In the early morning, when it was just dawn, Yu Jian was already standing at the door of the hotel. She was used to getting up early, and she also stood here waiting for the other two for half an hour. She had obviously agreed to have breakfast together, so she must still be following her at this moment.
A tryst with Zhou Gong.
She shook her head helplessly. The day lily would be cold if she waited any longer.
Smoke had already risen in the alley, and the old men and women who had gotten up early to exercise said hello to each other, and then went into the familiar shop. The words of the aunt who went to the wonton shop last night echoed in Yu Jian's ears: "This is the road.
, but there are many delicious restaurants.”
I also heard that they came from the capital and highly recommended: "You must try the Xiaolongbao from Modu."
I remembered that there are also diners at Yu's Restaurant whose hometown is Shanghai, and when they comment on Xiao Long Bao, they can only say one sentence: "Xiao Long Bao is the homesickness of the people in Shanghai, and it is their life."
Southerners call steamed buns with or without stuffing inside, which is completely different from those in the north.
Yu Jian walked slowly along the bluestone road in the alley, and students carrying schoolbags walked by from time to time. It took a while before she found the Xiaolongbao shop that her aunt said had been open for more than 30 years.
There was a simple blackboard at the door, with the menu and prices scrawled on it. A fat orange was lying in the middle of the road. When someone came over, he raised his head and said "meow". Yu Jian felt that it was lazy.
The look was particularly funny. I knelt down and touched its head. The big orange felt comfortable and started to "gurgling" in its throat.
An old man happened to come over next to him and spat with a smile: "This lazy cat hangs out in front of the store every day, and he will be beaten by the landlady later -"
Yu Jian frowned and asked, "The boss lady still beats the cat?"
The old man was beaming with joy, and just as he was about to say a few more words to her, he heard the door being opened with a "crash", and a middle-aged woman in her fifties stood with her hands on her hips and angrily shouted at the old man: "I talk nonsense all day long, what am I doing?"
Is it time to beat the little girl? You can ruin my reputation outside all day long!"
The uncle touched his nose, feeling bored, and muttered: "Isn't this a joke..."
Looking at the woman again, she wanted to scold him again, so she quickly found an excuse to sneak away first. The landlady chased him two steps, threw the garlic in her hand at his back, and turned around to see Yu Jian looking at her blankly,
I was a little embarrassed, "We are all neighbors, just joking around. Do you want to eat Xiaolong Steamed Buns? Come in quickly——"
When passing by the big orange cat, she gently kicked it with her toes and moved it. The big orange looked at her doubtfully, then turned over to reveal its fat white belly. The boss lady was amused by it and clicked on it.
He tapped its head: "I don't have time to play with you now."
The shop was also small, with several small square tables neatly placed, and they were almost full. Yu Jian found an empty seat and quietly waited for the proprietress to serve her meal. Most of the small shops in the alley were mom-and-pop shops, and her husband was there.
While the kitchen was busy, my wife greeted the guests. Occasionally, I invited one or two aunties, all of whom were neighbors who had never seen me before, saying they were free and came to help.
Yu Jian ordered a small cage, a fried pork chop, and a bowl of small wontons. It is said that this is the standard dish for countless old people in the city.
The first thing that came was the steaming hot steamed dumplings. Each one is small and independent. Use your chopsticks to pierce the dough, dip it in the balsamic vinegar in the small dish, take a bite, and slowly slurp up the soup in the skin.
Feeling that the soup was extremely sweet, Yu Jian narrowed her eyes unconsciously.
Taking another bite, the skin is thin and the meat is rich, and even the meat has a clear and fresh aroma.
After swallowing two in a row, Yu Jian took a closer look at the inconspicuous Xiao Long Steamed Bun. I heard that the authentic Xiao Long Steamed Bun in Modu must have more than fourteen folds on the surface, which is a good test for the master.
It takes a lot of effort. After all, the dough is small, so it’s not easy to mix in the fillings and wrap it up, let alone make wrinkles.
With the tip of Yu Jian's tongue, she could tell in one bite that the meat filling was made from fresh sandwiched pork shank, minced with a knife, with a ratio of four lean and one fat. Looking at the remaining steamed buns on the basket, they were about the size of a water chestnut.
, small and exquisite, the whole body is translucent, and the red meat filling inside is clearly visible.
"Here come the fried pork chops and small wontons~" The proprietress held a bowl in one hand and a plate in the other, walking steadily through the narrow aisle and placing it in front of Yu Jian. Seeing that she stopped eating with her chopsticks, she asked, "Isn't it delicious?"
"It's delicious. I'll see how it's made." Yu Jian answered honestly.
This made the landlady laugh. Deep wrinkles formed at the corners of her aged eyes, and there was a hint of smile in her tone: "How old are you, little girl? Can you still cook?"
Little girl?
Yu Jian was startled, were you calling her?
But……
The name I just called the boss lady was obviously the big orange at the door...
She pursed her lips, suppressed the doubts in her heart, and answered, "I can cook."
The store was not busy at this time, so the proprietress simply dragged a chair over, sat face to face with Yu Jian, and chatted with her enthusiastically: "Do you see what's going on?"
Shaking her head, Yu Jian said very modestly, "Your xiaolongbao has thin skin and a lot of juice, so I can't make it."
Speaking of the Xiao Long Steamed Buns in the store, the proprietress was also proud: "My daughter is very knowledgeable. Our store has been open for decades. I have been working in this store since I was young. We
They make the most traditional Xiao Long Steamed Buns. Although the appearance is not as good as the popular Xiao Long Steamed Buns outside, the taste has not changed in decades."
The voice was neither high nor low, but all the customers in the store heard it. Some familiar customers put down their chopsticks and praised: "Oh, don't tell me I haven't noticed yet, but it's still exactly the same as it was thirty years ago..."
This tone was indescribably narrow. The landlady's eyes widened: "Then don't come here tomorrow, go try something new!"
The guest quickly begged for mercy: "Don't--didn't I tell you that you have been the same for decades?"
It made the customers in the store laugh.
After laughing, there was a hint of sadness again. The landlady sighed and said in a cool tone: "You guys, cherish the time you can still have this bite. When this place is demolished later, you won't be able to eat anything you want!"
The store suddenly fell into silence. Everyone was quietly eating their own steamed dumplings or drinking wonton soup. Only the occasional crisp porcelain sound of spoons clinking against bowls could be heard.
"Why don't you just find a new place to open it again? We will definitely go to support you." Someone said in the silence. Yu Jian looked and saw that it was a teenage boy with a schoolbag on his shoulder. He finished speaking.
I stuffed a small steamed bun into my mouth, and it was probably burnt by the juice. I quickly opened my mouth wide and fanned it with my hands.
The landlady was stunned for a moment, with a look of helplessness on her face: "How can it be said so easily? The rent in Shanghai is getting higher year by year. What's more, we have reached the age of retirement. We have been working for decades and want to
Take a rest!"
Although she said that, Yu Jian clearly saw all kinds of reluctance in her eyes...