I Can See Through Everything - Chapter 37

Chapter 37 The aroma of meat

A rich, meaty aroma filled the kitchen.

Xiaoyan, squatting in front of the stove to help watch the fire, couldn’t help but drool at the smell.

“Brother, when can we eat?” the little girl couldn’t help herself.

“Just simmer it a little longer.”

Lu Qing was actually feeling a bit unsteady.

As a carnivore in his previous life, he hadn’t eaten any decent meat since coming to this world, except for fish.

Now, the rich aroma of meat was enough to pique his appetite.

Lu Qing was making braised pork.

Of course, due to the lack of seasoning, he made a simplified version of braised pork, or perhaps stewed meat would be a more appropriate term. He

decided to make braised pork because he saw someone selling bean paste at the market.

It was sold by a peasant woman, and at first it was in a jar, so he almost didn’t notice it.

Later, he tasted a little and found that the taste was quite similar to soy sauce, but less salty. He was immediately surprised.

He immediately bought a lot, which made the peasant woman grateful.

Lu Qing seized the opportunity to inquire about the origins of the sauce and learned that the recipe came from the peasant woman’s grandfather.

His grandfather had been a chef in a restaurant in a distant city, but due to misfortunes, he drifted to this area.   After she married

, her husband’s family fell into poverty, so she decided to make some bean paste to supplement the family income.

Beans were cheap, so even if they went bad, the loss wouldn’t be too great.

However, the locals didn’t seem to be very receptive to bean paste. She   had been selling at the market for so long, and Lu Qing was still her biggest customer. Feeling sympathy,   Lu Qing bought another jar of sauce, earning the peasant woman another round of gratitude. After his unexpected bean paste bonanza, Lu Qing explored the market   again. Unfortunately, there were no more surprises like bean paste.   Instead, he saw an old man selling candy, and he bought some.   Sugar was much more expensive than bean paste, but Lu Qing was always generous with his food.   With this bonanza, Lu Qing decided to prepare a braised pork feast.   The half-fat and half-lean pork belly was cut into chunks, blanched in water, and then pan-fried until lightly golden.   The meat was then removed and the sauce was   stir-fried. Once the sauce was fragrant, he added the lightly fried pork chunks.   Sugar, salt, and water were then added and the whole thing was simmered.   This wasn’t authentic red-braised pork, but Lu Qing had limited resources,   so this was the best he could do. Fortunately, even with its simple recipe, meat was still meat.   After a while of simmering, the aroma of the meat wafted out, still making the siblings salivate.   After estimating the time was almost up, Lu Qing opened the pot and prepared to reduce the sauce.   The moment the lid was opened, steam rose, and the rich aroma of meat filled the air, instantly filling the entire kitchen.   The aroma even wafted outside, attracting passing villagers who stopped in their tracks.   After sniffing for a while, they realized the aroma was coming from Lu Qing’s house and were immediately amazed.   ”Such a strong smell of meat, how many big pieces of meat did Lu Qing cook at home?”   He wanted to go in and take a look, but he felt it would be impolite.   Finally, after standing there for a while, he felt that he was getting hungrier and hungrier, so he hurried home.   If he stayed any longer, he was afraid that he would not be able to resist going in to eat for free.   The aroma of meat drifted farther and farther, and several nearby households could smell it.   After confirming that the fragrance came from Lu’s house, they also couldn’t help but sigh.   ”The Lu family is getting better and better. What kind of meat is this? It smells so good!”   ”I thought that after Lu Ming and his wife passed away, Lu Qing and Xiaoyan would be left alone and have a hard time. Now we don’t have to worry about them.” ”   I heard that Lu Qing and Da’an went to the market this morning and bought a lot of things. Lu Qing even paid back all the food, oil and salt he had borrowed from everyone.”   ”This old doctor Chen is so good to his disciples.”   ”It’s a pity that my little boy is not so good, otherwise I would have asked the old doctor to accept him as a disciple.”   ”Come on, your boy can’t even read a single word. He can’t even understand a medical book.”   ”You’re only talking about my boy. Your boy is the same. He can’t even count to ten. Let alone the eldest brother.”   …   Lu Qing was unaware of the villagers’ discussion.   At this moment, he was thickening the gravy and began to serve the meat.   The fully cooked meat pieces were scooped up and trembled as they landed in the bowl, looking extremely tempting.   Looking at the quality of the braised pork, Lu Qing couldn’t stand it any longer.

