CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 075 NOT COMPETING WITH YOU FOR YOUR WIFE [170 VOTES+]

——————

In the kitchen, all the dishes were ready, even the freshly slaughtered chicken had been chopped into pieces. Besides the chicken, there was a bass, the Chinese cabbage had been washed, and the dried radish that her mother-in-law had specifically told Xie Jingchen to bring had been soaked and expanded.

"I get it, stop nagging!" With a kitchen knife forced into her hand, Zhang Shan Ni stared at him speechlessly. Although her mouth protested his behavior, her face didn’t show any dissatisfaction. Instead, her bright apricot eyes playfully shot him a look of rebuke, revealing a coquettish charm of a little woman.

Having stayed at the Xie family home for a few days, Zhang Shan Ni’s complexion had lightened, making her delicate features even more striking. Having seen her wheat-colored cheeks in person, a single chide from her made Xie Jingchen’s heart feel as sweet as honey, his tiger-like eyes turned tame, it was like drinking a glass of ice-cold water on a scorching summer day, so refreshing and soothing!

"Alright, alright, I’ll stop messing around. It’s getting late, is there anything else I need to prepare?" Xie Jingchen cleared his throat softly and reluctantly let go of the large hand that had been resting on her slender waist, pretending to ask seriously.

Putting on airs.

Zhang Shan Ni glanced at her husband’s feigned seriousness and surveyed the ingredients. Recalling the delicacies her mother-in-law had prepared, she instructed him:

"Well, everything else is fine. Could you soak some black fungus and mushrooms in hot water? We’ll use shiitake mushrooms to stew the chicken for the main course, is that okay?"

"Sure. As for the staple, I’ve already prepared the steamed buns with Brother Wang, so you just need to make a few dishes. It’s best if the dishes are soft since the old chief’s teeth aren’t very good."

"Okay. Does the old chief have any other dietary restrictions?" Zhang Shan Ni saw her husband start to soak the mushrooms and black fungus, while she herself began to season the chopped chicken, waiting for him to finish so it could be mixed in.

"The old chief’s primary physician said he can’t have too much salt or spicy foods. His blood pressure is too high, and his old injuries have caused significant damage, which has weakened his body considerably."

"Mmm, hypertension... I think I’ve got it. You go and keep Mr. Liu company. I’ve got this covered here, you can go." Zhang Shan Ni saw that he had finished what she had asked him to do, so she waved him off, confident in handling the rest herself.

The elderly shouldn’t consume a lot of certain foods due to high blood pressure, and it was clear from the kitchen supplies that they were suitable for him.

According to later generations, people with high blood pressure should avoid chicken, particularly the skin. But now is not like the post-apocalypse era, where there was an overwhelming abundance of meat to the point of nausea.

It had only been seven or eight years; this chicken must have been specially requested by Mr. Liu. Otherwise, according to the calculations for a convalescent home, how could they get a whole chicken for just two people’s consumption?

Xie Jingchen touched his buzzcut hair and left the kitchen with a smile.

Without her husband’s interruption, Zhang Shan Ni was able to better prepare the food. After all, some ingredients were not meant to be taken out casually.

Seeing her husband’s respectful behavior towards Elder Liu, and affirming his respect for Elder Liu, Zhang Shan Ni also generously decided to add a few drops of First-level Spirit Core Water to their food, giving the two men an extra treat.

Since it was Spirit Core Water produced by a Level 1 Crystal Core [Water is diluted, liquid is a high concentration] and not pure Chaos Liquid [purified] extracted from a Spirit Core, the effects weren’t very noticeable.

Of course, she wasn’t generous enough to give such a treat to outsiders [specifically referring to the guard, Wang Lixing].

Therefore, once the stewed chicken and mushrooms were ready and the soup was filtered to remove the fat, four bowls were made—just enough for one bowl per person. Except for the bowl for Wang Lixing, she had added a bit of Spirit Core Water to each bowl, particularly paying attention to Elder Liu’s share, to which she added an extra drop.

In this era, doing nothing is not wrong, and being kind isn’t necessarily right. Doing good might only hurt oneself. What Zhang Shanni learned the most in the apocalypse was to keep herself safe.

But when she thought about what her husband had said before coming here and compared it to the respect he had shown to Elder Liu, her heart softened just a smidge.

As for the bowl of greasy chicken fat she had filtered out, she couldn’t bear to throw it away. Having lived here for nearly a week, she truly felt the lack of resources in this era.

From her previous bourgeois perspective, this chicken fat was simply the root of obesity. But now, it was a rare natural cooking ingredient, which she used to blanch cabbages—any dish cooked with a generous amount of oil was sure to be fresh, tender, and delicious.

After eating plain blanched cabbage for a week, she had had enough; it was so bland that she could almost feel herself losing her temper.

Truth be told, although Zhang Shanni soul-traveled to the apocalypse, she never experienced such ’meat hunger’ -- thanks to her superpower, she could be considered a hidden carnivore.

The apocalypse might have been dangerous, but bravely striving for a living meant resources were still available; life wasn’t as tough as it was now!

Xie Jingchen had good reason to be confident in his wife’s culinary skills.

Indeed, Zhang Shanni came from the future, and her Space contained quite a few special ingredients for enhancing flavors. The three dishes and one soup she meticulously prepared were so aromatic that even the leisurely strolling trio in the courtyard caught the scent.

With Zhang Shanni’s excellent cooking skills on display, Old Chief Liu almost wished to keep the little girl as his personal chef!

The dishes looked average—after all, the soy sauce of the time wasn’t great—but the flavors were rich. Whether it was chicken stewed with mushrooms or simply blanched cabbage with chicken fat, they all had a delicious fragrance, and even the chicken soup she made with just hot water and chopped green onions was considered by everyone to be a rare delicacy.

Whether it was the sick Elder Liu, Xie Jingchen, or Wang Lixing, who naturally had bigger appetites than ordinary people, such tasty food was something they seldom had a chance to enjoy!

Inevitably, the three dishes and one soup on the dinner table were devoured completely, not a drop of juice wasted as the sauce-coated steamed buns were eaten. Zhang Shanni watched bewilderedly—she nearly didn’t need to wash the dishes.

After the meal, Mr. Liu was even more satisfied with Zhang Shanni. He just regretted that he was a step too late, not having met her before the Xie Family lad; otherwise, where could he find such a good cook!

"Elder Liu, you can’t do this, you can’t just steal away my wife!" Xie Jingchen heard it and although he didn’t show anger on his face, his eyes shone like little light bulbs, his expression full of pride; it was as if his face was saying: This is my wife, she’s mine!

"I know she’s your wife, I’m not competing for her! This old man is just greedy. You lucky dog, to have found such a skilled wife, it’s just not fair... Also, you brat, you should have respect for the elderly and kindness to the young, understand?"

"Alright, alright, I’ll bring Ni here next time specifically to cook for you, Elder. I’ll definitely respect my elders!"

Zhang Shanni watched the childish squabble between Elder Liu and her husband, her lips twitching slightly, and muttered to herself: It’s not the dish that’s good, it’s her Spirit Core Water, okay!

Of course, she wouldn’t deny that the food of this time was safe, harmless, and genuinely good, but compared to her Spirit Core Water, there was just no comparison!

Tsk, such simpletons who don’t recognize true value!