Jiang Jun had witnessed the seriousness of things when they developed to an uncontrollable point. It was a state of complete loss of control. Once it happened, no one could escape unscathed. There were no what-ifs afterward, no hindsight what-ifs, only tears and blood of regret.
Chen Zhong's arrangement was the safest and most appropriate at the moment. Jiang Jun had no objection and took a ride back to the Equipment Department's family compound early the next morning.
When she opened the door, there were two small notes on the ground. One was kept by Chen Zhen, saying that he had something important to discuss, and the other was from Zhang Mingtao asking her when it would be convenient for her to go to Ping County.
Looking at the dust on the note and the date of the signature, they were both from two or three days ago.
I haven't been home for a few days. With the doors and windows closed, there is a thin layer of dust on the table and the floor.
Jiang Yun put down his schoolbag, took off the sheets and pillowcases, soaked them in the bucket, and began to clean the room.
She was a little nervous after suddenly going from the hustle and bustle of life to having to face an unknown outcome alone, and she thought doing some housework could distract her.
There was another gas stove lock in the public kitchen, so it seemed she had another neighbor.
His mind was thinking about other things, so his hands moved very quickly. When Jiang Jun hung the sheets out, he didn't even know how he finished washing them.
Seeing that it was almost lunch time, Jiang Yun picked up his lunch box and went to the cafeteria to get food.
The Equipment Department's cafeteria had meat and vegetable snacks, and more people came to get food than usual. There were more than twenty people queuing in front of the window, and the line was quite long.
Chen Zhenbao had swapped missions with his comrades several times to wait for Jiang Jun. Unexpectedly, he saw Jiang Jun in the cafeteria at noon and was overjoyed: "Teacher Jiang, you're finally back! Are you going home or eating here later?"
Jiang Yun smiled: "I'll eat here. I need to go buy something later."
When she went out, she simply strolled around all the places she could think of. If she hadn't thought about Chen Zhong's instructions for her to show up as much as possible in the Equipment Department to increase her recognition, she would not have been willing to show up when there were many people around. In her heart, she was reluctant to greet and chat with others like a married woman.
Chen Zhenbao gave up his seat: "Teacher Xiao Jiang, come and queue up here for food. I'll go and add some stir-fried dishes for you."
Jiang Jun didn't have the habit of politely declining, so he smiled and said, "Okay, thank you!"
Chen Zhenbao walked around and came back to ask, "Teacher Xiao Jiang, we have some clams, freshly caught. A family can buy ten kilograms. Would you like me to buy a few kilograms for you to take home?"
Jiang Jun shook his head. "I don't have any seasonings. The cafeteria's wok is big and the fire is high. I might as well just buy some and stir-fry them here."
The head cook had never heard of clams being stir-fried: "People just buy them, blanch them in boiling water, and eat them with soy sauce."
How can you fry such a thick shell in a pan? It would waste too much oil!
Jiang Jun stood in front of the stir-fry order window and patiently explained to the cook, "Just two nickels worth of oil is enough. Chop up the onions and garlic and sauté them until fragrant. Then add the drained clams. They'll be cooked in two minutes and the shells will open!"
The cook was from Yantai. After listening for a while, he shook his head and said, "No, I've never made it. If I make it just as you say, how can it taste good? We've been eating this since we were little, and we always boil it in boiling water!"
Jiang Yun was speechless.
Chen Zhenbao said kindly: "Old Gu, just give it a try. Teacher Xiao Jiang is definitely right! Otherwise, can you lend me a place and I can go in and fry it?"
Lao Gu threw the shovel away and said, "You come here! I want to see if you can chew and eat such a thick shell after frying it."
Jiang Jun thought for a moment and asked, "If I go in and fry, will that be considered a violation of the rules?"
Lao Gu waved his hand and said, "If you don't waste too much oil and the food is edible, you will be my chef, and I will pay for today's dishes!"
Isn’t it because stir-fried food tastes good because of the high fire and high oil?
Jiang Jun rolled up his sleeves without saying a word and went into the kitchen.
Smash and chop the green onions and garlic, dissolve half a bowl of sea salt in water, and instruct Lao Gu to put the clams into a bamboo basket to drain.
"Old Gu, look at me, I'm starting to fry!"
Jiang Yun heated the pan, added oil, onions and garlic, poured in the clams, gently stirred them with a spatula, and then poured salt water.
Soon, the clams opened one by one in the pot, and the aroma of onions and garlic floated in the air along with the hot steam of the salt water.
Jiang Jun took out a large dish basin that looked like a washbasin and scooped out the cooked clams with a spatula. "Old Gu, try it and see if it's edible."
Chen Zhenbao looked at Lao Gu and teased him, "Lao Gu, your mouth is just like this clam, it's cooked!" He reached out and took the dish away: "You said it, I'll put it on your account!"
Someone stuck their head in the window and asked, "What's cooking? It smells so good! Give me one too!"
Jiang Jun smiled and said, "Thank you, Lao Gu! Just follow the instructions. You'll need to wash the pan after each portion, as there's still some sand at the bottom."
People came to their table one after another to ask how it was made, and then they would buy some to take home and learn how to make it for their families.
Jiang Jun patiently answered them one by one.
When Old Gu finished his work and saw Jiang Yun and the others still around, he ran over. "Master Jiang! That's really new! This is the first time I've ever fried shrimp in the shell! Where did you learn this? Have you eaten it before? Where are you from?"
Xiang Siren waved his hand in disdain and shouted, "Keep your distance! Can't you see that Teacher Xiao Jiang is sitting in the upper seat? We're all sitting across from the teacher, and you still dare to move closer?"
The soldiers from several other convoys also started to make noises:
"Old Gu, you have to kowtow to your master, right? Toast! Toast! Cigarette!"
"Why call me Master Jiang? That sounds so ugly! Call me Teacher Xiao Jiang!"
"Only apprentices tell their masters about their family background. How can an apprentice interrogate his master?"
…
When we eat from a big pot in the army, the delicious food is purely based on the freshness of the ingredients. Cooking small dishes means adding more oil and stir-frying over high heat instead of boiling them in water.
Lao Gu has been cooking for several years and thought his cooking skills were good enough to get out of the equipment department. Unexpectedly, a young chef suddenly appeared halfway through. This big basin of clams weighed seven or eight kilograms. If I had known, I would not have boasted so much!
Jiang Yun was in a good mood as long as he had something delicious to eat: "Old Gu, put the money for the food on Chen Yuanwu's account first. I'll come over and settle it after I get paid."
Old Gu was flattered. He knew most of the women in the compound, but few spoke to him in such a familiar tone, not to mention asking him to pay for his food. He stuttered excitedly, "You, you're from Staff Officer Chen's family?"
Jiang Yun nodded.
Chen Zhenbao glared at her: "Now you know! Next time when our teacher Xiao Jiang comes to get food, please be polite!"
Old Gu patted his chest and boasted, "Teacher Xiao Jiang, just tell me when you're coming to eat, and I promise to save the best food for you!"
An old lady walked towards Jiang Jun and just heard what Lao Gu said. She joked, "Lao Gu, you're opening the back door here!"
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