Chapter 97 (Oil-Splashed Noodles (Part 2)...)
Yan Qiushu brought Ning Zhuo and Xiao Huaiya to her yard.
The kitchen in this yard has the most kinds of ingredients. When she left before, she only took a small part with her, so it is very convenient to use now.
It is not difficult to make oil-splashed noodles, and the chili powder is ready-made. The main thing is the handmade wide noodles, which requires some effort.
But Ning Zhuo's real intention wasn't this, so he didn't mind. When he heard they were to wait, he immediately said happily, "That's fine. We won't disturb you. We'll just wait outside at the stone table. Fifth Miss, how's that?"
Xiao Huaiya snorted and shook his head: "I want to help Ah Shu cook."
Ning Zhuo said dejectedly, "Then I'll help too, Xiangjun. Is there anything I can help with?"
Yan Qiushu looked at the two of them and said directly, "Go wash your hands. Each of you can knead a ball of noodles. You have more strength, so I can do something else."
"Okay!" Ning Zhuo said happily.
This was another job they were working on together, but Xiao Huaiya was not so happy. It was just that Yan Qiushu had given the order, so she did not refuse. Originally, the two of them were not familiar with each other, and she was not a very sociable person. She usually stayed in her room and did not like to go out. She and Yan Qiushu just treated each other as ordinary relatives.
But Xiao Huaiya saw how she defended him just now, so he became much more intimate with her and was unwilling to object to what she said.
The two of them were kneading dough in the kitchen, and Yan Qiushu hurriedly took the vegetables out and washed them slowly.
Don't disturb these two people.
I haven’t eaten oil-splashed noodles for a long time.
Yan Qiushu muttered, "I'll make it spicier later and add some vinegar. It should taste even better. I wonder when the sweet potatoes will show up?"
In a short time, King Huai and Xiao Huaiting brought back potatoes and peppers respectively.
Sweet potatoes, which occupy another large territory in Chinese cuisine, have yet to appear, resulting in the fact that sweet potato noodles have not appeared yet, and the chewy and smooth spicy and sour noodles will not be available for a while.
What a pity!
Yan Qiushu sighed in her heart, but her hands did not stop. She washed some green vegetables and some tender mung bean sprouts and put them in a basket for later use. Then she went to the kitchen to light the fire.
When she went in, Xiao Huaiya and Ning Zhuo seemed to have reconciled. She didn't know what Ning Zhuo said, but the woman kneading the dough smiled faintly, but quickly restrained herself, lowered her eyes with a seemingly cold look, and continued to work.
Ning Zhuo looked very lively and was not discouraged. He continued to talk to her with a smile.
Yan Qiushu lit the fire, heated the pot first, and then put in a lot of oil. While waiting for the oil to heat up, she began to prepare the ingredients, salt, sugar, pepper, Sichuan pepper powder, chili powder, cumin powder, etc. She put everything she needed and stirred it with a spoon. Finally, she used another large iron spoon to scoop up the hot oil and slowly poured it on top.
"Sizzle--" a sound appeared, and a strange yet familiar spicy aroma wafted out.
Ning Zhuo, who was talking to Xiao Huaiya, suddenly felt hungry. He took the dough from Xiao Huaiya and said, "Let me knead it. You go and have a rest."
Xiao Huaiya pursed her lips, came to Yan Qiushu and asked, "How can I help you?"
Yan Qiushu deftly added soy sauce and other seasonings to the chili oil and said with a smile, "It's nothing, the kitchen is hot, just go out and wait for a while."
"Okay." Xiao Huaiya nodded and went out.
Yan Qiushu poured all the oil into the pot and added a large spoonful of water. The fire at the bottom of the pot was still very high. After adding the hot water, small bubbles appeared on the pot in a short while.
After a while, the bubbles expanded, floated up one by one, and burst on the water surface.
The water boiled, and the green vegetables and mung bean sprouts prepared earlier could be put in to blanch. But before that, the dough had already been made, so Yan Qiushu ran to pull the noodles and asked Xiao Huaiya to blanch these side dishes here.
"Ah? I don't know how to cook. What if I make a mistake?" Xiao Huaiya felt a little nervous when she saw that she had to cook herself.
Yan Qiushu was speechless: "It's okay, just put it in the water, and you can fish it out after counting to thirty."
"Oh, I got it." Xiao Huaiya felt relieved when he heard that. He threw the bean sprouts in and started counting seriously.
Yan Qiushu listened to the background music and concentrated on making pulled noodles.
