Chapter 51 Seafood Porridge [Second Update]
As summer arrives, the island enters typhoon season. Although no major typhoons have yet struck, rainfall has noticeably increased, with alternating periods of sunshine and rain. The air is humid and stuffy, like a giant steamer.
Jiang Suining has left the kelp farming project team and resigned from her job at the labor protection factory. She wants to focus on cold storage construction.
In the past few days, she has been working non-stop on the preliminary preparations for the cold storage project, frequently going out and visiting almost all possible construction sites on the island to conduct on-site surveys, seeking advice from experienced workers on technical details, and even starting to make initial contact with some equipment suppliers to understand their prices.
Running around under the scorching sun and scouting locations in the rain, they often arrive home exhausted, sometimes not even having time for dinner before collapsing into bed.
Lu Ye saw this and felt sorry for her. He advised her several times to slow down. Jiang Suining agreed verbally, but then she immediately got busy again.
She was determined to make a breakthrough; cold storage was something she had been longing for, and with favorable policies in place, she couldn't wait to turn her vision into reality.
That afternoon, she had just returned from an outside survey, and was half-drenched by a sudden downpour. When she got home, she felt dizzy and lightheaded, and her nose was stuffy. She changed her clothes and went straight to sleep.
When Lu Ye returned from the army that evening, he saw that her cheeks were flushed with an abnormal redness, and she was leaning listlessly against the headboard, too weak to even speak.
Lu Ye's heart tightened, and he reached out to touch her forehead; it was burning hot!
"You have a fever!" His brows furrowed immediately, his tone laced with reproach but also with concern. "I told you not to push yourself so hard, but you wouldn't listen!"
He immediately rummaged through drawers and cabinets to find the spare medicine in the house, poured warm water, watched Jiang Suining swallow the pills, then fetched cold water, soaked towels, placed one on her forehead and used the other to wipe her down, to cool her down physically.
His movements were somewhat clumsy, yet exceptionally gentle. His large hands, usually calloused from gripping guns and practicing drills, were now handled with care, as if afraid of hurting her.
"I'm fine... I'll be fine after a good night's sleep." Jiang Suining's voice was hoarse, trying to reassure him.
"Don't talk, close your eyes and rest." Lu Ye's tone left no room for argument as he tucked the blanket around her.
Jiang Suining slept very restlessly at night. Her high fever made her feel like she was in a furnace at times, and at other times she was shivering with cold. In her hazy state, she felt a solid source of heat next to her, and she subconsciously leaned closer to it.
Lu Ye barely slept, listening to her heavy breathing, occasionally reaching out to check her temperature and changing the towel that had been warmed on her forehead.
In the latter half of the night, Jiang Suining's body temperature seemed to drop a little, but she began to feel an empty stomach and a bitter taste in her mouth. She moved slightly and mumbled, "Hungry...so hungry."
Lu Ye, who was a light sleeper, woke up immediately and leaned closer to her, asking softly, "What do you want to eat? I'll get it for you."
"...Give me a bowl of...porridge...seafood." Jiang Suining's eyes were closed, her voice weak, with the dependence and softness that comes with being sick.
Lu Ye immediately got up, tiptoed out of the bedroom, went to the kitchen, and turned on the dim light.
At noon, his brother-in-law brought over several sea bass. The flesh was tender and had few bones, making them perfect for the patient. He tied on his apron and began working at the stove.
He first carefully deboned the sea bass, sliced off the snow-white fish meat, marinated it slightly with shredded ginger, a little cooking wine and salt to remove the fishy smell, then rinsed the rice, added water, and lit the kerosene stove.
Cooking porridge requires the most patience. If the heat is too high, the porridge will burn at the bottom; if the heat is too low, the porridge will not be fragrant and sticky. Lu Ye would stand by the small stove, watching intently as the rice grains slowly rolled in the pot, stirring gently with a spoon from time to time to prevent them from sticking.
Only when the rice grains have bloomed and the porridge has thickened did he gently slide the marinated sea bass slices into the pot. The fish slices turned white instantly upon contact with the heat, resembling blooming flowers. He immediately sprinkled on some finely chopped scallions and cilantro, added two drops of sesame oil, and then turned off the heat. The fish slices were cooked by the residual heat of the porridge, which allowed them to maintain their freshest and most tender texture.
When he returned to the bedside with a steaming bowl of fragrant seafood porridge, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
"Sui Sui, the porridge is ready. Eat some while it's hot." He helped her sit up, placed a pillow behind her, then picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, carefully blew on it to make sure it wasn't too hot, and then put it to her lips.
The porridge was cooked to perfection, with soft and tender rice grains, a rich and mellow broth, and tender fish slices that melted in your mouth. The perfect balance of salty and savory flavors instantly awakened your taste buds, and a warm current slid down your esophagus into your stomach, dispelling all discomfort.
Jiang Suining ate the porridge from his hand, taking small bites at a time. Looking at her husband's eyes, which were red from cooking, at the stubble on his chin, and at his focused profile as he carefully blew on the porridge to cool it down, the softest part of her heart was deeply touched.
"Is it good?" Lu Ye asked in a low voice.
"Mmm," Jiang Suining nodded, her nose tingling slightly, and she affectionately rubbed her forehead against his arm, "Lu Ye, it's so good to have you."
After finishing a bowl of porridge, she felt much more energetic.
