must be fresh, the filling well chopped, the seasoning not overly fancy, and the overall taste should be relatively fresh and simple.
Although today’s pure meat filling dumplings were still ordinary and unimpressive, overshadowed by the other three with their delightful and flamboyant sweet fillings – like a movie extra without even a line – it was still a qualified pure meat filling dumpling.
It’s just that it was a 75-point dumpling, while the other three sweet fillings were 80-85 point dumplings.
Qin Huai felt today’s meat filling dumpling was delicious because it was tastier than he had expected.
Aunt Wang truly understood meat fillings.
From the corner of his eye, Qin Huai saw that He Cheng had already started eating the dumplings and grabbed a meat filling one first, stopped by Qin Luo, who told him to eat the sweet ones first, then the salty ones in the middle.
He Cheng may have failed to make tea properly and was marked for demotion once, but it wasn’t severe enough to affect his enjoyment of the dumplings.
After a red bean filling dumpling, He Cheng was amazed.
After a sesame sugar filling dumpling, He Cheng was even more dazed.
After a meat filling dumpling, He Cheng was not as dazed as before.
After the last mixed fruit filling dumpling, He Cheng felt like crying.
He wished that Qin Huai had been his parents’ adopted son, that way he would be Qin Huai’s real brother.
After finishing the longevity noodles and Four Seasons soup dumplings, Granny Qin felt full.
Snacks made from glutinous rice can be quite filling, and Granny Qin said that with her age, she couldn’t overeat like in previous years. The internet says that seniors should practice health preservation, eat less, and have more meals.
Granny Qin has quit eating midnight snacks in recent years and wouldn’t quietly get up in the middle of the night to heat up braised pork to eat.
Yes, Granny Qin had a hobby in previous years of getting up in the middle of the night to eat braised pork and braised mustard greens.
Granny Qin put down her bowl and picked up her chopsticks, preparing to symbolically eat a few bites of her own cooked dishes, then conclude today’s satisfying New Year’s dinner.
Seeing Granny pick up her chopsticks, Qin Huai knew she was probably full.
"Grandma," Qin Huai spoke up to remind, "there’s no need to try all the other snacks on this table, the Dried Tangerine Peel Tea can be saved for when you get thirsty playing mahjong tonight, and the Three Meat Buns can be eaten tomorrow morning, but you must try the Guo’er tonight."
"This is your grandson’s signature dish at Huang Ji, featured in magazines." Qin Huai began to boast.
"Yes, yes, Grandma, didn’t I take a photo for you? That long line at the entrance of Huang Ji, people start queuing before dawn every day just to eat my Guo’er."
Granny Qin instantly felt that being 70% full wasn’t enough, only 90% full was just right.
Granny Qin squinted and looked around the table but couldn’t recognize the Guo’er: "Which snack is the Guo’er?"
"This one!" Qin Luo stood up to get it for Granny Qin, very thoughtfully choosing the ugliest one, "Grandma, you can just break it open and eat!"
"Yes, yes, try the taste." Qin Huai also agreed enthusiastically.
Qin Xiuli had already noticed the Guo’er on the table, among a table of beautiful snacks, it was the ugliest.
As she ate the last dumpling, Qin Xiuli whispered to He Hua: "Didn’t Huaihuai attend an art interest class when he was a kid? It seems to have been useless."
"Quiet down, don’t let Huaihuai hear it."
Qin Huai didn’t hear the couple’s murmurs but he did hear Granny Qin’s muttering.
"Old man, didn’t Huaihuai learn to draw when he was young? It was pretty good, that Director Qin from the orphanage even showed me, so colorful, how come now this..."
Granny, don’t criticize one without considering the other, your sense of aesthetics is also a bit worrying.
"This is called art, haven’t you seen it when watching videos? Abstract art!" Mr. Qin asserted confidently.
Granny Qin was puzzled, and after carefully examining the abstract art, felt she perhaps didn’t quite understand art, preferring the colorful approach.
Granny Qin tried hard to break open the Guo’er but didn’t do it well, as the meat juice dripped down the dough, she quickly leaned in to suck it up.