Wang Ying sat at the stove, holding a bowl, eagerly waiting for the beef stew to cook.
Xu Shuang wiped the sweat off his forehead. For this large chunk of beef, he had made a tomato beef stew as Wang Ying suggested, along with some boiled beef. The remaining bit, according to Wang Ying’s instructions, was chopped into filling and formed into small meat patties.
Wang Ying said, “Add some scallions and ginger water to remove the odor, then add some onions. Marinate it, and once it’s done, make the meat patties about an inch thick and fry them…”
Wang Ying sat by the stove, holding a bowl, eagerly waiting for the beef stew to finish cooking.
Xu Shuang wiped the sweat from his forehead. For this large chunk of beef, he had followed Wang Ying’s idea and made a tomato beef stew, a boiled beef dish, and the remaining portion was chopped into filling, which he formed into small meat patties.
Wang Ying said, “Add some scallions and ginger water to remove the odor, then add some onions, marinate it, and once it’s done, make a meat patty about an inch thick and fry it.”
Xu Shuang didn’t understand what kind of dish this was. Why turn filling into a patty instead of making dumplings or buns? And the patty didn’t even have a skin on the outside—wasn’t it supposed to be greasy without one?
Wang Ying, with a casual look, said, “I heard from a classmate when I was at school that this is called a burger. You just need to make a flatbread, cut it in half, and then put the patty, raw onions, and some tomato sauce on it, just like a ‘meat sandwich’.”
Xu Shuang asked, “…Is this going to be good?”
Wang Ying answered, “It’s not the best, but it’s about trying something new.”
After all, after having too much of good food, sometimes one just wants to try the junk food from the past life. Hamburgers, fries, and a big cola—just thinking about it was pleasant. Now fries took too much oil, and cola wasn’t an option, but at least a burger could be eaten.
Wang Ying continued to demonstrate, “Make another flatbread, put some cabbage leaves on top, place the fried beef strips inside, then add some fried corn chips and fold it into a five-point shape.”
She smiled, “There, a ‘tender beef sandwich’.”
Wang Ying handed Xu Shuang the burger and the tender beef sandwich and made him try them.
Xu Shuang was initially reluctant. He was a chef, used to frying, boiling, and grilling food, not used to mixing raw and cooked ingredients with no technical skills involved.
Wang Ying laughed, “Well, that’s the point. Fast food doesn’t need much technical skill. It’s all about quick frying, then assembling it.”
However, once the food hit his mouth, Xu Shuang was surprised.
The beef patty combined with the tomato sauce, raw cabbage leaves, and onion strips didn’t have the softness and tenderness of a stew, but it had a unique texture and wasn’t bad at all.
For the tender beef sandwich, he followed Wang Ying’s suggestion and added chili sauce. It tasted deliciously spicy, though the outer flatbread was too thick, making it not as great. Xu Shuang suggested trying a leavened flatbread, and Wang Ying didn’t disagree. It could be worth trying, especially since it was for personal consumption, not for sale, and leavened bread might take too long.
Wang Ying took a big bite and mumbled, “It’d be better with some dairy products, maybe a dairy-based sauce.”
Both fast food modifications were good, but the sauces were a bit lacking.
Xu Shuang’s eyes lit up. “I’ll check with the livestock station in a few days to see if they sell milk.”
Life in the countryside wasn’t easy, and there were very few people who drank milk. In the city, some could subscribe to fresh milk with a quota, but that wasn’t available in the countryside. Even in the city, only a few high-ranking families could afford such a privilege.
“The livestock station has water buffaloes; I’ll ask if I can buy some buffalo milk.”
Wang Ying’s eyes lit up. “Really?! I want to try fried fresh milk!”
Xu Shuang didn’t bother asking how Wang Ying knew about all these foods. She always came up with things he hadn’t seen before, and when he followed her instructions, the dishes always turned out to be not bad.
But…
“What’s fried fresh milk?”
Wang Ying replied, “It’s just fresh milk coated with egg and fried in the pan.”
She loved eating this!
Xu Shuang responded, “…Alright, I’ll make fried fresh milk for you when I get back.”
Fried fresh milk? Xu Shuang couldn’t help but feel skeptical. As someone who was confident in his second-level chef skills, he suddenly doubted himself. He feared he might not be able to pull it off.
Wang Ying, unaware that she had shaken Xu Shuang’s confidence, happily continued eating.
By the time all the dishes were done, Old Lady Xu had also arrived, and the three of them gathered around the table.
Wang Ying hadn’t told Old Lady Xu about her exam results earlier because she didn’t want the elderly woman to worry. Now that she had passed, Old Lady Xu was thrilled.
