In the 1970s, it started with contracting out communal dining.

The rough porcelain bowl was placed in the steamer, and the steaming hot vapor immediately filled the entire kitchen.

On a sweltering summer day, sitting in the steamy kitchen wasn't exactly pleasant, but Chen Wei's face showed no sign of impatience; he was simply focused intently on the steamer in front of him.

Wu Xiaochun, on the other hand, kept hugging the electric fan, as if he wanted to bury himself inside it.

"Brother Chen! You know, this money was well spent! The electric fan that Section Chief Chen bought is awesome. If we take it back to the dorm and use it all night, it'll be so refreshing!"

This kid! He's terrible at cooking, but when it comes to eating, drinking, having fun, and enjoying life, he's a real expert.

Chen Wei ignored Wu Xiaochun, silently tidying up the knives and cutting board while keeping an eye on the steamer.

Time passed by, and the aroma from the steamer gradually intensified.

At first, there was only a faint aroma of meat, like the gentle, subtle fragrance of a thawing spring stream. Then, the aroma of meat mingled with the salty fragrance of dried plums, carrying the scent of sunshine and earth, forcefully filling the nostrils. Finally, the aromas of the seasonings intertwined to create a complex yet harmonious and wonderful flavor. The fragrance on the entire stove gradually reached its peak, and Wu Xiaochun could hardly resist.

"Brother Chen, when will it be ready?"

"What's the rush? You'll be the first one to eat it once it's taken out!"

"Slurp... Hehehe..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiaochun immediately beamed with joy, his nostrils flared wildly, and he made loud swallowing noises without any attempt to hide it.

This time, he didn't mind the heat and went straight to the edge of the steamer.

"It smells so good! Let me smell it first! Just a sniff!"

"Don't lift the lid! If the steam escapes, the meat won't steam properly!" Chen Wei instructed with a stern face.

Fortunately, although Wu Xiaochun was greedy, it wasn't to the point of causing any trouble. He just pressed himself against the edge of the steamer, smelling the aroma from the steam.

But the steam in the middle of summer was scalding hot, and in no time Wu Xiaochun's cheeks were red from the heat.

"Shhh..."

He covered his face, still reluctant to leave, which made Chen Wei laugh and scold him.

"You're hopeless! There are only two minutes left. Hurry up and go wash your face, or you'll burn your skin off. Once you lose a layer of skin, you won't have enough skin to be thick-skinned in the future."

Knowing that Chen Wei was teasing him, Wu Xiaochun chuckled.

"Okay, make sure you wait for me to come over before you eat after you lift the lid!"

Seeing the boy frantically rinsing his scalded face under the tap at the back of the kitchen, Chen Wei slowly walked to the stove, fanned the fragrant steam, and smelled the aroma of meat in the steam.

I glanced at the clock on the wall; there was still a minute and a half left. It was almost done.

He wasn't in a hurry; he stood patiently by the steamer with his hands tucked in.

When the time was just right, the aroma in the steamer reached its peak. Chen Wei calmly turned off the heat. At this moment, Wu Xiaochun had already hurriedly washed his face and returned.

Sure enough, his face turned bright red, but he didn't seem to care. Seeing that Chen Wei had already turned off the stove, he asked a question.

"Brother Chen, is it ready to eat yet?"

"No rush, simmer for another 10 minutes! There's pork skin, simmering it a little longer will give it a nice skewer flavor."

Actually, this is a system prompt. The recipe provided by the system clearly states that the best steaming time for steamed pork with preserved mustard greens is 100 minutes. However, after turning off the heat, you should let it sit for another 10 minutes to allow the temperature in the stove to slowly drop before opening the pot. This will prevent the piping hot pork from coming into contact with cold air too quickly, and the skin will not shrink, resulting in a tender and juicy texture when you eat it.

Wu Xiaochun was so anxious when he heard this that he stomped his feet, but there was nothing he could do. Chen Weiren stayed by the stove, watching the time carefully.

After a long and arduous 10 minutes, Chen Wei finally lifted the lid of the pot.

A strong aroma, accompanied by white steam, rose into the sky, condensing into a hazy mist in the air.

After the fog dissipated, Wu Xiaochun gradually saw the scene in the bowl.

How to describe it?

After being steamed for a long time, the pork belly has become soft and translucent. The fat has a crystal-clear amber color, and the skin is slightly darker than the fat. The two overlap like fine beeswax, gleaming with a warm luster under the dim light.

The lean meat turned a dark brown color, with distinct textures interspersed among the fat, blending seamlessly with the dried plum vegetables at the bottom of the bowl.

The sauce in the bowl had been mostly absorbed by the meat chunks and dried plum vegetables, leaving only a thin layer covered with the unique sheen of lard, oily and translucent. Just by looking at it, you could feel that the salty and fragrant sauce had already reached your throat before you even tasted the food.

"Plop—"

Wu Xiaochun swallowed hard, almost unable to control the glistening liquid in his mouth, and carefully rubbed his hands together as he asked.

"Brother Chen, how's it going? Can we eat it now?"

"Just one last step!"

Chen Wei smiled mysteriously, took out a large porcelain plate from under the stove, and ruthlessly grabbed the rough earthenware bowl used for steaming meat, flipping his wrist and slamming it onto the porcelain plate.

"Splash—"

The rough porcelain bowl was inverted on the porcelain plate, and the positions of the meat slices and dried plum vegetables were instantly reversed. The dried plum vegetables, which were originally at the bottom of the bowl, were now flipped to the top, heavy like a dark brown mountain, pressing down on the amber-colored meat slices.

After being steamed for a long time, the dried plum vegetables have been completely soaked in the meat juices, and the leaves have a thick, moist, and enticing color.

The pieces of meat pressed under the brown hill were stacked together in neat squares, as if each one had been measured with a ruler. At the bottom of the porcelain plate, the reddish-brown sauce flowed slowly, still bearing the color of the mixture of lard and meat juice, gradually forming a pool of fragrant spring water at the bottom of the white porcelain plate.

"Hey! Look, the secret to making braised pork belly the most fragrant lies in this flipping!" Chen Wei said, turning around with a smile.

But then he noticed something glistening at the corner of Wu Xiaochun's mouth, which dripped down in long, silvery strands.

……

"Um... it's pretty hot right now, why don't you let it cool down a bit before you eat it?"

Chen Wei was speechless for a moment, then kindly offered a reminder.

Wu Xiaochun, on the other side, rushed over in one stride, holding two pairs of chopsticks in his hands. He shoved one pair into Chen Wei's hand and kept the other pair in his own. He then picked up a mouthful of food and stuffed it into his own mouth.

"It's okay, I have a strong mouth, I'm not afraid of getting burned! Hehe—Ouch—"

Before he could finish speaking, the scalding hot meat juice burned his tongue, causing him to recoil and cry out.

Seeing this, Chen Wei couldn't help but burst into laughter, and placed the plate of braised pork under the electric fan to let it cool slowly.

"It'll get cold soon!"

"It won't taste good when it's cold!"

Upon seeing his actions, Wu Xiaochun quickly moved to the downwind side, desperately inhaling the aroma of the meat. His chopsticks never stopped moving, and after blowing on the piece of braised pork on the chopsticks, he continued to stuff it into his mouth.

Believe it or not, this kid has a big mouth; he actually managed to eat such hot meat.