Chapter 93 Enoki Mushrooms: Please Don't Talk
In the bright kitchen, Ning Jia, wearing an apron, was taking out the large amount of groceries she had bought that morning and putting them in the refrigerator.
After the kitchen counter was piled high with a variety of vegetables and meat, the two little figures standing in the sink had already washed their hands and were looking up expectantly, waiting for Ning Jia's instructions.
"He Meng, Dong Kui, don't rush, we'll start cooking soon."
Ning Jia said to the little kitchen helper in the sink.
Holding a small notebook for cooking in one hand, she checked her lunch plan while breaking down the haphazardly piled ingredients into smaller piles and placing them on the cart that hadn't sold yet.
Soon, the empty cart was filled with all sorts of ingredients, organized by recipe.
"It's getting late, let's get started."
Ning Jia picked up a fresh Chinese cabbage, took a knife, and cut off the tender green leaves. She then put the leaves one by one into the washing basin to soak.
Next, a few bright red tomatoes and a few orange carrots were added to the vegetable washing basin.
The empty vegetable washing basin next to it was quickly filled with colorful vegetables: onions, cilantro, potatoes, eggplants...
After the vegetables were soaked, she thought for a moment, then picked up a bag of quail eggs with spotted shells, rinsed them, put them in the pot, and started cooking them over low heat.
He Meng and Dong Kui were still watching eagerly when Ning Jia suddenly paused. They thought he was about to assign them a task, and their faces lit up with joy.
As a result, Ning Jia took out a stainless steel basin, poured in some flour, high-concentration yeast, salt, and water, and started kneading the dough.
After she finished kneading the dough and set it aside to rest, she placed a draining basket next to the vegetable washing basin and said to the two junior kitchen helpers:
"Please wash the cabbage first, we'll need it later."
"Okay!"
He Meng and Dong Kui perked up, turned on the tap, and climbed to stand on the edge of the sink.
The two of them each took a large leaf of vegetable from the basin and rinsed it under the tap.
After washing the cabbage leaves, carefully toss them into the drain basket next to you.
Since it was He Meng's first time helping in the kitchen, she wasn't very skilled at washing vegetables. She would just rinse the vegetable leaves with water and then throw them into the colander.
Winter melon quickly grabbed the other end of the cabbage leaf:
"Sister He Meng, that's not how you wash it. You need to rinse it with water for a while and then rub it with your hands."
"Huh? Is it that complicated?" He Meng muttered to herself.
Ning Jia had already laid a layer of plastic wrap on the counter, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said:
"He Meng, wash it carefully. Today I'm going to use these cabbage leaves to make a really delicious dish."
As soon as this was mentioned, He Meng stopped feeling tired. "What delicious dishes are you talking about?"
Ning Jia smiled slightly, "I'll keep it a secret for now. Anyway, it's definitely something you've never eaten before."
Wow! He Meng got excited. It was a delicious dish she had never eaten before!
Seeing the large cabbage leaves floating in the basin, she immediately became more enthusiastic, picked up a leaf, and washed it several times more carefully than before.
Dongkui was also very curious about what new dish Ning Jia planned to make with the cabbage leaves. Just as the two finished washing the cabbage, Ning Jia gave them another instruction:
"Could you please wash the carrots and shiitake mushrooms again?"
"Okay."
He Meng only knew to wash the ingredients, but Dong Kui had already secretly listed several vegetables she needed in her little mind, thinking:
Am I going to make a stir-fried cabbage with seasonal vegetables?
But Ning Jia has already made this dish before. It can't be.
While Dongkui was washing vegetables and guessing what was going on, Ningjia had already lifted the lid of the small soup pot on the stove, gently tapped one of the quail eggs with a spoon, smiled with satisfaction, and turned off the gas.
"Wow, the vegetables are all washed! That's great!"
Seeing that He Meng and Dong Kui had successfully finished washing the vegetables, Ning Jia immediately poured the quail eggs from the pot into a basin and added cold water to soak them.
Once the quail eggs were no longer too hot, I poured them onto a plate and waved to the two kitchen helpers:
"Could you two please peel the quail eggs?"
Looking at the dozen or so round quail eggs on the plate, He Meng couldn't help but lick her lips:
"Is this also used in cooking with cabbage?"
Ning Jia shook her head. "No, this is a different dish."
"By the way, don't rush when you're peeling them, be careful not to break the egg whites."
"Okay."
Peeling eggs was something the little people were very familiar with. The two little people peeled them very quickly, and soon a small mountain of quail eggshells had been piled up next to the plate.
As for Ning Jia, she took out a clean yogurt paper, laid it on the counter, and quickly diced the carrots and mushrooms into small pieces.
After putting the diced carrots and shiitake mushrooms into the large bowl, she took out a bag of ground chicken breast and poured it into the bowl as well.
After adding the seasonings to the bowl, Ning Jia picked up a pair of chopsticks and was about to start stirring the minced meat when He Meng called out:
"Ningjia, Ningjia, everything's done. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Ning Jia smiled gently, stuck her chopsticks diagonally into the minced meat, went to get two kitchen knives, and then laid out a piece of milk paper.
