Chapter 37 Teaching Jiang Chao to Cook
"Hey, Jiang Chao, the stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar should be stir-fried into shreds, but you... cut them into strips!"
The boy paused in his chopping, his eyes flashing slightly. "Whether it's shredded or sliced, it doesn't change the fact that it's a potato. It doesn't make a big difference. Don't be so surprised!"
Yunxia: Whatever makes you happy!
"Hey Jiang Chao, even if it's a strip, at least cut it evenly! If it's as thin as a toothpick and as thick as a finger, it won't cook evenly when stir-fried together!"
"Let it simmer a little longer, and it'll be fine. Don't wave it in front of me, or if I make a mistake... I'll bleed!"
Well, unable to refute it, Yun Xia could only purse her lips and stand to the side.
After the vegetables were chopped, it was time to stir-fry them. Yunxia fiddled with them for a while and finally got the fire going. As soon as the oil hit the pan, it sizzled and splashed water, and the two of them quickly moved away.
"Hey, you stinky Jiang Chao, did you pour oil in without wiping the pot first?"
"Hey, you stinky Yunxia, you didn't say you were supposed to wipe the pot beforehand!"
"Brother, don't you even understand common sense?"
A hint of guilt flashed across the boy's deep eyes. "Let's not determine whose fault it is yet. What should we do now? Give me some advice."
"Just pour all the potatoes in to cover the moisture. If you're scared, I'll do it!"
"Ha!"
The boy picked up the small basin, stretched out his arm as far as he could, turned his head away, and suddenly poured the shredded potatoes (or strips) into the pot. Instantly, the crackling sound subsided considerably.
"Yunxia, what do we do next?"
"Wait a few seconds, then stir-fry normally. Wait a minute, be a little lighter, the iron wok can't withstand your 'fierce' actions!"
Jiang Chao's face darkened immediately upon recalling the broken iron pot. "I understand."
"Hey, that's too light! You're holding an iron shovel, not a feather!"
"Hey, that's too heavy! A few more swings and you'll break the pot again!"
"Just a pinch of salt, a little more, a little more... a few more grains, that's enough, pour it out!"
"Vinegar, just a little less. Hey, pouring so much, who are you trying to kill with sourness?"
...
Since he could remember, the boy had never been scolded so much. At this moment, he looked at someone with great hostility, suppressing his anger, and scooped out the mashed potatoes covered in burnt black bits!
"Hey, Jiang Chao, don't go out and say you're my apprentice. With your skills... tsk tsk tsk!"
"If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute. Put it on the table, and I'll stay and clean up the kitchen."
When Aunt Wu returned and served the dishes, she saw the muddy mess and asked in surprise, "Xiaxia, you've come up with new dishes again? Auntie wants to try some!"
Yunxia was about to speak up to stop him when Jiang Chao glared at her, and forced to shut up because of the slippers.
As soon as the mashed potatoes entered her mouth, Wu Lifang's expression changed drastically. Her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed into a "V" shape. Finally, she swallowed with difficulty. "Xiaxia, the taste is peculiar, but it's quite delicious, it's just... a little sour."
Yunxia: Aunt Wu, you're too kind. Jiang Chao poured in half a bottle of vinegar; it's definitely a culinary disaster!
"The taste is unique, I'll have to try it!"
"Oh, this is delicious! Little butterfly, your cooking skills have improved!"
Seeing him stuffing spoonfuls into his mouth, his eyes squinting with satisfaction, seemingly genuine, Yun Xia was immediately speechless!
"Finally, the guy surnamed Feng has spoken like a human being."
After saying that, he gave the little girl a provocative look.
Unwilling to admit defeat, Yunxia glared back, dipped her chopsticks in some mashed potatoes, and put them in her mouth. Sour, very sour, extremely sour—that was her only feeling.
"Big brother, is your sense of taste okay? Doesn't it taste sour?"
"No problem, the saltiness and sourness are just right, it's especially delicious, everyone, don't just stand there, let's eat together."
