sbdcsierra Chapter 59 I Promise You a Youth Again
Chapter 59 I Promise You a Youth Again
The flames on the stove licked the bottom of the pot, making a dull sound.
Chen Feng skillfully flipped the spatula, and the plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce had entered the final stage of reducing the sauce over high heat.
The bright red sauce coats every strand of meat, and an enticing sweet and sour aroma floats in the air.
While waiting for this dish to be ready.
Chen Feng turned his head and softly called out to Xing Ruo, who was busy portioning out tableware:
"Xingruo, hand me an egg. Pick the freshest one."
Xingruo was intently watching the color of the shredded meat in the pot.
Upon hearing this, her hands froze for a moment, and her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion.
"egg?"
Xingruo blinked, hesitated for a moment, then took a round egg from the bamboo basket beside her and handed it over, muttering to herself as she did so.
"Master... there doesn't seem to be any egg in the seasoning for Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce)?"
Did I miss something during the lesson?
"This isn't for the shredded pork with garlic sauce; I have another use for it."
Chen Feng took the eggs.
He did not crack the eggs into the stir-fried shredded pork with garlic sauce.
He turned to the side and turned on the small frying pan that had been sitting idle for a long time.
He slid a smear of lard into the frying pan, and as the oil heated up, white smoke slowly rose.
"despair."
With a gentle tap on the edge of the stove, the glistening egg liquid slid into the hot oil, instantly bursting into a rapid "sizzling" sound.
Xingruo disregarded her work and leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Chen Feng's every move like an eager student.
She noticed that the chef wasn't striving for perfect shape like he had when frying eggs in the morning.
Instead, they deliberately turned the heat up a bit, causing the edges of the egg mixture to quickly dehydrate and shrink under high temperature, forming a golden, crispy "caramelized edge" like tiger skin.
Then, while the egg yolk was still in a semi-solid, paste-like state, Chen Feng casually grabbed a bottle of dark soy sauce from the side and lightly dripped a few drops along the edge of the pot.
"laugh--!"
The soy sauce is rapidly caramelized the moment it comes into contact with high temperatures, and the rich aroma of soy sauce mixed with the fragrance of eggs creates a rugged yet extremely enticing flavor.
Chen Feng carefully placed the fried egg, with its crispy edges and runny yolk, coated in a dark brown sauce, on top of a bowl of rice that was piled high and firmly packed together.
Then, the shredded pork with garlic sauce was cooked and filled another porcelain plate.
He neither called Zhang Qiang over nor let Xing Ruo get involved.
She took off her apron, picked up the heavy wooden tray herself, and strode out of the kitchen.
Ma Guoliang sat in a secluded corner, his rough hands nervously rubbing together on his knees.
He watched the young man's back as he walked out of the kitchen, and his heart pounded wildly.
He was actually hesitating whether he should take the initiative to greet Chen Feng after he finished eating.
After all, it's been almost thirty years since we last met. That little kid from back then has become a capable boss.
And Ma Guoliang went from being a laborer to owning a shop.
"Will he still recognize me?" Ma Guoliang wondered to himself.
People change.
He even wondered what would happen if Chen Feng had become as shrewd and worldly as those shrewd businessmen in society.
He would rather just quietly finish eating, locking that beautiful memory away in his heart forever, never to return.
Just as he was lost in thought, Chen Feng had already walked up to his desk.
The bowl of rice, packed tightly together, and the fried egg, its edges curled and emitting a caramelized aroma, landed steadily in the center of Ma Guoliang's vision.
The sound of the tray hitting the ground was very soft, but it felt like a heavy hammer blow to Ma Guoliang's heart.
Chen Feng did not leave immediately.
He straightened up and looked directly at Uncle Ma, who was no longer young.
Those eyes were full of nostalgia, containing a pure and tender feeling that transcended time.
Chen Feng slightly curled the corners of his lips and said softly:
"Uncle Ma is here? Big bowls of rice are plentiful, and I'll add a fried egg to help you relax."
The eighteen simple characters were exactly the same, and the tone even imitated the slightly hoarse yet extremely warm tone of his grandfather back then.
Ma Guoliang was completely stunned.
His previously tense shoulders collapsed in that instant.
Her lips trembled slightly, and tears welled up quickly in her eyes, hidden behind her reading glasses.
He stared intently at the fried egg on top of the rice—that was Ma Guoliang's favorite way to eat it.
He used to do manual labor, and he liked his father to fry the eggs until the edges were a little browned and to add more soy sauce, saying that this would make the rice more flavorful and satisfy his cravings.
Even his own children didn't know this way of eating, but Chen Feng remembered it clearly.
"Okay...okay," Ma Guoliang mumbled, his throat feeling like it was stuffed with a wad of wet cotton, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
He took a while to catch his breath before he shakily picked up his chopsticks.
Instead of touching the tempting shredded pork with garlic sauce first, he carefully picked up the fried egg like a devout believer.
The golden, flowing filling slowly cascades down the gaps between the rice grains, mixing with the caramelized soy sauce, creating a perfect blend of saltiness, umami, and richness in every bite.
The moment he tasted it, Ma Guoliang couldn't stop his tears.
He lowered his head and stuffed large mouthfuls of rice into his mouth.
He cried silently, only his shoulders heaving violently.
This bowl of rice wasn't anything fancy, but in Lao Ma's eyes, at this moment, the feeling of "home" that he had been missing for more than a decade was finally fully restored in that aroma of roasted rice.
Chen Feng quietly returned to the kitchen.
Mengmeng watched from a distance, not understanding why the grandfather was crying while eating.
But she could sense a warm smell in the air.
Xingruo also hid at the kitchen doorway, watching the middle-aged man wolfing down his food.
She suddenly remembered how she ate yesterday, realizing that cooking really wasn't just about filling her stomach.
Ma Guoliang ate extremely quickly, devouring everything in a flash.
That plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce was perfectly balanced between sour and spicy, with a delightful interplay of crispness and tenderness. Every bite reminded him of the sense of redemption he felt when he ran into the old shop after sweating profusely at the dock.
After finishing the last bite, Ma Guoliang put down his chopsticks.
Just like when he left the old shop thirty years ago, he skillfully stacked the bowls and plates neatly, and then wiped the table clean with a paper towel.
He stood up and walked to the counter in the open kitchen.
Just as he was about to leave, he stopped.
Ma Guoliang turned his head, like a teenager who had returned to his youth, and shouted at Chen Feng in the kitchen with all his might:
"Xiao Chen! The food was delicious, I'll come again tomorrow!"
That was what Ma Guoliang shouted to Grandpa Chen Feng every evening thirty years ago.
However, this time, he changed "Uncle Chen" to "Little Chen".
Chen Feng was wiping the cutting board with a rag when he heard the loud shout, and he suddenly looked up.
A smile spread across his eyes, dispelling his fatigue. He smiled brightly and was extremely happy.
He waved to Ma Guoliang and replied loudly in return:
"Okay, Uncle Ma! We'll reserve a large seat for you tomorrow!"
Ma Guoliang laughed heartily and walked briskly out of the store.
At that moment, his back was no longer hunched, and in the gradually deepening sunlight of the old street, he exuded a long-lost spiritedness.