Chapter 7 Cooking Skills

Their family had few hands for work and many mouths to feed, and their living expenses depended entirely on what An Shuchao could earn, so their days were much tougher than others'.

Unfortunately, Bai Xue and Bai Yanjiao were particular about their food and clothing, preferring to dress flamboyantly even if it meant going hungry. While others' families could at least afford wheat buns, their household stuck to cornmeal cakes as their staple all year round with only the occasional wheat buns or noodles, though they did have vegetables.

They still had vegetables like carrots, white radishes, and cabbage. This evening, Bai Xue felt displeased and didn't even prepare a dish.

As soon as An Hao took out these vegetables to cook, An Ping glanced over and said, "I'm telling you, I can't eat these same three things every day. I'm practically turning into a big radish."

An Hao ignored him and continued to look for something else. After a long search, she found nothing but cakes and a few chili peppers. She lifted the curtain of the cabinet and peered inside, noticing two bowls turned upside down.

She remembered that in the past, she would only work together with Bai Xue, as Bai Yanjiao didn't do any chores, so An Hao wouldn't either, meaning she rarely visited the kitchen.

It was unusual for a family's daughter not to cook. Bai Xue didn't comment on An Hao's lack of cooking, she just silently took on the work herself.

Therefore, An Shuchao always thought of Bai Xue as a virtuous woman.

An Hao looked at the two overturned bowls in the cabinet with curiosity and reached out to lift one, discovering a round, smooth egg hidden underneath.

Seeing the egg, An Hao instantly understood. She had just looked in the basket where the eggs were kept and found none left. What did it mean that there were two eggs hidden beneath the basket now?

She was secretly hoarding tasty treats.

An Ping, with his hands stuffed in his sleeves, leaned against the doorway watching An Hao stare at the cabinet in a daze and impatiently said, "Are you going to cook or not? If you can't, then get out of the way!"

"Even if I can't cook, I'm still better than you!" An Hao, annoyed by his noise, retorted.

"If you can cook then get on with it! I'm starving!" An Ping babbled as he moved closer, then seeing the egg in An Hao's hand, his eyes lit up, "Where did you get the egg from? Didn't Mom say we were out?"

An Hao turned her head and gave him a sideways glance, pointing to the overturned bowl, "It was underneath that. I just found it."

An Ping gave An Hao a thoughtful look, said nothing aloud, but started to wonder. Every time they were told there were no eggs left, could it be that the stepmother was hiding them away?

Seeing An Ping silent, An Hao didn't say more. Her brother wasn't stupid; he was just blinded by others. She believed that if she could help him see clearly, he would understand certain things.

An Hao took out the egg, cracked it into a bowl and beat it until the liquid was golden. She then cut two cakes into evenly sized pieces and mixed them thoroughly with the egg.

She stirred the fire in the coal stove and set a pot on top, scooped a large spoonful of lard into it, and waited for the oil to heat. She then added a few cuts of green onion to the oil and poured in the egg-coated cakes, stirring them around.

Quickly, an enticing aroma wafted through the air, making An Ping, who was watching, salivate.

The cakes were soon ready, and An Hao then sliced two red chili peppers into rings, added some salt and wheat flour, mixed it with water, and poured it into the hot pan with the residual oil. Instantly, the spicy fragrance filled the air, and in moments, the watery mixture turned into a thick paste, creating a spicy paste dish.

In the cold winter night, having some hot, spicy paste could warm up the body.

An Hao, with nimble hands and feet, finished the dish and handed a bowl to An Ping, "Eat this, and I'll make you some soup!"