Chapter 962: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 962: The School Opens and Another Freeloader Arrives (3)
Mo Yan hadn’t really wanted to take on the responsibility, but someone had to manage the schoolhouse’s day-to-day upkeep, so she agreed and handed the task over to Tang Xin.
Today was just registration—classes wouldn’t officially start until the day after tomorrow. After enrolling their children, the villagers gradually took them home. Mo Yan stayed behind to help the two instructors tidy things up when Li Xiu came over. After greeting the teachers, she turned to Mo Yan and said, “Xin’er’s cooking today. She told me to come get you so you can go back and give it a proper taste test.”
Mo Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “What dishes did she make? Hopefully she didn’t try to pass off cold tomatoes again.”
That girl had come home the other day after playing outside, clearly triggered by something, and suddenly declared she wanted to learn how to cook. Mo Yan didn’t believe girls had to learn to cook, but since the girl was interested, there was no reason to stop her, so she gave her two days of earnest instruction.
Who would’ve thought the girl would think she had mastered it already? Two nights ago, she insisted on cooking a full meal herself. The result? The rice was half-cooked, the stir-fried meat still had streaks of blood, and no one in the family had much of an appetite after that.
In the end, Xin’er had to make porridge with the undercooked rice and whipped up a plate of cold tomatoes so everyone could at least have something to eat.
Li Xiu clearly remembered that ordeal too and chuckled, her eyes crinkling. “She did better this time. The food’s all properly cooked. If not, I wouldn’t dare come calling you to try it.”
In the village, girls Xin’er’s age were already juggling housework and chores inside and out. Xin’er, however, mostly did embroidery and rarely helped with household tasks. Cooking was something learned through time and patience, and no one had the heart to discourage her.
With Li Xiu’s help, the four of them quickly packed everything up and moved it into the schoolhouse. Mo Yan had originally wanted to invite the two instructors home for dinner, but considering the food had been made by her inexperienced sister, she worried the teachers might end up with upset stomachs from a “culinary disaster.” She abandoned the idea and bid them farewell before returning home with Li Xiu.
As soon as she got back, Xin’er greeted her joyfully, carefully setting down four dishes and a soup on the table. She beamed and urged, “Sister, Aunt Li, hurry up and sit down! Try my cooking—I promise it won’t disappoint you this time!”
Mo Yan smiled and nodded, just about to praise her when Cui Ping’an couldn’t help but blurt out, “These dishes are so black they look like they were soaked in ink. Are you sure we won’t get sick from eating them?”
Xin’er’s cheerful face instantly darkened. “Hmph! If you don’t want to eat, then go cook for yourself!”
Rubbing his growling stomach, Cui Ping’an glanced again at the dark-colored dishes on the table. In the end, he didn’t dare say another word.
Mo Yan watched the scene unfold with a smile but said nothing. She picked up a piece of something unidentifiable, tasted it, and realized it was a slice of potato. The presentation might’ve been lacking, but hey, it was still a potato, right?
Under her sister’s hopeful gaze, Mo Yan gave a very forced compliment: “Not bad. It tastes quite good. With a bit more practice, I’m sure Xin’er will be able to cook meals that are truly fragrant, flavorful, and beautiful.”
Xin’er beamed at the praise, her eyes squinting with delight. She shot a smug look at Cui Ping’an and happily dug into her rice.
Well… the meat wasn’t exactly tender, the soy sauce in the potato chicken was a bit heavy, and the garlic stir-fried greens were salty—but at least everything was cooked. No one was going to get food poisoning.
With that comforting thought, Xin’er blinked away the sting in her eyes and scarfed down two full bowls of rice. Not because the dishes were particularly delicious, but because she didn’t have the courage to pick up a second bite from any of the dishes. So she filled herself up on the only success of the meal—well-cooked plain white rice—as a small consolation.
(End of Chapter)
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