Chapter 230

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

Boiling eggs is something everyone knows how to do.

However, to boil eggs just right, there is still a certain knack to the heat control.

After putting eggs in cold water, first bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then switch to low heat and simmer for five minutes.

Eggs boiled this way have yolks that are just set — neither too firm nor runny.

Adding some salt to the pot when boiling eggs makes the shells sturdier and less likely to crack during cooking.

The cold water in the pot came to a boil in no time, and the eggs rolled gently with the current.

Lu Feng stood before the stove, eyes fixed on the pot's movements, silently counting the time in his mind.

Once the water had kept boiling for three minutes and the eggs were about eighty percent done, he immediately turned off the flame.

Taking a slotted spoon, Lu Feng carefully fished the eggs out of the water one by one.

On the chopping board he had already prepared a basin of cold water, and he placed the cooked eggs in to soak.

The freshly boiled eggs carried scalding heat on their shells; meeting the cold water, they let out a faint sizzling sound.

The egg whites inside contracted from the cold, slowly separating from the shells.

This treatment makes the eggs easier to peel and gives the whites a more springy, chewy texture.

After soaking for about two minutes, Lu Feng lifted an egg from the basin.

He then picked up a stainless steel spoon and, using the back of the spoon, gently tapped around the shell, slowly cracking a network of lines.

His force was controlled just right — the cracks were fine as a spiderweb, wrapping the egg, yet the shell did not fall off.

This way, the braised sauce can seep into the egg later, making it delicious.

After all the eggs were cracked, the next step was the formal tea-egg simmering stage.

Lu Feng took out another large pot, added a sufficient amount of clear water, and set it on the stove to heat.

Next he took the box holding the spices and, following their respective proportions, packed star anise, cassia bark, and Sichuan peppercorns into a cotton cloth bag.

Then he grabbed a handful of tea leaves bought from the System Mall and put them into the bag along with the spices.

The water in the pot boiled again; Lu Feng tied the cotton bag tight and dropped it into the pot.

As the water kept rolling, the rich fragrance of spices mingled with the deep aroma of tea leaves, gradually filling the entire kitchen.

Lu Feng then added two spoons of light soy sauce and poured in one spoon of dark soy sauce; the water in the pot quickly turned a deep brown.

Finally he added some salt — not too much, not too little — just enough to make the braising liquid moderately salty.

Taking the eggs that already had their cracks tapped, Lu Feng carefully placed them all into the pot, ensuring every egg was completely submerged in the braising liquid.

He then turned the stove to low heat, keeping the braising liquid at a gentle simmer.

With all this done, he put the lid on, leaving only a thin gap for excess heat to slowly escape.

At this point, the tea eggs' preparation work was essentially complete.

Lu Feng checked the time; it was still two hours until opening, and the other ingredients also needed to be prepared.

Taking advantage of the tea eggs' slow simmer, he turned and continued bustling about in the kitchen.

…………

When it was nearly nine o'clock, Lu Feng had finished preparing all the required ingredients and called toward the hall, "Xiao Yun, come here."

Hu Xiaoyun was in the hall wiping tables and chairs that were already clean; hearing the voice, she immediately stood up and hurried to the kitchen door.

"What is it, Boss?"

Her gaze involuntarily fell on the pot holding the tea eggs.

When she had just arrived tonight, she learned the new evening dish was tea eggs.

Hu Xiaoyun couldn't help but wonder inwardly: aren't tea eggs a breakfast food?

Lu Feng smiled at Hu Xiaoyun, pointed at the pot of tea eggs, and said in a flat tone, "Help me write tonight's new dish, Five-Spice Tea Eggs, on the price list on the wall."

Last week he accidentally discovered that Hu Xiaoyun actually wrote beautiful brush calligraphy.

From that day on, Lu Feng formally handed the task of updating the price list to Hu Xiaoyun.

Hu Xiaoyun nodded, fished out a brush from the counter, turned, and walked toward the wall on the left side of the hall.

The characters Lu Feng had originally written on the wall's price list were somewhat crooked; though not exactly ugly, they had little to do with aesthetics.

Now all the characters on it had been rewritten, the handwriting neat and tidy, all from Hu Xiaoyun's hand.

Hu Xiaoyun held the brush, its tip hovering over a blank spot on the wall, turned her head toward Lu Feng in the kitchen, and asked,

"Boss, how much per portion for the tea eggs?"

From the kitchen came Lu Feng's faint voice: "Five-Spice Tea Eggs, 88 yuan per portion, two eggs per portion."

"??"

Hu Xiaoyun was about to set brush to wall; hearing Lu Feng's voice, the brush in her hand jerked violently.

She thought she had misheard the price and hurriedly turned her head to ask again.

"Boss, what did you just say… how much per portion for the tea eggs?"

Lu Feng was tidying the kitchen; he raised his head, looked at Hu Xiaoyun outside, and repeated once more: "88 per portion, two tea eggs."

"B-Boss…"

Hu Xiaoyun's brush hovered, not daring to descend, her voice even stammering: "Two tea eggs… sold for 88? Is this still the price of tea eggs? A bit high, isn't it?"

Normal market prices flashed rapidly through her mind:

Their school cafeteria's breakfast tea eggs cost only one yuan each.

At the breakfast stalls on Food Street, even the most expensive tea eggs were no more than two yuan.

Even when traveling, tea eggs sold in scenic areas cost five yuan at most.

These tea eggs at 88 yuan for two were over twenty times more expensive than ordinary tea eggs!

Even if the boss's culinary skill was excellent, making tea eggs more delicious than anywhere else.

No matter how you put it, they're still just tea eggs, right?

Lu Feng walked out from the Kitchen, looking at Hu Xiaoyun's somewhat panicked appearance, couldn't help but smile: "The price is correct, you write it up first."

Although Hu Xiaoyun felt the tea eggs' price was very unreasonable.

But hearing Lu Feng's incomparably confident tone, she still obediently wrote it up.

After writing, she stepped back two steps, couldn't help but mutter in her heart.

Hope this tea eggs' price won't scare away the diners later.

Lu Feng glanced at the Price List on the wall, nodded satisfied.

"Lu Boss, it's almost time! Today there's a new dish again, right? I smell a tea fragrance, what's the new dish?"

At the Hall Door poked out Zhu Chang's big head that could reflect light, looking at Lu Feng in the shop with a face full of anticipation asking.

Hearing his words, Hu Xiaoyun somewhat guiltily glanced at the Price List on the wall.

"You'll know in a moment."

Lu Feng instead wore a calm face, tone very mysterious saying.

Evening nine o'clock, again arrived today's Business Hours.

The Gate just opened, outside diners immediately impatiently surged into the shop.

"Xiao Yun, what's today's new dish?"

Standing at the very front of the line, as always, was Zhu Chang who lived in the opposite residential complex.

He just walked to the Counter front, hadn't even steadied himself, then facing the Counter behind Hu Xiaoyun loudly asked out.

Hu Xiaoyun stood at the Counter back, face's smile somewhat unnatural.

She didn't dare say it directly, instead raised hand pointed at the Price List on the wall, softly replied: "Brother Zhu, new dish already written on the wall, you one glance will know."

Zhu Chang didn't notice at all her tone's guilt, chubby face full of anticipation.