Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ji Wanmei used the half-bowl of pickled cabbage and black carp soup left over from last night to make noodles for Lei Tingjun.
These days, dried noodles are all handmade, and the ingredients are never skimped on. Once the water in the pot boils, the noodles are simply thrown in.
Ji Wanmei estimated that Lei Tingjun's appetite was limited; two or three ounces of noodles wouldn't be enough to satisfy him. So she put about half a pound of noodles into the pot.
Thinking that if he couldn't finish it, she could have another small bowl herself.
Dried noodles should be cooked for about two minutes. If cooked for too long, the noodles will lose their chewy texture.
While the noodles were cooking, Ji Wanmei first used the hot blackfish soup to make a soup base in a large soup bowl.
She chopped some garlic and ginger and sprinkled them in, then blanched a few slices of vegetables and placed them at the bottom. Since adding a large bowl of noodles would make the fish soup taste bland, she added some salt and pepper.
Once the noodles were cooked until they floated to the surface, she used chopsticks to lift them all out and filled a separate bowl with them, using a small rice bowl. If he could finish the rice, he could eat it; if not, Ji Wanmei would eat it herself.
After cooking the noodles, Ji Wanmei used the leftover shredded meat from last night as a topping, and finally sprinkled some chopped green onions on top.
A bowl of hearty blackfish soup with shredded pork noodles is ready.
It only took about ten minutes in total.
She took a pair of chopsticks, carried the noodles to the courtyard, and placed them on the stone table: "They're cooked, eat up."
"If it's not enough, there's still some noodles left. This bowl is too big, so I didn't add any more."
The aroma of the noodles made Lei Tingjun feel even hungrier.
If he hadn't held back, he probably would have grumbled a few times in front of Ji Wanmei, making a huge fool of himself.
Lei Tingjun took the chopsticks Ji Wanmei handed him: "Have you eaten? Why am I the only one here?"
Ji Wanmei said, "I drank soy milk and ate a few steamed buns this morning. You can have them."
Lei Tingjun nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat.
The noodles were cooked to perfection, chewy and flavorful, soaking up the broth from the pickled cabbage and blackfish soup, and the oil from the shredded meat topping. One bite and you'd be so happy you'd swallow your tongue.
At this point, Lei Tingjun no longer cared about his image and began to wolf down his food.
He made slurping sounds as he slurped the noodles, swallowing repeatedly, showing how much he enjoyed his meal.
Seeing that he was eating so fast, Ji Wanmei said, "Hurry up and eat, no one's going to take it from you."
Lei Tingjun looked up from the bowl of noodles and mumbled, "The noodles you cooked... mmm, they're so delicious, really delicious. I... have never eaten such delicious noodles before."
Ji Wanmei smiled gently. Of course, she would be happy if the other person liked what she made.
And watching him eat so heartily, for some reason, she felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
Ji Wanmei thought that her father liked to cook delicious food for her and then watch her praise him with admiration. He must really enjoy that sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
Ji Wanmei cupped her cheeks, watching Lei Tingjun across from her eating with sweat pouring down his face. She took out a handkerchief and handed it to him: "Look at you, all sweaty. Wipe yourself before you eat."
Lei Tingjun took the handkerchief Ji Wanmei handed him and looked down. The handkerchief was clean and white, with an orchid embroidered on one side. There wasn't a single stain on it. If he wiped his sweat, who knows what she would have made of it.
Lei Tingjun didn't want to use her handkerchief to dry his forehead, so he just wiped it lightly and then put the handkerchief in his pocket, saying vaguely, "I'll wash it and return it to you when I get back."
“You…” Ji Wanmei didn’t expect that he would refuse to return the handkerchief to her.
In this day and age, the meaning behind a girl giving a handkerchief to a man is self-evident.
Ji Wanmei had thought he was clumsy and silly just now, but now she realized that he was not silly at all, but very smart.
They even knew to find such an excuse to accept their handkerchief and not return it.
Ji Wanmei's lips moved slightly, but she decided to let it go and not argue with him.
She didn't realize that a faint smile was also playing on her lips.
Lei Tingjun quickly finished the bowl of noodles, and still seemed unsatisfied afterward, smacking his lips and saying, "Delicious, really delicious."
Ji Wanmei then said, "There's still some noodles in the pot, shall I add it for you?"
Lei Tingjun looked at the little bit of soup left in the bowl and nodded, "Okay."
Ji Wanmei then took the noodles from the small bowl and added them to his bowl.
At this point, she realized that Lei Tingjun had a really big appetite. Half a pound of noodles wasn't enough for him, and he could probably eat another bowl if given one more.
After all, he was a tall man of 1.85 meters, only in his early twenties, a time of vigorous energy and high energy expenditure.
Compared to her own usual appetite, which is usually enough for a small bowl of rice, the difference is like night and day.
Finally, Lei Tingjun finished the remaining noodles in a few bites, and even drank the soup in the bowl clean.
After finishing the meal, Ji Wanmei prepared to clear the dishes and take them inside to wash.
But at this moment, Lei Tingjun suddenly stood up and snatched the bowl and chopsticks from her hands: "I'll go wash them, you sit here and rest."
Lei Tingjun shared the same thought as Ji Xingguo on this point, and couldn't bear to see Ji Wanmei's delicate hands get stained with oil.
Cooking is alright, it's just washing vegetables and preparing dishes.
But washing dishes is different; it's especially hard on your hands.
Especially since Lei Tingjun had just 'accidentally' held Ji Wanmei's hand, the thought of those porcelain-like fingertips becoming rough from the oil stains in the bowl made his heart ache.
Before Ji Wanmei could react, Lei Tingjun rushed into the kitchen with the bowls and chopsticks, quickly cleaned and washed them, and came out.
Ji Wanmei was lost in thought for a moment, thinking about the past.
In her past life, after marrying that scoundrel Yang Zhiping, she began to support the family's daily needs. Without her father Ji Xingguo's pampering, she had to do laundry, cook, clean, and work all day long. Those years were wasted by life, and she did age quite quickly.
But now, seeing Lei Tingjun, just like her father, protecting and caring for her in every way, unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest hardship, her eyes reddened.
When Lei Tingjun finished washing the dishes, he saw Ji Wanmei sitting there with her head down and her eyes red. He panicked and hurried over.
"Ji Wanmei, what's wrong... why are your eyes red?"
"Are you upset that I came into your room? Don't be angry. I just wanted to help you with some chores. If you don't like it, I promise I won't do it without your permission next time."
Lei Tingjun was so anxious that he paced around Ji Wanmei in circles.
Ji Wanmei wiped her eyes and shook her head: "No, I'm not angry with you."
She was angry with herself, angry that she hadn't met Lei Tingjun sooner in her past life, and that she had wasted her whole life.
Fortunately, it's not too late to get to know him again in this lifetime.
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