Beef Fried Rice

"Oh right, I just looked outside the door. Why hasn't the name of your eatery been changed yet?" Bai Yinuo had already completed the necessary certificates to open the eatery, but the name of the shop had not been finalized.

Three days later was an auspicious day suitable for opening, and Bai Yinuo could actually wait until the signboard was installed before doing business. However, because her pockets were empty, leading to a lack of security, she couldn't bear to stay idle. Thus, she planned to try operating for three days first to accumulate some funds before preparing other ingredients. "The signboard is still being made. We should be able to change it when we officially open in three days."

Mrs. Zhou pulled Mr. Zhou, who was talking incessantly, to sit down. "Why do you talk so much? Even food can't shut your mouth. Yinuo, give him a portion of egg fried rice. His teeth are bad; he can't eat beef."

Mr. Zhou whispered, "I'm just caring for Yinuo!"

"Alright, I understand," Bai Yinuo stood up and went into the kitchen.

Uncle Lin asked curiously, "Uncle Zhou, do you not eat dinner at home now?"

"Yes." Mr. Zhou tapped his cane and said proudly, "Rice is hard to digest. Now I drink porridge at night for my health!"

Unexpectedly, Uncle Lin didn't praise his lifestyle but instead probed, "You're not eating this rice?"

Mr. Zhou said frankly, "That's right. No matter what, I won't eat a single bite!"

"But we can't waste it, otherwise...! Let me eat it."

"Fine, you can have it all!"

In the kitchen, Bai Yinuo heated the oil pan, threw in the chopped green onions, which made a crackling sound, then cracked the eggs against the rim of the pan and poured them in. The egg whites and yolks slid into the pan silently. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of lard, eggs, and green onions. She tossed the rice vigorously; the rice was no longer soggy but instead incredibly loose and crispy. When the final product was plated, the rice didn't stick to the pan, the oil didn't stick to the spatula, and the grains didn't stick to the table, showing her perfect control over the heat.

Outside the kitchen, Mr. Zhou, who was chatting with Uncle Lin, gradually caught the aroma from the kitchen and suddenly froze. He saw Bai Yinuo bring out the fried rice, placing a golden egg fried rice in front of him. The grains of rice were distinct, and the eggs spread over the rice looked like gold.

Looking at the egg fried rice before him, he said in astonishment, "When I watched TV before, I heard that egg fried rice is also called golden rice. I used to think that was an exaggeration, but I didn't expect someone could actually make it!"

The aroma and heat wafted into his face, and Mr. Zhou couldn't help but swallow his saliva, his appetite awakened. It looked... so delicious.

He instinctively picked up the spoon beside him, preparing to scoop a mouthful. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side and took the bowl from him. Mr. Zhou's spoon froze in mid-air. "..." This was his fried rice! Who dared to take his food!

Uncle Lin took the rice and said to Mr. Zhou, "Uncle Zhou, I'll take you to have porridge in a bit. For now, let me help you finish this rice!" Although one portion was quite filling, he knew his appetite couldn't be satisfied by just one portion. Now that he had Uncle Zhou's rice, he didn't need to order a second portion. Uncle Zhou was so nice!

Mr. Zhou watched Uncle Lin eat his rice with great satisfaction. The dark aura around Mr. Zhou almost materialized, but the thick-skinned Uncle Lin didn't notice at all. While eating, Uncle Lin nodded and gave Bai Yinuo a thumbs-up: "Yinuo, your skill is truly top-notch!"

Aunt Lin looked at Uncle Lin's complete turnaround and couldn't help but say, "Earlier, you didn't even dare to eat it."

"Haha." Uncle Lin scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "This rice is really delicious!"

Beside them, Zhou Hang sat quietly, brooding over whether to eat fried chicken with tomato sauce or chili sauce later. Suddenly, his nose caught an aroma. After looking at the steaming fried rice on the table, his soul was slowly drawn in. He couldn't help but think that this fried rice seemed a bit different from the one at home—it looked more beautiful and smelled much better.

So he tugged at Mrs. Zhou's hand. "Grandma, I want to eat this."

Mrs. Zhou heard his words and said in surprise, "Really?"

Zhou Hang nodded seriously. "It smells so good, as good as fried chicken."

Mrs. Zhou quickly picked up the spoon, scooped some fried rice, and fed it to Zhou Hang. He chewed slowly, his round eyes widening. "So delicious!"