usenovelgroup Chapter 9 Everything is fine
Chapter 9 Everything is fine
Under the warm yellow light, the steam rising from the sauerkraut fish dissipated in front of the group.
Zhang Dahai was the first to pick up his chopsticks.
He didn't rush to pick up the meat; instead, he first scooped up a spoonful of golden, clear fish soup with a porcelain spoon. He brought it to his lips, blew on it, and then tilted his head back.
The moment the soup entered his throat, the old carpenter's eyes widened suddenly, and a glimmer of clarity flashed in his previously cloudy pupils.
"This taste...isn't right." Zhang Dahai smacked his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.
"Xiuzhen, what did you put in this soup?"
The sourness wasn't burning my heart at all; instead, it felt like a warm breeze was seeping into my spine, so fresh it made my tongue melt.
Li Xiuzhen was picking up a piece of fish when she heard this, and without saying anything, she quickly put it in her mouth.
The moment the fish slice entered her mouth, its tenderness and smoothness completely stunned her.
She didn't chew hard; the fish meat melted away between her teeth, followed by a cool, spicy aroma of chili peppers released by the hot oil.
"I...I didn't lose anything either." Li Xiuzhen looked at Chen Feng somewhat dazedly, still holding her chopsticks in her hand.
"I did it the way I always do."
Fengzi helped me handle the fish and showed me when to turn off the heat... How come the fish is like a cloud, it just melts in my mouth?
Sitting on a raised stool, Mengmeng couldn't wait any longer after hearing this.
She carefully scooped up the nearest piece of braised pork with a small spoon, her movements shaky.
The braised pork belly gleamed a bright red under the light, and the skin on top was so shiny it reflected light.
Mengmeng took a small, careful bite; unlike the meat she used to eat in the cafeteria, it didn't get stuck in her teeth.
The moment the tooth touched it, the skin broke with a "poof".
The rich aroma of caramel and the savory flavor of braised pork filled her mouth; the rich yet not greasy texture was like a piece of warm, smooth jade.
"Daddy...the meat is dancing!" Mengmeng called out indistinctly, her little face smeared with a little bright red sauce.
Her big eyes curved into crescents, and she excitedly patted the table with her two little hands.
Looking at his daughter's satisfied expression, Chen Feng felt an even greater sense of satisfaction than if he had won a world culinary award himself.
He didn't rush to eat; instead, he casually picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of wild chives on the plates of Li Xiuzhen and Zhang Dahai.
"Auntie, Uncle, try this dish."
The lard seals the opening, so it's crispiest when eaten now.
Having just savored the delicious fish soup, Zhang Dahai couldn't wait any longer. He took a bite, and the bright green wild chives made a crisp "crunch" sound in his mouth.
In that instant, the spiciness of the dried chili peppers was perfectly enveloped by the rich aroma of lard, which made Zhang Dahai unable to resist any longer. He suddenly turned his head to look at Zhang Qiang, who was serving rice.
"Qiangzi! Stop dawdling! Hurry up and get me more rice! Fill it up!"
Ignoring how hot the rice cooker was, Zhang Qiang grabbed the inner pot and rushed over, his bowl piled high with rice like a small mountain.
"It's here! Dad, don't rush me, I'm practically drooling!"
Zhang Qiang plopped down, not even bothering to speak, and first scooped two large spoonfuls of thick sauce from the braised pork plate and poured it directly over the white rice.
The golden-red sauce slowly seeped into the gaps between the rice grains, as if each grain of rice was tinged with an enticing sheen.
Zhang Qiang picked up his chopsticks and frantically shoveled food into his mouth.
"Mmm... Fengzi, this sauce is fucking amazing with rice!"
Zhang Qiang mumbled between chews, "I could eat a whole pot of this rice with the sauce on! Mom, give me some of the broth from this pickled fish too!"
The atmosphere at the table became unusually simple at that moment—only the "clatter" of chopsticks tapping on the porcelain bowl and the sounds of swallowing could be heard.
Zhang Dahai usually eats slowly, but today he seemed like a different person, finishing a bowl of rice in just a few bites.
He pushed the bowl towards Zhang Qiang, his eyes fixed on the pot of pickled fish: "Another bowl, please! Pack it up really well!"
Li Xiuzhen, who had been eating elegantly, couldn't help but pick up her spoon and carefully mix the remaining bits of fish and pickled cabbage at the bottom of her bowl into her rice.
"Old man, slow down, no one's going to take it from you." Li Xiuzhen said, but her hands didn't slow down at all. She picked up another chopstick of chives, stuffed it into her mouth and chewed it heartily, her face full of satisfied blush.
Halfway through the meal, Zhang Qiang suddenly froze, holding a rice scoop and staring at the empty rice cooker.
"Mom... there's no more rice." Zhang Qiang shook the inner pot; it was completely empty, not even a single grain of rice remained. "That's it... all gone?"
Zhang Dahai's eyes widened: "Gone? Gone so quickly?!"
