Chapter 15: Stir-fried mixed vegetables

it was naturally the most irresistibly fragrant braised pork chop with scallions.

Just one glance was enough to captivate him.

The fried scallions clung limply to the pork chop, unabashedly releasing their aroma, their striking dark green hue a striking contrast against the rich, reddish-brown color.

Tang Wenhua felt his mouth watering if he didn't start eating soon.

He couldn't even bring himself to call his wife to join him. He hurriedly swallowed, eagerly stuffing the pork chop into his mouth, replacing his previous filling.

The rich, scallion-infused juices instantly awakened his taste buds, rushing to his brain and declaring their dominance.

Simultaneously, the first irresistible sensation on his tongue was the savory-sweet flavor. Before his brain could even process it, his teeth had already easily sliced the pork chop in two without any resistance.

He then eagerly began to chew and savor it.

The moment his teeth broke through the pork chop, Tang Wenhua was surprised to realize that he had surrendered to the savory-sweet flavor of the pork chop far too soon.

With each bite, the juices hidden inside the pork chop burst forth, suppressing the rich aroma in his mouth and transforming it into another irresistible fragrance.

The juices were sweet and savory, and the meat was tender.

If he hadn't known that the braised pork chop with scallions also involved a pan-frying process, he would have underestimated the chef's skill.

At the same time, as he chewed deeper, the scallion segments clinging to the outside of the pork chop began to exude their own charm.

Compared to fresh scallions, they had a more intense sweetness.

With one bite, the pork chop was broken, but the scallion segments still retained their shape.

Then, as he chewed, they gradually mixed with the pork chop, creating a wonderful chemical reaction.

Tang Wenhua felt that the braised pork chop with scallions in his mouth became more and more fragrant with each chew, and his eyes widened in surprise.

If he hadn't felt that the food in his mouth was almost turning into minced meat, he really wouldn't have wanted to swallow it.

Just as his wide eyes were about to lock onto the next bite of pork chop, he suddenly met his wife's gaze.

He couldn't help but nod and give a thumbs up, but as for praising her, he felt it was better to savor the aroma in his mouth for a while.

Lin Xiaohui, however, had no such reservations. She took a sip of the sweet and savory green bean and lean pork soup, enjoying the burst of flavor as the green beans exploded in her mouth, and then used the broth to cleanse her palate.

"The owner looks young, but his cooking skills are incredibly refined.

I dare say these dishes aren't even as good as the Michelin-starred restaurant I took you to the other day."

Hearing this, Tang Wenhua couldn't help but compare the two.

He ultimately came to a shocking conclusion: his wife was right!

He didn't know if the standards had changed, or if his palate hadn't changed in decades, but the more he ate, the less he wanted to eat. Unlike today, when he ate more and more, he felt like he'd lost something in the process; the piece he'd just swallowed felt like a void, and his stomach was even hungrier than before, his brain constantly sending signals to continue eating.

He nodded in agreement, responding to his wife's gaze.

He immediately put the braised pork chop with scallions into his mouth, immersing himself once again in the world of delicious food.

Only after finishing a large piece of braised pork chop did he feel a little better.

At this moment, Tang Wenhua couldn't help but be glad he had made the decision to buy an extra piece of braised pork chop; otherwise, it wouldn't have been enough.

As for the others, that wasn't his concern.

The events happening at the window at that moment were somewhat related to his actions.

Qu Xiaoxiao glanced at the length and number of people in the queue, then at the number of dishes in front of her, and had to realize something.

If everyone ordered more than their allotted portions, many people would likely go hungry.

Therefore, when the next person ordered, she reluctantly made the decision to limit purchases.

"Grandma, hello. You see, we don't have much food left, and there are so many people queuing behind us. So, starting with you, each person will be limited to one set meal, so that more people can have dinner at the cafeteria."

Upon hearing this, Grandma Sun immediately objected.

"Why should I start?! I also queued up. I only want two servings of stir-fried bok choy. It tastes good and is good for your health. I'll take two servings and wait for the person behind me."

Many others shared the same thought. Hearing Qu Xiaoxiao say that buying more than enough would mean not enough for the people behind,

no one knew if they belonged to the "people behind," and immediately voiced their support.

"What do you mean? Start with me?"

"Sister Sun, we all live in the same neighborhood, we see each other all the time. If you buy everything, what will everyone else eat?"

"Don't you see how many people are behind you? The owner wants everyone to have something to eat. Don't be so naive."

"If you keep this up, next time I won't be so polite. Whether you get any or not depends on whether others think like me."

...

Hearing that they might not get any food, the group forgot everything else.

They had queued for so long and even came from home early.

Hearing this news, no one was in a good mood; they were all furious.

The noisy and angry chatter instantly extinguished Grandma Sun's previous arrogance. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a word.

Qu Xiaoxiao knew her decision wasn't friendly to those serving food from now on, but for the sake of all the diners, she had to implement this rule.

Seeing that the other party seemed to agree to the arrangement, she quickly said, "Grandma Sun, I'm really very sorry. I didn't expect so many people to come to eat on the first day, and I prepared less ingredients. I sincerely apologize to you.

