sinovels Chapter 63 Unexpected
Chapter 63 Unexpected
Chapter 63 Unexpected
Wang Sheng understood, but also felt somewhat helpless. He quickly replied on several platforms: "Dear friends outside the school, I am very sorry! According to the latest notice from the school, in order to ensure campus order and student safety, the cafeteria will only be open to on-campus teachers and students from today onwards. I understand everyone's enthusiasm, but the regulations must be followed. Thank you for your continued support! If there are any policy adjustments or the opening of takeout channels in the future, I will inform you immediately! I apologize again! [clasped hands]"
The response was met with widespread lamentation, but also mixed with voices of understanding: "We understand, the school is doing this for the students' own good."
"Boss Wang is an honest man! I hope I can eat here again in the future!"
"Students on campus, please help me buy this! I'll pay! [Pleading emoji]"
"Waiting for Boss Wang to open a branch and sweep across the campus! [doge]"
After dealing with this minor incident, Wang Sheng regained his composure and continued his breakfast battle.
Earning money, gaining popularity points, and completing tasks all ultimately depend on this small canteen window.
At 10 a.m., the bustling breakfast rush finally came to an end.
The kitchen was filled with the lingering aroma of food and a faint sense of fatigue.
Zhao Gang and Lin Xiaowen slumped onto small stools, exhausted, massaging their legs, but their faces wore satisfied smiles. The sales figures were still reassuringly impressive.
Wang Sheng dared not rest for long. His main event was just beginning.
In a corner of the backyard, a small charcoal stove was temporarily set up, with a heavy, thick-walled earthenware pot sitting on it.
Wang Sheng carefully took out the pair of clean, rare-rated forelegs from the "Preserve Fresh for a Moment" refrigerator.
He specifically sought out dried pine needles from the market, which carried the fresh scent of pine resin.
The pine needles were lit, and the pale blue-green flames leaped up, releasing a unique herbal aroma. Wang Sheng used fire tongs to hold the hoof and carefully singed it over the pine needle flames, especially the crevices between the hooves.
A purer aroma of meat mixed with the fresh scent of pine needles filled the air, giving it a more natural flavor than simply singeing with a blowtorch.
Su Weiwei had somehow gotten closer, looking around curiously, her nostrils flaring: "It smells so good! It's different from the usual smell of burnt feathers!"
"The ancient method taught by Boss Chen: burning the bark with pine needles."
Wang Sheng offered an explanation without stopping. The singed pork hock had a deeper color, the skin slightly shrunken, and it gleamed with an enticing sheen.
Blanch in boiling water and then rinse clean.
The broth, made from pork bones and chicken frames, had been simmering in the casserole dish beforehand and was already milky white.
Wang Sheng gently placed two large pork hocks into the soup, along with crushed ginger slices, knotted scallions, a small handful of white peppercorns, and soaked, plump white kidney beans.
Bring the fire to a boil, carefully skim off the foam, and then turn the fire down to the lowest setting.
The advantages of charcoal fire become apparent; the flames are steady and gentle, maintaining the soup noodles in a state of slight undulation, like the heart of a chrysanthemum.
Cover the clay pot with the lid, leaving only a small gap to allow the aroma and excess moisture to slowly escape.
"Next, it's time to unleash the magic of time."
Wang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. It would take at least three hours for the collagen to be fully released, for the kidney beans to completely dissolve, and for the pork hock to become tender and fall off the bone.
Su Weiwei moved a small stool and sat not far from the stove, resting her chin on her hands and staring intently at the casserole that seemed to be breathing.
Wisps of steam, carrying an increasingly rich aroma of meat and the delicate fragrance of kidney beans, gently enveloped her. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, dancing on her.
This moment of waiting was filled with a sweet anxiety and a reassuring anticipation. She stopped checking her phone and simply waited quietly.
Wang Sheng then began preparing the finishing touch, the soul-stirring dipping sauce.
Following the system's techniques and Chen Qiming's secret recipe, the chili oil is prepared in advance, resulting in a bright red color and an enticing aroma. Garlic is mashed into a fine paste, scallions are chopped, cilantro is minced, and soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and Sichuan peppercorn powder are all prepared.
The two most crucial things:
A small spoonful of rich, tangy brine taken from a homemade kimchi jar; a handful of soybeans, slowly roasted in a clean iron pot over low heat until golden brown and crispy, releasing a rich nutty aroma, then finely ground into a granular powder in a stone mortar.
The moment Wang Sheng added the salt water and soybean powder to the prepared dipping sauce bowl and gently stirred it, a complex and incredibly impactful spicy, sour, and savory aroma burst forth! Even Zhao Gang and Lin Xiaowen, who were tidying up their things in the distance, were drawn over.
"My God, senior, this dipping sauce—it smells so good it makes my mouth water!" Lin Xiaowen exclaimed.
"It feels like it would taste good even if you dipped it in a shoe sole—" Zhao Gang sniffed, speaking the truth.
