"Junior Brother, your culinary skills are really impressive."
Xie Baomin, who had brought along several chefs from Fishing Platform to help out, bit into a Meat Dragon and was immediately transported back to the tastes and soft textures of his childhood. As a child who grew up in the hutongs of Beijing, Xie Baomin had eaten plenty of such delicacies. Vegetable Python, Meat Dragon, flower rolls, salted rolls, sugar triangles, sugar-fried dough, vegetable nests, mixed-grain steamed buns, and various other foods had accompanied his growth. But as an adult, busy with work and family, opportunities to enjoy such foods had become less frequent. Sometimes he thought about making them himself, but he would get sidetracked whenever he got busy.
His junior brother really had it easy!
Having a bite of Meat Dragon followed by a sip of the savory soup his junior brother had prepared was an absolute delight!
The savory soup Lin Xu made was somewhat similar to Spicy Soup. It used Pork Bone Broth as a base and included ingredients like shredded kelp, wood ear mushrooms, diced gluten, dried daylilies, and vermicelli noodles. He then added table salt, Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, and a generous amount of pepper powder to enhance the flavor. Finally, he thickened the soup bit by bit, achieving a thick and smooth consistency. A bit of Chili Oil was drizzled on top. Stirring it evenly and then taking a spoonful brought a refreshing spiciness that could instantly dispel the sleepiness of waking up early, as if rejuvenating the body. It was delicious! This soup paired with the Meat Dragon was a match made in heaven.
While they were eating, the three members of the Shen Family walked in.
"Dundun, did you miss me?!"
Upon seeing Dundun, Shen Jiayue went straight to ruffle the little guy’s head, but Han Shuzhen stopped her. "Always acting like a wild woman. No wonder Dundun dislikes you... Come here, Dundun. Let Granny hold you."
It was clear Director Han now completely treated Dundun as her own grandson. Both parents, one using company shares as a lever for marriage and the other using Dundun’s name, were finding all sorts of ways to hint at Lin Xu:
Hurry up and get engaged! Hurry up and get married! Hurry up and have a chubby baby for us to take care of!
"Oh, Master Xie is here too?" Shen Guofu hurried over to greet him and took the opportunity to check out the breakfast. From the photo, it looked like Meat Dragon, but he didn’t know the exact filling and had to see it for himself.
"Boss Shen, welcome, welcome. Hurry and try this Meat Dragon; it’s really delicious..." Xie Baomin said, then added quietly, "The meat filling is super generous!"
This comment immediately tickled Shen Guofu’s fancy. Driving all the way from the West Fourth Ring to the North Fourth Ring, starving first thing in the morning—wasn’t it all for this delicious food?
However, it seemed a bit inappropriate to just sit down and eat. He asked pretentiously, "Lin Xu, today’s the last day of business. Is everything ready?"
"We’re preparing the dishes. My senior brother brought over some chefs from Fishing Platform to help, so it shouldn’t be a problem."
Lin Xu opened the cabinet, brought out the remaining Vegetable Python and Meat Dragon, and then served a bowl of soup to his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and Shen Jiayue.
Seeing this while playing with Dundun, Shen Jiayue immediately came over. She picked up a piece of Meat Dragon to taste, and her eyes lit up. "Wow, this tastes amazing! I thought it would taste like a meat bun, but it’s exactly like the meat rolls my grandma used to steam."
Shen Jiayue had lived with Old Lady Yu as a child. She frequently ate sugar triangles, meat rolls, and Noodles With Black Bean Sauce, and had vivid memories of these delicacies. The so-called meat roll was made just like Meat Dragon. However, it needed to be cut before steaming, like flower rolls, and then steamed. Meat Dragon, on the other hand, was steamed whole and cut when served. Both methods had their pros and cons. Cutting it into meat rolls before steaming allowed the steam to directly contact the meat filling, cooking it more thoroughly. Steaming it whole, however, infused all the meat’s aroma into the dough, making the dough more flavorful.
"Mmm... This Meat Dragon and soup are a perfect combo! Xu, honey, what kind of soup is this? It’s so delicious!" Shen Jiayue held her bowl, took a sip of the soup, and then bit into the meat-filled Meat Dragon. She relished the delicious breakfast, sure it would keep her energized all day!
"I made it based on recipes from the Central Plains, but it’s not true Spicy Soup. Spicy Soup uses Beef Bone Soup, while this one uses Pork Bone Broth."
"Honestly, I don’t get it, but as long as it’s tasty, that’s all that matters. Dad, don’t just eat the meat; try some with vegetarian filling too. Mom, stop cuddling Dundun and come eat! Don’t you have a morning meeting?"
Sigh! Everyone’s so troublesome. I have to manage the whole family; it’s so tough for me!
Han Shuzhen placed Dundun on the checkout counter, wrapped the little guy in a blanket, then washed her hands and came over to eat. "You little brat, why all the yelling? You think I can’t read the time?" She glanced at the Vegetable Python, then picked up a piece of Meat Dragon to eat. Check latest chapters at novel[f]ire.net
Shen Jiayue was a little puzzled. "Don’t you like the egg and chive filling? Why aren’t you eating it, Mom? Don’t tell me Dad’s got you hooked on meat now?"
Nibbling on the Meat Dragon, Han Shuzhen mumbled, "It’s inappropriate to eat chives before the morning meeting."
"But you’re wearing a mask, though. Others won’t smell it."
"I’m afraid I’ll smell it myself... Hurry up and eat your food; stop chattering so much."
After a fulfilling meal, the family members each went off to work.
Before Shen Jiayue left, she specially brought two pieces of Meat Dragon for Tan Yajun.
Mhm, Uncle Tan should try such a delicious treat too. That way, when the new shop opened, he could continue ordering Lin Ji’s Food box meals, increasing Xu’s income.