New ink fragrance in old times

Lin Wenhong: "Okay, let's eat."

Lin Xiya nodded and took Tang Qing and the others to take a seat.

Because of the delay caused by outsiders, the Lin family's lunch took a long time.

Lin Sizhe picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of dough and put it in his mouth. As soon as he took a bite, his brows frowned involuntarily. He whispered to Lin Mo who was sitting next to him:

"Third brother, the dough in my bowl seems to have cooled down and become hard. I can't bite it. It doesn't taste good at all. It makes my teeth hurt."

Lin Mo looked up at the dough in Lin Sizhe's bowl. Sure enough, compared with the crystal clear, soft and delicious appearance when it was first served on the table, the dough now looked a little dry and stiff.

He couldn't help but feel a little regretful, but then he thought of a solution, so he comforted her: "Why don't you try eating a freshly steamed one first."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Tang Qing and Tang Xin, who were sitting at the other end of the table, complained almost at the same time.

Tang Xin picked at the dough in her bowl with her chopsticks and said helplessly, "Mine is the same. The dough is as hard as a rock and I can't bite it at all."

Tangshan also echoed, his eyes full of disappointment with the food.

Lin Xiya heard the children's complaints and sighed softly: "This is my fault."

"Oh, what a waste of dough."

Lin Xiya sighed softly, then looked at Tang Qing and the others tenderly: "Give me the cold noodles."

At this moment, Lin Mo's eyes suddenly flashed with inspiration, and he thought of a simple and practical solution. He turned to look at Lin Xuejin, who was quietly eating beside him, and said, "Dad, can you help me scoop a bowl of water from the pot?"

Although Lin Xuejin was a little confused, he got up and went when he saw his son's serious expression. After a while, he came over with a bowl of steaming hot water.

He placed the bowl in front of Lin Mo and reminded him, "Sanlang, the water is hot. Let it cool for a while before drinking it. Don't burn your mouth."

Lin Mo took the boiled water, but did not rush to drink it. Instead, he gestured to Lin Sizhe to put the bowl aside.

Lin Mo carefully picked up the dough with chopsticks and gently poured it into boiling water. The originally hard dough became soft after being washed by the hot water.

"See, that's all."

Lin Mo looked at Lin Sizhe with a smile, his tone filled with pride and anticipation: "Silang, try it and see if you can bite it now."

Lin Sizhe half-believed and half-doubtedly picked up a piece of boiled dough and put it in his mouth. After chewing it for a few times, a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Third brother, it's really become soft! It's just still a little hard!"

Lin Mo became more convinced that his method was effective and praised his own cleverness.

He re-scalded the dough for Lin Sizhe to ensure that each piece had the best taste.

When Lin Xiya saw this scene, her eyes lit up and she quickly followed Lin Mo's example and rinsed the noodles in Tang Qing and Tang Xin's bowls with water.

After a while, the dough that had become hard due to being left for too long regained its original softness and deliciousness.

"Wow, it's really gotten soft!"

Tang Xin exclaimed in surprise. He looked at Lin Mo gratefully, "Cousin, you are so smart!"

Tang Shan also clapped his hands excitedly and cast an admiring gaze at Lin Mo: "Cousin, you are so amazing!"

Zhao Yue'e looked at Lin Mo with a smile, her eyes full of curiosity: "Sanlang, how did you come up with this idea? Grandma really didn't expect that our little Sanlang is so smart."

Lin Mo scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "Grandma, actually, I came up with this idea after seeing you guys cooking noodles. I thought, if noodles become soft when boiled in a pot, then the dough should become soft too, right? So I tried putting the dough into the hot water as well, and I didn't expect it to actually work."

At this point, a hint of pride flashed in Lin Mo's eyes, but then he thought of more, and he muttered to himself:

Can I say that besides steaming the dough in a steamer, you can also blanch it? Moreover, in addition to being served cold, this dough can actually be eaten in a stew, which tastes pretty good too.

