Quick Travel: Destiny for Thirty Lifetimes

Ji Yunchen actually didn't cook very often. It was usually his mother who cooked at home. If she was too busy, the villagers would ask a few aunts to cook a big pot of rice for everyone to eat together. The eldest and second brothers in the family inherited their father's reputation as a kitchen killer and knew nothing about cooking.

As the youngest child in the family, no one expected Ji Yunchen to cook, so the first few times he tried to cook were when he was a child, he caught pheasants and rabbits and roasted or boiled them and shared them with his friends. The family usually only ate meat during the Chinese New Year, and when there was meat to eat, no one cared whether it tasted good or not, they just stuffed it into their mouths whole.

Being stared at intently by Lian Qingyang, Ji Yunchen was a little nervous. He pretended to be calm and started working slowly. Although he had never cooked this dish before, the process seemed to be imprinted on his soul, making his movements orderly and skillful.

Thinking that Lian Qingyang was afraid that the meat would have a fishy smell, he blanched the chicken first. At that time, onions, ginger and garlic had to be purchased with tickets. Fortunately, someone in the educated youth institute got some onion seedlings and planted two rows of them by the wall of the compound. There were also some small chili peppers to cover up the slight fishy smell of the chicken.

The pheasant that Ji Yunchen caught was quite big. The chicken was a bit tough and not easy to cook, so he simply stir-fried it in a pan and then added water and simmered it over high heat.

By the time everyone had finished their meal and cleared their bowls, the rice had just finished cooking. Even before the lid was lifted, the aroma was overwhelming, but at least it wasn't that strong, so everyone could still resist and enjoy their meal while savoring the aroma. As soon as Ji Yunchen lifted the lid, the aroma that had been trapped inside the pot was like a bird released from a cage, instantly dispersing and wafting into everyone's nose.

Lian Qingyang was completely focused on the meat in the pot, and didn't notice that everyone had stopped and looked over. Ji Yunchen picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, put it in the bowl, and handed it to the hungry Lian Qingyang: "Try it and see if it's cooked."

He learned this from his mother. When he was little, whenever the chicken was stewed during Chinese New Year, Ji Yunchen would take a small stool to the kitchen, watch his mother cook, and then wait for the first bite of meat after the pot was lifted. Now that he had grown up, he no longer went to the kitchen to watch over it, so the first bite of meat fell into the mouth of his eldest brother's son.

Lian Qingyang took the bowl, picked up the chicken, blew on it first, and then took a small bite carefully. Although the taste was not as rich as those made in modern times, it was still the most delicious meal he had ever eaten in this world.

Resisting the urge to stuff the chicken directly into his mouth, he blew on it for a long time to make sure it was not hot before opening his mouth to take it in and chew it. The chicken had been stewed until it was soft and the chili and onion flavors were all absorbed. It didn't taste strange at all. Coupled with Ji Yunchen's cooking skills, Lian Qingyang gave a thumbs up with satisfaction, saying it was very delicious.

Ji Yunchen, who had been silently holding his breath for some time, finally let out a soft sigh. He quickly filled two bowls with chicken and told Lian Qingyang to prepare the meal. The multi-grain steamed bread was provided by the educated youth, and Ji Yunchen told Qu Ruixiang that there was still plenty of chicken in the pot, so he told them to share it. Although a few multi-grain steamed breads were not as expensive as a few pieces of meat, life at the educated youth institute was not easy, so if he gave them a few, they would have less to eat.

Lian Qingyang was still growing, and after a long afternoon of work, he held a steamed bread in one hand and slowly nibbled on the chicken. Despite his small frame, he managed to finish a whole bowl of chicken and two multi-grain steamed bread. With a sigh of satisfaction after the meal, Lian Qingyang put down his chopsticks, touched his slightly swollen belly, gave Ji Yunchen a thumbs-up, and then stood up to clean up the dishes.

The other educated youth had already divided up the meat and soup in the pot. There was not even any soup base left in the pot, which made it convenient for Lian Qingyang to wash the pot and dishes.

The educated youth who were busy with their own things coming and going would come over to say a few words to Ji Yunchen who was sitting there, praising his delicious cooking, inviting him to come over often, and asking him to teach them his skills. Ji Yunchen waved his hands modestly, saying that he just stumbled upon it by accident and it was not that magical.

The villagers have to get up early to work every day, so they go to bed early. After eating and washing up, they all go back into the house. Lian Qingyang picked up the kettle on the side, handed it to Ji Yunchen, and walked out the door with him.

Ji Yunchen walked a few steps and stopped, looking sideways at Lian Qingyang who had also stopped. The moon at night was like a hazy night light, making the person in front of him look blurry.

Ji Yunchen's eyes were sore from watching this. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and said to Lian Qingyang, "I'm going back now. You should go in and get some rest too."

Lian Qingyang nodded and waved at him: "Okay, Comrade Ji, be careful on the road."

Ji Yunchen turned around and strode away first. Lian Qingyang watched his back disappear from the door before turning around and going in.

He closed and locked the door from the inside. Before Lian Qingyang took a step, he noticed that there was someone standing in the yard. He looked closely and saw that it was Lin Haojun, his work partner.

"Comrade Lin? Why don't you go inside and sleep?" Lian Qingyang walked a few steps to Lin Haojun and asked in a low voice.

Lin Haojun quietly took a half step back, slowly shook his head, and said, "Their snoring is a bit loud, I can't sleep."

He is a light sleeper and a mysophobe, introvert and distant.

Lian Qingyang lowered his head and raised his eyebrows, his eyes full of inquiry, but his tone was polite: "Comrade Lin has been working for such a long time, he should rest well. If you can't sleep, it's best to lie down and relax your body. Don't delay tomorrow's work."

As if he was easily persuaded by Lian Qingyang, the two of them entered the house together. The accommodation conditions of the educated youth institute were not good. The beds were a pile of wooden boards set up on the ground. There were two rows of large bunk beds on the left and right, filled with men who were sleeping soundly. Many of them had already started snoring, one after another, as if they were performing a symphony of tacit coordination.

The two of them walked to the innermost part of the big bunk bed. I didn't notice it during the day, but it turned out that they were right next to each other. Lian Qingyang was at the innermost side against the wall, and on the other side of Lin Haojun was Lin Guokang, who was snoring loudly.

*

Lian Qingyang opened his eyes, and in his ears were the endless chirping of cicadas accompanied by continuous snoring. The singing and harmony made him feel like he had met a soulmate. The not-so-pleasant sound tormented his ears and nerves. It was even more irritating than the wake-up whistle in his student days and the alarm clock in his office life.

He had wronged Lin Haojun. Even Qingyang covered his ears and turned over. He couldn't sleep at all!

The next morning, Qu Ruixiang took the two of them to the fields as usual. He looked at the dark circles under their eyes with some surprise and asked with concern, "What happened to you two? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Qu Ruixiang is also one of those who snore, but he may be used to this intensity of life, so his snores are not very loud.

The two men looked at each other, shook their heads listlessly at the same time, and went into the field like zombies to start working.