As soon as Ye Congxi stepped out of the house, she was nearly driven back by a choking cloud of smoke.
The courtyard was filled with swirling smoke. Ye Daxian was stir-frying from a distance, using his sleeve as a makeshift mask, coughing until tears came to his eyes. "Xiao Xi… cough cough… you're awake. Wait a bit longer, dinner will be ready soon… cough cough cough…"
Ye Congxi: "…"
Why did it feel less like they were about to have dinner and more like they were about to have their last meal on death row?
"Wife, the plate!"
Lin Qiujiao was also squinting from the smoke. She handed over the plate and immediately ran backward, waving a cattail leaf fan vigorously to dispel the smoke.
Ye Daxian scooped the food out of the wok, his face covered in soot. "Not bad, I think. A bit better than I expected."
He had thought it would be completely charred, but he hadn't expected it to still look like a dish of food.
Ye Congxi leaned in to take a look. "Dad, are you stir-frying shredded potatoes again for dinner?"
"I went out and bought another twenty jin of potatoes this afternoon. I figured I'd practice my knife skills so you won't have to do the cutting in the future."
At noon, Ye Congxi had given Ye Daxian and Lin Qiujiao five yuan each for emergencies. Ye Daxian had used that money for the purchase.
Ye Congxi looked toward the washbasin. Sure enough, there were two large bags of potatoes piled there, along with a basin of already cut and washed ones.
She washed her hands and sifted through them. The shredded potatoes at the bottom were thick and short, but as she looked toward the top, they became finer and more uniform.
"Dad, your knife skills are improving quite fast. You actually have some talent."
Ye Daxian's confidence returned instantly. "Of course! Come, come, try my shredded potatoes."
Ye Congxi took a bite first, then silently handed the chopsticks to Lin Qiujiao. Lin Qiujiao took a bite and silently handed them to Ye Daxian.
Ye Daxian took in the mother and daughter's reactions. "Is it really that bad?"
He took a bite himself, and his entire face wrinkled up instantly.
"So oily. And why does it feel salty but not sour enough? I clearly added vinegar."
Ye Congxi laughed. "Dad, you definitely added the vinegar too early. You have to drizzle it in during the last ten seconds before taking it out of the wok. Also, adding a bit of vinegar while soaking the potatoes makes them crisp and refreshing."
No wonder. Ye Daxian only remembered that he had to rinse off the starch after cutting the potatoes.
"Xiao Xi, what was the name of that cookbook you read? I'll take a look at it later."
Ye Congxi shrugged. "I forgot. I borrowed it from the library and returned it long ago."
The Original Owner did indeed go to the library often, though it was only to chase after Jiang Wenchuan.
Ye Daxian felt it was a pity.
Fortunately, he had been clever enough to only stir-fry one small bowl of shredded potatoes as a test run. They finished it in a few mouthfuls.
However, there were still so many shredded potatoes left in the basin—all the ones he had used for his knife skills practice.
They weren't suitable for selling; they weren't as pretty as those his daughter cut, and he feared customers wouldn't buy them. But throwing them away would be a waste.
Ye Congxi thought for a moment and picked up the basin. "How about we have pan-fried shredded potatoes for dinner?"
Lin Qiujiao immediately raised both hands in agreement. "Great, great!"
Anything her daughter made was delicious.
Ye Daxian hurried over to Ye Congxi's side to learn. "We're using this basin of potatoes? Even the ones I cut so thickly will work?"
"Yes, as long as they aren't cut into chunks." Ye Congxi added a handful of salt, some five-spice powder, and starch.
As she mixed, she explained, "Five-spice powder is for seasoning, salt draws out the moisture, and the starch helps bind the shredded potatoes together so the cakes will stay neat when we fry them."
Ye Daxian nodded. He pulled a small address book and a pen from his pocket. He began recording his daughter's words.
Once the potatoes softened, Ye Congxi drained the extracted water, greased the wok, and heated it up.
"You have to use low heat when frying. Don't be impatient," she said as she spread the shredded potatoes out and pressed them down firmly. "See when the edges get a bit crispy? Then you can flip it. Dad, you try flipping the next one."
