Chapter 12 ☆ Braised bamboo rat in mushroom soup

As soon as Shen Yan entered the door, the laughter in the yard stopped. When Han Yin saw Cheng Nuonuo following in, she sneered in disdain.

Shen Yan and Cheng Nuonuo had gone to the city to cook for themselves, and upon returning, they took advantage of the situation. Who would appreciate them? Moreover, now that they were on Cheng Yaoyao’s side, naturally, they didn’t receive a warm welcome.

Shen Yan’s expression stiffened. He had always been popular; when had he ever been disliked like this?

Zhao Weimin, who had the best relationship with Shen Yan, broke the silence with a smile. “Shen Yan, we’re in for a treat. The ladies found a lot of mushrooms today!”

Cheng Yaoyao cleared her throat twice. Zhang Xiaofeng quickly added, “Most of the mushrooms were found by Yaoyao, and she even caught a bamboo rat!”

Cheng Yaoyao puffed out her chest and raised her head proudly.

Shen Yan, charmed by Cheng Yaoyao’s cuteness, couldn’t help but smile and say, “I didn’t know you could find mushrooms.”

Cheng Yaoyao glanced at him and replied, “There are many things you don’t know.”

Shen Yan didn’t believe that Cheng Yaoyao was skilled at foraging. He walked over to watch her clean the mushrooms.

Cheng Yaoyao took a pumpkin leaf and wiped the mushroom caps with practiced ease. Wild mushrooms often have a lot of impurities and dirt, but pumpkin leaves, with their fine barbs, are perfect for cleaning them without damaging the mushrooms. Cheng Yaoyao cleaned each mushroom in a few strokes before moving on to the next.

Shen Yan couldn’t help but notice her hands. Cheng Yaoyao’s sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing her white and slender wrists. The drops of water rolling down her delicate skin caught his attention…

The sun was hot, and Shen Yan swallowed, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

After working for a while, Cheng Yaoyao turned around and saw Shen Yan still squatting beside her, not helping. She said disdainfully, “You don’t know how to wash mushrooms?”

Cheng Yaoyao’s peach blossom eyes, naturally charming, held a hint of contempt as she spoke. Shen Yan, feeling somewhat softened, replied, “I really can’t. I didn’t expect you to be so adept at this now.”

Before Cheng Yaoyao could respond, a soft voice interrupted, “Sister Yaoyao, you’re amazing. I didn’t even know you could pick mushrooms.”

Cheng Nuonuo approached. Shen Yan, realizing he had overlooked her, stood up with a guilty expression.

Everyone looked over, remembering the conflict between Cheng Nuonuo and Cheng Yaoyao from the previous night. Seeing Cheng Nuonuo interact with Cheng Yaoyao as if nothing had happened seemed shameless to them.

Unaware of the disapproving looks, Cheng Nuonuo looked at the basin of mushrooms in surprise. “Sister Yaoyao, you lived in the city before. When did you learn to pick mushrooms? And catching bamboo rats is incredible.”

The others also began to question: “Yes, you didn’t go up the mountain with us before. How did you manage to gather so much this time?”

Cheng Yaoyao calmly wiped the dirt off the mushrooms and smiled. “When I was a child, I lived with my father in Yunnan and Guizhou. People there love to eat mushrooms, so I’m familiar with them. Oh, I forgot. You weren’t with us when we were young, so it’s no wonder you didn’t know.”

Cheng Yaoyao’s words made Cheng Nuonuo’s face twitch. She forced a smile and said, “I see. But while mushrooms are easy to pick, bamboo rats are hard to catch. My sister would cry at the sight of a rat when she was at home.”

Before Cheng Yaoyao could respond, Liu Minxia suddenly said, “Yaoyao, you managed to gather so much on your first trip up the mountain. I thought someone might have helped you.”

Cheng Nuonuo added with a smile, “Yes, Sister Yaoyao is beautiful and lucky, so people must help her wherever she goes.”

