HCB Chapter 231 Super Delicious!
Chapter 231 Super Delicious!
Aunt Liu happily went home with the glass jar.
Pushing open the door, I saw steam rising from the kitchen.
Old Li, her husband, was standing in front of the stove watching the steamer. Hearing the noise, he immediately turned around, his eyes fixed on the jar in her hand, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.
"Great job! I knew you'd get it back. Hurry, hurry, my stomach is rumbling with hunger!"
He rubbed his hands together, not even bothering to tie his apron.
Aunt Liu put the jar on the table, but before she could even unscrew the cap, Old Li had already eagerly opened it first.
The bright red noodles were topped with white sesame seeds, and the aroma of steaming hot noodles filled the air.
Aunt Liu laughed and said, "Look at you, old man, how old are you, still so greedy. Are your steamed buns ready? If they are, give me one too."
The steamed buns were heated up quickly. Even though they were scalding hot, Old Li broke one open, scooped out a generous spoonful of chili oil, and spread it on the snow-white bun.
The oil instantly seeped into the fluffy pores, and he didn't care that it was hot, taking a big bite.
Delicious! Spicy! Oily!
Then, the rich aroma of stir-frying, the complex spiciness of chili peppers, the mellow flavor of sesame seeds, and the unique aroma of beef explode in your mouth.
Old Li took a deep breath: "Spicy! This chili oil has power!"
This spicy flavor isn't overpowering; rather, it's a lingering spiciness that travels down your throat and into your stomach.
The chili oil is oily and firm.
The sweetness of the steamed buns was enhanced by the chili oil, making them even more fragrant and delicious.
Old Li ate half a steamed bun in a few bites.
"Honey, you have to try this! Mmm... this chili oil is really delicious. Spicy! Fragrant! I haven't had such delicious chili oil in years."
Aunt Liu, hearing what he said sounded strange, broke off half a steamed bun, added chili oil, and tasted it.
She wasn't as good at handling spicy food as Lao Li; she tore at the spice with one bite and had to drink half a cup of water to calm it down.
"Oh, it's really delicious and fragrant, but it's just too spicy."
"You obviously can't eat this. Can you even call this chili oil if it's not spicy?"
"Hiss...you're right."
Old Li ate one bite after another, and the whole steamed bun was gone in the blink of an eye.
He had already eaten dinner, and this steamed bun made him feel a little uncomfortable from being so full, but he still had a craving. His gaze shifted to the bag of pickled vegetables next to him.
"He gave me this pickled vegetable too, why don't you open it too? And this chili pepper, I'll have another one!"
Aunt Liu reacted quickly, grabbing him and glaring at him irritably.
"You old man, you ate quite a bit tonight, and now you've had a steamed bun. Can your stomach handle it? Eat again tomorrow."
After saying that, Aunt Liu stuffed all the bags of pickled vegetables into the refrigerator.
"Also, Xiao Yuan's mom said that the pickled vegetables were just pickled, so the flavor hasn't fully penetrated yet. They'll definitely taste good tomorrow morning, don't worry, you'll get your share."
Old Li clicked his tongue, his mouth watering, but he still obeyed and didn't reach out again.
"Alright, alright, let's leave it at that for tonight, we'll talk about it tomorrow. Make some porridge for breakfast tomorrow morning, pickled vegetables taste best with porridge."
Aunt Liu laughed and said, "Okay, whatever you say, alright?"
4:30 a.m.
Most people were still asleep, but those making breakfast were already up and running enthusiastically.
The Star River Night Market has lit up.
On the side of the food cart, six transparent glass jars were already neatly arranged on the serving table, with disposable paper cups and chopsticks next to them for customers to take.
Chen Yuan wrote two lines of large characters on a piece of cardboard and secured them to the front with tape.
[A refreshing summer appetizer: Secret Recipe Beef Chili Oil (very spicy), free for self-service.]
[No takeout allowed; no waste allowed. Violators will be fined.]
The college students in line immediately noticed this small change.
Yesterday, Jingda Ganfan Wang, who had taken the lead in giving Chen Yuan advice, squeezed to the front and his voice instantly became as loud as a searchlight. He turned around and shouted from behind.
"Holy crap! The boss actually listened to my advice and brought out free side dishes and chili oil!"
"Really? I just mentioned wanting chili oil yesterday, and it's already here today? The boss's trick is brilliant! I'm practically becoming his loyal follower!"
"Is this chili oil really that spicy? Let me test it; I'm the one in my dorm who can handle the spiciness the most!"
Clearly, Chen Yuan's actions won the favor of the college students.
After buying breakfast, everyone adds whatever they like to the pickled vegetables.
A girl wearing a fisherman's hat bought two steamed buns with pork filling and a fried dough stick, and carried a pickled cucumber to the seat her friend had reserved.
Her first bite wasn't a steamed bun, but a cucumber.
"Finally, we have pickled cucumbers! I love this dish so much. My family pickles them by the basin every summer. I miss my mom a little..."
She talked to the people around her as she took a bite, and with a crisp "crunch," her eyes lit up.
"This cucumber is so delicious! You guys should try it!"
She was sitting with several of her roommates, and they all picked up a piece of food with their chopsticks.
"Ah, this is so delicious! The cucumber doesn't taste raw at all. Is it made with sweet and sour sauce? It's so sweet and sour, so good!"
"Wait for me a moment, I'll go get some too."
"Me too! Me too! I didn't get enough!"
The guy at the next table, whose hairline was receding a bit, chose cowpeas. The cowpea fish was both sour and crunchy, very refreshing and not greasy at all.
He hurriedly recommended to his roommates, "You guys should try these pickled cowpeas, they're really delicious, very sour. If you don't like sour food, you can skip them, but if you do, you'll definitely find them flavorful. And they're not only sour, they're also quite crunchy."
Cucumbers and cowpeas are quite easy to distinguish.
However, watermelon rinds are not so easy to identify.
After all, this ingredient is relatively niche here. If it were during the Lesser Cold season, it would probably be much easier to taste.
This is the dish that a girl with a ponytail, who works part-time as a social media creator while attending school, chose.
She chose this pickled vegetable because it had the clearest color and she didn't know what it was.
She picked up a piece and tentatively put it in her mouth, tasted it carefully, then opened her eyes and said in disbelief.
"What is this? It tastes like radish strips, but it's clearer and crisper. It also has a very refreshing feel, without any off-flavors."
Several of her close friends also tried it, but unfortunately none of them could guess what it was.
Besides her, many other people also chose this pickled vegetable, and no one could tell the difference.
One of them had a loud voice and shouted from a distance.
"Boss, what kind of pickled vegetables are these? The taste is quite unique!"
Chen Yuan replied with a smile.
"This is watermelon rind! It's pickled with watermelon rind!"
"How is it? Is it delicious?"