Chapter 129: Full of Color, Aroma, and Flavor—Crispy to the Core  

Jiang Rou made three large, round shredded potato pancakes in one go.  

As the pancakes came out of the pan, she placed them onto a big plate.  

At that moment, the sizzling sound of residual hot oil crackled within the shredded potatoes.  

And when the pancakes landed on the plate, a crisp sound echoed—  

Crack, crack.  

If someone could take a bite, the crispiness would surely make the flakes fall apart.  

Song Qingqian and Zhou Xiaohua had just swallowed their saliva when they simultaneously licked their lips.  

It was just potatoes—something they ate every other day, to the point of feeling sick and tired of it.  

Yet, under Jiang Rou’s skillful hands, the potatoes seemed to glow with a golden light, instantly becoming irresistible.  

While Jiang Rou was making the shredded potato pancakes, another iron pot was steaming small potatoes over high heat. Fifteen minutes had already passed.  

Jiang Rou lifted the lid and took a step back.  

A large cloud of steam rose into the air, curling and twisting. The vapor, at a scorching 100 degrees Celsius, was not only scalding but also dangerous if one got too close.  

Once the steam dispersed, the small potatoes were revealed.  

Each one was tiny—so small that people would usually consider them undesirable.  

After being steamed, they turned a light yellow color.  

They looked just like little golden beans.  

Jiang Rou picked up a pair of chopsticks and poked at the potatoes.  

She said to Song Qingqian, “If you’re unsure whether the potatoes are fully steamed, just poke them with chopsticks. If you can pierce straight through from one end to the other, they’re completely cooked.”  

Next, Jiang Rou was going to make fragrant pan-fried cumin potatoes.  

Normally, small potatoes needed to be peeled after steaming.  

However, since peeling them would take too much time and they were rushing to have lunch, they decided to skip that step.  

Jiang Rou took out the steamed potatoes.  

Then, in the same iron pan she had just used for frying the shredded potato pancakes, she poured in another round of cooking oil.  

Whoosh!  

She said, “Potatoes, like eggplants, absorb oil very easily. So when cooking, don’t skimp on the oil—adding a bit more will make them taste better.”

Not only was it necessary to use more oil for cooking, but it was also because, in this era, people rarely had the chance to eat pork.  

There were very few ways for the body to obtain fats.  

Eating more oil served as a nutritional supplement.  

Unlike people in later times, who never had to worry about food or clothing and even deliberately reduced their fat intake, opting for “healthy low-fat meals” that were sold at prices higher than meat.  

Without delay—  

Jiang Rou poured most of the small potatoes into the iron pan.  

As the potatoes tumbled down, each round and plump one bounced and jumped continuously.  

They hopped energetically into the hot oil.  

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—  

That sound rang out once again.  

After completing this step, Jiang Rou said to Song Qingqian, “Qingqian, it’s your turn now.”  

“I… Can I really do it?”  

Song Qingqian’s voice was hesitant, but her feet had already moved forward.  

She took the spatula Jiang Rou handed her.  

Standing where Jiang Rou had been just moments ago, she listened as Jiang Rou instructed, “The next step isn’t difficult. Just keep an eye on these little potatoes and stir them occasionally. As long as they don’t burn, it’s fine.”  

“Alright, I’ll do it!”  

Hearing how simple it sounded, Song Qingqian felt a boost of confidence. She was sure she could handle it.  

After entrusting the pan-fried cumin potatoes to Song Qingqian, Jiang Rou moved on to another potato dish—  

Mashed potatoes.  

She had deliberately set aside a small portion of the steamed potatoes.  

After letting them cool slightly, she began peeling them one by one.  

The soft and glutinous potatoes were placed into a bowl, where she used a spoon to mash them until they became a sticky, smooth potato puree.  

Then, Jiang Rou added the finely diced carrots and cucumbers that she had prepared earlier.  

Looking up, she turned to Zhou Xiaohua and asked, “Xiaohua, did you eat the boiled egg your mother put in your pocket before she left?”  

