Following Ning Xin’s instructions, the old lady took the lotus leaves and plucked petals outside to wash them thoroughly under the faucet.
At the same time, she brought out a few lotus pods and asked her grandson, his friend, and the uninvited guest to shell and eat them.
In the old lady’s eyes, these were just something fresh to snack on, plentiful in the countryside and hardly worth anything.
While her grandmother was outside washing things, Ning Xin looked around the kitchen.
With such fresh ingredients on hand, she didn’t want to waste any of them.
But her brother and the others needed to go back to the school that evening to pick up the items, and there simply wasn’t enough time to buy additional ingredients and then cook dinner.
She had to make do with what was already there.
Unfortunately, her grandmother was very frugal and usually bought only a small amount of groceries at a time, so finding extra ingredients was difficult.
Ning Xin searched for a while and finally found a small, carefully wrapped package of dried shiitake mushrooms at the very back of the cupboard.
It seemed these had been bought by her father before he passed away. They had probably been expensive, which was why he had kept them so carefully.
Ning Xin took out a few mushrooms and soaked them in a bowl of water to rehydrate. Then she took the half carrot and one cucumber left over from the noodle sauce made at noon and cut them into small dice.
She salted the cucumber dice to draw out the water, then combined them with the carrot and the finely chopped rehydrated mushrooms.
While her grandmother wasn’t looking, she quietly scooped a large spoonful of lard into the bowl and mixed it evenly with the other ingredients.
When Old Madam Ning brought the washed items back inside, Ning Xin took a lotus petal, sliced it into fine shreds, and placed them together with the stamens into a glass cup.
She added a rock sugar cube to the cup, then poured in freshly boiled water. Immediately, a delicate, refreshing fragrance filled the air.
After asking her grandmother to take the tea out to the woman, Ning Xin resumed her busy work.
She selected a few of the youngest lotus leaves, the ones with still-rolled edges, from the washed pile, and placed the prepared filling inside them, setting them aside.
Then she quickly took two eggs from the cupboard, cracked them open, beat them evenly, added salt, and mixed in some starch to make a batter, all in one smooth motion.
By the time Old Madam Ning had delivered the tea, exchanged a few words, and returned, Ning Xin had already set up the oil pan and was deep-frying the stuffed lotus leaf rolls and the batter-coated lotus petals.
At the sight of that half pot of oil, Old Madam Ning gasped sharply, her lips trembling with barely contained dismay.
But when she looked up and met her granddaughter’s gaze, all she saw was a young girl’s pleading, apologetic expression.
Her heart softened instantly.
Back when her son was alive, he had never skimped on food for this girl. Since her father passed away, the child probably hadn’t had anything truly good to eat.
She must be craving it badly, trying to figure out how to make it herself.
The more Old Madam Ning thought about it, the more her heart ached.
She didn’t utter a single word of reproach. Instead, she walked over, took the bamboo chopsticks from her granddaughter’s hand, and scolded, “I told you to stay away from the stove. If you start sweating and it irritates your wound, don’t come crying to me when it hurts.”
With the spirit spring water, Ning Xin’s wound had long since healed. The only reason she hadn’t let it show was that she feared healing too quickly would alarm others. So she had deliberately slowed the process, letting the bruising and scabbing linger a few more days.
There was no way she’d end up crying from the pain.
She knew her grandmother was just worried about her, so she didn’t argue. After briefly explaining the frying method to the old lady, she gave up her spot in front of the oil pan.
By then, the congee was nearly done.
Ning Xin added the shelled, de-hearted tender lotus seeds, then stirred in the washed and sliced lotus petals. As she stirred, the pink petals slowly faded, turning the same creamy pinkish-white as the congee itself.
Once the congee came to a rolling boil again, Ning Xin took a fresh lotus leaf, still glistening with water droplets, and placed it directly over the surface of the lotus petal congee.
To keep the delicate fragrance from escaping too soon, she pressed a lid down over the leaf.
Old Madam Ning had lived in the countryside for so many years that lotus leaves and flowers were a common sight to her every summer. But she had never seen anyone cook with them like this.
Craning her neck to watch, she clicked her tongue in wonder and couldn’t help asking, “Your father taught you this, didn’t he? Only he could come up with such strange and wonderful ideas.”
Ning Xin didn’t contradict her. She just smiled with her lips pressed together.
Old Madam Ning became even more convinced she was right.
A few minutes later, Ning Xin lifted the lid and removed the now-yellowed lotus leaf.
There it was, a pot of pale green congee, its delicate, verdant hue infused with the fresh, lingering fragrance of lotus leaves and petals.
At the same time, the lotus leaf rolls and lotus blossom pastries that Old Madam Ning had been frying were done and ready to be plated.
After putting the steamed buns on to heat, Ning Xin found the largest plate in the cupboard. She placed the lotus stamens in the center and arranged the lotus petals one by one around them, covering the bottom of the plate.
Then she carefully set the fried items, now drained of oil, one by one on top of the lotus petals.
A white round plate, golden lotus stamens, pink lotus petals holding the green lotus leaf rolls and yellow lotus blossom pastries…
Even before tasting them, the colors alone left Old Madam Ning utterly mesmerized.
“I’ll carry it!”
Old Madam Ning was bursting with pride over her granddaughter’s cooking skills.
So much so that she had completely forgotten her earlier distress about the oil. Her back straightened with confidence.
The moment her granddaughter finished arranging the plate, she didn’t give her a chance, she picked it up herself and headed outside.
