20demayo Chapter 136 Eating Hot and Sour Noodles
Chapter 136 Eating Hot and Sour Noodles
As the saying goes, "sour for a boy, spicy for a girl," and Zhou Xi's unique taste after becoming pregnant was truly astonishing! Not only did she have a particular fondness for sour flavors, but she could also enjoy spicy food with great relish. However, her mother-in-law was worried that these spicy foods might have adverse effects on her health, so she deliberately made the meals much milder.
But Zhou Xi was not happy about this. She thought to herself: I'm pregnant, how can I not even eat my favorite food? Isn't this too stifling and too aggrieved! The more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt. In a fit of anger, she simply packed her luggage and prepared to go back home and head straight to her parents' house.
Seeing this, the parents-in-law panicked and rushed forward to block Zhou Xi's way. The father-in-law, quick as a flash, snatched the bundle from Zhou Xi's hands and hurriedly took it back to the room. The mother-in-law, her face full of concern, approached Zhou Xi and asked softly, "Daughter-in-law, what happened that upset you? Tell your mother quickly. Don't be so impulsive, running back to your parents' house all the time. Your parents will worry about you if they find out."
Zhou Xi was still furious, pouting and complaining, "Hmph! I'm pregnant now, I should be nourishing myself and eating delicious food. But you, all you ever do is make me bland food, either boiled noodles, tasteless white rice porridge, or bland vegetables and tofu. Ugh, I have absolutely no appetite for this stuff!"
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, my dear daughter-in-law. These days you seem to crave either sour or spicy food, which has worried me terribly. I was afraid that eating such stimulating foods all the time would affect the health of the baby in your belly, so I specially prepared some light dishes." Madam Yang walked over quickly with a face full of guilt, sincerely apologizing to Zhou Xi.
Hearing her mother-in-law's words, Zhou Xi, who was still angry, instantly calmed down. She gently took Madam Yang's hand and said, "Mother-in-law, you don't have to be so careful. From now on, you can just cook according to my taste. I really don't want to eat those bland and tasteless dishes."
Madam Yang nodded hurriedly in agreement: "Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say! Now tell me what you want to eat most right now? I'll go and make it for you right away."
Zhou Xi blinked, a hint of anticipation on her face, and muttered softly, "I want to eat hot and sour noodles, but I don't know if you know how to make them, Grandma?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Yang was taken aback for a moment, but quickly replied with a beaming smile, "Haha, so my daughter-in-law wants to eat hot and sour noodles! Although I've never made them before, we can learn if we don't know how. As long as my precious daughter-in-law is happy and satisfied, I'll learn no matter how difficult it is!" After saying that, Madam Yang turned to look at Mr. Yang, who was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, and called out, "Old man, don't just sit there! Come with me and let's go learn how to make hot and sour noodles!" So, Madam Yang and Mr. Yang hurriedly left hand in hand, leaving Zhou Xi alone at home quietly waiting for them to return.
Not long after, the crisp sound of horses' hooves approached from afar; it was Yang Yuxuan slowly returning in his carriage. Before he had even stopped, he eagerly jumped down and ran towards the house, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Wife! I'm home!" His voice, as loud as a bell, instantly echoed throughout the courtyard. Zhou Xi, who was busy inside, heard the familiar call and her face immediately lit up with a joyful smile. She gracefully stepped forward and quickly went to greet him at the door.
"My dear husband, you're finally back! I've been missing you day and night these past few days!" Zhou Xi said coquettishly, her eyes full of tenderness.
They smiled at each other, then embraced tightly, as if time had stood still. After a brief moment of tenderness, they walked hand in hand into the house to begin unpacking. Yang Yuxuan unloaded one large box after another from the carriage, filled with all sorts of delicacies. There were exquisite and delicious pastries, each piece exuding an enticing aroma; colorful and juicy fruits that made one's mouth water; and even more surprisingly, there were the milk tea and fruit tea that Zhou Xi had been longing for!
Looking at the dazzling array of food before her, Zhou Xi was overjoyed, but soon she seemed to remember something and asked with a hint of disappointment, "Oh dear, why didn't Mom and Dad prepare anything delicious for us?"
Yang Yuxuan quickly comforted her, "Don't be disappointed, wife. Although your parents didn't prepare any special food this time, your mother-in-law has already sent word that she will personally visit your home in a couple of days and cook you a delicious meal." As he spoke, he gently pinched Zhou Xi's nose, his face full of affection.
"Hahaha, that's more like it!" Zhou Xi's face lit up with joy, her smile so wide she couldn't stop, looking as excited as if she'd won the lottery. She exclaimed excitedly, "That's right! The sweet potato chips that my mother-in-law and I painstakingly made are now finished and ready to eat! Honey, hurry up and go to the kitchen to get them and have a taste!"
Hearing this, Yang Yuxuan smiled slightly and replied, "Hehe, actually I'm not that hungry right now. But speaking of which, we've been traveling for the past few days, and the roads have been so rugged that I'm feeling quite tired and weak. How about this, I'll go take a short nap and recharge before we talk again." After saying that, he gave a slightly apologetic smile.
Seeing this, Zhou Xi quickly nodded, indicating his understanding and agreement. Just then, Su Yuning, in the primeval forest, made an astonishing discovery—a gigantic mammoth had appeared ahead! This surprised and delighted her, instantly piquing her curiosity. Without hesitation, she stepped towards the mammoth, eager to observe this colossal creature up close.
