Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 382: Yam Pumpkin Porridge and Refreshing Pickles

Stir it with a spoon and the pumpkin chunks will melt into shreds of pumpkin flesh, blending into the millet porridge which is beginning to become thick.

The pot of porridge looked golden and yellow, and exuded the unique sweet fragrance of pumpkin, but it was not thick enough, so it had to be cooked for a while longer before the chopped yam could be added.

Shen Yu was just thinking about preparing two kinds of pickles to go with the porridge later, when he looked up and saw the old housekeeper Lu walking in slowly.

As soon as he entered the door, he sniffed hard and said with a smile: "What a nice smell! I have never smelled such a smell before. It has aroused my greed."

Shen Yu quickly put down the bamboo chopsticks and the plate of pickles in his hand, and came over to bow.

The old housekeeper waved his hand in a friendly manner and said, "Miss, there is no need to be polite. Just go about your business."

"I was bored staying in the house, so I came to take a look."

"How's the lunch going? Do you want me to help?"

Shen Yu smiled and said, "It's almost done. The goose meat in the pot will be stewed for a while before it can be used to make pancakes."

"There's nothing to do. Please sit here for a while while I prepare these two small pickles."

As he spoke, he bowed slightly and turned back to prepare the dish of pickled radishes that he had just taken out of the pickle jar.

Cut the whole pickled radish into thin slices, and then cut into thin strips.

Rinse briefly with hot water to remove excess salt and squeeze dry.

Add some sugar, vinegar, sweet soy sauce, and a few drops of sesame oil.

Finally, add some boiled pepper oil and stir evenly.

Shen Yu saw a pot of coriander planted in a clay pot in the kitchen. It was growing lush green. It was rare to see such a green leafy vegetable in this season.

Carefully pick one, wash it with clean water, cut it into small pieces and sprinkle it on the red shredded radish.

With the garnish of green coriander segments, an ordinary plate of pickled shredded radish becomes fresh and fragrant, looking refreshing and appetizing.

Another small dish of pickles is pickled mustard greens.

Mustard greens have a strong flavor of their own. Pickled yellow-green mustard greens with the addition of balsamic vinegar, garlic slices, and pepper oil smell sour, spicy, and pungent, and are extremely refreshing.

After finishing all these, the goose meat in the pot was almost cooked.

Shen Yu opened the lid of the pot and added the chopped cabbage and soaked mushrooms.

After adding salt to season, stick the prepared dough around the edge of the pot and cover the pot again.

The old butler sat at the table with great interest, watching Shen Yu working in an orderly manner, nodding secretly with admiration in his eyes.

Shen Yu put the pancake on the cake, put the chopped yam into the pumpkin millet porridge, stirred it, and said with a smile: "Simmer it for another cup of tea, and then we can eat."

As soon as he finished speaking, County Magistrate Lu Zheng walked in.

When everyone saw that it was the county magistrate, they all came over to pay their respects.

Lu Zheng waved his hand and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the old butler sitting here idly.

He smiled and said, "Butler Lu, why did you come here alone?"

"I thought you were not going to the Bible Study Hall, but would be wandering around nearby."

"I didn't expect that when I went to the dining hall at lunch time, I didn't see you."

"Why didn't you go to the Guang'an Temple fair? Instead, you went back to the county government office. It took me so long to find you."

"Finally I asked the monk guarding the back door where you left from. I thought you might have come back, so I finally found you."

The old housekeeper smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, sir. I am old and don't like to make noises."

"There were too many people at Guang'an Temple. I took a quick look and came back."

"I forgot to inform the master. It's my fault."

Lu Zheng doesn't care about these details at all.

It's just that the old butler was sent by his father and he is old. Now that he has come to live with him, of course he has to be careful and take care of him as his master.

Lu Zheng then noticed that Shen Yu and the others were also here, and he immediately became happy: "Miss Shen, why are you here too?"

"I have to thank you very much. If you hadn't given me the scriptures, I wouldn't know how worried I would be right now."

Without waiting for Shen Yu to answer, Lu Zheng asked in confusion: "I heard that you were busy making flower cakes and pastries these two days. I guess it was very hard. Why are you here to cook now?"

Qi Xi was busy taking credit for Shen Yu: "In reply to the master, there was a problem with the fireworks prepared by the canal today. The young master and the two masters took people there early in the morning, and they haven't returned yet."

"No one is packing the gift baskets to be distributed tomorrow. The young master asked me to call Miss Shen's siblings to help."

"Thanks to them, they worked all morning to pack two hundred gift baskets."

"Miss Shen knew that Chef Jiang had taken leave and was not in the county government office. She was worried that we would not have food to eat, so she came to the kitchen to cook porridge for us."

"Miss Shen has been working so hard. She has been busy since this morning and has not stopped."

Shen Yu blushed slightly after hearing this. She was not as busy and hard-working as Qi Xi said.

Packing a gift basket is not a physical job, it’s just a matter of dividing it up. The two of them worked together and finished it easily.

Cooking is even easier. Several people help her prepare the food, and she is only responsible for seasoning and frying.

It is more interesting to do these things than to listen to sermons in the Bible study hall, where I have to try hard not to fall asleep.

Lu Zheng was very approving and praised Shen Yu again.

Shen Yu was praised so much that he didn't know whether to stand or sit. He just bowed with a red face and ran to the stove to see how the food was being cooked.

As soon as the lid of the pot was opened, a strong aroma of meat wafted into the air and spread among the chefs.

Lu Zheng sniffed and said with great interest: "What's stewing in that pot? It smells so good."

Qi Xi said hurriedly: "Miss Shen said that this dish is called goose stewed in an iron pot, with a circle of pancakes around it."

"The dishes are ready, and the pancakes are cooked, too. This is called cooking vegetables and rice in one pot. It saves time and tastes good."

The old housekeeper said, "Master, have you had lunch yet? Would you like to have some here?"

Lu Zheng originally planned to find the old butler and take him to the dining hall of Guang'an Temple to have vegetarian meals.

At this moment, smelling the overbearing aroma of goose meat, I couldn't move my feet and swallowed back the words that were about to come out of my mouth.

He cursed in his heart, "What a shame!" and said without hesitation, "I haven't had lunch yet. There are so many people in the dining hall. I'm afraid there won't be any food to eat if I rush over now."

The old housekeeper was knowledgeable and immediately realized that Lu Zheng wanted to stay, so he hurriedly said, "Then the master should condescend to use some of it here."

"I see that Miss Shen cooks neatly and efficiently. The food smells delicious and must taste even better."

Lu Zheng said, "Okay, I'll eat here today and not compete with the people for vegetarian food."