"Then I'll trouble you two again to slice all the peeled quail eggs."
Seeing that the two little ones were a bit confused, Ning Jia took a quail egg and gave a simple demonstration:
"Look, just cut it into slices like this, three or four slices for one egg."
"Ah, I get it, I get it!" "I get it too!"
Finally assigned a task that required some skill, the two little ones were thrilled. They immediately picked up the knives as if they were weapons and began to slowly slice the eggs.
Ning Jia picked up her chopsticks and began vigorously stirring the minced meat in the bowl.
Although chicken breast is cheap, when made into minced meat, it is not as delicate as pork, and has much less fat, so it tastes drier and tougher.
But chicken is cheap! This big bowl of minced chicken is only ten yuan. What more could you ask for?
Anyway, adding more plump shiitake mushrooms won't make a difference in taste.
Ning Jia stirred the minced meat vigorously while thinking. Once the filling was mixed, she looked up and saw:
He Meng was still carefully cutting the egg with a knife.
Ning Jia chuckled, not in a hurry, and started boiling water in a pot, blanching the cabbage leaves one by one...
...
Soon it was noon, and the little people who were happily producing large quantities of cat and dog sachets all smelled the fragrance wafting from under the kitchen door.
They subconsciously put down their needlework and touched their sunken bellies:
Ah, I'm so hungry!
Remembering the feast Ning Jia had mentioned, they couldn't help but swallow hard, looking towards the kitchen with eager anticipation.
"What kind of feast will we have for lunch today?"
A little mushroom-headed figure couldn't help but ask.
These newcomers, having been introduced to many delicious dishes by other members of their tribe, knew that Ning Jia had cooked many delicacies, but they had no idea exactly how delicious they were.
After all, they had only been there for less than a day, and had only eaten afternoon tea, porridge, and a simple breakfast. They couldn't imagine what the upcoming feast would be like.
The little figure next to the mushroom-headed figure thought for a moment:
"It'll probably be similar to the big meal we had before, with lots of vegetables and lots of meat?"
Another little figure added, "There should be dessert too!"
Some of the little figures simply started reciting the names of the dishes:
"I hope we have tomato beef for lunch!"
Bai Su had joined the discussion at some point:
"Beef is too expensive, I don't think it's possible."
Then another little child shouted, "Then I want to eat a big meatball!"
After saying that, he himself felt it was unlikely:
"The meatballs are quite meaty, so I probably won't buy them today, right?"
Bai Su nodded:
"Making meatballs requires a lot of very good pork, and it's also very expensive."
After this conversation, many of the little people remembered:
Oh right! They even told Ning Jia today that they should spend less money on groceries!
Well... those big dishes they've been longing for are probably not going to happen.
Seeing everyone's dejected expressions, Xuecao rolled her eyes and suddenly said:
"I think we'll definitely have meat for lunch today."
Licorice immediately retorted:
"I think there definitely won't be any meat to eat."
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became of himself.
“We now have nearly thirty people, and Ning Jia said she can cook a lot of dishes. If we cook meat as well, we'll definitely go over budget.”
Bai Su also said, "The cost of vegetables is so low, I don't think there will be any meat, maybe some eggs or something."
"When Ning Jia came back today, she said that the cost of lunch would be kept under one hundred yuan."
Xuecao didn't believe it and looked at Bai Su:
"Then do you dare to make a bet with me?"
Bai Su nodded without hesitation, "What exactly are we betting on?"
"If we're going to gamble, let's gamble big!"
With blind confidence in Ning Jia's culinary skills, Xuecao loudly proclaimed:
"I'll bet... there won't be a lot of meat for lunch today!"
Big pieces of meat? The little people all looked at each other with expressions that said, "You're dreaming."
Will there be a big meat feast today? Absolutely not!
According to Ning Jia's usual cooking habits, when food expenses are tight, she will only put a little minced meat and eggs in the dishes at most.
Especially in a situation like today, there's simply no way there's a lot of meat!
Within minutes, the children were waving their little hands and enthusiastically joining in.
Many people support white perilla and licorice, and have even placed very valuable bets on them:
All the snacks for the next two days.
Snow grass also has a few supporters, but far fewer than white perilla and licorice.
Now, she felt a little uneasy and could only secretly pray that her guess was correct.
...
Just then, Ning Jia pushed open the door and came out carrying a plate of food:
"Everyone, wipe your hands, it's time to eat!"
The little figures froze for a moment, then instantly looked tense and all ran towards the coffee table.
Ning Jia was used to their pre-meal race and didn't pay any attention. After placing the plate of food in her hand on the coffee table, she said, "Eat it while it's hot," and turned to go back to the kitchen.
The little people running around: Ahhh, look what this dish is!!
The first person to jump onto the coffee table was Quartz.
He spotted the familiar shape on the plate at a glance and shouted loudly to the people still under the coffee table:
"It's fried mushrooms!"
