vrcanaries Chapter 115 Crispy and Fragrant Core
Chapter 115 Crispy and Fragrant Core
Cheng Jingzhu was halfway through his sleep when he was awakened by the urge to urinate. He got up in a daze and rubbed his eyes, walking towards the toilet in his slippers. As he passed the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of a dim light coming out.
He shuddered, and his sleepiness instantly dissipated. Curious, he tiptoed to the crack of the kitchen door, pried against the door frame, and squinted his eyes to peek in. He found his sister and the chef hiding behind the stove, engrossed in eating something delicious that smelled delicious.
Cheng Jingzhu's eyes suddenly widened, and his sleepiness disappeared in an instant. The feeling of being left behind suddenly came up.
He pushed the door open suddenly, jumped in like a monkey, put his hands on his hips and shouted loudly: "Okay! You two are so mean, hiding here secretly to have a midnight snack, eating delicious food and drinking spicy drinks, and not even bringing me with you!" After that, he sniffed seriously, as if he wanted to inhale all the fragrance in the room into his stomach.
Cheng Yuntao was so frightened by the sudden noise that her hands trembled and she almost dropped her chopsticks. She looked up and saw that it was Cheng Jingzhu. She was both angry and amused, and scolded him in a low voice.
"You little brat, why are you still awake in the middle of the night? What are you making a fuss about?"
"Keep it down! Don't wake everyone up!"
Jiang Yu calmly swallowed the rice noodle roll in his mouth, picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and a smile was hidden in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
"Your nose is sharper than a dog's. We just sat down for a while and you smelled something and came here."
Cheng Jingzhu ignored their teasing and walked straight to the stove, muttering, "I don't care. Since I found it, I have to have a share."
"Okay, okay, I'll make it for you." Cheng Yuntao put down her chopsticks helplessly, looking at her brother's eager look, feeling both angry and amused.
Before, she just felt that it was late at night and everyone had been busy during the day and had finally fallen asleep. She didn't want to disturb anyone's sweet dreams, so she quietly slipped into the kitchen with Jiang Yu without inviting anyone to come for a midnight snack.
We had planned to finish the meal quickly and go back to our rooms to rest, but Cheng Jingzhu woke up halfway through.
Since he wanted to eat, Cheng Yuntao would naturally not refuse.
She sighed softly, stood up, pulled the stool next to her outward, and motioned for Cheng Jingzhu to sit down: "Sit and wait for a while, I'll make you another one."
As she spoke, Cheng Yuntao had already deftly put a new portion of rice noodle rolls into the pot. The white rice paste quickly spread out in the special steaming tray, and steam rose up.
After a while, a steaming and fragrant rice noodle roll came out of the pot. Cheng Yuntao skillfully poured sauce on it and brought it to Cheng Jingzhu: "Here, eat it."
Cheng Jingzhu picked up a piece of rice noodle roll with chopsticks. The rice noodle roll was translucent white, thin as a cicada's wing, and delicate enough to let light through. When he put it into his mouth, the salty, fresh, and slightly sweet sauce instantly activated the taste nerves in his entire mouth.
"Hey, it's delicious."
After finishing the whole plate of rice noodle rolls, Cheng Jingzhu touched his belly contentedly, feeling very happy.
"Wait... I seem to have forgotten something..."
"Oh! I haven't even gone to the toilet yet!"
Cheng Jingzhu stood up hurriedly, and the chair behind him was hit with a clang. He didn't bother to clean up the dishes, and ran towards the toilet outside as fast as the wind.
"This kid..." Cheng Yuntao looked at her brother's reckless appearance and shook her head helplessly.
Soon, the dishes were washed and put back in their places, and the kitchen was tidy as before.
Cheng Yuntao raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned slightly. Sleepiness had already crept onto her eyelids. "Let's get some rest early. Tomorrow morning I plan to visit Uncle Li and see if he has any more detailed information about the theater owner."
"Well, go to bed early. I'll go with you tomorrow morning." Jiang Yu nodded slightly and blew out the candle in the kitchen.
……
Cheng Yuntao always remembered that Li Fu was very fond of all kinds of pastries she made. Today she was not only visiting him, but also asking for a favor. She had to follow the proper etiquette and could not go empty-handed.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to make some egg yolk pastries to bring back to the family.
Pour flour, lard, sugar and water into a bowl in proportion. Stir slowly to make the flour clump together, and then gradually speed up. When a smooth dough is formed, cover it with a wet cloth and let it stand and relax.
Then she picked up a few plump, orange-red salted duck eggs and placed them steadily on the edge of the bowl. With a tap of her chopsticks, the eggshells cracked, releasing the yolks. She gently rolled them in white wine to remove the fishy smell. She also made the red bean paste herself, a dark red with a fine, dense consistency. She scooped a dollop with a small spoon, placed it in her palm, and gently kneaded it. It was ready.
When the time is up, the damp cloth is removed, allowing the dough to relax just right. Cheng Yuntao deftly divides the dough into small portions, places one on the chopping board, and, gripping the rolling pin with both hands, quickly rolls it into a thin sheet. She then tops it with the processed salted egg yolk, gently wraps it with her fingers, and shapes it into a round shape. To assemble, she deftly wraps her fingers from all sides upward, creating fine and even wrinkles, pinches the edges firmly, and then presses her palms together to roll it into a round shape.
The wrapped egg yolk pastry prototypes were neatly arranged on the baking tray. Cheng Yuntao picked up a brush, dipped it in the egg liquid, and gently swept it on the surface of the egg yolk pastry to spread the egg liquid evenly. Then she picked up a handful of black sesame seeds, twisted them slightly with her fingers, and the black sesame seeds fell down.
Finally, just put the egg yolk pastry into the oven. As time goes by, the oven will be filled with fragrance, and the egg yolk pastry will slowly become golden and crispy with distinct layers.
Ever since an oven was built in the yard, the aroma of pastries would waft out of the yard every now and then, making the neighbors around salivate.
Aunt Wang from next door was sitting at the door of her house picking vegetables. The aroma drifted into her nose, and she unconsciously stopped what she was doing. She took a deep breath and looked towards Cheng Yuntao's yard with envy, muttering to herself, "The girl next door's cooking skills are really getting better and better. Every time this smell wafts out, my stomach is aroused. I don't know what delicious food she made today, why is it so delicious!"
Uncle Zhang, who lives across the street, is usually a man of few words, but when he smelled the aroma, he couldn't help but stand at the doorway, smacking his lips. Although his face didn't show any big changes, he couldn't help but say while chatting with others, "This pastry smells so good! I think it smells even better than the ones made by the old pastry shop on the corner."
Cheng Yuntao baked a lot of egg yolk pastries in one go. After packing the portion she intended to give to Li Fu, she gave the rest to Cheng Jingzhu, asking him to share them with the neighbors around.
"Jiang Yu, let's go."
Cheng Yuntao walked in front with the oil-paper bag in her hand. Jiang Yu stuffed the egg yolk pastry in his hand into the bag and hurriedly followed with big strides.
"Come on... come on!"