HPDBC Chapter 48 Dedication
Chapter 48 Dedication
As the last serving of shredded pork with garlic sauce was served, the frantic urging in the restaurant was finally replaced by the sounds of chewing and exclamations.
In the small, bustling shop, diners either devour their food or savor it slowly, each with a look of satisfaction on their face.
The lingering aroma of fish in the air, like some invisible thread, tightly bound strangers together to this delicious treat.
Chen Feng put down the heavy chef's spoon and let out a long breath.
Sweat trickled down his temples, leaving faint streaks on his black chef's uniform. The intense stir-frying not only tested his skills but also strained his physical stamina.
He turned around and looked at Xingruo, who was huddled on a small wooden stool in the corner of the kitchen.
The pale and thin little girl was staring wide-eyed, muttering to herself, and gesturing aimlessly with her hands in the air.
"Oil temperature at 50%... shredded pork becomes tender and separates... pickled peppers release red oil..."
As Xingruo muttered to herself, she imitated Chen Feng's earlier movements, making a gesture of holding a spoon in mid-air with her right hand and shaking the iron pot with her left. Although her movements were clumsy and even somewhat comical, her earnestness in studying them touched Chen Feng's heart.
Chen Feng stood quietly to the side and watched for a while, and found that Xing Ruo even tried to replicate the small details of his adjustment of firepower.
She seemed to be immersed in a world of only oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and cooking time, and the noise of the diners around her and her physical exhaustion seemed to have disappeared from her at that moment.
"He's got the makings for this line of work," Chen Feng thought to himself.
He didn't disturb Xingruo. He knew how precious this state was for a novice apprentice.
After all, spontaneous review is more effective than being taught a hundred times.
Chen Feng glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already past 8:30.
The rumbling in his stomach reminded him that since he got up at four in the morning, he had only managed to share two pieces of osmanthus cake and drink half a bag of milk with Xingruo on the way to buy supplies.
Now that I've relaxed, that feeling of hunger has finally surfaced.
He looked up and saw Zhang Qiang sitting behind the cashier, rubbing his aching wrists while staring at the rice cooker, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.
"Qiangzi, you haven't eaten yet, have you?" Chen Feng walked over and patted Zhang Qiang on the shoulder.
Zhang Qiang suddenly snapped out of his daze, glanced at Chen Feng with a bitter face, and said, "Fengzi, you finally remembered me. I've been smelling the fish all morning, and it's been making me so hungry."
"If I wasn't afraid of embarrassing our shop, I would have tried to snatch that spoonful of soup from Zhao Dafa to mix with my rice."
Chen Feng chuckled at Zhang Qiang's nonsensical words: "Alright, you've worked hard. Take a break, I'll go get something to eat."
Now that we've finished making the shredded pork with garlic sauce for them, we need to eat our own fill so we'll have the energy for the second half of the meal.
Chen Feng turned around, but instead of starting to cook immediately, he quickly walked towards the shop entrance.
"Creak—"
He flipped the "Open for Business" sign on the door to the "Closed" side.
"Huh? Boss, why are you closed?" A young man who had just entered looked bewildered.
"Sorry, the boss needs to eat breakfast too." Chen Feng smiled.
"We'll take a half-hour break and open promptly at nine o'clock. If you can wait, please sit here for a while and have some water."
After closing the door, Chen Feng stepped back into the kitchen.
Xingruo finally woke up from the "simulated cooking" and hurriedly pretended to take the apron from Chen Feng's hand.
"No need. Xingruo, you can just sit there and rest. You must have been very busy just now." Chen Feng reached out and pressed his hand on her shoulder.
"The chef can make this breakfast himself."
Chen Feng glanced around the kitchen.
There are still leftover ingredients for shredded pork with garlic sauce, a few fresh eggs left over from yesterday, and a bundle of thin noodles in the refrigerator.
He planned to make the simplest yet most basic dish—scallion oil noodles with a poached egg.
While keeping it light and simple, it also provides Xingruo with a lesson.
He took out a wok, poured in a little vegetable oil, and turned the heat to a very gentle low setting. He took out a bunch of bright green scallions, selecting only the section where the white and green parts meet.
"Sizzle—"
The sound of scallions hitting the oil is extremely subtle.
Chen Feng gently stirred the pot with a pair of long chopsticks. Xing Ruo watched intently from the side, noticing that her master's movements were completely different from before. Just now, they were like galloping warhorses, but now they were like willows swaying in a gentle breeze.
"Xingruo, watch carefully." Noticing Xingruo's gaze, Chen Feng kept his eyes on the oil temperature while whispering:
"Scallion oil can't be rushed. It needs to be simmered slowly over low heat, gradually drawing out the moisture from the scallions until they become dry and golden brown, but not burnt. Only then will the oil have fully absorbed the aroma of the scallions. Only then can it be considered 'real' scallion oil."
