Xu Xinhua had been working at Building #2 of the Fishing Platform for over a month and was quite familiar with Xie Baomin.
He fetched a clean stainless steel basin and used a long-handled stainless steel ladle to carefully skim off the yellowish grease from the pot.
This grease was originally lard and the seasoning oil from the brine stock.
But with hundreds of chickens being stewed in it daily, the chicken fat had dyed it yellow.
As the grease was skimd off, the aroma of the brine stock in the pot gradually wafted out.
Xie Baomin sniffed a few tis and then gave Lin Xu a thumbs-up. "This brine stock is authentic and generously seasoned. Never mind chicken; anything cooked in this would taste amazing."
He had just eaten and initially didn’t want any more. But now, slling the aroma of the roasted chicken, he couldn’t help but want to tear off a drumstick to taste it.
Once all the grease had been skimd off, Lin Xu checked the color of the roasted chickens.
"They’re ready. Start taking them out."
After speaking, he addressed the neighbors lining up outside the window, "The roasted chickens are coming out soon! Everyone, no need to rush."
After greeting everyone, Lin Xu saw Old Man Zhou, who often ca to the restaurant to eat, lining up in the crowd and curiously asked, "Old Man Zhou, why are you in line too? Where’s Mrs. Liang?"
"It’s gotten cooler these past few days. She was trying to stay cool and caught a bit of a chill. I plan to buy so braised dishes to take ho... By the way, Lin, do you have any soup that helps induce sweating?"
Soup?
Lin Xu replied, "Yes, yes, yes! Co inside and wait. I’ll go upstairs and make a serving of hot and sour shredded tripe soup. I’ll put it in an insulated container for Mrs. Liang to try."
"That would be great! Thank you, Lin."
Lin Xu waved his hand. "No need to be polite. Oh, and even with a chill, she should still get out a bit. She can’t always be cooped up at ho. We’re making pigeon soup this afternoon, so bring Mrs. Liang over to have so. I’ll add so Chinese herbal dicines to dispel the cold and induce sweating. If Mrs. Liang drinks it while it’s nice and hot, she might feel better."
Usually, sweating helps one recover from a chill. This afternoon, when I test the small steam pot, I can try adding so herbs that dispel cold. Even if they don’t have a major effect, just drinking that small pot of piping hot pigeon soup should help.
After Old Man Zhou went inside, Lin Xu went upstairs to make the soup.
Xu Xinhua began lifting the roasted chickens out of the pot one by one. He originally wanted to give one directly to Xie Baomin, but Xie Baomin declined, "Focus on selling them first. If there are any with a less appealing appearance, we can just tear one open to taste. No rush. This roasted chicken doesn’t even need a taste test; the sll alone tells you it’s good."
At the service counter, Old Man Zhou looked at the price of the tripe soup, took out his mbership card, and handed it to Song Tiantian. "Tiantian, swipe the card and add an extra hundred. Include the cost of the tripe soup. It’s not easy for you to run a business; I can’t take advantage like that."
Song Tiantian said, "Please wait for the boss to co before you swipe it. I can’t just take money recklessly."
"You’re such an honest kid. Dundun, don’t you think this manager here at the front desk deserves to be criticized?"
Old Man Zhou scratched Dundun’s chin; he was one of the few custors who could touch Dundun.
In the past, he would always co over to interact with Dundun around altis. Whenever he saw the envious gazes of others, Old Man Zhou always felt a sense of satisfaction.
If this little fellow were a cat at Beijing University, with his docile nature, he’d undoubtedly be a favorite among all the students.
After a while, Lin Xu ca down holding a takeout bag. It contained a large serving of hot and sour shredded tripe soup prepared for Mrs. Liang, a small sesa flatbread with beef for Old Man Zhou to satisfy his craving, and a serving of tomato and egg over rice.
Together with the roasted chicken, this was more than enough for the elderly couple’s hearty lunch.
"Thank you so much, Lin. Mrs. Liang will be so happy later! How much is it? Tiantian didn’t want to swipe the card for it. I can’t take this if you don’t charge ."
Old Man Zhou had retired from a leadership position at Beijing University. While he wasn’t wealthy, he wasn’t short on spending money.
Lin Xu said, "Just charge for two roasted chickens... Oh, by the way, Old Man Zhou, why haven’t I seen Professor Xu and Auntie Xue around lately?"
"They went to look after their grandchild, but they’ll be back soon. Old Xu is a classic scholar who knows nothing about housework, and his wife is an artist, even less likely to concern herself with such mundane things. Looking after their grandchild is quite a challenge for them."
Having paid, Old Man Zhou hurried out of the shop, carrying the packed food to go eat lunch with Mrs. Liang at ho.
Just then, Xie Baomin finally spotted a roasted chicken that had been placed near the edge of the pot, its skin slightly imperfect. Xie Baomin saw it and imdiately brought a plate over. "I’ll take this one. It’s trembling, so tender it looks like it’s been deboned. Just by looking at it, you can tell it’s fall-apart tender."
Xu Xinhua lifted the roasted chicken with a slotted spoon and carefully placed it onto the plate. "Chef Xie, be careful, it’s hot."
"What chef is afraid of a little heat? Co on, put it in."
Carrying the plate upstairs, Xie Baomin said to his two sons, "Co, co, co! Taste the roasted chicken Uncle Lin made. It’s fresh out of the pot. This roasted chicken is too hot; I’ll break it apart for you two."
He grasped the joints of the two drumsticks and gave them a sharp shake. The already slightly imperfect roasted chicken imdiately fell apart, causing Xie Yufei and Xie Yuhang to stare wide-eyed.
"That’s amazing!"
"Dad, isn’t that hot?"
Xie Baomin pinched off a piece of at from a chicken leg, tasted it, and said with a smile, "It’s definitely hot for you two, but for a chef, this is just basic skill. Junior Brother, this roasted chicken tastes fantastic. I thought it might be too salty, but the seasoning is just perfect."
Xie Yufei and Xie Yuhang took chopsticks from the sterilizer. Each of them picked up a piece of roasted chicken to try, and their eyes imdiately lit up.
"This roasted chicken is so delicious! It’s fragrant and packed with flavor."
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