Siheyuan: The romantic and suave Xu Damao

"I will cook today's meal myself so that you can appreciate my superb cooking skills. Cuinong, after the steamed buns are cooked, you must listen to my instructions and help me."

Xu Damao rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong and muscular arms, and showed a confident posture, looking like an experienced and skilled top chef.

"Hehehe, Brother Damao, you are clearly trying to imitate Zhu Bajie and lift up the curtain - show off your skills!"

"Go away, don't talk nonsense if you're uneducated. Wash the cabbage and remember to separate the stalks and leaves as much as possible!"

Xu Damao waved his hand to drive Cuinong away, and added two pieces of firewood into the stove. The firewood jumped happily in the stove, as if cheering for Xu Damao's cooking skills.

The steamed buns are finally cooked! Xu Damao showed a look of joy on his face and stood up directly from the small stool.

Cuinong on the side widened her eyes and looked at everything happening in front of her with astonishment - she saw Xu Damao stretch out his hands, lift up the huge comb steadily and effortlessly, and quickly move it to the side.

Then, he skillfully picked up a large spoon and carefully scooped out the remaining hot water in the pot into a basin.

After completing these steps, Xu Damao did not stop his work.

He picked up the spoon again, but this time he only scooped half a spoonful of the snow-white, crystal-clear lard and tapped it gently on the bottom of the pot. In an instant, the originally calm surface of the oil began to ripple.

When the oil temperature gradually rose to 50% hot, Xu Damao quickly poured the thinly sliced ​​pork belly and green onion segments that had been prepared in advance into the pot.

In an instant, a "sizzling" sound was heard, like a beautiful symphony, accompanied by waves of tempting aroma.

This strong and mellow taste was like an invisible hand, firmly grasping the taste buds of everyone present. Even Xu Damao, who was always calm and composed, could not resist such temptation, and his hungry stomach actually made a "gurgling" sound.

It was really helpless! At noon, Xu Damao and Lou Xiao'e were greedy and ate a lot of snacks, but they didn't have a proper meal.

At this moment, strongly stimulated by this charming aroma, his hunger became more and more intense and simply unbearable.

"Cuinong, you have to watch carefully. Look at my superb cooking skills. I guarantee that the dishes I make will make you praise me endlessly!"

Xu Damao spoke confidently while concentrating on watching the ingredients tumbling and bubbling in the pot. At this moment, Cuinong, who was standing in front of the stove and adding firewood to the fire, nodded slightly in response.

Her big watery eyes were always staring at Xu Damao's every move, as if she wanted to learn some cooking skills from him.

Xu Damao held a large spoon and stirred the steaming pot skillfully. Every stir brought out an enticing aroma.

First add a few star anise and a handful of Sichuan peppercorns, let them blend with the hot oil at the bottom of the pot, making crackling sounds; then sprinkle in an appropriate amount of salt, dotted in like stars.

Then he poured the chopped cabbage stalks and tofu cubes into the pot without hesitation. Such a bold action made Cuinong beside him open her eyes wide with astonishment on her face.

"Cuinong, look at you, don't you believe in my cooking skills? So-called high-end ingredients often only require the simplest cooking methods. Even though I just made a simple pot of stew, the final taste will definitely make you praise it!"

Xu Damao said confidently, picking up the ladle and preparing to pour water into the pot.

"Oh my! The water in this water tank has actually formed a layer of ice."

Xu Damao cried out in surprise, and then tapped the ice with the scoop in his hand. With a crisp cracking sound, the ice broke instantly. He quickly scooped up a full scoop of clear ice water and poured it into the pot without hesitation.

Staring at the situation inside the pot, Xu Damao frowned slightly, as if he felt that the amount of water was slightly insufficient.

So he reached out again and scooped out half a spoonful of water from the water tank, and carefully poured it into the pot. When the water level was right, he grabbed a handful of vermicelli in the wooden basin and threw it directly into the pot without caring whether the vermicelli had been fully soaked and softened.

At this time, Cuinong couldn't help but ask, "Brother Damao, the vermicelli has only been soaked for a short time. Didn't you just say that it needs to be soaked for a while longer to become soft?" There was a hint of doubt and worry in her tone.

Cuinong looked at Xu Damao's actions and frowned tightly on her little face.

"Hey, Cuinong, just put your mind at ease! This vermicelli won't be bad even if it's cooked in a pot. Don't think my method is simple, but once it comes out of the pot, the taste is absolutely amazing! You, don't worry about it here, go and chat with Sister Fang. Just sit comfortably in the house, and I'll call you when it's time for dinner!"

"Oh, is that so... then you really don't need my help to light the fire? Then I'll leave now."

Cuinong asked with some confusion.

"No, no, I can handle this little thing myself. It's just adding some firewood. Just help me put two thicker pieces of firewood into the furnace. When all the wood is burned, our dishes will be ready to cook."

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Cuinong responded, then picked up two pieces of wood as thick as her arms and carefully stuffed them into the furnace. Then she gently brushed off the dust on her hands, turned around and walked into the main room.

After Cuinong left the kitchen, Xu Damao slowly took out a paper bag and a small jar from the mysterious space he carried with him.

He saw that the paper bag contained the Tianchu brand Buddha's Hand MSG that he had specially purchased before; and the small jar was filled with the fragrant and attractive chili oil - this was what Xu Damao bought specifically from a delicious braised food store!

If Xu Damao had not been generous and bought some roast chicken, pig ears, pig trotters and the like from the store, the store owner would not have been willing to sell these two things.

With these two treasures in hand, especially the Tianchu MSG, hehe, do you still worry that the dishes you cook will not taste good? Becoming a chef is as easy as pie! Thinking of this, he couldn't help but reveal a wicked smile.

The big stew in the pot was bubbling and giving off an enticing aroma. Xu Damao tasted a piece of tofu with chopsticks and found the taste a little bland, so he added some salt.