stonecrandall Chapter 41 First Visit to the Market
Chapter 41 First Visit to the Market
At five in the morning, the city was not yet fully awake, and a damp and chilly mist permeated the alleys of the old streets.
The alarm clock rang, "ding ding ding" incessantly.
Chen Feng groped in the dark to turn off the alarm clock.
He opened his eyes, sat up, and stretched his aching back. There was no way around it; yesterday's workout had been quite intense.
Chen Feng paused for a moment.
He threw back the covers and got out of bed, quickly washed up in the inner room, and changed into a neat dark tracksuit. He moved very quietly as he opened the door. Mengmeng was still fast asleep in the next room, probably still drooling over her little bunny.
As for Xingruo, the child who had been exhausted for so many days and finally managed to fall asleep peacefully, she needed plenty of sleep to repair her heart riddled with wounds.
Chen Feng tiptoed toward the stairwell, trying to avoid the old wooden planks that would make a sound when stepped on. However, just as he passed Xing Ruo's door, a faint sound suddenly came from the crack in the tightly closed door.
"Click".
The doorknob was turned gently, and Xingruo's still somewhat childish and shy face peeked out from behind the door.
After spending the whole day together yesterday, Xingruo had completely let down her guard against Chen Feng and Mengmeng, and was no longer so nervous around them.
A glint flashed in her eyes when she saw Chen Feng. She knew that Mengmeng should still be sleeping at this time, so she didn't dare to make any big movements. She quietly peeked out and gave Chen Feng a faint smile.
"Good morning, Master."
Her voice was soft and slightly hoarse.
Xingruo actually woke up around 4 a.m. She didn't know what time her master got up, but she remembered that the teacher in charge of meals at the orphanage always had to go to prepare before dawn.
So after getting up, she forced herself to stay awake and washed up in the bathroom early in the room. She sat quietly on the edge of the bed, waiting for Chen Feng to leave.
She wanted to help Chen Feng go grocery shopping and ease some of his burden, believing that this would help them pay off their debts more quickly.
She didn't tell Chen Feng that she had been waiting for an hour. She knew that if she did, her master would feel bad, and he might not let her go grocery shopping with him again.
She didn't want to burden her master, but she really wanted to help, so she didn't say anything.
Looking at Xingruo, who was all ready to go, Chen Feng felt a slight pang in his heart. He walked over, lowered his voice, and spoke with deep concern:
"Xingruo, why are you up so early? It's not even fully light yet. Go back to sleep for a bit. Master can manage on his own; there's not much to do."
Xingruo shook her head vigorously. Although she was still a little pale due to lack of sleep and hadn't rested enough, her eyes were very firm.
"Master, Xingruo isn't sleepy. Master, are you going to buy groceries for today? Please take Xingruo with you. Xingruo wants to learn too, so that Xingruo can help Master."
She struggled to lift her head. She wasn't used to making eye contact with people. Although her long-standing inferiority complex made her subconsciously want to look away, at that moment, she forced herself to meet Chen Feng's gaze.
That was because she wanted to prove that she was useful and that she could help Chen Feng.
Looking at her earnest and stubborn expression, Chen Feng couldn't bring himself to refuse such a self-conscious child.
"Alright then." Chen Feng smiled helplessly, squatted down and straightened her collar. "But let's make it clear first, if you get tired, tell your master. Don't push yourself."
Xingruo nodded heavily, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.
The morning air was still chilly. As Xingruo followed Chen Feng out of the shop, she shivered as the cold wind hit her.
Chen Feng went to get his black car. Xing Ruo was extremely sleepy at the moment. Her body had not yet fully recovered from the days of wandering, and she was panting uncontrollably.
But every time she saw Chen Feng drive up, she would forcefully swallow back her yawn, straighten her back, and put on a radiant appearance. Her nonchalant demeanor made Chen Feng, who was driving over from a distance, feel both amused and sorry for her.
"Xingruo, get in the car."
Chen Feng opened the passenger door, gestured for Xing Ruo to get in, and then fastened her seatbelt.
He then walked around halfway back to the driver's seat to prepare to start the car.
The car's heater quickly went on, and Chen Feng specially tuned in a very soft and gentle instrumental piece from the car stereo. The sound of the piano was like a pair of gentle hands, soothing the chill and unease of the morning.
He wanted to let Xingruo sleep a little longer by playing music. He even planned that if Xingruo fell asleep and couldn't wake up for a while, he would let her sleep until the shopping was over.
"The market in the suburbs is a bit far, it will take a while to drive there, you can rest here for a bit."
As Chen Feng spoke, he deliberately slowed down. What should have been a half-hour journey felt like a whole day to him.
Xingruo initially tried to keep her eyes open and look at the scenery outside the window to fight off sleepiness. But as the heating went up and the soothing melody played in her ears, the exhaustion she had been forcing herself to endure surged up like a tide.
Her eyelids began to droop, and her head gradually tilted to one side. Finally, her slender body leaned back in the chair, and she began to breathe evenly and gently.
Chen Feng gripped the steering wheel firmly, his eyes catching a glimpse of Xingruo's face gradually relaxing in her sleep. Even asleep, her hand was still unconsciously clutching the corner of her newly bought loungewear.