When the answer was announced, Xuecao and her supporters were deflated, panting and slumping under the coffee table, their faces showing disappointment.
How could it be fried mushrooms?!
Although the fried mushrooms were delicious, I was still quite disappointed!
Bai Su had already climbed onto the coffee table and said very calmly:
"Mushrooms are a cheap and delicious ingredient, I knew this dish would be made."
The other little people, however, were already drawn by the aroma of the fried mushrooms. They couldn't wait to wipe their little hands and gather around the fried mushrooms, eating them one by one.
Chew, chew, chew...
Today's mushrooms are enoki mushrooms, each one fried like a French fry. The little ones hold them in their arms like they're holding a sugarcane, feeling incredibly happy.
"It smells so good!" "So crispy!" "It's still warm!" "Fried mushrooms are so delicious!" "Actually, these mushrooms are almost like meat."
Many little figures were munching on fried mushrooms that towered above their heads, glancing unconsciously towards the kitchen as they ate:
As everyone knows, Ning Jia always calculates the timing perfectly; once one dish appears, the next one won't be far behind.
Sure enough, before he had even finished one fried mushroom, Ning Jia had already brought out another plate.
The little figures on the coffee table immediately lit up, craning their necks to see what dishes were on the plates.
"It looks like... tofu?" a little figure said hesitantly.
Soon, a steaming plate of tofu was placed on the coffee table. Ning Jia then said, "Eat it while it's hot," before going to get the next dish.
Most of the little people cheered again, "It's tofu!"
Wow, judging by this trend, the next dishes will definitely all be vegetarian!
It looks like they're going to win!
...
Because they were preoccupied with the bet, the little people ate some fried mushrooms but lost their appetite and kept staring longingly toward the kitchen.
Xuecao and the other little figures clenched their fists secretly, muttering to themselves in frustration:
Come on, Ning Jia! Make some meat!
And then there were the impatient little figures, pacing back and forth on the coffee table like ants on a hot pan.
This prompted other people to protest: "Don't go! My eyes are spinning!"
The young children were making a ruckus at one end of the coffee table, while the middle-aged children calmly picked up their small plates and began serving themselves.
Canglan seemed completely oblivious, busy scooping sizzling tofu into a dish with a spoon, while also calling to Baizhi and Muxi:
"Don't just stand there, this tofu tastes amazing, but it's best eaten while it's hot."
"Oh, okay."
Bai Zhi snapped out of her reverie, placed the small dish next to the plate, and smiled:
"Are the children always this noisy during meals?"
Zhelan laughed, "There are even more troublemakers than this. Sometimes Ning Jia even leads the trouble. Everyone's used to it."
"They're all still young, let them play."
Just then, there was another commotion over the coffee table.
It turned out that He Meng and Dong Kui had appeared on the coffee table at some point.
Remembering that the two of them had just been helping in the kitchen, everyone hurriedly asked:
"He Meng/Dong Kui, is there any big meat dish for lunch today?!"
He Meng opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Xue Cao covered her head in fright and screamed:
"Please don't say it, please, don't say it, don't say it..."
Bai Su also said, "Let's not reveal it in advance; it's more fun to leave some suspense."
As he spoke, he secretly squeezed Xuecao's hand and winked at her.
Xuecao was stunned for a moment, not understanding what it meant, when she saw Hemeng and Dongkui look at each other, and then... ran away in a flash.
...
He Meng and Dong Kui ran all the way to Cang Lan before stopping and letting out a sigh of relief.
Whew~ That really scared them!
If they had accidentally told everyone that there really was a lot of meat today, all those people who lost the bet would have been furious.
They shouldn't be the ones bringing bad news!
Seeing He Meng and Dong Kui's expressions, Cang Lan smiled slightly, picked up her spoon, took a bite of the hot and flavorful tofu, and then said:
"I'm sure there will be some delicious meat dishes for lunch today, right?"
He Meng was stunned. "Clan leader, how did you know?"
Canglan pointed over there, to the little gamblers who were still craning their necks towards the kitchen, eagerly anticipating what was to come:
"Otherwise, why didn't you two dare to answer when they asked just now?"
He Meng said sullenly:
"There are indeed delicious meat dishes, but they are so troublesome to make. We are both exhausted!"
"Also, when Ning Jia was doing that... that thing, it was quite complicated..."
He Meng chattered on about her experiences helping in the kitchen that day, while Dong Kui leaned against a small plate, sitting down listlessly, not even wanting to say a word.
There were so many dishes to cook today, and they were constantly busy in the kitchen, their little hands and feet aching terribly.
Ning Jia once said that a chef must have good physical strength, and he finally understands that today.
Dongkui glanced at Hemeng with some envy, seeing her still full of energy complaining to the clan leader, and secretly thought to herself:
Being a chef is really not an easy thing.
How about I learn some martial arts from Sister He Meng first, and then become a chef?
-----------------------
Author's Note: A little person who doesn't know martial arts isn't a good cook (just kidding).
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