Chapter 10
Tomato Braised Noodles
Looking at the table, there were tomatoes, eggs, yellow flowers and some leftover dough from this morning. Xiaoguo decided to make tomato braised noodles.
Without further ado, Xiaoguo rolled up her sleeves and began to wash the vegetables. When Zhuangzhuang came over, the vegetables had been cut. He asked Xiaoguo if he could help. After thinking for a bit, Xiaoguo picked up a bowl, cracked an egg, and said to Zhuangzhuang, “Help me beat the eggs. Just beat in one direction.”
Zhuangzhuang paid serious attention to what he was being taught. He carried a small stool to the front of the pot, and started beating the eggs earnestly.
Xiaoguo heated up the pot and threw the lard in. Once the oil was released from the lard, she added spring onions and tomatoes into the pot. The tomatoes were stir-fried until they were soft and swimming in their own juices. Once the mixture was boiling, Xiaoguo added the beaten eggs prepared by Zhuangzhuang. The wonderful aroma released from the pot made Zhuangzhuang drool in anticipation.
Xiaoguo looked at Zhuangzhuang in amusement. She scooped out a piece of egg from the pot and blew on it before feeding it to him. Zhuangzhuang ate it in one bite. “It’s so good!”
Zhuangzhuang was chewing on that spoonful of eggs, mumbling as he spoke. Xiaoguo looked at him with amusement. “Eat slowly,” she told him.
Xiaoguo scooped the contents out of the pot and placed them aside to cool. Then, she washed the pot and filled it with water. Zhuangzhuang sat by the side and watched the fire. Xiaoguo sprinkled flour on the cutting board and began to roll out the dough. She first divided the dough and rolled them into flat pieces. These were then stacked together, and cut into wide strips of noodles.
Just as the water was boiling, Xiaoguo reminded Zhuangzhuang to stand a distance away so that he would not get scalded. She started boiling the noodles. While waiting for the noodles to cook, Xiaoguo took a cucumber and cut it into shreds. Zhuangzhuang watched from the side in amazement, “Wow… ”
Once the water started to boil again, Xiaoguo scooped out the freshly cooked noodles and rinsed them in a basin of cold water which she had just filled.
Upon seeing that the noodles were ready, Zhuangzhuang grabbed the cutlery and ran to the dining room. He could not wait any longer. Xiaoguo followed behind him with the pot in her hands, reminding him to slow down.
At the table, Xiaoguo scooped out a bowl of noodles for Zhuangzhuang. He anxiously took the bowl from Xiaoguo and began to dig in. He could barely speak as the food was too delicious. “How do you make such wonderful noodles?” Zhuangzhuang exclaimed in between mouthfuls of soup.
Xiaoguo thought about what she should say to Zhuangzhuang. She could not possibly tell him that she was a chef. “Is it because I made it?” Xiaoguo jokingly asked Zhuangzhuang.
Zhuangzhuang thought for a moment and nodded earnestly. “Definitely!”
Xiaoguo gently pinched his lips, which was stuffed with food. “Eat slowly. Don’t choke.”
After they finished their meal, Xiaoguo saw that Zhuangzhuang was dozing off. Even though he could barely keep his eyes open, Zhuangzhuang insisted on washing the dishes. Xiaoguo then promised him that she would not touch the dishes until he woke up. She would only wash them when he finished his nap. “So can you take a nap now?” Xiaoguo asked him in amusement.
After coaxing Zhuangzhuang to sleep, Xiaoguo left the room and washed the dishes. She also gave the kitchen a thorough cleaning. After finishing the chores, she did not feel tired at all. Xiaoguo returned to the room and covered Zhuangzhuang with a blanket. She then walked to the room in the east that used to be Mrs. Jiang’s room. The room was clean and bare. According to the customs in Peach Blossom Village, after a person died, the clothes they owned would all be burnt. Beds and cabinets would also be incinerated.
Xiaoguo was planning to save this room for Zhuangzhuang. Once she had saved enough money, she would convert this into his room. Zhuangzhuang was already three years old this year. It would not be appropriate for him to sleep in the same room with her when he grew older. Xiaoguo added this to her increasing list of must-do things.
After Xiaoguo had cleaned up all the rooms, Zhuangzhuang woke up calling for her. “Mom… ”
Xiaoguo watched the adorable Zhuangzhuang walk out of the room, still rubbing his eyes. Even though the child in front of her was dark and scrawny, he still seemed so cute in her eyes. She wondered if it was due to her motherly bias.
After the few consecutive hearty meals they had, Zhuangzhuang appeared to be a changed person. It wasn’t a dramatic change, but he had become more energetic and was not as listless as before.
Xiaoguo reached out to hold Zhuangzhuang in her arms and patted him. When he was fully awake, Xiaoguo asked him, “Do you want to follow me for a walk around the village?”
Zhuangzhuang looked at Xiaoguo with sparkling eyes and said, “Okay!”
It had been a while since he went on an outing with his mother.