Chapter 8 Vegetable Rice

Hang Jingshu looked at Mo Xiaojuan strangely, "What did you say?"

Nowadays, everyone has a good job. Even if you ask for an introduction, you have to be polite. It's rare to see someone like Mo Xiaojuan who wants a job without any preparation.

Mo Xiaojuan didn't beat around the bush, "Ni, I heard from my aunt that your eldest sister found a nanny job for you. Are they still hiring? I want to go, too."

"If you already know the answer, why are you asking in such a roundabout way?" Hang Jingshu took a leisurely bite of the cucumber, not caring at all about Mo Xiaojuan's impatience.

"I..." Mo Xiaojuan was speechless when asked. She was used to it. As long as she gave a hint, Hang Jingshu would foolishly tell her everything.

Of course, this method won't work unless Hang Jingshu is fooled.

The gourds in the basket were so fresh that they left several marks when you put your fingernails on them. Hang Jingshu thought that if he added some eggs and shrimp skin to the filling, it would definitely be delicious because it would be so fresh and tender.

Hang Jingshu no longer cared what Mo Xiaojuan wanted to do. She couldn't wait to eat the gourd stuffed dumplings.

"Ni, if there is someone suitable, can you introduce one to me?" Mo Xiaojuan is cunning, but she is indeed an ambitious person.

"It's hard to say. I'll tell you when I have a chance." Hang Jingshu thought about it and decided to agree first to calm Mo Xiaojuan down.

After all, living in or out of the village, a big change in personality would make people suspicious.

It's hard to find a job these days, so it doesn't matter what kind of person you can find.

Seeing Mo Xiaojuan leave happily, Hang Jingshu quickly took the gourd into the kitchen. The gourd had to be shredded and then blanched and beaten.

After dinner, Hang Jingshu packed his clothes, took a towel, water cup, and his textbooks, and went down the mountain with his brother.

The afterglow of the setting sun was faint, the sky was light blue with a hint of orange pink, and the summer breeze brought bursts of floral scent. Hang Chenggang carried his sister's things and gave instructions vigorously.

Hang Jingshu listened to his brother talking over and over again without any impatience. He even smiled and reminded him, "Brother, I will go home early at the end of the month, and then my parents and I will send you to the station."

Hang Chenggang's eyes turned red. "If someone bullies you, just come home."

Hang Chenggang had inquired a lot during the past two days. He heard that some nannies would not even allow their children to eat eggs, and would watch over them all day long as if they were guarding against thieves.

Hearing this, Hang Chenggang felt even more troubled and wished he could just let Hang Jingshu read it to him.

"Brother, are you still not sure about the job that my elder sister found for you? That's a military compound, and the old couple in the Yan family have good tempers," Hang Jingshu hurriedly comforted his brother, fearing that he would cry here.

The county town is bustling with traffic, and many people ride bicycles to get off work. The number of private cars has increased in the past two years, and there is a sense of joy everywhere.

Hang Jingshu was waiting at the agreed location. After a while, a car stopped by the roadside and a young man in military uniform got out of the car. "Excuse me, are you Comrade Hang Jingshu?"

Hang Chenggang felt relieved when he saw that the man was wearing a military uniform. He turned to look at his sister, and she still looked calm.

"I'm Hang Jingshu. Are you the one sent by Grandma Yan to pick me up?" Hang Jingshu looked at the license plate number and asked the same question as Grandma Yan had told him, for the sake of insurance.

The young man looked to be in his early twenties. He smiled at the words, exuding a youthful and sunny aura. "Yes, come with me to the car!"

Hang Chenggang put his sister's luggage on the bus and watched his sister wave goodbye from the passenger seat with a gentle smile. The car drove farther and farther away with the setting sun...

Three days later, Hang Jingshu adapted well to Yan's home.

During these few days of contact, Hang Jingshu also figured out the taste preferences of the two elderly people.

Grandpa Yan is more casual and likes all kinds of home-cooked dishes, especially the traditional rural delicacies he had during his time in the revolution.

Grandma Yan, on the other hand, has an elegant temperament and has certain requirements for the presentation, taste and color of food, but she is also easy-going, probably because she is used to living in the north.

However, Grandma Yan has always had high requirements for kitchen hygiene.

There are three chopping boards alone, which can be used to cut vegetables, raw meat, and fruits, and they cannot be used together. There is a separate large porcelain bowl for preparing meat stuffing, and there are three kitchen knives.

Judging from Grandma Yan's tone, Aunt Zhou was just being careless before. In the summer, the watermelon she ate would often have a layer of green onion smell on the surface, or even a taste of cutting board.

Every time Grandma Yan said something, Aunt Zhou would agree, but when it came time to actually use it, she would start to laugh it off.

However, Hang Jingshu accepted these well. After all, he had read a lot of news in his life. There were bacteria on the cutting board for cutting meat. If he used it to cut salad and fruit...

It's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, this fruit will taste terrible if mixed with other flavors.

Through the contact and observation over the past few days, Hang Jingshu felt that Grandma Yan must have come from a very good family in her early years.

She drinks scented tea every afternoon. The gold-painted European teacups and porcelain plates are very delicate and luxurious, and are the kind of tea sets that could only be seen in picture magazines.

Even though Grandma Yan has a decisive and murderous temperament, it does not conceal the calm elegance that comes from her bones. On the contrary, it is the fusion of the two temperaments that makes Grandma Yan have her own unique charm.

On the first day, Hang Jingshu would sit in the kitchen and read during the afternoon break. After being discovered by Grandma Yan, Hang Jingshu moved his reading place from the kitchen to the living room.

The room is hung with light gauze curtains, which soften the scorching summer sun.

Usually, Grandma Yan would drink tea and look at the flowers in front of the window, while Hang Jingshu would sit in the corner, reviewing the past and learning new things in the warm sunlight.

The little girl has gentle features and a calmness beyond her peers. She has a straight nose and long eyelashes. Although her skin is dark, she is still a rare beauty.

The electric fan whirred slowly, and the room was quiet and warm...

Evening came quietly, and Hang Jingshu put on his apron and prepared to cook dinner.

Ever since he tasted the cakes made by Hang Jingshu, Grandpa Yan fell in love with them, so there was only one bowl of rice left over from his lunch.

Hang Jingshu was thinking about whether to stir-fry it for dinner and was making some dough when Grandma Yan came into the kitchen, contrary to her usual behavior.

"Xiao Hang, I see that you have good cooking skills. I'll teach you a method. Would you like to try it?" After tasting Hang Jingshu's cooking skills, Grandma Yan began to miss the taste of the food in her hometown.

Today, there happened to be some leftover fragrant rice from lunch, and Grandma Yan wanted to eat a bowl of fried rice that she had eaten in Hai City before.

Sausage, bacon, bok choy, cabbage, and lard. Although the seasoning is simple, the ingredients must be fried until the fat is rich and the grains are distinct, and the heat must be controlled well.

When Grandpa Yan came in, the fragrant fried rice was just out of the pot.

The dishes of the old couple on the table were clearly divided. Grandpa Yan had big steamed buns and mixed noodles, while Grandma Yan had fried rice and borscht.

Grandma Yan also taught how to make borscht. The soup was sweet and thick. Hang Jingshu learned some new methods and Grandma Yan was very satisfied with the dish.

"Actually, this vegetable rice is better to be steamed before eating," Grandma Yan was still sighing after finishing her meal, as if she was thinking of her youth.

Hang Jingshu smiled and said, "That's easy, we'll do it again tomorrow!"