Chapter 40: Gifts
"What wish did you make?" Shen Qingzhou asked him.
"Do I really have to say it?" Meng Xiaoxi blushed, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Truly unable to hide their feelings, every emotion is written on their face, as pure as a drop of dew between the leaves in the morning, crystal clear.
However, it seems certain that it has to do with the two of them. Shen Qingzhou smiled and said, "No need! Not saying it is the best; it's better to wait until it's achieved."
Meng Xiaoxi nodded, sighed in relief, and her face seemed to redden a bit more.
The two of them started sharing the cake, and Shen Qingzhou helped him cut a big piece, holding it on a plate.
Nowadays, the cane sugar isn't as white, and the whipped cheese has a slightly yellowish appearance, but due to the sufficient force, the finished product is smooth and delicate, looking very tempting.
Meng Xiaoxi scooped up a small piece with a spoon, extended her tongue to lick it, and exclaimed in surprise, "So sweet! The gamey taste is gone, and goat milk can actually make something like this!”
"Is it delicious? Try some more cake with red beans, and there's also fruit. Eating just this is too much." Shen Qingzhou suggested.
"Delicious!"
Meng Xiaoxi listened to him and this time dug out a bit more, mixed a few things together, and sent them all into his mouth.
The fruit is slightly sour, the cream and red beans are sweet and delightful, the cake is rich and aromatic, colorful and complex, yet they blend perfectly together. This flavor is simply amazing!
Meng Xiaoxi happily squinted her eyes: "So delicious! Shen-ge, can I still have this for my birthday next year?”
Actually, after watching the whole process, he generally knows how to do it, but whipping the egg whites and cheese is still too difficult for him; he simply doesn't have the strength.
Shen Qingzhou was about to burst out laughing, ‘This guy! He can't possibly think that this can only be eaten on his birthday, right?’
"Of course! Of course I can!” Shen Qingzhou couldn't stop laughing, "No need to wait until next year, I'll make it for you again when the weather cools down!"
It's too hot now, and without a refrigerator, it will spoil in less than a day. If made in mid-winter, it could last at least two or three days.
"Really? Great!”
Meng Xiaoxi was filled with joy, for the first time feeling that the harsh winter, where breath turned to frost, was also something to look forward to.
It's delicious, but eating too much of it really makes you feel sick; the sugar and oil content is too high.
The two of them finished their respective pieces but restrained themselves from asking for more, wanting to save some room for dinner.
The remaining portion was divided into three parts: one for Yao Kang and his group, one for the mute girl next door, and one for Yu Qiu at Uncle San's house.
Even after finishing the meal, Meng Xiaoxi still found it hard to believe. He couldn't help but sigh, "Shen-ge! From now on, don't say you're not good at cooking anymore. You can make such delicious food; those street vendors selling food might not even be able to compare!"
Shen Qingzhou smiled and didn't say anything. In fact, this cake wasn't too successful; its appearance was average, and the texture barely held up. He mainly benefited from the ingredients—eggs, cane sugar, goat's milk, honey, and fruits. Any one of these ingredients would be a rare delicacy in this era.
If you can make ordinary food taste delicious, that's truly impressive, like the person sitting across from him.
"The food is pretty good tonight. You should have a couple of drinks with Uncle Yao later. I'm going to make dinner now." Meng Xiaoxi stood up and said.
"Okay, I'll help you start the fire."
It's hot now, and cooking isn't a good job. After a dish is ready, the cook is drenched in sweat.
"Okay, you take the fan and the sweat cloth, let's start with the fish."
In the morning, he not only bought honey and a few kinds of fruits and vegetables at the market, but also brought back a large grass carp weighing four to five pounds and a small rooster. Among the chickens at home, there are quite a few males, but they are still too small now. They probably won't be big enough to make a dish until around the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The little rooster Yao Daocheng helped with the killing in the afternoon, a layer of salt was rubbed on it, the fish was also killed and chopped, marinated with spices in a small basin, and covered in a cool place. It should be well-seasoned by now.
"Make it spicy and numbing, okay? Put in more Sichuan pepper and chili, make it a bit spicier so it's good with rice and doesn't spoil easily. If it's too spicy, eat a piece of watermelon to cool down. Stir-fry the little rooster, then fry a plate of pumpkin flowers and stir-fry a bowl of green soybeans.”
"Fine, suit yourself."
Shen Qingzhou couldn't offer any suggestions for cooking; he blindly trusted Meng Xiaoxi's skills.
Even the shady spots weren't very cool. Meng Xiaoxi had tied up all his hair and rolled his sleeves up to his upper arms. Despite exercising for so long, his arms still looked slender and hadn't tanned, like the freshly sprouted lotus stems in the pond in September.
He was busy preparing food by the stone platform, with beads of sweat occasionally rolling down his forehead, winding down the side of his ear, and then falling onto his collar or disappearing into the nape of his neck.
Shen Qingzhou drew up two buckets of cold water from the well, saving them for washing vegetables. Seeing this scene, he suddenly felt parched.
He is already eighteen years old, and counting today, he has been eighteen for a year. Yet, the two of them act as if they are playing house, getting all excited over a simple kiss.
Last time it rained, the atmosphere helped him out a bit. After it ended, he practically fled back to his room. During dinner, he didn't even dare to look him in the eye or talk to him, and it took a day or two for things to get back to normal.
If we take it a step further—
Shen Qingzhou swallowed hard; today was his birthday. It wasn't that he was deliberately squeezing in time for that damn sense of ceremony, but rather that he had the chance to drink with him tonight.
After getting drunk, Meng Xiaoxi is completely different; he becomes shy, takes the initiative, and even gets a bit domineering, fully unleashing another side of himself.
Shen Qingzhou was secretly calculating how to coax him into allowing him to stay that night, and how to appease him in the morning so he wouldn't be angry. He wasn't very attentive with the fire, and the little rooster almost got burnt.
"What's wrong, Brother Shen?" Meng Xiaoxi asked him, "You didn't get heatstroke, did you?"
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