Chapter 7: Red bean rice cake soup

" Grandpa Song, please speak."

Qu Xiaoxiao was on high alert, fully respecting Grandpa Song's meticulous attitude towards ingredients.

Song Guoqiang nodded slightly and said softly,

"You can choose any ingredients here. Make a dish that you think is presentable. Bring it over for tasting. If it passes your test, I'll regularly supply ingredients to your... your... restaurant..."

"Community canteen."

"Oh, regularly supply ingredients to your community canteen. But the name of your restaurant is quite strange."

"Because it's not a traditional restaurant. It was built in cooperation with the Minsheng Road community, mainly to provide services for the elderly in the community who have difficulty cooking."

At this moment, Qu Xiaoxiao realized that Grandpa Song hadn't understood the name she had just mentioned.

Song Guoqiang suddenly understood, his eyes shining with a different light. He nodded and said, "I see. I thought it was some kind of novel name. Not bad."

He nodded affirmatively at the end.

He could tell from the name that the community canteen was special. He hadn't expected such a young girl like Qu Xiaoxiao to have such a warm heart, and couldn't help but admire her again in his heart.

And the more he looked at the person in front of him, the more he liked her, wishing she were his own granddaughter.

"These are the vegetables planted around the house. Feel free to look around and take whatever you like."

Although she said this, Qu Xiaoxiao wasn't so impulsive. After briefly looking at the types of vegetables planted, she took the poria cocos that Song Guoqiang had laid out to dry, as well as the roses from the flowerbed, from his surprised gaze.

It was quite different from what he had imagined, and he couldn't help but show it on his face.

But now, Qu Xiaoxiao didn't want to explain anything, wanting to leave room for imagination for their next meeting.

So, she deliberately joked mischievously, "Grandpa Song, you're not reluctant to part with these flowers, are you? They smell so good!"

Anyone who saw her would think she just liked the beautiful flowers.

Song Guoqiang was taken aback, then smiled broadly, waving his hands repeatedly, indicating, "Pick more if you like, I didn't grow these."

He didn't say the last sentence, putting his hands behind his back and watching with a smile as Qu Xiaoxiao flitted around the flowers like a busy little bee.

Thus, a large, uneven patch of roses appeared before the later visitors.

Saying goodbye to Grandpa Song, Qu Xiaoxiao, carrying the fresh ingredients she had acquired, and having bought some other useful ingredients from other villagers along the way, happily embarked on her return journey.

It was getting late, so she ate lunch outside, enjoying the lively atmosphere.

When she returned to the community, she noticed many people glancing suspiciously towards the community canteen.

Just as she was about to take a closer look, they immediately looked away.

"How strange,"

Qu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but think to herself.

But she wasn't worried about anyone causing trouble; the community service center was upstairs, and anyone coming here to cause trouble would be courting death.

Parking her car, carrying two large bags full of ingredients, she happily headed towards the canteen.

This scene was witnessed by Grandpa Wang, who had come to inquire about the situation.

"It wasn't for nothing that I waited here for so long; it's just a little girl!

Tch—"

Grandpa Wang turned and left smugly, basking in the air of someone who was the only one sober in the crowd.

It wasn't his prejudice; some industries are just like that—older people are more sought after.

Who would believe a young person could have such superb culinary skills?

Now, Grandpa Wang was just waiting for the community canteen to open so he could make a good laugh at Song Chunhua, who had always been against him.

Qu Xiaoxiao was unaware that her canteen hadn't even opened yet, and she was already embroiled in a lawsuit.

She was still excitedly preparing the ingredients, thinking about what to use to cook a delicious meal for Aunt Qu, who was helping her.

After much thought, she finally decided on red bean and rice cake soup.

At this time of year, almost every household in Yuncheng was eating rice cakes.

That's why she was able to buy homemade rice cakes from the village when she returned.

The rice cakes were fragrant, smooth to the touch, and of excellent quality.

For a moment, Qu Xiaoxiao even thought that the rice cakes themselves wouldn't taste bad.

After making her decision, she immediately took out the necessary ingredients.

She washed the red beans and put them in a pot to cook. If she had enough time, it was best to freeze them beforehand, as they would cook more easily and split open.

Unfortunately, she was in a hurry to make it for Aunt Qu to taste, and there wasn't enough time.

After the red beans simmered for an hour and a half, Qu Xiaoxiao added a piece of dried tangerine peel.

The combination of the two was good for the spleen and stomach, warming and comforting, making it a very suitable dessert in the spring when the chill had not completely dissipated.

While the pot continued to cook, she began to prepare another ingredient she would need—rice cake.

She cut the rice cake into thick slices and pan-fried them in an oil-free pan, making them look like white jade, delicate and translucent.

After a while, under the high temperature, the rice cake began to change.

The outer shell gradually turned a light yellow, and the texture became crispy.

At the same time, a caramelized aroma of rice grew stronger with the appearance of the crispy shell, and the smell was so calming that it made one feel peaceful.

Qu Xiaoxiao noticed the change and immediately flipped the rice cake over.

Then, the "white jade" in front of her showed a magical scene.

The originally flat rice cake slices began to inflate, at first only one corner suddenly bulged up.

The sensation spread throughout her body, like a bulging airbag vibrating in the pot.

Qu Xiaoxiao laughed and used a spatula to help it, the rice cake swaying back and forth in the pot like a roly-poly toy.

After playing with it, she didn't dare waste any time and immediately scooped it out for later use.

It was already close to five o'clock in the afternoon, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. If she delayed any longer, Aunt Qu would probably be off work, so she had to hurry.

