I stepped into the back kitchen of the old shop which I had not visited for many years but which was still vivid in my memory. The stove and various kitchen utensils were all polished to a shine.
Feng Yifan still remembers the first lesson his father-in-law taught him when he was an apprentice.
"As a good cook, you must first love your kitchen, so you must keep it clean and tidy. If you can't even clean the stove, you can't be called a qualified chef."
Over the years, my father-in-law still insists that the kitchen is always kept very clean and tidy.
According to his memory, Feng Yifan came to the kitchen storage cabinet. He opened the cabinet and saw that although there were not many ingredients in it, the variety was quite complete.
Obviously, these should be what my father-in-law prepared to deal with my aunt's visit today. Although he was still in a wheelchair and had difficulty moving, and was completely unable to deal with my aunt, my father-in-law still prepared the ingredients. This might be the last bit of stubbornness of the old man, right
After a brief moment of daze, Feng Yifan quickly began to prepare.
Three shreds, or braised three shreds, is a dish that really tests one's knife skills and was something Feng Yifan practiced often when he was an apprentice.
Although he has been reborn now, he still retains the memories of his past life. Perhaps because his body is different, some muscle memories may be a little unfamiliar, but once he becomes a little familiar with it, he can still control it easily.
While I was starting to cook the broth on the stove, I was also preparing other ingredients.
Feng Yifan did not feel the slightest bit of discomfort, his hands and feet were even more nimble than before his rebirth. The advantages of being young were clearly revealed at this time.
While I was busy in the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of the kitchen door moving out of the corner of my eye. I saw a little head peeking out from the door, as if observing something secretly
Feng Yifan raised the corners of his mouth slightly: "Little Feng Ruoruo? Is it little Feng Ruoruo?"
As soon as the words fell, I heard my daughter's voice: "Oh, we've been discovered."
Then, the little girl quickly turned around and ran out of the kitchen, as if she was going to report to her mother and grandfather.
Through the gap in the kitchen door, Feng Yifan saw his daughter's back. The corners of his mouth raised even more, his hands moved more skillfully, and his heart was filled with joy.
After a busy period, Feng Yifan personally brought the three-thread buns and the lion head to Zhang Maosheng.
"Uncle Zhang, try it. I haven't made it for a few years, so my hands are a little rusty. Let's see if the taste is close to my dad's."
Zhang Maosheng looked at the upside-down small bowl on the plate in front of him and the familiar small cup next to it, and he was also a little expectant.
Also looking forward to it are the father and daughter duo Su Jinrong and Su Ruoxi.
Although Feng Yifan had indeed reached the level of a master before he left, he has been away for five years after all. I wonder if he can still perform at the same level as before
Zhang Maosheng, feeling somewhat expectant and nervous, slowly lifted up the inverted bowl.
In a moment, I saw a beautifully decorated mushroom on the plate under the inverted bowl.
Next comes the delicate and neatly shredded pork, ham, winter bamboo shoots and chicken.
Each cut is extremely delicate, with even length, thickness and thickness. It doesn't look like a dish at all, but rather a work of art.
Zhang Maosheng was stunned for a few seconds, then he raised his chopsticks and sighed, "This is simply... I don't even dare to pick up my chopsticks. Your knife skills are really no worse than Brother Su's."
Hearing Zhang Maosheng's words, Feng Ruoruo was unhappy: "It's not as good as grandpa's."
Su Ruoxi quickly pulled her daughter back and gave Zhang Maosheng an apologetic and awkward smile: "I'm sorry, Uncle Zhang."
Zhang Maosheng smiled nonchalantly and said, "Haha, it's okay. In Ruoruo's mind, grandpa is definitely the best. Ruoruo is right, grandpa is the best. Dad also learned this from your grandpa."
Feng Yifan smiled and nodded: "Yes, my skills are definitely not comparable to my father's. Uncle Zhang, please have a taste."
Finally, Zhang Maosheng gently picked up some with chopsticks and slowly put it into his mouth.
It looks so good, so naturally we have high expectations for its taste.
At the entrance, Zhang Maosheng had actually lowered his expectations, thinking that Feng Yifan was still young after all.
But when he actually started chewing it, the flavor of the whole dish spread in his mouth, instantly cheering up Zhang Maosheng.
This smell, this smell is, it’s the smell from many years ago.
As an old customer of Su Ji, Zhang Maosheng still remembers the taste of Su Ji's specialty, the hand-braised three-shredded vegetables. Over the years, he would order this dish every time he came to Su Ji.
However, in recent years, perhaps because Su Jinrong is old, or perhaps because he feels a little lost because his apprentice left without saying goodbye.
I can’t say that Su Ji’s three-strand pork stew is bad, but it certainly doesn’t have the flavor it used to have.
It’s not the taste that old diners like Lao Zhang remember.
Many old customers come to Su Ji more for the sentimental reasons rather than for the taste.
But today is different. This dish of three-shredded vegetable stew made by Feng Yifan allows Lao Zhang to taste the flavor in his memory again.
Then, almost without stopping, Zhang Maosheng ate all the shredded pork on the plate in one breath.
After finishing the last bite of food, Lao Zhang smacked his lips.
"Ah, it's really delicious, it still has the old taste. Brother Su, congratulations, the taste of Su Ji finally has a successor, the old taste of Su Ji is coming back."
After hearing Zhang Maosheng's praise, Su Jinrong, who was sitting in a wheelchair, felt relieved and tried to say, "Thank you, thank you."
After savoring the taste for a while, Lao Zhang opened the small cup in front of him, and the fragrance immediately hit his face.
Feng Ruoruo, who had never been convinced, smelled the scent of the lion's head. She swallowed her saliva reluctantly, and her stomach growled.
Hearing the rumbling of her belly, Feng Ruoruo immediately threw herself shyly into her mother's arms, not wanting to look up.
Seeing this, Feng Yifan smiled and went back to the kitchen, and soon came back with a similar small cup.
Holding a small cup and squatting in front of his daughter, Feng Yifan smiled and said, "Dad knows Ruoruo hasn't eaten yet, so Dad prepared one for Ruoruo as well. Do you want to try it?"
Feng Ruoruo raised her head from her mother's arms and glanced at her father beside her, especially looking carefully at the small cup in her father's hand.
The little girl was actually quite looking forward to it, but she was embarrassed and shrank back into her mother's arms.
Just as the little girl turned her head back, Lao Zhang exclaimed again: "Wow, it's really delicious. The lion's head is even better."
Hearing Grandpa Zhang sighing and smacking his lips while eating, Feng Ruoruo finally couldn't help but turn her head again to look at the small cup in her father's hand.
Seeing that his daughter seemed to be still somewhat resistant, Feng Yifan knew not to force her, so he handed the small cup in his hand to his wife: "You feed Ruoruo, I'll go to the back to clean up, you and Dad can have some later."
Su Ruoxi reached out to take the small cup, feeling somewhat helpless as she looked at her daughter who was lying in her arms.
When Feng Yifan walked towards the kitchen, Feng Ruoruo finally raised her little head from her mother's arms and looked at her father's back as he walked into the kitchen.
But soon, the little girl was attracted by the small cup in her mother's hand and was looking forward to tasting it.
Su Ruoxi sat down, opened the small cup, picked up the spoon, cut off a piece of lion head, and fed it to her daughter along with a little soup.
Feng Ruoruo was a little impatient, but just as she opened her mouth, the little girl glanced towards the kitchen to make sure that the man who claimed to be "Dad" was not peeking at her, then she felt at ease to eat the meal.