Chapter 859 744: Tearfully Moved by the Seaweed Soup (Part 2)

If the beef is overcooked, it will affect the texture, so timing is crucial.

Add the marinated seaweed and continue to stir-fry.

You need to add a small amount of water halfway through.

When adding water, don't pour it all at once. First, add 1/3 of a bowl of water, then pour in 3 bowls of water.

Adjust the saltiness with salt and MSG.

Finally, cover the pot and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, then switch to low heat for another 15 minutes.

The soup pot is filled with a fresh and delicious aroma.

Fu Yu had never tasted seaweed soup before, so he didn't know if this soup could impress Sun Wei.

While making the seaweed soup, Fu Yu took the opportunity to start preparing the crucian carp soup.

Liu Yuqing sniffed, "Smells wonderful!"

Fu Yu smiled slightly, "Have you had breakfast yet? Let's eat together. I'm preparing crucian carp tofu soup with rice, and there's also the shrimp paste Chef Zhao steamed yesterday."

Liu Yuqing and Jiang Mo's eyes lit up when they heard there was steamed shrimp paste.

Zhao Meng's secret steamed shrimp paste is exceptional.

Even though the ingredients and cooking methods are the same, the taste of his steamed shrimp paste is richer than others'.

Actually, there's a trick to it, which Fu Yu knew well, though he never showed it.

After all, it's Zhao Meng's unique skill. If others learned it, it wouldn't be called a secret recipe anymore.

Fu Yu is very mindful in this regard.

As the seaweed soup was almost done, the crucian carp soup had already turned milky white.

Fu Yu placed the tender tofu on his palm, sliced it into small pieces, and added them to the soup pot.

Sliced green onions and fresh ginger were put into the prepared soup bowls.

Given that there were many people having breakfast, Fu Yu stewed all the crucian carp, filling up a big pot of fish soup enough to fill two large soup bowls.

Although Jiang Mo works in the restaurant, when it comes to cooking, she knows hardly anything.

Watching the milky white crucian carp soup, Jiang Mo couldn't help but ask curiously, "Chef Fu, you haven't stewed it for long, yet the fish soup is so white. My mom cooked fish soup before and it wasn't this color, it was quite different. Is there a trick to it?"

Fu Yu checked the seaweed soup's status and felt it was good, so he turned off the heat casually.

"To make crucian carp soup milky white, you only need to add hot water after frying. Only by adding hot water to cook the fish, will the soup become milky white. If you add cold water, the soup's color won't be as appealing."

"That's how it is. Chef Fu, you're really amazing!" Jiang Mo always admired Fu Yu, blowing compliments without any pressure.

After speaking, she couldn't help but say to Liu Yuqing, "Xiaoqing, you're so lucky to find such a good, excellent, and perfect boyfriend like Chef Fu! If it weren't because you're my best friend, and you're so pretty with such a great personality, I'd be tempted to feel jealous!"

Liu Yuqing: "..."

Even as the rightful girlfriend, Liu Yuqing couldn't help but feel that Jiang Mo genuinely adored Fu Yu!

Jiang Mo's admiration and affection for Fu Yu were reaching the sky, yet her behavior made Liu Yuqing feel not a slightest bit angry, instead she felt quite pleased.

Beside Fu Yu, he noticed a cold sweat, especially when he saw that Jiang Mo was both praising him and cleverly complimenting Liu Yuqing.

Fu Yu couldn't help but give Jiang Mo's social skills a big thumbs up; Liu Yuqing would definitely appreciate this.

Indeed, Liu Yuqing looked proud, gazing at Fu Yu with a gentle expression.

At this moment, Sun Wei and Liu Junrong returned from inventory checking.

As soon as they entered the kitchen, both exclaimed, "Wow! What's this delicious smell?"

Because of his good talent, Liu Junrong was savvy and adaptable, being one of the more successful newcomers.