Before long, a strong, pungent aroma of scallion oil filled the kitchen.
Chen Feng casually boiled water in a small pot next to him, put the noodles in the pot, and then cracked an egg into the frying pan.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoyu, who was sitting in a corner of the shop, finally put down her chopsticks.
She leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if every pore on her body was cheering.
"Wow... this was so satisfying! It was much better than yesterday!"
Lin Xiaoyu muttered to herself. Only then did she realize that her phone had just been bombarded with group messages. She opened Weibo and saw hundreds of messages tagging her in the group. Those "rabbit friends" had gone from asking questions to begging, and finally to the hellish "curse"—"gain three pounds in one meal"—almost drowning her social media.
She tapped the micro-fork, a smug, mischievous smile spreading across her face, and snapped a picture of the white porcelain plate in front of her, now completely devoid of soup.
[Protecting the Best Little Bunny] WeChat Group:
Little Fish Doesn't Want to Draw Anymore: "[Image] Cough cough, I was busy having a 'soul exchange' with this dish just now, I really didn't have time to pay attention to you guys."
Everyone, look at the photos; this is my stance.
The Rice Bucket on the Strings: "Holy crap! Teacher Xiaoyu, did you lick the plate clean after you finished eating? How can it be so clean!"
The chubby boy who wanted to eat steamed buns: "Teacher Xiaoyu, hurry up and tell me the important part! The texture! How's the texture?!"
Looking at the chorus of lamentations in the group chat, Lin Xiaoyu felt a surge of smugness and laughed so hard she almost trembled with joy.
She cleared her throat and quickly typed a message on the screen:
"How should I put it? This Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) completely overturned my understanding of this dish."
My first impression is that it's balanced. Many restaurants' shredded pork with garlic sauce is either too sweet or has a strong vinegar taste.
But Chef Chen's dish had a perfect balance of four flavors: sour, sweet, salty, and spicy.
Secondly, there's the texture. The shredded pork is very tender, and the bamboo shoots are as crisp as ice cubes.
The best part is the sauce; it's glossy but not greasy, and refreshing like a spring breeze.
This was the first time I had eaten this kind of stir-fry so early in the morning, and it wasn't greasy at all. Instead, it gave me a feeling of "cleansing my soul".
"That's all I did was eat two big bowls of rice, hehe~"
The group was silent for three seconds, then erupted in even stronger "attacks".
Looking at the messages in the group, Lin Xiaoyu laughed so hard she almost fell over, attracting the attention of several diners at the next table. Only then did she blush and grab her water glass to drink.
While drinking water, Lin Xiaoyu's gaze inadvertently fell on the open kitchen.
She saw Chen Feng standing in front of the stove, busy at work.
By this time, everyone in the shop was eating shredded pork with garlic sauce. Lin Xiaoyu knew that he wasn't stir-frying shredded pork with garlic sauce. Upon closer inspection, she realized that he was frying eggs and making scallion oil.
She saw the unfamiliar face she hadn't seen yesterday in the store—Xing Ruo sat quietly to the side watching, while Zhang Qiang waited expectantly behind the cashier.
Lin Xiaoyu checked her watch; it was 8:40. Then she looked at the sign that said "Closed".
A thought suddenly popped into her mind—it turned out that they had rushed to cook for these diners as soon as they got back, and she herself hadn't had a hot meal yet.
"Oh my god..."
Lin Xiaoyu's slight sense of pride vanished instantly, replaced by a bitter feeling of embarrassment.
She recalled the scene of everyone frantically urging her to cook, the sight of Chen Feng sweating profusely while working alone at two stoves, and the image of Xing Ruo, who, despite her young age, was always busy running around.
"Am I bothering them too much...?"
Lin Xiaoyu bit her nails, her protective instincts rising again. She raised her phone once more and took a slightly blurry photo of the silhouettes of Chen Feng and the other two, who were frying eggs in the kitchen and hadn't eaten yet.
[Protecting the Best Little Bunny] WeChat Group:
Little Fish Doesn't Want to Draw Anymore: "[Image] I just discovered something."
It seems the owners haven't had breakfast yet; I just saw them making it. They didn't even have time for breakfast themselves, all to make this shredded pork with garlic sauce for us.
"Boss, when it comes to dedication, you really have nothing to say."
This time, the atmosphere in the group chat completely changed.
Gone were the earlier antics and urging; in their place came a unified, respectful repetition:
The Rice Bucket on the Strings: "When it comes to dedication, the master is truly top-notch. Respect!"
The fat guy who wanted to eat steamed buns: "Dedication +1."
Those who stay up all night to cultivate their spiritual power: "Dedication is a plus!"
At this moment, Chen Feng was focused on the few golden-brown fried eggs in the pan, the aroma of scallion oil growing stronger. Little did he know that the diners of this year's meal had already "collectively broken down" with his breakfast, which they hadn't even tasted yet.