Reborn to Stew Soup (GL) 152-153

Chapter 152: Delicious

Acrid smoke billowed from the half-closed courtyard gate. Even standing on the path outside, Mi Hongdou’s eyes stung.

Her earlier, hurried instructions on using the traditional stove had clearly been insufficient. She glanced at the gate, took a deep breath, ignoring the smoke, and smelled… no cooking oil, just smoke, she had messed up the first step.

After being banished from the kitchen, Mi Hongdou had spent some time in Jiang Lingling’s courtyard, realizing that Ji Junxin was probably embarrassed about cooking in front of her. Although she didn’t understand the embarrassment, she respected Ji Junxin’s feelings.

But now…

The smoke thickened, punctuated by the coughing of the crew inside. Mi Hongdou frowned, her foot hovering over the threshold, wanting to go in, but hesitant, unsure if the crew would let her help, or if Ji Junxin would be angry.

If it weren’t for the live stream… if it were just the two of them… she wouldn’t hesitate.

As she struggled, inching closer to the gate, it suddenly creaked open.

The smoke billowed out, even thicker now.

The staff member who opened the door, almost bumping into Mi Hongdou, jumped back, startled, then her surprise turned into delight.

“Mi Hongdou? Come in!” she said cheerfully. “What a coincidence, you’re back, just in time to help with the fire!”

Mi Hongdou hadn’t forgotten that this was the same staff member who had stopped her earlier, saying that only Ji Junxin could do the special mission.

Seeing Mi Hongdou’s knowing look, the staff member was embarrassed. But the filming was more important. She quickly switched to a pitiful expression, blinking and silently pleading.

Even without the act, Mi Hongdou wouldn’t have just ignored the situation.

She entered the courtyard, sighing inwardly.

As expected, the acrid smoke, thick and swirling, billowed from the stove’s firebox, stinging her eyes.

The crew had retreated to a safe distance, the stove at the center of a smoke-filled circle. And Ji Junxin, squatting by the stove, her face covered in soot, poking at the fire, looked incredibly pitiful.

Mi Hongdou’s eyes, already stinging from the smoke, now stung even more, seeing this, her heart aching.

“Uh… we did tell her to stop, but she wouldn’t…” the staff member, who had been following her, quickly explained, seeing Mi Hongdou’s darkening expression as she stared at Ji Junxin. They weren’t bullying her, they had to film, they couldn’t just let her stop.

Reality Online was Qiong Yu’s production, they wouldn’t deliberately make things difficult for Ji Junxin. Mi Hongdou nodded, acknowledging his words, and then quickly walked towards the stove.

The staff member touched his nose. Why did I feel the need to explain myself to her… it must be from reading too many Sweet Red Bean Soup comments…

Speaking of which, the viewers were losing their minds.

Unlike Mi Hongdou, who had only seen the aftermath, they had witnessed Ji Junxin’s struggles with the stove.

At first, she had followed Mi Hongdou’s instructions, using a small bundle of straw to start the fire, but when the wood burned too slowly, she became impatient.

She stuffed more and more wood into the firebox, and the viewers, watching the increasingly blocked opening, wanted to reach into the screen and pull out the wood.

Although most had no experience with traditional stoves, they had seen Mi Hongdou’s method, she wouldn’t have piled the wood in like that!

Their online tips and warnings, Ji Junxin couldn’t see.

With too much wood, the outer pieces wouldn’t catch fire, and the fire inside, instead of growing stronger, seemed to weaken.

A staff member finally spoke up. “Too much wood.”

Ji Junxin realized that the fire had been burning well with just the straw, adding wood had made it worse.

So, the viewers watched as she started pulling out the unburnt wood. They were initially relieved, then horrified, as she kept pulling, almost emptying the firebox. Having failed once, she decided that straw was better than wood and started shoveling in large piles of straw.

That was where the smoke came from.

Mi Hongdou reached the stove, bent down, and immediately understood.