Usually, he got along well with everyone in the kitchen. Upon seeing Fu Yu, he warmly approached, "Chef Fu, thank you for your hard work! So it's crucian carp tofu soup! Just what I needed after the inventory check, I was freezing! Now, having a bowl of hot fish soup is simply heavenly!"

"Chef Fu is incredible! Chef Fu is awesome!"

In a series of flattery, Liu Junrong keenly noticed the yet-to-be-served seaweed soup in the pot.

"Huh? What's this? Seaweed soup?"

Seaweed soup isn't a local tradition in Bei'an, so seeing it was quite a shock.

As the conversation went on, Sun Wei also walked over.

Fu Yu smiled at Sun Wei, saying, "Brother Sun, happy birthday! If Jiang Mo hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known it's your birthday."

Hearing Liu Junrong mention seaweed soup just now, Sun Wei hadn't quite processed it.

Now receiving Fu Yu's birthday wishes, he realized everyone knew it's his birthday today.

Sun Wei had no intention of announcing his birthday to everyone.

Being quite grown-up, whether he celebrated his birthday or not wasn't a big deal.

Especially since his family wasn't nearby, celebrating felt pointless.

Sun Wei hadn't planned to celebrate his birthday, so he hadn't arranged anything.

He was genuinely surprised that Jiang Mo would specially go to the kitchen to inform Fu Yu about it.

Even more surprising was that Fu Yu made a seaweed soup specifically for him.

A perfectly cooked big bowl, with no extra, meant just for him.

Fu Yu handed the steaming seaweed soup to Sun Wei with a cheerful smile, "I heard from Jiang Mo that you usually have seaweed soup on your birthday, so I didn't make longevity noodles for you."

Fu Yu portioned out the crucian carp tofu soup from the large bowl, along with several bowls of rice.

They all leaned on the serving counter, eating soup and rice together.

Fu Yu handed Sun Wei a spoon, "Brother Sun, try this seaweed soup and let me know if the taste is to your liking. I've never made it before, so I'm not sure if it suits your palate."

Sun Wei looked at the large bowl of seaweed soup before him, feeling a stir and unease, gripping the spoon with slight force, his face reddened with excitement, "Alright, I'll try it now!"

Sun Wei is Xianzhu, yet his wife is from South Korea. They met and fell in love when Sun Wei visited Korea.

Later, when Sun Wei returned to China to work, his wife followed him.

Actually, Sun Wei's family lifestyle had long been assimilated, but his wife, having grown up in South Korea, couldn't change many habits.

For instance, she would prepare seaweed soup for the family on their birthdays.

Typically, seeing a bowl of seaweed soup would make Sun Wei feel warm, but now, he felt incredibly touched.

Though whether or not he celebrates his birthday isn't significant to him, being remembered by others is inherently touching.

Sun Wei scooped a mouthful of steaming seaweed soup into his mouth, tasting a rich and fresh flavor.

The seaweed's taste was unique and exceptionally delicious when cooked properly, and Fu Yu's skill was truly excellent. What seemed like a regular bowl of seaweed soup turned out to be so flavorful.

The seaweed was especially tender, and the beef was soft and crumbly, cooked perfectly.

During the inventory check, he was genuinely cold. Now, taking a sip of warm seaweed soup felt like warmth was surging through his body.

Having been a seasoned procurement officer, often dealing with various vendors and small entrepreneurs, his social skills were impressive, and he's seen enough of human interactions to nearly become hardened by the workplace.

Touching his heart wasn't an easy feat.

Yet, no matter how seasoned, how crafty, he couldn't truly become unyielding.

Such people have strong defensive awareness and are hard to connect with, yet the more guarded they are, the more vulnerable they tend to be inside, filled with weaknesses and tender spots.

Sun Wei took a sip of seaweed soup and lifted his head to see Fu Yu looking at him expectantly.

He then sincerely said, "It's very tasty, thank you, Xiaofu!"

"Brother Sun, happy birthday!" Jiang Mo initiated the cheer.

Liu Junrong, being savvy, noted the atmosphere had come to this point and joined in teasing, singing a birthday song.