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

Large wafts of hot, white rice-scented steam billowed out.

Inside is Wuchang Xiangshui Gongmi rice, which is soaked in Lingquan water and then steamed over high heat.

Each grain of rice is plump and oily, distinct and exuding the purest sweet aroma of cooked rice.

Su Xiaoxiao used a large wooden spoon to scoop out four large bowls of rice.

Lin Fan held a large iron ladle and scooped two large spoonfuls of glistening, fragrant pickled mustard greens stir-fried with minced meat from the iron pot, placing them steadily on top of the steaming white rice.

One spoonful, two spoonfuls.

The deep red, oily pickled cabbage and minced meat piled up on the rice like a small mountain. The minced meat was golden and slightly charred, the pickled cabbage was green and yellow and shiny, and red pepper flakes were sprinkled on top.

The scalding hot, dark lard slowly seeped into the gaps between the rice grains, creating amber-colored streaks in the snow-white rice. The aromas of caramel, soy sauce, meat, and the tangy fragrance of pickled mustard greens intertwined, while white steam billowed and swirled under the lobby chandelier.

Lin Fan and Su Xiaoxiao each carried two bowls as they walked back to the main hall.

"Clatter".

The large bowl rested steadily in the center of the solid wood square table.

The air in the lobby seemed to ignite completely in that instant!

"Auntie, Uncle Liu, eat it while it's hot."

Lin Fan handed over two large stainless steel spoons:

"Everyone has eaten pickled mustard greens with minced pork, but in ordinary restaurants, to save time, the raw meat is put directly into the pot, and the pickled mustard greens with their sour water make the dish watery and not oily."

"Cut the meat into small cubes by hand and render the fat until dry. Squeeze the water out of the pickled cabbage and stir-fry it over high heat with lard to bring out the wok aroma. Then, add a drizzle of light soy sauce around the edge of the wok. Mix it into the rice while it's still hot for the best flavor."

Old Liu was no longer listening to any of the theories.

He was just saying "my stomach is about to burst," but as soon as the bowl of rice was placed in front of him, his hand moved ten times faster than his brain, grabbing the spoon and plunging it straight into the bottom of the bowl!

With a forceful twist and turn of the wrist.

"Shh, shh, shh..."

The piping hot Xiangshui rice and the golden-red, glistening pickled cabbage and minced meat tumbled wildly in the bowl.

Every plump and chewy grain of rice is evenly coated with a layer of dark, cooked lard sauce. The originally snow-white rice is dyed into a shiny golden brown in a few seconds. Diced meat, pickled cabbage, and rice grains are tightly wrapped together, each grain distinct, exuding an extremely tempting aroma of roasted meat!

Old Liu scooped out a huge spoonful, opened his mouth wide, and shoveled it into his mouth!

"Ugh—!!"

The moment the spoon was pulled out, Old Liu was jolted, his eyes widening as if they were about to burst!

The first bite made by the teeth encountered diced black mountain pork.

The hand-cut diced meat retains its elasticity, with a crispy and slightly crunchy outer skin and a chewy interior. The moment your teeth bite through the skin, a "crunch" sound bursts in your mouth, releasing a small burst of pure, hot, and fragrant pork fat!

Immediately afterwards, the tiny pieces of pickled mustard greens made a series of crisp "crunch" sounds between my teeth!

The pickled cabbage, having been forced dry by the intense heat and soaked in rendered pork fat, has an extremely mild and mellow sourness. It is not only free of the overly salty and dry texture of other pickled vegetables, but also crisp and refreshing, instantly washing away all the greasiness of the black mountain pork!

Finally, there's the bottom layer of Xiangshui Gongmi rice.

The rice grains are chewy and soft, with a satisfying texture. Soaked in salty and sour soy sauce and cooked lard, the rice releases its natural rice aroma and sweetness layer by layer as you chew. The five flavors of salty, sour, fragrant, charred, and sweet explode on your tongue!

"My goodness...!!"

Old Liu didn't even bother to chew properly; he swallowed it whole, burning his cheeks until they turned bright red, and his hands gripping the spoon trembled.

"This...this is pickled mustard greens stir-fried with minced pork?!"

Old Liu yelled at the top of his lungs, gripping the spoon in his right hand like a madman, frantically shoveling rice into his mouth spoonful after spoonful.

"All those decades of pickled vegetables I ate were a complete waste! The diced meat is crisp! The pickled cabbage is crisp! How can rice soaked in lard be so fragrant?!"

Grandma Wang was initially hesitant about whether her old stomach could handle it, but seeing Old Liu's hungry wolf-like appetite, she couldn't resist picking up a spoon and scooping up a small half-spoonful into her mouth.

The moment the rice touched her tongue, the old lady froze on the bench.

"Click, click..."

The pickled cabbage crunched crisply in my mouth, the lard was incredibly fragrant, and the rice was soft, sticky, and chewy.

As Aunt Wang chewed, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she almost spilled them into the bowl while holding the spoon in her hand.

"This old lady has been eating pickled vegetables for fifty years... and she never knew that pickled mustard greens from this jar could be stir-fried into such a heavenly flavor..."

While wiping away her tears, Aunt Wang lowered her head and ate large mouthfuls of food.

"This is so delicious... If this were back when we were starving, one bite could have saved a person! It's so fragrant... it's fragrant to the bone!"

Su Xiaoxiao sat beside her, holding a large bowl in both hands, her spoon moving rapidly along the bowl's surface as she ate, her cheeks bulging and her mouth glistening with oil.

Little Tuantuan sat on a high stool, holding a wooden spoon in her little hands, and scooped up the bowl of non-spicy minced meat mixed with rice, leaving her little belly round and full.

No one spoke in the entire lobby on the first floor.

All that remained were the sounds of heavy, rapid swallowing, the crisp scraping of a spoon against a porcelain bowl, and Old Liu's panting breaths as he was burned.

Less than five minutes.

The huge bowl in front of Old Liu, which was bigger than his face, was scraped clean with a spoon until it shone brightly, leaving not a trace of oil on the rim.

Clang!

Old Liu put the empty bowl on the table, leaned heavily against the back of the bench, his face flushed red, his chest heaving violently, and sweat streaming down his neck.

He exhaled a long breath of hot steam carrying a fragrant aroma, patted his belly which was bulging like a small drum, stared blankly at the empty bowl, smacked his lips for a long time, and didn't utter a word.

In the lobby on the first floor, the four large bowls on the solid wood square table were completely empty.

Old Liu rested his hands on his stomach, leaning against the back of the bench, savoring the smoky aroma of pickled mustard greens and minced meat.

"Auntie, I think I understand now."

Old Liu let out a burp and shook his head at Aunt Wang next to him:

"From now on, if anyone says that pickled cabbage and salted vegetables are worthless scraps, I'll be the first to hit them with a big wrench!"

"Normally, we eat pickled vegetables just to save time and get by, but in Boss Lin's hands, with the help of the hot lard and the wok's simmering heat, and then mixed with steaming hot rice... wow, is there any meal more satisfying than this?"

As Aunt Wang helped Su Xiaoxiao arrange the empty bowls and plates neatly, she smiled and patted him on the shoulder:

"You can shut up a bit. Just now, someone was saying they were full and couldn't eat anymore, but you scraped the rice out of their bowl cleaner than a dog could lick it clean, and you practically buried your face in the bowl."

Just then.

A rustling sound came from outside the door.