24. Preparing Lunch

After washing his face, Xu Ran rolled up his sleeves and began to cook. The saying that a gentleman was far away from the kitchen didn't hold water in rural areas. Actually, few children who really grew up in the countryside couldn't cook.

Naturally, Xu Ran was able to do cooking. He first put some brown rice into the pot. Next, he quickly cut several potatoes with a kitchen knife and then added them into the pot too. At the same time, he asked Dahu to help set a fire, while the other kids were directed to wash more potatoes.

Potatoes were not only filling but also easy to grow. Xu Ran thought it was necessary to develop them in the future. He planned to make some dishes with potatoes for lunch today.

As for wood ears, he also took them out and put them there with the potatoes. As they looked black and ugly, no children would like them. Xu Ran felt helpless. This was also a world where people made their judgement by the look.

The wood ears would be delicious when they were fried with meat. However, they were staying in others' house after all, so Xu Ran didn't dare to cut other people's bacon. He just soaked the wood ears and planned to wait for the other adults to come back.

There were a lot of potatoes. Xu Ran fried a few dishes from them. These days, Dahu would also go to dig some cordate houttuynia back. Including the radish pickles from Wu Mei's family, there would be five or six dishes at noon. Now, he was waiting for the last stir fried meat with wood ears.

At noon, all those working outside came back. As soon as they entered the yard, they smelled an aroma of food.

The group hurriedly went to wash their hands. Liu Tong was the first to finish washing, and then he went into the kitchen. He guessed that it was Xu Ran who was cooking. He didn't expect Xu Ran was able to cook. His eyes were full of joy,

"Ran, what are you doing? I have smelled the fragrance in the yard." When Liu Tong entered the kitchen, he saw Xu Ran washing the pot with a few plates placed next to him, containing things that he didn't recognize.

"You are back. Potatoes," Xu Ran replied with a smile.

He still talked very little at the moment, but he could make people understand his meaning. He was still taking the medicine prescribed by Doctor Liu. He planned to "get well"completely after their new house was built.

"Potatoes? What are they? Can they be eaten? How come I've never heard of it before? "Liu Tong looked at the yellow stuff cut into pieces on the plate, feeling very surprised.

"Edible."

Recently, Xu Ran was always able to make some strange and amazing food. Liu Tong didn't feel it strange about this, but he felt surprised why he could find so many edible things.

Wu Mei and others came to the kitchen after washing up their hands. They saw not only the fried potatoes, but also some other black stuff there.

"Xu Ran, what is this? So black, can it also be eaten?" Wu Lan asked Xu Ran with a wood ear in his hand.

Xu Ran nodded, "Black wood ear. Edible, fried with meat."

"We can eat this as well! It's so amazing! Xu Ran, you used to go to school and you are just different," Wu Lan praised him with some regret. Xu Ran himself didn't care about it.

As Wu Mei heard that the wood ears were good to fry with meat, he turned around to get some bacon.

Seeing that all the dishes were ready except the stir fry of wood ears, he understood Xu Ran's meaning. After all, it was not Xu Ran's home, so it was inconvenient. Fortunately, Wu Mei still had reserved some meat at home, so it was fine for them to eat it occasionally.

Wu Mei cut some bacon and washed it with the hot water Xu Ran had prepared. Then he chopped it into pieces and handed them to Xu Ran.

In his previous life, Xu Ran himself was a bachelor from the countryside, so cooking was a piece of cake for him.

The fire in the stove was still on, so Xu Ran made the last dish quickly. After the stir fried meat with wood ears was ready, all the dishes were served on the table. When Liu Tong lifted the lid of the pot, he was surprised to find that Xu Ran had also added potatoes into the rice.

He didn't say anything. He gave all the rice to the children, and the potatoes to the adults.

During the meal, Xu Ran was praised again. The potatoes were delicious, sweet, and filling.

The stir fried meat with wood ears was very tasty too. They had never eaten such good food before.

"Ran, where did you find these potatoes? Why didn't we find them before?" Liu Tong asked. None of them knew where Ran had found such amazing food.

Upon hearing this question, other people focused their attention on him. Xu Ran didn't hide anything, "On the mountain, dug."

At the mention of the mountain, Liu Tong's face changed, "Ran, the mountain is dangerous. Don't go alone from now on."

"Yes! Although this food is good, the mountain is dangerous after all. Besides, you are not familiar with the place, so you'd better not go alone in the future, " Wu Mei also urged.

Xu Ran nodded, "Got it, not in the future."

After hearing Xu Ran's assurance, Liu Tong continued eating, but he was still a little worried.