Chapter 135: Hungry

Lian Ye finished buying groceries and returned home; the Shadow Clone Jutsu had already cleaned the kitchen.

"Original body, mission complete!"

Before the words fell, three Shadow Clone Jutsus instantly turned into smoke and vanished.

Lian Ye didn't notice any oddity, tied on a blue apron and began handling the ingredients.

After staying on the Battlefield for so long, finally returned to the Village.

Today, whatever is said, we must have a good meal!

The freshly bought pork ribs were shimmering with fresh pink.

Chop the ribs into small pieces, soak twice in clear water to remove surface blood.

Place the ribs in a pot of cold water, add cooking wine, scallion, ginger, garlic to eliminate odor.

The ribs boil, and the surface foam forms a fine cloud layer.

Lian Ye uses a spatula to skim the foam, lifts the ribs and rinses them with warm water.

Then starts a new pot, adding a little oil.

When the oil reaches about seventy percent heat, add rock sugar and stir on low until it melts and turns amber.

Quickly pour in the ribs and stir-fry, coating each piece evenly with the caramel color, frying until the surface is lightly golden.

Add scallion, ginger, garlic, dried chili, cinnamon, star anise, and stir until fragrant.

Then drizzle a spoon of dark soy sauce and two spoons of light soy sauce for color and flavor.

Add enough water to just cover the ribs, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover and simmer for forty minutes until the ribs are tender.

Lian Ye, taking this idle moment, began processing the carp he had bought.

"Let's make Ji Yu Dou Fu Tang!"

As he spoke, the back of the knife scraped the fish's belly black membrane, his fingertip wiped away the remaining scales.

After washing clean, he pats the surface dry with a paper towel.

He uses chopsticks to hold ginger slices and places them on the pot's edge to prevent the fish from sticking while frying.

When the oil reaches about sixty percent heat, he adds the carp; as the fish slides into the pot it makes a sizzle—, the golden skin slowly tightens in the oil.

Finally both sides turn golden.

After the carp is fried, add ginger slices and scallion sections to aromatize, then drizzle cooking wine to remove the fishy smell.

Then pour hot water in, bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then switch to medium heat to simmer slowly.

The broth gradually becomes milky white.

Lian Ye puts the cut tofu cubes into it, reduces to low heat and stews for ten minutes, gently moving the tofu to avoid breaking and spoiling its appearance.

Finally add salt, white pepper for seasoning, and a few drops of fragrant oil.

When the Ji Yu Dou Fu Tang is ready, the braised pork ribs can also be taken out of the pot.

The two dishes are laid out on the table, fragrance filling the air.

Lian Ye couldn't help but swallow, to prevent, like last time, not being able to finish the food.

He simply packs everything up and goes to the Hokage Office to eat with Qianshou Feijian.

The food on the Battlefield and his cooking are incomparable.

Under harsh conditions, making food tastier than Soldier's Ration Pill is already good.

Sometimes, Lian Ye even prefers to eat Soldier's Ration Pill.

—————————

As dusk spreads over Hokage Rock, Lian Ye's wooden clogs clack in the hallway of the Hokage Building, his dark-sleeved kimono fluttering with each step.

After finally getting two days of rest, of course he wears home clothes.

He carries two Food Boxes in his hands, the wafting aroma makes patrolling ninjas glance repeatedly.

After Lian Ye leaves, a ninja can't help but say, "Renya Jonin is delivering food to the Hokage again."

These patrolling ninjas occasionally see Lian Ye come to deliver meals.

"I also really want to eat…"

"Don't think about it, after work invite me to eat barbecue."

……

Hokage Office.

Qianshou Feijian, before Lian Ye arrived, had already placed the documents on the table onto the floor.

The table is empty, already prepared for a meal.

He doesn't want to waste his eating time on trivial desk tidying.

After eating Soldier's Ration Pill for three months, finally can have a good meal.

Qianshou Feijian places great importance on meals.

After all, once Lian Ye goes to the Battlefield, it'll be a long time before they can taste Lian Ye's cooking again.

……

"Uncle, I'm here to deliver your meal."

Lian Ye pushes open the door, slightly startled by the scene on the table.

This old guy is actually quite meticulous.

He even knows to clean the office before eating…

In the past, when he delivered meals, the desk was piled with documents, leaving no space for food.

Sometimes he even had to tidy up.

Lian Ye places the two Food Boxes on the table, takes out the braised pork ribs and Ji Yu Dou Fu Tang.

Qianshou Feijian looked at the two dishes on the table and couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

Just the smell alone makes one's appetite stir.

Qianshou Feijian's gaze fell on another Food Box, and a flash of expectation crossed their eyes.

"What's inside?"

"This is my dinner," Lian Ye opened the Food Box; inside were braised pork ribs and Ji Yu Dou Fu Tang.

He gave Qianshou Feijian a withering look, grumbling that the kid still wanted two servings.

"You want to eat in the office?" Qianshou Feijian felt a bit surprised.

It should be noted that Lian Ye always left after finishing a meal and had never eaten in the office before.

Why is he suddenly staying to eat this time?

Lian Ye saw the kid's thought and explained:

"Ji Yu Dou Fu Tang gets a bad texture when it cools, and reheating it doesn't work. So I simply brought it here to eat."

He could never tell the other person that he was merely afraid of finishing the food, which is why he sent it over in advance, right?

Qianshou Feijian heard that and instantly understood.

The kid was worried that if he waited until after eating to send it, the Ji Yu Dou Fu Tang's texture would change.

So he sent it early to ensure the texture would remain the same when he tasted it.

Looking at the two steaming dishes on the table, he felt very gratified.

The kid is quite grateful; no wonder the big brother liked him so much back then.

Thinking of the big brother, Feijian's face showed a fleeting hint of sorrow.

If the big brother were still alive, he would surely miss Lian Ye's cooking, right?

After all, he had often pestering Lian Ye to come home for meals.

……

When Lian Ye pulled out a chair and sat down, Qianshou Feijian finally came to his senses and pretended nothing had happened.

His gaze landed on the alluringly colored ribs, and he couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

He had been eating Soldier's Ration Pills for months to the point of nausea; where had he ever seen such delicacy?

He quickly picked up a rib, shoved it into his mouth, and the thick sauce burst in his mouth with a bite.

The tender, soft meat had a distinct texture.

A gentle bite released the bone, and the cartilage was stewed like jelly.

Chewing released meat juices scented with cinnamon and bay leaf.

Qianshou Feijian savored the fragrance between his lips and teeth, and couldn't help scooping two mouthfuls of rice.

It has to be eaten with rice to be truly delicious!

Lian Ye did the same, alternating a rib with a bite of rice.

Both of them ate like starving ghosts reincarnated, with no manners at all.

Of course, to be fair, Qianshou Feijian was still the more graceful of the two.

But not by much.

One ate hard-to-swallow food on the Battlefield, the other ate Soldier's Ration Pills in the office.

They only see gourmet food once every three months; how can they expect their eating manners to be any good?

Just not using their hands to grab the dishes is already a plus.

"Uncle, this soup is incredibly flavorful; it makes the rice taste even better!"

Saying that, he poured the milky fish soup over the rice in his bowl.

Qianshou Feijian only then realized he was chewing as fast as a starving ghost and hurried to slow down.

Watching Lian Ye devour the food, a smile tugged at Qianshou Feijian's mouth.

The kid was truly famished.

ps: from now on three updates per day until the completion, currently there are eight chapters left.