After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

Su Xiaoxiao had mentioned it to me before.

Her roommates also helped a lot in the rapid expansion of the sour plum drink in the university town.

In business, distribution channels are also valuable. These female college students genuinely helped the store.

Besides, Lin Fan never runs a charity, but he also never takes advantage of others. A meal is only natural for him.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at her three roommates who were still in a daze, and gave Li Na a push:

"Alright, stop standing there. Brother Lin is a man of his word. If he tells you to sit, then sit down comfortably."

Li Na and the other two nodded and sat down at the solid wood table by the window.

The shop was no longer as noisy and bustling as before; it was very quiet.

The air conditioner blew warm air gently, gradually dispelling the chill they had felt after standing in the cold air for more than two hours.

"Xiaoxiao," Chen Min leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Do your restaurant usually... serve the same people as just now?"

"Pretty much." Su Xiaoxiao poured three glasses of warm water and handed them over. "They're mostly executives from nearby office buildings, or bosses who drove here specifically for this purpose."

Holding the warm paper cup, Wang Jia recalled the ordering blackboard she had seen when she entered the room, and still found it unbelievable.

"A dish of braised sea cucumber with scallions cost 2,888 yuan, and it sold out in less than a minute... Xiaoxiao, you've definitely broken into Jiangcheng's top social circle, haven't you?"

Su Xiaoxiao smiled, pulled out a chair, and sat down next to them.

"What top-tier circle? I'm just a waiter and odd job. But to be fair, I've definitely learned a lot working under Brother Lin."

She looked at the figure in the white apron in the open kitchen, her eyes filled with heartfelt admiration.

Others only see the astonishing turnover of the Lin family shop, making a fortune every day, but only she, who spends all day in the shop, knows the extent of Lin Fan's control over ingredients and his adherence to the rules.

In the kitchen, Lin Fan opened the stainless steel freezer.

The ingredient containers inside were about 70-80% empty. The lunchtime customer flow was huge, and the ingredients for the main dishes that had been prepared were completely used up.

He glanced at the remaining items.

A small piece of leftover black mountain pork scraps from the morning's slicing, and half a block of handmade white tofu.

Lin Fan took out the meat and tofu and placed them on the cutting board.

Knife up and down.

The knife blade made a dull, even thud as it touched the cutting board. Under the gleam of the knife, the half-block of tender white tofu was quickly transformed into uniform 1.5-centimeter cubes. Not a single piece broke, and the edges were neat and clean.

Remove the pot from the heat and bring water to a boil.

A small spoonful of salt was added to the water. After the water boiled, the tofu cubes were blanched.

This is a necessary step to remove the beany smell and increase the tofu's firmness. When it comes to cooking, Lin Fan never skips steps just because it's for himself or his employees.

Remove the tofu and drain it.

Lin Fan washed the iron pot and reheated it.

Instead of using ordinary vegetable oil, he scooped in a large spoonful of specially supplied black mountain pork fat.

The snow-white fat melted rapidly in the hot iron wok, glistening with a shimmering sheen. The rich, pure aroma of animal fat instantly filled the kitchen.

He quickly chopped the piece of meat into minced meat and stir-fried it directly in the pan.

Turn the heat to maximum and quickly flip the food with the shovel.

The minced meat crackled and popped in the hot oil, the moisture was quickly evaporated, the surface of the meat turned slightly yellow and charred, and it released clear oil.

Lin Fan picked up the spice jar next to him and scooped a large spoonful of his secret-recipe fermented bean paste into the pot.

The chili oil was instantly released, and the intense spiciness exploded in the hot pan.

Then, he grabbed a small handful of Sichuan peppercorns from the spiritual field and threw them in. The moment the peppercorns hit the oil, a numbing and fragrant aroma shot straight to the top of one's head.

Sauté minced ginger and garlic in a pan until fragrant.

Pour in half a bowl of water, bring it to a boil, and then add the blanched tofu cubes.

Lin Fan didn't use a spatula to flip it, but instead picked up the heavy iron pot and gently shook it with the subtle force in his wrist.

The tender white tofu tumbles in the bright red broth, evenly coated with minced meat and chili oil.

Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer.

in the hall.

The three people, including Li Na, who had been chatting quietly, suddenly stopped talking.

The domineering, intense, spicy, and savory aroma cleaved through the air and directly entered their nasal cavities.

Without any expensive seafood to complement it, it's just the purest and most intense atmosphere of everyday life in the city.

But this aroma is even more enticing than the lingering sea cucumber sauce scent in the air.

Chen Min couldn't help but let out a clear rumbling sound from her stomach.

She blushed and covered her stomach, saying, "This smells so good..."

"Lin's cooking is just so-so." Su Xiaoxiao stood up unsurprised. "I'll go get you some rice. You're lucky today, this dish isn't on the menu."

In the kitchen, Lin Fan lifted the pot lid.

The broth had reduced to almost the desired consistency. He picked up the cornstarch slurry and deftly thickened it three times.

The first spoonful holds the broth, the second spoonful coats the tofu with chili oil, and the third spoonful seals in the oil.

Turn off the heat and plate the dish.

A large plate of red and white, glistening and tempting minced meat Mapo Tofu is served in a deep white porcelain dish.

Lin Fan grabbed a handful of freshly ground Sichuan peppercorn powder and sprinkled it evenly on the surface, finally garnishing it with a small bunch of green garlic leaves.

The piping hot tofu fully releases the aroma of the Sichuan peppercorn powder.

"Serve the dishes." Lin Fan pressed the order bell.

Su Xiaoxiao carried a tray and placed the plate of Mapo Tofu and a small bucket of white rice on the table.

Lin Fan washed his hands and took off his white apron, hanging it on the wall.

He pulled out a chair and sat down at the other end of the long table.

"Tuantuan, time to eat!"

Upon hearing the sound, Tuantuan, who had been quietly drawing in the corner, immediately put down her crayons, ran over with her short legs, and skillfully climbed onto the small chair next to Lin Fan.

"Eat up, don't be shy," Lin Fan said calmly, picking up his chopsticks.

Su Xiaoxiao then distributed chopsticks.

Upon hearing this, the three girls looked at the steaming, glistening tofu in the center of the table and all swallowed hard.

"Then I won't be polite!"

Li Na was the first to pick up the spoon.

She scooped a large spoonful of tofu, along with the chili oil and browned minced meat, and placed it over the white rice in her bowl.

He picked up the bowl and shoveled a big mouthful into his mouth.

My first impression was that it was hot.

The tofu's temperature is locked in by the red oil on its surface, bursting on the tongue the moment you bite into it.

Next came the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns. It wasn't the dry, stinging pain of inferior peppercorns, but rather a fine electric current that spread from my lips all the way to the back of my tongue.

Then comes the spiciness, perfectly complementing the incredibly smooth tofu and the crispy texture of the minced black mountain pork fried in lard.

Numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, crispy, and tender.

Six textures intertwine in the mouth.

"It's so delicious..." Li Na's eyes reddened slightly, and she didn't even have time to say anything more before she started frantically shoveling rice into her mouth.

Seeing this, Chen Min and Wang Jia quickly started eating as well.

The three of them, as if they hadn't eaten for three days and three nights, ladled tofu into the bowl spoonful after spoonful.

This plate of Mapo Tofu seemed to possess some kind of magic, sweeping away the fatigue and chill they had accumulated from standing in the cold wind for more than two hours.

As the piping hot food went down my throat, a comforting warmth rose in my stomach, and every pore on my body seemed to open up.