1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 50 Fried Radish Meatballs

"This cat is quite intelligent; it knows who treats it well."

Director Du found it amusing and couldn't help but interject, "Why don't you keep one at home?"

“I used to keep them when my family lived in the military compound.”

Lin Xiyu thought of her childhood, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes: "Later, my father passed away, and my mother took me away from the compound. When we moved, that cat refused to come with us no matter what. Even tying it up with a rope didn't work. When we got to the new house, it scratched the shaman to pieces, ran away, and never came back. My mother was heartbroken and didn't want to keep it anymore."

"Cats are worse than dogs; they're ungrateful wretches that can never be tamed."

Director Du coughed twice, his expression somewhat unnatural.

"Perhaps it has another home outside."

Li Yan has a unique way of thinking and her own insights: "I can't bear to leave my wife and children to go back to them."

That's what I told my mom too.

Lin Xiyu chuckled and smiled, "Later, I even went back once and saw several litters of kittens in the courtyard that looked quite like it."

"Ah."

Li Yan joked with a smile, "This guy is quite the womanizer; he's slept with quite a few female cats."

"Yeah, I think so too."

Lin Xiyu wholeheartedly agreed and nodded repeatedly.

"Xi Yu is back?"

Lin Xiyu's mother, Chen Xiulan, heard the laughter, lifted the curtain, and came out of the house.

"mom."

Lin Xiyu happily raised her arm and shook the plastic bag in her hand: "Director Du said that we'll be filming fried lotus root and radish balls for dinner, and we've already bought all the meat and vegetables we need."

"It's just cooking a meal, there's no need to buy groceries."

Chen Xiulan looked at the plastic bag of horseshoe-shaped sesame cakes and smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Director Du is too kind."

Director Du grinned and said, "There are many of us, we can't just eat for free."

"It's almost 5 o'clock."

Chen Xiulan glanced at the wall inside the room and urged her daughter with a smile, "Since Director Du and the others are having dinner at home, don't delay, hurry up and start working. First, wash the lotus root and shred the radish." "Okay."

Lin Xiyu obediently agreed, took the vegetables from Li Yan's hand, and walked towards the pool.

-

Fried radish balls are a classic home-style dish that Lin Xiyu has loved since she was a child.

She had learned to fry radish balls from her grandmother, and she was not afraid of the camera at all. In no time, she washed the radish, peeled it, and shredded it into thin strips.

Grandma also came out of the house and stood at the kitchen door, directing her granddaughter to add salt to the grated radish and rub it with her hands.

After the radish has softened from the water, add chopped green onions, minced ginger, eggs, flour, and Sichuan peppercorn water, and stir into a thick batter.

The young girl was serene and composed; her delicate, fair hands, kneading the shredded radish, were captivating to behold.

The cameraman couldn't help but point the lens at her hand, taking a close-up shot.

-

The radish paste is ready.

Lin Xiyu added oil to the large iron pot. When the oil was 60% hot, she shaped the radish batter into balls and placed them into the pot one by one to fry over low heat.

There were quite a few people having dinner that evening, so she fried a whole pot of radish balls.

Once the meatballs float to the surface of the pot, turning golden brown, the glistening, red and green meatballs look incredibly appealing.

Lin Xiyu used a strainer to scoop out the meatballs and placed them in a basin to drain the oil.

"smell good."

Li Yan walked into the kitchen holding a microphone, picked up a piece with chopsticks, and put it in her mouth.

The freshly cooked radish balls are perfectly salty, crispy, and fragrant with every bite.

"Delicious, so delicious."

She didn't mind the heat, breathing out hot air as she ate one after another in front of the camera, making the cameraman roll his eyes repeatedly.

(End of this chapter)