Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation-Chapter 694 - 424 Online and Offline

At the entrance to the bungalow, Uncle Zhang scooped up the beehive and went home to clean it up; he had bee pupae to accompany his drink today.

Xue Yuantong struggled to hold the stainless steel basin, "Stewed soup, braised, stir-fried, deep-fried, which one do you choose?"

The five or six jin of ribs were enough for several meals; to prevent getting tired of them, Xue Yuantong decided to store the majority in the fridge.

Xue Chuchu didn’t offer a suggestion; after all, Jiang Ning had acquired the ribs, and he had the right to decide what to do with them.

"Let’s try the deep-fried ribs," Jiang Ning suggested.

"Two jin?" Xue Yuantong said, "That way we’ll have some leftovers, and we can save them for mom to try."

Xue Yuantong prepared some ginger, cooking wine, soy sauce, and starch among other things to marinate the ribs. The process was a bit long, and they needed to wait, so the three of them ran to the doorway to watch the sunset, as the clouds rolled and relaxed.

It was as if someone had knocked over an inkwell; darkness gradually stained the sky, slowly engulfing the sun’s splendor until the last trace of twilight faded away.

Night fell.

Xue Yuantong switched on the light at the entrance, and a swarm of tiny flying insects gathered around the light. Suddenly, she remarked:

"From the New Year to now, it seems like the power hasn’t gone out at all. I remember several outages last year."

Xue Chuchu said, "It’s not the hottest time right now. In a few days, every household will start running their air conditioners and the electricity demand will be high, so we might experience outages."

In the past, living in the village, they often faced power outages in the summer. Whenever that happened, Xue Chuchu couldn’t study; she would grope her way outside to listen to her mom chatting with neighbors as they all waited for the power to return.

Jiang Ning listened to their conversation without much of a reaction. A power outage? That seemed unlikely to him; living by the river dam, he didn’t need to mention it—Shao Shuangshuang would arrange everything in his life without fail.

Unless someone deliberately cut the power lines, but then, such an act was something only Jiang Ning would do.

The last time Shao Shuangshuang planned to extend the natural gas from the urban area to the River Dam Bungalow, Jiang Ning thought it over but didn’t let her proceed with it.

As they chatted, a tricycle returned home; Uncle Tang from next door had arrived.

Xue Yuantong inquired after some news, "Uncle Tang, hasn’t Dongdong’s family come back yet?"

Earlier, Dongdong had howled as if he lost half his life; his lips had turned purple before he went to the hospital, looking extremely serious.

Uncle Tang said, "He’s still getting an IV at the hospital. Ah, the brat is usually so tough, but today he dared to mess with hornets; he’s courting death!"

Mr. Qian, a neighbor, asked, "How much did it cost?"

"Don’t mention it, several hundreds are gone, and I fear more will be needed later. Watching it hurts my heart!"

Mr. Qian exclaimed, "Everywhere else you can haggle, except the hospital. You have to pay whatever they ask you to pay!"

Uncle Tang nodded in sympathy and said, "I’ll buy something tomorrow to visit Dongdong in the hospital."

Mr. Qian heard this but didn’t chime in.

Dongdong, the mischievous kid, had killed several of his chicks last year, infuriating him so much that he went to argue with the fat old lady and ended up getting scolded.

After all, Mr. Qian, the scholar and teacher, was no match for a village shrew.

Even now, Mr. Qian still bore a grudge.

Xue Yuantong called out, "Uncle Tang, your vegetable shed is really great."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Tang felt pleased; in his spare time, he had built a small shed to grow some vegetables. With fresh veggies all year round, he didn’t need to buy them.

"Hey, I built that shed myself! Don’t even mention how great it is. When the loofahs ripen in a while, I’ll share some with you."

Xue Yuantong politely thanked him and then tilted her head curiously, "But it seems like there’s a problem with your shed."

The shed was Uncle Tang’s pride and joy; he was unconcerned and replied, "What problem could there be with the shed? The veggies are growing well!"

Though he said so, his feet moved, and Uncle Tang approached with a flashlight in hand.

He jumped back in shock, "My goodness, where’s my shed?"

Under the cloak of night, a few lonely bamboo poles stood erect, their plastic covering vanished without a trace.

Even with his usual restraint, Uncle Tang was now angry. He quickly returned to ask what had happened.

Xue Yuantong informed him, "Dongdong tore down your plastic sheets."

A steely hue overtook Uncle Tang’s face.

Uncle Zhang burst into laughter, "Old Tang, are you still planning to visit Dongdong tomorrow?"

Uncle Tang jumped up, his beard almost flying off in rage, "I’ll see to his mother! When he gets back, I’ll settle the score!"

In a fit of anger, Uncle Tang removed the battery from his electric tricycle, resolutely refusing to take them back home.

...

After the ribs were marinated, Xue Yuantong donned her apron and dropped the ribs into the frying pot, while Chuchu helped out.

Jiang Ning just found a stool to sit on as he waited for the meal.

Xue Yuantong knew Jiang Ning had accomplished a great deal today, so she didn’t bother him.

The ribs were coated with flour and starch; as they fried in the pan, they sizzled fiercely. Xue Yuantong had inherited her mother’s culinary skills and taken them to new heights; she excelled at cooking.

Using select rib cuts, which weren’t greasy, coupled with top-notch ingredients and her technique, she produced a plate of golden, irresistibly fragrant ribs.

After draining the oil, Xue Yuantong sprinkled a generous helping of sesame seeds over the crispy exterior of the ribs.

Xue Chuchu brought over half a watermelon from home; it was a seedless variety. Amidst the melons priced at a few cents per jin, this one sold for one yuan and fifty cents per jin.

She sliced the cool watermelon into neat, square chunks that fell into the basin.

Jiang Ning, as usual, moved the table to the doorway. In the summertime, breakfast was typically eaten in the yard, while lunch and dinner were in the spacious hall.

Dinner was simple yet plentiful: deep-fried ribs, iced watermelon, honey lemon water, with both meat and fruit, making it a convenient meal to enjoy.

Xue Chuchu sat primly on the stool, forming a stark contrast to Xue Yuantong, who had no sitting manners at all.

After the two of them began their meal, Xue Chuchu bit into a rib. The outer layer of batter was fried to a crisp crunch, while the meat inside remained juicy and tender, and the bone itself was fragrantly alluring.

It was far better than what she usually had for dinner.

At Uncle Zhang’s place next door, they were also having dinner. Since his wife had gone to her parent’s home, he contentedly sat on a stone platform at his door, with a bowl of deep-fried bee pupae atop a tall stool, and a bit of liquor to go with it, delightfully fragrant.