Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Li Ran and Zhang Jingyi returned to the apartment together.

In the living room, Liu Haocun was curled up on the sofa.

She was wearing a loose white T-shirt, her hair was casually tied up, and she was holding Douzi in her arms, dozing off with her eyes half-closed.

There was some kind of variety show playing on TV, but the volume was low, almost like background noise.

Hearing the noise, Liu Haocun raised her head, her doe eyes filled with a lazy drowsiness. Seeing Zhang Jingyi following behind Li Ran, she sat up straight and moved Douzai to the side.

"You're back?" she asked, her voice soft and slightly hoarse from just waking up.

Li Ran nodded and sat down on the single sofa.

Zhang Jingyi followed behind him, changed into slippers, and naturally sat down next to Liu Haocun, reaching out to scoop Douzai up and hug him.

The little guy hummed and whimpered a couple of times, found a comfortable position, and closed his eyes again.

"What do you want to eat tonight?" Li Ran asked, her gaze fixed on Liu Haocun's face.

Liu Haocun tilted his head, his doe eyes narrowing into two crescent moons, and said with a hint of smugness, "Northeastern cuisine!"

She paused, then added, as if afraid Li Ran wouldn't agree: "I remember when you came home with me, you learned several dishes from my mom."

Li Ran nodded, not denying it.

He cooked those dishes a few times afterward, and they tasted alright; at least they didn't turn out badly.

He turned to Zhang Jingyi: "Jingyi, what would you like to eat?"

Zhang Jingyi was looking down at Douzai when she heard this. She looked up, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm fine with anything."

She paused, then spoke again, her tone slightly tentative: "By the way, brother, isn't there a dish called 'Snowy Red Bean Paste' in Northeastern cuisine? Do you know how to make it? I'd really like to try it."

The smile on Li Ran's face froze instantly.

His expression was subtle...

The corners of her mouth still held the same curve, but she stood there frozen, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Liu Haocun burst out laughing.

She laughed heartily, her shoulders shaking, and as she laughed, she turned to look at Zhang Jingyi, explaining, "Making snow-white red bean paste is really troublesome; it really tests your skills. I don't think Li Ran would be able to..."

She deliberately dragged out the word "no," glancing at Li Ran's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

Li Ran remained silent for a few seconds.

He quickly recalled how to make snow-white red bean paste in his mind...

Zhang Jingyi spoke those words very softly, as if they were just casual remarks, but the expectation in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Try it out, find a tutorial online," Li Ran said slowly.

Zhang Jingyi smiled and nodded, her tone as relaxed as if she were talking about something trivial: "It's okay, if it fails, I'll just feed it to Douzai."

Douzi twitched its ears in her arms, as if sensing some inexplicable crisis.

Liu Haocun looked at Li Ran and asked, "Do you have any red bean paste at home?"

Li Ran shook his head and glanced at the clock on the wall; it was a little past four in the afternoon.

"It's still early, let's go to the supermarket."

Liu Haocun immediately stood up from the sofa, his movements so swift that it seemed he had been waiting for those words for a long time.

She reached out and grabbed Zhang Jingyi's wrist, pulling her up from the sofa: "Okay! Then Jingyi and I will go together! You stay home and do the other things."

Zhang Jingyi stumbled as she was pulled, and Douzi almost fell out of her arms. She quickly caught him with her hands.

She steadied herself, looked down at the dog in her arms, then looked up at Liu Haocun, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in her eyes: "So hasty?"

Liu Haocun blinked his doe eyes, "Go early and come back early."

Watching the two busy figures, Li Ran suddenly remembered something and called out, "We still need to buy cornstarch."

"knew……"

Liu Haocun's voice came from the entrance hall, the last syllable drawn out, with a hint of "Do you even need to tell me?"

The door clicked shut.

The living room quieted down, with only the laughter from the variety show on TV and the rustling sound of Douzai rolling around on the sofa.

Li Ran stood for a while, then turned and went into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and took out the eggs, sugar, and flour one by one, arranging them on the cutting board.

Then I took out my phone, searched for a tutorial video on how to make snow-white red bean paste, leaned my phone against the condiment rack, and pressed play.

"Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form..." The chef in the video said in a calm voice.

Li Ran looked at the bowl of snow-white meringue on the screen, then at the eggs in her hand, and took a deep breath.

