Upon entering the kitchen, one sees Su Yun'er busy at the stove, bringing out a bowl of colorful noodles.
"What is this?" Sun Wanqing asked in surprise.
The bowl contained noodles in red, green, yellow, and white colors. The broth smelled like chicken soup, light and clear. The whole bowl contained only chicken soup and colorful noodles, nothing else.
"This is nothing more than a bowl of chicken noodle soup. I've already skimmed off the chicken fat, so it's not greasy, which suits you. It's soupy and soothing, and it'll make your stomach feel comfortable."
Sun Wanqing took a sip of the chicken soup and found it delicious. The light salt seasoning was just right for her taste. She then took a bite of the noodles, which were smooth and chewy, and she could even taste a hint of vegetables.
Then Sun Wanqing tasted each of the side dishes and found them all delicious. As for the two plates of eggs, Sun Wanqing asked and learned that the white one was a salted duck egg, and the bluish-black one was a preserved egg.
Sun Wanqing loves salted duck eggs, but she avoids preserved eggs.
After lunch, the Sun family sent someone to pick up Sun Wanqing.
Having arranged to meet Su Yun'er for iced soup the next day, Sun Wanqing went home. Not long after she returned, someone from the Sun family delivered milk to her.
The earthenware jar, as tall as a forearm, was filled to the brim with two large earthenware jars.
They also brought some candy and other fruits.
During a break in class, Su Yun'er soaked some red beans, mung beans, white kidney beans, and red kidney beans, which she planned to prepare for the next morning.
Then all the fruit was put into baskets and hung in the well, using the natural low temperature of the well water to refrigerate the fruit and keep it chilled.
Then, the coconuts from the fruit will be prioritized for processing.
After cutting off the thick outer skin, tap the top of the coconut a few times with the back of a knife to create a crack, revealing clear, sweet coconut water and tender, white coconut meat inside.
Su Yun'er found a jar, poured the coconut water into it, and planned to hang it in the well to chill it later. Chilled coconut water is the sweetest and most thirst-quenching.
The white coconut meat was carefully peeled off, and a large, bouncy piece of coconut meat was mixed with a cup of coconut water and ground together. Then the milky white coconut milk was filtered out, poured into a ceramic jar, and sent to the well to be chilled.
After filtering, what remains in the cheesecloth is shredded coconut, but it cannot be eaten directly yet. It needs to be poured into a dry pot and stir-fried over low heat until the shredded coconut is loose and emits the special aroma of coconut milk. The shredded coconut is then ready.
The filtered coconut milk was mixed with a certain proportion of milk, and sugar and cornstarch were added. The cornstarch was also obtained by Su Yun'er from her space. Harvested corn could be upgraded into cornstarch using points.
Simmer the coconut milk and milk mixture over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.
Once the mixture is cooked and stirred until there are no granules, it is poured into a small tofu mold. After smoothing the surface, it needs to be placed in well water to chill. After it has solidified, the next step will be carried out tomorrow.
The beans are soaked, and the milk, coconut water, coconut cream, etc. are all prepared, and the shredded coconut is also stir-fried.
Other preparations are almost complete, and we're just waiting to start making ice bowls tomorrow morning. So, to prevent food spoilage, everything except the coconut flakes needs to be chilled in the well.
The little tree got thirsty from reciting its lessons, so it ran to the well to fetch water, and then it peeked out!
"Mom, you've filled the well to the brim, I can't draw any water!"
***
With a professional dentist acting as an intermediary, Lian Ying and her group quickly completed the rental procedures and moved into the small courtyard that same day with their meager belongings.
The house is located next to Baoyuan Street, making it convenient for getting around and eating. However, because the rent is relatively high, the population is not too mixed, making it relatively quiet.
In addition, there was not only a latrine in the courtyard, but also a separate well, which saved Lian Yingtong and Xu Meng the trouble of having to go out to fetch water.
Although the house had some basic furniture, it lacked bedding and other items, so the two went out to buy more. They purchased everything from bedding and towels to washbasins, foot basins, bowls, and chopsticks, and then rented an oxcart to transport them back.
Lian Yingtong and Xu Meng spent most of the day tidying up, and by the time everything was done, it was already dark.
Xu Meng, wiping his sweat and panting, sat down at the stone table in the courtyard: "Doing housework is more tiring than fighting a war. If I get married in the future, I'll have to treat my wife well."
"He's not even married yet, and he's already thinking about spoiling his wife." Lian Yingtong laughed.
"The fact that Xu Meng has this intention shows that he will be a good husband." Gu Jingheng raised his teacup and offered a toast to Xu Meng from afar.
"Hehe." Xu Meng scratched his head a little embarrassedly.
“Young master, we’ve settled in now. What’s the next step?” Lian Ying asked.
"Next step?" Gu Jingheng finished his tea and pondered, "Next step, let's eat first."
Xu Meng was happiest when he heard about food; after a long day of work, he was starving.
Gu Jingheng took the two out to find food, but today was strange. No matter what they ate, Gu Jingheng felt that the taste was a little off.
"He probably didn't have much of an appetite because he was preoccupied with the progress of the investigation into the grain bill," Gu Jingheng thought.
Back in the rented courtyard, before going to his room to rest, Gu Jingheng suddenly instructed, "Starting tomorrow, you will investigate the backgrounds of all the merchants in Yongning City."
"yes!"
***
The next morning, Su Yun'er got up on time, picked out a few of the best-looking lemons from the ripe ones in her space, and then brought out a large watermelon.
The beans have been soaked thoroughly. After draining the water, replace it with a small amount of fresh water, add an appropriate amount of white sugar, and simmer in a pot over low heat until the water evaporates and the beans slightly crack and become sandy. Then add some more white sugar, stir well, and wait for the sugar to dissolve. Then transfer the sweetened beans to a bowl and let them sit for a while to allow the sugar to penetrate more thoroughly.
Take out the chilled coconut milk paste from yesterday, cut it into long strips, coat it with frying powder and shredded coconut, and deep-fry it until golden brown. The fried coconut milk is ready when the outer shell is fragrant and crispy and the inside is soft.
The aroma filled the air, and the hungry little trees, grass, and snowflakes sat eagerly at the kitchen door, waiting.
"No, we can only eat when Miss Wanqing from the Sun family arrives!"
"I can smell the delicious aroma from far away! What yummy food have you made this time?"
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