Gourmet Kindergarten

Pei Qian didn't sit idle; he took advantage of the moment to start preparing braised prawns.

Heat the pan thoroughly, add cold oil, and once the oil is hot enough, flick your wrist—and the prawns slide in.

"Sizzle—"

The fumes shot up half a foot high.

The moment the shrimp shell touches the hot oil, its edges contract rapidly, the bluish-gray color fades, and a vibrant orange-red color shines through.

Don't flip it immediately, just fry it.

Once one side was crispy and golden brown, Pei Qian gripped the pan handle with one hand and gave it a sharp shake. The prawn flipped cleanly in mid-air and landed steadily back at the bottom of the pan.

The shrimp changed color on both sides, the shells became taut, and the edges curled up slightly, like a small bow that had been fully drawn.

Add minced scallions, ginger, and garlic to the pot, along with a spoonful of cooking wine, and it hiss ...

Dark soy sauce adds color, while light soy sauce enhances flavor.

Finally—white sugar.

The soul of braised prawns lies not in the prawns, but in the sugar.

Once the sugar melts and caramelizes, creating a glossy amber crust, the dish truly comes to life.

Not a drop of water was added.

The shrimp release their own juices, which, combined with the sauce, are then covered and simmered over low heat.

While the shrimp were simmering, Pei Qian grabbed a handful of seaweed and soaked it in cold water to get some sand in it, and also prepared a bowl of beaten eggs.

"Aunt Li, could you please take the seaweed out, rinse it in cold water, and tear it into pieces?"

"Leave it to me!"

Pei Qian lifted the pot lid.

A rich, sweet aroma wafts over, and the dark red broth clings to the shrimp shells, bubbling and simmering, having reduced by more than half.

Turn the fire upside down!

With one hand tossing the wok and the other holding a spatula, the prawns tumble and roll in the pot, coated in sauce.

At high temperatures, the broth thickens rapidly, leaving only a thin layer at the bottom of the pot, so shiny it reflects light, like it's been glazed.

Turn off the heat.

Aunt Li stood on tiptoe and took a deep sniff: "This smell... is amazing."

"It really smells good; I could smell it from far away and followed it here."

Aunt Zhao had somehow gotten to the doorway, her eyes practically glued to the pot.

Pei Qian was both amused and exasperated—the frequency with which Aunt Zhao came to the kitchen these past two days was practically like a human radar; if there was a smell of meat within a fifty-meter radius, she would arrive on the scene without fail.

"Perfect timing, have a taste."

Each of them got one.

The shrimp tail droops slightly, and the rich juice slides down the shell, leaving a thin line.

The two immediately sucked up the thick sauce, then removed the shrimp heads and gently sucked on them.

The rich flavor of the shrimp paste, combined with the sweet and savory sauce, explodes on the tongue, so intense it's almost overwhelming.

"Click—"

Biting into the shrimp shell along with the shrimp reveals a crispy, charred shell that cracks easily with each bite, releasing a smoky aroma brought out by the high temperature.

The shrimp meat is firm and bouncy, bursting in your mouth when coated in a sweet and savory sauce.

After they finished chewing, they tacitly licked the remaining juice from their fingertips.

"tasty!"

"It's really good. The young headmaster's skills are truly exceptional."

Pei Qian laughed and said, "That's a must. If my skills weren't up to par, how could I justify all the hard work you put in every day?"

Aunt Li laughed: "Young director, you've got a whole repertoire of words! Just for this shrimp, from now on, wherever you point, I'll serve it!"

Aunt Zhao nodded in agreement: "Add one, from today onwards I'm a die-hard fan of the kindergarten director."

Pei Qian smiled and, seeing that the water in the pot next to him had boiled, immediately turned off the heat.

Once the water stops churning, pick up the egg mixture and slowly pour it in, rotating it slightly.

The high temperature causes the egg liquid to open up into individual clusters, with yellow and white intertwined, like golden threads falling into clear water, or like clouds silently blooming.

Irregular, fluffy egg drop soup floats on the calm water surface, looking incredibly beautiful.

"My goodness!"

Aunt Li's eyes widened: "I always thought the egg flowers in restaurants looked so pretty, but today I've finally solved the mystery—I had to turn off the stove! No wonder all the egg flowers I got at home were crumbs!"