Wide noodles are easier to pull than thin noodles. She was very skilled. A ball of shapeless dough came into her hands, but in the blink of an eye it became noodles one and a half fingers wide. After a few times, the noodles piled up on the table.
Xiao Huaiya prepared all the side dishes and waited for a while before Yan Qiushu threw the noodles into the pot.
The clear water instantly became turbid and turned a light beige color. When it was stirred, a scent of flour came to her. After eating the sweet ice cream cake and drinking the sweet milk tea, Yan Qiushu couldn't help but take a few more sips of the sweet flour aroma.
The thin wide noodles can be cooked quickly. Yan Qiushu stirred them with chopsticks, confirmed that they were cooked, and then started to scoop out the noodles.
One bowl per person, no noodle soup.
Even in the hot summer, you don’t need noodle soup.
Yan Qiushu picked up a strand of noodles with her chopsticks and dropped them into the bowl. The bowl was filled with small green vegetables and bean sprouts, barely above the water level. After the noodles were added, the bowl was just full. Then, she poured two spoonfuls of chili oil, which had been prepared long ago, on top. The chili oil, mixed with soy sauce, was a dark red. It poured over the off-white noodles, dyeing them a reddish-brown color, making them look glossy and slippery.
With another pick of chopsticks, the chili oil slid down the noodles to the bottom, dyeing the side dishes inside with color. At the same time, the heat made the aroma of the chili oil even more radiate.
There were three bowls in total, with a lot of extra noodles. Yan Qiushu added some vinegar to her own bowl and reminded them, "If you like sour food, you can add a little more. It will taste better."
She was stirring when she suddenly heard a child's cry from outside the yard: "Hey? Brother Pingyu, Sister Shu's place smells so good! Is she making something delicious again?"
Xiao Huaiya was holding the noodles, wondering whether to eat or not. If she did, she would have to take off her veil. She had never taken off her veil in front of outsiders before.
Why not eat it? It smells so good.
When she heard the voice, she suddenly laughed and shouted, "Pingyu, Dongdong, come here, your sister Shu has prepared something delicious..."
Before he finished speaking, Dongdong had already pulled people over.
Wow, not only Ping Yu, but also Xiao Pingsong.
Wan'er should be asleep at this time. She doesn't have time to fool around with them, right?
The three of them ran to the kitchen door and saw that there were three people in the kitchen, each with a bowl of fragrant noodles. They greeted them in unison and immediately stared at them with shining eyes.
It looks delicious!
No, you don’t need to look at it, it tastes good just by smelling it!
Dongdong was the most talkative, and he asked hesitantly, "Sister Shu! What are you eating? It smells so good!"
Xiao Huaiya very understandingly handed over the bowl in her hand: "Who wants to eat?"
"Me, me!" Dongdong was the first to run over, holding the oil-splashed noodles. He skillfully picked up a strand of wide noodles with chopsticks and sucked it all into his mouth with a slurp.
One noodle was just enough for a big mouthful. His cheeks, which were already round, were now puffed out. His little mouth was also stained with oil. His big eyes were clear and bright. He curled his eyes happily at the delicious food: "Hmm!"
Fragrant, spicy and delicious!
The first one to eat it was so happy, and the other two boys were staring at it eagerly, but they were not as shameless as Dongdong, so they didn't dare to speak up.
Yan Qiushu smiled and said, "Who among you is jealous? I am jealous."
Shen Pingyu nodded reservedly, and was about to speak when Xiao Pingsong next to him said, "Aunt Yan, I'll eat!"
He was stunned, pursing his lips in disappointment.
Yan Qiushu suppressed her laughter and handed the bowl to Xiao Pingsong. Seeing that Ning Zhuo was afraid to eat and was hesitant about whether to pass the bowl to him, she said, "You can eat it. Aren't you hungry? There are still noodles and the dough is not used up yet."
"Okay." Ning Zhuo withdrew his hand and really started eating.
Unlike Dongdong who eats one noodle at a time, Ning Zhuo is much more careless when eating. He is a thick-skinned man and is not reserved when eating. He takes a bite, stuffs a chopstick of noodles into his mouth, and after a little slurp, his mouth is full.
He had no choice but to bite off the noodles reluctantly and savor the delicious food in his mouth.
I thought it was really delicious!
It was the most delicious noodles he had ever eaten in his life!
Ning Zhuo was very proud. This was the dough he had kneaded with his own hands. The dough was naturally chewy. Although the first bite he tasted was the spicy and numbing sauce, when the dough melted in his mouth after being chewed, the unique sweetness of the noodles was irresistible.
