The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 571 - 560: The First Cooking Show

Chapter 571: Chapter 560: The First Cooking Show

Zhou SiLang asked disdainfully, "Then how do you say we should plant it?"

"Dig it up and replant?"

Zhou SiLang put his hands on his hips and beckoned, "Come on then, tell me, what is this flower called, how deep should it be planted, how much space should be left around it, and which ones are climbing vines that need a trellis..."

Manbao looked at him with a face of innocence.

Zhou SiLang asked, "Do you know?"

Manbao paused before shaking her head, "I know some, but not others."

The siblings looked at each other for a long time before each gave in a little, Manbao knew some, and the particularly large plants were moved to one side, as were some of the climbing vines. The rest stayed in place.

The workload was not small; there were some places in the small courtyard where the soil was insufficient, and Zhou SiLang had to figure out how to dig some up from outside.

So Bai Shanbao and Bai Erlang would help out.

Mr. Zhuang looked on as they busied themselves in their spare time so cheerfully and decided not to fuss about them slipping over to the Yan Residence next door.

After all, their academic tasks were hefty recently, but one cannot read all the time, and letting them go out to play raised the fear they might go wild.

In Mr. Zhuang’s view, it was just right to have something in the small courtyard for them to play with.

Mr. Zhuang stood at the door for a while, feeling they had relaxed enough, he beckoned, "Come back in for class."

Playing in the mud, oh, rather, the three gardeners reluctantly accepted the invitation, then handed the trowel to Zhou SiLang and all went back to the study to read.

Daji stepped in to help them out.

Though his main duty was to follow his young master and ensure their safety, he would also lend a hand with some chores at home; he couldn’t let all the work fall on Zhou SiLang’s shoulders.

Zhou SiLang had grown used to this arrangement, essentially enjoying more free time, while Daji stayed with Manbao and the others.

This is why he could feel at ease running out now and then without worrying about Manbao’s safety.

The three were (reluctantly) engrossed in their studies, and time flew swiftly; before they realized it, the day had passed.

In the same vein, before they realized it, Tomb-Sweeping Day arrived.

Following Tomb-Sweeping Day would be the academy exam.

On Tomb-Sweeping Day, Mr. Zhuang left the small courtyard alone, reportedly to pay homage to his former teacher, who was also Manbao and the others’ Senior Sister.

In any case, the three of them rarely had a day off.

But there wasn’t much fun to be had outside, and the weather was gloomy, threatening rain at any moment.

The three sat idly in the courtyard for a while before deciding to take a walk outside.

However, after wandering the main streets for half a day, they discovered that even the eateries weren’t really open today. If they wanted food, they either had to go to a large restaurant or cook for themselves.

With even eateries closed for the most part, let alone other shops, the streets were deserted, and most people had gone out of town.

Looking at each other, they felt somewhat disheartened and eventually bought some vegetables and meat to take home.

Zhou SiLang was stunned when he saw their purchases, "Did you buy this for me to cook?"

Manbao said, "We can cook together."

After thinking about it, she felt she could have Keke instruct her, perhaps even outdo Zhou Si’s cooking.

So she declared, "I’ll do the cooking."

Zhou SiLang thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, you’re a girl; you should have a natural talent."

So everyone began to wash rice and cook it, cleaned vegetables, and chopped meat. With everything prepared, they all turned to Manbao.

Manbao, in her heart, spoke to Keke, "Keke, come on, bring up the recipe."

Keke scanned her available ingredients and searched her purchased recipes for corresponding or similar dishes.

Then Manbao grandly gestured, "Light the fire!"

Before long, Manbao, sweating profusely, added water to the pot and asked, "How much is the right amount of water?"

Keke replied, "Host, my only responsibility is to bring up the recipe; you have to learn for yourself."

Bai Shanbao said matter-of-factly, "The right amount is just what feels right, aren’t you the cook? How should I know if you ask me?"

Manbao replied, "I wasn’t asking you."

It was just a moment of panic that made her blurt out the question.

She glanced at the water in the pot, then looked at the greens in the basket, and thoughtfully added a bit more water.

Continuing to the next step, "A pinch of salt, but how much is a pinch?"

Manbao cautiously shook some salt into the pot, and Bai Shanbao watched in amazement, "Manbao, can you really cook?"

Manbao defended herself with confidence, "I am learning."

"Maybe we should let your Zhou Si do it."

"No!" Zhou SiLang and Manbao refused in unison.

Zhou SiLang encouraged Manbao, "I think the dishes our sister-in-law makes aren’t very salty but still taste great."

Manbao was somewhat unsure, "Really?"

Zhou SiLang nodded vigorously.

Emboldened, Manbao looked to the next step, then hesitated, "Oh no, salt is supposed to be added when the dish is almost ready, but I haven’t even added the vegetables yet..."

Zhou SiLang: ...

After much ado, Manbao managed to produce a pot of food.

Including Daji, the five people silently gathered around the pot in the center of the table. It didn’t look too bad, though the vegetables seemed a bit overcooked.

Swallowing hard, Bai Shanbao pointed at Manbao, "You made it, you try it first."

Confidently, Manbao picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of vegetable and put it in her mouth.

The four of them watched her as Manbao paused, then chewed and swallowed composedly under their gaze, nodding, "Mmm, not bad, meaty vegetables are indeed different, go ahead and eat."

Relieved by her words, everyone reached for their bowls to scoop rice and vegetables.

After taking a bite of the vegetables, Bai Shanbao paused and glanced at the other three, chewed and swallowed with effort, and quietly put down his bowl and chopsticks after they had eaten.

Bai Erlang could hardly hold back after half a bite, exclaiming, "Zhou Man, you didn’t add salt!"

Manbao slapped the back of his head, annoyed, "Call me Senior Sister!"

Bai Erlang covered his head and retorted, "You’re taking your frustration out on me!"

Zhou SiLang also set down his bowl and chopsticks, sighing, "I miss the dishes our sister-in-law used to make."

Even Daji had only taken one bite before asking, "Should we go get some dishes from the restaurant?"

"But what about this pot of food?" Zhou SiLang said, "It’s too wasteful, there’s meat in it too, and we don’t keep chickens or pigs at home; we might as well eat it."

"Even pigs might not eat it," Bai Shanbao hesitated, "It’s cooked too mushy, it wouldn’t be good even with salt."

Without a word, Manbao looked around and then said, "I’ll go with what you guys think."

Clearly, she didn’t really want to eat the pot of food she had made herself.

After pondering, Zhou SiLang finally added some salt to the pot and stirred it before saying, "I’ll give it away. You all go buy some dishes from the restaurant, and remember to come back quickly, or the rice will get cold."