"That's right, my husband thinks my cooking looks like tofu pudding, and he insists on showing off his skills when we get back."

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly took out their phones.

What are you waiting for?

shoot!

Find the right angle, adjust the lighting, first take a picture of the egg drop soup, then get a close-up of the braised prawns, and click away.

Aunt Zhao chose her favorite picture and sent it to the girls' group chat, with the caption:

[The kindergarten principal's homemade braised prawns are so delicious, one bite and they'll make your eyebrows fall off! The egg drop soup with seaweed and egg is absolutely amazing, it's so beautiful it melts my heart! There's also braised pork stewing in the pot. Anyone have anything to say?]

After posting the picture, she laughed and said, "Once this picture is posted, my group of old ladies are probably going to get restless."

Sure enough, the group chat exploded instantly.

Aunt Liu: This food is great! I'm starting tomorrow, I can't wait!

Aunt Zhang: Not bad, not bad at all. It's even better than what I had yesterday!

Aunt Yang: I'm also looking forward to seeing what I'll eat on my first day on the job!

Li Shufen: Sister Zhao, you're bound to choke when you drink water.

Aunt Xu: Little Zhao, you always get meat stuck in your teeth.

Sister Wei: Sister Zhao, you're bound to get burned when you drink the soup.

Sister Wang: Sister Zhao, you always choke on shrimp when you eat it.

Aunt Xu: Old Zhao, you always step in dog poop when you go out.

Everyone: "..."

……

"Seaweed shouldn't be boiled; just blanch it briefly. The water temperature should ideally not exceed 90 degrees Celsius, otherwise all the flavor will be lost..."

Pei Qian was unaware of what was going on in Aunt Zhao's group chat. As he spoke, he used a soup ladle to scoop egg drop soup into a stainless steel soup pot.

When the egg drop soup is added to the water, the soaked seaweed instantly expands upon heating, releasing a very unique aroma.

This freshness, though not overpowering or cloying, is exceptionally lingering, seeping into the nasal cavity in subtle ways, ruthlessly pulling Aunt Zhao and Aunt Li back from their phone screens.

"My goodness...this tastes so delicious!"

Once your appetite is whetted, you can't take your eyes off it.

Seeing this, Pei Qian casually scooped a small bowl for each of them.

The two of them didn't stand on ceremony, took the spoons, blew on them twice, and put them in their mouths.

The umami flavor melted on her tongue, and before Aunt Li could even put down her spoon, her eyes widened instantly: "Delicious! So fresh!"

"You didn't add anything except salt, yet it's so fresh! Young director, your cooking is amazing!"

Pei Qian smiled but didn't reply. He turned and walked towards the large iron pot next to him.

Lift the lid.

The pent-up fragrance was released like a floodgate opening—

The intense, almost overpowering aroma of meat, combined with the sweetness of caramel, hits you right in the face!

"hiss--"

Aunt Zhao and Aunt Li were both pushed back half a step by the current.

Inside the pot, steam rose, and the caramel-colored broth bubbled and churned.

Large chunks of braised pork belly are half-submerged and half-floating, each piece coated in a glistening, oily sauce.

The fatty parts trembled slightly.

At that one glance, the phrase "melts in your mouth" immediately popped into my head.

"Gulp..." Aunt Zhao swallowed hard. "Is this really braised pork? How can it smell so good?"

She's cooked her whole life; she can make braised pork with her eyes closed.

But I've never seen anything like this before, nor have I ever smelled anything so enticing that it makes your legs weak – even restaurants don't have this kind of prestige!

"It smells more than just delicious!" Aunt Li's eyes were glued to the pot. "Don't laugh at me, just looking at it makes my mouth water."

Pei Qian didn't respond and immediately opened fire.

The spatula was used to slowly and deliberately stir-fry the food along the bottom of the pan.

The broth thickened and simmered, slowly coating the meat and making a sizzling sound.

Seeing that the heat was just right—turn off the heat!

With a scoop and a shake of the spatula, the bright red and fragrant braised pork belly landed steadily on a large stainless steel plate.

"All set! Delivery!"

After leaving food for the gatekeepers, Uncle Li and Aunt Zhao, Pei Qian and Aunt Li loaded the trays onto a small cart and pushed it straight to the teaching building.