Chapter 28 Stir-fried Bok Choy
Jiang Zhi thought for a moment, then hurriedly ran out and bought a bundle of bok choy.
After washing, I poured a little oil into the pot, sprinkled a spoonful of salt, and then added some minced garlic that I had just chopped. As soon as the oil was fried, the fragrant aroma of garlic wafted out of the pot.
Then add the greens and stir-fry again; the tender bok choy will immediately turn a vibrant green.
After it was cooked, Jiang Zhi arranged it on a plate, and tonight's dinner was complete!
*
As Jiang Zhi finished cooking, several people were already sitting in the main room outside the storefront that Jiang Zhi had bought, ready to eat.
The group of adults looked at each other, rather bored.
Only Little Twist had something to sit on, so he read a book.
So everyone started teasing Little Twist.
But all she got in return was a slight eye roll from Little Twist's clear black and white eyes, and then she continued to mutter to herself.
*
Just then, Jiang Zhi also brought out the dishes with a smile.
The fish was steamed for only ten minutes, and it was perfectly cooked but not overcooked, with a smooth, white, jade-like appearance.
Jiang Zhi doesn't really like eating fish skin, so before steaming the fish, she carefully cut the skin off little by little with a knife, washed away the remaining dark red fish blood, leaving only the jade-white fish meat, which she arranged neatly on the plate.
It looks absolutely gorgeous!
In her other hand, Jiang Zhi held a plate containing neatly chopped bok choy that she had just stir-fried!
The lush green vegetables are neatly arranged on the plate, making one's mouth water at first sight!
After placing the two dishes on the table, Jiang Zhi indeed saw the drooling looks on everyone's faces, but she pretended not to notice and turned to continue bringing the food over.
They've provided chopsticks and such, but will I still be able to see the food later?
As soon as the food was served, everyone's eyes involuntarily drifted towards it.
The white rice grains clumped together in the rice cooker. Jiang Zhi had cooked it to perfection, ensuring the bottom wasn't burnt and the top wasn't undercooked. Each grain was cooked until it was translucent and glistening, and the red dates on top were even more so.
Not only did the aroma fill everyone's nostrils, but the color also added a touch of vibrancy to the entire pot of rice.
Jiang Zhi's other hand was holding...
Little cake?
*
Leaving aside the reactions of the others at the table, just that little head of his immediately raised its head upon smelling the aroma.
Little Mahua, who was quietly reading a book with his head down, suddenly lit up his round, dark eyes.
One thing that no one present knew, except for Little Twist and even her own brother, was that...
Little Mahua really loved eating Su Ji's crispy cakes. When Little Mahua was just beginning to understand the world, her nanny often took her, who was still learning to walk, for a stroll. During these walks, Little Mahua would always beg her nanny to buy some of Su Ji's signature crispy cakes.
Of course, the wet nurse could never resist the pleading yet slightly aggrieved look in her young master's eyes, so she would always take out some money to buy her a piece, break it in half and let her taste it.
Later, the wet nurse took the money and returned to her hometown. Su's pastry shop also closed down.
Just when Xiao Mahua's memory of that crispy cake was becoming blurry, she suddenly smelled a similar aroma.
*
After Jiang Zhi finished serving the dishes and was about to distribute the chopsticks to everyone,
Suddenly, I met a pair of bright, sparkling eyes.
The little girl wasn't very tall, but she was sitting up straighter than ever before, her hands neatly placed on the table, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Jiang Zhi.
When Jiang Zhi looked over, she focused her gaze on the pastry again, gesturing like this several times until Jiang Zhi understood her intention.
Jiang Zhi found it somewhat amusing for no reason. She ruffled Xiao Mahua's already slightly frizzy hair again and couldn't help but gain a deeper understanding of how obedient the little girl was.
In a good mood, she casually distributed the remaining chopsticks to everyone, and then picked up a piece for Xiao Mahua with her other hand and gently fed it to her.
The little twisted dough stick obediently opened its mouth and took a bite.
*
What Jiang Zhi didn't know was that the popular desserts of this dynasty, such as Da Nai Gao and Ding Sheng Gao, mainly emphasized not being greasy. Therefore, adding spices or even salt to balance the sweetness of the desserts was a common practice.
