So Delicious!
After confessing their feelings to each other, the two sat down again. However, now that they were officially girlfriends, the atmosphere became a bit awkward again because Sun Miao didn’t know what to say next. Especially since she… had just rejected her girlfriend’s request to move in together.
However, Su Ruixi was clearly not as awkward. While she could be awkward when expressing her true feelings, she was as straightforward as could be when it came to settling old scores1. Su Ruixi started right off with: “Why didn’t you save any food for me before? Do you know, I haven’t eaten properly these past two days, I was about to starve.”
Of course Sun Miao knew la. If she hadn’t known, she wouldn’t have eagerly come over to deliver dinner today. She asked how Su Ruixi felt in the afternoon, and Su Ruixi replied, “So-so.”
“…” En, very much Su Ruixi’s style.
Sun Miao decisively pulled Su Ruixi over to the dining table, opened the food containers one by one, and urged Su Ruixi to eat quickly. When Su Ruixi saw the dishes before her, her eyes nearly popped out. The last time she had eaten Sun Miao’s home-cooked food was back when Sun Miao was selling Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup. Now, with the changfen sales nearly halfway done, plus two days of rest, she hadn’t eaten it in so long!
Su Ruixi first looked at the tofu dish—Steamed Tofu with Minced Meat and Egg; it looked incredibly appetizing. At the bottom were slices of soft tofu arranged like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers2, and in the center was a ring of minced meat enclosing a whole egg. The egg white and yolk were distinctly visible, impeccable in terms of color. The most amazing part was that Sun Miao had also sprinkled some chopped scallions on top; the green scallions adorned it, making it even more beautiful.
[LP: Only appropriate to insert the image here again]
The color scheme was delicate and elegant, with only a ring of intermingled golden-yellow and light brown seasoning on the outermost layer—a type Su Ruixi liked.
“Steamed Tofu with Minced Meat and Egg, you should like it.”
Su Ruixi asked Sun Miao to wait a moment, went to the kitchen to get chopsticks and a spoon, and only after returning to her seat did she use a porcelain white spoon to scoop out a bit of the tofu. This tofu was actually bought by Sun Miao from the wet market. She knew how to make tofu; the system for Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup had taught her how to make tofu puffs and, along the way, how to make tofu itself.
But it was still the same old saying—making tofu is just too troublesome la!
The tofu from the wet market had a slight beany smell3, and how to prepare it well was a challenge. Fortunately, Sun Miao’s skill in seasoning was impeccable; even with a one-yuan piece of tofu, she could make it into something special4. The tofu was soft and smooth; one scoop quickly separated a portion, which wobbled on the spoon.
Su Ruixi always felt it looked similar in texture to duck blood curd5, but one bite revealed it was completely different.
It was as tender and smooth as a cloud in the sky, with a texture similar to almond tofu6, yet it was somewhat more resilient. As it entered her mouth, the aroma of soybeans immediately came alive, as if individual beans were dancing in her mouth. After a few more bites, those dancing beans suddenly burst, filling her entire mouth with the flavor of tofu.
Because some of the broth was scooped up with it, the tofu also carried a savory flavor, and the otherwise plain taste of tofu became even more wonderful.
Su Ruixi’s eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “Delicious.”
Sun Miao had eaten her own cooking so often that she didn’t actually find this particularly delicious, but for Su Ruixi, it was like sweet rain after a long drought7. Having not tasted this familiar sensation for so long, once she started eating, she couldn’t stop. Moreover, she always felt that Sun Miao’s cooking skills were gradually improving.
Initially, she had felt that Sun Miao’s stir-fried dishes weren’t as good as those from master chefs, just more suited to her own taste. But over a month had quietly passed, and at this moment, Su Ruixi only thought: Delicious! Other master chefs couldn’t even compare—could they make such simple tofu taste so captivating?
This wasn’t Su Ruixi’s delusion or a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder8; it was indeed true. Although Sun Miao had learned mostly simple snacks, the skills embedded in each snack enhanced her ability to handle ingredients with greater proficiency9. And even though she had only made five types of snacks, the improvements in techniques such as heat control10, seasoning11, stock making12, and knife skills13 naturally fed back into her everyday cooking.
Compared to top chefs of certain regional cuisines14, Sun Miao would certainly feel inadequate, as they were all leading figures in their respective fields. However, if it came to home-style dishes, Sun Miao wouldn’t lose to them.
Sun Miao herself didn’t feel much when eating her own food because she indeed made small improvements every day, and eating her own cooking daily, she really couldn’t perceive the changes.
“If it’s delicious, then eat more.”
Even without Sun Miao saying so, Su Ruixi would have done just that. It was just that there were too many dishes she wanted to eat, and for a moment, she didn’t know which one to tackle next. After thinking for a moment, for the sake of her stomach, she decided to have a sip of soup first. As soon as she took a sip, Su Ruixi recognized it: Yes! It was the soup base from the Malatang! And it tasted clearer; although the flavor was lighter, it was still flavorful—light but not bland, simply the highest standard for a clear soup!
She drank several mouthfuls in a row, and after finishing, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s really, really delicious to drink.”
Finally, she extended her chopsticks towards the hand-shredded chicken. Although the chicken meat was torn into shreds, it was still placed neatly in the food container. Moreover, Su Ruixi didn’t know if Sun Miao had a bit of OCD15, but she had actually arranged the chicken shreds so tidily, all facing one direction.
Regardless of whether Sun Miao had OCD or not, Su Ruixi was very pleased to see it; she herself had a bit of OCD.