The area was near the mountains, the air damp at night. She had used only a small amount of dry straw from the top of the pile earlier. But Ji Junxin, using a shovel, had added a large amount, much of it damp from being closer to the ground, hence the thick smoke…

And Ji Junxin, oblivious, squatting by the stove, her face covered in soot, kept poking at the burning straw with a long stick, thinking that once the fire was stronger, the smoke would disappear.

“Let me handle the fire, you go crack the eggs and get ready for the fried rice,” Mi Hongdou said, gently patting Ji Junxin’s shoulder.

Ji Junxin, startled, almost dropped the stick into the fire.

“You… cough… why are you back… cough…” she asked, her voice choked with smoke. She had known that making fried rice wouldn’t be easy, but the worst she had imagined was a burnt dish. But this… she looked at the smoke-filled courtyard, and the crew, who had retreated to a safe distance, it was much worse than she had imagined.

Mi Hongdou, unable to see Ji Junxin’s dejected expression through the smoke, noticed the soot on her face and found it amusing. But she wasn’t in the mood for teasing, she pulled Ji Junxin away from the stove and wiped her face with her sleeve. “I thought about it, the mission is just for you to make fried rice, chefs don’t usually have to start their own fires, so I came back.”

Ji Junxin looked at the still-smoking stove, bit her lip, and then, unable to refuse, silently agreed.

“Ah… achoo… sorry, sorry…” Mi Hongdou’s cameraman, who had just captured a shot of Mi Hongdou wiping Ji Junxin’s sooty face, sneezed, his own face covered in smoke, a little embarrassed.

The viewers, watching, thought, So cute and pitiful, and also sweet, my heart!

Now, without interference from the crew or Ji Junxin, Mi Hongdou took over. In a few minutes, the smoke subsided, the fire burning steadily, the acrid smell dissipating. The crew, the viewers, and even Ji Junxin, who was cracking eggs, were relieved.

Whether it was because of the embarrassing smoke incident, or because Mi Hongdou was now tending the fire, Ji Junxin’s performance in making the fried rice was surprisingly good.

She cracked the eggs, measured the rice and seasonings with the electronic scale provided, her movements skilled and efficient. Only when it came to measuring the oil did she hesitate. They were using the lard Mi Hongdou had rendered, which was now solid and couldn’t be measured with a measuring cup.

She had initially thought of melting it first, but then, realizing that the finished dish wasn’t for them, and that melting and then measuring would waste some of the precious lard, thinking of Mi Hongdou’s efforts in earning the coins and rendering the lard, Ji Junxin couldn’t bear to waste it.

So, she just scooped a small amount into the wok and started frying the rice.

Her movements were professional, the aroma of hot lard filling the air, but the finished dish, due to the lack of oil, was slightly burnt in a few spots. Fortunately, there wasn’t any burnt taste, and the fried rice, although not very appetizing-looking, was still edible. Ji Junxin was relieved.

It would be perfect… if the crew didn’t ask Mi Hongdou to try it…

“You just had roast duck, you can’t possibly be hungry enough for fried rice,” Ji Junxin said, pulling Mi Hongdou back as she was about to approach the crew with the dish.

“I can eat,” Mi Hongdou smiled and patted Ji Junxin’s hand. “Just a bite, it smelled so good earlier, I’m suddenly hungry.”

If you’re hungry, you shouldn’t eat this, it doesn’t look very good…

But this was a live stream, Ji Junxin couldn’t stop her, and she couldn’t tell Mi Hongdou that her own cooking was terrible.

So, she watched as Mi Hongdou took a large spoonful and ate it. This crew is the worst!

Everyone, both on and off screen, watched Mi Hongdou… and the invisible fried rice in her mouth.

She chewed silently…

A staff member, impatient, finally asked, “Is it good?”

Mi Hongdou swallowed and said, her face beaming, “Delicious!”

Staff member: “…”

Viewers: “…”

Ji Junxin: “…”

Mi Hongdou’s joyful expression, the sparkle in her eyes, it was so genuine… that it almost convinced the viewers that the fried rice was actually good.

