Ginger Milk Pudding

It turned out that while the food at the state-run restaurant was good, it was only mediocre, unable to compare to homemade meals.

All four of them were starving, so they ate a truly delicious meal.

***

The next day was a rare overcast day, a day off from accumulating work points.

In the afternoon, the two children went out to play with friends. Du Yue Rao even prepared some hawthorn tea for them to share.

Seeing the sky grow dark as if it was about to rain, she repeatedly told them that if it rained, they must come home immediately and not get wet, lest they catch a cold.

Only after watching the two children's running and jumping figures disappear down the small road did Du Yue Rao turn and go back inside.

She hadn't forgotten about the backyard. She went to check and, sure enough, after being watered with the spiritual spring water, the wild ginseng roots were growing very well.

Du Yue Rao watered the entire backyard with the spiritual spring water once more before going inside to rest.

Just as she predicted, not long after the two children left, a heavy rain poured down.

She began to worry about them getting wet but didn't know where they were playing. She could only anxiously wait at home.

Half an hour later, when Du Yue Rao could no longer sit still and was about to go out and look for them, the two children timidly returned.

They huddled by the door frame, not daring to step inside, just silently looking at her.

She knew these two little ones were afraid of her getting angry.

Though worried, seeing them drenched like drowned rats, she couldn't bear to scold them.

"Hurry and change your clothes, you'll catch a cold."

With that, she turned and went into the room to get dry clothes for them.

The two children finally breathed a sigh of relief, their hands still clutching a chipped bowl they'd picked up from somewhere.

When the two went to change, Du Yue Rao glanced at the bowl and her heart immediately jumped.

Inside the bowl were wiggling earthworms.

In this world, she feared two types of animals the most: those with no legs, and those with too many legs.

Earthworms clearly fell into the latter category.

After the two children changed their clothes, they looked guilty at her expression.

Gu Ying Ming timidly explained, "Er Gou said that using earthworms to loosen the soil is best for planting trees."

Du Yue Rao didn't dare look for long and immediately told the two children to take the worms to the backyard and release them into the soil.

When they returned, she strictly supervised them to wash their hands thoroughly with soap before letting them off the hook.

Still worried they might catch a cold, she planned to make ginger water for them to drink, but thought the spicy ginger water might be unpalatable for children.

So she decided to make ginger milk pudding.

Ginger was finely minced and its juice squeezed out. Then, malt powder was dissolved in boiling water and poured into the ginger juice, with a little white sugar added.

"Ying Ming, Ying Han, watch carefully, Mom's going to show you a magic trick."

She poured the prepared milk mixture into bowls containing the ginger juice and covered them.

The two children curiously pressed their faces against the bowls.

Five minutes later, she handed each child a spoon. As she opened the lids, the milk in the bowls had solidified into a soft, smooth layer, like tofu pudding.

The two poked it with their spoons, their eyes wide with astonishment.

"Try it."

They each scooped a spoonful into their mouths.

The fragrant, rich, smooth taste of the milk blended with the gentle ginger spread across their tongues. As they swallowed, their stomachs immediately warmed up.

The two children were instantly captivated, eating spoon after spoon, unable to stop.

Gu Si returned later than usual, carrying two plump river fish, his entire body drenched.

Du Yue Rao quickly urged him to change his clothes and also prepared a portion of ginger milk for him to warm his stomach.

With this weather, spicy and sour fish stew was the most suitable dish for dinner.

The method for making spicy and sour fish stew was simple: just boil the fish and then drizzle hot oil over it, and it would be incredibly fragrant.

She handled the marinating, and Gu Si also actively helped in the kitchen.

Looking at the man's tall figure...

A mischievous thought arose in Du Yue Rao's mind.

"Brother Gu Si, help me scale the fish, gut it, and then slice it, please."

When she called him "Brother Gu Si," her voice rose, sweet and soft, as if hooked.

Gu Si turned his head, meeting her curved, radiant eyes.

The man stepped into the cramped kitchen, his tall figure almost blocking all the light, bringing with it a sense of oppression.

He looked directly at her, his voice low and gentle, "Alright, what reward do you have for me?"

This time it was Du Yue Rao's turn to panic, her face flushed, quickly taking half a step back.

"No reward!"

Throwing that sentence back, she giggled and darted out of the kitchen.

Both fond of teasing and timid.

After the spicy and sour fish stew was done, the fish meat was tender, smooth, and fresh, eaten with a rich spicy and sour sauce and a few appetizing side dishes, making the two children eat until their bellies were full.