My Demon Friends-Chapter 532 - 511 Noon
Zheng Zhilan cooked while Brother Nan chopped vegetables. The two of them managed perfectly well.
Zheng Zihao still very much wanted to talk to Brother Nan, but since Brother Nan had work to do, she didn't want to engage in idle talk with him and told him to go play on his own. Left with nothing to do, the little boy could only shuffle back and forth between the living room and the kitchen. He would occasionally dash to the living room to find his parents, then walk back to say a few words to them in the kitchen, appearing very cheerful.
Meanwhile, Qinghe, who usually assisted Zheng Zhilan, could only stand in a corner watching them silently. He sometimes even had to dodge the bustling Zheng Zihao, feeling very lonely. What was more irritating was that the Old Monster stood beside him, mimicking his posture, expressions, and every move.
It wasn't even ten o'clock yet. With more people, more dishes had to be prepared, and if they aimed for a lavish meal, it would take a lot of time. Take the lamb, for example. Zheng Zhilan decided on two ways to prepare it: the meat and offal would be used for lamb soup, perfect for a winter day, while the lamb shanks would be braised, serving as a major dish for the table. Both of these dishes were time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Luckily, with Brother Nan's help, cooking while chatting with Zheng Zhilan kept things from being boring.
"Is this enough taro, chopped like this?" Brother Nan asked.
"How much..." Zheng Zhilan began.
Qinghe, standing in the corner, shook his head slightly, and Huai Xu, beside him, also shook his head slightly.
Brother Nan ignored Huai Xu and continued describing to Zheng Zhilan, "This much... about two-thirds of this iron bowl."
"That should be enough," Zheng Zhilan replied.
"Alright, I'll cut this much then. I'll also slice the soy-sauce beef. Your soy-sauce beef is quite good, a different style from what we make at home." Brother Nan picked up the soy-sauce beef, tasting the first slice she cut. "It looks like it's been dried very thoroughly, almost like air-dried beef."
"I just improvised and made it," Zheng Zhilan said.
"Hmm, I like it..." Brother Nan purred.
"I'm glad you like it."
"Forget about those blind dates in the city. Marry me instead," Brother Nan teased.
Miss Zheng was speechless. She couldn't stand her teasing her like that.
The kitchen filled with Brother Nan's triumphant laughter, which, along with the smoke and aroma rising from the pot, wafted from the tiled roof and mingled with the chimney smoke before dispersing into the air. The members of the Dog Gang working on the nearby hillside were evidently intrigued by this lively scene. They turned their heads to look curiously for a moment, then resumed their previous activities.
Even Tuanzi stretched her neck from Zhou Li's lap, curious about what Brother Nan was laughing at. Is Brother Nan hiding something fun from me?
Zhou Li, however, paid no attention. His ears were deaf to his surroundings; his mind was solely focused on the stove's firebox.
But his peace was ultimately temporary. Brother Nan had started chopping the cooked food, which meant it was feeding time.
Following the principle of proximity, Brother Nan fed them one by one. She started with the still-bashful Miss Zheng, making her even more embarrassed, then moved on to Tuanzi, Zhou Li, and Huai Xu. Qinghe also received a share, and Zheng Zihao, who happened to run in to check on things, was also lucky enough to get a piece.
Next came the sausages and cured meat.
Brother Nan asked with a grin, "Is it tasty?"
"Tasty," Zhou Li replied.
"MEOW!" Tuanzi chirped.
Zheng Zhilan remained focused on her cooking.
Qinghe said nothing.
Huai Xu also said nothing.
Brother Nan asked, somewhat puzzled, "So, only you two think it's tasty? Huai Xu?"
Huai Xu calmly stated, "My name is Qinghe."
Qinghe was rendered speechless. He turned and stormed off!
Huai Xu was taken aback for a moment but remained standing in place. Only his eyes moved, following Qinghe until he left the kitchen. Then, Huai Xu retracted his gaze, shook his head, and said to Zheng Zhilan, "The demon you're raising is too petty. He needs proper training."
"He isn't one I'm raising," Zheng Zhilan said, shaking her head. "If anything, he's the one who raised me."
"Isn't that just like my relationship with Zhou Li?" Huai Xu asked.
"I don't know..." Zheng Zhilan answered honestly. After answering, she couldn't help but purse her lips in a small smile. She then glanced casually forward and saw Zhou Li still hunched over the small stool in front of the stove, engrossed in tending the fire. He seemed indifferent to Huai Xu's words, or perhaps he simply didn't want to engage with him.
At that moment, Brother Nan walked over and stopped beside Zhou Li, holding half a sausage and a cured rib. "Big Brother is here again," she announced, "to add a little more fun to your fire-tending."
"There's no more room for fun," Zhou Li said.
"Big Brother says there is," Brother Nan retorted.
