Chapter 647 - 524: This Is... Pretty Much Impossible! (Part 2)
What?
Why haven’t you run away from home?
Hmm.
After running away from home, if the humans don’t come looking, they wouldn’t have the face to come back...
Besides, "It’s easy to go from frugal to lavish, but hard to go from lavish to frugal"...
Once you leave, it means never getting to eat the delicious meals made by the humans again, but staying means at least getting to taste some...
So!
Running away from home is impossible, absolutely impossible for this lifetime.
Watching her friend Bun with a sullen expression, Qingqing’s heart was instantly filled with gentle pity.
She slowly squatted down, gently stroking Bun’s fluffy little head, offering it the kindest comfort: "Bun, daddy is doing this for your own good, but don’t you worry, I’ll secretly give you some more, please don’t be sad, okay?"
At the same time.
Weiwei looked at Pumpkin Pie’s pitiful little face, and her heart softened completely, quickly joining in to comfort it: "Pumpkin Pie, seeing your little face really tugs at my heart. Rest assured, I’ll also sneak you some extra treats when daddy’s not looking, don’t be sad, I’m here for you."
The little humans love them the most...
Bun and Pumpkin Pie felt so touched that they nearly shed two wide noodle-like tears in their hearts. Each of them used their little heads to nuzzle against Qingqing’s and Weiwei’s hands, and their "meow meow" coaxing made Qingqing and Weiwei smile like blooming flowers.
Orange watched these two little ones being so good at winning affection, and though it showed disdain on the surface, a hint of envy was aroused in its heart.
It also wanted to be pampered by the humans and have them relent and give extra meals.
But given the human’s nature, that... would be quite difficult!
Just as Orange was pondering what to do, an idea suddenly popped into its mind—how about this cat also tries to lower its pride and act cute to the humans?
After all, who can resist the charming assault of a cute and cuddly cat?
Clueless that Orange was about to embark on a brand new "affection-seeking" journey, Huang Jun was busy preparing to make claypot rice.
He poured the rice into a basin of clean water, and as the water rippled, the grains gleefully tumbled, as if enjoying a refreshing "SPA."
Soaking the rice like this allows it to become plumper when cooked, reducing the chance of being half-cooked and making it cook faster.
During this time.
He carefully put the cured meat and sausage into a pot, then added cooking wine for a quick blanch, about two minutes.
This step is crucial as it thoroughly removes dust and impurities that may have clung to the cured meat during air-drying.
After blanching...
He quickly removed the cured meat and sausage, drained the water, then placed them into a steamer.
Since the cured meats get harder after drying, steaming them softens them and allows the aroma to be better released.
As steam rose, an enticing fragrance filled the kitchen...
Seeing the cured meat and sausage in the steamer softening gradually, he turned off the heat and took them out one by one, laying them neatly on the cutting board.
He picked up a sharp kitchen knife and, with a smooth twist of his wrist, sliced the cured meat into perfectly thick pieces using his flowing "rolling knife" technique.
This cutting method not only makes the cured meat look more enticing but also makes it easier to eat, enhancing appetite.
The sausages were not neglected; he meticulously sliced them diagonally into even pieces, complementing the cured meat on the plate, bright red and alluring, like an exquisite painting waiting to unfold.
He also skillfully transformed some scallions into finely chopped scallion pieces, bright green and fresh, lying quietly in a bowl.
Everything needed was ready!
He walked over to the bowl of soaked rice and examined it carefully.
Hey, that’s great!
The rice grains were plump and just right,
Without a word, he poured all the rice into the sieve, rinsed it with clear water to make it cleaner and fresher.
Then he took the washed claypot, placed it steadily on the stove, added some clean water inside, and heated it slowly on medium heat.
When the water started bubbling...
He poured the prepared rice into the steaming claypot.
Why wait until the water boils to add the rice?
Because soaking the rice opens up the grains, putting them in cold water would keep them at a warm temperature for a short time and cause them to absorb water like a sponge, preventing evenly cooked plump rice.
Adding water also has its tips, just enough to cover the rice by about the height of a pinky finger joint.
If there’s too much water, just scoop some out.
He gently closed the lid.
As time gradually passed...
The rice in the claypot softened and turned sticky, with a fine layer of rice slurry appearing on the surface, as if covered with a sheer veil.
At this point, he turned the heat to low, lightly removed the lid, and a hot steam accompanied by a rich rice fragrance wafted up.
He couldn’t help but sniff it, while evenly spreading the sliced sausage and cured meat on the rice, then quickly covered the lid to let the flavors continue to meld.
Next, he drizzled some oil along the edge of the pot, letting it silently slip to the bottom and help the rice crust bake to a crisp.
Now it’s just a matter of waiting patiently.
Every 20 seconds or so, he rotated the claypot slightly so that the heat touched every side, ensuring a fragrant claypot rice.
About ten minutes later...
A tantalizing aroma of crusty rice began to permeate, signaling it was time.