Chapter 101 (Sanzi (Part 1)...)

The overall color of beggar's chicken is much lighter than that of honey roast chicken, but its taste is just as good as that of honey roast chicken.

After being simmered over residual fire, the chicken is gradually cooked through, and the fat in the chicken skin slowly melts into the chicken. The exposed part is tender yellow but not greasy, and the aroma is so fragrant that it makes your mouth water.

Yan Qiushu made five beggar chickens, just enough for one for each person. After taking out all the chicken meat, she didn't want to use her hands so she just cut it into pieces with a knife.

Yan Qiushu and Zhuo Ning both prefer to use their hands to pull a chicken leg and pull it off with skin and meat. You can even see the juice overflowing from the chicken.

When you put it in your mouth, it is an even more top-notch enjoyment.

The chicken that has been marinated for a long time and the onions, ginger and garlic in the chicken's stomach have effectively removed the fishy smell of the meat, and the lotus leaves have added a touch of fragrance. The tender and smooth chicken is neither dry nor woody. Chew the hot chicken twice, move the root of the tongue slightly, and the meat will slide into the stomach.

Even though there were ice cubes all around, everyone was still sweating while eating. Yan Qiushu wiped the sweat off her face and looked up, seeing that everyone at the table was doing the same.

But the chicken was not strong, oily or greasy. Even though it was a whole chicken, they were reluctant to stop eating it, and they didn’t need to stop. They just ate it quietly.

After eating chicken legs, you can eat chicken wings. After eating chicken wings, there are chicken necks, chicken breasts, etc.

The only thing that needs to be cooked a little harder is the chicken breast.

Yan Qiushu silently took out the chili noodles she made. She added a lot of spices, white sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, etc. into the chili noodles and stir-fried them. It was salty and spicy with a slight numbness, and the aroma of sesame seeds and crushed peanuts was even more prominent.

Once you dip the chicken breast in it, the slightly woody texture is ignored, and the spicy taste dominates your lips and tongue, making the chicken seem even more tender and smooth.

"Can you eat it like this?" Xiao Huaiya was jealous and came over to dip it in the chili powder. Then he put it in his mouth and his eyes lit up immediately: "It's delicious!"

Zhao Shuhong and Shui Yu also followed over.

Zhuo Ning looked at her with envy, but he was a man and couldn't do that.

Yan Qiushu wiped her mouth and gave him some of the chili powder: "Would you like to try it too? It's a bit spicy though, so take it easy."

"Thank you, Xiangjun!" Zhuo Ning accepted it with a smile. He didn't take her reminder to heart, and greedily rolled the chicken into it, covering every part with red chili powder.

Xiao Huaiya seemed to be hesitant to speak, but after thinking for a moment, he smiled as if he was enjoying the show and said nothing.

The chicken still had some juice, which was definitely a good dip for the chili powder. After rolling it like this, the chicken was covered with so much juice that you couldn't see its original color. Then Zhuo Ning put it into his mouth.

In less than two seconds, Zhuo Xi's face flushed, and his eyes were filled with tears. He was so upset that he wanted to vomit, but he saw that the four girls were all looking at him, especially Xiao Huaiya: "You can't even eat spicy food, right?"

Zhuo Ning shrank, gritted his teeth, chewed quickly twice, and swallowed the spicy taste in his mouth. Suddenly, his throat felt as if it was scratched by sand, and it was burning with pain.

The kind servant brought him a cup of milk tea. He took a big gulp and was able to slightly suppress the pungent taste. He wiped away his tears, and his eyes turned red.

Zhuo Ning paused for a moment before he said in disbelief: "What is this? It's too spicy!"

Yan Qiushu coughed lightly and said guiltily, "The chili noodles I made use a new type of chili pepper, which is much spicier than cornelian cherry and Sichuan pepper..."

Zhuo Ning: “…”

He didn't know the difference between grains and didn't notice it. He just thought that some other dipping sauce with dogwood was added. Who knew it was so strong? He shook his head in fear and didn't dare to dip it in the food again.

After finishing lunch, he returned to his room dejectedly.

When he left, his ears were still red and his steps became faster and faster.

Yan Qiushu looked at him with sympathy, as if she had embarrassed him in front of his sweetheart?

She nudged Xiao Huaiya with her arm: "Why don't you go and comfort him?"

