Chapter 36 She is Cinderella Twice-cooked Pork and Dandan Cold Noodles

The Carnival of the Dead went very smoothly, and the merchants made a lot of money. Ye Wan huddled in the tavern, taking notes with a feather pen and grinning.

Next to her was a glass jar with a number of stars already inside. The closest red star came from the old leader, Hans, who, despite his burned face, publicly declared his return:

"We are about to revive the Revue des Undead!" he said confidently in front of a group of reporters.

"Stop smiling, I can see your teeth are missing." You An was reading the newspaper with his legs crossed, looking at her through a bunch of yellow sagebrush on the table.

Ye Wan suppressed her smile: "You are jealous." She said viciously.

Calmette had its first rain of early autumn. The rain was not heavy, and it tapped gently on the eaves, like a beautiful note. These fine raindrops wove into a hazy gauze, covering the alley.

Ye Wan took a sip of hot cocoa, flipped through two pages of a book, and then put it down: "I've been a bit bored lately."

The radio was playing Selena Gomez's new song, "My Love Melted into the Crucible." The rich voice made Ye Wan drowsy. She reached out to Youan and said, "Let me see today's newspaper."

Youan paused and then handed her the newspaper.

Today's front-page headline is about the royal family's new policy. A large black-and-white photo shows guards expelling reporters with cameras in front of the Holy Rose Palace.

Ye Wan had no interest in this kind of news. She flipped to the gossip section with ease, wanting to see the gossip about the singer Selena and the male mermaid.

But apparently the reporters had changed their gossip target, with a huge black letter saying: "Jenny Scarlett Oslov - the new generation of 'Cinderella' in Calmet?!"

The photo shows a black-haired beauty in a burgundy dress standing in front of a carriage. She has her hair slicked back, revealing her full forehead and high nose bridge. Her eyes looking towards the camera are like the deep ocean.

"What a beautiful girl! She looks just like Audrey Hepburn." Ye Wan exclaimed while holding the newspaper.

This newspaper reports:

Today, a bombshell piece of news caused a stir in the aristocratic community: Duke Oslov's youngest daughter is about to marry into the Northern Ice Kingdom. This may seem like an ordinary political marriage, but according to insiders, there are hidden secrets behind it.

It is said that after the death of his first wife, Duke Oslov quickly married the widow of the Beren family. The new lady brought her two daughters to the Duke's Palace.

According to informants, the new Duchess is very mean. Jenny is often discriminated against and beaten by the Duchess and her two stepsisters in the mansion. They even snatch away all kinds of jewelry and dresses left to her by her biological mother. She should have been a pampered aristocratic lady, but now she is like an orphan, suffering torture at home.

This marriage with the Northern Ice and Snow Kingdom also seems to be the work of this stepmother. The Ice and Snow Kingdom is located in an extremely cold place. In the Middle Ages, it was the final destination of exiles from the country. The environment was extremely harsh, forming a sharp contrast with the prosperous and wealthy Kingdom of Oceana.

Therefore, traveling to the northern ice kingdom became a huge challenge for the noble ladies. Many people believed that Jenny's fate was surprisingly similar to that of Cinderella in the ancient legend.

Many people speculated that the stepmother's action was to allow her two biological daughters to inherit more family resources and glory, and expressed deep regret for Jenny's experience.

Some people also think that maybe Jenny can be saved and favored by the prince after losing one of her crystal shoes, just like Cinderella. But unfortunately, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still missing, so Cinderella's romantic story is unlikely to happen.

So what will be the fate of this "Cinderella"? This newspaper will continue to follow up, so let us wait and see!

(This issue comes with a Cinderella crystal slipper pendant and a love spell)

—Respectfully submitted by our reporter Carl Stoner

"It's that bald guy again." Ye Wan put the newspaper down: "When will he stop reporting other people's privacy?"

The crystal shoe pendant was strung on a thin rope. Pancake tried hard to put his big fat head on it, but it got stuck halfway after only getting halfway.

Youan took the newspaper again and buried his head in it.

