Chapter 14: Braised pork chops with scallions

Upon hearing this, Wang Aiguo's stiff facial muscles twitched slightly, and he said defiantly,

"I'm not going."

Tang Wenhua glanced at him, then sighed helplessly, thinking: Brother Wang's personality is still the same as forty years ago. At first, he said he didn't care what he ate, he could even eat grass roots and tree bark.

But what happened later?

After tasting Brother Qu's cooking, he turned into a glutton, almost spending a month's salary on food.

Later, Brother Qu stopped working at the canteen and was sad for a long time, his figure rapidly thinning, and he hasn't changed much since.

In his opinion, Wang Aiguo might continue to do the same thing.

After all, even the models said they were so full they couldn't walk, so how could it be false?

He couldn't miss such a good opportunity.

After hurriedly saying goodbye to Wang Aiguo, Tang Wenhua excitedly told his wife, Lin Xiaohui, about the community canteen.

The two discussed it and immediately decided to try it out at the community canteen that evening.

Neither of them were good cooks; they usually just ate whatever they could find, opting for healthier and more affordable meals at the community canteen.

While everyone was rushing to the community canteen to top up their accounts, Qu Xiaoxiao finished her lunch break and got busy.

She realized she had underestimated the quality of the recipes and ingredients. She had prepared food for nearly forty-five people, but only thirty had finished it all, with some even saying they weren't full.

This made it clear she hadn't prepared enough food; she estimated that even if she used all the ingredients in the kitchen, it would barely be enough for fifty people.

But there wasn't enough time to go grocery shopping, so this was the best she could do for now.

After thinking it over, she checked the remaining ingredients and decided to make braised pork chops with scallions, stir-fried mixed vegetables, stir-fried bok choy, and green bean and lean pork soup for the afternoon.

The stir-fried mixed vegetables, stir-fried bok choy, and green bean and lean pork soup were all very simple; the braised pork chops with scallions were the more complicated.

Fortunately, she had marinated the chops beforehand, so she could prepare other dishes first, such as the glass noodles essential for the stir-fried mixed vegetables.

She soaked the glass noodles in boiling water until soft, then drained them and added dark soy sauce for color, followed by a drizzle of sesame oil to prevent sticking.

Next came the hectic task of preparing the ingredients.

As she straightened up from the sink, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly: what rich kid would be toiling away in a kitchen like her?

This thought came and went quickly; it was only the first meal of the first day of business, and Qu Xiaoxiao was already considering hiring help.

Based on the number of customers this morning, her monthly income was only a little over ten thousand yuan.

Hiring someone would increase income, but so would costs.

Considering the cost of hiring and maintaining her current lifestyle, she secretly vowed: as long as her daily income exceeded six hundred yuan, she would hire someone.

However, before that, she estimated she would have to work hard for a while.

Qu Xiaoxiao patted her aching back and neck, quickly composed herself, and began the remaining work with renewed energy.

She took the marinated pork chops out of the refrigerator, heated oil in a wok, and prepared to make braised pork chops with scallions.

The oil in the wok was getting hot. She picked up a pork chop, placed it on a plate, and coated it evenly with a thin layer of starch.

Then she immediately put it into the wok. The moment the hot oil touched the pork chop, a loud sizzling sound erupted from the kitchen.

A burst of meaty aroma followed, carrying the smell all the way up to the second floor.

The community workers tried to ignore the delicious signals coming from their noses and ears, forcing themselves to focus on their work.

But the residents who came to apply for cards didn't have this worry.

Upon hearing the sound, they immediately started discussing.

"Is Xiaoxiao downstairs starting to cook? I can actually hear her stir-frying!"

"Definitely, I can smell it!"

"Your nose is really sharp!"

...

Tang Wenhua and his wife, who had originally come to join in the fun, were also among them.

Tang Wenhua, feeling the pervasive aroma of meat, was about to speak to his wife when he realized his mouth was already stuffed with saliva.

He almost drooled when he opened his mouth.

"Slurp—"

The sensation on his lips made him quickly suck back his saliva, the embarrassing feeling making his ears turn red.

Lin Xiaohui rarely saw her husband so flustered and almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.

With a mischievous grin, she whispered in his ear, "If you like it, top up your wallet and you can eat your fill later."

"That...that's for sure."

Caught off guard by his wife, Tang Wenhua still maintained his intellectual pride, not letting anyone see through his act.

Downstairs, Qu Xiaoxiao was still working on her tempting pork chop pan-frying.

After frying all the chops until they were golden brown on both sides and had a noticeable hard crust when touched, it was time for the soul of the braised pork chop—the scallions.

At this point, the scallions were bright green and fragrant, perfect for dishes like braised pork chops.

Before putting them in the pan, she wiped the water off the scallions again and put them directly into the oil she had just used to fry the pork chop.

The hot oil and the water droplets on the scallions collided violently, and she instinctively took a step back until the sound subsided before adding more scallions.

She had prepared a lot of scallions, filling the pot completely at once.

In Qu Xiaoxiao's opinion, the scallions in the braised pork chops were even tastier than the chops themselves, so the quantity was naturally indispensable.

As the temperature rose, the scallions gradually softened, soaking in the oil, tumbling up and down, releasing their aroma to their fullest.

Now, the people upstairs couldn't resist any longer; the aroma of the scallions was like a biological weapon, directly overwhelming them.

Tang Wenhua and his wife, who had just gotten their membership cards, didn't even want to go home. They wanted to find a seat near the cafeteria and eat as soon as it opened.

Quite a few others shared the same idea, exchanging knowing glances.