This statement was somewhat distorted in the eyes of others. Cheng Yaoyao had always relied on her looks, and there were often men around her. But mushrooms and bamboo rats are food! Why would anyone give them to her?

This suggestion was rather ambiguous.

Cheng Yaoyao threw the mushrooms into the basin, causing water to splash. Zhang Xiaofeng and the others stood up and looked at Cheng Yaoyao. It was typical for her to be domineering and impulsive, so it was no surprise that she might overturn the basin.

Cheng Yaoyao remained unfazed. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Cheng Nuonuo with a hint of contempt. “I’ve always been lucky. The mushrooms grow at my feet, and the bamboo rats run into my basket. Do you have any objections?”

“I found the mushrooms and bamboo rats myself and didn’t hide any. I brought them back for everyone to enjoy. Are you and Liu Minxia questioning me like a thief?”

Cheng Nuonuo forced a smile and said, “Sister, I… I didn’t…”

“That’s good!” Cheng Yaoyao interrupted and turned to the others. “Do any of you have objections?”

The male educated youths quickly said, “No, Yaoyao, we have absolutely no objections!”

Zhang Xiaofeng added, “Han Yin, Liu Minxia, and I went up the mountain with Yaoyao today. There was no one else in the forest at that time. Where could Yaoyao have found help?”

Han Yin sneered at Cheng Nuonuo, “You went to the city to cook for yourself today and returned to ready-made food. Even eating can’t stop you from complaining.”

“I… I didn’t…” Cheng Nuonuo defended herself weakly and looked at Shen Yan for support.

The pleasant atmosphere was gone, and Shen Yan felt tired. Nuonuo had always been well-behaved and sensible; why had she been quarreling with Cheng Yaoyao so much recently?

Zhang Xiaofeng tried to smooth things over, “Yaoyao, we all believe in you. Didn’t you say you wanted to make mushroom soup?”

Han Yin and the others echoed, “Yes, we’re all hungry! Yaoyao, let’s cook.”

Cheng Yaoyao wasn’t angry at first and felt relieved to use the opportunity to scold Cheng Nuonuo. She washed her hands and headed to the kitchen.

With a delicious meal promised for the evening, everyone eagerly helped light the fire, wash the pots, and gather onions, garlic, and wild coriander from the fields. Cheng Yaoyao wore a brand-new dark blue apron with white dots, making her waist appear slender and curvy, like a beauty from a painting.

Cheng Nuonuo, watching Cheng Yaoyao’s graceful figure, felt a flash of jealousy but maintained a very attentive and careful tone. “Sister Yaoyao, let me cook. You should rest.”

Cheng Yaoyao replied, “I picked the mushrooms myself, so I’ll cook them myself.”

“But you never cook at home,” Cheng Nuonuo said. Her cooking skills were a point of pride, and she wasn’t about to let Cheng Yaoyao take over. “These wild mushrooms and bamboo rats are difficult to cook. What if…”

Cheng Yaoyao raised her chin provocatively and asked, “Why? Do you think I’m not as good as you at cooking?”

Cheng Nuonuo quickly shook her head, “Sister Yaoyao, I just want to help.”

“Want to help?” Cheng Yaoyao raised an eyebrow. “The bamboo rat hasn’t been processed yet. You can skin it, drain its blood, and chop it into small pieces.”

Cheng Nuonuo’s smile froze. The bamboo rat had thick skin and many bones, making it difficult to handle. Usually, Cheng Nuonuo was the chef, and everyone flattered her while leaving the dirty work, like killing chickens and fish, to others.

Cheng Yaoyao glanced at the motionless Cheng Nuonuo and said, “Didn’t you say you would help me? If you’re not willing, forget it.”

Cheng Yaoyao’s voice was neither too high nor too low, just loud enough for Shen Yan, who was helping to chop wood, to hear. Seeing Shen Yan looking up, Cheng Nuonuo hurriedly said, “Sister Yaoyao, don’t be angry. I’ll do it.”

