"Wow! These wontons are so delicious!"
Shen Jiayue scooped up a wonton with her spoon. Its thin skin was almost translucent, clearly revealing the meat filling inside. Carefully blowing on it a couple of times, she waited until it wasn’t too hot before popping it into her mouth.
The skin was smooth yet resilient. The filling inside had clumped together into a small meatball. It tasted fresh and delectable. Occasionally, she chewed on bits of diced Lotus Root mixed in the filling; its fresh and crisp texture added a refreshing lightness to the slightly greasy wontons.
Seeing her silly daughter enjoying the food so earnestly, Han Shuzhen, who had initially been wary of the heat, also scooped up a wonton, blew on it, and put it in her mouth.
Her son-in-law was indeed an expert at making hand-rolled noodles. The skin was rolled as thin as paper, yet it surprisingly didn’t break. It slid smoothly down the throat without needing much chewing. Han Shuzhen loved eating wontons precisely for this feeling of drinking the skins down with the broth. A bowl of wontons, broth and all, made her feel entirely content.
But today, she discovered that adding some crunchy diced Lotus Root to the wonton filling was also very delicious. It not only enhanced the umami but also introduced a different texture.
So delicious! Her son-in-law’s skills were truly impeccable. Everything he made was incredibly delicious.
She took another sip of the broth. It was also very delicious. Especially the aroma—it was something she could never get at home. At home, their cook, Sister Liu, was also skilled in making wontons, and the umami was very rich, but compared to her son-in-law’s skills, it always seemed to lack a certain fragrance.
"Lin Xu, what did you put in the wontons? Why do they smell so good?" Han Shuzhen decided to find out exactly what he used. When she returned home, she would tell Sister Liu to use this method in the future.
Lin Xu said, "I added some lard to it."
The flavor was so rich; lard was essential to achieve it.
"Lard?" Han Shuzhen looked with some surprise at the oil floating in the bowl.
No wonder the aroma is so rich and mellow! So it’s the lard! This reinforced her determination to write a paper on lard. Such a tasty fat, yet so misunderstood by people for so many years, with many even fearing the mention of it! It’s time to correct everyone’s mistaken dietary ideas.
"If you lard, I’ll give you a jar later. The lard rendered at home probably isn’t as tasty as what I make here..."
The stove at home has less firepower, and the quantity rendered each time is also smaller. Unlike at the store, where the stove’s firepower is sufficient for making a large batch. Plus, after rendering, Scallion and Ginger are added to enhance the flavor. That’s what makes the lard here even more delicious.
"Okay, okay, Guofu, don’t forget to take it when we leave."
With the lard made by my son-in-law, it’ll be even more convenient to study its uses in everyday life.
Lin Xu ate a small bowl of wontons. Then he picked up the hand-rolled noodles made by Niu Chuan and started eating them with the dishes on the table.
The training task was proceeding methodically. Niu Chuan could now make hand-rolled noodles twelve to thirteen times a day, easily meeting the goal of one hundred times in ten days.
However, eating these hand-rolled noodles too often can get monotonous. I should consider adding some different toppings, even if it’s just for Niu Chuan’s task. It’s a pity Mom isn’t here. She knows many noodle toppings; if she were here, she could whip up a delicious one in minutes.
While they were eating, Dou Wenjing walked in. After a busy afternoon, she had finally managed to transform Lin Ji’s Food from an individual proprietorship into a catering company.
"Tomorrow, I still need to take the old business license to exchange it for a new one, and other permits also need to be updated."
"You’ve really gone to a lot of trouble, Wenjing. Come, try the wontons I made."
Smelling the wontons Lin Xu handed her, Dou Wenjing, who had looked somewhat tired, suddenly perked up. These wontons smell different from those sold outside!
Just as she was about to sit down to eat, she realized President Shen’s family was sitting nearby—even his wife, the doctor, was present.
This... Would it seem impolite of me to just plop down?
"Go ahead and sit down to eat. It’s a good chance to taste Lin Xu’s cooking. These wontons really aren’t easy to find outside."
Han Shuzhen’s amiable demeanor warmed Dou Wenjing’s heart. Does this mean I’ve broken into Madam Han’s family circle? Their harmonious family is so enviable. Unlike me, I only go home once a year for Spring Festival, and even then, I have to deal with the blind dates arranged by relatives back home. My parents also nag endlessly, always acting as if they can’t hold their heads high in front of the neighbors if I don’t get married. SIGH! I must work hard and earn money! Once I buy my own house in Beijing, I won’t have to care about what those relatives back home think anymore.
Dou Wenjing tasted a wonton. Her worries were instantly dispelled by the delicious taste.
"Wow, these wontons taste so good! They’re both fragrant and fresh. How can they be this delicious?"
Before eating, she had already planned to praise them lavishly, no matter what. But after taking a bite, she realized the compliments she had prepared were utterly inadequate. These wontons are much tastier than I ever imagined!
"Isn’t it delicious? My Lin Xu added lard, making it both aromatic and savory," Han Shuzhen said, warmly praising her son-in-law.
Shen Guofu had also explained to Han Shuzhen the purpose of Dou Wenjing’s visit to the store. Hearing that the young woman was helping her son-in-law change the business’s legal status, Han Shuzhen became even more enthusiastic.
"You’ve really worked hard in this hot weather. Just tell us whatever you want to eat. We might not have everything, but we have plenty of food."