Quick mission: We don't make trouble

Yang San had heard her mention chili peppers more than once.

He knew about garlic sprouts and bamboo shoots, but what was this chili pepper? He really didn't know.

Chef Li, who was standing by, was stunned for a moment, then he realized that this was a noble person giving him a reminder. He immediately held his breath and concentrated, fearing that he would miss a single word.

Zhu Qingqing asked Chef Li: "Do you have any chili peppers?"

Chef Li shook his head: "What is chili?"

This was the first time he heard of it.

Zhu Qingqing felt very regretful: Alas, it seems that the day when I can’t live without spicy food is getting further and further away.

Zhu Qingqing said somewhat unwillingly, "It's a spicy plant with bright red or green color. It can be used for seasoning and cooking."

Chef Li asked curiously, "What does it look like?"

Zhu Qingqing recalled the appearance of chili peppers she had seen before and gestured, "Its fruit is usually conical or oblong, with a smooth surface. It's green at first and then gradually turns red... It has a spicy taste... It can be used as a seasoning for many dishes..."

Chef Li listened attentively, as if trying to picture the appearance of the chili peppers in his mind.

But he still shook his head.

Zhu Qingqing sighed: "It's a pity that there are no chili peppers here. I really miss the days when I could eat chili peppers!"

It’s a pity: Alas, it seems that the days when we can’t live without spicy food are getting further and further away.

Yang San looked at Zhu Qingqing's lost expression and secretly decided to help her find the chili peppers.

The Yang family has other caravans, maybe in other places.

Well, I'll ask other people after I get back to the city.

The key is that he also wants to taste the flavor of the chili that Master Zhu mentioned.

That's definitely not ordinary.

Seeing that Chef Li was frying scallion pancakes skillfully and he had nothing to do, Yang San glared at him in dissatisfaction and said, "Hmph, you are stealing my lines and my job."

Push Chef Li aside.

Asked Zhu Qingqing: "Master Zhu, what should we do next?"

He looked at Zhu Qingqing expectantly.

Zhu Qingqing ignored his little movements and said, "Let's make kong rice first, pumpkin kong rice."

This was the meal she often ate when she was a child. At that time, they lived in a large courtyard in the countryside. For convenience and to save firewood, her grandmother cooked all the meals in one pot. In summer, she had glutinous rice with beans and pumpkins, and in winter, she had glutinous rice with potatoes and carrots. It was salty and flavorful. She and her sister would eat two big bowls of it at a time, and their stomachs would be full.

Grandma smiled and said, "Eat grandma's food and show yourselves to grandma. You two sisters, grow up quickly..."

Later, when electric rice cookers came into being, we rarely ate rice.

And the rice cooker can't produce that flavor.

Later, many farm stays and B&B restaurants launched various types of kong rice, which attracted many people.

But it doesn’t taste like it did when I was a kid.

Zhu Qingqing hasn't eaten kong rice for many years. Today, when she saw the pumpkin, she thought of making it for her family.

This is a very ordinary meal.

Chef Li continued to fry scallion pancakes.

Zhu Qingqing used another stove to cook pumpkin rice, and the old woman quickly lit the fire and added firewood.

The fire is lit and the pot is heated.

Cut the pumpkin into pieces, stir-fry it with oil, add salt, then add water to cover the pumpkin. When the water boils, spread the strained rice evenly on the pumpkin, poke a few holes with chopsticks, and then cover the pot...

Zhu Qingqing: "Mother-in-law, turn down the heat... and cook the pumpkin rice until it's cooked..."

The old woman had experience in making fire, so she understood immediately: "I understand."

After simmering for about ten minutes, Zhu Qingqing called out, "Grandma, turn off the heat."

The old woman swiftly took a small shovel and shoveled a few shovels of cold ashes from under the stove onto the flames. The fire in the kitchen went out, and then she let the residual heat simmer for a while. Zhu Qingqing said, "It's done."

When you open the lid of the pot, the aroma of pumpkin and rice hits your nose.

Zhu Qingqing used a large shovel to stir the pumpkin rice in the pot evenly, making sure every grain of rice was salty and flavorful. Then she put it in a basin and filled another ceramic bowl. She said to the cook, "This is for you and the shopkeeper to try."

The cook thanked him hurriedly.

Yang San asked what to do next.

Zhu Qingqing: "Stir-fried bacon with garlic sprouts."

