Gourmet: Twins' Father and Chef of the Kindergarten

Chapter 525 - 481: An Unexpected Surprise (Part 3)

Huang Jun walked up to the cafeteria table and immediately stopped in his tracks.

As a result, Liu Suyu, who was following behind him, was caught off guard and bumped into his back.

Feeling the warmth on his back, Liu Suyu’s pretty face turned red in an instant. She felt a bit awkward, tinged with a hint of shyness.

Huang Jun, feeling the softness on his back, was momentarily dazed. Both of them were a bit at a loss in this sudden intimate encounter.

At that moment, the air in the cafeteria seemed to freeze, with only the sound of their heartbeats echoing silently.

But soon, Huang Jun came to his senses, moved aside a little, and broke the awkwardness with a smile: "Manager Liu, it seems you’re very interested in the treasure inside my box."

Liu Suyu brushed her hair from her ear, revealing an embarrassed yet polite smile: "Hmph, I’m just curious. Don’t keep me in suspense, open it up and let me see..."

"Alright, let me open your eyes..."

Huang Jun opened the box and took out that vintage popcorn machine, gently placing it on the dining table.

Liu Suyu looked at the black contraption in front of her, resembling a cannon, her eyes showing a hint of surprise and confusion: "Just this..."

Huang Jun skillfully assembled the machine while explaining, "Yeah, it’s just this! Assistant Dong went through a lot to get this treasure for me, and now it’s quite rare to see one of these."

This popcorn machine looks like a big cannon, especially cool. When you fire it up, it makes a loud ’bang’, just like a real cannon.

With this gadget, whether it’s rice or corn, you can turn them into crispy rice puffs or popcorn.

In some corners of Northeast China, people even use it to make San Bei Chicken.

However, using it for San Bei Chicken requires some caution; you can’t use it just for the sound, or the chicken might end up disappearing...

Don’t ask him why he knows, just know that someone online tried it before.

The result?

Not only did the chicken disappear, even the front door of the house was blown off its hinges...

The scene was quite spectacular...

Well!

More accurately, it was unbearable to watch...

"Indeed, this kind of vintage popcorn machine is rarely seen and hard to find..."

Liu Suyu remembered from her childhood, using this thing to make popcorn was great fun.

You had to load corn kernels into that big black pot, then place it over charcoal to slowly roast it, while rotating the pot to ensure the kernels heated evenly, so they would pop open.

The fire grew stronger, the pressure inside the pot rising until it was so hot that the water inside the kernels turned into steam, swelling them up until they popped open.

The most exciting part was when you opened the pot. You needed a special tool to carefully open it, or else it could be dangerous.

At this moment, the surrounding children would widen their eyes, covering their ears, waiting to see the spectacle.

With a loud ’bang’, white smoke rose, carrying the sweet aroma of popcorn, and the children’s eyes would light up.

The popcorn vendor would quickly pour out the popcorn, and the children would surround the stall, begging their parents to buy some.

Most of the time, the parents would smile and pay, letting the kids enjoy this rare treat.

Back then, popcorn was very affordable, accessible to everyone.

Besides corn, rice popcorn was made the same way.

Sometimes, the popcorn vendor would come to the village, and everyone would line up with their own rice and corn, waiting to pop them.

At that time, popcorn was not just a snack but a source of fun and a neighborhood gathering.

Children gathered together, waiting for the popcorn to be ready, and the anticipation and excitement were nostalgic now.

But now, such vintage popcorn machines are seldom seen, mostly replaced by new machines.

In the countryside, you might still see them occasionally, but in the city, they have become a part of the past, only to be cherished in memories.

Liu Suyu snapped back to reality and asked with a smile: "Oh right, Chef Huang, why did you suddenly think of making popcorn for the kids? If I remember correctly, today’s snack isn’t popcorn, is it?"

Huang Jun was tidying up the popcorn machine while explaining: "In the morning, Miss Yang called me and said the kids are getting vaccinated today, hoping I could prepare some snacks to reward the brave ones. I agreed, and later on, I thought making puffed rice candy for the kids might be nice. I originally planned to fry the rice puffs in a pot, but Assistant Dong said he could find a popcorn machine, so I asked him to help. Of course, this machine is also perfect for making popcorn."

With these words, Huang Jun had already assembled the popcorn machine. He was quite satisfied with his work and couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental that such old objects are indeed rare in the city.

"Puffed rice candy?"

Although Liu Suyu was usually not very interested in puffed rice candy, the thought of tasting the candy made by Huang Jun sparked her interest. She didn’t even want to go back to the office, preferring to stay and wait to try it.