Chapter 38
Freeloading a Delicious Meal
T/N: Chapter (2/2) sponsored by MajorQuinn! Thank you for sponsoring so many chapters again!
After she finished watering the grape saplings, Du Xiao Li invited them inside the house out of courtesy. Originally, she thought that Han Ming Yi would flatly refuse, yet unexpectedly, he directly used his actions to express his answer, lifting his foot and walking towards her house.
“This is the tangerine I picked today, it’s still a bit sour. If you don’t like sour things, you don’t have to eat it right now, you can wait some time for it to get sweeter and then eat it.” Du Xiao Li carried the tangerines into the yard and said.
Han Ming Yi furrowed his brows and said, “Why aren’t you washing them?”
“This is eaten by peeling the skin.” Du Xiao Li selected a relatively sweet one, and after peeling the skin, gave half to Han Ming Yi, “Try some.”
Ji Liu Feng took the other half from her hand, breaking off a piece and putting it in his mouth. Lightly taking a bite, his eyes immediately squinted from the sourness, swiftly shoving the rest back into Du Xiao Li’s hands. “Why is it this sour!?”
“I already said it’s still rather sour right now. If you’re scared of sourness, then you need to eat it at a later time.” Du Xiao Li broke off a piece and put it in her mouth. This one wasn’t even that sour!
On contrary, Han Ming Yi had finished eating the ones in his hand. He didn’t say they were good, but he didn’t say they were bad either.
Just then, Luo Qi came out from the house. His eyes met with Han Ming Yi’s for a second, before looking to Du Xiao Li, saying: “I’m hungry.”
“Aiyaa, I forgot to make dinner.” Du Xiao Li slapped herself on the forehead. Right now, the sky was already this dark, by the time she finished cooking, the sky will definitely be all black. She got up and said to Han Ming Yi, “Big brother Yi, you all take your time, I’m gonna go ahead and make dinner.”
Han Ming Yi picked up a tangerine and said, “We’re also going to eat here.”
“What?!” Du Xiao Li immediately froze in place. She turned around and asked, somewhat unsure, “You all want to eat here?”
Han Ming Yi nodded his head.
“But it’s this late already, by the time the food is ready, the sky would already be black. When the times comes, Luo Qi and I will even have to eat in the dark. Are you sure you want to eat dinner here?” Du Xiao Li said.
“Leng Er, go back and bring a lamp over. Also, tell uncle Niu that we won’t be going back to eat tonight.” Han Ming Yi ordered.
“Also, bring some green onions over.” Du Xiao Li added.
(T/N: Why does Leng Er just feel like everyone’s errand boy…)
“Yes, young master.” Soon after, Leng Er left, and a moment later, came back with a lamp.
Right after Leng Er left, Du Xiao Li had started making dinner. Fortunately, in order to cook Luo Qi’s medicine, she’d set up another stove. Else, it would’ve definitely taken her a really long time. She had the pot for cooking put in place, and boiled half a pot of water. After lighting the fire, she put the washed rice into the pot and began cooking. Afterwards, she took out the preserved egg Du Xiu Heng brought back last time. Then, she took out some lean meat, mushrooms she found this morning in the mountains, and also serval kinds of vegetables. In addition, there was also the previously bought fresh ginger, garlic, and so on.
“Need me to help?” Luo Qi really was hungry, but he didn’t expect Han Ming Yi would stay behind for dinner. Seeing Du Xiao Li taking out that many things, he walked over and asked.
Du Xiao Li handed him the preserved eggs and asked, “Do you know this?”
(I actually really love preserved eggs.)
Luo Qi nodded.
“Tear off the plant ashes on the outside, then peel off the eggsh.e.l.l and put it in the bowl.” Du Xiao Li said as she handed him a bowl.
“Okay.” Luo Qi nodded his head as he crouched to the side and began to peel the preserved eggs. Du Xiao Li took out the chopping board, had the lean meat washed clean, and placed it onto the chopping board to chop. Then, she had the fresh ginger minced and placed into the meat. Adding in a bit of starch, she then used chopsticks to stir it up. Afterwards, she also had the mushrooms chopped into small pieces and placed into a bowl.
After finishing these, Luo Qi also had the eggs peeled. Du Xiao Li washed the preserved eggs, then had the preserved eggs placed into a bowl too.
Ji Liu Feng walked over. Upon seeing the things in the bowls, he asked, “What are you making here? This troublesome.”
“Preserved egg and lean meat porridge.” Du Xiao Li replied.
“Preserved egg and lean meat porridge? What porridge is that?” Ji Liu Feng continued to ask.
