Before Shen Xiaoyan could praise her, she touched her stomach and looked at Shen Xiaoyan pitifully.
"Go in, I'll make you something to eat," Shen Xiaoyan said, turning and entering the kitchen again.
"Madam, why are you back? Did you forget something?" Qu Shi asked curiously, seeing Shen Xiaoyan enter as she washed vegetables.
"You keep busy, I'll just make something. Is there any steamed rice left?" Shen Xiaoyan said, rolling up her sleeves, then taking an apron from a hook on the wall and putting it on.
"Yes, Madam, there is," Zhu Shi said, bringing out a covered iron pot.
The lid was lifted, revealing white rice inside. It looked cooked, but there was no steam, meaning the rice was cold.
"Lunch will be in an hour. You've already prepared so many delicious dishes. Let me make you some scallion and egg fried rice first, to tide you over, okay?"
Shen Xiaoyan used an iron spatula to spread the rice in the pot, then transferred it to a clean porcelain plate, saying to Namu Zhong.
"Okay, anything is fine. Just let me have a bite first, or I'll starve to death before lunch."
Namu Zhong nodded repeatedly, agreeing to everything Shen Xiaoyan said.
Shen Xiaoyan asked Zhu Shi to light the fire, then took a green onion, a red chili, some homemade sausage, and some preserved tender corn kernels.
She chopped the green onion into small pieces, and the chili and sausage into small dices, placing them in separate plates to be ready.
With these prepared, Shen Xiaoyan took a small bowl, cracked an egg into it, and beat it with chopsticks.
Shortly after, Zhu Shi had heated the pot. Shen Xiaoyan poured some oil into the pot and then poured in the beaten egg.
As the egg liquid touched the oil, it immediately began to solidify with a sizzling sound.
Shen Xiaoyan used the spatula to quickly stir-fry the egg in the pot.
In just two minutes, the egg was cooked and broken into scrambled pieces by Shen Xiaoyan.
She scooped the scrambled egg out with a bowl, then poured more oil into the pot. Once the oil was hot, she added the rice and stir-fried it quickly.
Once the rice was completely separated into individual grains, she added all the previously prepared ingredients and stir-fried them together.
When the chili was cooked, she added the scrambled egg, then some salt, a little soy sauce, and other seasonings, and it was ready to be served.
When a plate of scallion and egg fried rice was placed in front of Namu Zhong by Shen Xiaoyan, only expressions of surprise and eagerness to eat could be seen on Namu Zhong's face.
"Let's go, let's eat in front," Shen Xiaoyan said, picking up a spoon and placing it on the edge of the plate.
"Okay," Namu Zhong was lost in thought. It wasn't until Shen Xiaoyan reached the door that she snapped back to reality and said loudly, then hurried to follow Shen Xiaoyan.
The two returned to the east side room of the main house. Shen Xiaoyan placed the scallion and egg fried rice in her hands on the table and said to Namu Zhong, "Eat quickly, it won't taste good when it's cold."
Namu Zhong didn't bother to speak, sat down at the table, picked up a spoon, scooped a spoonful, and put it in her mouth.
"Mmm, delicious. Shen Xiaoyan, you're amazing. Not only are you beautiful, but you're also a great cook. I've decided, I'll follow you from now on. I'll go wherever you go."
Namu Zhong mumbled indistinctly as she shoveled scallion and egg fried rice into her mouth.
Yi Zixie had seen Shen Xiaoyan come in with a plate just now, and smelling the aroma wafting through the air, he knew that Namu Zhong must have said something, otherwise, why would there be food at this time of the morning?
Hearing Namu Zhong's words now, Yi Zixie helplessly rubbed his forehead. Could such a wife be tolerated?
She was easily swayed by a plate of scallion and egg fried rice.
Namu Zhong, for some reason, turned her head to look at Yi Zixie at that moment and saw the expression on his face.
"Little Xie Ge, do you think I'm exaggerating?" Namu Zhong swallowed the rice in her mouth and said to Yi Zixie.
"Yes," Yi Zixie did not deny it.
"Tsk tsk..."
Namu Zhong put on a profound expression, said nothing, and lowered her head to continue eating her scallion and egg fried rice.
This time, she didn't eat ravenously, but chewed each spoonful. With every bite, a happy expression would appear on her face.
Yi Zixie watched from the side, speechless. How did he end up with such a wife?
Truly...
"Little Xie Ge, why don't you have a bite too?"
Namu Zhong held a spoon with half a scoop of scallion and egg fried rice on it. As she spoke, she brought the spoon to Yi Zixie's lips.
Yi Zixie looked at the scallion and egg fried rice for a moment, and finally, under Namu Zhong's slightly threatening gaze, opened his mouth and ate it.
The moment the scallion and egg fried rice entered his mouth, Yi Zixie's expression immediately changed.
His earlier reluctance vanished without a trace, leaving only utter shock.
"How is it? Is it very delicious?" Namu Zhong asked, blinking her eyes.
"Yes, it's good," Yi Zixie nodded, trying his best to keep his tone calm, but his eyes, which had already glanced past Namu Zhong to the table, completely betrayed him.
Shen Xiaoyan turned her head to look at Zheng Wei and mouthed two words, "Foodie."
Yes, a foodie. Yi Zixie was also a foodie, just one who hid it better.
"What are you looking at?" Namu Zhong asked innocently, moving her body slightly to block Yi Zixie's view.
"It's nothing. Mu Zhong, look, lunch will be soon. What will you do if you can't eat then? Wouldn't that be a shame? So much delicious food, don't you think?"
"Then what should I do?" Namu Zhong asked, feigning distress.
Yi Zixie pondered for a moment and said reluctantly, "How about this, I'll finish the rest for you. That way, nothing will be wasted, and you can have a good meal later."
"Okay," Namu Zhong nodded, but the next second she said with distress, "But, Little Xie Ge, you spoke too late. I've already finished it."
Yi Zixie: ...
Shen Xiaoyan, Zheng Wei, and Shen Xiaoming all burst into laughter.
Shen Xiaoyan thought to herself, she never expected that such a simple and foolish person like Namu Zhong could outsmart Yi Zixie when it came to food.
This was truly a case of "one thing overcomes another" as the saying goes.
Yi Zixie was now somewhat hesitant. Although he had always hoped Namu Zhong would grow a bit smarter, or rather, more intelligent.
But now, encountering her so clever in this situation, he was truly left speechless.