This kind of fragrance is different from the noodles he had eaten before. It is more flavorful and makes him more satisfied. Its presence makes the whole noodles not only spicy, salty and fragrant, but the two seemingly contradictory flavors come together, which makes him particularly like it!
Maybe this is the dough he kneaded, so it tastes so good?
Ning Zhuo ate in big mouthfuls, and the vegetables and bean sprouts mixed in were also caught up in this violent eating method. The sweet and tender bean sprouts and vegetables also embellished the overall taste. Even when he finished eating, he still felt a little unsatisfied.
But saying he was hungry was just an excuse. His stomach was still full. He would drink when he was a guest. He drank at the dinner party, and later he drank quite a lot with others while waiting for gifts. He had to eat to fill his stomach with alcohol, and he really couldn't eat any more.
In the end, I could only watch the noodles rolling in the pot again and sigh with regret.
I can’t eat anymore!
Yan Qiushu was eating the freshly made noodles with oil. Seeing Ning Zhuo still wanting more, she asked, "Are you really not going to eat anymore? You still have some left."
"I don't want to eat anymore..." Ning Zhuo sighed.
If I had known this, I wouldn’t have eaten so much at night.
Xiao Huaiya laughed, with a hint of teasing, which made Ning Zhuo's cheeks slightly red. He didn't dare to look directly at her. He always felt that his little tricks were seen through.
It's an illusion...right?
Shen Pingyu ate the most quietly. When everyone else had slurped down their noodles, he was still nibbling the last bit, eating with extreme care.
I haven't eaten the food cooked by Sister Shu for a long time. Now when I eat it, I really miss it...
Suddenly there was some noise in the front yard, and the panicked voices of maids and old women could be faintly heard.
Xiao Huaiya's expression changed slightly: "Ashu, you stay here, I'll go see what's going on over there first."
Yan Qiushu quickly nodded and let her pass.
Ning Zhuo also followed.
After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, a maid came to report the news: "The eldest young master is injured. Someone packed a box of poisonous scorpions among the gifts. When the eldest young master sent someone to count the gifts, the box was not locked properly, and the poisonous scorpions escaped and bit the eldest young master."
Yan Qiushu was shocked: "Are poisonous scorpions very poisonous? How is the young master?"
The maid shook her head. "They're not big, they're all scorpions used as medicine. But it was too chaotic at the time, and the young master was thrown out of his wheelchair and suffered a bit. Doctor Tao is over there now."
Yan Qiushu's heart skipped a beat.
In fact, except for Xiao Huaiwu and Xiao Huaiting, who were killing on the battlefield all day long, the other children of the Xiao family gave Yan Qiushu a somewhat uncomfortable feeling when they first entered the Xiao family.
It's not the kind of discomfort, but the kind of energy and spirit.
Xiao Huaiqi is alive, but he lost his legs and the opportunity to enter the officialdom. He has not had children for many years. He looks no different, but in the plot, the characteristic mentioned as a background board is his weak body.
It was also because the Xiao family was now on the rise again that he had good food and drink, and things were getting better and better as he had something to do.
But because of the leg disease, he fell to the ground and was unable to stand up when he encountered danger. The feeling of helplessness must be very uncomfortable. I don’t know whether this incident was an accident or intentional?
Yan Qiushu frowned, feeling it was more like a deliberate act. Who would send a bunch of poisonous scorpions? And what a coincidence that they weren't locked properly, causing an accident during the inventory?
However, there was no evidence, so she couldn't say anything. So she asked, "Can I go and see it?"
The maid hesitated for a moment and whispered, "It's getting late, and the eldest young master is very busy. I'm afraid it's a little inconvenient. The young lady asked me to come and tell you that she hopes you won't worry and rest assured. Doctor Tao will take care of everything."
Seeing this, Yan Qiushu did not insist. As she was Xiao Huaiqi's future sister-in-law and had not yet married, it was indeed inconvenient. Moreover, there were many people at the banquet and it would be bad if something leaked out.
If it's not very toxic, then there's no need to worry. It just depends on who is behind it.
She nodded: "Okay, then you can go back."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." The maid nodded and turned to leave.
After a brief moment of worry, Xiao Pingsong's three children chose to go back. They were younger and would only cause trouble if they went, so it was better for them to go back first.
Yan Qiushu didn't go to bed immediately.
