Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 960 - 942. Come have a bowl of spicy soup!

Chapter 960: 942. Come have a bowl of spicy soup!

A hundred thousand parcels, six people, to be exact, whoever was available would help out, and after an entire day of packing, the delivery station owners were all stiff and staggering as the van was crammed full and ready to depart.

It was Master Jiang who stopped them: "Don’t go yet, don’t go, come have a bowl of hot and spicy soup to warm up."

Workers were heading home one after another. With the cold weather and little to do on the mountain, Master Jiang, recently taking remote instructions from his wife, was tidying up the house, joyfully immersing himself in his tasks every day.

The ones picking vegetables at night were still there, just a few of them. He would stew a pot of steaming hot soup during the day, be it pork ribs, silver ear mushrooms, or whatever. When night came, he would go to sleep, letting Zhai Xiaofeng with nothing else to do come over for the night shift and do a bit of cleaning, while also frying some rice or boiling some noodles for everyone...

Hot and steamy, having such a bowl before and after work, fills the stomach and comforts the person, with both veggies and meat included...

How nice is that!

So it is now, a big pot of hot and spicy soup, inviting them to have a drink and warm up their bodies, to avoid getting stiff when driving later.

How considerate, right?

The crowd glanced at Brother Xiaozhang who’d been genuinely busy and sniffling all day, thinking no wonder this guy is so keen, turns out he gets a meal every time he comes!

Brother Xiaozhang was baffled at first, then got indignant: How can I be like you guys?

I come here after one or two in the afternoon, deliberately avoiding meal times! It’s not that I don’t want to eat; it’s that I can’t be too opportunist! I’m content if I can bring some small things back for my wife!

But he didn’t show his embarrassment— he joked, "I’m living such a good life, just go ahead and be envious!"

So he washed his hands leisurely with an unfazed expression and then followed everyone into the canteen... He couldn’t let on that it was his first time here, after all!

But everyone was no longer paying attention to him!

Because the smell of the hot and spicy soup was too stimulating!

Just by hearing the name, you know it’s pepper and chili, these are the two most prominent flavors! And Master Jiang’s big ladle stirring in the pot made everyone’s appetite even more aroused!

He was chuckling, "I cooked this for their midnight snack, it’s got beef, peanuts, kelp, and whatnot in it... You all know hot and spicy soup, right? You all can eat it, can’t you?"

Master Jiang, being a chef, habitually said a few words in case anyone was picky about the ingredients, but at this moment, who would be that picky!

Having been cold all day, even a sip of hot water would make them sigh in relief, and the hot and spicy soup was already the best choice!

And come on, who doesn’t know about hot and spicy soup! It’s famous all over the country!

Seeing them nod, Master Jiang got out the big bowls and generously filled one for each person, then lifted the lid of the small stove beside him, hesitatingly saying, "The meat for the meat-stuffed bread isn’t fully stewed yet, how about I just whip up a dish to stuff in bread for you to eat?"

Ah, how could we impose!

While refusing, their feet seemed glued to the spot, now holding a steaming bowl of hot and spicy soup, unable to move an inch!

Master Jiang: ...

Alright then! Why ask? Just do it!

He stuck the bread to the stove, meanwhile adeptly peeling and shredding two potatoes, his seamless movements not giving anyone a chance to interrupt.

As he bustled about, he also flipped the bread, then scooped up a handful of green beans and washed them.

The crowd watched in awe, anyone could tell he was a chef with such flair! So they hurriedly took a spoonful of hot and spicy soup to taste!

The starchy water from washing the wheat gluten was used to thicken the broth, which was murky with a generous amount of beef cooked within because it was meant to be a midnight snack. Although the peanuts were boiled soft, the resulting flavor was surprisingly aromatic!

The thick and soft kelp, the tenacious daylily, and the broken vermicelli soaked full of broth were stirred together with the soup thickened by chili, pepper, and various seasonings. With one bite...

"Ah..."

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief in unison!

The pepper was spicy and hot, the chili was also steamy, and the soup was full of energy. Now with one bite, it slipped warmly into the stomach...

In the dead of winter, who wouldn’t be satisfied?

At this moment, they simultaneously glanced at Brother Xiaozhang, thinking enviously, what kind of great fortune did this guy have to land such a big client!

And Brother Xiaozhang was too busy eating to look up! Feeling their gazes, he suddenly gave a sly smile, "Don’t get me wrong! The chef was hired by Lao Song’s family, you guys just cooperate with the village’s delivery service... The village doesn’t provide meals, you know!"

He saw Master Jiang rummaging through the basket for ingredients, and immediately became animated with pride:

"You guys! You’re really basking in my reflected glory this time, you know that?"

Tell me, why is this guy so annoying? He had been willingly helping everyone (his competitors) all day long, with snot dripping in the cold without leaving, and everyone was actually quite moved by that!

But why did you have to say something like that? It’s so irritating!

Thinking about how everyone else won’t get to eat this in the future, and only Xiaozhang would have the privilege, their mood worsened even more!

Without having a second bowl of the spicy soup, they couldn’t swallow their resentment!

Just then, they heard a "sizzle" sound, followed by a rich yet refreshing acidic fragrance. Master Jiang peeked out from the kitchen, "Green pepper and potato shredded bun, plus another serving of sweet and sour green beans, okay?"

Oh my god, if that’s not okay, then what ever will be?

Everyone at this moment was looking at Brother Xiaozhang, their eyes almost dripping with jealousy, and then without a second word, they dashed to the window and said, "Master! We really thank you! We’ve been waiting for something warm like this!"

Master Jiang laughed heartily as well, "Don’t thank me, I’m just idle anyway, it’s no trouble at all. You should thank Lao Song’s family, they instructed, if you guys get hungry, just make whatever you want!"

This is the benefit of a generous host; free use of the kitchen, get whatever you want without a fuss over an extra handful of bean sprouts!

Living such days, nurturing the body – truly, it’s the height of comfort!

Master Jiang glanced at the dormitory and sighed: Why hasn’t my wife come yet? We need to set a date for the pig slaughtering feast!

But those returning to the table with their small dishes and buns couldn’t help but sigh:

Lao Song’s family must be so generous! To hire such a chef just to cook for the staff meal?! Their town’s decades-old restaurants can’t even compare!

The sweet and sour green beans were fresh and crispy, the slight acidity of the vinegar tantalizing the appetite. Despite just having drunk half a bowl of soup, they were now eager to eat more!

And the baked bun, slightly golden brown and crusty on the outside, was tender inside, soaked yellow by the gravy of the potato shreds. The potatoes were deliberately fried till slightly crispy; biting into it, the crust of the bun was almost crumbling!

The flavor! It was amazing!

Such home-cooked dishes are not easily perfected by just anyone!

After chewing and swallowing all the fragrance, followed by another sip of the hot soup, and chewing on each well-seasoned ingredient, one felt warm from the inside out, any stiffness in the body completely gone!

Delicious!

So incredibly delicious, wow!!