TATMOTML

‧₊˚ 3 ‧₊˚

The next day early in the morning, Ding Sha went to the market to carefully select and buy two pigs' trotters.

She didn't know if it was because she was pregnant, but Ding Sha suddenly started having cravings, able to think of seven or eight different things she wanted to eat in a day.

She used hot water to scald off the remaining hairs on the pig's trotters, then rinsed them with running water.

She rummaged through boxes and cabinets to find some rock sugar to stir fry until it was colored, then added water, seasonings, soy sauce, boiled it on high heat, then turned down the heat to stew slowly.

When it was nearly cooked soft, she added a basinful of soybeans she had soaked overnight, and continued stewing over low heat.

There were still some vegetables left over from yesterday that hadn't been used up completely, so Ding Sha simply prepared the exact same vegetable dishes today.

She just added an extra layer of stewed meaty-flavored soybeans on top of the rice.

Only after everything was plated did she put the remaining vegetables on a dish to eat up. The pig trotters were stewed soft and flavorful, with a thick savory sauce, a perfect combination of salty and sweet.

As soon as it entered the mouth it melted away, making it impossible to discern whether it was the trembling pig skin or the fatty meat.

After eating her fill at the satisfying meal, Ding Sha then rode her electric bike to the construction site.

Quite a few people were already waiting there.

Some had even brought their own small carts and were waiting.

As soon as Ding Sha had just parked her bike stably they swarmed over, voices ringing out saying "I want one."

Ding Sha didn't get flustered at all, she just opened the box, scanned a code and gave out portions. It was only chaotic for a few minutes before the people behind automatically lined up.

The fifty boxed lunches were quickly sold out.

A group of brawny men sat in rows squatting next to Ding Sha, heads lowered as they ate with gusto, making occasional passersby feel it was quite a funny sight.

The burly man ate with oil dripping down his mouth. "Too delicious, too delicious! Will you make this again tomorrow?"

Ding Sha shook her head. "I'll make something different tomorrow."

The vegetables and rice at home were used up, so in a bit she had to go lug back a bag of rice. Tomorrow morning she still had to go buy vegetables.

The brawny man dug into the soybeans. "These beans are fragrant."

He smacked his lips. "They have a meaty flavor, did you stew them with meat?"

Ding Sha nodded. "I stewed them with pigs' trotters, but pigs' trotters are too expensive, I can't afford the cost."

The brawny man waved his hand unconcernedly. "That stuff is fragrant for sure, but nothing beats big slices of meat.

Ding Sha smiled. She thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll make braised pork rice tomorrow, with stewed five-spice pork belly, it's super fragrant."

When the brawny man heard this, he wiped his mouth and chuckled twice. "Good, good! Let's eat pork belly!"

Ding Sha bought rice and went home. Seeing the unpolished rice was pretty good quality, she stir-fried some ginger rice tea to store for drinking.

Granny Zhang came over holding a small bowl of free-range eggs. "Girl, what have you been busy with recently? I came over a few times and saw the door locked."