Try it.

At worst, I'll just feed Douzi.

……

When Zhang Jingyi and Liu Haocun returned carrying large and small bags, Li Ran had just finished beating the egg whites.

He stood in front of the counter, a bowl of snow-white meringue in front of him. He held an egg beater in his hand and was scraping the last bit of meringue from the edge of the bowl into the bowl. His movements were not very skilled, but he was very serious.

Several eggshells were scattered on the cutting board next to it, and the egg yolks were placed in a small bowl, turning bright yellow.

Liu Haocun placed the shopping bag on the dining table and saw the bowl of egg whites that Li Ran had prepared.

"It's finished so quickly?" She walked over and took a closer look.

The meringue in the bowl was white and delicate, with a smooth surface like melted ice cream and a beautiful sheen.

She picked up a chopstick from the side and stuck it in the hole... The chopstick stood firmly upright, without moving an inch.

Li Ran put down the egg beater, turned to look at her, and said with a hint of smugness, "With an egg beater, it'll only take a few minutes."

Liu Haocun pursed his lips, put the chopsticks back, crossed his arms, and struck a pose of an expert: "Professional chefs beat egg whites by hand. Egg whites beaten by hand are much finer than those beaten by machine, and the taste is completely different."

Li Ran leaned against the kitchen counter, looking at her pretentious mature demeanor, and couldn't help but laugh.

He tilted his head, his tone slightly joking and irreverent: "Am I a proper chef? You know I don't like to foam myself... Why don't you foam it for me by hand? It'll still get foamy."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted downwards, making a pointed remark.

Liu Haocun tilted his head and thought for a moment, then slowly frowned, his expression changing from confusion to disgust, until his whole face scrunched up.

"I haven't eaten yet!"

She glared at him, her tone genuinely disgusted, "You're disgusting."

Li Ran grinned mischievously, lowering his voice by half an octave: "It's not like you haven't eaten it before..."

"elder brother!"

Zhang Jingyi's voice came from the kitchen doorway. It wasn't loud, but it was enough to interrupt him.

She stood at the door, still holding a bag of cornstarch she hadn't had time to put down, her expression a mix of speechlessness and helplessness, her ears slightly red.

"Hurry up and cook..."

She said, trying to remain calm, but her voice trailed off slightly: "I feel like something dirty has gotten into my head..."

Li Ran glanced back at her, then looked at Liu Haocun who had turned away and pretended to organize his shopping bags, and wisely stopped talking.

"Okay, okay, I'll cook."

He turned around, moved the bowl of meringue aside to make room on the work surface, and said, "You two, shape the red bean paste into balls, make sure they're all the same size, and not too big, otherwise they won't fry properly."

Liu Haocun and Zhang Jingyi exchanged a glance, tacitly ignoring their previous conversation, and walked to the dining table to begin unpacking the shopping bags.

The red bean paste filling was pre-made, packaged, and had a moderate sweetness.

Liu Haocun poured the red bean paste into a small bowl and stirred it with chopsticks to soften it. Zhang Jingyi laid a layer of plastic wrap next to her to prevent the red bean paste from sticking to her hands.

The two started making red bean paste balls.

Liu Haocun's hands are small, and the red bean paste balls he rolls are also small, round, and neatly arranged on the plate, like a row of soldiers waiting for inspection.

Zhang Jingyi's were slightly larger, but still very neat. Occasionally, one or two wouldn't be perfectly round, so she would roll them around in her palm a couple more times until she was satisfied.

Li Ran watched them from the kitchen, a slight smile playing on her lips, as she added an appropriate amount of cornstarch to the beaten egg whites.

……

When the oil in the pan was heated to about 30% of its maximum temperature, Li Ran began to coat the red bean paste.

The meringue was whipped very successfully; it has a light and dense texture, and when you scoop it up with a spoon, it forms a small pointed peak.

He carefully placed the red bean paste balls into the meringue, turned them over with a spoon to coat them, and then gently slid them into the oil.

"Sizzle..."

When the meringue comes into contact with hot oil, the surface quickly solidifies, turning into a plump little white ball that slowly floats to the surface of the oil and gently rolls around.

Liu Haocun moved closer to the pot, his eyes fixed on the changes in the oil, his expression even more tense than Li Ran's.

