Tokyo: Am I the only male tenant?

"Yeah, it's just ordinary shredded pork. Why are you asking that, Sosuke-kun?"

Matsumoto Tomoko raised her head and answered him softly.

"I used to eat stir-fried pork and vegetables at other places, but every time I felt that the meat would become broken and look like chewed gum. Why is there such a big difference?"

Ginjo raised his fork and put another large mouthful of shredded meat into his mouth while continuing to ask.

"Well, this is relatively cheap meat after all. If you just heat it up, the moisture and flavor of the pork will be lost like it's been thrown into a sieve."

"As long as it is marinated well and then coated with a layer of batter like cassava flour, the flavor will be locked into the meat and it will taste better, just like what I am doing now."

The wife carefully explained the reason to Yincheng.

No matter how ordinary the ingredients are, she can use superb techniques to transform them into impressive delicacies. This is the magic of Tomoko Matsumoto as a mature cooking beauty.

"Hmm, I see. Maybe those people before thought that pork would taste terrible if cooked, so they wanted to fry it with a love-hate relationship."

Even the same ingredients can taste completely different in the hands of different people.

Most people may just want to fill their stomachs, but my wife really puts all her passion into cooking.

Especially after Ginjo showed up, in addition to the in-depth communication between the two, the wife's happiest moment was seeing his satisfied look when he tasted her cooking.

That feeling was like reminding her that she was not just a useless housewife, but a woman that Ginjo could deeply rely on in some ways.

“And because of the tapioca flour, the combination between the meat, the yuzu vinegar and the cream is perfect.”

That’s right, the cassava starch coated in pork shreds not only locks in the delicious flavor of the pork itself, but also adds points to the sauce, bringing an excellent taste, turning it into a slightly thick and creamy pasta sauce.

The sour taste of yuzu vinegar and the strong smell of garlic, coupled with the rich aroma of the cream itself, make the whole plate of pasta extremely extraordinary, and it feels like it can occupy a place even in a high-end Western restaurant.

It is also delicious when mixed with freshly picked and finely chopped green onions, and even eggplant──

That’s right, eggplant.

The eggplant that was cooked in an extremely unorthodox way.

Ginjo Sousuke pierced the eggplant with a fork and put it into his mouth.

The taste was indescribable, it seemed like he had never tried eggplant like this before.

"How is it, Sosuke-kun? Eggplant prepared this way is delicious, right?"

"Yeah, Tomoko-san is really good at preparing eggplants, just like what she did on the balcony just now."

Ginjo's eyes flickered, a teasing smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Hate it, Sosuke-kun, you are making fun of me again. The eggplants are fresh and delicious because they are just picked."

Matsumoto Tomoko immediately understood what Ginjo was talking about. Her face was flushed and she picked up the cup beside her and took a big sip of water.

Being teased like this, the wife looked very embarrassed on the surface, but she was actually feeling very sweet in her heart.

When a man likes to tease you, it means he is really interested in you.

As a woman, Tomoko Matsumoto certainly understands this truth.

Every time Ginjo made such a joke to her, her heart would flutter, as if her girlish heart had awakened.

"Wow - it's really delicious. I didn't expect that the vegetables on Sister Tomoko's balcony would taste so good."

Because that doesn’t make sense, right?

Even the cream gave the eggplant a wonderful taste, and it tasted almost as good as if it were fried in oil. It was really unexpected.

"In that case, please eat a little more, Sosuke-kun. If it's not enough, there's still plenty in the kitchen."

Matsumoto Tomoko muttered to herself as she put another large ball of pasta on Ginjo's plate.

Ginjo nodded vigorously, complementing his meal with an admiring sound.

If you want to get rid of the rich creamy taste of yuzu vinegar in your mouth, eat the salad that my wife just made with the main course.

The salad is a simple dish made by dicing avocado and cucumber from the refrigerator, mixing them with corn, Tabasco sauce, salt and lemon juice.

It tastes spicy and refreshing, and is a dish with a unique flavor. The mini tomatoes added in it are extremely fresh.

Ginjo gradually stopped thinking about anything too troublesome, and moved his fork with a happy and innocent look on his face, enjoying the delicious food. However, he realized something was wrong halfway through eating.

"Hmm? Sister Tomoko?"

The expression of Matsumoto Tomoko in front of him looked inexplicably stiff.

What did my wife eat? She seemed to have put the mini tomatoes from the salad into her mouth.

