Chapter 20 Juice-Sucking Gluten

By the time Jiang Zhi calmly brought the dishes to the table, everyone had been sitting there for quite some time!

This time, even Pei Ye was unusually curious. The reason was simple: for the first time, Jiang Zhi's kitchen did not waft out that rich, mellow aroma!

It looked like no cooking had been done at all; not even a wisp of smoke had risen!

It was like the cold stove before Jiang Zhi arrived!

For no apparent reason, a metaphor suddenly came to his mind, and his whole heart trembled. A strange sense of panic rose to his heart.

He couldn't help but peek over, staring blankly at the figure fluttering like a butterfly's wings in the kitchen.

*

Jiang Zhi had no idea about all this; the cold noodles were already ready for her.

We're just waiting for it to be served.

So, she held a spicy dish in one hand and a large porcelain basin filled with already mixed cold noodles in the other.

Gu Yuan also peeked at the large porcelain basin, then took a deep sniff, and sure enough, he didn't smell the usual aroma of vegetables.

However, after several tasting experiences, Gu Yuan still trusted Boss Jiang very much, so he sat there obediently like a ragdoll cat, just waiting for Boss Jiang to hand out the bowls and plates.

*

Jiang Zhi ignored the slightly bewildered yet expectant looks in the eyes of the remaining people. Before the bowls were distributed, she first filled a bowl for herself and Xiao Mahua, to prevent these foodies from eating like hungry wolves and leaving them no food to pick up.

Then he set out everyone's bowls and chopsticks one by one.

Just as she expected, although they couldn't smell the aroma, everyone's chopsticks pounced on the cold noodles like hungry hawks.

In this situation, even if Pei Ye wanted to wallow in sorrow, he dared not continue. After all, he had practiced martial arts with Gu Yuan since childhood, and for this dinner, his hand speed was so fast it was like a blur.

There was only Youyi left. He didn't know kung fu and couldn't keep up with the speed of the two men. In order to pick up a mouthful of noodles, he had to stand up, stand on tiptoe, and then quickly put his chopsticks down in a certain spot.

On one side, swords clash and blood flows; on the other, peace and tranquility reign.

Seeing the scene over there, Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she had expected it. She started slurping noodles with Xiao Mahua, feeling extremely happy!

*

You Yi was eventually driven to the brink of collapse by the two guys working together. Seeing that his bowl was more than half full, he let out a long sigh, rolled his eyes at the two men resentfully, and then sat down to eat.

He was stunned after taking that bite!

You Yi has eaten quite a lot of noodles. Or rather, regardless of the era, noodles have always been a common meal replacement because they are easier to cook than staple foods like rice.

However, the noodles that Boss Jiang made this time were very different from those that You Yi usually made at home by his cook or by Boss Li from the east side of the street.

Although all of Boss Jiang's noodles looked uniform in thickness and length, You Yi had only ever eaten noodles with white flour filling before. But today, Boss Jiang had cooked noodles of two colors, which inevitably aroused the curiosity of the well-traveled You Yi!

So, Boss Jiang must have taken advantage of the time when the others went out to play cards to make noodles!

The Iron-Blooded Lazy Cancer You Yi was shocked, and puzzled!

No, how does Mr. Jiang manage to squeeze out so much time?

You Yi was even more surprised after taking a bite.

If you could only judge the noodles by their appearance before, then after this bite, You Yi almost cried from craving!

The noodles weren't thick, but they were slightly chewy, and they seemed to be bouncing between the tongue and teeth. They were probably just taken out of the well, and they still had a slightly icy feel to them.

The sauce coating it, the refreshing vinegar, the slightly sweet aftertaste from some unknown ingredient, the savory aroma of soy sauce, and the numbing sensation from a touch of Sichuan peppercorn—one bite and you get a satisfying mix of sweet, sour, salty, and a hint of spiciness!

As he swallowed the noodles, You Yi almost squinted his eyes in bliss, as if a spring of ice water had suddenly risen from the ground, instantly relieving the heat that had been radiating from his body.

But this also calmed him down.

His eyes widened slightly as he realized something.

You Yi glanced at the other two out of the corner of his eye and confirmed that they were also filled with happiness when they took their first bite.

He then brazenly began shoveling the few remaining cold noodles into the bowl.

The other two, though also squinting with a hint of happiness, were still paying attention to their training out of the corner of their eyes. Upon seeing a sway beside them, they instinctively opened their eyes.

Then I saw a furtive figure rummaging through my bowl...

"Hey, you surnamed You, did you eat too much today and deserve a beating?"

It was Gu's angry voice.

On the other side, Pei remained silent, then silently and viciously attacked You Yi's feet before starting to scratch them.

Although Gu Yuan cursed, he didn't even see You Yi. He was only focused on the noodles, and his hands moved quickly. With a flick of his wrist, the noodles and soup slid into her bowl.

And so, the three of them, in order to eat more noodles, started fighting over them without any regard for their dignity.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhi and Xiao Mahua, who had little appetites, would secretly watch the show from the sidelines.

Jiang Zhi poked the little twisted dough stick hard, then whispered in her ear.

