Chapter 25: I Gave Him a ‘Bamboo Shoot Stir-fry

Back in the yard, Jiang Ning took a grass carp out of the bucket, knocked it out, and tossed it onto the cutting board. The other two fish were still happily swimming in the bucket.

The cement in the water pool had just dried, and the water hadn’t been pumped back in yet. Shen Mo said he would take care of it when he returned from training.

Jiang Ning, looking at the time, skillfully scaled the grass carp, gutted it, and removed its innards.

Zhiqi watched her handle the fish with swift, precise movements and couldn’t help but shiver when he thought about Jiang Ning using a bamboo strip to spank Wang Xiaotian’s butt.

If he ever made a mistake and Jiang Ning had to punish him…

He would be willing to let Jiang Ning discipline him.

“Zhiqi.”

Jiang Ning waited for a response but didn’t get one, so she called out again.

“Zhiqi?”

“Ah, what is it?” Huo Zhiqi snapped out of his daze.

Jiang Ning pointed her chin towards the stove, her eyes sparkling, “Start the fire. We’re having spicy boiled fish today.”

“Oh, okay,” Zhiqi agreed, quickly gathering firewood and lighting it.

After preparing everything, Jiang Ning heated the wok and added oil generously, using both vegetable oil and half a spoon of lard to enhance the flavor.

Once the wok was hot, she added dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, ginger, and garlic to stir-fry until fragrant. Then she added bean paste and stir-fried until the oil turned red. She added a bit of wine, then water, and brought it to a boil. After boiling, she added seasonings like MSG and salt.

She put the fish into the spicy broth and let it cook for a while before adding some side dishes.

Jiang Ning was generous with her oil and seasonings, making the dish very flavorful.

The aroma filled the air, and Huo Zhiqi kept looking at the pot, swallowing his saliva.

Jiang Ning’s cooking smelled so good, unlike Aunt Wang and Grandma Wang, who were stingy with their ingredients. They would cut meat into tiny pieces and even use the oil from frying meat to stir-fry vegetables.

Jiang Ning steamed the leftover buns from the morning again. Once they were hot, she took one out and handed it to Zhiqi.

Seeing that he hadn’t taken the bun, she stuffed it into his hand, “You look so eager, eat quickly. Uncle Shen will be back in a while, have a bun to tide you over.”

After giving Zhiqi the bun, Jiang Ning continued to watch the pot. Once it was cooked, she transferred it to a plate, sprinkled a layer of ground Sichuan pepper, garlic, and scallions on the fish, and then added a bit more oil and chili to the wok to enhance the aroma. She poured the hot oil over the fish.

The spicy and fragrant smell filled the air, making Jiang Ning’s mouth water.

Smelling the spicy aroma, Jiang Ning already had an idea for the other grass carp. She would make some pickled vegetables when she had time, so she could make pickled fish.

Once the spicy fish was done, there wasn’t much else to do, so Jiang Ning started cleaning the kitchen.

Huo Zhiqi, seeing this, quickly swallowed the bun and rolled up his sleeves, “Sister Jiang, let me wash these things.”

Jiang Ning was pushed aside as the stove was just the right height for him.

She couldn’t help but laugh. This child was just like Shen Mo, always worried that she would be doing some dirty or tiring work.

As Shen Mo walked into the house, he was greeted by the delicious aroma. He saw the two in the kitchen.

Huo Zhiqi was washing the dishes, and Jiang Ning was standing by, watching with a satisfied smile on her face.

After washing the dishes, Jiang Ning, with her delicate hands, peeled a piece of candy and personally fed it to Zhiqi.

Did the boy not have hands of his own that he needed Jiang Ning to peel the candy for him?

And why wasn’t Jiang Ning watching over him while he cleaned the kitchen?

Catching a glimpse of the front door, she threw the candy wrapper into the stove, “You’re back. The meal is ready, wash your hands and eat.”

As soon as Shen Mo entered the gate, he was greeted by the enticing aroma of spicy flavors wafting through the yard. He rubbed his stomach; he was indeed hungry, but… he wasn’t very good with spicy food.

Jiang Ning served three bowls of rice and, along with Zhiqi, carried them to the main room.

After washing his hands, Shen Mo joined them in the main room. Jiang Ning was carrying a bowl of steamed egg custard.

Then he saw Jiang Ning push the bowl of steamed egg custard towards Zhiqi, “Zhiqi, this is specially steamed for you. You’re too thin; you need more nutrition.”

With the steamed egg custard gone, Shen Mo had no choice but to eat the spicy fish.

Jiang Ning was really skilled at cooking. No matter what ingredients she used, the dishes she made were better than those from state-run restaurants.

The fish was expertly prepared by Jiang Ning, with most of the bones removed, and the fishy smell completely masked by the spicy flavors, making it unnoticeable.

Shen Mo ate sparingly, mostly scooping up large mouthfuls of rice, needing two bites of rice for every bite of spicy fish.

Zhiqi, on the other hand, could handle the spice well. He ate mouthful after mouthful of the spicy fish, even though his tongue was burning, he couldn’t help but take another bite.

Seeing him with his tongue out, Jiang Ning worried that his stomach might not be able to handle it, “Zhiqi, eat less fish, it’s too spicy.”

“He’s not that delicate,” Shen Mo suddenly said.

Jiang Ning then turned to look at Shen Mo and suddenly placed a chopstick full of vegetables in his bowl, “A child’s stomach is not as strong as an adult’s, you can eat more.”

She enjoyed watching others eat, especially the meals she had cooked herself. The more she watched, the more appetizing it seemed.

Shen Mo was slightly startled as he looked at the vegetables Jiang Ning had placed in his bowl.

This was the first time Jiang Ning had ever served him food.

Looking at the chili in his bowl, he steeled himself and ate it along with the fish and rice.

Jiang Ning enjoyed spicy food but didn’t like eating actual chili peppers. Seeing Shen Mo eat the chili without changing his expression, she was surprised and said, “I didn’t know you liked spicy food so much. I can add more chili to the dishes in the future.”

The spicy fish she made this time wasn’t very spicy, just a mild level that even people who couldn’t handle spice could eat a couple of bites.

However, the chili pepper itself was several times spicier than the dish. The fact that Shen Mo could eat it directly showed that he had a high tolerance for spice.

After eating her fill, Jiang Ning rested her head on her hand and watched the two men in the room eat.

Zhiqi was fine, his mouth just a little red from the spice.

Shen Mo, on the other hand, was sweating on his forehead.

Eating spicy food could be cultivated; gradually increasing the spiciness would naturally build tolerance.

This was the experience she had gained from eating hotpot for twenty consecutive meals in a month.

Thinking this, Jiang Ning continued to serve Shen Mo, always including chili peppers or fish with chili.

“Did something happen today?” Shen Mo finally picked a topic to talk about after the meal.

Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow and put the last piece of fish from her bowl into her mouth, “Did someone tell you something?”

Shen Mo thought about what Grandma Wang had said, and his expression turned sour, “Yes, I met Grandma Wang on the way back. She said some things to me.”

Jiang Ning furrowed her brow, “Did she mention me hitting her grandson? Does this affect you?”

Shen Mo suddenly brought this up, and someone else might think he was here to blame her.

After all, the position of that person from the Wang family was higher than Shen Mo’s.

But Jiang Ning didn’t think he would.

Shen Mo drank a large gulp of water from his enamel cup and was surprised, “You hit her grandson?”

Jiang Ning, “You didn’t know?”

She laughed, her eyes twinkling with mischief, “I gave him a ‘bamboo shoot stir-fry.”

Seeing her bright eyes, Shen Mo’s eyes also filled with amusement.