Chapter 117 Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

Chapter 117 Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

“Qianqian, I…I might be a little later,” Ada gritted his teeth. “The client needs this proposal first thing tomorrow morning, and I promised to get it done tonight. You eat first, don’t wait for me, I…I’ll try to be back before midnight.”

"Twelve o'clock?" Luo Qianqian's voice instantly rose eight octaves. "Ada! You said twelve o'clock last time too, but you didn't come back until two in the morning, reeking of alcohol, and said the client treated you! Did you go drinking again?"

"No! I really didn't drink this time!" Ada was sweating profusely. "It really was overtime! I swear!" He glanced around nervously, afraid his colleagues would hear him lying to his girlfriend, and lowered his voice, "Qianqian, you eat first, don't be angry. I really can't leave here. I'll take you to buy that necklace when the project bonus comes through, okay?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Luo Qianqian's voice suddenly turned sinister: "Ada, don't you love me anymore? You were never like this before. Now you work overtime every day, come home and just collapse into bed, we don't even have time for intimacy... Are you seeing someone else?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Ada stammered, flustered. "Qianqian, I swear, you're the only one in my heart! It really was just overtime. Manager Wang said we'd get a day off after this project is finished... I... I promise I'll spend tomorrow with you, okay?"

"Fine," Luo Qianqian drawled, "then I'll wait for you until eleven. If you're not back by eleven, I'll eat by myself!" With that, she slammed down the phone.

Ada stared blankly at his phone, the words "Call Ended" on the screen stinging his eyes. The clatter of keyboards in the office seemed to mock his predicament. He sighed, put his phone back on silent, shoved it back into his pocket, took a deep breath, and turned to look at the densely packed revision comments on his computer screen—that damned project proposal was still waiting for him to save it.

"Sigh, with all this overtime, I'm almost losing my girlfriend..." Ada shook his head with a wry smile, put his fingers back on the keyboard, and continued his hard work.

Su Yingxue was unaware of this and was still busy making a late-night snack. Wearing her faded blue apron, Su Yingxue moved back and forth in the kitchen like a composed general. Beside her was a bubbling casserole containing sweet and sour pork ribs, the amber broth topped with a layer of fine bubbles. The sweet and sour aroma, like an invisible hand, lured the busy figures in the office.

"Sister Su, what's that smell?" Xiao Zhao from the design team, with her keen nose, had already poked her head into the kitchen, her eyes glued to the clay pot. "My stomach is practically rumbling from that aroma!"

"Don't rush, it'll be ready soon," Su Yingxue replied with a smile, her hands moving without stopping. She picked up a sharp knife and deftly shredded a cabbage into thin strips, the blade making a light "tap-tap" sound on the cutting board, the rhythm brisk. The shredded cabbage was bright green and tender, neatly arranged on a plate, like soldiers awaiting inspection.

Next, she took out a few potatoes from the refrigerator and deftly peeled and shredded them. The potato shreds were evenly sized under her knife, each one looking as if it had been measured with a ruler. She rinsed the potato shreds in clean water, changing the water several times until the water was crystal clear and the starch on the surface of the potato shreds was completely washed away, and only then did she stop.

"Sister Su, your knife skills are amazing!" Mengmeng from the planning department was peering out of the kitchen doorway, her eyes wide with amazement. "These potato shreds are even finer than those in a Western restaurant!"

Su Yingxue smiled and shook her head, not responding. She took the washed potato shreds out, drained them, then heated the pan with cold oil. When the oil was about 70% hot, she poured the potato shreds into the pan with a "whoosh." As soon as the potato shreds entered the pan, they made a "crackling" sound, like a string of small firecrackers. She quickly stir-fried them, her wrists nimbly turning, and the potato shreds gradually became translucent in the pan. She then quickly added a little vinegar and dried chili pepper pieces, and the sour and spicy aroma instantly filled the air.

"Wow! Shredded potatoes!" Xiao Li swallowed hard. "Sister Su, it's a shame you're not running a restaurant with such skills!"

"Go away, stop your nonsense and get back to work!" Su Yingxue said with a smile, shooing them away, but her hands moved even faster. She ladled out the stir-fried potato shreds and turned to cook cabbage soup. Cabbage soup is simple to make, but it's all about controlling the heat. She blanched the cabbage shreds, rinsed them in cold water, squeezed out the excess water, then heated a pan to sauté minced garlic, added the cabbage shreds and stir-fried quickly, then poured in water, added a little salt and chicken bouillon for seasoning. After the soup boiled, she turned off the heat, sprinkled on some chopped green onions, and a pot of refreshing cabbage soup was ready.

Meanwhile, the sweet and sour pork ribs in the casserole were perfectly cooked. Su Yingxue opened the lid, and a rich, sweet and sour aroma wafted out, whetting her appetite. She poured the cooked ribs and broth into a wok, added three large spoonfuls of white sugar, two large spoonfuls of white vinegar, and one spoonful of light soy sauce, and simmered it over low heat. The sweet and sour sauce bubbled and simmered in the wok, its color growing richer and richer, and the sweet and sour aroma filled the entire kitchen. She gently turned the ribs with a spatula, ensuring each piece was coated with the thick sweet and sour sauce, until the sauce became so thick that it clung to a spoon.

"Ding-dong—" The office doorbell rang; it was Linda coming to urge her to have a late-night snack. Su Yingxue quickly packed the sweet and sour pork ribs, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and cabbage soup into insulated containers, and also packed an extra portion of sweet and sour pork ribs into that familiar insulated lunchbox—that was for President Yan upstairs.

When she walked into the office carrying a steaming late-night snack, the entire space was instantly filled with its aroma. Everyone who was engrossed in their work looked up in unison, their noses twitching in unison, and their eyes lighting up instantly.

"Wow! It's sweet and sour pork ribs!" Xiao Li's stomach immediately rumbled, and he sniffed hard. "This smell is amazing!"

"And hot and sour shredded potatoes! My favorite!" Xiao Zhao couldn't wait to grab his chopsticks. "Boss, are you making us work overtime until dawn?!"

"This cabbage soup is just in time!" Mengmeng exclaimed, holding the bowl of soup. The steam rising from it made her face look especially gentle. "After drinking this soup, I can grind five more versions tonight!"

Su Yingxue smiled as she distributed the late-night snacks to everyone: "Have something to eat first, so you don't work on an empty stomach. Remember to leave work early; I'll reimburse your transportation costs. Remember to get a receipt!"

Yan Yixi's office door was ajar, letting in soft light. Su Yingxue gently knocked, then placed the familiar insulated lunchbox on his desk: "Mr. Yan, I've saved you some sweet and sour pork ribs. Eat them while they're hot."

Yan Yixi looked up, her gaze falling on the insulated lunchbox, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Thank you, you've worked hard."