And Wang Jie has done this a lot in the past. However, I definitely can’t say this, otherwise I’ll be finished.

Zhao Yue'e couldn't stop laughing after hearing what Lin Mo said: "Oh, our Sanlang is really smart. He can even think of this."

At this time, Lin Wenhong also joined the conversation. He praised: "Sanlang, your idea is good. Come on, let's all follow Sanlang's example and scald the dough before eating it."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement and began to put the dough in their bowls into hot water to soften them.

For a moment, the kitchen was filled with laughter. Everyone praised Lin Mo's cleverness and forgot the previous unpleasantness.

After the meal, Zhao Yue'e patted her belly with satisfaction, turned to Shen Xin and said, "Today's meal is really thanks to Sanlang. You and the second son's wife, go soak some more flour, and we'll continue steaming the dough tomorrow."

Shen Xin smiled and nodded: "Mom, don't worry, we will prepare it right away."

Zhao Yue'e turned to Xing'er and Hua'er beside her and said, "You two, go light the fire. I want to steam all the remaining batter."

"Got it, grandma."

Xing'er and Hua'er immediately sprang into action, one busy carrying firewood while the other lit the fire. Soon, curls of smoke rose from the stove, and the whole kitchen was filled with the unique aroma of dough.

Zhao Yue'e stood in front of the stove, skillfully spread out the steaming cloth and scooped in the batter. Her technique was skillful and rhythmic.

Huaer blinked her big, curious eyes, tilted her head, and asked her grandmother with a puzzled look on her face: "Grandma, look at this batter. There's much less batter than this morning. Is there something special about it?"

Zhao Yue'e looked at Hua'er with a smile, but her eyes inadvertently flashed with anticipation for the new method she was about to try. She continued working, answering gently while busying herself:

"Hua'er, grandma is experimenting. She's thinking about whether it would be more delicate and soft if the dough was steamed thinner. We always made it thicker at home, but today grandma wants to try a different method. What do you think?"

Hua'er's eyes lit up immediately after hearing this, and she clapped her hands excitedly: "Wow, Grandma, you are so smart! This thin dough must be delicious!"

Xing'er, who was slightly bigger than Hua, couldn't hold back her curiosity and quietly moved closer, staring closely at every subtle movement of Zhao Yue'e's hands, afraid of missing any details.

Her face was full of nervousness and anticipation, and she was also cheering for Zhao Yue'e's new attempt.

However, the next few sheets of dough seemed to be deliberately against Zhao Yue'e. Either they stuck tightly to the steaming cloth and could not be torn off, or there was too little dough and the dough could not be formed at all.

A trace of helplessness and anxiety gradually appeared on Zhao Yue'e's face, but she did not give up. Instead, she devoted herself more fully to the next attempt.

Although the grandmother was a little disappointed, she immediately put away her emotions and comforted her grandmother in her childish but firm voice: "Grandma, don't worry, try a few more times, maybe you can find a way."

Zhao Yue'e nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down.

However, the successive failures made her face more and more solemn, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Seeing this, Xing'er and Hua'er didn't dare to say a word, for fear that any action they took would disturb grandma and cause them to suffer.

After Shen Xin and the others completed Zhao Yue'e's instructions, they consciously found a place to stand aside. Their eyes seemed to be drawn by invisible threads, and they all focused on Zhao Yue'e's dexterous hands.

Zhao Yue'e was busy in front of the stove, and every movement seemed so skillful and focused, as if she was having a silent conversation with the batter and steamer in her hands.

Shen Xin stood aside, her eyes closely following Zhao Yue'e's every move. She noticed that although Zhao Yue'e was skilled, she could not hide the hostility between her brows.

Zhao Yue'e fought again and again despite repeated failures, but she was never willing to give up.

Shen Xin's heart moved, and he spoke softly, wanting to give Zhao Yue'e a way out, while also expressing his desire to learn: "Mom, you see you have been busy for so long, why don't you take a break first and let me try."