However, just as she was about to approach, a strong hand suddenly reached out from behind and yanked her back violently. It turned out that Ye Beichen had arrived just in time. His face was full of anger, his eyes wide, and he questioned Su Yuning aggressively, "Are you out of your mind?! How can you just approach such a dangerous animal? What if it goes berserk and attacks us?"
Faced with Ye Beichen's harsh reprimand, Su Yuning felt deeply wronged, and tears welled up in her eyes. She choked out, "I...it was just my first time seeing a real mammoth, and I was really curious, so I wanted to get closer and take a good look. I really didn't mean to cause trouble, why are you yelling at me like that?"
Seeing Su Yuning crying so sadly, Ye Beichen's heart softened, and he quickly comforted her gently, "Alright, alright, baby, don't cry, don't cry. Mammoths usually move in groups. It's too dangerous for you to rush over like that. What if they go berserk and attack you? I only stopped you because I was worried about your safety."
Hearing Ye Beichen's words, Su Yuning slowly stopped crying, nodded obediently, and said softly, "Yes, I know I was wrong. I won't be so impulsive again. I won't go over there."
Just then, a panicked cry for help came from not far away: "Help! Please help me!" The voice sounded full of fear and despair.
Ye Beichen and Su Yuning were both startled upon hearing this and simultaneously looked in the direction from which the sound came. They saw Xuan Yuan Rong'er being frantically chased by a group of enormous and ferocious mammoths. She was running desperately while shouting for help.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Beichen flashed forward, displaying his unparalleled lightness skill, and swiftly flew towards Xuan Yuan Rong'er's location like a bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, he arrived beside her, then swept her up in his arms, leaped into the air again, and landed steadily on a tall, thick tree branch in a few bounds.
The herd of mammoths below seemed oblivious to Ye Beichen and Xuan Yuan Rong'er's hiding place in the tree, continuing their aggressive charge forward. Ye Beichen, holding Xuan Yuan Rong'er, remained quietly in the tree until the massive herd of mammoths gradually disappeared from sight. Only then did the two carefully leap down from the tall tree.
"Thank you so much, Young Lord, for saving my life! If it weren't for your timely help, I'm afraid I would have lost my life!" Xuan Yuan Rong'er was filled with gratitude and quickly stepped forward to give Ye Beichen a proper bow to express her thanks.
Seeing this, Ye Beichen quickly reached out to help her up, a faint smile on his lips: "Oh, Miss Rong'er, you're too kind! We've been good friends for many years, this little thing is nothing to worry about. Anyone in this situation would have offered help without hesitation, it's just what I should do."
Just then, the guard and Su Yuning, who had been anxiously waiting nearby, quickly stepped forward. The guard, his face filled with excitement and gratitude, bowed deeply to Ye Beichen and sincerely thanked him: "Thank you so much, Young Lord! If it weren't for your righteous rescue today, my lady would probably be in grave danger! I will never forget this great kindness!"
Ye Beichen smiled and waved his hand, saying loudly, "No need to be so polite! It is our duty to help those in need. Please rise."
After the guards stood up, he and his wife left first. Watching their departing figures, Ye Beichen turned to Su Yuning beside him, a hint of concern on his face, and asked cautiously, "Yuning, I had to hug someone to save them just now. Are you... angry about it?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning was slightly taken aback, then smiled brightly, as beautiful and charming as a spring flower in bloom. She gently shook her head and said softly, "Brother Beichen, how could I be so unreasonable? The situation was urgent at the time, and you did that to save a life. I can naturally distinguish between what is important and what is urgent, so I would never be unhappy about it."
Hearing Su Yuning's understanding words, Ye Beichen felt a warm current surge in his heart, and his affection for this gentle and lovely woman deepened. He looked around and saw that the primeval forest was deep and dense, with unknown dangers lurking everywhere. So, after a moment's thought, he suggested, "Yuning, look at this primeval forest, it's full of dangers and perils. Why don't we go back sooner rather than later, to avoid any unforeseen events?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning's face lit up with a bright smile, her eyes filled with trust and reliance on her brother Beichen. She nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice, indicating her complete agreement with his arrangements, and said sweetly, "Yes, yes, I'll do whatever you say, Brother Beichen." After saying this, the two exchanged a knowing glance, their eyes filled with deep affection, and then, hand in hand, embarked on their warm journey home.
Meanwhile, in the bustling town, Mr. and Mrs. Yang were intently learning how to make hot and sour noodles from a food stall owner! Hot and sour noodles seem simple, but in reality, it's incredibly difficult! Not to mention the complex and varied cooking methods, just making those smooth and delicious noodles requires many tedious steps. After trying for a while, Mr. Yang found it too difficult and whispered to his wife, "Madam, why don't we just buy a serving of hot and sour noodles for our daughter-in-law to take home? This looks easy, but it's too hard to make. Let's not bother learning it!"
However, Madam Yang was a very stubborn person. Once she made up her mind to do something, she would stick to it no matter what. She shook her head and firmly retorted, "Oh, sir, how can you give up so easily? As the saying goes, 'Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.' I'm determined to learn how to make hot and sour noodles today, so I can make them for my daughter-in-law myself!"