But… even without tasting it, they could see… it didn’t look very appetizing…

The power of love…

“What are you going to do with this fried rice? I mean, what’s the… standard procedure?” Mi Hongdou asked seriously.

The crew members exchanged glances. If it were Mi Hongdou’s cooking, they would have shared it immediately. But this… even those who were Ji Junxin’s fans… they would probably just take a photo and then discard it.

Seeing their hesitation, Mi Hongdou figured they would just take it away.

“I’m still a little hungry from lunch, can I have it?” she asked with a gentle smile, licking her lips, as if savoring the taste.

Mi Hongdou, have you lost your sense of taste? Or have you forgotten about the roast duck you just ate? …

Chapter 153: Willful

Ji Junxin’s special mission: make egg fried rice using the provided tools. The ownership of the finished product hadn’t been specified. The crew had initially said they would take it, but it wasn’t a big deal either way.

Now, with Mi Hongdou’s request, which didn’t conflict with the show’s plans, the staff quickly agreed to give her the fried rice as a reward for her help with the fire.

Mi Hongdou took the plate and started eating.

It was actually quite good.

On screen, Mi Hongdou’s blissful expression, as if she was eating the most delicious food in the world, almost convinced the viewers that the fried rice was a hidden culinary masterpiece.

Her happiness and satisfaction were genuine. The viewers’ brains momentarily short-circuited, then rebooted.

Even the “Sweet Red Bean Soup” fans, accustomed to their daily dose of sugar, felt a pang of sweetness. Mi Hongdou, just quietly eating, without any words or flirtatious glances, yet it was the sweetest moment they had witnessed. What kind of love… can make a simple plate of fried rice taste so good? … It’s suffocatingly sweet!

The “Sweet Red Bean Soup” fans sighed. If they kept getting this kind of high-quality, deeply moving sugar, they would all die from diabetes before the show ended.

While the viewers showered Mi Hongdou with praise, she had already finished half the plate.

Ji Junxin, standing beside her, was incredibly embarrassed. She hadn’t tasted it, but she knew her own skills… even with familiar tools at home, her fried rice was barely edible, let alone this first attempt with a traditional stove… and she had even used less oil to save Mi Hongdou’s precious lard… it was a disaster.

“Let me try some…” Ji Junxin hadn’t expected Mi Hongdou to actually eat it, and with such relish, finishing half the plate in a few bites. Seeing Mi Hongdou’s enjoyment, she started to wonder if she had somehow made a culinary masterpiece.

Mi Hongdou hesitated. Dealing with Ji Junxin’s requests was her weakness. Whenever Ji Junxin looked at her with those expectant eyes, she would surrender.

She scooped a spoonful of rice and egg and fed it to Ji Junxin.

Feeding each other! Even that fried rice, I want a bite! Mixed with the metaphorical sugar on my face, it must be delicious! the viewers commented.

Ji Junxin, of course, didn’t know how sweet the viewers were feeling. She only knew that she had been incredibly naive! How could I, a culinary cripple, make good fried rice! External appearance reflects inner quality!

It wasn’t day-old rice, so the grains were a bit soft. The egg wasn’t evenly distributed, some parts all egg, some parts all rice. And she had used so little oil, it was a bit dry, and some parts were even slightly burnt… It’s terrible.

Even I can barely swallow this…

Fortunately, it was just a small bite. Ji Junxin swallowed with difficulty and stopped Mi Hongdou. “Don’t eat anymore…”

It’s all love… Just from Ji Junxin’s expression, the viewers could imagine the taste… We have to go to the Welfare Mission System and downvote that “Have Ji Junxin make beggar’s chicken” mission! I can’t imagine Mi Hongdou having to eat a burnt, half-raw, probably not even fully plucked or gutted chicken! This show is toxic!

“Mmm…” Mi Hongdou glanced at her wrist, which Ji Junxin was holding, quickly swallowed, and said, “I’ll finish it quickly, then we can go do the tasks, we haven’t done any daily tasks yet.” She took another bite.

