Chapter 69.2

Su Xiaoxiao has a lot of things to do today, whether it’s preparing smoked fish or the intricate process of making preserved vegetable pancakes.

Because she was making smoked fish, Su Xiaoxiao also went to the market to buy a bottle of yellow rice wine and some rock sugar. When she returned home, Su Xiaoxiao gave Xiao Doubao a rice cake and let him play on his own for a while.

Xiao Doubao happily bounced and skipped as he went to find Hua Hua, the egg-laying Hero, to play with.

Su Xiaoxiao cleaned and drained the mud carp pieces, then prepared the seasoning sauce for the smoked fish. She mixed soy sauce, yellow rice wine, rock sugar, salt, cinnamon, star anise, fragrant leaves, and a few slices of ginger in a bowl, along with enough water to cover the fish.

With Han Cheng not being at home, Su Xiaoxiao didn’t bother with the large pot. Instead, she lit the coal stove and placed a small iron pot on top. She added a little peanut oil and a few slices of ginger and onion to the pot, letting them sizzle and release their fragrance. Then she poured in the seasoning sauce she had prepared earlier, allowing it to simmer slowly.

At this time, Su Xiaoxiao chopped the meat bought by Han Cheng in the morning, and also finely chopped the preserved vegetables and mixed them with salt and sugar for seasoning. She stirred everything well until it was evenly combined and set it aside for later use.

The seasoning sauce in the pot had simmered to the desired consistency, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. At this point, Su Xiaoxiao added a spoonful of vinegar to the sauce and brought it to a boil. This completed the sauce.

Su Xiaoxiao poured the sauce into a dish and then heated up some oil in the pan. While pouring the oil, Su Xiaoxiao felt a slight pang in her heart, but since it was rare for Han Cheng to be away on a business trip, she decided it was worth using a little more oil.

When the oil pot was heated to its maximum temperature, Su Xiaoxiao carefully placed the fish in it. Su Xiaoxiao could only use oil that was just below the height of a piece of fish meat, so she couldn’t fry it all at once; she had to fry it in batches.

This is Su Xiaoxiao’s first time frying something so luxurious after crossing over, and the fragrance even attracted Xiao Doubao.

“Xiao Doubao, don’t come in for now. The oil in the pan is very hot, and if you get burned, it will hurt for a long time,” Su Xiaoxiao warned.

Xiao Doubao, being obedient, took a curious glance and then quickly ran away, making a “thump thump thump” sound as he left.

After the first batch was fried, the crucial step came next. Su Xiaoxiao lifted the fish from the oil, let it drain briefly, and immediately placed it into the seasoning sauce while it was still hot. The high temperature caused the fish to sizzle in the dish, quickly absorbing the flavorful sauce. When the sizzling sound subsided, it indicated that the fish had absorbed enough sauce. At this point, Su Xiaoxiao could take it out and arrange it on a serving plate.

Su Xiaoxiao took a bite and savored the crispy and slightly sweet flavor of the fish. It had no hint of a fishy taste and tasted just like the familiar smoked fish she remembered. With the advantage of quality ingredients in this era, even without additives like chicken essence or excessive oil usage for flavor enhancement, it remained incredibly delicious.

“Xiao Doubao, come here,” Su Xiaoxiao called out.

Upon hearing his mother’s call, Xiao Doubao ran towards her with his short legs and said, “Mama, mission?”
His Mom often assigned missions to his older brothers, so Xiao Doubao thought that his mom was going to give him a mission as well.

Su Xiaoxiao found a piece of fish belly and pinched it until there were no fish bones before giving it to Xiao Doubao. “Mom just made the smoked fish, Xiao Doubao, can you taste it?”

Xiao Doubao wiped his little hands on his clothes, and in order to develop good hygiene habits, Su Xiaoxiao insisted on washing his hands before feeding him.

Children love sweet and crispy foods the most. Xiao Doubao couldn’t help but nod after taking a bite and said, “Mama, it’s delicious! Yummy~~~”

After speaking, he gave his mother a thumbs up.

Su Xiaoxiao patted the cub’s head and said, “Go eat outside. Since the baby said they’re delicious, Mom needs to continue cooking.”

Xiao Doubao nodded and obediently walked outside to sit on the small stool to eat.

Su Xiaoxiao finished the remaining smoked fish and began to wrap buns non-stop. After wrapping the buns, they were placed in a clay jar and slowly roasted over a charcoal fire.

Su Xiaoxiao finished smoking the remaining fish and then proceeded to tirelessly make steamed buns. Once the buns were prepared, she placed them in a clay jar and slowly roasted them over a charcoal fire.

Su Xiaoxiao was reluctant to waste the leftover oil from frying the fish. She cleaned the impurities from the oil and stored it in a bowl, intending to reuse it for stir-frying vegetables.

After completing all these tasks, Su Xiaoxiao was exhausted and could barely straighten her back. She decided not to prepare a complicated dinner. Instead, she cooked rice in a clay pot and prepared a simple sugar-coated tomato dish. It would be a perfect accompaniment to the smoked fish.

Su Xiaoxiao also fried the fish head and fish tail, but she didn’t smoke them with the seasoning sauce. Instead, she planned to save them for making fish soup noodles the next morning. She wanted to ensure that Han Cheng had a satisfying and hearty meal before he boarded the train.

