Chapter 19 Warming Up 2
In the kitchen, Aman put the noodles into the pot, and while waiting for the pot to boil, she took the side dishes and toppings to the canteen.
Hearing the sound of a wheelchair outside, Aman knew that the young master would be having lunch with them in the dining hall later.
Overjoyed, Aman hurriedly went out with the side dishes and sure enough, she saw Mantou pushing Fu Yunxiu toward them.
"Young Master," Aman called out in a clear, crisp voice.
Fu Yunxiu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Aman coming out of the kitchen somewhat clumsily. Her bright smile made her as radiant as the sun in the sky, and her fair skin shone brightly in the sunlight filtering through the eaves.
Fu Yunxiu looked at the small dish of mixed tofu she was holding and couldn't tell which one was whiter.
Fu Yunxiu coughed lightly, looked away, and gave a faint "hmm".
"The food will be ready soon, young master, please wait a moment." Aman placed the side dishes on the table and hurried back to the kitchen.
Fu Yunxiu looked at the perfectly white "scallion" mixed tofu on the table, then glanced at the strangely colored paste next to it, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.
This is a way of eating that I've never seen before.
Just by smelling it, he knew that this bowl of paste-like stuff probably wouldn't be bad to eat. Although he didn't show it on his face, he secretly felt a little expectant.
Mantou stood to the side, carefully observing Fu Yunxiu's expression. Seeing that there was nothing unusual, she ran to the kitchen to help Aman.
The pot of noodles was boiling. Aman lifted the lid, and a burst of steam immediately rose up. Aman took three bowls and scooped out the noodles to divide them into portions. Mantou noticed that she hadn't prepared a basin of cold water and asked with slight confusion, "Aren't you going to use cold water?"
In his memory, the kitchen always rinsed the noodles with water before putting them in the bowl, supposedly to make them smoother and less likely to stick together. So this was the first time he had ever seen noodles scooped directly into the bowl like Ah Man did.
Aman shook his head. "However, the noodles will get cold after rinsing them in the water."
It's already cold these days, and if you rinse the noodles in cold water, you might get a stomachache. Besides, the noodles with mashed potatoes are meant to have a sticky, gooey texture. If you rinse them and they become separate, they'll lose their flavor.
Mantou is just a mouthful of food, and Aman said that if it doesn't go through water, then it doesn't go through water, and he had no objection.
After Aman finished cooking the noodles, he took them out, and Aman also made a small bowl of noodle soup and followed him out.
Fu Yunxiu had just eaten so much mung bean cake and his stomach was still full, so even though it was his favorite food and a new way of eating it, he was ultimately powerless to eat it.
So when Aman entered the canteen, she saw Fu Yunxiu asking Mantou to scoop half of the noodles out of her bowl, and the smile on her face immediately froze.
She knew that the bowl of porridge looked a bit scary, but it really tasted delicious. Wouldn't the young master try some first?
Although he was unhappy, Aman didn't show it. He calmly poured the toppings on everyone and told them to mix them thoroughly before eating.
The mashed potato topping was sticky and, after being stirred, almost coated every single noodle.
The noodles, with their slightly grainy texture and chewy consistency, burst with flavor as the scallions are sautéed in oil. This unexpected combination whetted Fu Yunxiu's appetite, filling his cool eyes with amazement.
"It tastes good." Fu Yunxiu took another bite of wild garlic mixed with tofu. The tofu itself didn't have much flavor except for the aroma of soybeans, but like the wild garlic, the rich garlic aroma was mixed with the unique fragrance of spring wild vegetables, which was surprisingly harmonious and delicious.
Mantou's eyes lit up. He ate a bite of noodles covered in mashed potatoes, then a bite of tofu, thoroughly enjoying himself. Every now and then, he would exclaim in praise, "Delicious, delicious, so delicious!"
Aman should have been satisfied with this result, but seeing that Fu Yunxiu stopped eating after finishing the bowl of noodles, Aman's expression was somewhat indifferent, and she really couldn't be happy.
Indeed, a young master from a distinguished family, even if he loves noodles, should prefer the distinct strands of noodles in soup. He doesn't like this sticky kind, which could easily make his mouth full of food.
It seems I shouldn't make this kind of pasta anymore.
After lunch, Mantou escorted Fu Yunxiu back to his room for a nap, and then he and Aman tidied up the kitchen, moving the things under the broken section of the roof to the side and taking the pot off the stove.
Behind the kitchen was a small shed for storing odds and ends. Aman searched inside for a long time before finally finding a long, narrow porcelain jar that didn't leak.
Calling it a jar is an understatement; it's more like a vase. But this thing is crudely made and probably isn't worth much, otherwise it wouldn't be sitting in the storeroom like this.
Aman cleaned the jar thoroughly, planning to ask Uncle Zhu to help him put it on the stove so that he wouldn't have to boil water in the morning anymore.
After the two had finished tidying up, Uncle Zhu arrived with his tools. After inspecting the roof, Uncle Zhu had a plan in mind and then directed Mantou to mix water and mud.
Uncle Zhu used to be a bricklayer, but in recent years bricklayers have sprung up everywhere, so he found another way to work as a carpenter, making tables, chairs and benches for people, which is enough to make a living.
After the mud was mixed, Aman was responsible for putting the mud into the wooden bucket on the ground, Mantou was responsible for using a rope to carry the mud to the roof, and the rest of the work was handed over to Uncle Zhu.