Cheng Nuonuo quickly picked up the bamboo rat. Cheng Yaoyao added, “Kill it away from here; it will attract flies.”

Cheng Nuonuo’s face twitched as she walked to a small ditch in the distance with the bamboo rat in hand and squatted down. The educated youth camp only had a not-so-sharp kitchen knife, and the bamboo rat wasn’t bled, so the fishy smell was particularly strong. Especially when she cut open the bamboo rat and removed its internal organs, Cheng Nuonuo almost vomited.

Enduring her nausea, Cheng Nuonuo processed the bamboo rat. She brought it back and smiled at Cheng Yaoyao, “Sister Yaoyao, the bamboo rat is done. It’s not easy to cook bamboo rat, and it smells like oil. Do you want me to cook it?”

Cheng Yaoyao had already prepared the seasonings. Slices of ginger, scallions, green peppercorns, red peppers, and chopped pickles were neatly arranged, showing her expertise in cooking.

Cheng Nuonuo usually wasn’t so particular about her own cooking and wouldn’t use many seasonings. After all, these villagers and educated youth were easy to please, and they praised the food if it had a little oil.

Cheng Nuonuo’s heart was filled with alarm. Could Cheng Yaoyao actually cook? The kitchen was her stronghold, and she wouldn’t let Cheng Yaoyao take it away.

Cheng Nuonuo smiled at Cheng Yaoyao and said, “Sister Yaoyao, bamboo rats are hard to cook and create a lot of fumes. Why don’t I handle it? You can cook the mushroom soup without getting all smelly.”

“Oh?” Cheng Yaoyao blinked her peach blossom eyes, showing no particular expression.

Cheng Nuonuo felt nervous. Since Cheng Yaoyao returned from the mountain yesterday, she seemed to have changed a lot, and Cheng Nuonuo couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

Cheng Yaoyao tapped her chin with her slender index finger and smiled, “Okay.”

Cheng Yaoyao’s readiness to agree surprised Cheng Nuonuo. “You… you agreed?”

Cheng Yaoyao spread her hands and said, “You cook the bamboo rat, and I’ll make the mushroom soup. We can work together.”

There were two large pots on the stove. Cheng Nuonuo used the outer pot, which had a strong fire, to cook the bamboo rat meat. Cheng Yaoyao used the pot at the back to make the mushroom soup.

After picking and washing two full baskets of mushrooms, only a large basin remained. Cheng Yaoyao set aside the precious chicken mushrooms and Hericium erinaceus, tearing the large mushrooms into halves with her hands.

The seasonings at the educated youth camp were sparse: salt, garlic, shallots, wild coriander, and a handful of dried pickles. Cheng Yaoyao also picked some green peppercorns and yellow gardenias from the mountains.

She added mountain spring water to the pot, brought it to a boil, and then poured in the mushrooms and more than 20 white garlic cloves, flattened. She added a handful of white rice, covered the pot, and let it simmer over low heat.

Wild mushrooms don’t need much seasoning; their original flavor is best enjoyed on its own. Garlic and white rice help with detoxification, although they’re useless against real poisonous mushrooms. All that’s left is to wait patiently, as wild mushrooms need to be thoroughly cooked; otherwise, you might see little people dancing.

Cheng Nuonuo secretly observed Cheng Yaoyao while cooking the bamboo rat meat. Seeing Cheng Yaoyao casually add mushrooms and garlic cloves to the pot and then stop, Cheng Nuonuo felt relieved. What kind of dishes could Cheng Yaoyao make? This pretty fool had never even boiled a bowl of water at home.

Cheng Nuonuo turned her back to Cheng Yaoyao and the others, taking out a jade pendant from her collar. A drop of spiritual spring slowly oozed out of the jade pendant, condensing into a small, solid object, only the size of a dewdrop.

Looking at the precious spiritual spring water, Cheng Nuonuo gritted her teeth and resolutely added every drop to the pot.