Chapter 46 ☆ Egg Noodle Pancake (Part 2)

The hair on Xie San’s back suddenly stood up, and he raised his eyes.

Grandma Xie continued, “I heard you hanging around Yaoyao’s door! Let me tell you, our ancestors are watching over you. If you dare to do anything to that girl, I’ll be the first one to break your legs!”

…

Wash the cucumber, chop it into pieces, pour soy sauce, minced garlic, and green pepper paste on it, and mix well. Chop the tomato, scallion, and green vegetables, and put them together for later use.

Cheng Yaoyao scooped a spoonful of cornmeal from the rice jar, hesitated for a moment, poured it back, and scooped out a spoonful of white flour from her small pocket.

It’s rare for Xie San to come back, so why save the flour?

She had just scooped up the flour when she saw Xie San stride into the kitchen.

“Why are you in such a hurry? Were you scolded by your grandma?” Cheng Yaoyao seemed to be gloating.

Xie San spread out his big hands, holding several eggs in his palms. Cheng Yaoyao counted with her fingers: “One, two, three, four, five, six… six!”

Cheng Yaoyao quickly took the eggs and muttered, “Grandma is partial; she gave them to you and not to me!”

“Grandma is teasing you. You can’t say that.” Xie San reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, wanting to touch her soft cheek. Grandma Xie’s words rang in his ears, and he withdrew his hand abruptly.

Cheng Yaoyao was completely unaware. She cracked three eggs and poured them into the flour, then added an appropriate amount of water and stirred carefully. This was high-gluten flour, so the strength of the stirring hand needed to be controlled properly. If you overbeat it, the gluten would be stirred out, and you wouldn’t be able to make pancakes.

After the batter is mixed, pour in diced tomatoes, chopped vegetables, and green onions in turn, and start seasoning.

Cheng Yaoyao was very serious when she was working. Her coquettish look was restrained, and her beautiful face had a special charm.

Xie San was so absorbed in watching that he came back to his senses after Cheng Yaoyao gently kicked him. He then saw Cheng Yaoyao glaring at him unhappily. “I’m asking you a question!”

Xie San: “Hmm?”

Cheng Yaoyao asked again, “Do you like salty or sweet food?”

“All good.” A soft smile appeared on Xie San’s lips.

“What kind of answer is that?” Cheng Yaoyao had no choice but to make it a little saltier as she wished, and then eat it with porridge or steamed buns later, which would taste salty.

A small piece of fat was cut off from the pork belly that Xie San brought back. It was rubbed into the hot pan. The white meat gradually shrank, released oil, and turned into transparent, small cubes, which finally curled up and turned into burnt lard residue.

Cheng Yaoyao raised her hand and poured the vegetable batter into the pot. She shook her wrist skillfully, and after pouring it around, the batter quickly solidified into a pancake of even thickness. She flipped it over with a spatula, and the aroma of flour and lard soon filled the kitchen.

In the morning light, her snow-white and crystal-clear face seemed to glow. She was clearly the most delicate and beautiful flower in the world, but for some unknown reason, she ended up in Xie San’s simple kitchen, wearing a lovely little apron with floral patterns, cooking soup for him.

Xie San looked at her, and there was always a strong sense of unreality and happiness in his heart, which repeatedly pulled at his nerves, making him unable to help but reach out his hand…

“What a nice smell! Sister, what are you doing?” Xie Fei went into the kitchen and asked happily, “Brother, when did you come back? Why did you come back? Weren’t you in the city?”

Xie San clenched his fists and hid them at his side, nodding stiffly. “I brought back a piece of meat. Oh, and some snacks; they are in the inner room.”

Xie Fei was as happy as if it were Chinese New Year. With the fragrant egg pancake, she was not in a hurry to look at the snacks. She kept sticking to Cheng Yaoyao and helping her, pushing Xie San aside.

Cheng Yaoyao still looked down on Xie San and said, “You’re too big. Don’t get in my way here. Get out now!”

Xie San: “…”

The aroma of lard and noodles wafted through the Xie family’s house, making people salivate early in the morning.

People living in the same alley were drinking porridge and eating wild vegetable dumplings that looked like mirrors. They couldn’t help but stretch their necks to smell the fragrance: “Where does this smell come from? It smells so good?”

“It seems to have come from the Xie family.”

“The Xie family is really lucky. They got a golden phoenix (a phrase used to describe someone very lucky.)) and now they can eat meat and noodles every day.”

There is no shortage of gossipers in the alley. They chew over and over the gossip about the landlord’s son and the beautiful, educated youth, and then swallow it down with the fragrance.

The Xie family, however, is a harmonious family.

There was a plate of seven or eight egg pancakes on the table, a pot of thick millet porridge, a plate of smashed cucumbers, and a plate of pickled perilla leaves ^[1]refers to a type of leafy herb with a unique flavor. made by Grandma Xie herself.

Grandma Xie distributed the bowls and chopsticks. Xie San scooped out four bowls of porridge, held one of the bowls, and gently stirred it with a spoon to let it cool.

Seeing how obsessed he was, Grandma Xie was annoyed. “Stop bragging! She’s not a three-year-old child. Why would you spoil her like this?”

“She’s afraid of the heat.” Xie San estimated that the porridge was almost cold, so he put it back.

Grandma Xie said unhappily, “You haven’t come out after all this time. What on earth are you doing with Xiao Fei?”

As they were talking, Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei finally came out.

Grandma Xie asked, “What are you doing in the kitchen?”

Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei looked at each other and blinked, looking mysterious.

Grandma Xie shook her head. “Let’s eat.”

The egg pancake was fluffy and soft, and you could taste the sweet and sour tomato pieces and sweet vegetables. It was so fragrant that you didn’t want to swallow it.

The egg noodle pancake was salty and tasty. Taking a sip of the thick millet porridge made it taste even better, warming and filling your stomach.

The smashed cucumber had a crisp texture and made a crunchy sound when chewed, but it did not have the astringent taste of other cucumbers.

In the past, eating breakfast was just to fill the stomach, but a breakfast like this was a triple enjoyment of vision, taste, and smell.

The Xie family had been used to going hungry, so they cherished food very much and could enjoy and taste the deliciousness of it. Especially Xie San, he ate with big mouthfuls and seriously.

Cheng Yaoyao secretly looked at Xie San and saw him chewing the food in big mouthfuls. His brows were relaxed as he swallowed it, and he looked like he was enjoying it very much. He was even more satisfied than if he had eaten it himself.

After breakfast, Xie Fei cleaned the table, and Xie San got up to pick up the basket.

Cheng Yaoyao stopped him and asked, “Where are you going?”

“I’ll collect grass for you.” Xie San also put on his hat.

Cheng Yaoyao snatched the basket back and said proudly, “I told you not to worry about it. Someone will do it for me.”

“…” Hearing this from Cheng Yaoyao for the second time, Xie San’s brows gradually knitted together, and a strong sense of uneasiness and anger rose up. “Who?”

There was a knock on the door.

Cheng Yaoyao laughed and said, “Speak of the devil!”

She snatched the basket from Xie San’s hand and ran briskly to open the door.