N-A-A Page 33
Page 33
Fang Gu sighed.
The sounds that were so pleasant in the game sounded rather noisy in real life.
Especially when you're about to fall asleep.
Helpless, Fang Gu got out of bed, put his coat back on, and headed towards the elf's house with a flashlight.
There were no lights at Stardew Valley Ranch at night, and tonight the moon was shyly hiding behind the clouds, making everything extremely dark.
It was as if a ferocious beast, capable of devouring people, was lurking in the darkness.
The early spring night was still a bit chilly, and Fang Gu unconsciously wrapped his coat tighter around himself. The constant "thump-thump" sound in his ears seemed to be striking his heartstrings.
The distance from Fang's cottage to the elf's cottage and the chicken coop is not far.
Less than two minutes later, Fang Gu saw lights shining from inside the chicken coop.
Fang Gu approached, pushed open the door, and Robin, who was wearing a work light on his head, was startled and shouted, "A ghost!"
He threw all the tools at hand, such as hammers and wrenches, at Fang Gu.
Fortunately, Fang Gu was agile and dodged them one by one.
Robin then realized that the person in front of her was Fang Gu, and an embarrassed look appeared on her face.
"Fang Gu, what are you doing here? Why aren't you sleeping at this hour? Why did you come all this way to scare me?!"
Robin, the villain, accused the other way around, while the little wood spirit covered its mouth and chuckled.
"...", Fang Gu picked up the tools.
"I also wanted to ask you, how can you work so late?"
"As soon as we met, you used your throwing skills on me one after another."
It turned out that Fang Gu had come to check on him. Robin was speechless for a moment, then took the hammer and wrench and neatly put them in the pocket of his work pants.
"I'm not done yet."
"Otherwise, how could I possibly finish the work in two days?"
"I'll definitely have to work overtime, but it's voluntary and I don't need extra pay."
Robin continued to bang and tap on the broken wall.
Fang Gu walked over to Robin's side, grabbed Robin's hand and pulled him to continue working, saying, "I don't lack time. It doesn't matter if it's finished in two days or three days."
“My main concern is that you’re working so late and are too tired, and it’s not good for a girl like you to go home so late.”
Fang Gu, of course, did not mention another reason: he also needed to get a good rest.
Robin tilted his head and pointed to himself, looking somewhat puzzled.
Are you talking about me?
Even when Robin was fourteen and capable of taking on the family's Gorillas single-handedly, no one in town ever said, "You're just a girl..."
There are actually people in this world who see me as a girl.
[Ding! Robin's favorability +100]
Fang Gu was taken aback; Robin's favorability always seemed to increase inexplicably.
Robin felt a warmth in his heart and said shyly, "Then I'll come earlier tomorrow."
"Ah."
Fang Gu gave a soft "hmm," followed by an awkward sound coming from Robin's stomach.
"Gululu~"
Robin's stomach growled.
Robin felt so embarrassed that he wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" Fang Gu asked in surprise.
Robin blushed and nodded.
"Come with me, I'll cook you a bowl of noodles," Fang Gu said to Robin.
"For the next few days, as long as you're still at Stardew Valley Ranch, I'll provide you with all your meals."
[Ding! Robin's favorability +10]
…………
Fang Gu led Robin back to the cabin and checked the ingredients in the kitchen.
An option quickly came to mind.
Fang Gu tied his apron back and told Robin to wait at the table for a moment.
Robin was a little reserved on his first visit to the Fang Gu family, with his hands neatly placed on his knees.
His gaze, however, fell upon the kitchen, where Fang Gu was busy at work.
Fang Gu prepared the materials and turned on the phone's recording function.
The Stardew Valley Ranch's Pokémon account should be updated too.
Who says you can't post poison on a ranch account late at night?
Fang Gu hummed a little tune as he swiftly chopped the scallions in front of him into even pieces.
Then open the pot, add a little oil, and put in the shrimp roe.
The aroma of shrimp roe bursts forth as the oil heats up.
"It smells so good!" Robin exclaimed.
"Of course, you're in luck," Fang Gu boasted, referring to something he'd been eating since he was a child.
Fang Gu poured in soy sauce to cover the shrimp roe, simmered it over low heat for a while, then took it out and added lard.
This is the broth that was prepared in advance.
This lard wasn't rendered from pork fat from Ai Chi Tun or Piao Xiang Tun, but from domestic pigs raised on a ranch.
Some ranches also raise hogs that love to eat and hogs that love to smell the aroma in order to find black truffles buried in the ground.
That's a top-quality seasoning.
Getting back to the main point, now that we have the broth, the next step is the noodles.
Fang Gu dropped a handful of alkaline noodles into the boiling pot.
Stir the noodles a few times with chopsticks to spread them out evenly.
After a while, Fang Gu scooped out the slightly firm noodles and added them to the soup he had prepared in advance.
A few specks of oil glistened on the red broth, and the noodles were laid out on the surface of the bowl like a pier.
Sprinkle with a handful of bright green scallions for garnish.
This is the Yangchun noodles that Fang Gu has been eating since he was a child.
Suddenly, the system panel's voice rang in Fang Gu's ears.
Congratulations on completing a cooking session! You have obtained "Yangchun Noodles" and your cooking experience has increased by 1.
Yangchun noodles, quality C, made with lard, noodles, and soy sauce, always evoke the image of Jiangnan after a long, gentle rain. Eating them brings a warmth that seeps in from within, like being bathed in the warm sunshine after the rain.
[Special Effect: Warmth]
Fang Gu pressed the end recording button, then looked at the introduction on the system panel with delight.
Unexpectedly, in the short time it took to cook a bowl of noodles for Robin, a new and special dish was created.
Actually, we should thank Robin.
Fang Gu thought to himself, then took out another egg from the cupboard and cracked it open.
Congratulations on completing a cooking session! You have earned a "Vibrant Fried Egg" and your Cooking Experience +1.
…………
"Eat it while it's hot."
Fang Gu placed a bowl of plain noodles with a fried egg in front of Robin.
Robin held the bowl, swallowed hard, and took the chopsticks Fang Gu handed him.
Unbeknownst to them, a small gray figure entered Fang Xiaolu's room.
Chapter 43 Meow Meow, would you like to become my partner?
"Suck it."
Robin slurped the noodles, now soaked in broth, into his mouth.
As Robin chewed, the chewy noodles bounced gently against his teeth, and the broth, a mixture of soy sauce and lard, filled his mouth.
Robin's eyes lit up.
She had never eaten such delicious noodles before!
Ignoring his image, Robin slurped his noodles while giving Fang Gu a thumbs up.
Fang Gu just smiled, propped his head up with his arm, and quietly watched Robin devour his food.
Robin's eating manners are hardly ladylike, but the ideal for any chef is to make people devour the food they've prepared.
[Ding! Robin's favorability +10]
"Suck it~"
[Ding! Robin's favorability +10]
"Suck it~"
…………
With each slurp, Robin's favorability rating on Fang Gu's job panel continued to rise rapidly.
Fang Gu blinked. How hungry was the child?