Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 34

The more Lu Baobao thinks about it, the more she feels something is off.

Lu Dingyuan… Tang Bao… If they swap surnames, wouldn’t that make it Tang Dingyuan and Lu Bao? Could there really be such a coincidence in the world?

She recalls what the little book boy in the library says: the first volume of this book was published last year. After doing some quick calculations, she realizes it coincides perfectly with the time when Xiao Yuan mentions wanting to write a storybook.

Could this Legend of the Sword and Fairy truly be Xiao Yuan’s masterpiece?

Lu Baobao is shocked! Stunned! Her brain temporarily freezes.

After making such a guess, she can’t laugh as she reads the following content.

What is this? The little witch is madly in love with the male protagonist. From falling in love at first sight during their first meeting to being rescued by him multiple times, the once noble lady of the demon sect turns into the male protagonist’s devoted little dog, praising and flattering him from every angle, wishing only to become a pendant by his side and accompany him forever.

When Lu Baobao reads this story from the male protagonist’s perspective, she feels quite happy. He is a popular character, and the more infatuated the little witch is—being the most difficult character in the entire story—the more the male protagonist’s charm is highlighted.

But when Lu Baobao begins to view it from Tang Bao’s perspective, she feels a twinge of unhappiness.

Why is it always the little witch who fawns over the male protagonist? The little witch also wants to be adored by him!

Lu Baobao closes the storybook angrily. It must be that Xiao Yuan couldn’t win her over in real life, so he writes Tang Bao’s character like this in the novel.

However, on the flip side, if the author of this book is indeed Tang Dingyuan, then creating characters like Lu Dingyuan and Tang Bao, naming them, and giving them such personalities must also hint at something from reality, right?

For example, maybe he really likes her a little, or perhaps he wishes for her to be like Tang Bao in the story, always praising and flattering him.

Lu Baobao feels she might be onto something; the seemingly serious Xiao Yuan actually has a rather cheeky heart. 

She avoids acknowledging the former and is completely fixated on the latter guess. Unfortunately, Xiao Yuan is currently in the most critical period before the imperial examination, so Lu Baobao cannot confront him with these two books. Even with all the suspicions in her heart, she can only temporarily suppress them and wait until the exams are over to interrogate him properly.

******

“Auntie Lu, what delicious food did you cook at home? Why does it smell so good?”

At mealtime, the aroma of food wafts from the several stoves in the Lu household, but this time, the smell is particularly overwhelming. The young woman sharing a courtyard with the Lu family cannot help but quicken her breathing, and even her usually composed husband cannot help but ask her about it.

“Oh, you mean this?”

Lu Miao casually points to the freshly boiled noodles and replies, “These are instant noodles my granddaughter came up with. They are easy to make—just boil water, add the noodles and seasoning.”

Today, Lu Miao and the young lady visit Wenquxing Temple, the most popular temple outside the county. They don’t have time to buy vegetables or cook, so she decides to throw together a few bowls of noodles instead.

The young lady prepares the simplest vegetable noodles but adds an egg to her husband’s bowl.

In comparison, the Lu family’s noodles look much more luxurious.

Modern people know how powerful the aroma of instant noodles can be. They may not taste unforgettable, but just the familiar scent of Master Kong’s braised beef noodles or the spicy tonkotsu flavor from Soup Master can make your mouth water involuntarily.

Lu Xiuyu has developed instant noodles that can rival several popular instant noodle flavors from her past life. In fact, due to better ingredients and more substantial materials, they even slightly surpass them in taste.

However, the shelf life of these instant noodles can’t match that of the instant noodles in later generations. After many experiments, Lu Xiuyu can only guarantee a five-day shelf life in high-temperature conditions and a twenty-day shelf life in cooler weather.

Such a warranty period means they can’t be transported over long distances, but they’re more than adequate for the closed-door exams in the examination hall.

Lu Miao is now using her granddaughter’s instant noodles to boil two large pots of noodles, while Lu Baobao prepares the side dishes on another empty stove nearby.

Over the years, Lu Baobao makes significant progress in her cooking skills. Now she has learned 70% to 80% of her cousin’s dishes and feels confident that even if she returns to the modern world, she could open a home-cooked restaurant to support herself.

She admires her cousin’s exceptional cooking; any dish her cousin prepares rivals the offerings of chefs in modern restaurants.

This might be one of the perks of this world—golden fingers that highlight the heroine’s strengths. In fact, there are many unreasonable elements in this world. For instance, the ingredients her cousin desires are always available in this dynasty, such as peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. Most of these ingredients didn’t reach East Asia until the late feudal period in Lu Baobao’s world.

The Li Dynasty even had greenhouse vegetables early on, allowing her cousin to enjoy fruits and vegetables in spring and summer without concern in winter. The iron smelting technology in this dynasty is also surprisingly advanced, seemingly paving the way for her cousin’s innovative ideas.

Ultimately, this is a world derived from a background where everything follows the author’s creative intent. When she thinks about it this way, many unreasonable settings suddenly seem reasonable.

Lu Baobao is still unsure whether the extraordinary culinary skills acquired from this world’s bug will persist after she leaves.