"How so?" Zhou Li inserted the fire tongs into the opening beneath the stove and looked up at Brother Nan, his curiosity piqued.
"Clamp these with the tongs and roast them in the stove; they'll come out incredibly fragrant," Brother Nan said, handing him the items. "Later, I'll whip up a spicy oil dressing for you. Brush that on, and I guarantee they'll be tastier than anything from a street barbecue stall."
"Alright!" Zhou Li eagerly took them and did as she said. It indeed added another layer of enjoyment to his task.
Silently, the Old Monster had sidled up next to him. He squatted down, tilting his head to peer into the stove.
The sausage and ribs were already cooked and still slightly warm. The heat from the fire gradually made the fat ooze out. Once Brother Nan's dressing was ready and brushed on, the red oil soaked into the sausage and ribs, dyeing them crimson. The oil on their surface quickly began to bubble, and the sight of the chili peppers on top was incredibly appetizing.
The Old Monster remained in the same position, head tilted, watching unblinkingly like a child.
"Isn't it ready yet?" Huai Xu asked impatiently.
"It should be by now," Zhou Li replied.
"I want to eat! I want to eat!" Huai Xu exclaimed.
"Careful, it's hot!"
"I'm not afraid of the heat!"
"And Lord Dumpling gets some too," Zhou Li reminded him.
"I know, I know..." Huai Xu grumbled.
Perhaps it was partly psychological, but Zhou Li genuinely felt it was much tastier than anything from a street stall. It was a pity there was so little. Since he had to share it with the Old Monster and Lord Dumpling, he only managed to get a small taste.
After eating, Zhou Li casually wiped his greasy hands on the Old Monster beside him. The Old Monster looked down as Zhou Li wiped his hands on him, unconcerned, merely smacking his lips. His clothes were conjured, anyway; a small magical adjustment and they would be spotless again in an instant.
"If you all like it, I can cook more for you to roast tonight or tomorrow," Zheng Zhilan said. "Or we could set up the barbecue grill and have a proper barbecue, like last time."
"That sounds great!" Huai Xu exclaimed immediately.
"Agreed!" Brother Nan said, raising her hand.
"MEOW! MEOW!" Tuanzi echoed, copying Brother Nan.
"Same here," Zhou Li chimed in. A barbecue grill lacks a certain soul, but it's acceptable.
"Okay," Zheng Zhilan nodded. "Then we'll need to make some preparations. Let's aim for tomorrow. We seem to be out of barbecue spices, and we'll also need to go down the mountain to buy more meat and vegetables. We'll see if we can get the Dog Gang to catch some edible game in the mountains tomorrow. It's not easy to catch game in winter, but there are plenty of wild chickens."
"You're the best!" Huai Xu practically drooled. "I'll go buy them! I'll go buy them!"
"Alright," Zheng Zhilan agreed.
Miss Zheng's cheeks reddened again. She changed the subject, saying, "The food is almost ready. Could you please take some to the others? Xiao Yuan, Lord Lao Hui, Xing Hui, and Lord Ji Bai all need to be served."
Zhou Li thought, She's even more thin-skinned than I am.
At noon, they finally began their meal, a bit later than usual for Miss Zheng's household. Initially, Zhou Li assumed it was because the numerous dishes had taken a long time to prepare. However, he soon heard Miss Zheng explain, her face blushing, that it was because she had been listening to audiobooks late into the night and, consequently, sleeping in later than before. This meant she woke up a bit later in the morning, which naturally delayed breakfast and, in turn, lunch. It was kind of cute.
Lunch was a veritable feast. There was a large pot of mutton soup, a basin of braised mutton shanks, and a basin of taro chicken—all in generous portions, enough to feed a large table of people. In addition, there were sausages, cured meat, and soy-sauce beef, along with several stir-fried dishes. It was a typical countryside spread for festive occasions; for an ordinary family, such a meal would last until the next day. However, they finished it all in one sitting.
After they had eaten and washed the dishes, Zheng Zhilan's uncle and aunt stealthily pulled her upstairs to talk for a while, still discussing the events of the previous night. Zhou Li, with his sharp hearing, could tell it was mostly the uncle and aunt doing the talking while Zheng Zhilan remained silent. They were unable to persuade her, so they kept remarking on how stubborn she was.
After coming downstairs, they left with Zheng Zihao.
The little boy was sulking and didn't want to leave. He even threatened his dad, saying he wanted to take Brother Nan with them. A couple of smacks on the bottom from his displeased father quickly straightened him out. He cried as he followed them away, but he kept turning back to look at Brother Nan, tears streaming down his face, clearly showing his reluctance to part from her.
In his heart, Brother Nan was no longer just an ordinary big sister. She was his confidante, his best friend. Brother Nan was also his battlefield senior, his Ultraman brother.
It's unknown what he thought when he saw Brother Nan secretly laughing.
