Chapter 222: Deep-fried Spring Rolls

Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Deep-fried Spring Rolls

Suddenly, Nan Zhi remembered a key plot point—

Although the original male protagonist, Qi Zhang, had a tragic childhood without parents, he had been too young when they passed away to remember much of anything.

Instead, for as long as he could remember, it was his aunt, Qi Pei’er, who raised him.

Qi Pei’er genuinely doted on Qi Zhang, treating him like family, a mother, and a friend. She had practically held up his entire world!

It wasn’t until Qi Pei’er’s death that his world completely collapsed.

His life spiraled into a downturn, and his personality changed drastically...

"Zhizhi, what are you thinking about? You’re so lost in thought."

Qi Pei’er’s clear voice broke Nan Zhi out of her reverie.

She couldn’t help but look up at the bright, vibrant face before her, recalling the description of Qi Pei’er’s fate in the book—

Her new song would get embroiled in a plagiarism scandal, cutting her burgeoning singing career short. She would never recover, eventually falling into a depression and taking her own life.

Suicide?

Qi Pei’er?

Nan Zhi couldn’t possibly connect those two things.

After thinking it over, the only explanation she could come up with was ’plot progression’.

Because the ’plot’ needed the male protagonist to have a tragic life, his only relative had to die.

Otherwise, how else would he suffer a blow that would force him to rapidly mature and become steady and reserved?

’Thinking about it that way, Qi Pei’er’s existence is a bit like mine, the villain’s mother.’

’We’re both just cannon fodder.’

"You said you’ve been recording a new song recently, preparing to release an album?"

Nan Zhi asked out of the blue.

Qi Pei’er, who was in the middle of chewing, was a bit stunned by the sudden question.

It wasn’t for any particular reason.

It was just that she had gotten so into her role as an elementary school music teacher that she had completely forgotten her actual job was being a singer.

After Nan Zhi’s reminder, she stared blankly for a good ten seconds before it dawned on her.

"Oh, right, the new album... What about it?"

Qi Pei’er asked cautiously.

Nan Zhi replied with perfect nonchalance:

"Nothing much. I just want to hear your new song."

Qi Pei’er didn’t suspect a thing and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh, is that all? You should have said so sooner! I’ll give you a copy of the album! And you have to come to my concert. I’ll save you a front-row seat... Oh! How about I bring all our students?"

The idea had just popped into her head, but the more Qi Pei’er thought about it, the more she liked it.

She wasn’t exactly a top-tier star, but as a singer-songwriter who had penned a hit song before, her royalties alone amounted to a substantial income.

Plus, after filming "The Cub," her appearance fees had skyrocketed, and she had just received payment for an endorsement deal...

Putting other things aside, she could definitely afford to take more than fifty children to Yanjing for her concert!

But excitement was one thing; Qi Pei’er didn’t forget to ask for Nan Zhi’s opinion.

In her eyes, that was the most important part.

Fortunately, Nan Zhi agreed it was a great idea.

"When the time comes, we’ll split all the costs fifty-fifty."

Nan Zhi’s share of the profits from the restaurant she partnered with was quite substantial, and it was only going to increase in the future.

She had even started thinking about buying a house recently.

With her personal savings, covering this expense would be no problem at all.

Qi Pei’er’s eyes lit up.

"Great! It’s a deal!"

The two of them had their conversation away from the microphones.

As a result, even the audience couldn’t hear what they were saying. Seeing them smiling, viewers couldn’t help but comment, "They get along so well."

Nan Zhi secretly filed away the matter of Qi Pei’er’s plagiarism scandal in the back of her mind and then continued with her class.

The students stumbled through the process, but in the end, they all managed to successfully make acceptable spring pancakes.

Next, it was time to prepare the fillings, and the possible combinations were endless.

Nan Zhi didn’t set any specific limits, allowing the students to get creative and pick out their favorite vegetables.

After all, any vegetable from this season would be fresh, tender, and delicious.

Everyone excitedly crowded around the vegetable baskets, choosing their ingredients carefully.

The children, none older than ten, rarely had the chance to make their own decisions, so they cherished this opportunity, discussing their options with great enthusiasm.

One said they wanted scrambled eggs with yellow chives, another insisted on adding raw radish, and someone even suggested putting in milk candy...

Nan Zhi didn’t stick to tradition and encouraged all of their ideas.

The one point she stressed was that the students had to eat whatever spring pancakes they made. It didn’t matter if it turned out to be a bizarre concoction—wasting food was shameful!

As children from the mountains who had watched their elders farm for a living, the students understood the value of food better than anyone, so they readily accepted Nan Zhi’s requirement.

Some of the children who had been eager to "innovate" completely dropped the idea.

During this time, Nan Zhi wasn’t idle either; she prepared several classic fillings.

In addition, she also made deep-fried spring rolls—

She mixed shredded chicken and vegetables, added seasoning, wrapped the mixture in the semi-translucent pancake wrappers to form cylinders, and then lowered them into a pot of warm oil to fry until golden brown, crispy, and fragrant.

Eating these deep-fried spring rolls offered a completely different kind of flavor.

With a gentle bite, the light, crispy shell shattered delicately between the teeth, and the savory, tender filling gushed out, flooding every corner of the mouth.

In that instant, it was as if you had truly taken a bite of spring itself!

Qi Pei’er stood guard by the oil pot, eating so happily she could only make muffled sounds, repeatedly giving Nan Zhi a thumbs-up.

Teacher Zhang and the others weren’t as thick-skinned as Qi Pei’er. It took several invitations from Nan Zhi before they came over to eat.

But after eating, they quickly returned to their posts, keeping a close watch on their surroundings, afraid that a student might make a mistake and get burned or cut.

Nan Zhi also knew her limits.

She would, at most, allow the students to steam or pan-fry. Dangerous cooking methods like deep-frying were out of the question.

So, Nan Zhi simply made extra deep-fried spring rolls and gave them to all the students.

The students ate until their mouths were greasy, their expressions so blissful they looked like they were ascending to heaven.

And then they tasted the spring pancakes they had made themselves.

Umm...

’Did we really make the same thing?’

[Hahaha, after tasting Nan Zhi’s cooking, the kids can’t stomach their own!]

[I can already imagine how delicious those deep-fried spring rolls must be. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to eat my own cooking either!]

[Exactly! Back when I chased down the fried rice stall and Nan Family’s Small Restaurant, I lost my appetite for everything else afterward. I was dying to try the next place, but then...]

[I’ve already bought my plane ticket! Wait for me, Nan Zhi! Wait for me!]

[You can’t eat it even if you go. Maybe I should volunteer as a teacher there too?]

[Or a student?]

...

Amid the cheerful atmosphere, the first cooking class finally came to a close.

However, the discussion about the cooking class was far from over.

Instead, it continued to spread and go viral.

Arguments over whose hometown had the best spring Food were just the beginning.

Soon, the topic escalated to education, with many teachers and parents joining the discussion about the cooking class, all with differing opinions.

Without a doubt, Nan Zhi had gone viral yet again!