Food: Taking the twins to kindergarten to be chefs

Time flies, and in a blink of an eye it is already Tuesday afternoon, which happens to be the day before Children's Day.

According to past practice, if Children's Day falls on a Wednesday, the kindergarten will usually hold a wonderful June 1st performance in the morning. After the performance, the children can enjoy a half-day holiday.

On the following Thursday and Friday, they will follow the daily school routine and continue their learning journey.

But the situation this year is a little special.

Friday happens to be the Dragon Boat Festival, and according to the national statutory holiday schedule, we need to have three days off.

In view of this, Liang Yinqiu decisively decided to add one more day of holiday, that is, no classes would be arranged on Thursday. In this way, the children could have a long holiday of four and a half days.

During such a relatively long vacation, teachers in each class usually suggest that parents take their children's quilts home, wash and dry them to ensure that the children can have a clean, tidy and comfortable sleeping environment after the vacation.

This time, naturally, it is no exception.

Since the children will directly start their holiday mode after enjoying the specially prepared Children's Day lunch in the kindergarten on Wednesday, they no longer need to take a nap in the kindergarten.

To this end, teachers of each class notified parents in advance in the morning, allowing them to go directly to the classroom to pick up their children this afternoon and take the bedding home.

When the agreed time arrived, the parents arrived as scheduled, and everyone had a bright smile on their face.

After all, tomorrow is the Children's Day that the children have been looking forward to. How can they not be happy when they think about enjoying the delicious food they have been longing for in the park with the children?
The parents walked into the school gate at the same time and walked briskly towards the teaching building.

Just stepped into the park...

A strong and tempting aroma came like a tide, making the parents stop involuntarily and take a deep breath of this mouth-watering smell.
"Ah, it smells so good... This smell is definitely the smell of stewed food being cooked!"

"Yes, yes, I smelled it too. Chef Huang must be preparing the marinated delicacies for tomorrow. It's really exciting. I'm drooling just thinking about it and smelling it. I must have a big meal tomorrow to satisfy my taste buds!"

"Yes, yes, it is indeed exciting. During the last spring outing, I had the opportunity to taste some of the stewed food made by Chef Huang. I still remember the taste and I have been thinking about it, hoping to taste it again. Now that I smell this aroma, it seems that my wish is about to come true. I am so lucky! I just don't know if there are any other dishes besides the stewed food. I hope there will be something I particularly want to eat, such as Wensi tofu, Longjing shrimp and other exquisite delicacies..."

"In fact, no matter what dish Chef Huang makes tomorrow, it will definitely taste great. After all, his cooking skills are well-known. Let's rest assured that we will have a sumptuous meal tomorrow, which will satisfy the children and us!"

"Yes, yes, Chef Huang's food must be delicious! Let's wait and enjoy this feast tomorrow!"

"..."

Afterwards, the parents were aroused by the tempting aroma of the food, and their steps became faster and faster as they walked towards their respective classrooms...

In fact, Huang Jun did make a batch of braised food in the kitchen.

This batch of braised food was carefully prepared in advance for the Children's Day feast to be held tomorrow.

Considering that many parents and children will attend the celebration tomorrow, the kitchen team quickly started various preparations after successfully completing the lunch preparation task in the afternoon.

Including these fragrant braised dishes and the rather complicated broth to make, we took advantage of the abundant time today to prepare as much as possible to ensure the richness and perfection of the feast.

Meanwhile, while the kitchen team was busy, parents were already heading into their respective classrooms.

When Qu Qing and other parents entered the classroom of the small (4) class...

Their eyes did not immediately turn to their own children, but instead converged on Yang Yuxi who was standing at the front of the classroom. They all gathered around her, so that the children's laughter was temporarily drowned out by this sudden "storm of enthusiasm".

"Teacher Yang, do we parents really need to arrive at noon tomorrow? Do you need me to come earlier to help?"

Li Xiuxian smiled gently at Yang Yuxi and expressed her wish: "Although my cooking skills are not outstanding, I can still do basic preparation work such as washing and cutting vegetables."

"Teacher Yang, that's what I meant too!"

Qu Qing followed up with the same enthusiasm on her face: "I don't have any special plans at home anyway. If needed, I'd be happy to come over earlier to help. Strength lies in numbers. If we work together, we can not only reduce the burden on the kitchen, but also allow Qingqing's father to have more energy to prepare those delicious dishes, making the children's holiday more memorable."

"Yes, Mr. Yang, I would also like to come and help earlier."

Xu Sijun nodded and said enthusiastically, "I also like to cook at home. Although I can't compare to Qingqing's father's cooking skills, I am still good at helping out and preparing ingredients. If we work together, we will definitely be able to prepare tomorrow's lunch in an orderly manner."

Miaomiao’s mother also joined the discussion.

She smiled and said, "Besides, I also want to come early to see if there is anything that needs to be decorated or organized. Although I am not good at cooking, I can help hang balloons and stick on ribbons so that the children can feel the festive atmosphere as soon as they enter the door."

