Chapter 23 Pickled Cucumber
When it comes to porridge, Jiang Zhi prefers salty to sweet.
In her opinion, if porridge is made sweet, it's no different from any other kind of confectionery.
Therefore, savory porridge is the best.
Without further ado, Jiang Zhi first wrote down the ingredient list item by item on Xuan paper, then knocked on Pei Ye's door. Ignoring the fact that he was sleeping with his bare chest exposed, she slapped him on the spot and told him to go and do the work himself.
Then I hurriedly went to soak the rice.
Pei was left standing there, still half asleep, yawning, his face flushed with embarrassment.
*
In ancient times, the prevailing trend for cooking porridge was glutinous rice and japonica rice. Occasionally, there would be some unusual porridge made with millet and black rice.
However, there is now a major problem.
The problem is that we don't actually have these ingredients at home.
Helpless, Jiang Zhi decided to make a pot of rice porridge first.
Take a ladle of fine rice, rinse it with clean water to remove impurities, and then let it soak in place. This is to allow the rice to absorb some water first, so that it will not be undercooked due to uneven heating in the clay pot when it is cooked.
Jiang Zhi took this opportunity to deal with her menstrual blood.
*
After that, the rice was almost soaked.
Jiang Zhi drained the water from the rice soaking and set it aside. She then took out some fresh ingredients that the Pei family had prepared for their son—dried scallops that had been dried out in the sun—and put them directly into the drained water to soak them.
Then, while she was at it, I chopped some ginger and scallions. I cut the ginger into long pieces so that she could quickly throw it away after she finished using it to remove the fishy smell.
There was no way around it; Jiang Zhi always hated seeing those two things in the porridge, but she had to put them in to remove the fishy smell.
*
Because she was experiencing occasional abdominal pain, Jiang Zhi was pressing her stomach while fiddling with these things, and her hand speed was not slow at all.
So, when she finally finished all that, Pei Ye also rushed back with his things.
Unlike before, this time, there was no one behind him. Neither the You siblings nor Gu Yuan had vanished without a trace.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but look at him with a somewhat bewildered expression.
But then the handsome young man dropped what he was holding, carefully and with a frown stared at Jiang Zhi's half-pressed belly, and said softly.
“Miss Jiang, I noticed you weren’t feeling well this morning, so I told them not to come in for breakfast or lunch. I’ll go out and buy some soy milk and steamed buns to eat later. You can make something you like and then get a good night’s sleep.”
*
Jiang Zhi was stunned when she heard this.
Then, she felt a warm feeling in her heart.
Pei Ye isn't a bad guy!
Aside from that pretty face, at least she has some sense of propriety!
Jiang Zhi secretly ticked Pei Ye's name in her mental notebook, but her face remained expressionless as she quietly scrutinized him from head to toe, then from bottom to top.
I noticed his slightly sweaty bangs were pulled back by a headband, revealing a smooth forehead. I saw the slight dampness on his shoulders, highlighting the shape of his muscles. And then I saw his somewhat anxious face.
Jiang Zhi suddenly smiled.
"Pei Ye, well done! But if you'd like some porridge, you can have some with me today. As for the others, I won't be entertaining them this morning!"
*
Jiang Zhi was in a good mood after being coaxed by Pei Ye's words.
At this time, it was not suitable for her to come into contact with cold things, so she simply took charge from the side.
“This chicken is cut into finger lengths, not your middle finger, but the length of your finger joint.”
"Stop, stop, stop! Don't throw away the scallop broth yet! Take the scallops out and tear them into small strips, then put the scallop broth into a clay pot and bring it to a boil!"
"Okay, then add the rice I just soaked, and stir it slowly with this spoon, making sure it doesn't stick to the pot! Wait, don't rush..."
"Alright, it's boiling. Remove some firewood and turn the fire down a bit so the rice inside can cook until it bursts open!"
"Okay, right, we don't need to worry about it now. How about you make some cold dishes? Like cucumber salad or stir-fried bok choy, something simple. I'll show you how to make it!"
This time, Pei Ye no longer stood behind Jiang Zhi, quietly but secretly watching the girl flitting about among the firewood, rice, oil, and salt in the kitchen.
He truly saw Jiang Zhi's spirited demeanor in the kitchen, and for a moment he was stunned, unable to reply immediately.
Jiang Zhi had no idea what this guy was thinking. She glanced at him casually and saw Pei staring at her blankly after leaving the pot of porridge. For a moment, she couldn't understand why she had thought he was so handsome.
She sighed, shoved the tall, wall-like Pei man in front of the casserole, and then, standing on tiptoe, pressed Pei man's head down, forcing him to lower his head.
At that moment, the two of them made eye contact.
The two looked at each other, but there was none of the impulsive passion that comes with a kiss of the century.
Of course, in reality, only Pei Ye was truly moved. Jiang Zhi stood on tiptoe simply to shout at him loudly, to wake him from his dazed state.
So, the boy, preoccupied with his thoughts, blushed to the tips of his ears, and was then startled by a roar.
