As soon as the steaming hot zongzi touched his hands, Lin Mo couldn't wait to dig in.
Fang Jun's Ah-ma's culinary skills were evident just from the appearance of the zongzi. It had five distinct corners, solid edges, and was tightly bound with a straw rope.
It still held some residual heat in his hands, clearly having been brought over right after being reheated.
However, zongzi always tasted best right out of the pot the very first time.
Lin Mo untied the knot and unwrapped the outer winter leaves. These leaves were broad and thick, making them the most common choice for wrapping zongzi.
Of course, there were other types of leaves that could be used as well.
As the leaves were peeled away, a wisp of steam carrying a fresh, leafy fragrance mixed with the rich aroma of glutinous rice drifted up and went straight into his nose.
The white, jade-like grains of glutinous rice were distinct and glistening with fat, looking so appetizing that it made one's mouth water just by looking at it.
Lin Mo had lived in the south his entire previous life, but it wasn't as if the south didn't have sweet zongzi.
There were also alkaline water zongzi meant to be dipped in white sugar here.
He wasn't opposed to sweet zongzi, which was why he couldn't quite understand the endless arguments over whether zongzi should be salty or sweet.
Just eat whatever you like. Arguing endlessly over something so trivial was purely the result of having too much free time.
Lin Mo took a bite of the zongzi. The flavor was a bit mild, but the richness of the fat was there, and he could already see the salted egg yolk.
Glutinous rice absorbed oil very well, and with enough oil, the texture became fantastic. That was why adding salted egg yolk and pork belly to meat zongzi was the best method proven over many years of testing.
Generally speaking, zongzi needed to be boiled for several hours. This way, the glutinous rice would become completely soft and sticky, the mung beans inside would turn tender and powdery, and even the wrapped pork belly would completely melt into the rice.
"How is it?" Fang Jun had been staring at him, his expression hiding a bit of anticipation and nervousness.
Lin Mo took another large bite, this time getting to the pork belly inside.
He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. With his mouth completely stuffed, he could only nod vigorously and free up a hand to give a thumbs-up.
Only after swallowing that mouthful did he let out a breath carrying the savory aroma of meat.
"Very good. The meat is marinated perfectly and is very fragrant. The fat just melts in the mouth with a sweet and savory taste."
"Hehe, told you so." Fang Jun's face immediately lit up with joy, and he patted his chest proudly.
If nothing else, even though Fang Jun's Ah-ma might season things a bit mildly, she was very generous with the ingredients. While others might put one piece of pork belly into a zongzi, she would put in two.
"My Ah-ma is really generous with the fillings; there's actually not that much glutinous rice and mung beans."
Lin Mo nodded.
Later on, some people even liked to add a lot of salted egg yolks inside, grandiosely calling it the Seven Dragon Balls.
Lin Mo had just unwrapped the second zongzi. Before he could even take a bite, Lin Jiajun's nagging voice came from the side.
"I say, that's enough for you. Glutinous rice isn't easy to digest. If you eat two of those, your stomach is bound to feel terribly stuffed."
His brows were knitted together, looking much like a worrying old mother, but he meant well for Lin Mo.
Lin Mo took a huge bite and waved his hand while mumbling indistinctly.
"Don't worry. Others might have a problem, but I'll be fine. Let alone two, I could digest another two just the same."
Lin Jiajun clutched his own stomach with a lingering look of fear. "I can't do it. Last year during the Dragon Boat Festival, I just ate one and felt miserable for the whole afternoon."
"Little Jiajun is just too delicate."
Fang Jun chuckled from the side. He knew Lin Mo had a big appetite, which was why he had specifically prepared two.
Lin Mo shrugged indifferently.
"I'm fine. No matter how much I eat, I'll be alright."
Then, another voice rang out nearby.
"That's good! Then you can eat this one too."
Jiang Yunlu appeared beside Lin Mo's desk like a gust of wind, placing a beautifully packaged gift box on his desk as if presenting a treasure.
The gift box had gold stamping and was tied with a ribbon, looking quite expensive.
Lin Mo swept his divine sense over it; inside were six individually vacuum-sealed zongzi. The packaging bags had various flavors printed on them, but there was no commercial outer packaging.
It was clearly custom-made.
"My dad specially invited a chef from a five-star hotel to make these, specifically to gift to his business partners!"
Jiang Yunlu's cheeks were a little red, and her voice carried a hint of anticipation.
"I specifically asked him for a box to bring over for you to try."
Lin Mo glanced at the gift box, then at the expectant Jiang Yunlu, and nodded. "Then I'll give you some zongzi I wrap myself as a return gift when the time comes."
Hearing this, Jiang Yunlu's eyes lit up.
"Zongzi wrapped by you? You actually know how to wrap zongzi?"
"It's just wrapping them, it's not hard. But I'll have to wait until I go back tonight to start wrapping. I'll give them to you guys on the day we watch the dragon boat race."
"Okay, okay!" Jiang Yunlu nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. "I'm not a picky eater. I'll love whatever filling you wrap!"
"I'm not picky either. I'll eat whatever you wrap."
"Holy crap, Brother Mo, you actually have this skill?"
Fang Jun also got excited and slapped Lin Mo on the back. "You have to count me in! I also want to taste the zongzi wrapped with love by my Brother Mo's own hands!"
"Get lost! Piss off."
At this moment, the class bell rang.
Everyone quickly returned to their seats, and Fang Jun also went back to his seat, still wanting to talk more.
Just as Lin Mo was about to open his textbook, his back was lightly poked with the tip of a pen.
A voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz came from behind him.
"I want to eat the zongzi you wrap too."
Lin Mo turned around and looked at Chu Miaomiao, who was sitting behind him.
She had her head lowered, her cheeks flushed, not daring to meet Lin Mo's eyes.
Lin Mo smiled.
"Don't worry, everyone who's here gets a share."
Chen Xiaoya walked into the classroom, and the originally somewhat noisy class instantly quieted down.
"Ahem, let me tell you all something. The school is holding a small zongzi-wrapping activity this afternoon. Each class has a quota of two students. Who wants to participate in this activity? Of course, you must know how to wrap zongzi."
This impromptu task made quite a few people frown.
Having students wrap zongzi meant that whether the wrapped zongzi would even be edible was a question in itself.
After all, zongzi needed to be boiled for a very long time.
Chen Xiaoya continued, "This activity is to prepare them for the orphanage in Yangcheng. It's not a competition, nor is it being judged. It's just a chance for you to show some love and care."
Hearing Chen Xiaoya's words, everyone realized what was going on.
In the past, it had always been donating books or money; wrapping zongzi was a first.
At this moment, Chu Miaomiao weakly raised her hand.
"I... I know how to wrap zongzi."
This time it was Lin Mo's turn to be surprised. He turned his head to look at Chu Miaomiao.
"You actually know how to wrap zongzi?!"
Chu Miaomiao blushed a little. "I learned how to do it in the past."
"I see."
Lin Mo also raised his hand.
"Teacher, I know how to wrap them too."
"Teacher, I know how to wrap them too."
Someone else stood up from the back.
Without even turning around, Lin Mo knew the person speaking was Huang Haoyang.
The famous simp of the class. It was said that he persistently tried to add all the girls in the class on social media every day. Jiang Yunlu and Chu Miaomiao had never accepted his requests, but he just kept trying to add them. His perseverance was truly astonishing.
However, Lin Mo just slowly stood up and glanced back at Huang Haoyang behind him.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