Ye Wan had no choice but to help Pancake untie the rope: "I really hope someone can punish this reporter Stone. Why does Miss Jenny need His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to rescue her? His Royal Highness has made himself disappear, and we still expect him to rescue others?"

Youan reappeared from the newspaper, his voice as dry as a baguette dried by the wind: "You seem to have a lot of opinions about the Crown Prince."

Ye Wan tiptoed to the counter to get the chili powder: "Oh, I don't have any. I just don't believe that someone who can make himself disappear can manage the entire country."

"Maybe he has his own reasons," Youan continued.

Ye Wan looked at him curiously: "You actually spoke for a strange man."

"Is there any problem?" Youan asked.

"Of course there is, it's a very big problem. Most of the time you look at others as if they were a lump of mud. Speaking for the crown prince like this, I'm afraid you'll fall in love with him." Ye Wan said.

The latter rolled his eyes, went back to reading the newspaper and decided not to pay any more attention to her.

The early autumn in the royal capital is still very hot. The ice butterflies of the Ice and Snow Kingdom circulate in the royal capital every day at 4 pm to reduce the high temperature, so Ye Wan decided to make twice-cooked pork and dandan cold noodles for today's set meal.

Place the cast iron pot on the stove and add a thin layer of oil. When the fat and lean meat slices curl up with golden brown edges of oil, pour in a spoonful of glossy red sauce. This red sauce tastes similar to bean paste. The moment it melts in the oil, the overbearing and rich spicy aroma of the sauce bursts out instantly. At this time, add the fresh green garlic sprouts and stir-fry together. Just stir-fry for a few times until the garlic sprouts are cooked.

Ye Wan took out the twice-cooked pork on a plate. The meat slices were red and shiny, the garlic sprouts were green, and the pork was steaming with a spicy and fresh aroma.

As for the cold noodles, Ye Wan carefully selected fresh and thick alkaline noodles, the kind that tastes the chewiest.

Put the chili powder in a bowl, and then pour a spoonful of boiling hot rapeseed oil. With a "sizzling" sound, the red chili oil is ready. Add a spoonful of sesame paste and water to dissolve it. Add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and minced garlic. Don't forget to sprinkle some white sesame seeds, chopped green onions and coriander on the noodles.

The two dishes were delicious and Ye Wan was very satisfied. He immediately wiped the blackboard at the door clean and replaced it with a new one:

Today’s set menu: Twice-cooked pork and Dandan cold noodles

The weather in the royal capital was particularly good. Around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the drizzle stopped and many people came out of their homes to the tavern for food.

The first person to come in was the old captain Hans. He looked very energetic, even radiant.

He wore a silver mask on the burned side of his face. The mask was beautifully crafted, intricately carved with grape patterns, and it glowed dully under the tavern lights.

"So cool, just like the lead actor in The Phantom of the Opera."

Hans sat down and took off the mask, saying cheerfully, "Everyone says this mask is cool, but what is the Phantom of the Opera?"

Ye Wan told him the story of The Phantom of the Opera in detail. Old Hans stood up excitedly and said, "This story is really great. I think I have to incorporate this story into the performance of our Soul Dance Troupe." After that, he put on the mask again and left.

Ye Wan couldn't catch up with him even after chasing him: "Mr. Hans, are you still having dinner?"

Hans ran away.

She sighed and said she should have kept it a secret.

The second person to come in was Emma. She had just gotten off work from the broom shop and ordered a plate of twice-cooked pork and dandan cold noodles.

Muffin ran over like a little cannonball and bumped into Emma's arms, showing off the crystal shoe pendant on her neck to her.

"Oh? Is it included with the magazine?" Emma asked.

Muffin put his hands on his hips and nodded proudly.

"It is said that there is a love spell on it, but I don't know what effect it will have." Ye Wan brought her meal.

Emma took the plate of food: "Oh, I know. It's probably the heart of a pigeon. I heard that the heart of a pigeon can be used to cast a powerful love spell. Rumor has it that if you pierce the heart of a pigeon with a needle, the other party will not be able to resist such strong love."① Ye Wan was silent, and Pancake was scared to tears.