"Don't you think this resembles the Three Kingdoms period?"

Little Twist successfully caught Jiang Zhi's funny bone, and the two of them looked at each other and burst into laughter.

*

When the three of them finally finished their struggle, they were greeted by two pairs of smiling eyes.

Jiang Zhi managed to hide it quite well, chewing her noodles slowly with her teeth, only a slight smile in her eyes.

Little Twisted Doughnut couldn't hide it so well; her eyes were practically slits from laughing.

In an instant, he met three pairs of eyes staring at him, and his smile froze on his face.

*

Little Twist got her face pinched and her hair ruffled because of a moment of carelessness.

Instantly, it transformed from a slightly shy and smiling sunflower into a closed mimosa.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhi felt a little pity, so she took the opportunity to gently rub Xiao Mahua's head again.

He then received a cold, calm look from Little Twist.

Jiang Zhi coughed twice, pretending not to see the resentful look in his eyes, and buried his head in his food.

The other three wished they could stick their heads into the bowl.

Jiang Zhi finally peered over the three walls-like bodies and saw that in the short time it had been, they had even divided up all the broth from the cold noodles.

This made Jiang Zhi wonder a couple more things: Just what's wrong with how much these people eat?

How come she can eat all of it, even though she adds a little more every day, and still look like she's starving and can't get enough to eat?

*

After Jiang Zhi finished eating and rested for a while, she started preparing the products for her evening stall.

Jiang Zhi smiled as she scooped the freshly cooked noodles out of the well.

There's a reason why Jiang Zhi started to seal the cold noodles in oil and chill them.

Look at her now, she has already leisurely finished cooking and eating, and rested for a while. Although she didn't check the exact time, several hours have passed.

But the remaining noodles that were kept in the well did not stick together; instead, they became even more oily and shiny.

Then, just like before, pour in the sauce, add the gluten, and then add cucumber strips, bean sprouts, and other ingredients and mix well.

Then I also made a jar of the chili sauce that I had just made for Gu Yuandan.

Jiang Zhi still wanted to attract all kinds of customers, so she couldn't abandon any potential audience.

Regardless of whether he can handle spicy food or not, Jiang Zhi is confident enough to guarantee that as long as you're willing, she'll have what you want to eat here today!

*

Having just done it once this afternoon, Jiang Zhi can only say that she's become quite skilled at it!

Her hands moved incredibly fast, and she even entered a state of flow, her mind completely focused on cooking!

Even Pei Ye, who walked in after them, didn't realize it.

Pei Ye stood focused behind Jiang Zhi, his gaze fixed on the cold noodles that Jiang Zhi was flipping through her hands. At the same time, he secretly glanced at Jiang Zhi's beautiful profile out of the corner of his eye.

Jiang Zhi herself was actually a little unaware that she was exceptionally beautiful, with porcelain-white skin and dark eyelashes on her almond-shaped eyes that fluttered like butterfly wings.

Her lips were always a light crimson, and Jiang Zhi would occasionally apply some rouge to brighten her complexion.

For a moment, Pei Ye couldn't help but stand there like a fool.

*

As Jiang Zhi turned around to get the seasonings, she was shocked to find a wall blocking her back.

She glanced at Pei Ye with a puzzled look, then turned around and casually pulled the jar of soy sauce from behind him, asking in confusion.

What are you doing here?

"I...I came to see you!"

Pei Ye was momentarily speechless.

"Forehead……"

Jiang Zhi gave him a strange look, then, as if she had thought of something, turned around and started smiling again.

"Since you have nothing better to do, go wash the dishes!"

In an instant, all of Pei Ye's sorrow and melancholy were swept away by the mountain of bowls.

He took a deep breath, looked at Jiang Zhi intently, then pursed his lips and went to wash the dishes.

*

Jiang Zhi makes cold noodles very quickly too!

In fact, Jiang Zhi chose to make this cold noodle dish because it is quick and convenient!

She put the prepared cold noodles, along with the broth, into a bucket, then placed it in the well to chill it, preparing to take it to the market to sell after processing the dried fish!

*

According to Jiang Zhi, there are actually two ways to make dried anchovies!

One type is called Yang stem, and the other is called Yin stem!

It's very easy to understand; just take it literally: one is dried in the sun, and the other is hung under the eaves on a rainy day and slowly dried by the wind.

Jiang Zhi prefers sun-dried small fish, that is, dried in the sun.

The reason is simple: come on, who doesn't like crispy and fragrant dried fish?

Air-dried, it's soft overall, and the small thorns feel more distinct between your teeth. If you ask Jiang Zhi, it would be better to just stir-fry the fresh ones in oil!

So, since it was the middle of summer, Jiang Zhi planned to dry the small fish first, then let them dry overnight. If she could find a suitable house the next morning, she would put them out to dry on the open ground. With the right time, place, and people, everything would be perfect!

Therefore, Jiang Zhi now only has one step to complete: to lightly wash away the salt from the surface of the dried small fish, then string them together with a small rope and hang them in the kitchen.

A note from the author:

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This is already chapter 20!

It's such an honor to meet you all here! [hugs][hugs][hugs]

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