Li Xiuzhen glanced somewhat awkwardly at the empty rice cooker:
"I...I thought I'd cook a pound and a half of rice tonight, enough for the five of us."
Who knew this meal would taste so good today…
Zhang Qiang looked at the several plates on the table, most of which were empty, with resentment.
Even though there was no more rice, Zhang Dahai still picked up the last bit of fish soup broth and drank it all.
As for the braised pork, only a few lonely cloves of garlic remained;
Even the oil droplets at the bottom of the plate were wiped away by Zhang Qiang with the last bite of his morning steamed bun.
"Alright, Fengzi, taking care of the kids is just an excuse. What's really important is taking our lives."
Zhang Qiang slumped into a chair, rubbing his round belly, a look of lingering satisfaction on his face.
"This is the first time in my life I've felt that not having enough to eat is such a painful thing."
Chen Feng put down his chopsticks, looked at the empty porcelain bowl on the table, and smiled with relief.
"It's okay, you can have it every day if you want to."
"Qiangzi, where did you put your tea? I'd like some to help with digestion."
After clearing away the remaining dishes, the group didn't let Chen Feng lift a finger. Zhang Qiang took all the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen, while Li Xiuzhen busied herself boiling water.
Chen Feng and Zhang Dahai sat on bamboo chairs in the main room.
Mengmeng lay obediently on Chen Feng's lap, fiddling with the little wooden bird that Zhang Dahai had just given her.
"Fengzi, are you really at peace now that you're back?"
Zhang Dahai took a sip of strong tea, his gaze steady, his tone filled with concern.
"Although the capital city is a place where people eat each other, it is still under the emperor's nose."
"Aren't you really not wronged to have these hands back in the old street?"
Chen Feng leaned back in his chair, looking at the darkness outside the door, and gently shook his head.
"Uncle, back in the capital, I used to meet hundreds of people every day and direct dozens of chefs. Every dish had to be measured in grams."
That's work, not life.
Chen Feng gently stroked Mengmeng's hair, his voice soft yet firm.
"Here, I'll make jam for you, candied hawthorn for Mengmeng, and pull a bowl of noodles for Dazhuang and the others."
I can see their smiling faces after they finish eating, and that's the most reassuring thing.
And once Mengmeng starts school, I can pick her up and drop her off every day.
That's how you feel at ease.
"What we all seek in life is a sense of security, isn't it?"
Zhang Dahai was silent for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Good! You've got potential! That's the kind of person the Chen family should have!" Zhang Dahai patted Chen Feng on the shoulder.
"Go ahead and cause trouble in the old street. If you have any difficulties, just ask."
"Even though I'm an old man, I still have some standing in the old town."
Li Xiuzhen came in carrying a plate of sliced apples and joined the conversation.
The group chatted about all sorts of things.
They talked about Chen Feng's parents' adventures in Turkey, about which family on the old street was having a wedding, and about Zhang Qiang's embarrassing childhood story of being chased for three blocks by Zhang Dahai for stealing Chen Feng's grandfather's cured meat.
Mengmeng giggled as she listened, rolling around in Li Xiuzhen's arms.
At nine o'clock in the evening, Chen Feng, carrying Mengmeng who had already started to yawn, said goodbye to Zhang's parents.
The old street was quiet at night, with only the streetlights casting long shadows of the two people.
"Dad, do Grandpa Zhang and Grandma Li also really like your cooking?"
Mengmeng nestled on Chen Feng's shoulder, her voice soft and sweet, heavy with sleepiness.
"Yes, they like it very much."
"Then... will Mommy like it?" Mengmeng suddenly asked, her little hands tightly hugging Chen Feng's neck.
Chen Feng paused for a moment, then continued walking steadily forward:
"Mom likes many things, and she hasn't yet discovered how delicious Dad's cooking is."
"She might regret it when she finds out."
Mengmeng didn't seem to understand the last sentence, and just muttered softly, "I think Mom will definitely be drooling..."
Back home, Chen Feng put Mengmeng on her newly arranged little bed.
"Daddy, tell me a story..." Mengmeng rubbed her eyes and snuggled into her warm, cozy bed.
Chen Feng sat on the edge of the bed, opened a somewhat old picture book, and spoke in a low and soft voice, which carried a sense of reassurance.
"A long, long time ago, there was a very, very big castle, and in the castle lived a magician who was very good at cooking."
One day, he decided to leave that golden castle and, with his little princess, return to a small town filled with gardenias…
Chen Feng spoke slowly, each word like a drizzle falling on a calm surface of water.
Mengmeng's breathing gradually calmed down.
Her little hand was still clutching Chen Feng's shirt cuff, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she was eating that "dancing" braised pork again in her dream.
Chen Feng put down the picture book and gently tucked the blanket around his daughter.
He bent down and kissed his daughter on the forehead, then turned off the starry sky light.
The room fell completely silent.
Chen Feng walked out of the room, stood on the terrace, and looked at the distant mountains that were faintly visible at the end of the old street.
Looking at the scene before him, Chen Feng muttered to himself:
"Everything is fine."