Side story: How to enjoy soup dumplings with Arlecchino the authentic old House of the Hearth way
Xingsu learned how to make many delicious dishes in Liyue, and soup dumplings were one of them.
As night deepens, the adults of the House of the Hearth —namely, Xingsu and Arlecchino— are often hungry and thirsty after a long day of busy work.
At this moment, for the two of them, a hot bowl of soup dumplings as a midnight snack was a unique comfort to each other.
These late-night snacks couldn't be discovered by the children, so the two of them would often hide in their room to secretly cook and enjoy them.
The two had a clear division of labor and were very experienced in making soup dumplings.
The first step is kneading the dough, which is usually done by Xingsu. He holds a dough ball in each hand, gradually increasing the pressure with skillful and fluid movements. Sometimes, if water needs to be added, he uses his hands to squeeze out some water to control the softness of the dough.
After the soup dumplings are made, the second step, steaming the dumplings, is usually handled by Arlecchino.
Before the actual steaming, Arlecchino usually does some preparations, such as putting the soup dumplings in the pot, holding the lid covering the dumplings in her mouth, and braiding her hair in front of Xingsu.
Then, using your hands, you place the soup dumplings from the bottom into the pot above, and so on, up and down, until all the soup dumplings are in the pot. Once the total volume of the soup dumplings in the pot reaches the desired size, Arlecchino will put the lid on the pot.
Once the protruding part of the soup dumpling in the pot hardens, it means it's ready to eat.
To enjoy soup dumplings, one must avoid being impatient and instead proceed gently, slowly, and gradually.
Steaming hot soup dumplings are fresh out of the oven, their juicy filling overflowing from the small opening at the top. The first step is to bring the dumpling close to the top, gently hold the opening in your mouth, and slowly suck out the piping hot, sweet broth. As you suck out the broth, you can also gradually insert your tongue to savor the rich and delicious filling inside.
Savoring the outer skin of soup dumplings requires the utmost care and attention to detail. First, gently lick the soft, chewy skin to savor the blend of wheat and savory flavors. Then, take small, light bites, carefully controlling the pressure throughout. If you use too much force, the scalding soup will instantly splash out, spraying all over your face.
Only after carefully tasting both the broth and the outer skin can we truly begin our main course.
Xingsu has always had its own unique way of eating: first, take a few small bites to savor the flavor, then take a big, deep bite, then a small, shallow bite, alternating repeatedly. And this gentle yet enjoyable way of eating is something that Arlecchino particularly favors.
In the quiet of the night, when they have nothing to do, the two of them would come up with all sorts of novel ways to eat.
Whether blindfolded or with their hands tied, they let their partner feed them, adding a unique touch of emotion and fun to the quiet night.
The most thrilling and exciting time was when the two sneaked into the kitchen of the House of the Hearth late at night to make soup dumplings. It just so happened that Clervie was thinking about the children and wanted to come to the kitchen to make some small cakes for a late-night snack.
The next day, Lyney was inexplicably given a severe scolding—simply because he was the one who initially suggested preparing a midnight snack for the children.
As the two of them finished enjoying the soup dumplings one by one and the late-night snack drew to a close, Xingsu would always play a little game. He would deliberately add his secret sauce to the remaining soup dumplings, sometimes adding it only to the last one, sometimes selecting two to slightly adjust the flavor, and the most he ever added was four times.
However, since then, the number of times the soup dumplings are served with extra toppings has gradually decreased.
Because the sauce tasted so delicious and intoxicating that night, Xingsu fell into a deep sleep after enjoying herself, not waking up until the afternoon of the next day. Since then, the two of them have tacitly toned down their antics and rarely indulged in such reckless behavior.