Chapter 144 The Lunch Box Arrives: One Bowl is Worth Three

Chapter 144 The Lunch Box Arrives: One Bowl is Worth Three

"Exactly! I'm sick of eating pre-made meals every day!" Xiao Wang immediately chimed in, unusually agreeing with Xiao Sui. "It would be great if there was a restaurant with decent food."

"A little price is fine, the key is that it tastes good." Wang Zhiqiang stuffed the money into his pocket and nodded in satisfaction.

Xiao Wang's gaze unconsciously drifted to the window, landing on the pretty proprietress of the barbecue stall downstairs. He swallowed hard, "Speaking of boxed lunches... isn't the lamb skewers at that place downstairs pretty good? The other dishes probably won't be bad either..."

His voice gradually faded as images of a steaming hot lunchbox and the proprietress's smile appeared in his mind.

Around noon

"What did you say? You want me to make some boxed lunches?" Su Yingxue was wiping the table next to the barbecue grill with a rag when she heard this. She looked up and her gaze fell on Xiao Wang.

The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the makeshift sunshade, casting dappled light and shadow on her oil-stained apron.

"I'm so tired of the takeout around here." Xiao Wang chuckled and took a few steps closer, but his eyes couldn't help but glance at Su Yingxue, who was busy behind the barbecue grill.

"Boss, we have money. I'll give you fifty for one serving. Make sure it's delicious." He deliberately emphasized the word "fifty," his fingers rubbing a few bills in his pocket.

Su Yingxue's fingers paused on the rag. Fifty yuan a serving? That's quite a generous price.

For just 20 yuan per person, the boxed lunches here have several pieces of meat. Prices here are quite low.

They're asking for fifty. That's considered an expensive boxed lunch.

She turned to look at the small Western-style building across the street, then at the young man in front of her with a greasy face but an innocent smile.

Su Yingxue pondered to herself. Lin Xiaoman had been feeling quite down lately because of what happened last night; perhaps this was a good opportunity to get closer to that group of people.

“This price…” Su Yingxue deliberately dragged out her words, her eyes finally landing on Xiao Wang, “is indeed quite high. However…” She paused, then asked casually, “Do you all have any dietary restrictions?”

"Oh, it's nothing. There are only three of us. I eat everything. Xiao Sui likes spicy food. And our boss likes meat. Just add more meat. Don't make the rice too hard." Xiao Wang said casually, clearly explaining everyone's preferences.

Su Yingxue quickly jotted down the requirements in her mind, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over the refrigerator. Business hadn't been good last night, and she was thinking of developing new dishes, including roasted pig's trotters.

This will come in handy right now. She bit her lower lip, thinking: Anyway, it's nearby, so I might as well try to get something out of these people.

“Alright,” Su Yingxue finally nodded, feigning reluctance, “It’s nearby anyway. But fifty yuan a serving is no small price; I’m going to make it properly.” She wiped her hands and turned to walk towards the kitchen. “How many servings do you want?”

"Three servings, please!" Xiao Wang rubbed his hands excitedly. "Boss, you'd better make them well!"

It's delicious! We'll order it regularly!

Su Yingxue tied on a clean apron and took out the freshly bought pig's trotters from the refrigerator. The trotters had firm meat and a good balance of fat and lean, making them perfect for braised pig's trotters with rice. She first carefully washed the trotters and then gently pounded the joints with the back of a knife to tenderize the meat.

"The first step is to blanch the pig's feet to remove the fishy smell," Su Yingxue muttered to herself, placing the prepared pig's feet into a pot of cold water, adding a few slices of ginger and scallions, and pouring in cooking wine. As the water temperature rose, a layer of blood foam gradually floated to the surface, which she skillfully skimmed off with a spoon.

"Next is to caramelize the sugar." She lit the stove, poured in some oil and rock sugar, and simmered it over low heat. The syrup gradually changed from transparent to amber in the pot, emitting an enticing caramel aroma. Su Yingxue quickly poured the blanched pig's feet into the pot and stir-fried them rapidly, ensuring that each piece of pig's feet was evenly coated with the bright red caramel.

"Then comes the braising." She transferred the caramelized pig's trotters to a pressure cooker, added her secret braising spice packet—a blend she had prepared based on years of experience, containing star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, and other spices. Then she poured in dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, a suitable amount of salt, and water, just enough to cover the pig's trotters.

"Pressure cook for twenty minutes after the pressure cooker comes to pressure." Su Yingxue set the time and turned to prepare the side dishes. She steamed the rice in advance, packed it firmly into a large bowl, and then inverted it onto a plate to form round rice balls. Next, she shredded the cucumber and took out the leftover sauerkraut from last night from the refrigerator, rinsing it slightly to remove some of the sourness.

When the pressure cooker hissed as it released steam, Su Yingxue knew the pig's trotters were tender and flavorful. She carefully opened the lid, and a rich aroma immediately filled the entire kitchen. The pig's trotters were a glossy red, the broth thick and flavorful, and the meat easily separated from the bone with a gentle pinch.

"Finally, reduce the sauce and plate it." Su Yingxue poured the pig's trotters along with some of the thick broth into the wok and reduced the sauce over high heat. She kept turning it over to ensure the pig's trotters were evenly coated with the rich sauce. When the sauce became thick and clear, she turned off the heat, took the pig's trotters out, and neatly arranged them on top of the rice.

"The side dishes can't be neglected either." She evenly spread cucumber shreds and pickled cabbage around the pig's feet, and then drizzled an extra spoonful of special chili oil on the pig's feet—taking into account Xiao Sui's request to eat spicy food. Finally, she sprinkled a little white sesame seeds on top for garnish.

When the three meticulously prepared braised pork knuckle rice dishes were placed on the tray, Su Yingxue wiped the sweat from her brow. She had made sure each dish was generously portioned; the pork knuckles were fatty but not greasy, melting in her mouth, and the sauce had seeped into the rice, filling the air with aroma.

"Here it is!" Su Yingxue walked out of the kitchen with a tray and packed up the braised pork trotter rice.

Xiao Wang took the takeout box and went upstairs. He opened the takeout box as soon as he entered. He opened the pork trotter rice container and looked inside.

Xiao Wang rushed upstairs, clutching the still-steaming takeout container of braised pork trotters and rice tightly in his hand. The stairwell was dimly lit, but he didn't care at all; his mind was filled with the "fifty yuan a serving" deluxe lunch.

Pushing open the door, Xiao Wang impatiently slammed the takeout box onto the messy computer desk. The plastic box made a crisp sound as it hit the wooden table, prompting Xiao Sui to glance up from the screen.

"Wow! Is this really worth fifty yuan?" Xiao Wang muttered as he impatiently tore open the sealed film on the takeout box. With a "rip," a rich aroma burst out, filling the small room like a tangible wave.

"My God..." Xiao Wang involuntarily took a deep breath, his eyes widening. Inside the box, the glistening rice was neatly packed, its surface gleaming with an oily sheen. Each grain looked as if it had been soaked in the sauce of pig's feet, displaying an enticing reddish-brown hue. Above the rice, several large pieces of pig's feet lay quietly, their dark brown skin glistening with oil, the layer of collagen beneath faintly visible, appearing both soft and elastic.