After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

Three minutes passed.

Lin Fan stood in front of the frying pan, his ears twitching slightly.

The sound of steam churning inside the wooden lid gradually weakened, replaced by the soft, popping sound of the dough rubbing against the iron plate as the oil at the bottom of the pot evaporated.

Right now.

Lin Fan lifted the left lid of the pot with his left hand and the right lid with his right hand.

"call--"

Thick, white steam dissipated, revealing that the two hundred originally small pan-fried buns had completely expanded and grown larger, their tender, fluffy dough tightly packed together, glistening with oil.

Lin Fan picked up the oil bottle and added another layer of oil around the edge of the pan. He then slightly rotated the pan to ensure the hot plate was heated more evenly.

Immediately afterwards, he grabbed the roasted black sesame seeds and bright green chopped scallions that had been prepared beforehand, and gently flicked his wrist in mid-air.

"Shhh—"

Black sesame seeds and finely chopped scallions are sprinkled evenly on the surface of each snow-white pan-fried bun, like raindrops.

The high temperature of the oil instantly brought out the fragrance of scallions and the aroma of sesame seeds, which, combined with the rich meaty aroma of the cooked pork filling, burst out through the exhaust vents and exploded directly in the lobby!

"Holy crap...it smells so good!"

The diners who were originally drinking tea and chatting in the lobby turned their heads in unison under the stimulation of this strong and domineering aroma, their Adam's apples bobbing uncontrollably.

"Take it off the heat."

Lin Fan remained calm, picked up a wide-headed flat spatula, inserted it along the edge of the iron pot to the bottom, and gently flicked it with his wrist.

"Snap!"

A crisp, clear sound of something breaking echoed in the lobby.

With one scoop, four pan-fried buns were lifted up intact, their golden-brown, crispy bottoms gleaming enticingly under the light, before sliding steadily into a long white porcelain plate.

Lin took the tray and moved swiftly and steadily through the lobby.

She placed the two long white porcelain plates neatly in front of Li Dayong and Chairman Chen.

On the plate, eight round, white pan-fried buns are steaming hot.

Topped with specks of black sesame seeds and fresh green scallion bits, it's as soft and fluffy as a marshmallow.

The bottom is a single, flat, hard, golden-brown piece, emitting a pure and strong caramel aroma.

"Dayong, slow down. You mustn't bite into these pan-fried buns with soup in one go, or you'll burn your tongue," Chairman Chen reminded him.

Li Dayong agreed verbally, but his hands didn't slow down at all.

He picked up a heavy pan-fried bun and placed it on the small plate in front of him.

Pan-fried buns have thin skins and generous fillings; with just a little pressure from the chopsticks, you can feel the hot broth inside gently sloshing around.

Li Dayong leaned closer and gently pried open a small opening on the side of the pan-fried bun with the tip of his chopsticks.

"Slurp—"

He immediately pressed his lips to the opening and sucked hard.

A burst of amber-colored, piping hot, rich broth instantly flooded my mouth.

The pure sweetness of the black mountain pork, combined with the gelatinous texture of the completely melted aspic, creates a smooth, thick, and even slightly sticky sensation on the lips.

There's no pungent smell of ginger or cooking wine, only the purest and richest meaty aroma.

As the hot soup slid down his esophagus into his stomach, Li Dayong felt as if every pore on his body opened up in that instant.

"Great broth! This broth is even richer than old hen soup!"

Li Dayong sighed in admiration, ignoring the fact that it was too hot to eat, and opened his mouth wide to take a bite of the remaining half of the pan-fried bun.

"Snap—!"

The crisp sound was particularly clear in the lobby.

The bottom crust of the pan-fried bun is so crispy that biting into it feels like cracking open a freshly fried crispy pastry, producing a delightful sound.

The crust is crisp, dry, and fragrant; when you chew it, your mouth is filled with a complex aroma of wheat and rendered pork fat.

The semi-fermented dough on top absorbs the steaming meat juices, making it soft yet chewy, with a natural sweetness from the flour.

The black mountain pork meatballs wrapped in the center are cut and thoroughly mixed by a cutting machine without damage, making them firm and chewy. When you bite into them, you can even feel the elasticity of the meat pieces bursting between your teeth.

Crispy bottom, soft skin, bursting with juice, meatballs.

Four distinct textures unfold in your mouth, layer upon layer, complemented by the roasted aroma of black sesame seeds and the spicy fragrance of scallions, making the whole pan-fried bun increasingly fragrant with each chew.

Li Dayong chewed it more than a dozen times, swallowed it in one gulp, and exhaled a long breath of hot air.

"Great! The bottom is ridiculously crisp, and the meat filling is so bouncy and juicy! It's way better than those old-fashioned brands!"

Chairman Chen had just finished eating one as well.

He wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth with a tissue, adjusted his glasses, and his eyes were full of admiration.

"The semi-fermented dough is used just right. If it ferments too much, the bottom will easily absorb water and become soft; if it doesn't ferment at all, the surface will be too dense and hard."

"Boss Lin's control of the heat is absolutely superb. The transition between frying and steaming is precise to the second. The bottom is crispy but not burnt, and fragrant but not greasy."

Chairman Chen picked up the freshly ground soy milk next to him and took a big gulp.

The rich aroma of soy milk instantly washes away the greasy feeling left in the mouth. One dry and one runny, one crisp and one smooth, the two blend together in the stomach, making one feel so comfortable that one wants to sigh.

"A perfect match! These pan-fried buns with soy milk are the perfect combination for a winter morning market." Mr. Chen put down his cup and picked up a second bun with his chopsticks.

On the other side of the lobby, the female students who were rushing to catch the high-speed train also got to eat the first batch of pan-fried buns.

"Ouch—it's so hot!" The female student pulling the pink suitcase bit into the dough and gasped for breath as the scalding meat juice burned her. Her cheeks bulged, but she was unwilling to spit out the meat in her mouth.

She hurriedly sucked all the soup into her stomach, then bit into the crispy bottom.

A "click" sound.

The girl's eyes widened instantly, and she shouted indistinctly at her companion opposite her:

"It's so delicious! Eat up! How can the bottom be so crispy! It's juicy inside!"

Several students at the same table also started eating, and soon the hall was filled with the sounds of crisp "crunching" and satisfied slurping.

After eating four plump and satisfying pan-fried buns, I finished off a large cup of piping hot and fragrant soy milk.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on the foreheads of the students, and their faces, which were originally tired from getting up early to catch the bus, became rosy and radiant.

The girl pulling the pink suitcase glanced at the time on her phone: 7:10.

She patted her round belly contentedly, stood up, and pulled up the suitcase handle leaning against the table.

As the girl approached the bar, she waved vigorously at Su Xiaoxiao, who was busy inside, with a bright smile.

"Xiaoxiao, we're full! Time to go back to our hometown for the Chinese New Year. See you when school starts next semester!"

"Have a safe trip! Be careful on the road!" Su Xiaoxiao stopped what she was doing and replied with a smile.

"Tell Boss Lin that on the first day of next semester, we'll definitely be the first in line, dragging our suitcases!"

Several boys also pulled their suitcases out the door and shouted loudly in the wind and snow.

The heavy wooden door opened and closed, and the figures of students pushing their suitcases gradually disappeared into the distance as they strode towards the train station.

As soon as one group left, the waiting diners outside immediately filled the gap.