After lunch, An Rong was busy in the kitchen making pork liver powder.
Lu Xi watched intently, not blinking, afraid of missing any step.
"We need to dry the pig liver later, so I'll try to slice it very thinly." An Rong picked up the pig liver that had been washed clean of blood and drained the water.
Lu Xi watched him slice the pig liver and was very impressed with An Rong's knife skills. The soft pig liver was transformed into a very thin slice under his knife.
"I want to try it too." Lu Xi was eager to give it a shot.
An Rong could understand that when learning a craft, apprentices would be eager to try it out when they saw their master demonstrating.
"Okay, here you go." An Rong handed over the knife.
Lu Xi picked up the knife, her hand trembling. She pulled it back as soon as she touched the pig liver, as if the pig liver might bite her.
"Press the knife to the left and cut diagonally. This cutting method is called slicing, and it will make the meat thinner," An Rong explained.
Lu Xi seemed to understand, but followed An Rong's instructions, lowering the back of the blade and exerting force diagonally to the right. However, after several back-and-forth strokes, the blade wouldn't move downwards.
"Use the strength of your wrist; that's called skillful technique." An Rong took the knife and demonstrated it again.
Lu Xi watched as An Rong easily sliced out a piece and couldn't help but sigh, "It looks easy, but it's hard to do."
"Try again."
Lu Xi nodded, as if she had grasped some of the tricks. She picked up the knife, aimed it at the pig liver, and made an angled cut. With a flick of her wrist, she slid the knife up and down, and in the blink of an eye, a slice of pig liver was produced.
"It seems a bit thick." Lu Xi was both happy and a little disappointed.
An Rong comforted her, "It's already very good for your first time. Knife skills are something that you can improve with practice, so there's no rush."
An Rong didn't stop him, but gave him some time. Lu Xi didn't falter, cutting thinner and thinner each time.
"Brother Anrong, is this okay?" He picked up a slice, which he considered as thin as a cicada's wing.
An Rong was also shocked; at such a young age, his knife skills were remarkable.
"Lu Xi, you are really talented." An Rong was determined to train Lu Xi well so that he could have a skill to make a living.
Lu Xi smiled shyly; it felt so good to be praised.
The sliced pig liver needed to be soaked for another half hour, so An Rong took Lu Xi to the house.
After cleaning the backyard, they carefully swept the ground, leaving not a single weed.
The bed and other furniture are basically all provided, but a small bed needs to be made for Lu Xi.
“Let’s go to the woodworking shop.” An Rong locked the door, turned left, crossed an intersection, and arrived at the street of craftsmen.
It has everything: woodenware, ironware, and porcelain.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like to make a bed, not too big, just big enough for one adult to sleep in," An Rong said.
The boss took out some blueprints and gave them to him to choose from.
Anrong chose a simple style; boys don't need anything fancy.
How much is this?
"Ordinary poplar wood costs one tael of silver, while better quality rosewood costs five taels of silver." The shopkeeper glanced at An Rong, noting that his clothes were of average quality.
An Rong readily agreed, "Then let's use huanghuali wood."
The shopkeeper and Lu Xi behind him were both stunned.
"Alright, you're so generous, sir! I'll throw in a wooden stool for you too. Order today, and it'll be delivered to your home in three days." The shopkeeper beamed with delight.
You can't judge a book by its cover; I never imagined someone dressed so simply could be so generous.
An Rong paid the deposit and led Lu Xi out.
Lu Xi had something to say, but didn't know how to start.
He didn't expect Brother Anrong to be so good to him. He was already very grateful when he said he would buy him a bed, but he never expected that he would buy him such a nice bed.
"Brother Anrong."
"Hmm?" An Rong replied casually as he searched for the ironware shop.
"Thank you." Lu Xi mustered her courage.
An Rong stopped and looked him straight in the eye.
"Thank me for buying you a bed?" he laughed.
Lu Xi nodded silently.
“Lu Xi, since Dou Dou and I have kept you by our side, you are our family. It is only right that we treat you well. You don’t need to feel indebted. In the future, whatever Anji has, whatever you want, you will have. We will treat everyone equally.”
On this matter, he and Yuan Doudou were of the same mind. They took in Lu Xi, but unlike Lu Chaoyang, they treated Lu Xi as family.
Lu Xi can do whatever she wants at home, and they will never force her to do anything she doesn't want to.
However, Yuan Doudou also thought that she took Lu Xi in out of kindness because he was a sensible child with a good personality.
“Brother Anrong, I understand. I will definitely treat you and Sister Doudou as my family, and we will never be apart.” After saying that, he thought of Anji, “And Anji, I will always protect him.”
An Rong smiled.
"What if one day you find your family? We'll definitely separate then."
Without hesitation, Lu Xi replied, "No, even if I find them, I will tell them that I want to be with you."
"What a silly child." An Rong patted his shoulder. "Brother believes in you."
"Let's go order some kitchen utensils." He had already decided that the front of the house would be used for making snacks.
That will inevitably require buying some kitchen utensils, bowls, chopsticks, and the like.
"Okay." Lu Xi was in a great mood after hearing An Rong's words. She smiled and followed behind An Rong, her steps becoming much lighter.
An Rong ordered a set of knives from a blacksmith shop, choosing cast iron.
"Five knives, one tael in total." The shopkeeper was a straightforward man and rounded down the price.
An Rong paid the money and agreed to pick it up in five days.
"It's getting late, let's buy some groceries and go home. We can buy the dishes and chopsticks tomorrow." An Rong was worried that Dou Dou would go hungry at home, so she quickly went to the market.
Lu Xi nodded. The pig liver was still soaking; she needed to go back and grill it.
In the evening, An Rong placed the roasted pork liver slices on a cutting board and rolled them vigorously with a rolling pin, quickly turning the crispy pork liver into powder.
"Brother Anrong, let me do it." This looks easier than cutting pig liver.
An Rong refused: "It looks easy, right? Actually, it requires a lot of effort. You still need to grow it longer."
Twelve-year-old Lu Xi was only up to An Rong's chest; she was very tall.
However, due to long-term malnutrition, his limbs were frighteningly thin, and his thighs were not as thick as An Rong's arms.
Lu Xi had no choice but to prepare the vegetables and cook dinner.
“Lu Xi, if you’re bored, you can go play with Anji,” An Rong said with a smile.
Lu Xi didn't want to play. Anji was a three-year-old child, and he could play however he wanted. But Lu Xi wasn't. He was already twelve years old, practically an adult, and couldn't be as playful as a three-year-old.
In Lu Xi's view, the meaning of life is labor, and only through labor can a person's value be realized.
As a toddler, you can enjoy the care of adults to your heart's content, but as you grow up, you can no longer indulge yourself and seek pleasure.
"I still prefer working," Lu Xi said softly.
An Rong paused, feeling that Lu Xi was too mature.
At twelve years old, he was still half a child.
Children are naturally playful, and his restraint is likely due to years of abuse.
"Lu Xi, people can't always be tense; they need to balance work and rest."
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