He quickly stir-fried a vegetable over high heat and announced that it was time to eat.

“Xiaoyan, this is yours. Eat slowly, be careful of the heat.”

At the table, Lu Qing first picked up a piece of meat for Xiaoyan and placed it on her rice.

“Got it, brother,”

Xiaoyan replied obediently, then blew on the meat in her own bowl, trying to cool it down quickly. After

serving Xiaoyan, Lu Qing also picked up a piece of braised pork for himself.

He blew on it slightly to cool it down, then took a bite and his eyes lit up.

The meat had been simmered for a long time, and it was fully flavored. It

was soft and glutinous with a hint of springiness, and the texture was excellent.

Lu Qing’s expression of satisfaction was evident after swallowing the braised pork.

It was worth the time he had spent preparing it.

Although the lack of seasoning meant that the braised pork didn’t have the same depth of flavor as the ones he had made in his previous life

, being able to enjoy a bite of such meat in his current circumstances was more than enough to satisfy him.

“Brother, this meat is delicious!”

Xiaoyan, now also full of grease, said to Lu Qing happily.

“Haha, of course. This took a lot of work from my brother,” Lu Qing said proudly.

“My brother’s cooking is so delicious. Xiaoyan, I want you to learn how to cook from me someday, so you can make lots of delicious meals yourself!”

The little foodie expressed his ambition.

“Then Xiaoyan, you have to eat well. When you grow up a little, I’ll teach you how to cook.”

“Okay!”

The brother and sister had another delicious dinner.

After dinner, they cleaned up and Lu Qing, holding a piece of cloth, went to Uncle Zhang’s house next door.

“Grandpa Zhang, Grandpa Zhang!”

“What’s up, Ah Qing?” Uncle Zhang came out.

“Is my second aunt home?”

Second aunt, Uncle Zhang’s second wife, was famous in the village for her needlework.

“She’s in the house. Are you looking for her?” Uncle Zhang called inside. “Second brother’s wife, come out quickly. Ah Qing wants to see you.”

“What do you want, Ah Qing?” A woman came out.

“Well, I bought some cloth at the market this morning and want to make two dresses for Xiaoyan. But I don’t know how to sew, so I’d like to ask Second Aunt for help. I’ll pay you.”

Lu Qing showed the cloth in his hand.

“What are you talking about wages for? We’re neighbors, so it’s only natural for us to help each other. Give me the cloth, and I’ll think about it. Have Xiaoyan come to me tomorrow so I can take her measurements and have her made in the next two days.” Second Aunt Zhang took the cloth and said.

“That’s right, bringing such a large piece of meat for lunch is really quite polite,” said Uncle Zhang.

“I can’t let Second Aunt work for nothing,” Lu Qing said with a smile. “Then it’s settled. I have to go back to study.”

“Okay, okay, studying is more important. Go back soon.”

After returning home, Lu Qing looked at Xiaoyan playing in the yard and smiled.

The little girl’s clothes were originally made from old ones he had altered, and now they were covered in patches.

While washing clothes the past two days, he noticed that some of the seams were coming apart.

Today, Lu Qing happened to see someone selling cloth at the market. Although the quality was average and the price was high,

he bought some anyway, hoping to have someone make two new dresses.

He didn’t tell Xiaoyan about the new clothes, planning a surprise for her tomorrow.

That night, Xiaoyan, still waiting for the black beast to arrive, fell asleep.

The next morning, she woke up feeling glum,

but her mood soon faded, as she learned about the new clothes.

Two days later, the new clothes were ready, and the little creature was so happy when they put them on that he showed them off for several days.

Thanks to the shopping at the market, he had enough supplies.

For the next few days, Lu Qing stayed in the village.

Every day, he would study with Doctor Chen, then do some farm work like planting vegetables in the yard. In the afternoon, he would think about how to make delicious meals within his limited resources.

Occasionally, he would go fishing to feed the black night raccoon.

His days were perfectly regular.

Finally, one morning, when he and Xiaoyan were back at the small courtyard halfway up the mountain,

The old doctor told him that he didn’t need to read the Classic of Materia Medica anymore.

(End of this chapter)