Faced with the parents' enthusiastic requests, Yang Yuxi felt a little surprised, but also full of gratitude.

Indeed, since Huang Jun joined the kindergarten, parents' enthusiasm for participating in kindergarten activities has increased significantly.

But...

The park had already made careful arrangements, and she had to follow the established procedures.

She smiled and refused, "Thank you for your kindness, you really don't have to be so polite. Everyone can just come and enjoy lunch tomorrow at noon!"

Qu Qing thought she was being polite, so she continued, "Teacher Yang, don't be polite. There are so many people coming to eat at the kindergarten tomorrow, and it will always be smoother if there's one more person to help."

Yang Yuxi patiently explained again: "The kindergarten has properly arranged the staff and procedures to ensure that the activities can proceed in an orderly manner. I deeply understand your intentions, but please trust our team, we will definitely create an unforgettable Children's Day for the children."

See this.

The parents who wanted to offer more advice knew that it was futile to continue, so they smiled and nodded: "Okay, Teacher Yang, we are looking forward to having a feast tomorrow!"

"Okay! Welcome."

Yang Yuxi smiled gently.

In fact, not only the parents of their class were enthusiastic, but parents of other large, medium and small classes also expressed their willingness to come and assist to their respective class teachers. However, without exception, they were politely declined by the teachers with warm smiles and appropriate words.

As parents and children left the kindergarten one after another, the teachers finally had a rare moment of peace and began to compose themselves and prepare to go to the cafeteria for lunch, because they would have to work overtime later to prepare for the upcoming Children's Day activities.

"Qingqing, Weiwei, come here quickly, the teacher will take you to the kitchen to find your father..."

Yang Yuxi turned around and gently called Qingqing and Weiwei who were still immersed in the world of books.

The words have not yet fallen.

She had already opened her arms and was welcoming the two little ones with great anticipation.

"Yeah~ I can finally go see my dad..."

The two little ones cheered excitedly and immediately put the picture books in their hands back to the bookshelf carefully.

"Qingqing, Weiwei, you are so sensible. You even know to put the books back to their original places." Yang Yuxi saw it and gave them praise at the right time.

"Hee hee~"

After receiving the praise, Qingqing and Weiwei looked at each other and smiled with pride on their faces.

Then, they all took the warm hands extended by Yang Yuxi.

"Then let's go..."

Yang Yuxi held their little hands tightly and smiled gently at them.

"Coarse hair..."

Qingqing and Weiwei nodded and responded in baby voices.

next second...

Qingqing suddenly thought of something, raised her head and asked, "Teacher Yang, what should we do with our quilts? Should we take them to the kitchen as well?"

Weiwei followed suit and asked, "Yes, Teacher Yang, what should we do with our quilts?"

Yang Yuxi thought about it and replied with a smile: "Put it in the classroom first. When your father is done with his work, it won't be too late to come to the classroom to get it. Otherwise, it will be difficult to wash because of the fumes from the kitchen."

"OK, all right!"

The two little ones nodded in agreement, and then the three of them followed the other teachers, walked out of the classroom happily, and headed towards the kitchen. As soon as they stepped into the kitchen door...

Qingqing and Weiwei couldn't wait to break free from Yang Yuxi's hands, and as if they had telepathic connection, they ran towards the glass window of the operating room with their short legs.

They stood in front of the glass window, tiptoed, stretched their necks, and looked inside without blinking.

When they finally saw Huang Jun's familiar figure, their faces instantly blossomed with smiles as bright as flowers. They excitedly waved their tender little hands through the glass window and called out sweetly, "Daddy, Daddy..."

"Hey, Qingqing, Weiwei..."

When Huang Jun heard the children calling, he immediately put down his work, walked to the glass window, and asked with a smile and a hint of concern: "Did you come here by yourself?"

"Not……"

Qingqing shook her head gently and responded with a smile: "Teacher Yang brought my sister and me here..."

"Yes... Teacher Yang led us here. She is behind us..."

Weiwei also nodded rapidly, her little hand pointing backwards unconsciously while she tilted her head to look back.

then…

At a glance, he saw Yang Yuxi and Xie Jianing walking towards him.

Weiwei pointed and said sweetly: "Daddy, look, Teacher Yang and the others are coming over..."

"What's wrong? Weiwei?"

Yang Yuxi came forward and asked with a smile on her face.

"Nothing!"

Weiwei shook her head gently: "I was answering Daddy's question... Daddy thought my sister and I came here alone, so I told him that you brought us here..."

"Yuxi, thank you for bringing them here specially."

Huang Jun smiled at Yang Yuxi, thanked her, and immediately added, "I was planning to go there as soon as I finished my work here."

"No trouble, this is what I should do!"

Yang Yuxi gently played with her hair hanging by her ears, a charming smile bloomed on her face, and she said, "I expected that you must be very busy here, so I brought them here with me. Qingqing and Weiwei also want to see you earlier, right?"