"Li Ran, you need to control the heat well," she reminded him, her voice low, as if afraid of disturbing the food in the pot.

"Don't make it yellow... It has to be snow-white to be called snow-white red bean paste. If it's yellow, it'll just be fried red bean paste balls."

Li Ran didn't speak, his eyes fixed on the oil pan, his chopsticks gently stirring the small balls to ensure they were heated evenly.

……

The final product is white, but not pure snow white; it has a hint of ivory, as if it has been gently sun-dried.

The shape is intact, round and plump, without any collapse, and the surface is smooth, so its appearance is acceptable.

"It's alright." Liu Haocun leaned closer to take a look and gave a barely acceptable evaluation.

Li Ran continued frying, producing six in one batch.

He got a little impatient with the last few, and the oil temperature was a little too high. The finished products had a light yellow tinge, but they all maintained their shape very well, and none of them cracked or collapsed.

"They're ruined." Liu Haocun pointed to the few darker-colored ones, his tone tinged with regret.

Zhang Jingyi stood to the side, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the row of plump, white balls on the plate: "They look delicious."

"I'd say it's barely a success," Liu Haocun nodded, then turned to Li Ran. "Quick, sprinkle some powdered sugar!"

Li Ran took out a sugar sieve from the cabinet and sprinkled a layer evenly on the snow-white bean paste.

The white powdered sugar falling on the pale yellow surface looked like a thin layer of snow, instantly improving its appearance.

He took out a few more and sprinkled them with cocoa powder and matcha powder respectively.

Brown cocoa powder and bright green matcha powder dotted the white spheres, making them look quite realistic.

"Try it." He pushed the plate in front of the two of them.

Zhang Jingyi and Liu Haocun each picked up one; Zhang Jingyi took the original flavor, and Liu Haocun took the matcha flavor.

They both took a bite at the same time.

The meringue melts in your mouth, as light as a cloud, while the sweetness of the red bean paste slowly unfolds on your tongue, not cloying at all, just right.

"Hmm..." Liu Haocun squinted, his cheeks puffed out, and mumbled, "Not bad for my first time."

Zhang Jingyi nodded and smiled, "Looks like I don't need to feed Douzai anymore."

Douzai jumped off the sofa at some point, squatted at the kitchen doorway, looked up at them, its little tail wagging on the floor, and its eyes filled with anticipation.

Li Ran also took a matcha flavored one and took a bite.

The slight bitterness of matcha and the sweetness of red bean paste blended together unexpectedly, creating a more layered flavor than the original. He chewed a couple of times, nodded, and silently made a mental note of the combination.

After finishing the snow-white red bean paste, Li Ran washed the pot and started preparing the main meal.

The recipe for Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork) was taught to Liu Haocun by his mother. He memorized the proportions of the sweet and sour sauce, so he could follow it without making a mistake.

Thinly slice the pork tenderloin, coat it with starch batter, and fry it twice until the outer shell is golden and crispy. Then, fry it again and coat it with sweet and sour sauce, giving it a fragrant aroma.

Di San Xian is a common dish in Northeast China, consisting of potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers. They are first fried in oil and then stir-fried. The potatoes are soft and tender, the eggplant is soaked in the broth, and the green peppers are crisp and sweet. The three textures blend together, making it a great dish to eat with rice.

Mu Shu Pork was made last. It consists of eggs, wood ear mushrooms, cucumber slices, and pork slices, stir-fried quickly over high heat. A little sesame oil is drizzled on top before serving, giving it a beautiful color and a refreshing taste that perfectly balances the richness of the previous two dishes.

With three dishes served, plus the previous plate of snow-white red bean paste as dessert, dinner was complete.

……

After finishing her meal, Zhang Jingyi didn't linger and took Douzai back to her apartment.

Liu Haocun escorted her to the door, and the two whispered a few words in the entryway. Li Ran, sitting on the sofa, didn't hear them clearly, but she saw Liu Haocun nod, smile, and then close the door.

The moment the door lock clicked shut, the living room fell silent.

Liu Haocun turned around, stood against the door for a while, then walked back in his slippers, naturally flopped onto the sofa, and lay down in Li Ran's arms.

Li Ran turned to look at her: "It's my birthday tomorrow, where do you want to go?"

Liu Haocun did not answer immediately.

