Chapter 7 ☆ Noodle dumplings in clear soup

Cheng Yaoyao’s pair of peach blossom eyes sparkled as she met Shen Yan’s confused and infatuated gaze. She opened her cherry lips slightly and mouthed a few silent words.

Shen Yan’s face changed drastically.

The two looked at each other under the lamp, so ambiguously. Cheng Nuonuo came over with a bowl in her hand and called out, “Sister Yaoyao.”

Shen Yan pulled the stool away abruptly and sat down, making a loud noise. He could see Cheng Yaoyao’s mouth shape clearly: “None of your business.”

In the past, as long as Shen Yan was a little polite to Cheng Yaoyao, she would have been playing around him like a puppy. But today, when he came back from the mountain, Cheng Yaoyao’s attitude had suddenly changed.

It stood to reason that Cheng Yaoyao finally stopped pestering him, and he should be thankful. But surprise and humiliation stirred within him, leaving Shen Yan unsure of how to feel.

Cheng Nuonuo took in Shen Yan’s expression and still had a well-behaved and flattering smile on her face: “Sister Yaoyao, I made this bowl just for you. I just heard you cough twice, so it’s best not to eat anything too spicy.”

Cheng Nuonuo held a bowl of noodles in front of Cheng Yaoyao. The noodles were made of thin noodles, snow-white 85% flour, and water, and they floated in the broth like small fish, with a handful of chopped green onions sprinkled on top.

“Wow, it smells so good! Is it made of 85% flour? Aren’t we having mixed noodles tonight?” Han Yin leaned over and took a deep breath of the fragrance.

Cheng Nuonuo said shyly: “Sister Yaoyao was frightened today and got caught in the rain. She should eat something good to replenish her body.”

Han Yin said, “Our entire educated youth camp only has one jin of 85% flour. Your bowl must contain nearly half a jin, right?”

Shen Yan added: “This 85% flour was paid for by Nuonuo herself. It cost her several days’ work points.”

As Shen Yan spoke, he looked at Cheng Yaoyao meaningfully, hoping that she could understand Nuonuo’s feelings.

Cheng Yaoyao’s face remained completely indifferent: “Oh, I gave you two pieces of egg cake yesterday. Did I tell everyone about it?”

Shen Yan was choked and speechless, his face flushing with embarrassment.

Yesterday, Cheng Yaoyao stopped him when he was leaving work and talked to him for a long time, even forcing him to eat two egg cakes. Shen Yan, having worked in the fields all day and being hungry, had eaten them.

Shen Yan himself didn’t lack food, but Cheng Yaoyao’s public comment made it seem as if he was a gigolo who asked her for egg cakes!

Especially when Cheng Nuonuo gave him a sad and lost look, Shen Yan felt a nameless anger churning in his stomach and couldn’t express his frustration.

Cheng Yaoyao didn’t care about the trouble her words caused. She picked up the spoon, scooped a spoonful of soup, blew on it slowly, and put it into her mouth.

It didn’t taste good. There was no seasoning in the soup except salt, so it tasted salty. There was also an unbearable smell of mutton: “You didn’t wash the pot after stewing the meat, did you?”

Cheng Nuonuo was so scared that she trembled and stood up abruptly. “Sister, there is oil in the pot for stewing meat, and the noodles taste better when cooked with it. I didn’t wash it…”

Cheng Yaoyao raised an eyebrow. Had her tone really been that fierce? Why was Cheng Nuonuo looking so frightened?

Shen Yan put down his chopsticks and said angrily, “Cheng Yaoyao, Nuonuo went out of her way to cook you a special meal. What’s with your attitude?”

Cheng Yaoyao ignored him completely and turned to Cheng Nuonuo with a more subtle tone. “So, you used the water from washing the pot to cook the noodles for me?”

“No, no, no, it’s not the water for washing the pot…” Cheng Nuonuo stammered, her face turning pale with fright. “Sister Yaoyao, if you think it tastes bad, I… I will cook you a new bowl!”