Xiao Huaiya frowned, as if he was slightly disgusted, and also as if he was embarrassed: "What are you trying to comfort me with? I'm not familiar with him!"

Seeing this, Yan Qiushu said without further ado: "Okay, I'm going to take a nap, you can play by yourself."

Hsiao Wai-ya waved his hand: "Go ahead, I'll play for a while."

Yan Qiushu turned around and left, and Shui Yu followed her. Zhao Shuhong also needed to rest, so she went to another courtyard. Xiao Huaiya was the only one left in the living room.

She propped her chin up with her hands and looked out the door. The summer sun was so scorching that it hurt her eyes at a glance, but her eyes were fixed at the moment and she didn't feel much. It was not until she could no longer suppress the thoughts in her mind that she suddenly stood up.

But because he stood up too quickly, Xiao Huaiya's eyes suddenly turned white and his body shook.

"Be careful!" With a panicked shout, Zhuo Ning's figure quickly approached and ran over to support her.

Xiao Huaiya steadied himself, took a closer look and saw that it was him. He asked in confusion, "Didn't you go home?"

Zhuo Ning coughed lightly. His throat was a little hoarse from the spiciness, but it made his voice sound even deeper and more pleasant. "No, I'm just a little embarrassed."

Xiao Huaiya said with a smile: "Aren't you embarrassed now?"

Zhuo Ning said: "You are different."

Xiao Huaiya's face, hidden under the veil, turned red. She crossed her arms over her chest and did not try to avoid him as she did in the past. Instead, she squinted at him and said, "I heard that you have done well in the local area in the past few years and were able to be transferred back directly."

The tone was still not particularly friendly, but the attitude had completely changed compared to before. Zhuo Ning was suddenly surprised and happy, and smiled ingratiatingly: "Of course, I worked hard to be transferred back. I was just afraid that once I came back, you would..."

His rude words at that time completely hurt Xiao Huaiya, who was already feeling inferior due to the injury on his face. After that, he admitted his mistakes many times, but was driven away every time he came to visit. Zhuo's parents were also unhappy, so they specially transferred their youngest son to a local position to keep him away from Kyoto.

But in order to be able to come back, he was also afraid that if he was too late, Xiao Huaiya might have gotten married, so he worked extra hard and achieved outstanding political achievements. That was why when he returned to Beijing to report on his work this year, he was noticed by the old emperor and stayed.

The childhood sweethearts thought that everything had changed, but suddenly found out that it was just a misunderstanding.

In the afternoon, when Yan Qiushu saw the two men again, the gap between them that was caused by Xiao Huaiya's deliberate alienation had disappeared, and they played around like old friends.

Of course, usually Zhuo Ning was the one who got beaten up and ran away in fear, while Hsiao Wya was amused to the point of grinning, and sometimes he would go over to him in anger and make a few moves.

Yan Qiushu and Zhao Shuhong looked at each other, and they took Shui Yan away from the loving couple and ran to the kitchen.

"Oh, my teeth are so sour. Let's make something to eat." Zhao Shuhong rubbed his cheeks deliberately and said with a smile.

Yan Qiushu nodded: "Yes!"

If it's a TV drama or something, she would be so excited to jump up and down when she sees others showing affection, but when she sees people she knows showing affection in real life, she feels awkward no matter how she watches it, so she usually doesn't stay in front of Stanley Hsiao and his wife for long. Now, seeing Stanley Hsiao and Cheuk Ning being so affectionate, she feels embarrassed and it's better for her to stay away.

However, facing the stove, Yan Qiushu couldn't think of what to do for a moment. There were too many things she could do and too many choices. Her stomach was still full. She had eaten meat at noon to resist hunger, so she couldn't think of anything else at this moment.

"Why don't we make some snacks?" Shui Yan asked with a smile, "We are all full and not hungry. We can make some snacks and eat them anytime."

Yan Qiushu thought it made sense and searched her mind for some suitable snacks. Suddenly, a food called Sanzi popped into her mind. This was a dish often made in her hometown in her previous life. She had a relative who was particularly good at making Sanzi, and every time she went there, she would bring back a bunch to eat slowly.

Thinking of this, she immediately said, "Why not make Sanzi? Have you ever eaten it?"