【Not yet.】  

Zhou Xiaohua reached into his pocket and pulled out a round, smooth egg.  

Holding it with both hands, he passed it to Jiang Rou.  

“Such a good boy! Tonight, Mommy will fry an extra poached egg for you. Let me use this boiled egg for now.”  

Hearing himself called “good boy.” Zhou Xiaohua’s cheeks flushed pink with joy.  

Jiang Rou peeled the boiled egg and added it to the mashed potatoes, crushing it with a spoon just like before.  

The white egg whites and golden yolk were all mashed into the mixture.

She mixed the mashed potatoes with the sticky texture, along with the diced carrots and cucumbers.  

For seasoning, she added a pinch of salt and a dash of black pepper.  

After stirring everything together—  

[Illustration]  

The mashed potatoes, now a blend of yellow, orange, and green, were complete.  

This method of making mashed potatoes did not belong to the traditional cuisine of Huaguo.  

As Song Qingqian looked at the bowl of mashed potatoes, memories surfaced in her mind, recalling something from long ago.  

She murmured, “I know this dish. It’s called mashed potatoes. Western restaurants serve it, and foreigners love eating it.”  

Jiang Rou immediately lifted her gaze.  

With a serious expression, she firmly stopped her, “You must never say something like that in front of outsiders. There’s no such thing as foreign or not—this is just mashed potatoes. Anyone can eat it.”  

“I understand.”  

Song Qingqian’s long phoenix-shaped eyes flickered slightly as she nodded.  

At that moment, she and Jiang Rou shared an unspoken understanding.  

Not long ago, Song Qingqian would have scoffed at such words, insisting on expressing her own thoughts.  

But now…  

She was no longer alone.  

She had a friend—Jiang Rou—and also… He Donglai.  

For their sake, even if not for herself, she had to be more mindful of her words and actions.  

She couldn’t cause trouble for them.  

As these thoughts ran through her mind, she did not forget about the small potatoes sizzling in the iron pan.  

The little potatoes crackled in the oil.  

Their outer skin had shrunk and dried, forming delicate wrinkles.  

A golden, crispy color—just like the shredded potato pancakes—had appeared.  

The aroma was irresistible!

Jiang Rou reminded, “You can add salt and cumin now. If you’re unsure about the amount, use a small spoon—one spoonful should be enough. If it tastes too light after trying, you can always add more.”  

When it came to seasoning, it was always better to add too little than too much.  

Song Qingqian certainly didn’t want to turn the small potatoes into overly salty preserved potatoes.  

Following Jiang Rou’s instructions, she carefully added a small spoonful, bit by bit.  

As for cumin—of course, she had to be generous with it!  

It was called pan-fried cumin potatoes, after all. Naturally, there had to be plenty of cumin!  

[Illustration]  

Song Qingqian sprinkled cumin powder generously, along with a handful of finely chopped green onions.  

Meanwhile—  

“Achoo—!”  

Zhou Xiaohua let out a small sneeze.  

She immediately cupped her hands over her nose, revealing only a pair of big, round eyes.  

The aroma of cumin powder was something entirely new to both children.  

It tickled their noses—making them a little itchy—  

Yet at the same time, it made them even more eager to eat.  

Jiang Rou chuckled and reassured them, “Don’t worry, lunch will be ready soon.”  

As Song Qingqian watched the mother and daughter, she became even more certain—  

Zhou Xiaohua’s inability to speak was indeed psychological.  

If it were a congenital issue with her vocal cords, she shouldn’t have made any sound while sneezing either.  

With Jiang Rou around, this adorable little girl would definitely regain her voice one day.  

…  

A short while later—  

All three potato dishes were placed on the table.  

Shredded potato pancakes, mashed potatoes, and pan-fried cumin potatoes.  

Along with a large steamed bun for each person.  

The buns had been freshly steamed, absorbing moisture from the steam, making them soft and bouncy.  

“Let’s eat!”