The setting sun cast long shadows of the old locust tree in the courtyard. Lin Wanqiu had just poured the last handful of millet into the grain jar when she heard a soft "hum" from the jade pendant around her neck, like a little bee fluttering its wings inside. She subconsciously touched the jade pendant, finding it warm to the touch. Before she could react, a layer of pale blue light suddenly appeared before her eyes, like a thin veil. Upon closer inspection, she saw several lines of text reflected in the light.
"This is..." Lin Wanqiu rubbed her eyes, thinking she was just tired and seeing things, but when she opened them again, the words were still there—"Skill panel activated, currently unlocked: Beginner Cooking Skill".
Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly coaxed Shen Nian'an into the house to play with building blocks, then closed the door and focused her attention on the light. On the whiteboard, besides the words "Elementary Cooking Techniques," there were densely packed recipes, ranging from simple dishes like scrambled eggs with tomatoes and braised pork to more complex dishes like squirrel-shaped mandarin fish and braised pork belly with preserved vegetables. The steps and ingredient substitution methods were clearly written, and there was even a note on "material substitution methods from the 1960s," such as replacing white sugar with maltose and cooking wine with rice wine.
"This is so thoughtful!" Lin Wanqiu couldn't help but exclaim. In her previous life, when she was a food blogger, the most troublesome thing for her was dealing with fans' questions like "What if I don't have XX ingredient?" Now the space directly presents the solution, it's as if it was tailor-made for her.
She tried mentally selecting the recipe for "braised pork belly," and a 3D animation immediately popped up before her eyes. The pork belly sizzled in the oil in the pot, the rock sugar caramelized to a glossy red, and even the aroma of the meat seemed to waft through the screen. Lin Wanqiu swallowed hard. If this were modern times, she would definitely film a short video and post it online; it would surely go viral.
But then she thought, this is the 1960s, pork is rarer than gold, let alone braised pork, even having a sip of meat broth is a luxury. She sighed and opened the "vegetable porridge" recipe. The green vegetables she grew in her space could come in handy, and could also give Nian'an some vitamins.
Just then, Shen Nian'an's voice came from outside the door: "Mom, I'm hungry." Lin Wanqiu quickly put away the panel, opened the door and saw her son holding a bucket of building blocks, looking at her expectantly. His little face was rosy like an apple because he had been playing too hard.
"Are you hungry?" Lin Wanqiu smiled and picked him up. "Mom will make you vegetable porridge, and add some eggs, okay?"
"Okay!" Shen Nian'an nodded vigorously, her little hands wrapped around her neck. "Mom's porridge is the best!"
Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart as she carried her son into the kitchen. She took out a bunch of greens from her spatial storage and then pulled out two eggs. Just as she was about to start cooking, she suddenly remembered the "ingredient pretreatment techniques" mentioned in the beginner's cooking manual—soaking the greens in lightly salted water for five minutes could remove residual pesticides (although the vegetables in her spatial storage didn't have pesticides, soaking them would make them cleaner); and adding a spoonful of warm water after beating the eggs would make them more tender and smooth when steamed.
She tried the technique, and the greens became even greener after soaking; the steamed eggs were indeed like pudding, melting in her mouth. Shen Nian'an held her small bowl, taking a bite of porridge and a bite of egg, eating with great relish, her little mouth stuffed full: "Mom, today's porridge is even better than before!"
"Eat more if you like it." Lin Wanqiu looked at her son and thought to herself, "The basic cooking technique is so useful. I can study more recipes in the future and use the ingredients in my space to improve Nian'an's meals. When conditions are better in the future, I might be able to cook some delicious food and exchange it for some coupons with the neighbors."
Just then, footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate, followed by Aunt Zhang's loud voice: "Wanqiu, are you home?"
Lin Wanqiu quickly wiped the table, opened the door, and saw Aunt Zhang carrying a cloth bag, with Xiao Hu following behind. "Auntie, what brings you here?"
"I just came back from my parents' home and brought some cornmeal. You and Nian'an can try it." Aunt Zhang handed her the cloth bag. "This morning, thanks to your strong argument about the grain distribution, otherwise, who knows who Wang, the custodian, might bully in the future."
Lin Wanqiu took the cloth bag, feeling warm inside: "Auntie, you're too kind, I can't accept this."
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, we're all neighbors." Aunt Zhang waved her hand, her eyes glancing at the porridge bowl on the table. "Oh, is this vegetable porridge? It smells delicious, Nian'an is eating it with great relish."
Upon hearing this, Shen Nian'an quickly hugged the bowl to her chest and whispered, "This was made by Mom, I won't give it to you."
Lin Wanqiu quickly patted his bottom: "Don't be rude! Brother Xiaohu is still here, how can you say such things?"
Aunt Zhang smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's just a child. By the way, the team is going to the commune to pick up fertilizer tomorrow. If you're free, why don't you come with me? We can also visit the commune's supply and marketing cooperative and see if they have any cheap stuff."
Lin Wanqiu's eyes lit up—the supply and marketing cooperative! She wanted to see what supplies were available and also check the prices to prepare for future revenue generation. "Okay, Auntie, I'll go with you tomorrow."
After Aunt Zhang left, Lin Wanqiu poured the cornmeal into the grain jar. Looking at the millet, dried sweet potatoes, and cornmeal in the jar, she felt much more at ease. She then remembered the "mixed grain steamed buns" recipe from the beginner's cooking manual. Using cornmeal with a small amount of wheat flour (which she had in her space), the steamed buns would be fragrant and chewy. It was a good idea to give it a try.
The next morning, Lin Wanqiu went to the commune with Aunt Zhang. There weren't many people in the supply and marketing cooperative, and the shelves were sparsely stocked. Fabrics were only available in black, gray, and blue, and grain was rationed. The only "luxury" item was the fruit candy on the counter, which cost one cent a piece.
Lin Wanqiu frowned as she looked at the conditions; they were even harsher than she had imagined. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly noticed a bottle of soy sauce in the corner of the counter, its label almost falling off. Her eyes lit up—soy sauce was the soul of cooking, and many recipes in basic cooking required it. She quickly took out five cents and bought it.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com