Yang San had already cut the bacon and the garlic sprouts, and was just waiting to put them in the pot.

He glared at Chef Li again.

Humph, he has eaten stir-fried dishes before.

Your child has never seen it.

Zhu Qingqing cleaned the pot and turned on high heat. When the pot was hot, she put the bacon in and stir-fried to release the oil. Then she added the garlic sprouts and stir-fried them. She sprinkled a little salt on the garlic sprouts and then removed from the pot.

Zhu Qingqing explained as she served the food, "This doesn't need any additional seasoning. Just enjoy it as it is. The mellow aroma of the bacon and the delicate fragrance of the garlic sprouts complement each other perfectly..."

Then he filled a small bowl and left it for the cook and the shopkeeper.

I also left a few scallion pancakes.

Zhu Qingqing complained as she served herself, "Don't you have any plates?"

It's either a basin or a coarse pottery bowl.

Cook: "Here we use large pots for meat and large bowls for wine. Plates are only used by officials and nobles. They are too delicate and not practical."

Zhu Qingqing was helpless: "Okay."

No wonder it doesn’t look good at all.

Seeing that Zhu Qingqing had left some food and dishes for Chef Li, Yang San hesitated and said, "Chef Zhu, I...I...he has everything, I don't have..."

Zhu Qingqing smiled and said, "You and Team Leader Yang will have dinner with us tonight."

Yang San was immediately happy, "Oh, okay, then I'll take it out and say dinner is ready."

Eating with Chef Zhu, the treatment is still much better than that with Chef Li.

He ran out with the basin in his hand, as if afraid that someone would come to snatch it away.

Zhu Qingqing smiled, picked up another pot and followed him out.

After a while, Zhu's father, Zhu's mother, Zhu Yingying and others were called downstairs, as well as team leader Yang, who was specially called by Yang San. Everyone squeezed together and sat at a table.

On the table there was a bowl of scallion pancakes, a bowl of fried bacon with garlic sprouts, two bowls of pumpkin rice, and a bowl of rice soup.

Yang Jiuduan gave the remaining scallion pancakes to the people in the caravan.

Father Zhu: "I smelled the fragrance upstairs a long time ago. It must be Qingqing making something delicious. As expected."

Zhu Yingying: "Oh, pumpkin rice, I haven't eaten it for a long time, I really miss it..."

She also remembered her childhood.

When I grew up, my mother would do it occasionally.

Yu Bo stared at the bacon with shining eyes.

Even someone as reserved as Wang Xiangdong couldn't help swallowing.

why?

These were very common foods in their time.

Why do I still feel greedy and think it smells delicious, as if I haven’t eaten it before in my life?

Zhu Qingqing: "Team Leader Yang, I hurriedly made some simple meals today. I hope you don't mind..."

Team Leader Yang: "Don't mind, don't mind. I'm honored to be able to taste Madam's cooking."

"Then don't be polite, everyone, start eating."

At this time, Chef Li brought over a pot of stewed meat and said that it was a gift for everyone to thank Zhu Qingqing for her guidance.

"thanks, thanks."

"You're welcome, ma'am. Please enjoy your meal."

The chef has benefited a lot today.

Team Leader Yang: "Hey, today I'm taking advantage of Madam Zhu. In the past, this chef's eyes were always on the top of his head."

Yang San complained, "He's learned a lot from Master Zhu's cooking skills today... What's the point of sending him some food?"

Team Leader Yang glared at him and he swallowed his words.

"No more talking, let's eat, eat."

Zhu Yingying greeted everyone.

"Didi, don't you want to eat rice? I'll satisfy you now. Eat one more bowl..."

“Give me a scallion pancake…”

“This bacon fried with garlic sprouts is so delicious…”

"The pumpkin rice is so delicious. The pumpkin is soft and sticky, and the rice is chewy..."

Yang San and his friends seldom eat rice. If they do eat it occasionally, it is cooked into porridge with a lot of other things mixed in. They never eat dry rice like this.

He and Team Leader Yang focused on pumpkin rice.

Of course, fried bacon with garlic sprouts is also a common dish.

It's very comfortable to eat with.

Yes, it is the magic tool for eating with rice that Master Zhu mentioned.

Master Zhu's family always gives him surprises.

Diddy rubbed her belly and said, "Mom, let's make egg fried rice next time. Let's change the way we eat it."

Zhu Qingqing smiled and nodded.

An idea gradually came into his mind.