CHAPTER 182: 178 GUESTS AT THE SECOND WATCH OF THE NIGHT

A week later, Yu Wei was discharged from the hospital, and Qin Xi took her brother to visit him. Yu Xiaolan, who suddenly became so warm and intimate it was as if she was a different person altogether, would have probably started calling them Xixi and Zhenzhen if Qin Xi’s face wasn’t so icy-cold.

Upon returning home, Qin Zhen was clearly unhappy, pouting so much that you’d think he could drip oil from his lips. Li Xianglu decided to make some dough and planned to whip up a few dishes, thinking of having some boiled dough slices to eat. She had prepared by starting to sprout beans and buying celery two days before.

Li Xianglu didn’t have any special flour for making the dough slices in her Storage Ring, so she had to make do with regular flour and process it herself.

She washed the kneaded dough repeatedly in water, and all the starch that separated had to be left to settle - a complex process. After breakfast, Li Xianglu started working on this, and it wasn’t until after 10 AM, when the Qin brothers returned, that she finally finished washing out a clump of raw gluten. Qin Zhen had never seen this before, and his previously bad mood was instantly captivated by it.

Li Xianglu was about to explain what it was when there was a knock on the door. Qin Zhen went to answer it while Li Xianglu steamed the separated starch.

As soon as he stepped outside, Qin Zhen was seen coming back with a face flushed red, followed by Lu Anna and Iro?

Li Xianglu didn’t know what was wrong with Qin Zhen, but her classmates came, so she happily went out to greet them, joyfully saying, "Why, you’ve only just arrived!"

Lu Anna replied discontentedly, "You didn’t even bother to invite us, yet you ask why we’ve only just come."

Iro quickly interjected, "Sorry, we have a lot of relatives at home. We just got back from out of town yesterday, and here we’ve brought you some local specialties."

Li Xianglu looked at the several large packets wrapped in greaseproof paper with a grin, "What’s this, something tasty?"

Iro immediately laughed, turning to Lu Anna, who still had a stern face, "It looks like you were right; bringing food is definitely the way to go for this person."

Iro then started talking about the discussion on what gifts to bring; Iro thought that gifts for a girl’s family should be a bit more aesthetically pleasing, like fabrics or such, but Lu Anna insisted on bringing some dried seafood that they brought back from Shandong. And of course, Li Xianglu was now grinning from ear to ear.

Li Xianglu did not deny and openly admitted that she indeed was a foodie.

As they walked towards the courtyard, Li Xianglu quietly asked Iro, "What’s wrong with her, why the long face as soon as you arrived?"

Iro whispered into Li Xianglu’s ear, "Who was that muscular guy just now? He got into a bit of an argument with Anna as soon as the door opened, which is why she’s upset."

What? Li Xianglu hurriedly said, "That’s Qin Xi’s brother, Qin Zhen, from Fudan University in Shanghai. He’s in our year and will be a sophomore when the semester starts. What did he say?"

Lu Anna reached the doorway but saw that the hostess was lagging behind. Turning around, she saw the two of them whispering and coughed, "What are you talking about? How can we enter without you leading the way?"

Li Xianglu quickly went ahead, opened the door, and welcomed the two inside. Grandpa and Qin Xi were watching TV; Qin Zhen was nowhere to be seen. Qin Xi recognized them, and the old man knew the girls’ parents. Seeing that it was almost noon, Li Xianglu realized she needed to start cooking fast.

Qin Xi was originally going to help, but Iro and Anna stopped her, saying the two of them could chip in with something. Li Xianglu didn’t expect them to be any help and just get in the way. The kitchen was large, so it would be nice to chat together while they were in there.

Entering the kitchen, Iro took a look around before saying, "Xiao Xiang, your home isn’t small at all. This triple section yard, did you buy it or rent it?"

Li Xianglu glanced at the gluten simmering in the pot - ah, it’s ready - while replying, "We bought it. We moved here before school started. Then it was through a friend of Grandpa’s that we got this place. After a bit of tidying up, it turned out to be pretty convenient."

As the two sat down, they saw that the preparations for the meal were nearly done, so they only helped peel some garlic. Then they noticed Li Xianglu placing a large iron pot on the stove. Half a pot of water was already boiling, with a half basin of batter next to it.

They watched her scoop out some batter with a large stir-fry spoon onto an oiled iron plate, then after shaking it evenly, she placed it into the boiling water. After a few shakes and covering the pot, before they had the chance to ask what this was, Li Xianglu deftly lifted the metal plate from the pot and, using a sharp knife, sliced around the edges of the plate, and the whole sheet of gluten just fell off. She hurriedly picked up the sheet, spread it on another large plate.

The two opened their mouths in amazement. Li Xianglu was too busy to talk as she continued working, swiftly making more than a dozen sheets before stopping to start stir-frying.

In the dead of winter, there wasn’t much delicacy to be had. A pot of sauce-braised pig feet made a few days ago was half-eaten. Li Xianglu said it was taken from outside, but actually, it came from her Storage Ring and was then heated up. Next, she cooked a sweet and sour yellow croaker, which had already been fried in advance, making it quick work. She then stir-fried cabbage with glass noodles and white meat.

Finally, Li Xianglu cut the gluten sheets into two-centimeter wide strips and divided them into bowls, pouring over them the already prepared garlic, chili water, vinegar, along with several slices of cooked gluten, sprouts, and winter celery.

Qin Xi came over to help serve the meal, and it was then that Lu Anna finally found the time to ask, "What’s this? It looks white, like rice noodle rolls?"

Li Xianglu raised an eyebrow and said, "Haven’t you eaten it before?"

Both shook their heads. Li Xianglu smiled and said, "Try it first, then we can discuss the flavor."

The old man knew his granddaughter was making gluten sheets, and he too was amazed upon seeing them. "Wow, how long has it been since I’ve had these? Must be ten years," he exclaimed while picking up a bowl. "Come on, serve it up, don’t be shy, kids. Make yourself at home."

Qin Zhen, the fellow who was probably worried about causing some trouble, squeezed in to sit next to Qin Xi. Li Xianglu was too lazy to bother with him, letting everyone eat.

Lu Anna, following the others, stirred her bowl and then lifted a strip of the sheet into her mouth. It was chewy, smoother than noodles, more elastic than rice noodle rolls, not at all sticky, and genuinely tasty with a sour and spicy flavor. The holed gluten, delicious as well, was sadly scant - about five or six slices per bowl.

Iro also couldn’t stop eating, continuously praising how delicious it was. This trip was worth it - a unique delicacy was on the menu.

Li Xianglu, happy that everyone enjoyed her cooking, said with a smile, "There’s more set aside. Each of you can take three bowls back. I’ll prepare the sauce for you, so it’s ready to eat once you pour it over. Just remember, it won’t keep overnight."

Hearing they could take some home, the two were elated. Although the dish was not expensive - made from flour, and their families were not lacking in food, it was still a kind gesture to bring something novel back for the elders and kids.

After the meal, Qin Zhen took off. Much to Li Xianglu’s surprise, he had only eaten two portions of gluten sheets. Could it be that he didn’t like it?

Qin Xi went to wash the dishes. Meanwhile, the three girls huddled in Li Xianglu’s bedroom for a chat.