Everyone in the Xiao family was so nice to her, especially Xiao Huaiqi. Although he didn't interact with her much, he was really nice to her. She felt uneasy and went to bed directly. After thinking for a moment, she ran to the big kitchen and got a lot of milk.
It’s late at night, so let’s make some candy.
Fortunately, she had some leftover cream from making the cake, so making some toffee was no problem.
The next day
Yan Qiushu got up early, had breakfast, and went to see Xiao Huaiqi.
The two courtyards were not far apart, just a few steps away. When she went there, Xie Qingyun was boiling medicine. There was some blueness under her eyes and her face looked a little haggard. She probably didn't sleep well the night before.
Noticing her arrival, Xie Qingyun smiled and said, "Ashu is here. Have you eaten?"
"He has eaten. How is the eldest young master? I'll come to see him." Yan Qiushu nodded, walked to her side, and glanced at the medicine jar. Unfortunately, it was almost boiled and she had no use for it.
That’s right, when he didn’t have a wife, his future brother-in-law and sister-in-law made medicine for him.
Yan Qiushu could only be polite.
Having an additional identity is quite distressing to some extent.
Xie Qingyun was also finishing up, holding the handle of the medicine jar wrapped in thick cloth, and skillfully poured the medicine into the porcelain bowl.
Summer mornings are always exceptionally clear, but once the heat comes out, it's no longer cool. She held the medicine and said, "Come in with me. He just got up a while ago and is reading a book."
Yan Qiushu nodded: "I made some candy. It's just out of the ice cellar, so it's cold. Eat this after taking the medicine. It's delicious."
"That's great!" Xie Qingyun smiled, although her eyes were still filled with bitterness. Yesterday's happy event turned out like this, and her husband was the one who got hurt. She felt uncomfortable and depressed, but she would not tell others.
When the two of them walked in, Xiao Huaiqi was indeed reading a book and didn't notice them. His facial features were expressionless and his eyes seemed a little straight.
Xie Qingyun frowned, "If you can't bear to read, then don't read it. I've been holding the book for half an hour and haven't turned a page."
Xiao Huaiqi suddenly came back to his senses and smiled, "No, I was just lost in thought. Is the medicine ready? Let me do it."
As he said this, he stretched out his hand and welcomed his new medicine very naturally.
Xiao Huaiqi's face was pale, much uglier than the complexion he had worked so hard to recover before. There were no visible scars on his face, only a red and swollen spot on his exposed hand.
Yan Qiushu took a closer look and found that there were not just one place, but two.
There are two on one hand alone, so what about his body...
He felt Yan Qiushu's gaze, and he seemed to have just reacted. He smiled and said, "A Shu is here too, sit down quickly."
It wasn't the first time she ate dog food, but it was the first time she was ignored like this. Yan Qiushu was embarrassed: "I made some candies. You can eat two after you take the medicine. They are soft and delicious."
She took the candy from Shui Yu and placed it on the bedside cabinet. The small yellow sugar cubes on the plate piled up into a small hill. As soon as she got close, she could smell the milky fragrance emanating from it.
Xiao Huaiqi's smile became more genuine: "Thank you for your hard work, Ah Shu."
Yan Qiushu smiled and sat aside: "It's okay, it's okay."
Xie Qingyun sighed, and seeing that the medicine soup was no longer so hot, she handed it over: "Drink it slowly. Every time you drink medicine, it's like drinking sugar water. I've never seen anyone do the same as you."
She muttered unhappily, "This medicine is so bitter, and the scorpion is so poisonous!"
Xiao Huaiqi smiled helplessly, as if he didn't care at all. He took the medicine, blew on it, and drank it in one gulp. He actually took a piece of candy. When the cold candy entered his mouth, it was full of milky fragrance and a faint sweetness, which quickly suppressed the bitterness of the medicine. He smiled and said, "This scorpion is really not poisonous. Look, I am fine now, right?"
"I just feel sorry for you! Oh... I don't know why you thought of sending the scorpion here, and you didn't lock it up properly..." Xie Qingyun said unhappily, wanting to say a few words, but when she saw her husband's face, she softened.
Xiao Huaiqi smiled and comforted her: "Don't be angry, how about..." He thought for a moment: "Let's eat the scorpion? Eat it and let it sting me!"
Xie Qingyun finally revealed a genuine smile and scolded, "You're talking nonsense! How can you eat scorpions? They're poisonous!"
Yan Qiushu, the light bulb sitting next to them, was struggling over whether to interrupt their sweet love.
Scorpio can do it!
Fried scorpions, actually... they taste really good!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
