Huang Tao brought Xuanxuan to the first nearby herbal medicine shop.
They only found two types of herbs, Bai Nai and Bai Zhi, and the quality didn't look that great, not meeting his requirements.
He decisively gave up.
They went to the second herbal medicine shop.
Fortunately, the herbs at this shop were very complete.
The quality of herbs like Pipuli, Bai Doukou, Bai Nai, Bai Zhi, and Xiangsha was also very good.
He bought a considerable amount of each, to avoid future hassles.
After settling the herbs, the father and daughter hurried to the market.
As they passed the poultry section, he stopped at a stall to select old hens.
"Cluck, cluck…"
Xuanxuan took this chance to squat in front of the stall, watching the chickens and ducks in the cages, imitating their clucks.
"Boss Huang, here to buy chickens?"
The chicken stall owner, who had been to Huang Tao's shop, naturally knew Huang Tao and was aware that his shop's business was good, requiring lots of ingredients. So seeing him picking chickens, the owner enthusiastically marketed his chickens: "These are all free-range chickens, specially brought from the countryside. Each weighs about 4 pounds. They might not look big, but they eat rice grains and are very nutritious. Look at this chicken meat, it's very firm and, after being cooked, it's incredibly tender and delicious. The bones and heads also make great soup, the broth's superbly sweet."
The quality of these old hens was indeed excellent, matching Huang Tao's taste.
"How much per pound?"
"We're old acquaintances, so I'll give them to you for 22 yuan per pound!"
"Alright, then give me three, and please help me slaughter them, pluck them clean, and remove the innards."
Markets in the south are like this; if customers need fish scales and innards removed, the sellers meet those needs.
Huang Tao's request was quite normal, plus buying three hens at once could potentially develop into a long-term business.
The chicken stall owner naturally agreed cheerfully and quickly got to work.
After weighing and calculating the price, Huang Tao also paid promptly.
"Boss, please handle this while I go buy some other ingredients, I'll come back to pick them up later."
He then went to a familiar condiment stall, buying star anise, fennel seeds, and various seasonings.
He also went to the dried goods stall to purchase Jinhua ham and dried scallops.
At the vegetable stall, he bought small onions, galangal, garlic, and other ingredients.
Finally, he arrived at Old Wang's pork stall.
"Oh, Boss Huang, why are you here personally? Whatever you need, just message me on WeChat, and I'll deliver it to your shop."
"I was buying other ingredients, and thought I'd stop by for 10 pounds of tenderloin and 10 pounds of pork bones."
"Sure!"
"Boss Wang, besides the pork and beef you deliver every morning, could you also prepare some pork trotters for me? Around 0.7 pounds each."
"No problem! How many do you need?"
"Please prepare 300 for now, I'll transfer the payment to you altogether."
"No problem."
Old Wang chuckled heartily and then inquired, "Boss Huang, are you preparing to launch something new?"
"Yes, planning to make braised pork trotters tomorrow."
"Braised pork trotters? Great! I must come and try them!"
Since having the fried buns for lunch, he felt invigorated, even more eager to cut meat.
Hearing about the new dish, nearby vendors were also excited and all insisted they'd come to try it tomorrow.
After Huang Tao finished purchasing everything.
Chen Weihao attentively drove a tricycle for the fourth time to help Huang Tao deliver all the purchased ingredients to So Delicious.
Following behind, Huang Tao entered the shop to see Jiang Guowei helping Chen Weihao move the ingredients.
Jiang Guowei smiled: "Boss Huang, buying supplies this late?"
"Planning to prepare some brine tonight."
Jiang Guowei's eyes lit up: "So, we'll have some marinated dishes to eat tomorrow? Boss Huang, can you give a hint about what new marinated dish you'll release?"
"Braised pork trotters, launching tomorrow at noon." Huang Tao opened the shop door.
Jiang Guowei's first reaction was: Tomorrow at noon, he'll tell his wife not to cook and go try those braised pork trotters.
Huang Tao had no idea his offhand mention of braised pork trotters had already intrigued Jiang Guowei.
Xuanxuan said sweetly: "Thank you, Uncles."
"You're welcome… so well-behaved…"
Both Chen Weihao and Jiang Guowei smiled warmly.
After moving the ingredients, Chen Weihao got on the tricycle: "Boss Huang, I'll head off first, see you tomorrow morning to deliver more goods."
"Alright, thank you."
