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Chapter 32: Cooking and Plans
Chapter 32: Cooking and Plans
In the Lu family's kitchen, Lu Qing was busy building a fire under a brand-new iron pot hanging over the stove.
Lu Qing had originally planned to discreetly carry the pot home after dark, not wanting to draw too much attention. But then he thought, everyone in the village knew each other, so how discreet could he really be?
Even if he sneaked the pot home, he wouldn't be able to hide it when he started cooking. The aroma of stir-frying was distinct from that of steaming or boiling, and he couldn't very well block up the kitchen to contain the smells.
So, he decided to just bring the pot home openly.
As expected, his action caused quite a stir in the village.
An iron pot was considered a luxury item in their village, and some families still couldn't afford one. For Lu Qing to bring back such a large iron pot was certainly a cause for curiosity and envy.
Lu Qing simply explained that the pot had been a gift from Old Doctor Chen, which only served to elicit more admiration and jealousy from the villagers. They also marveled at the doctor's generosity.
An iron pot was worth several taels of silver, and for Old Doctor Chen to give it away so readily showed how much he valued Lu Qing.
This also confirmed in the villagers' minds that Old Doctor Chen truly accepted Lu Qing as his disciple and held him in high regard. Otherwise, why would he give such an expensive gift?
It was common for disciples to show respect and offer gifts to their masters, but for a master to bestow such a valuable present on a disciple was unusual, unless the master truly doted on the disciple.
When they later saw that the pot had already been seasoned, their suspicions were confirmed.
Reflecting on the villagers' reaction, Lu Qing felt relieved that he had had the foresight to leave most of his silver with Old Doctor Chen, taking only two small pieces with him.
Otherwise, carrying such a large bag of silver would have surely attracted attention. If someone had opened the bag out of curiosity when he wasn't looking, it could have caused trouble.
The fire blazed, and soon the pot began to smoke. Lu Qing picked up the oil jug and poured a large scoop of lard into the pot.
Watching the lard melt, he felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him. Now that he had money, he didn't have to be stingy with oil anymore.
Before, every time he cooked, he had to carefully calculate how to use the minimal amount of oil to make edible dishes, and it had been a challenging task.
In a cheerful mood, Lu Qing quickly prepared two dishes and one soup—a fried fish, a fish soup, and a stir-fried vegetable dish.
Although the dishes were still simple due to the limited spices available, when Lu Qing took the first bite of the stir-fried vegetables, he was so moved that he felt like crying.
It had been so difficult to achieve this flavor, one that he had longed for.
"Brother, the food cooked in the big iron pot tastes so good!" Xiao Yan exclaimed as she happily devoured her meal.
Even she, who usually didn't care much for vegetables, found them exceptionally delicious.
"Of course," Lu Qing replied. "This big iron pot is a game-changer in the kitchen. That's why I've always wanted one."
"I love the big iron pot!" Xiao Yan said contentedly.
The siblings enjoyed their meal immensely, finishing every last bit, even drinking the soup dry.
After the meal, Xiao Yan rubbed her slightly protruding stomach and said, "Brother, let's always cook with the big iron pot from now on, okay?"
"Okay," Lu Qing agreed without hesitation. That was, after all, the reason he had insisted on buying the iron pot.
However, he added, "We don't have to use it for every meal. Even the best food can become boring if we have it all the time. We can try other cooking methods sometimes."
After the meal, Lu Qing spent some time reading. As the sky grew darker, he put the book away and carried the old recliner out into the courtyard. He sat back and gazed at the evening glow on the horizon.
Chapter 33: The Night Visitor and the Market
That night, Lu Qing heard the now-familiar scratching at the door. He opened it to find the black cub waiting outside. The little creature seemed more relaxed this time, no longer exhibiting the wariness it had shown before. Lu Qing even thought he detected a glimmer of anticipation in its eyes as it saw him.
This little guy must be getting too comfortable here, he thought with a shake of his head. He placed the fish on the ground and stepped back, watching as the cub immediately darted forward to grab a fish and run off. It repeated this routine several times, and Lu Qing couldn't help but chuckle at its antics.
Shaking his head again, he closed the door, yawned, and headed to his room. He had a lot to do tomorrow and couldn't afford to stay up late.
The next morning, Lu Qing found the wooden basin empty again. He wondered how the little cub managed to eat so much despite its small size. It had devoured two to three pounds of fish as if it were nothing, out-eating even a grown man.
"Brother, did the little beast come last night?" Xiao Yan asked eagerly as she emerged from her room.
"It did. Look, it ate all the fish in the basin." Lu Qing pointed to the empty container.
"Ah! Brother, why didn't you wake me up?" Xiao Yan pouted in disappointment.
"I told you, I wouldn't wake you if you were asleep," Lu Qing reminded her.
"Brother, I've decided. I won't sleep tonight. I'll definitely wait for the little beast to come!" Xiao Yan declared determinedly.
"Alright, good luck with that," Lu Qing said, unconcerned. He was now certain that the Spirit Taming Stone was truly remarkable. With it, Xiao Yan wouldn't be able to stay awake past her bedtime, no matter how hard she tried.
"Xiao Yan, would you like to go play at Grandpa Zhang's house today? Brother has to go out," Lu Qing suggested.
"Where are you going, brother?" Xiao Yan asked, curious.
"You'll see when I get back," Lu Qing replied mysteriously.
After leaving Xiao Yan in the care of their neighbor, Old Master Zhang, Lu Qing set off with a small piece of silver in his pocket, heading toward the market.
(End of Chapter)
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