Lu Ye helped her lie down and wrung out a towel to wipe her face and hands. "It's still early, you can sleep a little longer. I'll take the day off to stay home with you." His tone left no room for refusal.
Jiang Suining did not object this time. She held his rough, warm hand and pressed it against her cheek, as if she had found the most reassuring support. She quickly fell into a deep sleep, and this time, her breathing was much more even.
Lu Ye sat by the bed, looking at her sleeping face and listening to her even breathing. All the fatigue of the night seemed to disappear.
Jiang Suining slept exceptionally soundly and peacefully. When she woke up, the sunlight outside the window was already bright and clear.
When she opened her eyes, the dryness and pain in her throat had subsided considerably. She moved slightly and found that her hand was still being held in Lu Ye's palm.
Looking up, Lu Ye was leaning against the chair by the bed, his head tilted back slightly, his eyes closed, and his breathing even. However, even in his sleep, his brows were not fully relaxed, and his jawline was taut, indicating that he was in a state of alert light sleep.
Jiang Suining didn't immediately pull her hand away, but just quietly looked at him: the sunlight shone through the window, outlining his strong features and illuminating the faint dark circles under his eyes, and she felt a pang of heartache.
Seemingly sensing her gaze, Lu Ye suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze instantly clearing as he looked at her: "Awake? How are you feeling?"
"I feel much better. My head isn't spinning anymore, and I have more energy." Jiang Suining smiled at him and tried to sit up.
Lu Ye immediately got up to help her, and then reached out to touch her forehead to confirm that her temperature was normal. He breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his expression remained serious: "The fever has subsided, but illness comes like a landslide and goes like a slow, drawn-out process. I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up to see if you're completely cured, so that there are no lingering problems."
Jiang Suining wanted to say that it wasn't necessary to go to so much trouble, but seeing Lu Ye's unquestionable gaze, she swallowed the words back.
"Okay, I'll do as you say." She nodded obediently.
The two rode their bicycles to the hospital, registered, and found a doctor, with Lu Ye busy taking care of everything.
They were received by a senior Western doctor with considerable experience. He carefully inquired about Jiang Suining's symptoms, listened to her heart and lungs with a stethoscope, and measured her blood pressure and temperature.
"Your temperature is normal, and there are no abnormalities when you listen to your heart and lungs." The old doctor took off his stethoscope. "It's just a common viral cold, plus you may have been a little overworked, which lowered your body's resistance. Now that the fever has subsided, it's not a big problem. Just rest, strengthen your nutrition, and you'll recover slowly."
Lu Ye listened, but his brows didn't completely relax: "Doctor, she had a high fever before, could there be some problems that weren't detected? Should we do another blood test or something?"
The old doctor waved his hand: "Judging from the symptoms, there's no need to worry. Young man, worrying makes you anxious. Your wife just has a common cold; it takes time to recover. Don't be too nervous."
Emerging from the Western medicine clinic, Lu Ye still felt uneasy looking at Jiang Suining's somewhat pale face. He recalled how some of the older comrades in the army would seek treatment from a renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctor on the island when they fell ill, with excellent results.
“Come on, let’s go see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor again.” He took Jiang Suining’s hand and walked towards the traditional Chinese medicine department without further ado.
The traditional Chinese medicine department was filled with a faint scent of herbs. The doctor on duty was an elderly military doctor with gray hair and a ruddy complexion, surnamed Hu. He asked Jiang Suining to extend her hand, placed three fingers on her wrist, squinted slightly, and carefully examined her pulse. He then asked her to stick out her tongue so he could examine its coating.
"Your pulse is a bit thin and slightly wiry, and your tongue coating is thin and white," Dr. Hu said slowly and calmly. "The external wind-cold is just the trigger; the root cause is still an internal imbalance. Have you been overthinking, overworking yourself, and not sleeping well lately?"
Jiang Suining secretly admired him; the old Chinese medicine doctor was indeed amazing, seeing through her recent condition at a glance.
Lu Ye nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, Dr. Hu, she has indeed been worrying a lot about work lately and often stays up late."
"That's it." Dr. Hu nodded. "Overwork injures the spleen, and excessive thinking depletes blood. When the spleen is weak, the production of qi and blood is insufficient. When blood is deficient, it cannot nourish the mind and spirit, so you are prone to fatigue, restless sleep, and are more susceptible to external pathogens. This fever is a warning from your body."
He picked up a brush and wrote a string of medicine names on the prescription slip in a flowing, elegant style: "I'll prescribe a few doses for you, mainly to strengthen your spleen and replenish your qi, nourish your blood and calm your mind. Go home and decoct them on time, once in the morning and once in the evening." He raised his head and looked at Jiang Suining with a kind but admonish gaze, "You're so young, your career is important, but your health is even more important. Take things easy and don't be too anxious. Eating well and getting enough sleep are better than any tonic."
Lu Ye listened attentively, memorizing every word of the doctor's instructions.
After getting the medicine, on the way back, Lu Ye said to Jiang Suining, "Did you hear what the doctor said? You're not allowed to work so hard anymore. Take your time with your work and earn your money. If your health collapses, you'll lose everything. I'll make sure you take this medicine, and you're not allowed to miss a single dose."
Jiang Suining leaned against his strong back, listening to his tender "scolding," her heart filled with an indescribable sense of peace and happiness. She softly hummed in agreement, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her face against his back.
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