Chapter 149 Delivery in Progress
Wearing a faded blue apron, Su Yingxue busied herself in the small but tidy kitchen. Morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window, illuminating the tender beef ribs on the cutting board and casting an enticing sheen.
She first carefully cleaned the beef short ribs, then made several diagonal cuts on them with a knife, her movements skillful and precise. Next, she soaked the prepared beef short ribs in clean water to remove the blood. The flames on the stove suddenly leaped up, the blue flames licking the bottom of the pot merrily. Su Yingxue poured in an appropriate amount of oil, and after the oil was hot, she added scallions, ginger, and garlic to sauté until fragrant. The rich aroma instantly filled the kitchen.
She stir-fried the beef short ribs in a pot, where they sizzled and gradually turned golden brown. Then, she added an appropriate amount of water, along with spices such as star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves, covered the pot, and simmered it over low heat. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of beef short ribs.
Meanwhile, Su Yingxue began preparing scrambled eggs with tomatoes. She washed the tomatoes, scored a cross on the top, blanched them in boiling water for a while, and then easily peeled off the skin. She chopped the tomatoes into small pieces, cracked the eggs into a bowl, and whisked them well. She poured oil into a pan, and once the oil was hot, she poured in the egg mixture. The egg mixture quickly expanded in the pan, forming golden-yellow egg pieces. She quickly stir-fried them a few times with a spatula and set them aside.
Next, add a little more oil to the pan, add the tomato chunks and stir-fry. After the tomatoes release their juices, add an appropriate amount of salt and sugar to taste. Then pour the cooked eggs into the pan and stir-fry them together with the tomatoes. The sweet and sour tomato juice coats the golden eggs, making them brightly colored and very appetizing.
The winter melon and meatball soup was also being prepared methodically. Su Yingxue peeled and seeded the winter melon, sliced it thinly, and arranged it neatly to the side. She then took fresh pork, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, and minced it into a fine paste. She added chopped green onions and ginger, salt, light soy sauce, cooking wine, cornstarch, and other seasonings, stirring in one direction until the mixture became sticky.
Su Yingxue squeezed the minced meat into round meatballs by hand, placed them in warm water, and gently stirred them to prevent them from sticking together. After the water boiled, she added winter melon slices, then the meatballs, and cooked them until the meatballs floated to the surface, the winter melon became translucent, and the broth became clear and delicious. She sprinkled a little chopped green onion and sesame oil on top, and the aroma was irresistible.
With everything prepared, Su Yingxue placed the stewed beef ribs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and winter melon and meatball soup into insulated containers and lunchboxes respectively. She checked the time, estimating that Xiao Wang and the others should be up soon, then picked up the lunchboxes and headed towards the mysterious little villa.
As soon as Su Yingxue peeked out from the corner of the second-floor staircase, she heard rustling sounds coming from inside the house.
As the door opened, a warm breeze carrying a mixture of sweat and instant noodle aroma wafted in. Xiao Wang, his hair a mess of frizz, rubbed his eyes and poked his head out, his eyelids still half-closed as if glued together. His yawning mouth resembled that of a satisfied cat: "Boss... so early?"
Her gentle smile remained unchanged, but her peripheral vision swept across the room like a scanner: wrinkled T-shirts and jeans were scattered haphazardly on the sofa, a pile of messy blankets bulged in the crevices of the bed, the dining table was almost completely covered with takeout boxes and cans, seven or eight cigarette butts were crookedly stuck in the ashtray, and a faint smell of alcohol and nicotine wafted in the air.
"I made extra food for you, eat it while it's hot."
As she handed over the food container and insulated bucket, she deliberately avoided touching Xiao Wang's greasy clothes with her fingertips. Looking at the sleepy-eyed boy holding the lunchbox, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of shady business these people usually engaged in.
"You got up early today?" she asked casually.
"Brother Wang and the others... they'll be up soon..." Xiao Wang mumbled, his oily lips glistening in the morning light. "I'll eat something to tide me over..."
Su Yingxue nodded and turned around, her skirt brushing against the creaking wooden floor. As she went downstairs, she touched the recorder in her pocket, pondering how to find a more discreet angle of observation next time.
"Xiao Wang, the trash is overflowing." She called out from the corner of the stairs, "Do you need my help?" Before she finished speaking, she noticed the bulging black plastic bag next to the computer—that might hold some unexpected clues.
"Oh...it's over there!" Xiao Wang replied hastily, his chopsticks sizzling as he poked the beef chunks.
Su Yingxue quickly tied the garbage bag shut, deliberately making a crisp rubbing sound. As she passed the full-length mirror in the entryway, she swiftly stuffed the spare crumpled paper into another clean bag, ensuring that the amount of "evidence" she brought back was equal.
A dull thud came from downstairs as something heavy fell to the ground. This happened as she casually tossed the trash towards a distant dumping ground.
At the same time, a curtain on the third floor swayed silently.
"Isn't that Sister Su who delivers food?" Xiao Sui lowered her voice, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the soda can.
"Delivering meals every day, how can he be an undercover agent?" Xiao Wang retorted, his mouth full of food. "You're obsessed with crime dramas!"
The door creaked open, and Wang Zhiqiang, who hadn't slept a wink, stepped out. He stood in the shadows against the morning light, his eyes, hidden beneath his disheveled long hair, sharp as a lurking beast. Hearing the conversation downstairs, he lightly tapped the doorframe with his fingertips, the rhythm eerily matching the sound of Su Yingxue discarding trash.
“This line of work…” he suddenly began, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping, “you can lose your life if you’re not careful.” He slowly strolled out from the inner room, his sleepy face revealing little emotion, but his slightly narrowed eyes showed a vigilance that came from years of experience in the underworld.
He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Wang, who was engrossed in eating, and then over Xiao Sui, who was also enjoying his meal. His voice was low and calm: "Don't just focus on eating. Be alert, everyone. Things are tense lately. Who knows if the food delivery guys, garbage collectors, or even passersby are after us?"
With his mouth full of food, Xiao Wang mumbled, "Brother Wang, you're here again. It's like a movie. How long have we been hiding here? We've been safe and sound the whole time. That Sister Su, she's just a food delivery girl, always smiling. What kind of undercover agent could she be?"
“You’ve watched too many cop movies.” Wang Zhiqiang glanced at him, his tone still unhurried, but carrying an undeniable sense of pressure. “Do you think undercover agents are all like those on TV, wearing black suits and sunglasses, walking with a swagger? Real undercover agents are often the most inconspicuous person next to you, the one you least likely to suspect.”
As he spoke, his gaze slowly turned to the window, as if he could see through the wall and see Su Yingxue leaving downstairs. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he remembered something, or as if he sensed something unusual.
Xiao Sui put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and frowned as well: "Brother Wang, you mean... that Sister Su might have a problem? But she hasn't even seen what this building looks like. She just delivers food and takes out the trash every time. What could she possibly know?"
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