After washing the ingredients clean, Ruan Yue carried them back to the kitchen and set them aside.
Having added fuel to the stove several times, Ruan Yue scooped up a few grains of rice with a spatula. Seeing that only the center of the rice was slightly undercooked, she took a sieve hanging on the wall, placed it over a wooden basin, and poured the contents of the pot into the sieve, separating the rice from the broth.
She quickly washed the pot, poured in a few bowls of water, and swiftly cut the bitter greens into finger-length pieces before adding them to the pot. She placed a steamer insert on top, poured the rice from the sieve into it, stirred and spread it evenly with chopsticks, then placed a few eggplants directly on top of the rice to steam together. Finally, she covered the pot with a lid, completing the process of draining and steaming the rice.
Ruan Yue sat in front of the stove, added two handfuls of firewood to stoke the flames, then used fire tongs to rake the ashes, burying a few washed chili peppers in the hot embers.
Two minutes later, Ruan Yue retrieved the peppers with the tongs. The green skin of the peppers had been scorched to a tiger-stripe pattern, and the aroma of roasted peppers filled the air. Once they had cooled enough to handle, Ruan Yue carefully brushed off the wood ash and peeled away the charred outer skin bit by bit, revealing the clean, green flesh inside.
After roughly chopping the roasted peppers and placing them in a bowl, Ruan Yue finely chopped some green onions and crushed a few cloves of garlic, mincing them before adding them to the bowl. She added a spoonful of salt, two spoonfuls of vinegar, and five spoonfuls of soy sauce, then stirred, creating a simple sauce.
In truth, Ruan Yue would have liked to add some oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, and sesame oil, but in this era, such seasonings were merely a luxury to dream of.
With the sauce prepared and the rice steamed, Ruan Yue lifted the pot lid, releasing a wave of steam fragrant with the aroma of cooked rice that momentarily blurred her vision.
Using a damp cloth to protect her hands, Ruan Yue lifted the steamer insert out of the pot and placed it on the stove top. She used chopsticks to remove the eggplants from atop the rice. The eggplants had been steamed until soft and tender. Using a chopstick in each hand, Ruan Yue separated the eggplants into strips, then drizzled them with the prepared roasted pepper sauce, creating a simple dish of roasted pepper eggplant.
There were still cooked greens in the pot. Ruan Yue scooped them out and rinsed them once with cold water to remove the bitterness, then squeezed out the excess water. She heated oil in a wok until it was about 60% hot, then stir-fried the greens for two minutes. Next, Ruan Yue picked up the wooden basin and poured the leftover rice water into the wok. She brought it to a boil over high heat, added a spoonful of salt, and the rice porridge with greens was complete. She removed it from the heat and plated it.
After nearly half an hour of bustling about, Ruan Yue looked at the two dishes and the pot of pristine white rice before her with great satisfaction.
Ruan Yue lifted the kitchen curtain and, seeing Pei Lin reading a book, called out, "Dinner's ready."
Pei Lin looked up at the sound, put down his book, and asked with some surprise, "So quickly?"
Ruan Yue turned back into the kitchen, first bringing out the steamer insert and placing it on the table, then setting out the two prepared dishes. Pei Lin quickly stood up to help: "I'll get the bowls and chopsticks."
As the two sat down at the table and Ruan Yue handed him a bowl of rice she had scooped for him, Pei Lin held his chopsticks in a daze.
How long had it been since he'd had a proper meal like this?
It seemed that after his parents had passed away, he had been cooking for himself haphazardly, just eating to fill his stomach. After all, he was alone. Yet on this morning, he unexpectedly felt, for the first time in a long while, that this was a home.
Seeing Pei Lin motionless, just staring at the dishes with chopsticks in hand, Ruan Yue couldn't help but ask, "Do you not like these dishes?"
Pei Lin snapped out of his reverie and, not wanting to seem ungrateful, hastily explained, "No, it's not that. I was just reminded of my parents."
Ruan Yue understood. The pile of kitchen tools - how could someone who only knew how to make porridge use them all? They must have been acquired when Pei Lin's parents were still alive. After they passed away, with no one to use them, the tools were just left there.
"Try my cooking. I wonder if it suits your taste?" Ruan Yue spoke again. Although her words were humble, she was quite confident in her culinary skills.
Pei Lin nodded, reached out with his chopsticks to pick up a strip of eggplant, placed it in his bowl, then added a clump of rice, and put it all in his mouth.
The rice grains were distinct, neither too soft nor too hard. The eggplant was tender, having absorbed the flavors of the sauce. The aroma of green onions and garlic, along with the unique fragrance of roasted peppers, spread through his mouth. In one bite, the combination of rice and vegetable flavors instantly awakened Pei Lin's appetite.
Ruan Yue discreetly observed him, noticing that he clearly enjoyed the roasted pepper eggplant. She pushed the rice porridge with greens towards him: "Try these greens too."
Pei Lin took another bite, this time of the greens. This vegetable was in season and at its best, and he had been eating it for quite a while. However, as soon as he tasted Ruan Yue's preparation, he was filled with deep suspicion.
Was this really the same vegetable? Why wasn't it bitter? Why had he never known it could taste so good?
The greens that had always been bitter and astringent in his memory now had no trace of bitterness, only a light, fresh vegetable flavor. The once-tough stems had become soft, and together with the leaves, they were coated in the freshly cooked rice porridge. Combined with the savory aroma from the stir-frying, the entire dish was light and refreshing, absolutely delicious.
"Miss Ruan Yue, why aren't these greens bitter?" Pei Lin couldn't help but ask curiously.
Ruan Yue, holding her bowl of rice and picking up some vegetables, replied, "Just blanch them in water first."
The studious Pei Lin pressed further, "Why does blanching make such a big difference in taste? It's like two completely different dishes."
"..." Ruan Yue fell silent.
She had indeed impressed Pei Lin with her preparation of the greens, but this scholar seemed to have quite a strong desire for knowledge.
She could hardly tell him that the bitterness came from glucosinolate compounds in the greens, and that blanching could break down these substances, thus removing the bitterness, could she?
After a moment of thought, Ruan Yue said, "Hmm... don't worry about it too much. Just enjoy the food."
With that, Ruan Yue turned her attention back to her meal. She hadn't eaten her fill in the past few meals of vegetable porridge, so she was determined to thoroughly enjoy this meal she had prepared herself.
Seeing her focused on eating, Pei Lin felt it would be impolite to disturb her further. His appetite had been thoroughly piqued, so he picked up his bowl and began to eat with gusto.
Pei Lin typically ate with refinement, usually chewing slowly and savoring each bite. But it had been so long since he had eaten such delicious food that he now ate with some urgency. After finishing one bowl, he still felt unsatisfied and helped himself to another large portion.
Ruan Yue had dined in high-end restaurants and eaten at roadside food stalls. She'd even experienced eating compressed biscuits with river water in the wilderness. She could adapt to any dining environment. Now, she ate slowly and steadily from her bowl, matching Pei Lin's pace.
By the time Ruan Yue and Pei Lin finished their meal and set down their chopsticks, the two dishes on the table had been completely devoured.
Finishing every last morsel was the highest compliment to the chef. Ruan Yue glanced at the table, her mood improving slightly.
"You rest. I'll wash the dishes," Pei Lin said.
He stood up, efficiently cleared the table, and headed to the kitchen.
He's quite considerate, Ruan Yue thought.
As she watched his retreating figure, Ruan Yue, who disliked washing dishes, felt her mood lift even more.