sbdcsierra Chapter 114 Fresh Rice Noodle Rolls
Chapter 114 Fresh Rice Noodle Rolls
After stepping out of the dilapidated gate of Dou Qiaohui's house, Cheng Yuntao and Jiang Yu walked side by side in the dark and deep alley, as if shrouded in a heavy haze, and seemed particularly silent.
The night fell heavily, wrapping the entire Junhua City tightly. A few stars twinkled weakly, trying to penetrate the thick darkness, but it was in vain.
Most of the houses lining the streets were dark, with only a few windows emitting a faint, yellowish glow, flickering in the darkness. The wind whistled through the narrow alley, bringing a hint of chill and ruffling the hems of their clothes.
Compared with the previous few days, what happened tonight was much more complicated and strange.
I thought it would be an ordinary leisurely night, but I never expected that I would inadvertently walk into a fog and learn many truths that were usually hidden beneath the prosperous appearance.
The Nanfang Night Market seemed bustling with activity, but in fact, it was full of undercurrents. The evil deeds of the Money-Making Alliance were appalling, and they wantonly plundered the hard-earned money of the small vendors. The theater was transformed from a cheap place for entertainment into a place for the rich to have fun. The surrounding vendors were ruthlessly driven away, and some even lost their lives.
"Ugh--"
Cheng Yuntao sighed softly, but the sigh was so faint that it soon dissipated with the night wind.
Although I feel compassion, I feel powerless.
Perhaps Jiang Yu noticed Cheng Yuntao's distress, so he paused and raised his hand to smooth her hair that was messed up by the night wind, but stopped in mid-air. Instead, he gently patted her shoulder and spoke softly to comfort her.
"We are just ordinary people, not Bodhisattvas who save people from suffering. Don't blame yourself for your incompetence because of other people's karma." Jiang Yu leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Cheng Yuntao's eyes full of sorrow. His voice was soft but every word was loud and clear.
Cheng Yuntao looked at the pair of bright eyes in front of her, and the dark clouds covering her heart began to dissipate gradually, and her tone became more free and easy.
"You're right. Right now, the most important thing for us is to take care of our own lives first."
"After all, 'When you're poor, you should take care of yourself; when you're rich, you should help the world.' Right now, our strength is limited. If we act impulsively, we won't be able to help others and will only get ourselves into trouble."
Jiang Yu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Cheng Yuntao no longer look depressed and now looking radiant.
"Let's go home!" Cheng Yuntao said as he quickened his pace.
She turned her head to look at Jiang Yu, her eyes flashing with anticipation, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and she asked playfully, "Want a midnight snack?"
"Of course I do!"
……
It was already the hour of Xu when they got home. Grandma was old and went to bed early. Cheng Jingzhu and Cheng Yueli, one practicing martial arts and the other studying literature, were exhausted and went to bed too.
Cheng Yuntao and Jiang Yu pushed open the door very carefully, fearing that any noise would disturb their family's sweet dreams.
The sound of the door hinges turning was particularly harsh in the quiet atmosphere. The two of them hurriedly stopped and waited for silence before carefully continuing to walk in. Like two guilty cats, each step was extremely light and slow, and even their breathing was deliberately subdued.
As they passed through the courtyard, the moonlight sprinkled on the ground, casting their long shadows, snuggling together intimately.
Cheng Yuntao quickly went into the kitchen. The kitchen was dark and filled with a faint smell of smoke and the mixed smell of ingredients.
She felt for the place where the candle was placed by memory, and skillfully touched it with the fire lighter. The small flame jumped up instantly, licking the candle wick. The dim candlelight slowly lit up, and the originally dim kitchen suddenly became bright.
Cheng Yuntao originally planned to have rice noodle rolls for breakfast tomorrow morning. The ingredients had already been prepared, but now she was craving it, so it wouldn't hurt to make two servings first. After all, the quantity would be enough.
Cheng Yuntao washed her hands, took the rice that had been soaked for a long time and absorbed a lot of water out of the basin, drained the water stains on the surface, and placed it next to the small stone mill.
"Jiang Yu, come and help." She waved at Jiang Yu, signaling him to come over quickly.
Jiang Yu rolled up his sleeves, held the push rod of the small stone mill with both hands, bent his body slightly, and pushed hard. As the stone mill slowly turned, the white rice was crushed bit by bit, and the milky white slurry slowly flowed down the edge of the millstone and gathered in the container below.
Seeing that the rice slurry was slightly rough after it was ground, Cheng Yuntao frowned, obviously not very satisfied.
She quickly walked to the side, picked up a clean filter cloth, poured the rice slurry into it, and tightly grasped the four corners of the filter cloth with both hands, gently shaking and squeezing it to filter out the coarse impurities. The filtered rice slurry flowed back into the stone mill. Jiang Yu pushed the stone mill again until the rice slurry gradually became fine, and then she nodded with satisfaction.
After adding the appropriate amount of salt and oil, Cheng Yuntao picked up the chopsticks and slowly stirred along the inner wall of the container, turning her wrist lightly and moving slowly to ensure that they could be perfectly blended with the rice milk.
When everything was ready, she picked up a plate with a flat bottom in one hand and a brush in the other, dipped it in the oil from the oil can, and spread it evenly and carefully inside the plate, making sure every corner was covered with oil.
Jiang Yu picked up the prepared rice paste and tilted it slightly, allowing the appropriate amount of rice paste to flow smoothly into the plate, forming a thin and even base. Then, he simply added his favorite ingredients, such as eggs, minced meat, vegetables, shrimp, etc., to the rice paste.
Steam rises, and the rice slurry gradually undergoes wonderful changes under the high temperature, slowly becoming solid, and the transparent and thin rice skin is perfectly born.
While the rice wrappers were steaming, Cheng Yuntao was busy preparing the sauce. She picked up a small bowl and added a suitable amount of soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, and a small spoonful of oyster sauce to enhance the flavor. Finally, she added a little warm water and quickly stirred it with chopsticks.
After the rice rolls were steamed, Cheng Yuntao quickly came to the steamer and opened the lid. Hot steam hit her face, and she slightly turned sideways to avoid it. After the heat dissipated a little, she picked up a flat knife, placed the blade close to the edge of the plate, and gently inserted it under the rice skin. With a slight force of her wrist, she gently pushed the steamed rice rolls up from one end of the plate.
The prepared sauce is evenly poured on the rice rolls. Wherever the sauce flows, the rice rolls are instantly given vivid colors. The reddish-brown traces and the snow-white rice rolls complement each other, which is very beautiful.
The rice rolls just out of the pot were steaming hot, and the mist was filled with the pure and rich aroma of the sauce. Cheng Yuntao couldn't help but take a deep breath, her face full of satisfaction.
"Come on! It's time to eat!"
The two of them sat on a small stool behind the stove, holding the rice rolls in their hands and tasting them carefully.
The warm rice noodle rolls, coated in a delicious sauce, burst open with a gentle bite. Their texture is incredibly tender, with a slight springiness and a subtle firmness. The meat and egg mixture within release their fragrance, creating a smooth, springy yet soft texture. They don't stick to your teeth, yet you can fully experience the pure flavor of the sauce.