So, when Xiao Mahua first tasted this kind of sweet cake with a hint of red dates and longan,
She didn't even have time to recover when the sweet taste spread across her tongue and even into her heart.
The gentle aroma of ginger first enters the brain through the nose, but upon tasting, there is no trace of ginger spiciness. Instead, the slightly dense and fluffy cake bounces up and down on the tongue like a spring.
After a couple of bites, the sweetness of the filling immediately bursts forth. It's just right, yet slightly sweeter than what you'd find in stores, making the chewing experience even more delightful.
...
In short, by the time Xiao Mahua came to her senses, Jiang Zhi had unknowingly finished the whole piece in her hand in one or two bites.
Jiang Zhi was also looking at her with a gentle smile.
At that moment, I felt a gentle sweetness from the tip of my tongue to the tip of my throat, and finally to my breath!
*
While the two of them were enjoying their snacks peacefully, a fierce battle had already begun in a corner that Jiang Zhi wasn't paying attention to!
Although the group wasn't actually that hungry for the fish and vegetables this time, unfortunately...
It also depends on who did it!
Gu Yuan couldn't even imagine what would happen if it were the chef from the Gu family.
After all, that person once didn't even scrape off all the fish scales.
But the old man liked it, so the dozens of people in the family could only stare silently at the fish that still seemed to have some vitality.
But this was made by Boss Jiang!
Thinking back to the spicy dishes she had made before, and then to the roasted lamb leg she had made before, Gu Yuan suddenly found the seemingly bland and tasteless fish quite appealing!
However, being pleasing to the eye is of little use for now, since there are two other chopsticks beside her that are also vying for them.
*
Jiang Zhi was too lazy to care about the three people's hands that were about to come to blows. She would just slip through the gaps in their fight and quickly grab a chopstick. Sometimes, she would even give the poor little twisted dough stick another chopstick.
Then, he began to carefully remove the large bones from the fish meat, and then squinted to pick out the small bones hidden inside the fish meat.
Jiang Zhi was quite patient in doing this. She picked at it carefully, for no other reason than that she really hated picking on things.
After picking out all the bones, Jiang Zhi dipped the fish in the sauce and took a bite.
The fish meat, about to enter her mouth and resting on her chopsticks, resembled a trembling piece of white jade. When Jiang Zhi put it in her mouth, it melted instantly.
The first burst of flavor in your mouth is the fresh aroma of scallions and garlic. As your palate gradually adjusts to this taste, the unique fragrance of rice paddies from the fish slowly spreads from the fish meat throughout your mouth.
This is the unique flavor of rice paddy fish that Jiang Zhi loves most. These fish grow up in rice paddies from a young age, eating a lot of seedlings and wheat ears.
Just as Jiang Zhi finished savoring the first bite and was about to take another, the sauce on the other side finally came into play, instantly enhancing the salty and savory flavor of the entire fish.
After finishing the bite with her eyes closed, Jiang Zhi smacked her lips.
In this respect alone, things were quite different in ancient times. Firstly, the people were simple and honest, and secondly, there was no technology. These rice paddy fish were truly raised in the rice fields. Unlike in her previous life, when they were fed all sorts of high-tech methods, although they had a faint, almost undetectable rice aroma, they were nowhere near as pure and delicious as what she eats now!
*
However, Jiang Zhi looked at the three people eating in silence beside her.
I couldn't help but smile.
There's no way around it; for people from Sichuan, a preference for strong flavors has almost become an instinct.
Later scientists always liked to say that the reason people liked to eat chili peppers was because of the high humidity in this area. But please, there aren't any chili peppers here now.
Therefore, Jiang Zhi personally believes another guess: Sichuan is located in a basin, and transportation is inconvenient on a daily basis. Didn't you see that the You family would be away for a whole year at a time?
The heavy use of salt seems more like an instinctive compromise made to preserve food. People in Sichuan, accustomed to heavily salted and oily food, also find it difficult to accept bland food.
Hmm, for example, this steamed rice paddy fish?
However, as a responsible boss, Jiang Zhi narrowed her eyes slightly; she had already come up with a plan.
*
So, when the remaining three people were unusually unable to eat,
Suddenly, a small plate was handed to them from behind.