Emma glanced at them and said, "Oh? Are you scared? Don't be afraid. This is a very common thing in the witch world. People often nail a toad on the door frame to prevent evil spells."

Ye Wan stood up: "Just eat here and don't move. I'll go to the kitchen and get you two oranges..."

Emma: “?”

She placed a large bowl of dandan noodles in front of her. Emma was not very familiar with using chopsticks, so she had to stiffly insert the chopsticks into the bottom of the bowl, then slowly pick them up and mix the noodles with various seasonings. The red oil gradually dyed each noodle.

The noodles are covered with red oil, crushed sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, chopped green onions and coriander. The first bite is incredibly chewy and smooth, with the crispness of cucumber and the fragrance of sprouts. The sesame paste is mellow, with a hint of sourness from vinegar, which is very refreshing and seems to drive away all the steaming heat.

Take another bite of the twice-cooked pork with alternating fat and lean meat. Even the fat is stir-fried until crispy and fragrant, but the fat inside is still soft and glutinous, melting on the tip of the tongue. The lean meat is dry and fragrant, full of the freshness and spiciness of the red sauce.

"It's delicious, but a little spicy." Emma's face turned red from the chili pepper and she yelled to the kitchen, "Where's my orange?"

A few more guests came in one after another, including Lassen, Justin and Orion from the Guards. They had just finished their shift and were still in their guard uniforms.

Lassen didn't look very happy today. He ordered the highest-proof beer and then gulped down a large glass of it along with the complimentary side dishes.

Ye Wan whispered to Justin: "What happened to your captain?"

Justin whispered, "Another failed blind date."

Ye Wan: “…”

Lesson Witte comes from the Witte family, which is also very famous in the royal capital. It is said that this family specializes in producing paladins, so they can be considered nobles.

The young ladies who had gone on blind dates with Lassen were all daughters of aristocrats. For example, this afternoon, when the young lady, wearing a gorgeous pink brocade Empire-style dress and a small sunhat, walked into the café, Lassen greeted her warmly and said, "Oh, you have a long string at the back. Let me help you pull it off."

Then he pulled off the entire wig that was inlaid with countless bows.

The noble lady covered her head and ran away.

Ye Wan and the other diners wanted to laugh, but swallowed it with great difficulty.

Lassen finished his drink and pounded his fist on the table. "Damn it! I just want to start a family. Why is it so difficult?"

Ye Wan said without hesitation: "Maybe she's afraid that she'll have no hair after marrying you."

The people around burst into laughter.

The doorbell jingled and someone came in.

Ye Wan hurried to get the menu, and then walked over to him, her smile frozen on her face.

A dark-skinned girl in a white wedding dress stood at the door, bewildered. "Oh, is this a tavern?"

Justin said to the door: "Holy Mother, I don't want a bride, give me a thousand gold coins!"

Ye Wan recognized the beautiful girl, after all, she had just seen her in the newspaper that afternoon.

Ye Wan stammered as he welcomed this "Cinderella" in: "It's a tavern, please come in."

"Cinderella" walked in nervously, holding up her tulle skirt. Her beautiful black eyes kept blinking like a pair of lively butterflies. Everyone was stunned by her beauty.

Lassen suddenly stood up, then strode over and solemnly saluted "Cinderella" Jenny as a knight.

Jenny was confused. She subconsciously shrank back: "Sir, who are you?"

He said, "Beautiful girl, please don't panic. It's very safe here. This is Ye Wan, the owner of the tavern." Lassen pointed at Ye Wan.

"Those are the tavern boys, the guards from the Guards Regiment, and the clerk from the broom shop." He pointed at Euan, Justin, and Emma.

"And I, Lassen Rochester Witte, am the commander and law enforcement officer of His Majesty the Emperor's 13th Guards Regiment, the fifth heir to the Witte family, and the third runner-up in the 67th Brave Tournament."

Ye Wan: "? Why is your title the only one that long?"