Due to the ancient protection of plow oxen, beef is quite rare. Therefore, Lu Xiuyu modified the recipe for braised beef to create two dishes: braised intestines and braised pork.

Today, Lu Miao prepares a pot of braised pork noodles and a pot of hot and sour pork bone noodles.

The braised pork noodles are rich in color, with the reddish-brown sauce bubbling enticingly and releasing an attractive aroma. The hot and sour pork bone noodles boast a thick white broth topped with a layer of red oil, and the sour and spicy flavor is enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

Lu Miao serves the cooked noodles into bowls, and Lu Baobao adds blanched vegetables and half a braised egg to each serving. With the braised pork and pork cartilage included in the seasoning packet, the color, aroma, and taste far surpass any noodle shop’s signature dishes.

“Gulp.” The young woman cannot help but swallow.

In comparison, her bowl of green vegetable noodles in clear broth looks somewhat meager next to the Lu family’s rich noodles.

“We still have some extra noodle broth here; if you don’t mind, you can pour a bit over your noodles.”

After all, it’s her granddaughter’s food, so Lu Miao feels a bit proud to showcase it to others.

“How can I accept this?”

The young woman feels embarrassed and initially doesn’t want to accept it. However, she remembers that her husband just asked her what delicious food the neighbors are making, clearly enjoying the smell of the noodle broth. After some thought, she decides to accept it, albeit with a bit of reluctance.

“Thank you, then.”

Blushing, she pours out the noodle soup from her bowl, adds a few spoonfuls from the Lu family’s pot, stirs it a bit, and then takes it back to her room.

“Why is the noodle soup so fragrant today?”

Her husband slurps up a mouthful of noodles, followed by another sip of soup, and his pace of eating suddenly picks up.

It is rare for the young lady to see her husband with such an appetite, so she suppresses her own cravings and offers him her bowl of noodles. “The noodle soup for this bowl was sent by the family next door. Their granddaughter seems to seasoning packets with noodles. Those seasoning packets are condensed blocks with lard. Just add a small piece when cooking noodles, and it makes everything so fragrant.”

Usually, the young woman pays attention to the movements of the two families living in the same courtyard, so she knows that Lu Xiuyu goes out every day to buy ingredients for the seasoning packets.

“It seems they’re specifically marketed to exam candidates. After all, they don’t eat well while taking the exams. Having these instant noodles could definitely improve their appetite.”

Candidates are subject to strict searches before entering the examination room, and everything they carry is thoroughly inspected.

Generally, students bring some white rice with them. Once they reach their examination room, the officers provide charcoal and stoves, and they can boil some rice to fill their stomachs.

The Li Dynasty’s academy exams are held in winter, and the cakes prepared in advance are broken apart before entering the examination room to check for any hidden items. These broken cakes are difficult to heat and can diminish one’s appetite. As for other ingredients, scholars rarely enter the kitchen, so they wouldn’t know how to cook them anyway.

These instant noodles are convenient. Just wait for the water to boil, toss in the seasoning, and add the noodles. There are plenty of flavors to choose from, so there’s no need to worry about getting tired of the same taste.

Previously, the young lady hadn’t realized how fragrant the instant noodles would become when boiled, or she would have thought to buy a few pieces for her husband.

“It tastes good.”

Her husband naturally takes the second bowl of noodles from her without asking what she will eat after finishing it. He simply comments after drinking the last mouthful of noodle soup.

The young lady understands his implication, nods obediently, but soon feels troubled.

The money given by the family isn’t much. After paying for rent, along with expenses for the temple in the past few days and their daily meals, she is left with little. The Lu family’s instant noodles aren’t cheap; buying five or six yuan worth would likely deplete her savings from years of private embroidery work.

She purses her lips, glancing at her husband, who has gone to study after dinner. With a sigh, she grits her teeth and digs into her private stash of money.

Meanwhile, the mother and son discuss the bowls of noodles cooked by the Lu family.

The widow dislikes that Lu Miao moved into this courtyard with her two unmarried granddaughters, so the relations between them are quite cold. Naturally, Lu Miao won’t be as warm to this pair as she is to the young woman and doesn’t share even the leftover broth with them.

Her spoiled son insists on buying instant noodles. Recently, he has been going out to meet friends who mention a stall outside the examination hall that specializes in selling instant noodles. Although they are expensive, they are well worth the price. Bringing a few bags during the exam would certainly help him prepare better, both mentally and physically.

How could he be without something others have? Upon discovering that the girl sharing the courtyard with him is the one selling the instant noodles, the young man throws a tantrum and demands that his mother buy some.

The old widow is reluctant to deal with the Lu family, but since it is her precious son throwing a fit, she can only grit her teeth and agree.

Lu Xiuyu easily completes two deals for those around her, and as her reputation spreads, the instant noodles she brings quickly sell out. 

This happens just as the exams begin.

On the third day, Lu Baobao holds the two volumes of Legend of the Sword and Fairy outside the examination hall, waiting for Tang Dingyuan to come out.

The author has something to say:

Tang Dingyuan: What doesn’t exist in reality can exist in the story; as long as I have enough aliases, my wife won’t catch me.