sinovels Chapter 190 Old-fashioned Eight-Treasure Rice
Chapter 190 Old-fashioned Eight-Treasure Rice
Before her grandmother could speak, Xia Qing began to gesture.
Grandma could hardly believe her eyes.
"807 yuan, is it really that much?"
Xia Qing's eyes lit up as she handed over all the money from the coin box, then took out her phone and pointed to the transaction history.
The old man looked left and right, his eyes gradually reddening, and his throat tightened with emotion.
800 yuan is quite a lot.
This brings us one step closer to getting Xia Qing a cochlear implant.
Grandma's voice was hoarse as she held Xia Qing's hand, gesturing as she asked.
"How come you made so much money? Did someone give you the wrong amount of money? Or is there a particularly large crowd today, with a lot of people buying things?"
After Xia Qing told him that it was Chen Yuan who had helped him.
Grandma was both touched and saddened. After a moment of silence, she suddenly wiped her face hard, straightened her back, and tried to straighten it up.
"We can't accept their kindness for nothing. We may not have money, but we should still do our part. How about we make him some eight-treasure rice?"
The traditional eight-treasure rice pudding from the North is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and requires a lot of effort.
Given their family's financial situation, it's impossible for them to afford a substantial gift.
That's all we can do to put effort into these areas.
Xia Qing gestured and said, "They run a breakfast shop, would they like these things?"
"He probably will. Didn't they say he has another child? The child really likes this eight-treasure rice." Grandma had a kind smile on her face.
Then the two of them went to the kitchen and found an old, chipped jar.
Inside were high-quality round-grain glutinous rice, each grain plump and full. They were grown by my relatives, who had been reluctant to eat them.
Besides this, there are also red dates, lotus seeds, thin-skinned walnuts, purple raisins, and rock sugar.
It wasn't anything particularly valuable, but it was clean and simple.
When making eight-treasure rice, cooking the red bean paste is the most important step, and it's a step that Grandma always insisted on doing herself.
The grandfather and grandson first picked out the beans.
Then soak it in advance, and after soaking, put it in the pot and turn the heat to the lowest setting.
Grandma moved a small stool and stood guard in front of the stove.
While doing other tasks, I was also simmering red bean paste, afraid that it would burn at the bottom.
To make red bean paste, you must be patient and stir constantly. If you stop stirring, it will easily become mushy. Also, you can't rush the stirring process, otherwise the paste will be undercooked and won't be as smooth and creamy.
The bean curd skin breaks open, and the sand inside slowly seeps out.
After the soup was cooked, with Xia Qing's help, the two of them used a fine bamboo sieve to filter it through again and again, removing the coarse residue and leaving only the smooth and creamy red bean paste.
Rock sugar is added in batches during the process of making red bean paste.
The longer it is simmered, the sweet aroma mixed with the smell of beans will permeate the air.
"Qingqing, when you're making this, the sweetness level has to be just right. It can't be too cloying, otherwise the food won't taste good."
Xia Qing nodded in agreement, obediently learning her grandmother's cooking skills.
Steamed glutinous rice until thoroughly cooked, then mix it with rendered lard while it's still hot to enhance the aroma.
The preparations are now complete.
The two got up early the next morning.
Grandma lined the clean bowl with oil-soaked cotton paper.
Then, cut the dates in half, remove the pits, and arrange them in a circular shape along the side of the bowl.
Lotus seeds are placed in the center, walnuts are broken into even pieces, and raisins are scattered throughout.
Grandma carefully arranged them as she spoke.
"It's just missing some candied fruit; otherwise, it would look even better and more authentic when displayed."
After spreading and pressing the red bean paste and glutinous rice evenly, invert the mixture into a steamer.
The old man, his back hunched, stood guard by the pot.
Although there are no expensive ingredients, the sentiment behind it is truly precious.
For them, this was not just a simple meal; it was the entirety of gratitude that a deaf-mute girl and a frail old man could offer.
After steaming, it was time to set up the stall.
Grandma was a restless person and insisted on going to the stall with Xia Qing.
She had difficulty walking, so she sat on a small stool on the back of the tricycle, holding the steamed eight-treasure rice tightly in her arms.
The freshly steamed eight-treasure rice was piping hot, just like her heart.
Once we reach the designated location...
The breakfast shop's roller shutter door was already open.
Grandma was observing Chen Yuan from afar.
Watching this young man bustling about, she suddenly thought of Xia Qing's parents.
The old man felt a little sad.
Xia Qing gestured and said, "Grandma, you can take the things there now. It's tiring to carry them like this."
Grandma waved her hand tactfully.
"Now is not the time. This is a busy time. Going there will only cause trouble, and if outsiders see it, it will easily lead to problems."
"Once he finishes his work at noon, the eight-treasure rice won't be so hot anymore. He'll definitely be hungry then, and he'll find it delicious after just one bite."
Xia Qing nodded.
Because Chen Yuan set a good precedent yesterday, several people came up to Xia Qing as soon as she set up her stall today.
"I thought I arrived pretty early, but I didn't expect there wouldn't even be a queue, there were just too many people. I guess I'll just have to grab a bite here."
"I must say, this grilled cold noodles actually smell pretty good."
"Let's just fill our stomachs first, give me one serving."
I was still busy until 11:30 a.m.
The last basket of steamed buns was for the staff meal; after being placed in the steamer, the roller shutter door served as the steamer.
Chen Yuan leaned back in a wooden chair to rest.
He unscrewed the iced oolong milk tea that Lu Xingye had just brought, took a sip, and the refreshing tea soup calmed the heat from his non-stop work.
Lu Xingye stood to the side, looking at something on a tablet.
"I'm planning to strike while the iron is hot this month and launch a few new products. What do you think? Should I launch fruit tea or milk tea? Both of them are selling quite well right now."
"By the way, Mr. Chen, do you think I should get an ice cream machine? It's not even the hottest time of the year yet, so if we sell ice cream, more people will definitely buy it."
"Also, they mentioned they wanted hot barley tea, saying it would be more comfortable to drink something hot on such a hot day. In that case, I won't use ice. If you want it, take it all."
Chen Yuan didn't understand these things very well, but he gave some suggestions based on his own ideas. It was up to Lu Xingye to carry them out himself.
The others drank their milk tea while waiting for the steamed buns to be cooked.
Chen Yuan had been busy all morning and was indeed hungry.
Just as his stomach was growling, a slow sound of footsteps came from not far away.
Xia Qing's maternal grandmother, leaning on her cane, made her way to the shop entrance by herself.
The old man wore a neatly ironed short-sleeved shirt today, and he was holding the large bowl wrapped in a thick towel tightly in his arms.
Chen Yuan recognized her at a glance and thought she had come for some reason, so he quickly stood up.
"Grandpa, what brings you here? Are you out of water? Could you get some? I have hot water and ice water, what would you like?"
The old man smiled and shook his head, then lifted a corner of the towel.
The eight-treasure rice inside is neatly arranged.
"Thank you, young man. I'm here to deliver something to you."