As far as she could remember, her brother had always been an almighty and indomitable being. She rarely heard him talk about the days when he was studying alone in a foreign country.
Jin Suyun's hands paused while cutting tofu, then resumed their smooth movement.
He turned his head and smiled at her, a complex light flashing in his eyes, so fast that it was hard to catch: "It's okay. Thinking that there is a greedy little girl at home waiting for me to come back and cook noodles for her, I don't feel tired anymore."
His tone was relaxed, even a little teasing, but An Nuo felt a little sour in his nose.
She recalled the first few years after her parents left, when her brother was just a teenager, but he had to support a crumbling family and take care of an ignorant little sister.
Behind those “practice makes perfect” that he mentioned lightly, how many nights of groping and fumbling alone were there?
"Brother..." She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but she felt that any words would sound too weak.
"Okay, stop looking at me like that."
Jin Suyun seemed to see through her thoughts and gently pushed the cut tofu shreds onto a clean plate aside. "Light the fire and boil water."
"Oh!" An Nuo came back to his senses immediately, jumped off the high stool, ran to the stove, and stood on tiptoe to turn on the gas switch.
The blue flames puffed up and licked the bottom of the pot.
Jin Suyun poured clean water into a deep pot and covered it with a lid. While waiting for the water to boil, he took out two plain white porcelain bowls and began to prepare the soup base.
A spoonful of fine, white lard, a pinch of salt, a few drops of soy sauce for flavor, and a sprinkle of white pepper. His movements were smooth and the amount was just right, clearly a habit ingrained in him.
The water in the pot soon began to bubble up, and white steam rose up, blurring Jin Chanyun's focused profile.
He lifted the lid of the pot, and steam rose up, bringing a moist warmth to his face.
"Stand back a little, don't get burned." He moved sideways to block An Nuo, then grabbed a handful of thin noodles, shook his wrist lightly, and the noodles spread out like silver threads and slid into the rolling water.
He gently stirred the noodles with long chopsticks to prevent them from sticking together. The long, thin noodles stretched and tumbled in the boiling water, gradually becoming soft and translucent.
"Brother, I want a soft-boiled egg!" An Nuo grabbed the edge of the island and couldn't help but remind him.
"I know." Jin Chenyun's tone contained a subtle hint of doting.
He picked up two eggs and gently tapped them against the edge of the pot, his movements smooth and precise, as if he had practiced them countless times. The transparent egg whites, wrapped around the orange-yellow yolks, slid gently into the boiling noodle soup like two tiny suns.
The egg white quickly solidified into a white cloud, enveloping the flowing, tempting orange-yellow center.
Jin Annuo held his breath and stared at the two poached eggs swaying slightly in the soup without blinking, watching them gradually turn from liquid to solid, with soft lace appearing on the edges.
Controlling the heat is key; one degree too much and it'll be overcooked, one degree too little and it'll fall apart. Jin Suyun's gaze was fixed intently on the soup pot, his serious expression no less than when he was reviewing the most important business plan in the conference room.
Jin Suyun gently touched the edge of the egg yolk with the tip of his chopsticks to check its doneness.
He turned off the fire, picked up the soup spoon, and poured the boiling and clear noodle soup into the bowl with the prepared base sauce.
The hot soup hits the bottom of the bowl, instantly melting the lard. The umami flavor of salt and soy sauce is stimulated and blends perfectly with the fatty aroma of lard. The clear soup is suddenly stained with an attractive amber luster, emitting the purest temptation while steaming.
Then, he used long chopsticks and a colander to scoop up the noodles that were cooked to perfection, flicked his wrist to drain off excess water, and then gently placed them in a bowl.
The noodles stretch out in the clear soup base, each strand distinct and soaked in an attractive luster.
Finally, the tofu shreds and poached eggs were served. The soft white tofu shreds were evenly spread on the noodles, and two perfect soft-boiled eggs were carefully placed on top.
The emerald green onions are generously sprinkled on top, adding the most vivid footnote to this bowl of art.
The two bowls of noodles were exactly the same, except for the two cute round soft-boiled eggs on top.
Jin Suyun pushed one of the bowls in front of An Nuo and handed her the chopsticks: "Be careful, it's hot."
An Nuo couldn't wait to take the chopsticks, leaned close to the bowl, and took a deep breath.
She carefully poked the soft-boiled egg with the tip of her chopsticks, and the golden egg liquid immediately flowed out slowly, soaking the noodles and soup base, adding a richer aroma.
"I'm eating!" She cheered softly, picked up a piece of noodles coated with egg liquid and soup with chopsticks, blew on it, and carefully put it into her mouth.
"Mmm... delicious!" An Nuo narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, like a cat with its fur stroked, his cheeks puffed out, and he mumbled incomprehensible praise, "Brother, the noodles you cook are the best in the world!"
Jin Suyun sat next to her and also picked up his chopsticks. He ate in a gentle and unhurried manner, in stark contrast to Jin Annuo's "hard work".
Hearing her praise, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and the smile in his eyes spread out gently like a deep pool into which a stone was thrown.
"Eat slowly, no one is going to snatch it from you." He looked at her wolfing down the food and couldn't help but remind her again, and casually put the soft-boiled egg in his bowl into hers.
"Brother! Eat it yourself!" An Nuo hurriedly stopped him and tried to take the egg back.
"I'm not very hungry." Jin Sunyun gently blocked her hand with chopsticks. "Besides, seeing you eating so happily, I feel happier than if I were eating by myself."
His tone was calm, yet filled with undeniable warmth.
An Nuo looked at the extra soft-boiled egg in the bowl, and the golden yolk seemed to reflect the softest part of his heart.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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