Shui Yu and Zhao Shuhong shook their heads: "No."

Yan Qiushu smiled and took the two of them to knead the dough while explaining the method. After the dough was kneaded, it was torn into thick strips and placed in a bowl. Oil was added to the bottom of the bowl and soaked for an hour.

The noodles pulled out in this way are easier to pull and will not be easily torn.

However, this method will make your hands greasy and uncomfortable.

Apart from this shortcoming, there is nothing else. When the noodles are pulled thinner, they are put on the chopsticks in circles and then put into the oil pan. A familiar "sizzle" sound is heard, and the originally off-white noodles turn golden yellow.

After this thing is fried in the pan until crispy, you can take it out and eat it directly after the fat has dripped off and the temperature has cooled down.

Taking the eating method into consideration, the Sanzi made by Yan Qiushu are not big, but small pieces, so they can be finished in two bites.

With Shui Xuan's help, Zhao Shuhong had no more work to do after the initial kneading of the dough. She washed her hands and waited for the fried Sanzi to cool down. She couldn't wait to reach out to taste it.

Yan Qiushu caught a glimpse of it and reminded him, "If the saltiness is too weak, you can sprinkle some pepper salt or chili powder on it, it will taste just as good!"

"I know." Zhao Shuhong said with a smile. She broke off a piece of Sanzi strip with two fingers and put it into her mouth. It was small but still warm. When she ate it with her teeth, she could hear a crispy sound. It was very crispy and she didn't even need to put much effort to eat it.

Salt is added when the noodles are kneaded, so it tastes very salty and there is no need to add any other seasonings!

Yan Qiushu also took the time to taste it. It was crispy and delicious. Her cooking skills had not declined, maybe even because of the buff. She felt that the taste was very similar to the one made by her relative. It was delicious!

Yan Qiushu has always felt that Sanzi might be an alternative to instant noodles, because it tastes very good whether eaten directly or cooked. The only bad thing about it is that when it is stored, it will break into crumbs with a little force. Instant noodles, on the other hand, are not so easy to break once they are set.

Unfortunately, it is too difficult to make instant noodles with current technology, so she gave up. Now Sanzi is a good late-night snack?!

Yan Qiushu made a lot of Sanzi and asked someone to send some to Xiao's house. She also asked if Shen Pingyu and Dongdong were coming.

Got the news that they would come over in two days.

However, Xiao Wai-ting temporarily left Kyoto due to official business.

It was already very late at this time, and Yan Qiushu was just about to go to bed, but because of the news, she couldn't sleep.

It's a very strange feeling.

She seemed a little disappointed, but she was well aware that the Xiao family's situation was special and that it was now the busiest time. Besides, their relationship was far from being in love. It was just like the process of modern love, where they were perhaps just at the initial stage and the ambiguity was not yet complete.

Fortunately, Yan Qiushu is not a love-minded person and does not yearn for a passionate love, so she is quite accepting of this relationship.

However, the Xiao family might be afraid that she would be unhappy, so they asked the servant on the farm to bring back the news along with a lot of gifts, as well as a letter from Mrs. Xiao scolding her son to comfort her.

Yan Qiushu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

She covered herself with a thin quilt, her mind full of random thoughts. She was not asleep yet felt drowsy. Suddenly, she heard a noise beside her ears. She was startled. All her future sleepiness was gone at that moment, leaving only the pounding heartbeat.

What happened? She seemed to hear someone's footsteps?

No way? She specially arranged people to guard the manor at night, could it be that the thieves were still targeting it?

Yan Qiushu looked around, lifted the quilt, picked up a stick placed at the bedside, held it tightly in both hands, and stared at the door and window, two places where someone might come in.

Until the sound came again, clearly entering her mind in the quiet night.

It's not an illusion!

Yan Qiushu was so nervous that she stopped breathing. She wanted to call for help, but was afraid that it would be too late for them. In her yard, besides herself, Shui Yu was the only one sleeping next to her. They were two weak women, so it would be useless to call for help.

Just as her heart was beating so hard that it seemed like it was about to jump out of her throat, she suddenly heard a light knock on the door.

Yan Qiushu: “?”

How can a thief be so polite?

The fear in her heart subsided a little, and she hesitated and dared not move. At this moment, she heard a familiar yet strange voice outside the door saying, "It's me..."

