novelraw Chapter 300: Look at These Fans, Silly and Lazy
Chapter 300: Look at These Fans, Silly and Lazy
Once the chili peppers and beef were fragrant, the wok was hot enough. She added a suitable amount of water based on the amount of tofu she’d prepared, then put the lid on the pot.
This was a brief intermission in the cooking process. Usually, at this point, Jiang Qiuqiu would open the comment feed and chat with her fans.
[I feel like the dish could be done right here. I’m not a fan of tofu, but I bet those bits of Bibi Beast Meat would be amazing stir-fried by themselves!]
[Me too—]
"It is really delicious, but today it’s just a side ingredient."
"If any fans really want to try it, you can make it yourselves. When you’re cooking at home, you can cut the Bibi Beast Meat into bigger pieces. It’ll taste even better that way."
[Nah, I don’t want to cook. Firing up the stove makes my hands hurt.]
[Actually, now that I think about it, tofu with little bits of meat isn’t bad. You get to eat both—]
[You guys give up way too easily! If you want to eat it, can’t you show a little more determination?]
[You have to contribute to the cause of good food! Why back down so quickly?]
Huh! Just as an active voice emerged from the usually chill crowd of fans, and someone was about to cheer them on, that person started spamming the chat with their VIP account—
[Juju, look at me! Look at me! I really want to eat diced Bibi Beast Meat! Forget it for today, but how about stir-frying some Bibi Beast Meat next time!]
[Juju, look at me! Make stir-fried Bibi Beast Meat next time!]
’Oh, so *that’s* the kind of "contribution" they meant!’
—That’s a cause I can get behind!
—Me too!
—Same here!
And so, the comment feed was instantly flooded with a sea of: [Juju, look at me! Look at me! Forget it for today, but how about stir-frying some Bibi Beast Meat next time!]
They filled the screen, and some people even started spamming crying-hysterically sticker packs.
Same old antics, same ridiculous vibe.
Jiang Qiuqiu burst out laughing with a "Pfft!" She pointed at the comment feed, her expression a mix of playfulness and mock seriousness. "Okay, okay, how can you be so fickle? We’re still in the middle of making the tofu!"
As it happened, the water in the pot began to boil. Jiang Qiuqiu immediately lifted the lid and started adding seasonings. The standard salt and soy sauce were essential. When making Mapo Tofu, Jiang Qiuqiu also liked to add a little sugar, which she found brought out the umami flavor of the meat to its fullest.
Once the flavor was adjusted, the square pieces of tofu were tossed into the pot of slightly yellowish broth.
She turned the heat to medium-high, covered the pot, and waited for the magic to happen in the confined space. The tofu’s ’pure white’ body would soon be stained by the flavorful sauce. Nestled beside the meat, the absorbent tofu would quickly take on its savory flavor.
BUBBLE BUBBLE. The water came to a boil again. By now, the Mapo Tofu had become flavorful.
But to achieve the thick, delicious sauce perfect for pouring over rice, one step was still missing: thickening it with a slurry. Jiang Qiuqiu’s thickening technique involved three stages—first white, then translucent, then thick—and her hands moved in a fluid, continuous sequence.
She didn’t speak during this part, but the stream was anything but dull.
Usually, during long, silent cooking segments like this, people would leave the stream running in the background, enjoying the aromas while doing other things.
But today, an unusually large number of people were actively commenting.
[Usually, I’d just be smelling the aromas while doing my homework right now, but for some reason... I’ve just been silently watching, and now it’s almost time to plate?]
[Yes, yes, me too! For some reason, the stream feels so much more captivating today. What’s going on? Ahhh orz, is it just the novelty because I haven’t watched one of Juju’s streams in a while, or is it because—]