"No worries, I'm off."
Chen Weihao left first.
Seeing that he had nothing else to do, Jiang Guowei also bid farewell and returned to watch his shop.
"Xuanxuan, Dad has to get busy now. Sit here quietly, and after I'm done, we can go home." Huang Tao patted Xuanxuan's little head.
"Daddy, go on and do your work! Don't worry about me, I'll take good care of myself."
Xuanxuan had the demeanor of a little adult.
"Alright, my Xuanxuan is the best."
Seeing her turn around, she pulled over the backpack from the chair beside her, unzipped it, and took out a drawing pad and a box of colored pencils.
She lay on the dining table and started drawing.
Huang Tao felt relieved, went back to the kitchen, and started tidying up.
He cleaned small onions and sliced galangal into thick pieces, braided green onions with their roots attached for later use.
He portioned out star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel, licorice, Sichuan peppercorns, tsaoko, cloves, amomum fruit, cardamom, and other spices and traditional Chinese medicine ingredients.
He put them into a muslin bag, tied it tightly, and then boiled it vigorously in water for 10 minutes before fishing it out for later use.
The pork leg bones chopped into small pieces, tenderloin, Jinhua Ham, and the old hen were cleaned.
He placed them into boiling water, cooked them on high heat, and skimmed off the foam.
He poured clean water into a stainless steel pot, added the blanched pork leg bones, tenderloin, Jinhua Ham, the old hen, and dried scallops, and simmered them on low heat.
Sliced small onions, galangal, and braided green onions were immersed and fried in vegetable oil heated to 60% on low heat for 5 minutes until fragrant.
He poured out the fragrant vegetable oil for later use.
Huang Tao operated methodically...
...
Exhausted from crying, Cai Jiajia unknowingly walked to the place where she first met Lin Jie.
She looked up at the sign that once read "Me and You," now replaced with the new "So Delicious" sign.
Truly... things have changed!
She remembered her first meeting with Lin Jie was on a rainy day.
It was during the college winter vacation.
Lin Jie, who didn't bring an umbrella, had come into the store to shelter from the rain.
At that time, his baseball cap and jacket were slightly drenched by the rain.
There were also small specks of dust on his trouser legs.
Facing the store, he took off his cap, and at the moment he looked up...
Their eyes met squarely.
"Hey, isn't this Lin Xiyi's roommate, Cai Jiajia?"
"You know me?"
Hearing him mention her roommate, she asked further, "And you are?"
"I'm Lin Jie, from the same grade but different department, a friend of Lin Xiyi. I've heard about you from her; she said you're the genius of the class."
He then walked up to her and asked, "Can I share a table with you?"
Suddenly being recognized and praised like that, she felt a bit shy.
She picked up the handbag next to her, took out a pack of tissues, and handed it to him, "Your clothes are wet, wipe yourself off."
And she lightly patted the table, telling him, "Then have a seat."
"You like the rice noodles here too? I like them as well."
Lin Jie was very sociable.
They sat in that rice noodle shop, eating and talking about life and dreams.
A talkative and proactive boy always wins the favor of girls easily.
Affection was planted at that moment.
That day, she happened to have an umbrella.
Thus, Lin Jie held up her umbrella, and they walked side by side to school.
The cold wind mixed with rain in winter was more effective than the east wind, making them naturally draw closer.
In the days that followed, Lin Jie often found reasons and opportunities to ask her out, creating ingenious gifts for her and making every moment special, making others envious.
Back then, she wished she could offer her true heart right into his hand.
Indeed, she fell for him.
"Me and You" became "Us."
But now, "Us" has turned into "There is me but not you," and even the "Me and You" rice noodle shop is gone...
"Sister, why are you crying?"
Xuanxuan, having completed her drawing, looked up to see Cai Jiajia at the store entrance.
Seeing Cai Jiajia with reddened eyes and tears on her face, she walked over and stood at the store's entrance, craning her neck to ask.
"I..."
"Sister, did someone bully you?"
"I..."
"Sister, don't cry, you won't be pretty if you keep crying..."
Xuanxuan comforted her.
Thinking of how her dad would always bring her something delicious when she cried.
After eating, she wouldn't feel like crying anymore.
So she grabbed Cai Jiajia's hand, pulling her into the store, "Sister, come in. My daddy's store has delicious things, if you eat, you won't feel sad, that's what Xuanxuan always does..."