He seemed to be hesitant, not knowing what to say, and a few inexplicable wrinkles appeared between his thin willow-shaped brows.

"Are these tomatoes unripe? Or are they rotten?"

The first thing that Ginjo Sosuke was worried about was the freshness of the ingredients.

"Well, it's no problem, Sosuke-kun..."

"Why is that? They looked beautifully ripe, so I suggested adding some tomatoes to the salad."

"It's not Sousuke-kun's problem, nor is it Tomato's problem..."

"For me, it doesn't matter which one I eat."

"what?"

Matsumoto Tomoko drank the water in the mug, then seemed to come to her senses and sighed.

"How should I talk about this... I feel so embarrassed..."

"Are you embarrassed?"

"Oh, forget it. It's useless to hide it now. I might as well say it directly."

Hey, hey, what’s going on?

Seeing his wife pretending to tell him something important that had been hidden for a long time, Yincheng couldn't help but sit up straight and listen attentively.

Unexpectedly, what she said next was, in a sense, beyond Ginjo's understanding.

"Actually the reason is that I really hate eating raw tomatoes..."

"what?"

"It's OK if they're heated or processed, but eating raw tomatoes makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Especially the mini tomatoes which I swallowed whole without any seasoning, it was like challenging my limits."

After Matsumoto Tomoko finished speaking, she stared at the mini tomatoes in the salad on her plate with a complicated expression.

Ginjo thought about it carefully and realized that his wife rarely used raw tomatoes in her daily cooking. Most of them were cooked or chopped and mixed into the ingredients.

Why is that? Ginjo Sousuke couldn't help but look at the balcony across from the living room.

The warm lights illuminate the mini tomatoes planted in large pots, giving off a soft and natural glow.

"Then why does Sister Tomoko still plant them?"

This is a question that Yincheng has from the bottom of his heart: why does his wife want to grow vegetables and fruits that she hates?

"Why? That is to say, why is it so..."

"I think it's just because I'm already this age, but I still have the bad habit of being picky about food. I can't forgive myself for that..."

Tomoko Matsumoto gently put down the chopsticks in her hand, and her tone sounded a little conflicted and helpless.

"Is that the reason?"

Yincheng didn't expect that his wife had such a hidden side.

"Yeah... It's not like I don't have the thought 'One day I'm going to find a way to overcome you, you bastard!', but I just hate things..."

"It's okay to eat one or two, but if you buy them outside, you have to buy at least a box at a time, right?"

"Well, that's right."

Bulk mini tomatoes or something doesn't sound very realistic.

"That's why I want to grow them in pots. If I only eat a ripe mini tomato, it's acceptable. This is more in line with my pace."

"pace..."

"By the way, raw tomatoes...how should I describe them...I used to think that there shouldn't be any unpalatable food in this world..."

So my wife is trying to overcome her picky eating problem in this way? I think that's fair enough, right?

The space on the balcony is limited. She is a mature woman who always worries about where to put the potted plants, but she still makes a space to grow tomatoes that she hates and frowns after eating them.

Maybe it was because she usually acted too perfect, but when he accidentally discovered that his wife had some differences from ordinary people, Ginjo felt that she was even more adorable in real life.

Thinking of this, Ginjo Sousuke couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth again.

"Hmm, I didn't want to say it because I was worried that Sousuke-kun would laugh at me..."

"I'm not laughing. I just think Tomoko-san is so cute like this."

"You're lying. Sousuke-kun's face is twitching."

In order to hide his expression that was about to laugh, Ginjo quickly picked up his chopsticks and put the delicious pasta into his mouth.

However, even though Ginjo laughed at her, Matsumoto Tomoko was not angry at all and still liked him as much as before.

Just like when you smell the scent of sweet osmanthus you will think of the appearance of the flower, and a sweet feeling will fill your heart.

It's incredible that as soon as I see his face, I immediately think of how much I like him.

He always accompanies me in cooking and eating together.

This kind of patience alone is enough to satisfy myself.

"Oh, by the way, Sousuke-kun, who has green onions on his mouth, I have something to ask of you."

When the meal was almost over, Matsumoto Tomoko spoke as if she remembered something, and leaned over to wipe the chopped green onion from Ginjō's mouth as if nothing had happened.

"Please?"

"Yes, can you come to my balcony and help me water the plants for two days starting from next Tuesday?"

"Just watering it is all right? Is Tomoko going somewhere?"

"Well, I'm going to go back to my parents' house, but I should be back the next day."

"Is that so? No problem. Leave it to me."