Lifting the lid, the aroma of red beans mixed with steam burst out from the vent, tantalizing Qu Xiaoxiao's face.

After the steam dissipated, she looked down and opened the lid; the red beans had been cooked until soft and ready to eat.

She quickly scooped out the dried tangerine peel, then scooped out half of the red bean soup and put it in a blender to blend, mixing it with the other half in the pot.

At this point, the red bean rice cake soup was one step away from success.

All she had to do was pour in a bowl of glutinous rice water to make the red bean soup sticky, and finally combine it with the other ingredients to complete the dish.

"Knock knock knock!"

Just as Qu Xiaoxiao was about to pour the glutinous rice water, a muffled knocking sound came from behind her.

Hearing the sound, she immediately turned around to look behind her.

Upon discovering that it was the customer she had prepared the red bean rice cake soup for, a wide smile immediately spread across her face.

"Aunt Qu, when did you come in? I didn't hear a thing."

"Just now. You're so focused on your cooking, you didn't notice anything outside. I called you from outside the door, but you were open and there was no sound.

I thought something had happened. I just got close to the kitchen and saw you busy at work. Remember to be careful in the future."

"I was too happy to come back, I forgot."

Qu Xiaoxiao scratched the back of her head sheepishly; she hadn't noticed the door.

Qu Yangrong hadn't come specifically to talk about the door's security; she had other things to discuss. She then directly stated her purpose.

"I came to talk to you about getting a card and topping it up tomorrow. This is Lian Yijun, the person in charge of finances at our community service center. She'll be working with you tomorrow; just ask her if you don't understand anything."

With that, she pushed Lian Yijun forward.

Lian Yijun inhaled the sweet aroma in the air, trying to control her breathing and ignore the heat spreading to her ears.

She hadn't expected the community cafeteria chef to be such a cute and pretty girl, someone she just wanted to pet.

And her cooking skills were quite impressive; she could smell the food even standing up.

It was a pure, natural flavor from the ingredients, the kind that evoked the deepest desires in one's heart.

Plus, it was almost time to leave work for dinner, and she was worried her stomach would rebel and she'd make a fool of herself.

"Hello, I'm Lian Yijun."

This was the best way she could think of to express herself while controlling her excitement.

Qu Xiaoxiao across from her didn't seem to find it strange, smiling and saying,

"My name is Qu Xiaoxiao, nice to meet you."

"You're welcome, let's get together."

Lian Yijun eagerly shook the outstretched hand, shaking it excitedly.

Even Qu Yangrong couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

She thought: Why hasn't this little girl, Xiaojun, changed her tendency to lose her composure whenever she sees a handsome man or a beautiful woman?

Qu Xiaoxiao didn't think much of it, only that the person in front of her was a little too enthusiastic.

Thinking that she had already planned to bring Aunt Qu some red bean rice cake soup, and since Aunt Qu was here, she could taste the freshly cooked soup.

She immediately invited, "Aunt Qu, don't rush off. My red bean rice cake soup is almost ready. It's all good stuff I collected from the village today. Have a bowl before you go."

Qu Yangrong waved her hand without thinking, politely declining,

"No, no."

"No, I promised before I left today, I can't break my promise. It'll be ready soon, just two minutes!"

Without giving them a chance to refuse, Qu Xiaoxiao picked up the glutinous rice water and poured it into the pot.

With her other hand, she quickly stirred, making the red bean soup thick and more appealing.

Then she took out three white porcelain bowls, poured in a large spoonful of red bean soup, and placed the fried rice cakes on top.

Finally, she squeezed in some pale yellow osmanthus honey, and a steaming, fragrant red bean rice cake soup was ready.

At this moment, Qu Yangrong and Lian Yijun were both seated at the dining table, their eyes following Qu Xiaoxiao as she approached.

Only when the bowl of red bean and rice cake soup was placed on the table did they turn their gaze away.

After sitting down, Qu Xiaoxiao, seeing the two of them not moving, urged them curiously,

"Try it, how does it taste?"

Qu Yangrong nodded, thinking: Since we've come this far, not eating would be a waste of Xiaoxiao's good intentions.

Lian Yijun, on the other hand, didn't think much of it. Seeing the other two start eating, she immediately began to eat.

Putting everything else aside, the red beans alone in the white porcelain bowl were enough to whet one's appetite.

Add to that the rice cakes nestled within, and the crystal-clear osmanthus honey, and she felt no one could say no to the deliciousness before her.

She eagerly picked up her spoon and stirred the osmanthus honey evenly.

Gently scooping out a spoonful, she could see the sticky red bean soup clinging to the outside of the spoon, the sweetness of the red beans mixed with osmanthus blossoms seeping into her body with the steam.

It quickly stirred a craving within her body, every cell screaming for food.

Lian Yiyun couldn't wait any longer. Ignoring the still-scalding temperature, she shoved the spoon into her mouth.

Instantly, the natural aroma of the food danced on her lips and tongue, making her forget to chew, wanting only to swallow it whole and satisfy her body's desire.

Unfortunately, her tongue sensed the presence of small particles, forcing her to slow down.

Just as she was about to attack the red bean particles, she discovered that with just a gentle press of her tongue, without even using her teeth, the red bean particles quickly crumbled, leaving only a fine, sandy texture flowing through her mouth.

Like an obstacle that suddenly appeared in her food, only to disappear with a delightful surprise, the rich texture brought a series of delightful delights.

One bite, and warmth quickly spread from her stomach throughout her body, every cell in her body swaying in an ocean of happiness.

Only then did Lian Yiyun turn her attention to the rice cake resting on top of the red beans.