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, her doe eyes narrowing, a half-smile playing on her lips, before asking, "Didn't you prepare any surprises for me?"

The tone was both tentative and matter-of-fact...

It seemed she was certain he was ready, but she also wanted to hear him say it in person.

Li Ran smiled and reached out to brush aside the stray hairs that fell in front of her eyes: "Would it still be a surprise if I told you?"

Liu Haocun stared at him for two seconds, as if trying to determine whether what he said was true or false.

Then she nodded, as if accepting the suggestion, thought about it seriously, and said, "I want to go to Happy Valley, is that okay?"

"Happy Valley?" Li Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Mmm." She nodded, a hint of eagerness in her eyes. "I want to go play."

Li Ran mentally reviewed tomorrow's date: May 20th, Thursday, a weekday, but it was a lucky day due to its homophonic pun.

Young couples probably wouldn't pass up the opportunity for a date just because it's not the weekend.

"Then I'll have to disguise myself. Tomorrow is May 520th, there will definitely be a lot of young couples."

Instead of being worried, Liu Haocun smiled even more happily.

She sat up from the sofa, crossed her legs, rested her hands on her knees, leaned forward slightly, and said in a tone of childlike excitement about an adventure: "I like this kind of thing, how should I put it... a little thrilling."

She paused, then suddenly changed her tone, saying each word carefully: "The rising star and her top boyfriend were spotted mysteriously visiting an amusement park on May 520th."

Li Ran was amused by her appearance: "You've already thought of a headline for the marketing accounts?"

Liu Haocun smiled mysteriously, without denying it.

She leaned back on the sofa, hugging a cushion, resting her chin on it, her eyes darting around: "Isn't it good? After the Weibo Night event, our CP (couple pairing) hasn't been very popular anymore, and now all I see on the screen is you and Zhang Jingyi's 'Heart for You'."

When she said "I love you so much," she emphasized it, drawing out the last syllable, as if she were jealous or teasing.

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "I was still outdone by those two men."

Liu Haocun paused for a moment, then realized what he meant, nodded, and his expression became somewhat subtle: "Indeed... those yaoi fans are quite outrageous, but didn't your and Zhang Jingyi's 'Xin Yi Wei Ran' reach number one several times?"

She counted on her fingers, as if reviewing some data: "And Wada Shimizu's 'Passionate Smile' was also featured..."

Li Ran casually replied, "Just like you, I bought them. Didn't you see they're not on the list anymore?"

As soon as he said it, Liu Haocun's reaction was stronger than he had expected.

Her eyes widened instantly, her mouth opened slightly, and then she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

A hint of guilt at being exposed, along with an awkward smile, peeked through her fingers from her deer-like eyes: "Ah... she bought it too..."

Li Ran couldn't help but laugh when he saw her guilty look.

He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his arms, and looked at her leisurely: "Alright, I knew you bought 'Intentional Ignition'?"

Liu Haocun immediately lowered his hand, sat up straight, and his expression became righteous and indignant, like a child who had been wronged.

"What?! 'Intentionally Ignite' is real! I just... just bought a tiny bit of the hype."

She used her finger to indicate a very small amount, about the size of a fingernail.

"But who knew," she continued, her tone becoming a mix of grievance and smugness, "that night you had your accident, and it just exploded all over the place. I didn't even have time to make up for it a second time..."

Li Ran found it amusing yet helpless to do anything about her guilty yet self-righteous demeanor.

He shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of warning, but the corners of his mouth were turned up: "Have fun tomorrow, and don't you dare cause any trouble."

Liu Haocun nodded obediently, his expression completely innocent: "I know, I know."

She stood up from the sofa and patted her pants.

"Going to take a shower and go to bed..."

As Liu Haocun spoke, he reached out and grabbed Li Ran's wrist, pulling him up from the sofa.

Li Ran slowly spoke, "What's the rush? Are you hungry again?"

"We need to get up early tomorrow!"

Liu Haocun pulled him towards the bedroom without turning his head, saying matter-of-factly, "Shouldn't we go to the amusement park early? Otherwise, we'll be waiting in line until dark."

Li Ran was dragged across the living room by her, his slippers making a soft rustling sound as they dragged across the floor.

He asked, "Have you bought your tickets?"

Liu Haocun nodded: "I bought it a couple of days ago, and I've been waiting for you to take me!"

……