Then, everyone tacitly turned and walked back. No one was rushing to grab a seat, so everyone was on the same starting line, and there was no need to worry about not getting a table.

As it approached opening time, everyone set off from the neighborhood, and whoever got a table first would be the one with the real skill.

So, wave after wave of people passed by the cafeteria entrance, craning their necks to peek inside, hoping to see how dinner was progressing.

But Qu Xiaoxiao was still busy in the kitchen, so their hopes remained unfulfilled.

Watching the scallions in the pot gradually turn golden brown, she immediately knew it was time.

She quickly added the freshly pan-fried pork chops, along with the sauce prepared according to her grandfather's recipe, and covered it to cook.

While she cooked, Qu Xiaoxiao took out green peas, minced meat, and ginger, making a simplified version of green pea and lean meat soup, which she set aside to simmer.

At this moment, the sounds coming from the pot making the braised pork chops with scallions changed.

Lifting the lid, the originally golden-yellow chops had been dyed a deep reddish-brown by the sauce, and against the backdrop of dark green scallions, they immediately whetted the appetite.

She tried to suppress her craving, using a spatula to flip the food in the pot and check the remaining broth.

The broth from the braised pork chops with scallions was also one of the essences; eating it with rice was a true delight.

To avoid unnecessary waste of the broth, Qu Xiaoxiao placed it directly onto a small plate when it was done.

Each time she scooped out a piece of pork chop, she poured a layer of broth over it.

After all the broth was served, she placed it in the warming cabinet to store it, and then began to prepare the other dishes.

Then, her eyes fell on the glass noodles she had prepared beforehand. With a chopstick, the noodles quickly spread out and jiggle, bouncing back and forth in the plate.

She nodded in satisfaction, holding a spatula in one hand and the handle of the pot in the other, turning it back and forth on the stove to ensure even heating.

She felt the pot heat up, added hot oil with a spatula, and quickly added the eggs to scramble.

Once the eggs were set, she scooped them out and used the remaining oil to sauté scallions, ginger, and garlic.

Next, she added bean sprouts and chives and stir-fried them until softened, then added the eggs and glass noodles, mixing them evenly. She added seasonings and stir-fried briefly.

"Ready to serve—"

She used high heat the whole time, and the aroma was the most fragrant she had ever smelled, making her exclaim.

If it weren't for her inappropriate status, she would have loved to start eating right then and there.

However, only the stir-fried bok choy was left, which would only take a few minutes.

After all the dishes were ready, Qu Xiaoxiao glanced at the time and realized she still had time to eat.

In that instant, she didn't want to do anything else and sat down in the kitchen to eat, almost missing the opening time.

So, when she realized it was getting late and stepped out of the kitchen, she was startled by the dim lighting of the cafeteria.

She quickly turned on the lights, and the sudden change in light startled her eyes; for a moment, she thought she saw something different at the entrance.

When she recovered, she saw a crowd almost blocking the doorway, her eyes widening and her mouth agape.

She opened the door in disbelief, apologetically saying,

"Sorry, I just finished dinner and almost forgot the time. Everyone, please come in and have a seat; the food will be served soon."

"Great! Finally, we can eat! I'd like to see just how good that old folks' praise of my cooking really is."

"Why sit? Just line up!"

"Don't worry, young lady, we old folks just had nothing to do and came early. You go and get busy."

...

Compared to Qu Xiaoxiao's apology, everyone was more eager to eat.

A group of people rushed to the window, even ignoring Qu Xiaoxiao, the head chef, their movements nimble and showing no signs of retirement.

Looking at the bright sunlight outside and recalling the scene from the kitchen door, Qu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt that her hiring plan might be able to be brought forward.

The thought of how much easier things would be in the future filled her with energy.

She quickly turned around and hurried back to the kitchen to prepare food for the grandpas and grandmas.

The moment the braised pork chop with scallions was served, the entire line gasped, craning their necks to look out the window.

Tang Wenhua, who was first in line, was the most shocked, his mouth watering uncontrollably.

"Gulp—" His Adam's

apple bobbed as he swallowed, his eyes fixed on the pork chop, and he anxiously urged,

"Young lady, is this dinner for tonight?"

"Yes. Tonight's dinner is braised pork chop with scallions, stir-fried mixed vegetables, and stir-fried bok choy. The free green bean and lean pork soup and rice are behind you; you'll need to help yourselves."

"Okay, okay! Give me a set meal, plus a piece of braised pork chop with scallions."

Hearing the dinner arrangements, Tang Wenhua couldn't resist any longer and ordered directly.

"Fifteen yuan in total, please swipe your card, thank you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qu Xiaoxiao immediately placed four bowls of food on Tang Wenhua's plate.

The next second, Tang Wenhua was immediately pushed aside by Lin Xiaohui. He wasn't annoyed, and cheerfully carried his tray to the rice area.

He got two portions for himself and his wife, then turned to his wife, gesturing for her to find a seat.

Then, he appeared in front of Lin Xiaohui with a tray of two layers of food.

Lin Xiaohui quickly removed the portion from the top of the bowls and plates, saying irritably,

"What's wrong with making two trips? If you spill it, you'll have nowhere to cry."

She then turned to her husband, gesturing for him to look at the queue.

Tang Wenhua immediately followed his wife's gaze and shrank back in fright.

He thought: Good heavens! The cafeteria is even noisier than the activity center this afternoon. Could it be that everyone who ate lunch here was incited? Is the chef making enough food?

But all of this was irrelevant to him, who had already gotten his food. He looked happily at the food in front of him, ready to dig in!