“You passed? I knew our Ying girl would make it! With your abilities, if you didn’t pass, it would’ve been the health center’s fault!”
Wang Ying smiled. What she hadn’t mentioned was that Dr. Wei from the commune health center had strongly encouraged her, saying the commune was eager to hire medical workers with a solid foundation.
Although Wang Ying didn’t have a medical background, she could apply to work as a doctor in the health center.
After considering it, Wang Ying had turned down the offer.
The commune was too far from where she lived, and more importantly…
If she left, no one would be there to treat the people in the village.
After everything that had happened, Wang Ying had developed feelings for some of the villagers.
She felt that her current life was already ideal. She just needed to wait for the right time and apply for a medicinal herb field for the village, improving the villagers’ lives.
She would also accumulate more experience, and after a few years, when Xu Shuang was promoted, they could move to the county town, where she could look for a job as a doctor.
Wang Ying’s thoughts aligned with Xu Shuang’s. He still remembered the emergency when Qian Juhua gave birth, and he felt it would be best to wait until he moved to the city with Wang Ying before having children. The exact timing would depend on her plans. Naturally, Xu Shuang would fully support whatever Wang Ying decided regarding her career.
The three of them sat down to eat. The boiled beef was served on top of soybean sprouts and tofu skin, spicy and aromatic, with a layer of red oil on top. When poured over rice, the oil soaked into it, making the rice spicy and flavorful.
The tomato beef stew, with its tangy and sweet sauce, complemented the large pieces of beef. The beef was tender after long cooking, and the rich broth was perfect with rice.
There was also a side of garlic sautéed bok choy and a bowl of egg drop soup.
Wang Ying ate two bowls of rice with the dishes, savoring the rare meat. Xu Shuang didn’t even mix grains into the rice—just plain white rice! Paired with the beef and drizzled with the broth, the rice was delicious.
After the meal, Wang Ying sighed with reluctance. “I wonder when I’ll have meat again.”
Xu Shuang pointed to the pigpen outside. “Isn’t it time for the pig?”
Wang Ying had raised this pig for nearly half a year, and it had grown larger than any pig raised by the village! No need to weigh it, it was clearly over 200 pounds.
Wang Ying checked the time and said, “It’s almost time. By the end of next month, we can send it off.”
Coincidentally, that will also be around the wheat harvest season, the time when everyone is putting in hard work. Many families in the village have already come to her and pre-ordered the pork she plans to distribute. During that time, everyone will come to exchange for some pork.
“No exchange, no good food. If we don’t eat something good, we might collapse during the busy season,” Wang Ying joked.
“Isn’t your exam around that time as well?” Wang Ying asked.
Xu Shuang’s second-level chef exam was also approaching.
“Yes, it should be in the county. My master will also be there. Do you want to come and see the excitement?” Xu Shuang asked.
Wang Ying was very interested, “I can go too?”
This kind of culinary rating, does it mean I can eat good food?
Xu Shuang answered, “It’s not that easy for family members to attend, but my master will probably be there. You can follow him in. I’ve heard that they sometimes invite people to supervise. Not sure if that’s still the case now.”
Supervision by the public!
Wang Ying’s eyes instantly lit up!
“I’m going!”
Who would miss this kind of opportunity? It’s rare to come across such good luck.
The couple had agreed on the arrangements. What was supposed to be a tense and serious exam was being talked about like a spring outing.
At the same time, far away in the northwestern region, thousands of miles away from them.
Unlike places with distinct seasons, the northwestern border still had a lingering chill. The dry grass was spread across the land, and the whole area looked desolate.
The people who had traveled thousands of miles to help with border defense were all carrying hoes. In this not-so-large farm, there were a lot of educated youths who had been assigned, as well as people who had volunteered for border defense, and many others sent by factories for development.
Xu Ming was walking in the middle of the crowd. He was wearing a patched-up thin cotton coat, and he had been assigned to the fifth group. The group’s task was to clear the land and open up a nearby stone pit, which would later be used to set up equipment for oil extraction.
A young girl with braided hair shyly handed Xu Ming a small paper package, then immediately ran off before Xu Ming could say anything.
Behind them, there was a burst of teasing.
“Ah, looks like the college student is quite charming. He’s been here for only a short time and already caught the attention of the prettiest girl on the farm.”
“That’s because he’s good-looking. If it were me, I would definitely be more popular than him.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m stronger than him!”
“You’re just bragging. Young girls don’t like strong guys like you, they prefer refined ones.”