Su Ruixi picked up a piece of chicken shred with her chopsticks. The shred dangled from the chopsticks, with sauce still dripping from it. Su Ruixi was very familiar with that sauce—it was the dipping sauce for changfen, though it seemed to have been slightly diluted and didn’t look as concentrated.
Even so, the moment she picked up the chicken shred, that unique savory fragrance characteristic of the changfen dipping sauce wafted up. Soy sauce had an undeniable presence in it. Compared to when it was with the changfen, it couldn’t cling as well to the chicken shreds, so there was a sensation of it dripping off.
The chicken shreds were mostly white, but under the contrast of the soy sauce, they had a hint of golden yellow. One glance was enough to know it was something Su Ruixi would enjoy eating.
Once she put it in her mouth and chewed, only one phrase echoed in Su Ruixi’s mind: This is just too delicious.
Yes, delicious. Besides this thought, Su Ruixi’s mind could hold nothing else. Its texture was similar to when she ate it in Malatang, but also slightly different. The Malatang version, after all, was cooked and then soaked16 in the broth, making it softer and more tender. The broth was also hotter, making the chicken shreds feel scalding overall.
The one in the insulated food container was different; it was more like being blanched17 and then dressed cold18. Plus, quite some time had passed, so it was also cooler. Both were delicious, and Su Ruixi couldn’t distinguish which was better.
It was also different from the chicken shreds in the clear soup. Doused with the dipping sauce, these chicken shreds had a stronger savory taste and were drier to eat. But it definitely wasn’t the kind of shriveled dryness that would get stuck in one’s teeth; rather, it was dry yet still carried the sauce, dry but not coarse in the mouth…
Moreover, because it was dressed with the changfen sauce, it was very appetizing with rice. After taking a bite of chicken, Su Ruixi ate a mouthful of rice. The savory taste wasn’t too heavy, but it served to whet her appetite. And strangely, it had a hint of sweet and sour flavor, which took the appetizing effect to an even higher level.
But it didn’t taste like the sourness of vinegar, which made Su Ruixi a bit puzzled.
Sun Miao could always read many expressions on Su Ruixi’s face, so she naturally noticed Su Ruixi’s confusion. She explained softly, “It’s the preserved plums19 I used before. Plums have a sour taste, but it’s milder. I added a bit of sugar, using it as a substitute for lemon.”
Actually, people with stomach problems are best advised not to eat plums, as they are acidic. However, Sun Miao estimated that Su Ruixi should have felt much better after eating something at noon. Besides, plums are much milder than strongly irritating things like lemon. Plus, she used them as a supplementary ingredient in the dish, not using much, just enough to whet the appetite, so she only added a little.
Indeed, Su Ruixi showed no discomfort while eating; on the contrary, she ate several more mouthfuls because of it. Sun Miao hadn’t made many dishes today, but there was still a large bowl of rice. Given Su Ruixi’s usual appetite, she wouldn’t have been able to finish it all. But perhaps because today’s chicken shreds were too delicious and too appetizing, Su Ruixi actually ate everything clean.
Including that bowl of clear soup—not a single drop was left.
Sun Miao was silent for a moment, inevitably thinking: Su Ruixi’s appetite had indeed increased a bit, but this was a good thing. Su Ruixi had stomach problems, developed from starving herself. Her figure was, of course, considered good-looking in the public eye—so thin ah.
But Sun Miao didn’t quite like it. She actually also liked fair-skinned and very thin beauties—they were indeed good-looking ah. But when it came to her own partner, she wasn’t happy about it; she would feel distressed. Especially Su Ruixi, who had become thin purely from starving herself, even developing stomach problems as a result.
In this situation, it would be strange if she liked Su Ruixi’s “thinness”20. Besides, if Su Ruixi put on a little weight, it would also be an affirmation of her cooking skills.
No cook would let their lover become thin. Not to say they should be fattened up to be fair and plump, but at the very least, they shouldn’t be so thin that a gust of wind could blow them over. En, with Su Ruixi’s current physique, gaining another 10 jin21 or so would be normal and well-proportioned.
Sun Miao looked at the food containers Su Ruixi had eaten clean and felt a sense of achievement. She wanted to take the containers away to wash them at home. It wasn’t because she felt she had to do such things now that Su Ruixi was her girlfriend, but rather because Su Ruixi had been suffering from her stomach ailment all day. To make her wash dishes on top of that, Sun Miao would feel she wasn’t human.
Sun Miao certainly knew Su Ruixi had a dishwasher at home, but it was best not to wash insulated food containers in a dishwasher. They have sealing requirements and insulating coatings, and using a dishwasher could potentially damage these, so handwashing was still best.
Su Ruixi noticed Sun Miao’s intention and took the food containers back. She said softly, “It’s fine, the ayi22 can clean them when she comes to work. You don’t need to do it.”
Sun Miao was stunned for a moment, only then remembering: Su Ruixi was a rich person; of course she would hire an ayi. It was just that Su Ruixi usually acted so amiable and approachable that Sun Miao had forgotten this point. She said “En,” and replied, “Okay.”
Sun Miao actually didn’t know that Su Ruixi was deceiving her. The ayi had asked for leave to go back to her hometown, and Su Ruixi had approved it. For these past two days, there was no ayi at her house; she had to fend for herself23.
Sun Miao felt distressed for her, and Su Ruixi felt a sweet happiness in her heart, but she also felt distressed for Sun Miao.
She (Sun Miao) had already worked all day and even cooked for her; how could Su Ruixi let her wash the dishes for her as well?
LP: Hungry!
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Dangit LP, the description was enough to make my mouth water but you just had to include images!!!