Chapter 654: Preparing for a Rainy Day

She took the clay pot and the small steel plate, washed them clean, filled the pot with water to boil, and first mixed the dough for the pancakes, setting it aside for later use.

The oil and salt she had exchanged with the canteen yesterday were still enough for this morning, so she did not go over to exchange more.

She washed the tomatoes and a handful of green vegetables, chopped them, and set them aside.

Just then, people began to arrive one by one at the sick ward's kitchen; a family member saw the vegetables she had prepared and said, "Oh my, where did you buy these tomatoes? I have never encountered them before."

Her heart gave a sudden jolt; she had forgotten that at this time of year, the tomato vines should probably have been pulled up already. "At the small market, an old lady was selling the last bit after pulling up the vines; they stubbornly took a few days to turn red. I thought they could add some flavor, so I picked out a few good ones."

Fortunately, that family member did not press further for details. She thought she would find time later to go into the space and make some tomato sauce; that would be easier to use as an excuse when she brought it out.

Her movements were not slow; as soon as the lumpy soup was ready, she sprinkled some chopped scallions into the pot, then carried it to one side to cool.

Having learned to use the charcoal stove, it was indeed handy; within moments, the scent of the pancakes spread, causing not only the family members at the sick ward's kitchen to keep looking over, but also two people from the neighboring hospital canteen to come running over: "Comrade, your pancakes smell too good."

Liu Chuxue smiled and said, "If you are willing to put in the ingredients, it is bound to smell good."

What she said was not wrong; indeed, she used more oil than most people, but she kept in mind that one could not be too extravagant in this era, so she truly only added a little more than others. The main reason was likely the charcoal fire, plus the fact that it contained not only vegetables but also chopped scallions, so the fragrance naturally came out.

She skillfully finished rolling the last pancake, placed a sheet of oil paper at the bottom of the basket, cut the previously rolled pancakes into pieces and put them inside, then covered them with a piece of white cotton cloth.

Using the two thick wooden sticks placed on the stove, she lifted the small steel plate off the stove, cut the pancake on top into small pieces, and said, "You all taste it; if you think it is delicious, you can make it like this in the future."

She handed a piece to each of the few people who had come from the canteen.

The main thing was that every time she cooked, she had to go over to borrow the cooking utensils; since these people had come over, she felt it was improper to simply pack everything away, and besides, what she made was already generous.

Glancing at the family members cooking at the sick ward's kitchen, she cut the remaining pancakes in half again: "Aunties and sisters-in-law, please also taste my cooking."

Everyone felt a bit shy, but the fragrance was truly overpowering; once one person took the lead, the others thanked her and stepped forward to take a small piece.

A single pancake was not large to begin with; cut into so many pieces and then sliced in half again, it amounted to only one mouthful.

It would not do to give the canteen people some and not the family members cooking in the kitchen; if she did that, someone would likely say she was stingy the moment they left.

After the New Year, she and Fu Yan Cheng would be getting married and joining the army; perhaps by then, there would be army wives she would have to deal with. If someone remembered this favor of one bite of pancake, it would be a good thing; consider it preparing for a rainy day.

When she mixed the dough, she added cornmeal; however, the cornmeal in the space had been ground twice, was very fine, and anything produced by the space was bound to be of high quality.

Although it was only one mouthful, everyone unanimously gave her a thumbs-up. A sister-in-law who knew her situation smiled and said, "Our Vice-Captain Fu is truly blessed; in the future, he will finally have good fortune in food."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Liu Chuxue began to clean up.

First, she carried the steel plate to the sink, washed and scrubbed it clean, and returned it to its original place.

Just as she was worrying about how to carry the food up, she saw Xiao Guo rushing over: "Comrade Liu, the Vice-Captain asked me to come over to lend a hand."

Liu Chuxue's face was full of smiles: "You have come at just the right time; I was just worrying about how to carry it up."