Traveling through various miniature worlds with a small restaurant

Chapter 204 The Bizarre Post-Apocalyptic World 21

The dough has fermented and expanded to fill the entire bowl. Its surface is covered with countless tiny air pockets, and when you press it gently with your finger, the dough immediately springs back.

Lin Xiaoqian placed the dough on a lightly floured work surface and gently kneaded it. The dough seemed to come alive in her hands, becoming smoother and more elastic. She rolled the dough into a long strip and cut it into small, evenly sized pieces.

She picked up a small dough ball, gently rolled it into a round shape in her palm, and then rolled it out with a rolling pin into a round wrapper that was thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges. Her technique was skillful; each roll was just right, and the wrapper gradually became larger and thinner under the rolling pin, yet it did not lose its elasticity.

Then, she started making steamed buns.

First, scoop a spoonful of red bean paste into the center of the dough. The cooled red bean paste is a deep red color and looks delicate and smooth, making it very tempting.

Lin Xiaoqian's fingers moved nimbly along the edge of the dough, gently pinching it together. Fine, even pleats appeared, and the dough was finally sealed together perfectly. She then gently rolled it into a round, plump red bean bun.

Then, she made spicy tofu buns and mushroom and pork buns. Her fingers quickly pinched the dough into small and exquisite pleats. Each bun was the same size, and each one seemed like a carefully crafted work of art.

Soon, the three-tiered steamer was filled with buns. Lin Xiaoqian placed the steamer in the steamer pot, covered it, and began steaming the buns.

While waiting for the steamed buns to cook, Lin Xiaoqian didn't sit idle. She turned around and went to the stove next to her to cook a simple pot of eight-treasure porridge. She took out various grains from the warehouse, including red kidney beans, barley, fox nuts, peanuts, and black and white sesame seeds. She washed them one by one and poured them into the pot.

Next, add an appropriate amount of water, turn on the stove, and the blue flames lick the bottom of the pot.

As time went by, the kitchen began to fill with the aroma of steamed buns and porridge.

About twenty minutes later, Lin Xiaoqian opened the lid of the steamer. The top layer was red bean buns, and a steaming aroma of wheat and sweet red bean paste wafted out. They were plump and round, like big white pearls.

At this moment, a ruthless iron hand reached out from behind Lin Xiaoqian, quickly pinched a red bean bun, and pulled it back.

Lin Xiaoqian followed the hand and saw Mo Ying eating a steamed bun with his mouth open, expressionless.

"You're really thick-skinned; these are freshly steamed buns."

Mo Ying finished the bun in her hand in a few bites, and said indistinctly, "It's okay... I have a layer of spiritual energy covering my body, so it can't burn me. Besides, I am a demon, so my skin is thick and tough."

As he spoke, he reached for another red bean bun, broke it open with his hand, and the deep red bean paste slowly flowed out, revealing its delicate and smooth texture. The steam carried a sweet aroma, and Mo Ying couldn't help but lower his head and take a big bite.

"Delicious!" He ate without looking up, pointing to the steamer below, "Are there other flavors? Quickly lift the lid and let me taste it for you."

Lin Xiaoqian rolled her eyes at him, but her hands didn't stop. Just as she took the first steamer down, Zhuang Damao and Liao Zhuang came down from upstairs.

"Great! We get to eat fragrant steamed buns first thing in the morning!" Liao Zhuang ran over excitedly, but when he saw Mo Ying finish a steamed bun in two bites, he immediately widened his eyes and accused, "The way you eat it is like a cow chewing on a peony!"

As he spoke, Liao Zhuang carefully picked up a spicy tofu bun with his chopsticks. The plump white dough was glistening with red oil, making it look incredibly appetizing.

He gently blew on the steam, took a small bite, and first felt the softness of the dough. Then, the wheat aroma of the bun mixed with the spicy red oil spread in his mouth, constantly stimulating his taste buds and prompting him to take another bite quickly.

Liao Zhuang didn't care that it was hot. After blowing on it twice, he opened his mouth and took a big bite. The tofu was smooth and tender, and it crumbled in his mouth. The vermicelli was chewy and had absorbed all the red oil sauce. The mouth was full of spicy flavor.

"Hiss... Ha..."

Whether it was the spiciness or the heat, even though his forehead was sweating, he kept his head down and ate with gusto.

One wasn't enough, so he grabbed another one.

"Hiss... Ah... It's so delicious! Hiss... Ah... It smells so good! Hiss... Ah... It's so satisfying!"

Zhuang Damao was holding mushroom and meat filling buns. Even though he had been a cook for many years, he had to admire Lin Xiaoqian's skills. The pleats on the buns were so neat and uniform, as if they were made by a machine.

If it weren't for the oddly shaped little round dumpling in the very center, from which one or two streaks of light brown broth, a mixture of fat and meat juice, seeped out, one might easily mistake it for machine-made.

Just by looking at the color of the broth, you can imagine how fragrant it is. Zhuang Damao couldn't resist any longer and opened his mouth wide to take a bite.

The moment the soft dough is bitten, the delicious meat juice bursts in your mouth, along with the rich flavor unique to shiitake mushrooms.

The minced meat has a chewy texture and is also wrapped in the fresh and smooth taste of shiitake mushrooms, making every bite full of freshness and aroma.

"This taste is amazing!" Zhuang Damao mumbled between chews, the juices dripping down his chin without him noticing, as he lowered his head and took another big bite.

Seeing them eat with such satisfaction made Lin Xiaoqian happy too; this was probably the sense of accomplishment that comes from cooking delicious food.

"I cooked a pot of eight-treasure porridge, everyone should have some."

But they were so engrossed in eating steamed buns that they didn't care about the eight-treasure porridge at all.

Lin Xiaoqian shook her head helplessly. Looking up, she inadvertently saw someone standing at the kitchen door. This person was Sister Yuan, who was staying at the restaurant temporarily.

At that moment, her eyes were fixed on the steamed buns in the steamer, filled with longing, but she seemed to be hindered by something and dared not enter the kitchen.

She was assigned to a room on the second floor yesterday, but I don't know when she came down or how long she's been standing outside.

Because there was an elevator in the kitchen that went directly to the three floors above, Mo Ying and the others took the elevator down from the fourth floor and came directly to the kitchen. As soon as they came out, everyone was so captivated by the aroma of the steamed buns that they didn't even look up and no one noticed her.

Seeing this, Lin Xiaoqian took one of each type of bun, placed them on a plate, and walked over.

As soon as Lin Xiaoqian walked over with steamed buns, Sister Yuan's eyes were fixed on the plate in her hand.

Lin Xiaoqian helped her sit down in the lobby, placed the plate on the table, and said softly, "Eat."

Sister Yuan's throat moved, her lips trembled, and then she reached out with trembling hands, first picking up the red bean bun, and quickly stuffing it into the right pocket of her shirt. "This is sweet. Mengmeng likes sweets. I'm taking it back for her to eat."

Then he picked up the tofu package and put it in his left pocket. "This is spicy tofu. Xiao Zhu likes to eat it. I'll take this back for him."

Finally, she picked up the mushroom and pork bun, took a big bite, and a pure smile appeared on her face. "So delicious!"