As she walked, she called out with smug delight, “Time to eat! Come and eat! Look at the wonderful things Xiao Xin made today!”
Not that she needed to announce it.
The kitchen was located near the center of the courtyard, and its windows were wide open.
From the moment the old lady had carried the lotus petals out to wash them, the three people in the courtyard had practically stopped talking, all growing somewhat distracted.
Everyone was curious, what kind of dish could be made from flower petals and leaves?
The woman had initially maintained some composure, feeling it was no longer appropriate for her to stay.
But just as she pulled out her money to pay and leave, Ning Xin called from the kitchen, asking her to wait so she could brew a cup of lotus stamen tea.
After that wait, how could she possibly leave?
The occasional wafts of fragrance drifting from the kitchen were enough to test anyone’s restraint, simply not crowding around the window already showed remarkable self-control.
Now, as Old Madam Ning emerged from the kitchen carrying that plate of something unfamiliar yet visually stunning, the woman suddenly realized just how long she had lingered.
A flush of embarrassment spread across her face.
She stood up, apologizing profusely, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’ve kept you from your meal.”
With that, without even asking how much the cups of tea cost, she took one yuan from her purse and placed it under the glass cup.
“That’s too much!” Ning Yi quickly protested.
“Not at all, not at all. Young man, don’t argue with me. I truly need to thank your family for taking me in. You have no idea how awful I was feeling just now, but now I feel clear-headed and refreshed. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this good.”
Seeing how sincere she was, Ning Yi found it hard to insist.
Still, he felt the amount was too generous.
His sister had been selling a cup of herbal tea for five cents.
Even if the stamen tea was a bit rarer, lotus flowers weren’t exactly valuable.
Charging someone one yuan for two cups of herbal tea and one cup of stamen tea? Ning Yi felt he couldn’t bring himself to take that much.
Just then, Ning Xin came out of the kitchen carrying the lotus congee.
Seeing the three of them, she said casually, “Would one of you go get the bowls and chopsticks for me? And the steamed buns and pickled vegetables.”
Xu Shaonian responded and headed to the kitchen first.
Seeing his sister, Ning Yi had a sudden idea. He tentatively suggested, “Auntie, if you don’t have any plans for the evening, why not stay for dinner? My sister’s cooking looks pretty good. Would you like to try some?”
If a meal was added to the mix, then taking one yuan felt reasonable to Ning Yi.
After all, he had seen what Grandma carried out, those were fried items, which used quite a bit of oil.
Hearing this, the woman’s eyes lit up.
“Would that be appropriate? I’m a stranger…”
“Appropriate, of course it’s appropriate! The one who just went inside is my friend, also a guest in our home. Auntie, we’ve been chatting for a while now, we’re practically familiar. You’re a guest too!”
Ning Yi’s words eased the woman’s embarrassment.
Ordinarily, she would never dream of imposing on a family’s meal like this. But today, the aroma of the food… she simply couldn’t bring herself to leave.
She smiled happily and said, “My name is Zhuang Wenxia. Just call me Auntie Zhuang. I heard that young man call you Brother Yi. Would it be alright if I call you Xiao Yi?”
“Of course, nothing wrong with that. Auntie Zhuang, my name is Ning Yi, my sister is Ning Xin, and my friend is Xu Shaonian. Call us whatever you like, whatever’s easiest for you!”
Zhuang Wenxia hadn’t seen young people with such an open, straightforward, and refreshingly clear disposition in years.
Because of the times, the young people around her had all shed their childishness far too early, becoming guarded and mature beyond their years.
Faced with Ning Yi’s bright, cheerful smile, Zhuang Wenxia found herself liking him more and more. She felt an inexplicable closeness to the boy.
Both Ning Xin and the old lady welcomed Zhuang Wenxia’s company.
These weren’t the hard times anymore, who couldn’t spare a bowl of rice for someone?
Ning Xin felt that the meal she had prepared was particularly suitable for Zhuang Wenxia’s condition, so she made a point of serving her extra portions during dinner.
Out of habit, she also found herself sharing various health and wellness tips with her without even realizing it.
The old lady, on the other hand, didn’t overthink it. She was simply overjoyed that her granddaughter’s cooking had brought such honor to the family!
Not to mention the woman, just look at those two young lads, their heads practically buried in their bowls.
That large pot of lotus congee had already been scraped clean in no time.
But when elders watch the younger generation eat, unless it’s during the leanest years, who wouldn’t be delighted to see them eating with such gusto?
It proved that the family’s cooking was good, and that her granddaughter’s skills were exceptional!
Ning Xin spoke softly and gently, the old lady had a kind and benevolent face, and the table was filled with such novel and delicious food.
The meal could only be described as a delight for all, hosts and guests alike.
After the meal, Ning Yi and Xu Shaonian walked Zhuang Wenxia to the bus stop together and waited until she had boarded before leaving.
Then the two of them walked to No. 8 Middle School to retrieve the items they had purchased earlier.
Only now did Ning Xin finally find an opportunity to talk to her grandmother about buying equipment and her plan to open a restaurant.
But she was afraid that such sudden news might shock the old lady, so she mulled over in her mind how best to broach the subject.
The old lady had no idea what was going through her granddaughter’s mind at that moment.
The day’s experiences had made the old woman very happy.
She had earned money in the morning and gained face in the afternoon. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that life was beginning to take on flavor again, full of new hope.
Just as she was feeling pleased, her gaze suddenly fell on the spot where Zhuang Wenxia had been sitting.
Her expression changed instantly. “Xiao Xin, come look, did your Auntie Zhuang leave something behind?”