I've been transported to the orc continent.

Chapter 211 Zhajiang Noodles

Yue agreed, and then asked, "Can we have some sauce before we leave?"

Bai Ling smiled and said, "Hmm, that should be fine. I'll make some Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste) for once."

Chen's birthday is in the fall, and Bai Ling plans to make her younger brother Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste) as a way to celebrate his birthday.

Yue laughed. He looked very handsome when he laughed, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and his eyes showed joy at waking up, as well as longing and anticipation for delicious food.

"Alright, let's set off after we finish our noodles with soybean paste."

*

Making Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) is not difficult. Bai Ling soaked some soybeans to sprout on the day Yue returned. Now that the weather is warm, the earthenware pot with the soybeans is placed under the window and gets sun for a long time every day. The soybeans sprouted in just two days.

The day before Chen's birthday, Bai Ling and Yue went to the river and caught two fish. He planned to make some fish balls, which could be served as a side dish in noodles with soybean paste.

Upon learning that he could eat noodles with soybean paste, Chen almost jumped for joy. He tightly grasped his brother's hand and asked, "Brother, can we really eat noodles? Can I eat several bowls of noodles this time?"

Bai Ling pulled her hands out of Chen's hands: "Okay, this time you can eat your fill."

Chen immediately patted his chest and said, "Brother, don't worry, I'll not only eat until I'm full, I'll eat until I'm stuffed."

Chen's words immediately made the whole family laugh.

The whole family thinks noodles are one of the best foods. Since we're going to eat noodles, we don't need to cook too many dishes. We can just stew some meat and make a pot of fish balls. We don't need any other grilled meats or stir-fries.

Bai Ling agreed. On Chen's birthday, Bai Ling went to the carpentry group as usual, but returned a little earlier than usual.

The meat was stewed in the morning, and the fish balls were also made. All Bai Ling needed to do was roll out the noodles and fry the sauce.

When Bai Ling returned home, it was quiet. Her father and father had gone to cut grass. Winter was coming soon, and they needed to store enough fodder for the livestock. Chen had gone to cultivate the fields. There was no one at home.

*

The most crucial part of Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) is the sauce.

If the sauce is not fried enough, it will not be fragrant; if the ginger is fried too long, it will have a burnt taste. Bai Ling lit the fire and heated the oil. When the oil was 60% hot, he added the scallions and ginger and stir-fried them until fragrant. Then he added the diced meat.

Stir-fry the diced meat repeatedly until fragrant. Once all the oil from the meat has been rendered out, add the sauce. The sauce is still quite moist from being made recently, so there's no need to add water; just fry it directly.

Don't do this step for too long, or the ginger will become overcooked.

Just as Bai Ling ladled out the fried sauce, a head popped out from behind her shoulder—it was Yue.

He took two deep breaths and then said to Bai Ling, "Ling, this smells so good!"

Bai Ling smiled and said, "Yes, it does smell very good. It will taste even better when eaten with noodles."

Yue helped carry the ceramic bowl into the main room, while Bai Ling cleaned the pot, added water, salt, and spices, and cooked them together. They were going to make fish balls later.

Feng and Cang also returned. Cang washed his hands and went to the kitchen, asking, "Ling, is there anything I can help you with?"

Bai Ling said, "Father, light the other burner too, we'll cook noodles in that pot later."

Bai Ling's kitchen has two stoves, one for a large iron pot and the other for a small iron pot. Bai Ling is currently cooking in the small iron pot, while the large iron pot is for making noodles.

Cang nodded and started adding water and starting a fire.

Making fish balls is very simple. Grab a handful of fish meat and squeeze it a little. The fish meat will squeeze out from between your thumb and forefinger. Use a wooden spoon to scoop out the fish meat and put it into boiling water. The fish balls will quickly set.

Cang was in charge of tending the fires in the two stoves, while Feng was in charge of cooking the noodles.

Bai Ling makes a lot of noodles, so she has to cook them in two batches. Once cooked, she scoops the noodles into a ceramic bowl with a strainer, rinses them in cold water, and then they're ready to eat.

Feng scooped all the noodles out of the pot, and without him saying a word, Chen happily carried the earthenware basin to the main room.

Bai Ling also cooked the fish balls. Next, she blanched the greens and bean sprouts, and a delicious bowl of Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) was ready.

After serving the noodles, Bai Ling put a few fish balls, a green vegetable, and a spoonful of bean sprouts into each bowl. Then she pushed the bowl containing the fried sauce forward slightly and said, "The sauce is a bit salty, so don't add too much at once. If it's not salty enough, just add more."

*

The most prominent feature of Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) is its aroma.

The aroma of soy sauce, meat, and oil was so strong that it practically wafted into people's noses. The orcs who smelled this aroma didn't have time to think much. They would simply follow their hearts, use their chopsticks to pick up the noodles that were already stained with soy sauce and glistening with oil, and put them into their mouths in big bites.

The moment the noodles touched my tongue, I could only describe them with one word: delicious.

The aroma of noodles, soy sauce, and meat combine to create the most satisfying flavor. Once you taste this aroma, you can't think of anything else.

Even Bai Ling, who had eaten many delicacies in her previous life, had only one feeling in her heart: to eat noodles in big bites.

They didn't even care about the fish balls, vegetables, and bean sprouts in the bowl; they just kept putting noodles into their mouths one chopstick at a time.

Bai Ling kneaded a whole basin of dough. In his previous life, this amount of noodles would have been enough for at least twenty people, but now it was all eaten up by five beastmen.

Not only the noodles, but even the fish balls were eaten clean. You have to know that these were two arms long fish! Bai Ling once again gained a clear understanding of the orcs' appetites.

Everyone was stuffed, including Yue. They sat on benches for a while to rest before getting up to clear the table.

Chen volunteered to wash the dishes. Although it was his birthday, his brother had already made him such a delicious bowl of noodles, so how could he let his brother wash the dishes again?

The table was tidied up, and it was time to give gifts. Feng and Chen gave their son a pair of new shoes made of snow beast skin, which would be very warm to wear in winter. Bai Ling and Yue gave him a bow and arrow.

The orcs in the carpenters' group are too busy making furniture to make bows and arrows. Chen's bow and arrows were destroyed during a patrol, and he has been wanting a new one.

When Chen received the bow and arrows, his eyes lit up. He held the bow and arrows in both hands and stroked them carefully, his mouth almost reaching the sky in a wide grin.

"Brother, Yue, thank you. I really like this bow and arrow," Chen said with bright eyes. "Yue, shall we go archery later? My archery skills have improved a lot."

Yue's archery skills were unparalleled in the entire tribe. Chen loved archery, especially enjoying competing with Yue. The two had competed several times, but unsurprisingly, Yue always won.

Chen had a bow and arrow again and wanted to have another contest with Yue, but Yue was reluctant to go: "Chen, I ate too much today and don't really want to move."

After being rejected by Yue, Chen took his bow and arrow to the backyard to practice. Although he was already quite strong, how could he not try out the new bow and arrow? Perhaps with the new bow and arrow, his archery skills would improve.