Uncle Zhu was quick and skilled; in just a quarter of an hour, he had repaired the large hole in the roof.
To prevent leaks elsewhere, he carefully inspected the entire roof before he was done.
As for Aman's suggestion to put a jar on the stove, that was even less of a challenge for him.
"Let it sit for a while to allow the mud to dry in the shade; it won't affect cooking tonight." After repairing the stove, Uncle Zhu washed his hands and cleaned the stains off his clothes.
Aman served tea, and Mantou offered Uncle Zhu the wages he had prepared, but the latter declined to accept them.
Over the past few years, whenever the fruit ripened in the backyard of Wutong Garden, it was always his neighbor who benefited. Young Master Fu was a generous and magnanimous man who never cared about such things; he even had Mantou open the back door so they could come in and pick the best fruit.
If they had too much fruit to eat, they would take it to the market to sell, which would bring in some income. He always remembered the kindness shown to him, and now that he could finally help Wutongyuan, he was overjoyed and didn't need any wages.
Uncle Zhu repeatedly declined, and in the end, he had no choice but to give up on making steamed buns.
After sitting and drinking tea for a while, Uncle Zhu said he had something to do at home and had to go back first.
The stove needs to air dry for a while, and Aman originally planned to use this time to slaughter and clean the chicken, but now he has to give up.
Bored, the two of them went to the front to serve Fu Yunxiu.
At this time, Fu Yunxiu had already woken up from his afternoon nap.
As usual, the empty room was eerily quiet, but the faint sounds of voices coming from the backyard could be heard.
Although it was too far away to hear clearly, the woman's charming voice could still be faintly discerned.
Whether he was talking or laughing, even without seeing him, Fu Yunxiu could imagine the way Aman spoke.
Wutongyuan hasn't been this lively in a long time.
Fu Yunxiu felt something was off.
In the end, all that was added to this huge courtyard was Aman, who was thin and small, with hardly any flesh on her body.
Yet this small person has unknowingly influenced many things.
Fu Yunxiu sat up in bed. His legs were still weak, but he didn't experience the lingering numbness and tingling sensation that usually followed pain.
Fu Yunxiu reached out to pull the wheelchair over from the bedside, but suddenly heard the sound of the door being slowly pushed open. He looked in the direction of the door and saw a head sticking in.
Actually, Fu Yunxiu didn't even need to guess; he already knew it was Aman.
Aman looked towards the bed on the inside and saw that Fu Yunxiu was already awake. Her eyes lit up, and she pushed open the door and swaggered in, "Young Master, you're awake!"
She walked over and, seeing Fu Yunxiu's movements, knew he was getting out of bed. Without needing his permission, she went straight to him, took one of his hands and put it on his shoulder, and with a clever movement, helped Fu Yunxiu out of bed.
Fu Yunxiu hadn't even figured out what was going on when he was already in a wheelchair. He moved his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't find the words to express himself.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across his handsome face, but Aman was oblivious to it and reported the day's events to him, "Young master, Uncle Zhu came by while you were asleep. The roof has been repaired and the stove has been renovated. From now on, hot water and breakfast can be boiled together, which will not waste time or firewood."
As Aman spoke, he quickly tidied up the slightly messy bed, his nimble movements showing that he did this often.
After putting the porcelain pillow back in its place, Aman nodded in satisfaction, but when she turned around, she met Fu Yunxiu's inexplicable gaze.
It seemed like he was scrutinizing her, investigating her, and carrying a hint of an indescribable emotion.
Aman was completely bewildered, standing there somewhat awkwardly, "Why is the young master looking at me like that?"
"Do you often do this?" Fu Yunxiu asked.
"Huh? What do you mean, 'often like this'?" Aman asked, somewhat confused.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Fu Yunxiu's face. He coughed lightly and explained, "It's just helping someone out of bed?"
Let alone Aman's small frame, even Mantou would need some effort to help him get out of bed. But just now, Aman felt as easy as lifting a chick.
Although he knew he was thin, he thought it shouldn't be that thin, and Fu Yunxiu felt a little embarrassed.
Aman was initially nervous, wondering if she had offended the young master by not knowing the rules. But after hearing his question, she finally relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. "Grandma suffered a lot when she was young, and her health is not very good now that she is old. She is often bedridden on cloudy or rainy days. That's how I take care of her. I'm used to it."
From being clumsy and disorganized at the beginning to becoming methodical and orderly later on, I got used to it.
These three simple words carry a depth of bitterness that only Ah Man herself truly understands.
Fu Yunxiu looked up at the person in front of him, who barely reached his chest. She was clearly delicate and weak, yet she was like a winter plum blossom, defying the snow and frost with a stubborn spirit.
A rare hint of emotion flickered in her usually calm eyes, but Aman didn't notice it at all. Looking at the bright sunshine outside, she grinned carefree and said, "Young master, the weather is nice today, why don't you go outside and sit for a while!"
Fu Yunxiu recalled Aman's story from last night, as well as the background of Aman that Mantou had learned from Yuxiang. She had lived with her grandmother since she was a child, and during the years her grandmother was ill, she was the one who took care of her at her bedside.
Although he was only seventeen, he acted like a mature adult.
Fu Yunxiu hadn't wanted to go out, but now he couldn't even utter a word of refusal. He simply nodded and said, "Okay."
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