"I know you're not used to this kind of food, so I specially went to the kitchen to make some sauce. If you want to eat this fish, just dip it in the sauce, and I guarantee it will be delicious!"
As she spoke, Jiang Zhi winked at the three of them with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan and You Yi burst into smiles.
They truly lived up to their relationship as the older sister and younger brother, pushing the small dish towards each other one after the other, and taking a deep breath almost simultaneously.
"Boss, this is..."
"I call it hot sauce. It's spicy and refreshing, with a hint of saltiness! You should try it..."
"Boss Jiang's cooking skills are truly impressive! Just now, when we were tasting the fish, we were wondering if he hadn't added salt, but after dipping it in this sauce, we realized what it tasted like..."
"Hehehe, Ah Gu, you're so good at saying nice things!"
...
They were chatting enthusiastically on one side, while the other side was only just coming to their senses.
Pei Ye was stunned when Jiang Zhi smiled and winked, as if he had been captivated by her charming wink. He stood there dumbfounded, watching his friends and Boss Jiang chat away.
His mind was still replaying Jiang Zhi's every smile and frown countless times, thinking about her with his eyes open and with his eyes closed...
*
Everyone here was finally full and extremely satisfied.
The moment Jiang Zhi brought out the chili sauce, Gu Yuan and the others' eyes lit up. They first added a piece of fish to their chopsticks, then dipped it in the chili sauce.
They even started eating much faster.
The fish was naturally sweet and fresh, and when paired with the chili sauce, it not only did not mask the original sweetness and freshness, but also added a touch of saltiness and spiciness.
*
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Jiang Zhi began to collect the money with a smile. After collecting the money, she let them rest on the seats.
She carried the pastries she had just made and skipped towards the market.
Today he had a lot of things to sell, but fortunately, he didn't need tables and chairs like usual. He could carry a basket in one hand and a small table in the other to hold everything.
So this time, she didn't ask anyone to accompany her and went straight to the market.
As she walked, Jiang Zhi was also thinking about the car she had ordered from Boss Yang. She had already paid the deposit, but she still needed to urge him to finish it.
We don't need it today, but what if we do need it tomorrow?
*
Thinking this, she carried her things to the market.
It's the same prime spot as last time.
She was still the same as always, first diligently cleaning up the stall, and then Little Twist waited quietly on the side.
That's right. Although she had left the trio behind, Xiao Mahua was still taken by Jiang Zhi's side as usual.
Unfortunately, Xiao Mahua is too young to attend school yet, and Jiang Zhi is very worried about her unreliable brother.
Why not let Xiao Mahua help out with the accounting on weekdays, so she can practice her arithmetic skills?
As for why she talked so much with Xiao Mahua before, Jiang Zhi had already prepared for the worst at that time:
Pei Ye and she have completely broken up, and the friends he brought with him will probably stay far away from her to avoid suspicion.
It's likely that Xiao Mahua's studies will revert to their previous state. That's why Jiang Zhi set goals and tasks for Xiao Mahua in advance. With the girl's resilience and hard work, although Jiang Zhi's requirements are indeed a bit high, it's not impossible for her to achieve them.
However, now that they haven't fallen out, she still needs to keep an eye on Xiao Mahua's learning.
As she thought this, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
She really is playing both father and mother!
-----------------------
Author's Note: A chubby chapter! [Thumbs up][Thumbs up][Thumbs up] Hope you enjoy reading it!
By the way, I have some good news to share: Due to my personal schedule, I originally planned to update again on Saturday or Sunday, and then the word count would continue to follow the rankings.
But because the price has risen so much these past two days, breaking 100 at a speed that exceeded my expectations, I've written another update for everyone!
It's expected to be released on Friday, around 4 PM. Everyone can keep an eye out for it!
Finally, if you like this story, feel free to request something in the paragraph comments or reviews! I'll try my best to accommodate your requests. [Cat emoji][Cat emoji][Cat emoji]
P.S.: This is a supplementary update on the 11th. I still didn't make the list this week, but Friday's update is a free bonus, so it's like I had three updates this week! Currently, the updates are tentatively scheduled for Friday, Monday, and Wednesday. Please add this to your favorites! [Three-colored cat emoji][Three-colored cat emoji][Three-colored cat emoji]
I'll update daily if I make the list! [hugs][hugs][hugs]
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