I'm sorry."

"Swipe your card!"

Grandma Sun didn't want to argue any longer. Seeing Qu Xiaoxiao's good attitude and feeling the burning gaze that seemed to pierce her back, she quickly swiped her card and left.

The noise from the crowd wasn't quiet, quickly attracting the attention of those already enjoying their food.

Tang Wenhua was one of them. With a large pork chop dangling from his mouth, he muttered to his partner,

"Does this mean we'll only be able to eat set meals from now on?"

"Judging from today's situation, I guess so,"

Lin Xiaohui replied, equally surprised. The thought of only being able to eat one serving of each dish filled her with sadness.

Then, she fiercely bit into the green peas in her mouth, the crisp, sweet juice bursting forth, washing away her sorrow.

Finally, she even devoured three or five at a time, savoring the thrill of the peas bursting with juice, quickly finishing the bowl.

The sweet and savory flavors surged in her mouth, the hot soup expelling the chill from her body. After finishing the bowl, she felt warm all over, radiating a relaxed and joyful aura.

Immediately afterward, she quickly filled another bowl.

Although the owner said they could only buy set meals, thankfully the soup was unlimited.

She had to drink as much as possible before the boss realized what was happening.

Tang Wenhua noticed his wife's actions and quickly followed suit, not caring at all about the stomach upset afterward.

When he returned with the green bean and lean pork soup, he suddenly heard his wife mention Wang Aiguo.

"Wenhua, what is Captain Wang thinking? He won't even try such delicious food. He experienced it once before and still can't be more flexible."

Wang Aiguo had been the security captain of their machinery factory, and Lin Xiaohui was used to calling him that.

Given the drastic change in Wang Aiguo back then, everyone in the factory remembered him vividly.

If it weren't for his wife's good management, his mouth would have eaten up all the money for their children's education.

Hearing this, Tang Wenhua was completely bewildered.

He finally consoled himself: "You can't force a cow to drink water. Besides, Brother Wang is even more stubborn than a donkey."

He couldn't help but think how apt Sister Song's assessment was.

The Wang Aiguo mentioned by the couple was now also being talked about by Grandma Song and her husband.

Despite the delicious food before him, Grandpa Liu Jianguo's brow remained furrowed, and he ate with a bitter taste.

Even Grandma Song, sitting opposite him, lost her appetite, complaining,

"Why the long face? Did Xiaoxiao put some bitter medicine in your food? It's weird."

"Of course not!"

Grandpa Liu retorted without hesitation.

After a few seconds of silence, a look of helplessness settled on his face, and he sought advice from his wife.

"I really don't know what to do about Brother Wang. Ever since Sister Shumei passed away, he's been cooking all alone at home, and his skills aren't good.

The community canteen was originally set up to help him, but no matter how much I plead with him, he won't give it a try.

Honey, what method do you suggest to persuade Brother Wang? His family helped us so much back then."

Finally, he had to resort to his trump card.

Grandma Song rolled her eyes at her husband and said irritably, "Do you think I'm that kind of heartless person?"

"Of course not, of course not!"

Afraid his wife would misunderstand, Grandpa Liu waved his hands repeatedly, causing the table and chairs to shake and almost spilling the soup.

Grandma Song quickly pressed down on the bowl, using her eyes to calm her husband down, and continued, "Then just think about why Brother Wang isn't coming to the cafeteria, and you can directly shatter his assumptions, right?"

After saying that, she ignored her husband's expression and turned her attention to the dishes in front of her.

She had already devoured the braised pork chops with scallions, scraping off every last drop of broth, mixing it with the white rice.

The aroma of scallions and meat completely permeated the rice, and with the rice's sweet and soft texture, she quickly finished most of the bowl.

Therefore, Grandma Song could only turn her attention to the other two dishes.

She had already eaten the stir-fried bok choy that morning, and its taste was unparalleled.

So, her curiosity was firmly fixed on the stir-fried mixed vegetables.

The vibrant green chives, tender white bean sprouts, golden eggs, and brown glass noodles intertwined, a rich tapestry of colors that immediately caught the eye.

A thought instantly popped into Grandma Song's mind: "Xiaoxiao's cooking can't be bad, let's just eat it!"

So, Grandma Song immediately set her sights on the stir-fried mixed vegetables.

But to her surprise, the stir-fried vegetables were quite coy; with one bite, the glass noodles stuck to themselves and the other vegetables, impossible to separate easily.

So, she instinctively increased the pressure.

But the next second, the scene before her eyes made her eyes widen in disbelief.

The glass noodles, pulled out with such force, bounced up and down on the chopsticks several times, flying and scattering with the other vegetables.

Finally, only a few lonely, half-eaten noodles remained on the chopsticks.

These few, barely enough to fill a tooth gap, seemed to mock her reckless actions.

Grandma Song was instantly indignant at the sight; she was determined to taste the glass noodles in the stir-fried mixed vegetables right then and there.