Today, Lin Xu made sweet and sour pork ribs. He knew his own Shen Baobao would crave them, and even his sister-in-law might want some. So, when cooking, he directly used over a kilogram of small pork ribs.
According to the Northeastern way of serving food, this was merely a portion for one person.
But for the delicate Benbang cuisine typical of Shanghai, it was almost enough for four servings.
After all, it was a cold dish, not the main course; one or two pieces per person were enough to whet the appetite.
Lin Xu, holding a small plate with a few freshly cooked sweet and sour pork ribs, came to the door and handed it to Shen Baobao, who had spent the day idly "fishing"—slacking off.
"Here, try some," he said. "This is the traditional Shanghai method; it's quite sweet."
Seeing the deep reddish-black ribs, Shen Baobao's heart leaped with joy. The color reminded her of Black Sugar Shaqima, a dessert with a similar hue.
"How sweet exactly? As sweet as our love?" she asked.
