Chef Hua
Chapter 262: Episode 155 Oil Bubble Fried Chicken_2

Chapter 262: Episode 155 Oil Bubble Fried Chicken_2

"That’s fine, then give it a try," she said with a smile, nodding her head, "Be gentle with the movements, don’t damage the chicken skin, or the taste will be compromised."

Zhou Yunyun gave a embarrassed smile and quickly heated a large pot of water, went to the backyard to catch a small chicken, deftly cut its neck, and poured the bright red chicken blood into a large bowl, plucked feathers and removed the guts with practiced movements.

Hua Xiaomai watched her movements with satisfaction for a while, then casually poured oil into the hot pot. When she looked up inadvertently, she saw Chun Xi still standing by and raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Sister-in-law, why are you still here, is there something?"

Chun Xi lowered her head in thought, muttered with her lips, and waved her hand, "You go ahead with your work, we can talk after closing tonight." After finishing speaking, she walked out in quick strides.

Hua Xiaomai, puzzled but too busy to ponder, saw that Zhou Yunyun had already cleaned the chicken thoroughly. She took it over, rinsed and wiped off the blood, then took two or three Perilla leaves, squeezed out the juice into the bowl, and added salt, Sichuan pepper powder, mushroom powder, and a small spoon of soy sauce. After mixing everything evenly, she applied it twice over the chicken and finally dusted it with a thin layer of flour.

As the oil in the pot gradually heated up, emitting a faint yellow smoke, she lifted the pot off the stove, tested the oil temperature with a chopstick, then threw the seasoned chicken in. It soaked in the oil briefly until the surface turned golden brown and the chicken skin seemed crisped, then she lifted it out with a skimmer and placed it on a plate, decorating it with a piece or two of lemongrass.

Zhou Yunyun, mesmerized by the sight, couldn’t help but swallow saliva, "Master, is the chicken cooked just by soaking in the oil for a while?"

"If it were a fully grown chicken, certainly not," Hua Xiaomai turned to her with a curious look and explained, "But this is a month-old chick, small in size and exceptionally tender. Just control the oil temperature right, soak it briefly, and the skin gets slightly crispy while the inside remains melt-in-your-mouth delicious, making it perfect for accompanying drinks. Now is not the time for you to learn this, I will teach you in the future."

"Okay." Zhou Yunyun seemed very pleased, her lips almost stretching to her ears as she energetically nodded twice.

...

That evening, the small restaurant in the east of the village, as usual, did not close up until after the hour of the Pig.

By the end of October, the weather turned cold suddenly, especially at night. Walking out from the warm indoors to face a knife-like cold wind could painfully slash at one’s face.

Hua Xiaomai came out of the kitchen and inevitably instructed Zhou Yunyun to properly close the doors and windows. As she stepped out of the restaurant’s main entrance, she immediately shivered and clutched the collar of her jacket. Seeing Chun Xi and La Mei still waiting outside for her, she walked up to them with a cheerful smile, rubbing her hands, "This weather is indeed quite cold. Both of you sisters should head home early to rest, we have more to do early tomorrow morning."

Chun Xi gave her a look that was both teasing and serious, "Xiaomai, when is our restaurant closing?"

"What are you talking about?!" People in business dread hearing the word "close," and Hua Xiaomai nearly jumped out of her skin, "Sister-in-law Chun Xi, you’re always so eloquent— can’t you choose some nicer words? Just when business is starting to pick up, before we’ve made much money, you’re letting me close?"

"This girl has gone silly..." Chun Xi said, seemingly with regret, and then turned to La Mei.

"Exactly, completely silly," La Mei agreed emphatically.

"What’s going on?" Hua Xiaomai scanned their faces back and forth, "What riddle are you two trying to solve?"

Unable to contain herself, Chun Xi leaned in close, and pressed firmly against Xiaomai’s forehead, "It’s already the end of October now. Calculate for yourself, how many days are there until the sixth of December? Getting married is such a big deal, and I have never seen anyone as nonchalant as you! Even if your second sister is handling everything, you should at least free up a few days to prepare. After your wedding, inevitably, there will be delays for a few days. You should have let us know your plans earlier so that we could have made arrangements. How can this restaurant continue doing business without you?"

It was a significant life event, and Hua Xiaomai couldn’t possibly be so oblivious as to forget it all; she had already thought it through in her mind a few days ago, estimating that it would indeed disrupt her schedule for about ten days. Indeed, it was quite a struggle.

Having gone through a period of poor business and no patrons, this little restaurant was finally on the right track. Although it didn’t make much, it could at least handle a few transactions every day. Shutting down now would serve no benefit at all.

After all, it was her own impulsive demand that the guy marry her immediately, otherwise she wouldn’t have been so worried!

"Do... do we really need to close for that long?" she stammered, looking earnestly at Chun Xi and La Mei.

"What do you think?" La Mei glanced at her, said without a second thought, "Both of us know how important this restaurant is to you, but even so, it’s nothing compared to getting married— a once in a lifetime event! It might just seem like bringing a big red bridal sedan chair through the door to finish it, but in reality, the complications involved are too numerous to count, and you will be busy for quite a while! If you ask me, stop talking and let’s keep the store open till the second day of January; then put up a ’Congratulations to the owner’ red banner, focus on getting yourself solidly wed first. Once everything is settled, you can worry about looking after the business— are you perhaps worried that if we close for a few days, we’ll lose business?"

Alec: "A bit," Hua Xiaomai pursed her lips, nodded honestly, thought for a moment, "But I also know you are looking out for me, so... let’s do it this way." (To be continued. If you enjoy this novel, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)