"Pei Ye, listen up! Your job now is to watch this pot and make sure the porridge doesn't overflow. Keep the heat just right, maybe even a little lower! Don't stand in the kitchen like a wall and get in the way!"
Pei Ye was stunned by the shout. He silently squatted by the fire on the stove, like a withdrawn mushroom, and quietly watched the fire.
*
Jiang Zhi herself didn't have any girlish worries, so naturally she couldn't understand Pei Ye's feelings of going from heaven to hell at this moment.
She made a side dish—pickled cucumbers.
With two chops, Jiang Zhi cut off the head and tail of a long cucumber, then tilted the knife and immediately divided the cucumber into four small strips.
Jiang Zhi then cut the cucumber strips diagonally into finger-length pieces, and then lightly tapped them with the knife.
The initial cucumber processing is now complete.
Then, Jiang Zhi added some vinegar, soy sauce, a little salt, and minced garlic, and after each slice of cucumber noodle was coated with the sauce, she put it aside and left it alone.
As she worked, Jiang Zhi's mind wandered aimlessly:
That's the best thing about pickled cucumbers—they're incredibly quick. It only takes a few minutes to make, and after marinating for half an hour, they're already delicious and flavorful.
After doing all that, Jiang Zhi went to check on the porridge again. After slightly lifting a corner of the lid, she gently sniffed the white steam that was rising from it.
Hmm, it needs to cook for a while longer!
He then spoke a few earnest words to Pei Ye, who was sitting stiffly to the side, telling him to keep an eye on the cooking process, before slipping out first.
She found a deck chair, dragged it into the sunlight, and quietly basked in the not-too-intense morning sun.
Even the slight pain I was experiencing had eased considerably!
*
When Jiang Zhi entered the kitchen at the exact moment, she took a deep breath and smelled the enticing aroma of rice.
She leaned closer and looked inside, and knew that the rice had already been cooked until it burst open.
Now it's time to add scallops and chicken.
As she added the rice, Jiang Zhi also made sure Pei Ye stirred the porridge slowly to prevent the rice grains from sticking to the bottom and burning the pot.
When the aroma of meat wafted through the air, Jiang Zhi knew the porridge was almost ready.
She first took the long chopsticks and threw out the ginger shreds that had been added to remove the fishy smell, then served a bowl to Pei Ye and herself.
He took it outside, and facing the morning sunlight, he began to gulp it down.
*
This was the first time Pei Ye had ever had such a memorable experience cooking a meal.
Smelling the enticing aroma, he felt a surge of pride.
Hmph! Back then, his parents insisted that his cooking looked like it could blow up the kitchen. See? That's because they didn't know how to teach him. Look at what Miss Jiang taught him…
He muttered to himself as he picked up the spoon that was placed aside, scooped a spoonful for himself, and put it in his mouth.
At this moment, if he were willing to look down, he would see this scene: the rice milk in the spoon is warm and white, and the orange-red dried scallop strands are embedded in the pearl-like rice milk, like fragile coral in the sea...
After Pei Ye put that spoonful of rice porridge into his mouth, he couldn't help but smack his lips.
When Jiang Zhi cooks porridge, she uses refined rice. Although it doesn't have the slight chewiness of japonica rice, it is more delicate and soft. Each grain of rice seems to bloom in your mouth and melts in your mouth.
The seafood flavor brought by the dried scallops spread across the tongue, fresh and rich without being monotonous, as if the smell of the sun-baked beach was being carried into the porridge. Not only the taste buds, but even the throat that rolled along with it was filled with a faint umami flavor.
Just as Pei Ye was about to chew a couple of times, the small piece of chicken that was added last immediately appeared on the tip of his tongue. Before putting it into the porridge, Jiang Zhi had deliberately marinated the chicken. Its salty and fragrant flavor became more pronounced after rolling around in the porridge, mixing with the umami flavor brought by the dried scallops from the sea and the thick, filling feeling brought by the fine rice.
After taking a bite, Pei Ye couldn't help but lick the remaining juice from the rim of the spoon and swallow hard!
At that moment, he felt that the choice he had just made was incredibly wise!
Look, by keeping that group of people away for now, we've not only won't be able to curry favor with Miss Jiang, who's currently feeling unwell, but we can also enjoy all the porridge she's made for ourselves!
Three...
He suppressed his thoughts and didn't say anything.
*
Jiang Zhi also ate some porridge. At this time, her body needed to take in energy, but she also needed to ensure that it was not too much.
Therefore, liquid foods like porridge are indeed essential for her right now!
She had Pei Ye serve her a bowl first, and then she added some bok choy to it. After boiling it in the porridge, it was cooked.
This means it contains all the essential nutrients!
As for the cucumber salad, she originally made it for Pei Ye, since he can't eat cold food during his period!
She thought about it listlessly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a man taking a bite of porridge and a bite of cucumber.
She couldn't help but smile slightly.
Traveling to ancient times like this isn't so bad!
*
However, when she ran to the bathroom to change her menstrual pad, her mood immediately soured.
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