Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 1068 - 521: Beggar (Part 7)

Jiang Weiguo's stir-frying skills are not easy for Qin Huai to judge, not really good but not bad, given the limited conditions. The fire control is commendable, but the other aspects are quite lacking, including the presentation of the dishes.

But his porridge-making skills are quite decent.

As Chen Shun mentioned, fish trimmings are not easy ingredients to handle. Fish and shrimp inherently need seasonings to eliminate the fishy smell, and fish trimmings need this even more. In this era where ordinary people can't afford white rice and have to rely on beans and rice bran as staple foods, seasonings other than soy sauce are quite rare; the oil available is only lard and rapeseed oil. Dropping a few drops of sesame oil into the bean and rice porridge counts as a fancy meal in these times. Handling fish trimmings is not just a matter of skills but also a matter of money.

An Youyou has no money, but she is willing to spend money on food. After all, her biggest dream at the moment is to eat big pork knuckles on New Year's Eve and the Lantern Festival. As long as Jiang Weiguo can make the fish trimmings porridge taste good, and she doesn't care how much seasoning or sesame oil he uses when making the porridge, how many ginger, garlic, and pepper he uses that could have been folded into Copper Coin.

Tasty is all that matters.

Qin Huai noticed from An Youyou's wolfing down and crazily drinking the porridge, sneaking licks of the bowl when no one noticed, that Jiang Weiguo's fish trimmings porridge today turned out quite well.

It should have no fishy smell and tastes quite fragrant.

Only An Youyou and Chen Shun are eating the fish trimmings porridge; Jiang Weiguo probably ate at Fu Ji, didn't have any extra food, and went back to his room to rest, sleeping early.

Now that life is better, subordinates can't eat the same food as the leader. An Youyou is eating fish trimmings porridge and white radish stir-fried with minced meat, while the subordinates are having bean porridge and white radish stir-fried with minced meat. Each person can get a small piece of sweet potato, which is considered a sumptuous dinner.

Chen Shun eats slowly and steadily.

"Chen Shun, do you have anything on New Year's Eve?" An Youyou asked.

"No, the school is already on holiday and will not reopen until after the Lantern Festival. Originally, I was supposed to help my mother with chores at home, but now that you all are handling the chores, my parents have told me to stay home and focus on my studies. Besides reading, I shouldn't have anything else to do."

Chen Shun eats not only slowly but speaks slowly too.

Taking advantage of her subordinates' absence, An Youyou transitioned from sneakily licking the bowl to boldly doing so, almost covering her face with the bowl, licking while saying, "If you have nothing to do, why not go begging with me that day!"

Chen Shun: ?

"You're shorter than me by a head, and look younger, so you can crawl on the ground pretending you broke your leg. Just groan a bit, and I'll handle everything else."

"We'll definitely collect a lot of money, and we'll split it 50-50."

Chen Shun: ...

Chen Shun silently swallows the porridge, rejecting decisively, "No way."

"We can really collect a lot of money. I heard the school you attend costs three silver coins a month, right? If it weren't for you needing to attend school, your parents wouldn't have rented the house to me. With good luck, you could crawl for a day and cover your month's tuition."

"Not going." Chen Shun continues to refuse.

An Youyou was a bit upset, slapped the bowl onto the table with a bang, appearing frustrated and refusing to eat, her bowl licked clean, not needing a wash.

"What's with you all? Such a good begging opportunity on New Year's Eve, and Thirteen is going to work at Fu Ji and can't beg, but you're free, just reading at home. When can't you read books? You really intend to be a scholar, take exams to work for the government? Hey, that sounds pretty good too. I heard you can embezzle a lot of money in a year working for the government."

Speaking of which, An Youyou's eyes lit up.

Chen Shun slowly asked, "Why are you so obsessed with begging? And always trying to persuade Jiang Weiguo to quit working at Fu Ji and beg with you. Even if you're a Three legged Golden Toad, not all Three legged Golden Toads beg."

Listening to Chen Shun, Qin Huai was certain that Chen Shun was also a spirit.

Earlier, during dinner when Chen Shun and An Youyou were eating, Qin Huai somewhat noticed it. An Youyou, as the self-proclaimed leader, has distinct tastes in meals, chooses the best house to live in, and covers herself with two quilts—even though two quilts weigh heavily, and An Youyou is not afraid of the cold, this is her leader demeanor.

But when dining earlier, An Youyou and Chen Shun equally split the pot of porridge; An Youyou drinks three bowls, and Chen Shun also drinks three. And since Chen Shun eats slowly, An Youyou, finishing her three bowls first, didn't take the opportunity to serve herself another, instead starting to lick the bowl silently.

An Youyou never licks the bowl in front of her subordinates.

Even Jiang Weiguo, who gives An Youyou two silver coins every month, doesn't get such treatment.

Only equals could be treated so equally by An Youyou, Qin Huai thought.

"Do you think I want to beg? I'm left without choices." In front of equals, An Youyou was clearly more relaxed, daring to speak her mind, "My initial plan was to first beg enough money, then raise a group of subordinates, find a feng shui treasure land, and become a bandit king, living gloriously through this life and successfully transcending the tribulation back."

"My original ideal profession was to rob!"

Qin Huai: ? Three legged Golden Toad, you're an auspicious beast, why is your aspiration so… criminal.

An Youyou continued angrily, "But I didn't expect it to be so difficult to recruit subordinates. Apart from Thirteen, they're all useless, relying on me to support them and being so easy to die. Do you know how many subordinates I've picked up over the years? The money I've begged for can't even sustain them, let alone becoming a bandit king."