Courtyard House: Passing through the Silly Pillar, Activating the Blessed Cave Heaven

77

When he had prepared the scallions, ginger, and garlic, he noticed that the fire in the stove had weakened, so he added two more pieces of firewood to the stove.

He Yuzhu washed the potatoes, diced them, and placed them on the cutting board. Then he quickly chopped the scallions, ginger, and garlic, and neatly arranged them on a plate.

He picked up the chopping block, rinsed it clean, and stood it against the wall to drain. Then he turned around, took out the rolling pin, and pulled out the large cutting board for making noodles from under the cupboard.

He first sprinkled a thin layer of flour on the cutting board, then scooped the rested dough from the basin and rolled it back and forth with a rolling pin. In no time, the dough was rolled into an even thickness.

He Yuzhu folded the rolled-out dough into several layers, and with a swift motion, cut out thin, long noodles.

He noticed that the iron pot on the stove was not yet boiling, so he quickly cleaned the wok, placed it on the stove burner next to it, and took out a few pieces of glowing red charcoal from the firebox of the neighboring stove.

The flames instantly leaped up. He tiptoed, took out ten eggs from the cupboard, cracked the egg mixture into a bowl, added some chopped green onions, and stirred it to create a golden swirl.

As soon as the wok started to smoke, he tossed a piece of lard into it.

The moment the oil melted, he poured the egg mixture into the pan, quickly frying it into fluffy scrambled eggs, which he then served.

Next, he added a spoonful of lard to the pot, sautéed the scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then added diced potatoes and stir-fried them in the pot.

Just then, the water in another pot boiled. He lifted the lid with one hand and slid the noodles into the boiling water like silverfish.

While the potatoes were simmering, He Yuzhu took out the cooked noodles and rinsed them with cold water.

Looking at the snow-white noodles in the porcelain basin, he suddenly frowned—the noodles were missing some green vegetables.

His gaze swept over the empty vegetable basket, then he darted into the blessed land and rushed towards the vegetable patch by the lake.

He picked up the sickle and swung it, cutting down a handful of chives still covered in dew, which he quickly brought back to the stove.

The chives turned bright green and translucent after being quickly blanched in boiling water.

Over there, in the wok with the fire blazing, the potatoes were stewed until soft and flavorful.

He Yuzhu sprinkled some salt into the pot and drizzled on some cooking oil, and a rich aroma instantly filled the air.

He then poured the previously fried golden scrambled eggs back into the pan and stir-fried them a few times.

Then, he squatted down, pulled out the firewood from the stove, and stirred the ashes with iron tongs. The embers quickly went out.

He Yuzhu carried the basin into the main room, then turned back into the inner room and gently woke up the sleeping He Yushui.

The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and asked softly, "Big brother?"

"The sun's already high in the sky," He Yuzhu gently flicked his sister's forehead. "Go wash your face, it's time for lunch."

He Yuzhu watched as He Yushui put on her shoes and got out of bed. He then went into the kitchen, scooped the egg and potato sauce from the pot into a bowl, tore open the packaging of the dried chicken, and plated the chicken.

He placed the meat sauce bowl and the chicken platter on a tray, washed two more sets of bowls and chopsticks, and carried them all to the main room.

By this time, He Yushui had already washed her face and was sitting at the dining table waiting.

He Yuzhu put down the tray and placed the dishes on the table one by one.

He first picked up He Yushui's small bowl, filled it with noodles, poured a spoonful of sauce on it, and handed it to her so she could mix it herself.

Then, he scooped himself a big bowl of noodles, poured several spoonfuls of sauce on top, and stirred it well.

After sitting down, he picked up a chicken leg and put it into He Yushui's bowl.