Cheng Yaoyao touched her face, puzzled. How could she have been so frightening to make Cheng Nuonuo this scared? Or was Cheng Nuonuo really just playing the innocent, tearful persona?

Some people just fell for it. Shen Yan had already stood up, looking at Cheng Nuonuo with visible distress. “Sit down and eat. Don’t worry about her!”

Cheng Yaoyao threw down her chopsticks and stood up. “Just don’t worry about it. Did I ask you to care about me?”

Miss Cheng had never been afraid of anyone. Except for the future big boss, Xie San, who else would she not dare confront?

Shen Yan’s familiar disgust resurfaced as he looked at her. “Cheng Yaoyao, Nuonuo has been nothing but kind to you. Why do you keep targeting her? She doesn’t owe you anything!”

Cheng Yaoyao, though shorter than Shen Yan, matched his intensity. With her arms crossed and her chin raised, she looked unruly and willful. “Whether she owes me or not is none of your business. Look at how distressed you are.”

“You… what nonsense are you talking about?!” Shen Yan and Cheng Nuonuo’s faces changed.

In the early stages of their relationship, Shen Yan and Cheng Nuonuo had kept their affair secret, and no one at the educated youth center knew about it.

Cheng Nuonuo, holding back tears, said, “Sister Yaoyao, it doesn’t matter how angry you are with me, but Shen Yan and I are not what you think…”

Shen Yan interrupted abruptly, “Nono, you don’t have to compromise with her. She’s bullied you since childhood. Why does she continue to bully you here?”

Cheng Nuonuo quickly added, “Shen Yan, don’t argue with Sister Yaoyao because of me. It’s not important…”

Cheng Yaoyao covered her lips and yawned, with drops of water hanging from her long eyelashes. “Have you finished your acting? If you want Shen Yan, you can have him.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Cheng Yaoyao glanced around with a faint smile on her lips, which seemed as sharp as a hidden dagger. “Anyway, you always like to take what I don’t want.”

Cheng Nuonuo, covering her face and sobbing, turned and ran away.

Shen Yan’s face turned pale as he looked at Cheng Yaoyao. When did this pretty fool figure out his relationship with Nuonuo? Had she seen them together last night? They had been so cautious…

Without thinking too much, Cheng Nuonuo, having gained a bit of solace, and Shen Yan ran out after her.

…

The room was filled with a dead silence. Everyone looked at each other, bewildered. Everyone at the educated youth center knew Cheng Yaoyao and Shen Yan were childhood sweethearts. Although Cheng Yaoyao had been persistent and Shen Yan had been indifferent, people thought they would eventually become a couple.

Now that Cheng Yaoyao had exposed Shen Yan and Cheng Nuonuo’s affair, people were stunned. Was Shen Yan really two-timing and involved with his sister-in-law?

No wonder Cheng Yaoyao has been targeting Cheng Nuonuo so much today. It all made sense!

The crowd’s imagination ran wild. With just a few words or a glance, they created an entire narrative. At this moment, Shen Yan and Cheng Nuonuo were seen as an adulterous couple, while Cheng Yaoyao was cast as the wronged party.

Especially when Shen Yan ran out after Cheng Nuonuo, leaving Cheng Yaoyao behind, the crowd’s anger peaked.

Han Yin suddenly realized and sneered, “No wonder you said Cheng Nuonuo was tricked into the mountain. I was wondering why your own sister tricked you into the mountain. It seems like you see her as a sister, but she sees you as a rival.”

Han Yin, known for his sharp tongue, often attacked indiscriminately.

The male educated youths were also indignant. “Yaoyao, don’t feel wronged. We’re all on your side!”

Cheng Yaoyao said nothing and picked up the bowl of noodles.

Zhang Xiaofeng quickly stopped her. “Yaoyao, don’t get upset over the food. This is good grain!”

