*

The next day.

Remembering that they were going to make a big splash today, Nanqing and Xiaoba got up briskly when their alarm clock rang at six o'clock.

With a small, brown-yellow hamster on her head, Nanqing tiptoed into the kitchen on the first floor. The cameras were still in sleep mode, so no one knew that early in the morning, a person and a beast were so hungry.

As she walked, she kept muttering, "Sour soup noodles... sour soup noodles..."

As soon as the refrigerator door was opened, a blast of cold air hit you, and the entire double-door refrigerator was crammed with all kinds of food.

The first thing that catches the eye is the bags of fresh leafy green vegetables, tender green lettuce, spinach, and water spinach, with a few water droplets still on the leaves.

There were also glossy purple eggplants and beautiful red tomatoes, like jewels. In the transparent food storage container next to them, there were also many fungi with roots and soil still attached.

Even the frozen section was filled with all kinds of meat and seafood, and the shelves were also fully stocked with various condiments, including Italian balsamic vinegar, Thai fish sauce, various chili sauces and chili oils, and even hot pot base.

Nan Qing held up a tablet in one hand and picked out the ingredients she needed from the refrigerator with the other.

Tomatoes, chili sauce, sour soup sauce, rice noodles, beef, leafy greens, bean sprouts, quail eggs, meatballs...

After everything was taken out, Nan Qing checked it and suddenly froze. Where was the sour soup sauce?

She went back to the refrigerator and searched for a long time. There were many kinds of seasonings and dipping sauces inside, but she couldn't find the sour soup sauce she wanted.

【Um... Host, let me search for recipes that don't use sour soup sauce. You see, in the video we watched last night, they didn't use that sauce either....】

"That makes sense."

Nan Qing placed the ingredients on the counter, picked up a kitchen knife, and looked at the pile of ingredients, suddenly unsure of where to start.

【Host, host, first chop the tomatoes. This says to use two tomatoes, chop them up a bit~】

Xiao Ba, with her tiny body, bounced around in front of the tablet, watching the tutorial and instructing the somewhat bewildered Nan Qing.

Although Nan Qing's cooking skills are still uncertain, her knife skills are indeed excellent. After listening to Xiao Ba's words, she took two round tomatoes and wielded the knife in her hands like a small toy, moving so fast that it was dazzling.

Looking at the "tomato crumbs" that were shattered into the finest pieces on the cutting board, Nan Qing was quite satisfied. She picked up a small bowl and collected the crumbs that had spilled tomato juice all over the cutting board.

Then, under Xiao Ba's "guidance," she prepared all the ingredients. When it came to anything involving knives, even a professional chef would probably only be able to express their admiration.

Especially the beef, when sliced ​​across the grain, each slice is almost the same thickness, and when you lift it up to look at it, you can even see the light through it.

But her kitchen skills are probably limited to this...

"Sizzle—"

The diced tomatoes tumbled in the hot oil. The addition of the tomatoes caused the hot oil to splatter, startling Nan Qing so much that she immediately moved five steps away. Holding a wooden spatula, she cautiously approached the pan. Once the oil splattering subsided, she carefully stirred the oil in circles, following the instructions.

The video says that tomatoes should be slowly simmered into a sauce to bring out all the flavor.

But not long after, Nanqing suddenly caught a whiff of burning. Based on her many experiences, she was certain it was the smell of burning!

She took another step forward and peered into the pot. The tomato soup was indeed quite thick, but some small caramel-colored pieces were faintly visible around the edges.

"Damn it, it's burnt again..."

She ran quickly to the refrigerator, grabbed two bottles of mineral water, opened them, and poured both into the boiling pot, one in each hand.

The heat from the pan was intense, and the addition of water caused oil to splatter everywhere. Nan Qing dodged quickly, the bottle of mineral water in her hand tracing a graceful arc in the air.

A few water droplets splashed into the burner of the gas stove, and the flame suddenly shot up with a "whoosh," the blue-yellow flames engulfing the entire small pot.

Nan Qing held two mineral water bottles in her hands, staring blankly at the small pot that was boiling over an excessively hot flame. At this moment, the small pot on the stove and the flame hole at the bottom of the pot formed a perfect closed loop.

The fire was very strong, so the water in the small pot kept boiling and then overflowed. The flames were stimulated by the liquid and grew even bigger, and couldn't be stopped.

Seeing this, Nan Qing could only rush forward and turn off the fire on the stove.

The fire was extinguished, and the small pot stopped boiling. She looked at the bottle in her hand, then at the tomato soup that was only half full in the pot. With a flick of her wrist, she poured more water from the bottle into the pot to fill it up!

No problem, it's a small matter, don't panic. There's still plenty of water, the diced tomatoes are still there, and the soup is still red.

No problem, absolutely no problem, you can eat it!

Then she turned on the stove again and put the vermicelli, beef, meatballs, and leafy greens all in at once.

Then, referring to the seasoning list in the tutorial, Xiao Ba read it aloud and added: sugar, soy sauce, salt, vinegar—perfect!

But she didn't pay any attention to the amount of those seasonings.

"Appropriate amount" means you can put in as much as you want.

She likes sweets, so sugar is a must. She also likes spicy food, but it can't be too bland, so salt is essential. Adding soy sauce makes it look nice, so add plenty. And vinegar—the tangy and spicy flavor is so delicious, you need lots of that!

Everything is in one pot, now just wait for the pot to boil, and then it's ready to eat!

Nanqing had Xiaoba set up a stopwatch, which was quite meticulous. The tutorial said that the noodles were best cooked for three minutes.

The man and the beast, one staring at the small pot and the other at the timer on the tablet, both swallowed hard, unable to suppress the craving that had been stirred in their hearts, as they smelled the rich, sour aroma in the kitchen.

Just then, Gu Beiyan's voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Qingqing, what are you doing here...?"

Nanqing and Xiaoba, who were focused on the small pot and stopwatch, were startled at the same time and turned to look.

Gu Beiyan stood at the kitchen door, his black casual sportswear soaked with sweat, clinging to his body and outlining his strong and powerful waist. He had just finished his morning run, and his forehead and neck were also covered with beads of sweat, with his hair hanging down slightly. At this moment, he lacked his usual coldness and business aura, and had more of a down-to-earth feel.

Nan Qing pointed to the small pot bubbling on the stove, her eyes filled with pride.

"I'm making sour soup noodles, and I made some for you too~"

"Let me tell you, it's absolutely delicious! Just wait, you'll be able to eat it soon!"

Nan Qing glanced down at the tablet; the time was exactly 3 minutes and 7 seconds. She quickly reached out and turned off the flame, then leaned in to smell it. It tasted sour, which was great!