“It’s porridge made using these things!” Du Xiao Li said. She lifted open the pot lid and used a wooden ladle to check the rice. She then had the preserved egg and mushroom poured in.
Right after, she had the pot used for stir-frying washed clean, placed onto the other stove, and added some water. She then took out some eggplants, quickly peeled the skin, and afterwards, threw the entire thing into the pot, using the water to boil.
“Luo Qi, go take out one of the salted hare that I fixed up last time.” Du Xiao Li said to Luo Qi.
“Okay.” Luo Qi turned around, entered the house, and brought out a hare. After washing it, he handed it to Du Xiao Li.
“Thank you.” Du Xiao Li took the hare, had it cut into four pieces, and placed it into a basin. Afterwards, she began preparing the other dishes again.
When the porridge was almost done, the ground meat was poured in. A while later, she let Luo Qi have the pot carried to the side. She then added some green onions into the pot.
Afterwards, she had the other pot placed onto the stove, and placed the hare on top to steam, letting Luo Qi pay attention to the fire, while she concentrated on the other stove.
She had the boiled eggplants fished up, and added the seasoning she fixed up in her free time. Afterwards, she put the intact eggplants directly into the pot and began stir-frying. And when the outer layer of the eggplant browned, she took it out of the pot. Then, heating up some oil, she had the green peppers poured in to stir-fry, and after the seasoning is added, it’s taken out of the pot.
(T/N: I think the author was confused when she wrote the above paragraph, because it made no sense in the original, I’m a.s.suming she just stir-fried eggplant and green peppers.)
Leng Er and the others had already moved the table out into the courtyard. Du Xiao Li had Leng Er carry the cooked eggplants and green peppers over. Afterwards, with some diced green peppers and meat slices, she cooked up a twice-cooked pork. When this dish was done, she finally extinguished the fire under the stove.
(Twice Cooked Pork)
“Smells so good!” Leng Er looked to the three dishes on the table, and took a big sniff.
“Luo Qi, bring out the bowls and chopsticks to wash.” Du Xiao Li was checking to see if the hare was cooked.
“Okay.” Luo Qi replied, and went into the house to bring out the bowls and chopsticks.
Han Ming Yi glanced to Leng Er, and Leng Er hurriedly went forward, taking the bowls and chopsticks from Luo Qi’s hands. “You’re someone that’s injured. Just let me take care of these things.” After saying this, he went to go wash the bowls and chopsticks, muttering in his heart, ‘Why do I feel young master is eating vinegar?’
Eating vinegar?!
Leng Er sweated inside. Don’t tell me young master likes this little girl?! He secretly glanced at Han Ming Yi, not noticing anything unusual. He finally pressed his inner thoughts back down.
After washing clean the bowls and chopsticks, Du Xiao Li also made him carry the preserved eggs and lean meat porridge over, giving every person a bowl of the porridge. She then cut up the hare meat, before finally carrying it over and sitting down together with them.
“Smells good.” Ji Liu Feng looked to the simply-made dishes, and couldn’t help directly drooling.
Although she tried moving as fast as possible, the sky still grew dark. Lighting the lamp, the faint yellow light shone on everyone’s face, appearing tranquil and warm.
“The dishes are rather simple, everyone just make do with them.” Du Xiao Li said, afterwards drinking a mouthful of porridge herself. Although this was her first time making it since coming here, the taste was still the same as before, making one reminisce. Of course, if she could’ve had the mushrooms replaced with s.h.i.ttake, then it would’ve be even better.
“Girl, couldn’t tell that your skills are this good!” Leng Er drank some porridge, ate a piece of twice-cooked pork, and exclaimed in admiration.
“If the mushrooms in the preserved egg and lean meat porridge can be changed with shiitake, add some vinegar to the ‘tiger skin peppers’, and the hare meat have some chili powder as seasoning, then it’ll be even better.” Du Xiao Li explained what every dished lacked.
(Tiger Skin Peppers, aka that green pepper and eggplant dish)
“It’s already very delicious.” Luo Qi was elegantly gnawing on a bone, when he heard Du Xiao Li’s words, and stopped to comment.
Han Ming Yi lifted his head and glanced at Du Xiao Li, following which he lowered his head again, silently drinking his porridge. His gaze flickered, unsure as to what he was thinking about.
T/N: It’s 3AM and I got so hungry translating this chapter. No wonder it takes her forever to make dinner, cooking up a freaking feast here. Also, due to a very generous sponsor, Madam Daim, there will be 6 additonal sponsored chapter. I’m going to try finishing 2 sponsored chapters every day for FRI-SUN. This will be on top of the regular chapters. Stay tuned!
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