Ji Junxin: “…” So stubborn, so unreasonable…

The portion wasn’t large, just a small bowl of rice and one egg. As Mi Hongdou said, she quickly finished it, not a single grain left.

Shortly after, a video comparing Mi Hongdou eating Ji Junxin’s fried rice and Ji Junxin eating Mi Hongdou’s fried rice from the Imperial Secrets trailer appeared online.

Months ago, Ji Junxin had meticulously finished a bowl of Mi Hongdou’s fried rice, now Mi Hongdou had happily finished a bowl of Ji Junxin’s. Putting aside the difference in quality, this role reversal was… interesting.

The two videos were naturally compared. And… their expressions, their devotion, their satisfaction, they were the same. Ji Junxin eating the delicious fried rice, her enjoyment genuine. And Mi Hongdou… that must be love!

We knew it! Their CP transcends “Imperial Secrets”!

Just this one bowl of fried rice could inspire a novel… Sweet Red Bean Soup, we’ll never be short of food, we’re drowning in official dog food.

Ji Junxin, having tasted her own fried rice, couldn’t understand how Mi Hongdou had managed to eat it all with a straight face, with such apparent enjoyment. Why… such self-torture… you fool…

Regardless of Ji Junxin’s inner turmoil, after the morning’s challenge, the compensation, the mountain trip, and the special mission, they could finally do their daily tasks.

Based on yesterday’s earnings, they could earn about thirty coins a day from manageable tasks, not including the more challenging ones. And with Mi Hongdou’s cooking, thirty coins were enough for three meals, even with some left over. They decided to skip the more strenuous tasks.

Ji Junxin’s roasted soybeans had been surprisingly effective with the old woman and Miss Liu, strengthening her resolve to conquer Dengjia Village with food. Mi Hongdou naturally supported her. So they followed the same route as yesterday, completing tasks, handing out fried dough cakes, until they reached the pig-feeding task.

Uncle Niu, the pig farmer, hadn’t been swayed by the roasted soybeans yesterday. Ji Junxin, hoping to win him over with the fragrant fried cakes, had a plan. But when they arrived, they saw him sitting at the gate, looking weak, and… smiling at them expectantly.

Yes… a seemingly weak old man, smiling at them…

Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou exchanged glances, a shared sense of foreboding.

Noticing their hesitant steps, Uncle Niu called out weakly, “Kind ladies… could you bring me some water…”

A new task? But this is a live stream, it shouldn’t be dangerous, right? … They hesitated, then approached him.

“There’s water on the table in the courtyard, I’m old and tired, I can’t walk,” he said, pointing, then looked at them expectantly.

They looked, a bare courtyard, a stone table with a single cup.

“I’ll go, you wait here,” Mi Hongdou said, patting Ji Junxin’s arm. Something feels off… what if it’s a trap?… She instinctively wanted to protect Ji Junxin.

“No, let’s go together,” Ji Junxin grabbed her hand.

The viewers: …You always find a reason to hold hands, even getting a glass of water is a dramatic, life-or-death, time-traveling, romantic saga, no… a yuri drama!

They entered the courtyard together, holding hands. The show wouldn’t be so cruel as to dig a pit for us to fall into, right? … Even though they thought this, they still walked carefully, their hands clasped tightly.

The viewers: …The time-traveling, romantic yuri drama has been extended to three hours!

They fetched the water and returned without incident, as if they had just been overthinking.

“Water…” Mi Hongdou handed the cup to Uncle Niu, who was still sitting at the gate.

Uncle Niu grinned, took the cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

Then, he stood up, energized, no longer looking weak. “Thank you, young ladies!” he boomed.

Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were stunned… they had known he was faking it, but this sudden transformation… Wasn’t that water, it was concentrated Red Bull!

“Young ladies, I have a task for you, are you interested?” he asked, grinning.

So… getting water was just… the beginning.