The voice also revealed a sense of weakness.

Yan Qiushu was startled and stepped forward, opening the door.

Immediately, a bloody body fell on her shoulder. A heavy weight pressed down on her. She panicked and dropped the stick in her hand. She tried to hold the body and move it into the room. The smell of blood at the tip of her nose became stronger and stronger, and the places her hands touched seemed to be wet.

Yan Qiushu's face turned pale, but fortunately Xiao Huaiting was still conscious and forced himself to sit on the couch in the room. They both breathed a sigh of relief: "You...what's wrong with you? Didn't you say you were leaving Beijing for business?"

There were no candles in the room, and Yan Qiushu tried to light one with shaking hands, only then could she see his appearance clearly. There were two bloodstains on his arms, and possibly on his back as well. He was dressed in black and looked like he was going to be a thief.

The exposed lips were extremely pale, and so weak that they seemed to faint at any moment.

She also looked pale.

Xiao Huaiting raised his eyes to look at her, smiled, and said in a nonchalant manner: "I'm going to kill someone, are you afraid?"

Yan Qiushu glared at him and said, "Should I ask someone to find a doctor?"

Xiao Waiting shook his head: "If he really kills someone, don't call a doctor, try not to alarm others, and let me hide for two days."

Yan Qiushu's eyebrows jumped, and she became even more nervous. She whispered, "Take off your clothes, and I'll apply medicine to you first?"

Fortunately, when she came here, Doctor Yao sent her some medicine for treating external injuries, thinking that she often used knives when cooking and might get injured easily. She took it out of the cabinet.

Xiao Huaiting looked down at his blood-stained body, took a deep breath, and reached out to her: "I'll do it myself."

"Take off your clothes quickly!" Yan Qiushu said unhappily.

Xiao Huaiting was stunned by the yelling and looked at her with some grievance. Wasn't he afraid of scaring her?

Besides, although the relationship between the two of them was settled, they were still unmarried, which was not good for her.

Yan Qiushu was filled with anxiety and didn't pay attention. Seeing that he was hesitant to move, she simply went up to untie his belt.

Xiao Huaiting's bloodless face turned red at this moment. He did not dare to hesitate and took off his clothes obediently.

He looks tall and thin, but when he takes off his clothes, he is quite well-built. Under normal circumstances, Yan Qiushu would definitely take a second look at his solid chest and eight-pack abs.

But at this moment, she didn't care about these things. She was afraid that she couldn't see the wound clearly, so she approached him with a candle. When she saw the bloody wound, her heart was in her throat: "Can I use this wound medicine? Do I need to clean it with hot water?"

She didn't dare to do so, fearing that the disinfection would not be successful and she would get infected instead.

"It's okay, just apply it. There's no need to be so nervous about this minor injury." Xiao Huai Ting comforted her.

After hearing what he said, Yan Qiushu, with shaking hands, tried hard to sprinkle the powder on the wound. This medicine must be very painful. Every time she sprinkled a little, she could clearly feel the man's muscles tense up, and the bleeding that had stopped somewhat began to flow out again, which made her heart twitch.

When applying the medicine, she discovered that there was more than one wound on the smooth back, but many of them were old wounds. Some of the scars were clear, while others were not obvious and could only be felt by touching.

Her fair fingertips accidentally brushed against a spot. The warm skin seemed to feel similar to the touch, but when she moved her fingertips over it, she could feel that the skin there was a little uneven.

A closer look revealed that the largest scar ran almost diagonally across his entire back, as if a hideous centipede was coiled on his back.

No wonder he said it was a minor injury.

Yan Qiushu gritted her teeth and exhaled slowly to relax herself a little.

Some hot and humid breath hit Xiao Waiting's back, and a tingling sensation that overwhelmed the pain made his tailbone tremble. He quickly straightened his back and said casually, "You're not going to cry out of fear, are you?"

"No!" Yan Qiushu denied, and continued to carefully apply the paint on all the wounds. Then she wiped her hands with a handkerchief, swallowed the bitterness in her heart, and whispered: "I'll go out and get some hot water for you to wipe it."

When she turned around, she found her sleeve was pulled.

The young man who had just treated the wound had a relaxed smile on his pale lips: "Can you please make me something to eat, Ah Shu? I'm a little hungry."