As the top official of a county, he never frowned when faced with urban construction and development projects worth millions.
At this moment, however, he furrowed his brows into a knot, studied the situation for a long time, and finally, carrying the pot and water, asked Fang Yan, "How much water should I put in this?"
"Place your palm flat on the rice, and let the water cover the back of your hand, about ankle level."
Fang Yan pointed to the middle of her ankle.
As if conducting an experiment, Wei Jiahong carefully added water to the pot as Fang Yan instructed.
Afraid of pouring too much water and causing trouble later, he didn't even dare to move quickly.
Seeing his clumsy movements, Fang Yan couldn't help but laugh, "You've never cooked before?"
Wei Jiahong felt inexplicably embarrassed, but subconsciously defended himself, saying, "I can sweep the floor, wash the dishes, and wipe the table."
He didn't know why he said that. By the time he realized it, the words were already out and couldn't be taken back. He wanted to quickly change the subject, but for some inexplicable reason, he asked, "Can Zhang Jizhou cook?"
"Um?"
Fang Yan did not expect that Wei Jiahong would bring up Zhang Jizhou.
My mind went a beat slow before I caught up with him, "I don't know."
Every time Zhang Jizhou came back, his stay was very short, and he was still forced by Zhang Laowu to do farm work or go up the mountain to chop firewood.
Moreover, since the original owner and Li Ermei were in the house, they basically took care of all the housework, so he was never seen going into the kitchen to do any work.
To be precise, none of the male members of the Zhang family, regardless of age, ever did housework.
This phenomenon is very common in Gouzi Village, even in the county seat, and in nearby provinces and cities.
Because this area adheres to the traditional view that men are responsible for external affairs and women for internal affairs, this has been distorted in a simplistic and crude way, resulting in generation after generation of men who are so lazy that they won't even bother to pick up a fallen oil bottle.
Fang Yan's words made Wei Jiahong feel inexplicably relieved, and his tone became much more relaxed. "I have a pretty good learning ability. I will try to spend more time learning in the future and I will be able to learn kitchen skills soon."
So, what are you doing here with me?
Fang Yan was puzzled, but she still smiled politely and said, "Then your family is very fortunate."
By the way, she didn't even know whether Wei Jiahong was married or not.
However, he looks to be in his thirties.
Given that in this day and age, a man who is over 25 and still unmarried is considered a "leftover man," Wei Jiahong's child should be old enough to run errands by now, right?
However, despite visiting the Wei family courtyard so many times, it seems that Old Master Wei has never mentioned it.
I've never heard him mention Wei Jiahong's marital status.
Not knowing his personal situation, Fang Yan dared not speak rashly, lest she step on a landmine.
Wei Jiahong's eyes, which had been somewhat bright, instantly dimmed.
family……
He's all alone; where would he find family?
Oh, the old man counts.
But the old man always complained that he was in the way and wished that he could live and eat in the office 24 hours a day.
In just a moment, he quickly composed himself and returned to normal.
He was secretly annoyed, wondering why he always couldn't help but say strange things in front of Fang Yan.
Don't let Fang Yan figure anything out.
To avoid arousing Fang Yan's suspicion, Wei Jiahong quickly changed the subject by pretending to get some garlic, "We'll need garlic today, right? I'll go peel some."
"Yes, you can peel a little more." Fang Yan gestured to him to take two or three more cloves of garlic to peel.
There will be braised pork in a little while. Dipping it in minced garlic will cut through the greasiness and enhance the aroma.
"Is this enough?" Wei Jiahong took three more and asked her.
Fang Yan nodded, "That's about it."
The scene of the two of them getting along harmoniously, like a young couple, was witnessed by Grandpa Wei, who happened to pass by the kitchen.
The old man glanced at her a few times, then sighed inwardly, "It's a pity that Xiao Fang is already married."
otherwise……
Grandpa Wei shook his head and didn't think about it anymore.
Don't fantasize about things that will never become reality, lest you create trouble for yourself.
Old Master Wei wasn't oblivious to the meaning behind Wei Jiahong's awkward expression.
But he wasn't worried at all that Wei Jiahong would do anything outrageous.
This kid is almost forty. If he doesn't even have this much self-control, how will he survive in the officialdom?
Grandpa Wei was a little regretful that Fang Yan got married too early, otherwise things wouldn't be like this today...
Isn't that wonderful?
The dishes served at lunch were all quick and easy to make.
The shrimp and lotus root sandwich is first fried, then slightly simmered with tomatoes to create a sweet and sour flavor.
The dish wasn't even ready yet, and there were already five elderly people, one child, and a baby clam eagerly waiting at the kitchen door.
Minced meat and potato boats require good knife skills.
The potato slices should be cut to a medium thickness.
So Fang Yan personally took charge and sliced both potatoes into thin, even slices.
Blanch the potato slices for half a minute to soften them.
Fill the center with seasoned minced meat, and then secure the edges of the potato slices with toothpicks.
Heat the oil to around 50-60 degrees Celsius, then slowly fry the ingredients in the pan.
Cook until the bottom is golden brown, like a potsticker, then it's ready to be taken out of the pan.
Leave some oil in the pan, quickly stir-fry the chopped preserved vegetables, drizzle with cornstarch slurry, and thicken with a thin cornstarch slurry.
Then pour the preserved vegetable gravy over the minced meat and potato boat.
The potatoes are mealy, the minced meat is tender, and the preserved vegetables coated in a gravy are savory and fragrant. When these three are combined, it's simply unbeatable.
Fang Yan took out the fish head and bones used to cook the sauerkraut fish, fried them first, then added boiling water to make a milky white broth.
Transfer the broth to another pot to make wolfberry leaf and pork liver soup.
Some people might think, wouldn't it be strange to cook fish soup and pork liver together?
Fang Yan can confidently say that as long as the ingredients you buy are fresh enough, the soup cooked this way will not only be delicious, but the freshness of the fish, the tenderness of the pork liver, and the fragrance of the goji berries will blend together so well that you'll want to have another bowl after just one.
For Fang Yan, sauerkraut fish is no longer a challenging task.
She skillfully heated the wok, stir-fried the sauerkraut, simmered the broth, and added the pre-marinated fish fillets.
When hot oil is poured over dried chili peppers, releasing an aroma that fills the entire kitchen, the mildly spicy version of the pickled fish, with its undiminished fragrance, is ready.
The vegetables served at noon were sweet potato leaves with minced garlic.
When they picked sweet potato leaves in an abandoned open space by the roadside, saying they would stir-fry them for lunch, Grandpa Wei and the others were shocked and dumbfounded. "This stuff isn't for pigs?"
Of course, during special periods, people can't even get this kind of food.
But things are getting better now, so why would we need to eat pork anymore?
Today, Fang Yan plans to show them the charm of sweet potato leaves.
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