Since the potato cakes were for their own family, it didn't matter if he messed up. It was a good chance for Ye Daxian to practice.
Ye Daxian rolled up his sleeves and took the spatula with full confidence.
For his first attempt, he tried to mimic the wok-tossing flip he'd seen in movies. Naturally, he failed. In the end, he honestly used the spatula to flip it twice and finally succeeded.
When that side was also fried to a golden brown, Ye Congxi finished it off with a handful of scallions and sesame seeds.
The pan-fried potato cake had a crispy outer shell with curled edges, and a faint toasted aroma wafted through the oily sheen.
Ye Congxi transferred it to the cutting board.
The Ye family's original cutting board was used for everything. Ye Congxi couldn't stand it and had bought another one to keep raw and cooked foods separate.
As the knife came down, the potato cake was divided into three pieces, and the aroma became even more intense.
The potato cake was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You could even hear a "crunch" when biting into it. The savory scent of the oil-fried potatoes danced through the gaps in their teeth.
As they chewed, the hot shredded potatoes enveloped the scallions, adding a layer of salty, rich scallion and sesame fragrance. It wasn't greasy at all.
Ye Congxi was quite satisfied. "If we sprinkled some chili powder on this, it would be even more perfect."
Lin Qiujiao nodded frantically. Being from the Shu Region, she loved spicy food the most.
Ye Daxian licked his fingers. "I think it's already delicious. Let me fry the next one."
Ye Daxian ladled oil into the wok again, spread the shredded potatoes, and stared tensely at the pan.
After a while, seeing that he still hadn't moved, Ye Congxi prompted him from the side: "Flip."
Ye Daxian hurriedly flipped the cake.
When the new cake came out of the wok, everyone had another piece.
Ye Daxian looked expectant. "How was it? My potato cake is okay, right?"
Lin Qiujiao, still chewing, gave a thumbs up. "Daxian, you're amazing! The taste is actually similar to Xiao Xi's, just slightly charred."
But because the potato cake was so fragrant, that tiny hint of burnt taste could be completely ignored.
Ye Congxi: "…That's because I mixed the seasonings!"
Of course the taste would be the same!
After frying a few more times, Ye Daxian became more and more proficient.
Because he wanted to practice more, the cakes he spread were never very large. After several rounds, the moon had already climbed into the sky, but the family was still not full.
"Again, again." Ye Daxian was getting addicted to frying and was about to start the eighth round.
He picked up the spatula enthusiastically. "It smells so good. Why don't we go out and set up a stall tonight? Let's not let these shredded potatoes go to waste."
Ye Congxi thought it was a good idea. "Then I'll go buy some chili powder."
"I'll go with you." Since it was already night, Lin Qiujiao didn't feel right letting her daughter go out alone.
Ye Congxi decided to check the small market first. The grain and oil shop there sold chili powder, but there wasn't much variety—only two kinds.
One was darker in color, the other lighter.
Ye Congxi smelled both and shook her head.
"The smell isn't right? Then how about having your father drive you to the Big Market to look?"
Ye Congxi thought about it. In the end, she chose the lighter chili powder. "It's fine. we can mix in some cumin and salt ourselves to adjust the flavor."
Lin Qiujiao looked at her daughter with eyes full of admiration.
Back home, Ye Congxi began mixing the chili powder. She didn't make too much at first, just about a spoonful's worth, to see which version tasted better.
"This one is fragrant, this one!" Lin Qiujiao pointed to the third mix.
Ye Congxi smelled and tasted them one by one, agreeing that the third was the best.
Lin Qiujiao asked, "Daxian, is your potato cake done?"
"Coming!" Ye Daxian brought over the freshly fried potato cake.
Ye Congxi sprinkled the chili powder on. As it melded with the oily heat, the golden potato cake skin instantly took on a bright, enticing layer of red.
Lin Qiujiao's saliva was secreting madly. Just hearing the sound of the crispy cake being sliced made her heart itch.
Again, one piece each.
The spicy skin was incredibly crispy, while the inside was tender and burning hot. The spice and the potato aroma exploded together. With one bite, the fragrance, crispiness, and spiciness all filled the mouth.
