She also poured the necessary seasonings into small plates, arranging them neatly so that the scene would look good when filmed.
Morgan wasn't idle either, running over to grab the DSLR camera and skillfully switching to video mode.
Obviously, this wasn't the first time she had done this.
After Cindy finished setting up, she came over to secure the camera on the tripod.
Morgan went to fetch his small step stool.
Due to his short stature, he couldn't reach the height of the mounted camera.
And he insisted on participating in Cindy's field of vision.
So Cindy had a special step stool custom made for him.
The step stool had built-in steps and was wide and platform-like, so there was no need to worry about Morgan accidentally falling off in a moment of distraction.
The step stool was very lightweight, even Morgan could easily move it.
Once everything was prepared, Morgan stood behind the camera with a professional demeanor.
Cindy reminded him, "Remember not to film my face, just my hands will do."
She was afraid that if the video was uploaded online, Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke might see it.
So, from her very first uploaded video, she insisted on never showing her face, nor daring to speak. She relied on adding subtitles in post-production, maintaining this cautious approach until now.
However, her videos ended up looking fresh and clean, plus the subtitles made it easier for fans to keep track.
This approach made her fans love her style even more.
"I got it, I remember," said Morgan, skillfully adjusting the camera's angle.
It perfectly captured Cindy's hand movements and cutting board.
Cindy placed the thawed chicken wings on the cutting board, slashing two or three cuts on the skin side of each wing to help absorb the flavors.
Then, she put the chicken wings in a small basin, adding salt, cooking wine, soy sauce, and white pepper.
Morgan reminded her from behind the camera, "Chili powder, I want it spicy."
"Got it," Cindy replied, and sprinkled some chili powder.
It was unclear why, but while most kids Morgan's age were afraid of spicy food, he enjoyed sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors without issue.
Next, Cindy added scallions and ginger slices to the chicken wings to remove any unwanted odor.
After marinating the chicken wings for 10 minutes, she squeezed some lemon juice on them before placing them in a flat pan to fry until golden brown on both sides.
However, Cindy added an extra step, focusing on frying the edges of the chicken wings to make them crispy and delicious.
Afterwards, she added a little more salt and soy sauce, finally pouring in a small can of Coke.
She added three or four pieces of rock sugar to make the color of the chicken wings even more appealing.
Then, she turned the heat down and let the sauce thicken, waiting for the tempting color and aroma to envelop the chicken wings.
Cindy then arranged the chicken wings nicely on a plate.
Morgan immediately took the camera and took close-up shots of the chicken wings like a professional.
As Cindy watched Morgan's skilled movements, she couldn't help but think that her fans would never guess that the high-quality videos they praised were created by Morgan.
"Cindy, it's time for the hand tearing chicken wings!" Morgan reminded her.
Cindy picked up a hot chicken wing and tore it in half.
The crisp skin, coated in an enticing caramel-colored sauce, slowly pulled apart, revealing delicate shreds of meat.
Cindy could hear Morgan swallowing, so she said, "I'll serve the rice and stir-fry some veggies, then we can eat."
Morgan went to put away the camera and step stool.
By the time he came back, Cindy had already stir-fried the vegetables and taken out the mixed cold dishes from the refrigerator.
That was their simple dinner.
Morgan couldn't wait to grab a chicken wing and take a big bite, sauce smearing his mouth corners.
"It's so delicious! I love the crispy edges of the chicken wings!" Morgan just finished saying when he suddenly paused.
He looked at Cindy with an excited expression: "There's the taste of lemon inside! It's so sour and fragrant, and it really cuts through the richness!"
Cindy laughed, "It's a secret recipe! No one else does it this way. Because the chicken wings are sweetened with Coke and rock sugar, adding a little lemon juice makes them more refreshing."
Morgan shook his head, "It's such a shame others can't taste it."
"Didn't I film a video? If they follow my method, they can make it themselves," Cindy laughed.
"It's not the same - it won't taste the same as when you make it," Morgan said, somewhat regretful.
He wanted more people to know how delicious Cindy's cooking was.
After dinner, Cindy put the frying pan and bowls into the dishwasher.
Morgan nestled on the sofa, watching his favorite cartoon. Cindy sat beside him with her laptop, editing the video they had just shot.
As she turned off the original audio of her chatting with Morgan, the doorbell rang.
Cindy hurried to open the door, finding her good friend Peggy Lewis standing there.
Peggy was two years older than her and used to be a customer who loved Cindy's cooking, always ordering her dishes.
Over time, the two grew closer and eventually became good friends.
Cindy, living alone with Morgan in Belfard, had received a lot of help from Peggy.
When Cindy gave birth, Peggy was there with her.
When it came to registering Morgan's residency, Peggy helped arrange it.
As soon as she saw her, Peggy exclaimed angrily, "Cindy, you have to give that Zoe Silverstone a taste of her own medicine this time!"
"What happened?" Cindy was curious. What had Zoe Silverstone done?
Zoe Silverstone, like her, was also a food content creator.
"Godmother!" Morgan also ran over and called out.
"Darling, my sweetheart!" As soon as Peggy saw Morgan, her heart melted.
She picked him up and gave him a big kiss on his chubby cheeks.
While carrying Morgan into the living room, Peggy told Cindy, "That Zoe Silverstone is always copying you. She started after you did and constantly imitates your style. Her videos are just like yours, and whenever you release a dish with a good response, she has to make a so-called high-end version, acting as if it's more sophisticated than yours."
"Today, suddenly someone said that following the method you teach in your videos results in bad-tasting dishes," Peggy fumed, "And it's not just one person saying that. Once one person started, suddenly many more said your dishes looked good but weren't actually edible."
"Cindy's cooking is delicious!" Morgan defended Cindy.
"Of course, I eat it often too! How could I not know?" Peggy agreed, "Those people must be the hired commenters that Zoe Silverstone found. They said that when they tried the same dish cooked in Zoe Silverstone's way, it tasted much better."
Peggy was furious, "Zoe Silverstone learned everything from your methods! And now they're saying her cooking is better than yours? They must be crazy! The most disgusting part is, Zoe Silverstone even replied to them, thanking them and saying she'll continue to research and teach everyone better dishes. What research?! She's just copying your recipes!"