Chapter 78 The Fragrance of Stinky Tofu Spreads for Miles

Chapter 78 The Fragrance of Stinky Tofu Spreads for Miles

Lin Xiao took the heavy packing bag and stood by the roadside for two minutes.

Then he saw his father, Lin Ye, driving his old sedan with the hazard lights on, slowly approaching.

"My dear daughter, have you been waiting long?" Lin Ye's voice drifted in as soon as the car door opened, carrying his usual nagging tone.

“I told you not to take this exam. What good is a permanent position? Dealing with that kind of place every day will make it hard for you to find a partner and get married. What if other people’s parents find out…”

Lin Xiao rubbed her temples, just about to reach into her bag for her earphones to plug her ears.

But then her father's gaze suddenly fell on the canvas bag in her hand, and his nagging stopped abruptly.

He sniffed, even shifting the steering wheel half an inch to the side, his tone full of curiosity: "What's in your bag? It smells both stinky and fragrant, making my mouth water."

"I bought stinky tofu on the road ahead just now." Lin Xiao's eyes lit up.

She quickly handed the bag to him, lowering her voice but unable to hide her excitement, "Dad, let me tell you, you might know the person who sells stinky tofu—it's Su Yingxue! She's the really gentle third female lead in the drama 'Qingfengdu' a few years ago!"

Lin Ye was stunned, his hands on the steering wheel paused for a moment: "Su Yingxue? That's the actress who's really pretty? Why would she sell stinky tofu? Aren't celebrities supposed to make a lot of money?"

He was clearly incredulous as well, and couldn't help but glance into the bag again. "She made this stinky tofu?"

"That's right!" Lin Xiao opened the bag, and an even richer aroma instantly filled the carriage. "The stinky tofu she made was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the braising sauce was absolutely perfect, and she even added pickled radishes to cut through the richness."

"I ate a bowl right there and then, and packed two more to bring back for you and Mom to try." As she spoke, she suddenly remembered Su Yingxue's gentle demeanor and added, "And she has absolutely no airs of a celebrity, she speaks so softly. I asked her why she didn't sell anything else, and she said she just enjoys doing this, it makes her feel at ease."

Lin Ye clicked his tongue, eased off the accelerator, and said with a sigh, "I never thought that a big star would think about such a simple life."

He glanced at his daughter's bright eyes, and swallowed back the nagging that was on the tip of his tongue. He only said, "Then you have to save this for your mother, so she can also try the stinky tofu made by the big star."

"By the way, if you can't get a taxi next time you work overtime, call Dad in advance. Don't walk alone at night, it's not safe."

Lin Xiao felt a warmth in her heart, tied the bag back up, and looked out the window at the streetlights passing by.

Suddenly, I felt that the fatigue from tonight's night shift and the fear of walking at night were all soothed away by these two bowls of stinky tofu and my dad's words.

Su Yingxue is still making stinky tofu.

Although Su Yingxue's snack cart was small, it was very well organized. The iron plate was polished to a shine, and the condiment bottles were arranged in a neat order.

She first took out the pre-braised stinky tofu blocks from the thermos. The dark brown tofu had absorbed the braising liquid, and when she gently squeezed it, it would ooze out translucent juice. When she placed it in a strainer to drain the water, she could still smell the rich aroma of fermented soybeans.

When the oil in the pan was just starting to get hot, she looked over and saw the oil sizzling and emitting fine white smoke.

Next, she placed the stinky tofu pieces one by one into the fryer. The tofu made an enticing crisp sound as soon as it touched the fryer, and the edges quickly turned golden brown.

Holding a long-handled iron shovel, she gently turned the tofu over from time to time, ensuring that each piece of tofu was heated evenly. Before long, the outer skin of the stinky tofu became crispy and bulged with tiny bubbles.

Then, she picked up a small spoon and poured the secret braising sauce over each piece of tofu in turn—the dark brown braising sauce coated the tofu and dripped down the crispy outer skin, instantly multiplying the aroma several times over.

Sprinkle with chopped garlic, chili peppers, and scallions.

Finally, scoop a spoonful of pickled radish cubes on top. The combination of the crisp radish cubes and the caramelized tofu instantly brings the flavors to life.

Finally, she used a slotted spoon to scoop the stinky tofu into a paper bowl, then drizzled a spoonful of thick chili oil over it. The red oil floated on the surface, even before it was served to her.

That pungent yet fragrant aroma immediately tantalizes the taste buds, and a steaming bowl of stinky tofu is ready.

Su Yingxue wrapped her thick coat tighter around her, the sweater opening obscuring half of her face.

Only her eyes, gazing at the distant barren mountains, were visible. The night wind carried the scent of withered grass, and she instinctively shrank her neck, muttering to herself, "This place is really cold. I've been setting up this stall for almost half an hour, and only one customer came in just now. If this keeps up, I'm afraid I'll be starving tonight."

She kicked at a pebble at her feet, idly chatting with the system in her mind: "Tell me, why did you insist on me setting up a stall here? Who comes here in the middle of the night? Across the street is an abandoned, unfinished building that's been abandoned for years, and the funeral home is just around the corner. The nearest small shop is a kilometer away, and the highway exit is just ahead. Oh. I heard there's some small park nearby that can't even sell tickets. This location is just ridiculous."

"Didi - Warning: Do not question or criticize the system's decisions. Violation will result in the deduction of your monthly bonus."

This time, the usually gentle but now cold mechanical voice rang in my mind, carrying an undeniable force.

Su Yingxue immediately shut her mouth, a thought rising in her mind—the bonus she had just received a while ago had already been used to pay rent and buy things for winter, and now her pockets were emptier than her face, so how could she dare to have money deducted?

They could only obediently continue to guard this small stall.

She looked up at the dark sky and thought of Ancheng's cuisine.

People in this central city have always had a palate that blends northern and southern flavors, and they especially love the sour, spicy, and crispy taste.

But she couldn't think of a more suitable snack recipe for the time being. Besides, setting up a stall in this desolate place meant limited ingredients and tools, and she couldn't offer too many different kinds of food.

"Fine, fine, stinky tofu it is then." She shook her head and reached out to wipe the oil stains off the fryer. "Although it's a simplified, modified version and the flavor isn't as refined, we can only adapt to local conditions. It's better than nothing at all."

As she spoke, she added some more hot water to the thermos, so that at least the customers who might come later could have a hot meal.

Upon hearing the voice, Su Yingxue immediately straightened up, a smile spreading across her face: "Alright! Please wait a moment, gentlemen, it will be ready soon!"

As he spoke, he picked up his tools and placed the stinky tofu pieces from the insulated bucket one by one on the preheated fryer. With a crisp "sizzle," the aroma instantly spread, even more intense than before.

Grandpa Zhang, dressed in a security guard uniform, came over and looked at the tofu gradually turning golden in the fryer. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Young lady, you've chosen a bit out of the way to set up your stall, but the aroma is truly irresistible!"

We were patrolling the neighboring scenic area at night, and we could smell it from far away. We thought it was cooking fumes coming from somewhere.

Grandpa Li next to him nodded, rubbing his ears which were stiff from the cold: "That's right! It's the middle of the night, the funeral home is cold, and there's no hot food in this desolate place. Only here can we warm up."