Lin Qiujiao finished a piece in two "crunch-crunch" bites. Still wanting more, she said, "No need to go set up a stall. we can finish these ourselves."
"No!" A sudden roar, like a clap of thunder, drifted in through the open window.
The three of them were startled.
"Old man, what are you doing? You're going to scare someone to death!" Ye Daxian immediately raised his spatula.
Grandpa Liu had been out for a walk when he saw Ye Congxi coming out of the grain and oil shop. He guessed she was making something to eat again, so he had followed her all the way here.
Outside, he had been driven mad by the smell of the frying potato cakes. When he heard Lin Qiujiao say they weren't going to set up a stall, he became anxious on the spot.
"It's one thing if you don't do dinner service, but you don't even want to do a late-night snack? That's laziness! Such fragrant potato cakes, and you're just eating them yourselves—that's selfishness!" Grandpa Liu condemned them.
The family of three: "…"
Grandpa Liu: "Hurry up and set up the stall. Where are you planning to go? I'll go wait for you first." He wanted to grab the first bite.
Ye Daxian remembered something. "There's a lot of foot traffic over by River Yong at night, but don't we need to rent a stall in advance to set up there?"
Grandpa Liu patted his chest. "Leave it to me. I'll find a good spot for you. Just come over. Be quick!"
Once Grandpa Liu left, Ye Daxian couldn't help muttering, "I didn't expect that old man Liu to be such a glutton."
Ye Congxi had already put the chili powder into a bottle. "Then let's go too."
Ye Daxian pulled out the small pushcart and placed the stove and wok on it.
After adding some honeycomb briquettes, there was no room for anything else.
Lin Qiujiao carried the basin of potatoes, while Ye Congxi packed the seasonings in a bag.
The family headed out in full force.
Their home was close to both River Yong and the factories, and it was right at the intersection, so they didn't have to take any side paths.
The night breeze by River Yong was cool, and people were bustling about.
There were vendors with megaphones selling fruit, others selling grilled oysters, grilled meat, and fried skewers.
Grandpa Liu was waiting near the slope. When he saw them, he waved his hand. "Over here, over here!"
This area was managed by the subdistrict office. Grandpa Liu's nephew worked there, and he told them they could set up for a day or two, but they would have to pay a fee if they wanted to stay long-term; otherwise, the Urban Management Officers would chase them away.
Plenty of people wanted to pay that fee, but now there was a waiting list. Without connections, it wasn't even their turn.
"Do you want it spicy?" Ye Daxian asked Grandpa Liu.
Grandpa Liu recalled the Sour and Spicy Shredded Potatoes he'd had at noon and swallowed hard. "Yes, and I want the one your daughter fries!"
Ye Daxian's mouth twitched.
"Fine, I'll do it." Ye Congxi took the spatula with a smile. She added the oil, spread the potatoes, pressed them down, fried them until crisp, flipped them, and sprinkled the seasoning—all in one smooth motion before bagging it.
Grandpa Liu used two tissues as insulation. He sat down nearby and began to eat. The scent of chili powder mixed with scallions and sesame hit his nose first. When he bit into it, it was hot and chewy—absolutely delicious.
The aroma wafted out in waves with the steam, and passersby began to stop.
"What is this? How much is it?"
"Pan-fried shredded potato cakes, fifty cents each. Spicy or non-spicy available," Ye Daxian introduced.
"Give me one then. I want medium spicy."
"None for me, but please fry it a bit crispier. I like that crunchy texture."
…
The crowd grew larger and larger. The air was filled with the spicy, crispy, oily aroma of the potato cakes.
In a night market, aroma was the best advertisement.
In no time, the basin of shredded potatoes was nearly empty.
Ye Daxian rushed home to peel more potatoes and returned carrying a full basin.
He brought the five-spice powder and everything else. "I don't know how much seasoning to add."
"Alright, I'll mix it." Ye Congxi handed the spatula to Ye Daxian.
By then, Grandpa Liu had finished his first potato cake. Still not satisfied, he squeezed into the crowd to order another.
Once he got it and took a taste, it was also good, but not as amazing as the first one.
As he chewed, he lamented, "Your daughter's skill is still better. This cake of yours… it lacks a bit of finesse."