"Gurgle gurgle..."

The heat was low, so the broth in the braised meat pot wasn't boiling vigorously, but the aroma of the spices and the scent of the cooking food from the pot were continuously spreading.

Catching a whiff of this smell, those who were still peeling potatoes and breaking broccoli couldn't help but look forward to it, feeling a special kind of excitement—after all, they'd helped out with this pot of braised dishes!

The rule of "three parts cooking, seven parts soaking" didn't apply at all in front of Wang Fan's braised meat pot. The system had already given enough face by considering "seven parts cooking, three parts soaking."

After checking the color and smelling the aroma, Wang Fan fished out a bit of each ingredient.

The crisp texture of the braised dishes and the rich aroma of the marinated spices told him that this pot of braised food was done.

Glancing at the crowd, estimating it was less than 200 people, distributing it alongside braising meant a pound per person would be more than enough.

"Second Uncle, I reckon the ingredients are ready. Just tell them to bring over what's prepared now, and we can start handing out the braised dishes."

Second Uncle nodded and went to arrange it, and soon the ingredients were piled up in front of Wang Fan again.

Liu Hehe and Liu Zhaofeng clapped their hands and stood up, naturally taking their place at the front of the line, as they were the earliest ones here.

As for Liu Hao and Qian Mingxuan who followed them, under Liu Hehe's scrutiny, they shrugged with a bitter smile and quietly moved to the back.

Those who had already queued quickly found their places again, and even those who came late lined up in an orderly fashion, showing no signs of cutting in line or causing trouble.

Liu Hao watched with great relief, and Qian Mingxuan's camera recorded this scene.

Liu Hao believed that uploading such a scene would definitely have a great promotional effect.

Liu Hehe was filled with anticipation for the lunchbox handed over by Wang Fan. After all, she had a hand in preparing these braised dishes, so the taste was guaranteed to be mouth-wateringly delicious!

Taking the bag, she quickly stepped aside and couldn't wait to open the lunchbox and began eating.

The crunchy lotus root must be eaten first. Different from the delicate way Southern girls eat, Northern girls eat boldly, biting off half of the lotus root at once.

"Crunch..."

The crisp crunch of the lotus root rang clearly in her ears, while the lotus threads were drawn out, thin and long like spider silk, yet without the toughness, breaking easily with a gentle tug.

Liu Hehe could feel the lotus threads entwining her tongue, a unique texture, light and delicate.

Unable to help but start chewing, the fresh aroma of the lotus root spread through her mouth, each bite filled with the fresh natural taste and juiciness, making her indulge in this unique flavor.

"Oh... this is delicious! I've never tasted lotus slices this good!"

Whether it was just the filter of her participation, Liu Hehe felt the braised dishes in her hands were like no others on earth, the best braised dishes she'd ever tasted.

"Sis, don't let Mom hear that, or else she'll get upset again."

Liu Hehe rolled her eyes; her big eyes made the eye-roll especially distinct.

"I dare say it right to her face!"

Liu Zhaofeng shook his head, ignoring his stubborn sister, and quickly put a piece of his favorite fish tofu in his mouth.

The square fish tofu, originally golden yellow, had absorbed the reddish color from the braised broth. Biting into it, he could feel the resilience of the tofu, which turned smooth and tender as he chewed, a texture he very much enjoyed.

The fish tofu carried a mild salty and umami taste, with each bite filled with rich fish aroma, thick but not fishy. The braised fish tofu also absorbed different spices, and as he chewed, the flavors from the seasonings released, integrating with the rich taste of the fish tofu, growing more fragrant with every chew.

Jiang Xinyue's favorite was frozen tofu.

No matter what stew she ate, she loved adding lots of frozen tofu, and today's braised dishes were no exception.

Picking up a piece of still steaming frozen tofu, the strong aroma of the braised spices and bean fragrance immediately filled her nose.

Swallowing hard, she eagerly popped the frozen tofu into her mouth.

The frozen tofu's texture was smooth and elastic, and with each bite, Jiang Xinyue felt like a soft cloud was dissolving in her mouth.

Inside, the frozen tofu was like a sponge, full of holes, now soaked with the essence of the braised sauce.

Just a slight bite, before even cutting the frozen tofu, an endless stream of braised sauce squeezed out.

The braised sauce was richly flavorful, a classic brew with various lingering meat flavors perfectly fused, mixed with the mild bean fragrance of the frozen tofu, making it hard not to love this taste.

Chewing heartily, the braised sauce kept blending with the frozen tofu, making each bite more flavorful, the subtle sweetness of the beans perfectly balancing with the aroma of the sauce.

Jiang Xinyue's big eyes happily narrowed into crescent shapes.

Yin Jiakuo was an easygoing eater, happy to eat anything.

Casually, he grabbed a piece of dried bean curd stick and began eating.

As a kid, he always thought dried bean curd sticks were just dry bamboo, only learning in college that they were actually soybean products. Heated and boiled soy milk forms a thin film on the surface after a period of keeping warm, which is then removed and dried into bean curd sticks.

Ordinarily, dried bean curd sticks need to be soaked in cold water before braising, frying, or stewing. Wang Fan's braised dishes were slow-cooked, and the bean curd sticks were added before even starting to boil, ensuring they wouldn't be hard after cooking.

The taste of bean curd sticks was similar to tofu, both being bean products, but had a significant texture difference.

Originally a thin film on soy milk, once boiled again, it became thin as a cicada's wings, yet chewy when gathered together.

Also, bean curd sticks absorbed the flavors easily, and Yin Jiakuo was eating with relish.

As more and more people received their lunchboxes, the conversations around them gradually increased.

"Not to brag or exaggerate, but this is the best braised dish I've eaten in the Northeast, hands down, no arguments allowed."

"Count me in; I agree this is the ultimate braised dish."

"I love to travel and have been to many places, yet I've never had braised dishes this good. These lotus slices are amazing, so crispy, tender, and fragrant."

"It must be our big Northeast potatoes; aren't they supposed to be mealy? But these are so crunchy, truly an unbeatable texture."

"Honestly, today's trip was totally worth it. It was fun and delicious, much more interesting than playing video games at home."

"For sure! Who'd want to stay cooped up at home when there's such fun stuff to do?"

"After a month of fish and meat, turning to these side dishes really feels refreshing."

"Just a shame we can't drink, or a case of big green bottles would be a must."

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