Chapter 128: Honey and Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Porridge

The honey was in a semi-solid state, with a clear separation between the creamy yellow solid and the liquid. Lu Chuan gripped the black iron lid and twisted it with force—

A slight, ant-like stinging sensation came from the burn scars on his tense arm, but it was immediately followed by the unique, fresh, sweet fragrance of the honey.

Lu Chuan paused, then leaned in to sniff it again.

It was an indescribable feeling of sweetness.

It was like plucking a flower from a lush green meadow after a light drizzle and tasting the faint sweetness within.

It didn't feel cloying at all; instead, it seemed to nourish his very mood.

He carefully held the jar, walked into the kitchen, took a thin, translucent small spoon, scooped out a dollop of amber honey, and eagerly put it into his mouth.

A breath of wind seemed to brush across his tongue; the moist, sweet sensation slid from his mouth down into his stomach...

This taste of honey alone was worth two thousand words of description!

He noted the sensation, deciding to write it into his chapter later. At the same time, he licked the spoon with lingering reluctance, feeling that eating it just like this was too wasteful—it deserved to be cherished and savored slowly.

With that, he set the honey down and turned to rummage through the kitchen for a jar of black sesame seeds.

After the frying pan was heated, a handful of sesame seeds was scattered in; as he stirred, the nutty aroma became especially enticing.

Once the black sesame seeds were fully roasted, he poured them into an earthenware mortar to grind them into a fine powder.

In a nearby clay pot, hot water and rice grains were swirling; the thick glutinous rice porridge was almost ready.

He skillfully turned the flame down, and once the black sesame seeds were all ground, he turned off the heat.

He filled a delicate, round bone china bowl eight-tenths full with the porridge, sprinkled the black sesame powder over it, and thought for a moment before taking a piece of braised beef from the fridge and dicing it.

Taking the opportunity, he added a little oil to the frying pan and skillfully cracked an egg into it.

Seeing the egg puff up into a golden, crispy shape, the aroma filling the kitchen, he methodically placed two slices of leftover toast into a sandwich maker.

He layered the fried egg, braised beef, and a few green vegetable leaves, then pressed the sandwich maker down—

In less than a minute, a private-version sandwich, crispy on the outside and rich in layers on the inside, was ready.

The white, moon-like bone china plate was painted with two plump orioles; just below their sharp beaks, a piece of green vegetable leaf peeked out from the sandwich.

Lu Chuan sat down at the dining table, carefully scooped a spoonful of honey, and drizzled it over the black sesame powder on the porridge.

Honey and black sesame glutinous rice porridge, beef and fried egg sandwich.

—A perfect lunch.

The fresh, sweet fragrance of the honey was so dominant that it easily overpowered the aroma of the proteins. He couldn't resist; he stirred the porridge gently with his spoon and took a mouthful without hesitation.

The clear, sweet taste stood out remarkably against the backdrop of the sesame and glutinous rice.

However, before he could savor it further, the doorbell rang again.

Opening the door, Lu Jing stood there, sniffing the air, her expression delighted:

"It smells so good. Chuan, what did you make? Didn't I tell you not to cook yet?"

She changed her shoes, and though she received no response, she kept talking: "I sent a message asking if that little girl's farm produce was for sale, and that's how I found out you'd changed the address in your messages to her."

"Chuan, you're usually so reluctant to interact with people. It must be that the food is just too good for you to resist."

She looked at the simple jar of honey on the table, the sweet scent in the air so tempting, and felt certain: "This is the stuff the little girl sent again, right? How many jars? Share a little with Mom."

Lu Chuan frowned:

"In the hospital, I remember you saying that asking about the price too bluntly might make the other party feel obligated to send more for free."

Lu Jing knew it wasn't appropriate, of course.

But...

But...

"But her family's stuff is just so delicious!"

Lu Chuan remembered the last of the Chinese violet cress he had carefully cherished, wrapped in beeswax paper and stored in the crisper, and he lowered his eyes, falling silent.

Lu Jing didn't mind the lack of response.

Her son had always been a man of few words. She skillfully tightened the lid of the honey jar and tucked it into her handbag.

The movement was so natural and practiced that Lu Chuan, still holding his spoon, stared for a long moment, feeling that something wasn't quite right.

He frowned:

"Mom, when she sent the Chinese violet cress last time, she said there wasn't much left—why did you ask again?"

Lu Jing felt a little embarrassed.

"You were in the hospital for a month, weren't you? I joined a patient group then. You know, those who can afford Ren'ai Hospital all have a bit of money... We were eating dumplings every day, and patients from several rooms nearby came to ask."

No matter how well you closed the door or ventilated the room, you couldn't keep the scent from lingering.

Especially the man in the room across the hall, who would lean on his crutches and stare over here every day like a beggar.

Lu Jing finally couldn't help herself and shared some with them twice. That guy wasn't exactly low-key, and the aroma drifted so far that more and more people in the patient group started asking.

Ten jin of shepherd's purse disappeared quickly.

Then came the Chinese violet cress; there was so little of it that she stir-fried it at home and finished it in two meals. Now that it was gone, how could she not crave it?

The tea was truly excellent, too. After she gave some away as gifts, the recipient had messaged her again early this morning to ask for more.

How good was it?

She counted the leaves one by one when brewing it, something she had never done even with saffron in the past.

In short, the more she drank, the more anxious she felt, terrified that she wouldn't be able to find such good things in the future.

When Lu Chuan didn't reply to her messages for half an hour, she had simply driven over here.

But facing her own son, she couldn't be that blunt.

Lu Jing pondered for a moment: "I was just... I was just thinking, isn't it hard for people in the countryside to sell their produce nowadays? If I knew the price, I could help promote it to friends and relatives."

She had divorced and come to the capital while pregnant; after all these years, she had at most two or three friends—where would she get relatives?

But Lu Chuan's heart stirred.

He couldn't quite remember the girl's face, but he vaguely recalled that when he dragged her out of the car, she was clutching a giant canvas bag from a night market, and her coat had a noticeably crooked seam.

She was dressed very cheaply, very plainly.

Thinking of what Lu Jing had just said, he nodded slightly:

"Then... I'll ask later."

She lived in a mountain village and, as he thought about it, must still be living in poverty. Yet she had sent these things with such sincerity... how could he bear to refuse?

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Our Song Tan's clients are being expanded from the hospital, haha!

Of course, there are also Lu Chuan's readers...

Also.

Staying up late really leaves me with no energy. I'll never dare to drink milk tea in the afternoon again. Coffee, on the other hand, gives me no problems at all.

However, I'm here! Give a shout-out to my good sister's book that's launching tonight—come on, it's plump enough to read now!

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