Knowing that the dish was cooked by her older brother, Jiang An shook her head vigorously, "No, teacher, this dish is all yours!"
After taking a bite, Jiang Chao moved the mashed potatoes in front of Jing Ling, a smirk playing on his lips. He said slyly, "Jing Ling, you've worked hard teaching An An to paint all day. This plate of stir-fried mashed potatoes with vinegar is a reward for you. Heh, remember to finish it all!"
Upon hearing this, the boy in the white coat was so moved that he almost cried. "Waaah, you're all so kind to me. How about I share the mashed potatoes so we can eat together?"
"No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" The four members of the Jiang family said in unison.
"Lingling, my good son, how could your godmother steal your food!"
"Big brother, Xiaxia doesn't like potatoes, you should keep them for yourself!"
"Teacher Feng, you taught me about Kong Rong sharing pears, so... you can eat it all by yourself!"
"You, surnamed Feng, how dare you not appreciate this!"
At this point, the innocent boy could no longer hold back his tears. He hugged Aunt Wu and cried bitterly, claiming that he had never felt the warmth of a family since he could remember, and that he would definitely take good care of her and his younger siblings in the future.
"Taking care of younger siblings? Feng Jingling, I seem to be two months older than you."
"belch!"
The boy, hiccuping from crying, sniffled hard, "I made a mistake when I registered my household. Actually, I'm ten days older than you!"
"Heh, I don't believe you. Eat up. You're not allowed to take any other dishes until you finish this plate of mashed potatoes."
"Hmph, they're all mine now!"
The boy ate the tangy mashed potatoes with great relish, while Yun Xia shook her head helplessly, thinking to herself that fools sometimes have good luck.
After dinner, they watched TV for a while, and then went to their respective rooms to sleep.
The following morning, on Chengnan Commercial Street!
While Jiang Chao was washing the dishes, Yun Xia said goodbye to An An and the others, and then secretly slipped out!
It's called a commercial street, but it's really just a collection of various shops, rows of bungalows, each shop occupying a dozen square meters.
After asking several people, I finally found the warehouse rental office—a dilapidated stairwell!
"Girl, go play outside, don't delay my business."
Although spring has arrived and the weather has warmed up considerably, wearing a tank top, boxer shorts, and open-toe flip-flops is just... outrageous!
"I'm here to rent a warehouse for my uncle!"
The old man glanced at her from head to toe and threw her a piece of cardboard covered in transparent tape.
Twenty square meters was Yunxia's first choice for warehouse space. She scrolled through the quotes one by one and found the corresponding quote in the lower left corner. Goodness, the monthly rent was 20 yuan, which was ridiculously expensive!
"Boss, can I negotiate the price with you?"
"Sure, you're really capable! Which one are you interested in?"
“The… 20-square-meter room!” Yun Xia said, her eyes wide, her voice lacking any confidence.
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper glared at him, waved his hand, and said irritably, "One deposit and twelve in advance, totaling 195 yuan. To round it up, I'll charge you 200 yuan."
"How can you round it up like that?" Isn't this blatant bullying?
"Go away, go find another place, don't get in the way!"
Yunxia didn't want to argue with him, so she took off the cardboard sign and went to another house!
An hour later, Yunxia sat wearily on the steps, thinking to herself that it was too unfair. Not only was the attitude rude, but they also overcharged and came up with all sorts of deduction clauses.
After a busy day, I was a little hungry when I smelled a delicious aroma coming from afar. I got up, dusted myself off, and headed toward the source of the fragrance.
"Boss, two fried dough sticks and a bowl of tofu pudding."
"Alright, two cents!"
After paying, Yunxia sat on a small stool. Soon after, the owner brought over tofu pudding and fried dough sticks.
The pristine white tofu pudding is topped with a layer of braised soybeans. One bite reveals its incredibly smooth texture. The freshly fried dough sticks are crispy and savory. The combination of the two is simply divine.
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