Xiao Fantuan and Xiao Zhuzi were already hungry, and when they returned home after school and caught a whiff of the savory aroma, their stomachs started growling.

Xiao Fantuan sniffed and said, “Mom, what’s this smell? I don’t think I’ve ever tasted it before.”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “Why don’t you two come over and have a taste after washing your hands?”

The two cubs quickly finished washing their hands and went into the kitchen. Su Xiaoxiao gave one person a piece of smoked fish.

Fantuan took a bite and exclaimed, “Wow, Mom, this is another delicious dish worthy of being number one! What’s it called?”

Su Xiaoxiao said, “Yes, it’s delicious, isn’t it? It’s called smoked fish.”

Zhuzi nodded and said, “It’s delicious. Auntie Su’s cooking is the best!”

Fantuan wished he could bite off his tongue and finish it in just a few bites: “Mom, since you cooked a lot, can I have another piece?”

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, “Save it for dinner. Your dad will be going on a business trip tomorrow, and he might not have the chance to eat the food I cook for about ten days. That’s why I made a little extra for him to take on the journey. I also made some preserved vegetable pancakes. If you’re hungry, each of you can have one for now, and we’ll save the rest to enjoy together when Dad comes back.”

The two kids obediently took one pancake each and went outside to play.

Han Cheng arrived home tonight about ten minutes late, and the aroma of the food in the house was richer than usual.

Remembering that Su Xiaoxiao mentioned earlier that she would prepare something delicious for him before he left in the afternoon, he guessed that she must have made quite a feast.

Han Cheng had just stepped inside the house when Han’s chief intelligence officer, Xiao Fantuan, arrived to report the situation. “Daddy, Mommy made smoked fish. She wants to give you some delicious smoked fish to eat while you’re away on a business trip.”

Xiao Fantuan, the honorable elementary school student, truly lives up to expectations. His vocabulary has expanded since he started to go to school.

Han Cheng gently patted the child’s head and said, “Dad knows. Go and play now.”

Just as Fantuan turned around, Han Cheng remembered what Su Xiaoxiao had mentioned about “a sense of ceremony” and called the child back, saying, “Daddy is going on a business trip to the capital. Why don’t you discuss with Zhuzi and Doubao what gifts you would like? Daddy will try his best to bring them back for you.”

Xiao Fantuan couldn’t help but say, “Can I have the smoked fish that Mom made for you? Don’t take it away, leave it for me to eat.”

Han Cheng paused for a moment. Why did I even ask? Couldn’t his son simply ask him how many days he would be gone and when he would return? If Su Xiaoxiao weren’t home, they would probably be upset and cry loudly. It seemed like nobody cared if he wasn’t home, except for his Xiaoxiao.

Han Cheng waved his hand, signaling the child to go, preferring the “out of sight, out of mind” approach.

Han Cheng entered the kitchen, where Su Xiaoxiao was still busy. Her hair appeared slightly greasy, and she seemed a bit weary.

Han Cheng embraced her waist and gave her a hug. “Are you tired? You don’t have to do so much. Can’t a big guy like me grab something to eat?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded. “I am a bit tired. I’ll just take a break. I’ve packed some Preserved Vegetable Pancakes in one lunchbox and smoked fish in another. They can be preserved for a few days in this weather. Take them with you on the road, and when you miss home, you can have a bite.”

These days, when it comes to going on a long trip, even someone as virtuous as Li Yufeng would at most just make a few flatbreads and boil a few eggs. Only Su Xiaoxiao would spend an entire afternoon making smoked fish and roasted pancakes for him.

Han Cheng kissed her forehead and started thinking before even leaving the house. What should he do? “Thank you, but it’s too much trouble. Next time, you don’t have to do it.”

Su Xiaoxiao kissed him back and sat down on the stool to take a rest. “Let’s go have dinner.”

Smoked fish suited Su Xiaoxiao’s taste. These past few days, she hadn’t had much appetite for meat, but tonight she enjoyed several pieces of smoked fish.

The school is on vacation tomorrow, so Su Xiaoxiao doesn’t have to go to school. Han Cheng is particularly enthusiastic tonight, but he didn’t dare to move too much. He didn’t stop until around twelve o’clock, he hadn’t felt so happy in many days.

Su Xiaoxiao had fallen into a deep sleep, and Han Cheng kissed his beloved’s face. This was the first time they had separated after marriage, and it was also the first time Han Cheng was this concerned and worried.

With only one petite woman and three children at home, he always felt uneasy. Before getting off work, he specifically went to Zhao Xianfeng’s house to ask Zhao Xianfeng and Zhou Yuhua to keep an eye on things and help take care of them more.

Zhao Xianfeng said that if he really couldn’t feel at ease, he could have a security guard stay at his house for a few days.

As soon as this was said, he was beaten up by Zhou Yuhua again. How could he even suggest having another man stay at their house while Han Cheng was away? It was ridiculous to even consider such a thing.

To be honest, after leaving Zhao Xianfeng’s house, Han Cheng became even more worried. As he looked at his loved ones’ peaceful sleeping faces, he wished he could tie them all to his waistband and take them away with him.