He slowly pulled the car to the side of the road and took his dark black coat from the back seat, gently draping it over Xingruo's shoulders.
Feeling the warmth from the coat and the comforting scent of herbs, Xingruo mumbled something inaudible in her sleep. She instinctively shrank further into the coat, her furrowed brow slowly relaxing, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.
Seeing Xingruo asleep, Chen Feng felt a little better.
An hour later, the noise from the suburban agricultural wholesale market pierced through the car window.
The market at dawn is a vibrant "battle." The cries of vegetable farmers, the creaking of flatbed carts, and the calls of various poultry and livestock intertwine. Xingruo was eventually awakened by this growing cacophony. She rubbed her eyes groggily and realized she was wearing Chen Feng's clothes. Her cheeks instantly flushed red.
"Master...I...I accidentally fell asleep." She awkwardly handed back the coat, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.
"You need to sleep well to have the energy to learn things." Chen Feng opened the passenger door, unbuckled his seatbelt, and helped her out of the car. "Come on, let me show you the morning market."
Xingruo followed behind Chen Feng like a little adventurer who had just stepped into a fantasy world. The market in front of them was excessively lively, packed with people everywhere. Although she felt a sense of novelty and looked around curiously, she would instinctively shrink into Chen Feng's shadow whenever someone passed by or shouted loudly. She was still shy, afraid of meeting the gazes of those strangers.
After walking around, Xingruo noticed that Chen Feng was just looking but never bought anything.
"Master, aren't we going to buy any?" Xingruo couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Won't all the vegetables be picked over like this?"
Chen Feng stopped, turned around, looked into Xing Ruo's eager eyes, and said earnestly:
"Xingruo, when we cook at 'Human Fireworks,' we don't aim for quantity, but for quality."
Xingruo was initially puzzled as to why Chen Feng, who was in debt, didn't do anything about it, but Chen Feng's next words drew her attention.
"Today, I'm going to teach you how to make a basic yet most challenging home-style dish—Fish-flavored Shredded Pork."
He stretched out his hand and pointed to the surrounding stalls: "This dish is all about the perfect harmony of five flavors: sour, sweet, salty, spicy, and umami. To achieve this, the quality of the ingredients themselves is the foundation. If the foundation is unstable, no matter how skilled you are, you'll only build a dilapidated house."
Chen Feng decided to start teaching from the most essential ingredient—pork.
They stopped in front of a meat stall that supplied directly to the slaughterhouse. The stall owner was a burly man with a thick beard, who was wielding a boning knife, the blade striking the cutting board with a dull thud.
"Xingruo, look at this meat." Chen Feng pointed to a piece of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean on the cutting board. "When making Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce), many people use tenderloin to save time, thinking it's tender. But let me tell you, the truly top-quality Yu Xiang Rou Si should use the tip of the foreleg or the tenderloin of the hind leg."
He gestured for Xingruo to come closer, then extended his finger and gently pressed it against the texture of the flesh.
"Remember, the first thing to look at is the color. Good pork has a uniform light red or red color, and the cut surface should be shiny. If it's a dull dark red or a pale white color, you absolutely shouldn't buy it."
Xingruo imitated Chen Feng, craning her little head to look closer, and even sniffed.
"Secondly, check the feel." Chen Feng pulled Xingruo's small hand and had her place it on the spot he had just pressed.
"Feel it, does it have a kind of elasticity? When you press down on good meat, the indentation will immediately spring back, and it won't feel sticky. If pressing it leaves a dent, or if it feels wet and sticky, that's a sign that it's been injected with water or has spoiled."
Xingruo pressed it carefully, and the resilient touch from her fingertips felt magical to her.
"Master, what about this piece?" Xingruo pointed to a piece of meat with a thick layer of fat next to her.
Chen Feng patiently explained, "That's pork fat. Our Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) is supposed to be three parts fat and seven parts lean. But the fat also has to be right; it has to be white and firm. Look at this piece, it's yellowish and soft, that's what we call 'out of flavor'."
Chen Feng nodded to the stall owner: "Boss, weigh out this piece of foreleg tip for me, the part with a good even distribution of fat and lean meat. Please remove all the fascia, but make sure to leave that thin layer of subcutaneous fat; I need to use it to render the fat and aroma when frying."
The stall owner, a connoisseur, chuckled and said, "Boss, you're a seasoned veteran. This is the best piece of today's selection, reserved especially for those in the know."
As Xingruo watched Chen Feng pay and take the heavy piece of meat, she gained a completely new understanding of the profession of "chef." She realized that deliciousness didn't begin at the stove, but rather began with the selection of every blade of grass, every pig, and every poultry in the early morning—the very act of creating something special.
"Master, I've got it. The color should be bright, the texture should be bouncy, and the fat should be white." Xingruo repeated softly, her eyes sparkling with a kind of "curiosity".
Looking at her earnest profile, Chen Feng felt a sense of relief. Although this child wasn't very talkative, she seemed quite interested in cooking; it seemed his choice had been right.
"Okay, that's just the foundation. Next, let's look at the 'soul' of this dish—pickled chili peppers. Without authentic pickled chili peppers, shredded pork with garlic sauce loses its soul."
Chen Feng led Xing Ruo through the meat market filled with the stench of blood, toward the section of condiments that exuded a sour and spicy aroma.