"Mmmmm~"

Weiwei blinked her big eyes, revealing her true thoughts: "I just saw that the parents of other children came to pick them up, but you didn't come. I really feel a little disappointed."

Qingqing also echoed, saying in a baby voice: "Yes, Daddy, I miss you too."

Huang Jun looked at the two babies, his eyes full of apology and heartache. He said gently: "I'm so sorry, babies. Daddy was really busy at work today and was unable to pick you up earlier. I'm sorry to disappoint you. After we finish the Children's Day banquet, Daddy will definitely spend some time with you..."

"It's okay, Daddy!"

Weiwei and Qingqing smiled at him with curved eyebrows and waved their little hands while speaking.

Qingqing seems to be particularly sensible.

She said softly, "Dad, my sister and I know that you are busy with work, so we are not angry, but we miss you a little bit."

"Yeah~"

Weiwei nodded vigorously like a little chicken and said, "We are really not angry, we just simply miss you!"

Huang Jun's heart was warmed by the words of the two caring little girls, just like the sunshine in spring. He smiled and responded: "You are so good! Dad misses you too!"

At the end, he did not forget to remind them: "Just follow Teacher Yang and wait at your seats. I will heat up your food..."

"Thank you daddy!"

Qingqing and Weiwei had dimples and answered in unison.

Seeing this, Yang Yuxi also cast a grateful look at Huang Jun: "Huang Jun, thank you for your help!"

At this time, Xie Jianing was attracted by the aroma of stewed food wafting from the kitchen. She couldn't help but interrupt: "Qingqing Baba, are you stewing the stewed food? The aroma is so tempting that I can smell it from a long distance..."

The fire for the braised food has been turned off at this moment, and the various ingredients are quietly soaking in the rich braised soup, waiting for them to fully absorb the essence of the soup. They can be served directly on the table tomorrow for parents and children to enjoy.

Huang Jun noticed the greed in Xie Jianing's eyes, and said with a smile: "Yes! If you want to try it, you can try a little, but the taste may not be that strong at this time."

Hearing this, Xie Jianing showed a surprised expression as if to say, "I can really try this without spending any money." She nodded repeatedly, "Okay, I really want to try it!"

"Dad, I want to eat too!"

Weiwei's little tongue licked the corner of her mouth unconsciously, and her eyes were shining with infinite anticipation for the food.

Although Qingqing did not express it as directly as Weiwei, her eyes also revealed her desire for braised food.

"Okay, just wait!"

After Huang Jun finished speaking, he turned around to wash his hands, then deftly picked out a large piece of braised beef from the braising pot and placed it on the chopping board.

He picked up the kitchen knife and began to cut the meat with skillful techniques.

With the flash of the knife and the crisp and rhythmic sound of "thump thump thump", the beef was cut evenly and finely into thin slices.

Xie Jianing, who was watching quietly at the side, had a look of admiration and respect in her eyes. She exclaimed: "Qingqing Dad, your knife skills are amazing! It feels like I haven't seen you for a few days, and your skills have reached a new level!"

Yang Yuxi was also amazed, with a face full of infatuation: "Indeed, Huang Jun, your knife skills are really improving day by day. The braised beef is cut as thin as paper. It's amazing..."

He is indeed the man she has chosen, so great and outstanding.

"You are too kind..."

Huang Jun responded modestly, and then asked Aunt Li beside him to help serve the sliced ​​braised beef to them.

"Thank you, Aunt Li."

After Xie Jianing took the plate, she fed it to Qingqing and Weiwei first, and then ate a piece herself.

The braised beef, which has not yet been fully seasoned, has a unique flavor, although it has not reached its peak.

The meat still retains the original firmness and elasticity of beef, and the delicate texture of the meat fibers can be felt in every bite.

The initial penetration of the marinade gives the surface of the beef a light and mellow coating. The aroma of spices such as star anise and cinnamon can be faintly smelled, intertwined with the deliciousness of the beef itself, creating a pleasant surprise when you first taste it.

While chewing, the flavor of the marinade is slowly released in the mouth. Although it is not as strong as when it is fully flavored, it has a more fresh and natural flavor.

The sweetness of the beef and the slight saltiness of the marinade dance lightly on the tip of your tongue, bringing you a simple and pure delicious enjoyment.

Although it has not yet reached its best eating state, this unfinished braised beef has its unique charm, making her look forward to the fully flavored version that will be available tomorrow.

“This braised beef is really delicious, fragrant and flavorful!”

Xie Jianing couldn't help but admire.

Afterwards, she warmly invited Yang Yuxi and other teachers to come and taste this delicious food.

The teachers sat together, tasting the delicious braised beef, and suddenly felt that the overtime time tonight became especially wonderful.

So motivated!
That's right.

This delicious food is enough to make them willingly work overtime until dawn... (End of this chapter)