Cheng Yaoyao shrugged with a smile. “I didn’t mean to upset my stomach. I just thought this bowl of noodles was too unpalatable, so I’ll re-cook it.”

The bowl of noodle soup smelled strongly of wild boar meat, which, since wild boars weren’t castrated, had a pungent odor. Cheng Nuonuo had added a lot of chili peppers and green peppercorns to mask the smell. Others might not notice, but Cheng Yaoyao, with her sensitive taste, found it unbearable, especially as it cooled.

Zhang Xiaofeng asked with concern, “Can you cook? Let me do it.”

Cheng Yaoyao smiled. “Help me light the fire, and I’ll give you half.”

Zhang Xiaofeng laughed. “Then I’m really taking advantage. You’re just a white lump.”

Han Yin quickly chimed in, “Then I want to help too!”

Cheng Yaoyao smiled. “I saw some wild coriander in the vegetable garden. Pick a handful and some tender vegetable hearts.”

The fire was still burning in the stove, and there was clean, boiling water in the pot, ready to be used for washing later.

Cheng Yaoyao took the noodles out of the bowl and poured out the broth. Han Yin hurriedly said, “Don’t pour it out. This soup is full of oil!”

Cheng Yaoyao poured the broth out and rinsed the remaining dough balls with hot water. She peeled a piece of old ginger and cut it into thin strips, also chopping the green onions into thin strips.

Once the water in the pot boiled, she first added the shredded ginger, then the fresh green vegetable hearts to blanch, followed by the dough balls. After boiling everything twice, she removed the soup, sprinkled a little salt, and added the wild coriander. As the hot steam rose, it immediately released a fragrant aroma.

The overnight noodle dumpling soup was clear as water, with floating green vegetable hearts, tender green coriander, light yellow ginger shreds, and a tempting aroma of fine grains.

When this bowl of noodle dumplings was served, everyone’s mouths began to water.

“How come it smells so good even though there’s no oil at all?”

“Yes, the colors are so vibrant—white, yellow, and green. It looks beautiful. This is what we call a perfect combination of color, fragrance, and taste!”

“You don’t understand. The simpler the dish, the more skill it requires. Yaoyao, I didn’t expect you to be such a master. Why haven’t I seen you cook before?”

Cheng Yaoyao smiled, unbothered by modesty. “I haven’t had the chance to show you before. Would you like to try it together?”

Everyone’s eyes lit up at the offer, though they hesitated. “How can we? This is your meal.”

Zhang Xiaofeng added, “You don’t look very well. You should eat it yourself.”

Cheng Yaoyao smiled and said, “Your mixed noodle dumplings smell pretty good too. Let’s take turns eating them.”

“Okay, we haven’t touched them yet!” They had been busy eating pork and hadn’t touched the noodles. Everyone quickly grabbed an empty bowl, scooped a full serving of the mixed grain noodles with a clean spoon, and handed it to Cheng Yaoyao.

They then shared the bowl of white flour dumplings. The dumplings, made with 85 percent flour, had a rich wheat aroma. Though Cheng Yaoyao had cooked them firm, they had the perfect texture after returning to the pot, revealing the unique sweetness of fine grains with each bite.

The aroma of green onion, ginger, and coriander stimulated the taste buds. The green vegetable hearts were crisp and sweet, and the clear soup was warm and comforting, making one break into a light sweat—an extremely refreshing experience.

This meal was pure taste enjoyment, quite different from Cheng Nuonuo’s. The white flour dumplings were delicious!

Cheng Yaoyao, spooning a mixed noodle dumpling into her mouth, chewed slowly with a meaningful smile in her eyes. These multi-grain dumplings, with a light ginger flavor, were incredibly comforting. After eating, she started sweating, and her cold symptoms improved significantly.

As for Cheng Nuonuo’s white flour dumplings, although they were good, they lacked that special flavor.

Interesting. Did Cheng Nuonuo have a secret recipe? It’s a pity her cooking skills weren’t up to par. The multi-grain noodle dumplings were truly superior.