Su Weiwei felt her stomach rumbling wildly. Clutching her stomach, she looked pitifully at Wang Sheng: "How much longer? I feel like I'm about to be pickled by this aroma!"
Wang Sheng smiled and glanced at the time: "Almost there, almost there. You can't rush things."
After three hours of slow simmering, the broth in the clay pot had thickened to a milky consistency, its color a warm, creamy white. The pork hock was barely visible in the broth, its skin and meat exhibiting an exquisitely tender texture, as if it would fall apart at the slightest touch.
The kidney beans had already been stewed until they burst open and melted into the soup, forming a natural thickening agent that made the soup richer and smoother.
Wang Sheng gently poked the thickest part of the pork hock with his chopsticks; there was no resistance, and the chopsticks sank in instantly. Success!
He turned off the stove, placed a thick towel on the stove, and carried the casserole to the only old square table in the small kitchen in the backyard. The moment he lifted the lid, a rich aroma burst forth, instantly filling the entire space!
The aroma of milk, meat, and green beans blend perfectly, with a sticky, gelatinous feel that forcefully penetrates everyone's nasal cavity.
"Wow—!" Su Weiwei, Zhao Gang, and Lin Xiaowen exclaimed in unison.
Using chopsticks and a small spoon, Wang Sheng carefully transferred a pork hock intact into a large soup bowl. The hock trembled and glistened, its skin and meat so tender it seemed boneless, soaking in a thick, snow-white broth, topped with stewed red bean paste.
Next to it was a small dish of bright red, garnished with scallions, cilantro, and soybean powder, exuding an irresistible spicy aroma of a secret dipping sauce.
"Miss Su, here's the braised pork trotter you ordered. Please enjoy." Wang Sheng pushed the bowl and chopsticks in front of Su Weiwei, gesturing for her to eat, his eyes filled with a smile.
Su Weiwei couldn't wait any longer; her eyes shone like stars. She carefully scooped up a spoonful of the milky-white soup, blew on it, and put it in her mouth.
Instantly, an intensely rich and savory aroma, combined with the soft and chewy texture of the kidney beans, slid down her throat, a warm current flowing straight to her stomach, bringing a feeling of complete satisfaction! She happily squinted her eyes and let out a soft, kitten-like sigh: "Mmm—so warm—so fragrant—"
Then, she eagerly picked up a small piece of pork hock skin with her chopsticks.
The skin was crystal clear, incredibly soft and chewy, trembling slightly on the tips of chopsticks. Dipped in the bright red, enticing sauce, it was then put into the mouth.
The first sensation on the tongue is the complex interplay of the dipping sauce: the spiciness of the chili oil, the pungent aroma of the minced garlic, the salty umami of the soy sauce, the slight acidity of the vinegar, the fermented layers brought by the aged brine, and the smoky, granular texture of the soybean flour.
Multiple flavors explode in your mouth instantly!
Then, with a gentle touch of your teeth, the incredibly soft and tender pork hock skin and the collagen beneath it melt away gently, rich yet not greasy, chewy yet tender, with a rich meaty aroma and satisfying collagen, forming a perfect balance and fusion with the strong flavor of the dipping sauce!
"Oh my god!"
Su Weiwei was completely captivated by the taste. It was so delicious that she couldn't find any more words to describe it. She could only bury herself in her food, eating quickly in small bites. Her cheeks were bulging, and fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose. She looked completely absorbed and utterly satisfied.
The bowl of pig's trotter soup in front of her seemed to radiate a holy light.
Wang Sheng also poured himself a bowl and slowly savored it.
With a base of four and a half stars in system skills, plus [rare] ingredients and the ancient pine needle bark singeing method taught by Chen Qiming,
With its secret dipping sauce, this pig's trotter soup is absolutely at his current peak level.
The soup is thick like cheese, the pig's trotters melt in your mouth, the kidney beans are soft and thick, and the dipping sauce is the finishing touch.
Every bite is a feast of collagen, a perfect harmony of spiciness and richness. Even he himself was deeply moved by the taste.
Just as the two were immersed in the blissful overload of pig's trotters, the side door on the second floor of the cafeteria leading to the backyard was pushed open.
A tall, sweaty boy wearing a basketball jersey and shorts poked his head in, sniffing and looking confused and drooling.
"Holy crap—what's that smell? It smells amazing! It's unbelievably fragrant!"
His gaze swept across the room, instantly locking onto the two bowls of thick, snow-white broth in front of Wang Sheng and Su Weiwei, where large, trembling pork hocks sat. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Pork hock soup?! When did they start serving pork hock soup on the second floor of the school?"
This boy's name is Zhang Dashan, a junior at the School of Physical Education, and a native of Chengdu, Sichuan.
I just finished playing basketball and was starving. I was planning to go to the decent Chongqing noodle shop on the second floor to grab a bite.
I never expected this!