Chapter 16 – Little Bai
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Xi Baichen looked at the noodles on the plate, hesitating on how to begin.
Mi Li didn’t want to teach others how to cook herself. She had a strong sense of self-preservation and struggled intensely.
In the next second, a single strand wriggled out of the pile of noodles. It crawled crookedly to the other side of the plate like an earthworm and curled up into a small cluster.
[ Okay, we can start cooking the noodles now. ] The Little Mi noodle dangled its slender body, signaling Xi Baichen to be ready.
Seeing her trembling appearance, Xi Baichen was a little worried that she would snap herself to pieces.
[ Boil water first. ]
Xi Baichen immediately started the fire to boil water.
[ Heat up the wok; pour in vegetable oil and bean paste; mix for a while; add star anise, cinnamon, fennel, Chinese cardamom; and fry until the color changes. ]
Sizzling sounds were heard from the kitchen. Xi Baichen seemed skilled and experienced in his actions but it was all because Mi Li kept an eye on the pot, fire, and when to add ingredients so he had nothing to worry about.
[ There are children eating as well, so don’t add chili peppers. Add water to boil, take out the sauce, add a little sesame, and set aside. ]
The fragrance assaulted one’s nose, and the brightly colored red oil shook gently in the bowl.
The two little dumplings were attracted over, and they crawled to either side of the kitchen door, watching eagerly.
[ Now for the seasoning; add sesame sauce to the boiling water to make a paste; then add sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and salt; mix well and set aside. Don’t put in too much sesame oil, just a few drops. What’s left is to chop green onions, garlic, pickled radish, etc. You can add any other ingredients you want. ]
Xi Baichen thought a bit and then took out some pickled string beans and chili sauce.
Mi Li said: [ These are not suitable for children. Wait for the noodles to be cooked and just add a little for yourself. ]
At this time, the pot of water had been uncovered and Mi Li told him to put the noodles in. After a few minutes, he took them out and separated them into three bowls. He poured on the ingredients he prepared earlier and added: pepper, balsamic vinegar, msg, and sesame paste. Finally, the noodles were drizzled with red oil.
The kitchen was filled with aromas, and three bowls of hot dry noodles were completed.
Xi Baichen set the hot dry noodles belonging to the two little dumplings onto the table, and added pickled string beans and chili sauce to his own bowl. After mixing thoroughly, he took a bite and the corners of his mouth rose up. A pleasant gleam shone from his half-closed eyes.
He brought his bowl and the plate holding Mi Li to the dining room.
The two little dumplings looked at the plate containing a single noodle, and asked curiously, “Uncle, why is there one noodle left on the plate?”
“This is today’s lucky item.” Xi Baichen replied casually, “With this, appetite will improve.”
“Really?” Xi Nuoqi slurped up a mouthful of noodles and suddenly realized, “No wonder I think today’s noodles are so delicious. I usually don’t eat noodles.”
“Mmhmm.” Xi Keran agreed and nodded, her mouth covered in oil.
Lucky item Little Mi noodle: [ Hoho, it’s good that you guys are happy. ]
Xi Baichen looked at two little white dumplings’ satisfied expressions, then began to focus on eating his noodles. He finished off the noodles in his bowl but felt it was not quite enough, and he subconsciously looked at Mi Li on her plate.
[ Why are you looking at me? I am just one strand of noodles, you won’t feel full even if you eat me. ] Mi Li felt the desire and hunger revealed in his eyes, and immediately expressed her stance.
“What’s for lunch?” Xi Baichen then pinned his hopes on lunch.
“I want to eat braised pork and potato stewed pork ribs,” Xi Nuoqi raised his hand to report.
“I didn’t ask you.” Xi Baichen warned him in derision.
Xi Keran flashed her big black eyes, and whispered: “I want to eat yuxiang tofu, pine nut corn…”
Xi Baichen: I didn’t ask you either!
[ Okay, as long as it is not particularly spicy, I will make it~~ ] Mi Li readily agreed.
“I haven’t ordered yet!” She was obviously his little ghost, so why would she listen to others’ orders?
[ Then what do you want to eat? ] asked Mi Li.
The first thing that came to Xi Baichen’s mind was actually the dishes he had eaten yesterday. Thinking about it carefully, he didn’t seem to have any favorites. This was the first time he reminisced on food; the dishes he cooked himself left a unique impression. More importantly, he had a good cooking teacher.
After breakfast, the two little dumplings were told by Xi Baichen to wash the dishes accordingly.
Taking advantage of this time, Xi Baichen said to Little Mi, “I am preparing to write a novel about gourmet food. I wonder if I can refer to your recipes?”
[ Of course. ] Mi Li said without hesitation, [ Since I gave it to you, then use it as you like. When the novel is finished, remember to read it with me. ]
“Mm, no problem.” Xi Baichen leaned against the kitchen door, hands in his pockets. The space between his outstretched brows faintly revealed a hint of tenderness.
Mi Li woke up in her bed with the sun shining outside the window and the room warm.
She turned over and got out of bed. Quickly washing up, she put on a set of casual clothes and walked briskly out of the house with a backpack on.
After teaching Xi Baichen to cook a few dishes, her appetite was also greatly stimulated. She planned to buy more ingredients and research a few new dishes.
Wandering around the vegetable market, her harvest was quite fruitful. When she was about to return home, she suddenly heard a cat’s cry.
Mi Li followed the sound and found a pet store not far away. She couldn’t help but think of the photo of the orange cat in Old Bai’s house. On a sudden impulse, she walked towards the store.
“Young lady, do you want to buy a pet? Just take a look.” The boss stood behind the counter and greeted her with a smile.
Mi Li looked around, her eyes finally falling on a cage in the corner. The cage contained a gray and white folded-ear cat, about two months old. It had a very cute appearance but seemed somewhat listless.
“How much for this cat?” Mi Li squatted in front of the cage, and teased it a bit. The little folded-ear cat leaned over and rubbed against her finger, seeming not to find her repulsive.
“The young lady has a good eye. This folded-ear cat just arrived and is a purebred. If you really want it, I will give you a discount, 4888.”
Mi Li was not totally ignorant of pet cats. Many of her friends raised cats and she had seen many precious breeds. Folded-ear cats were genetically mutated breeds, basically mixed breeds, and there was no so-called purebred among them. If the wrong breeding method was adopted, it would seriously affect the lifespan and health of folded-ear cats. The genes for shorthair folded-ear cats were relatively stable, thus their price was relatively higher. The cat in front of her was a shorthair. Although the price of 4888 was a little high, it was acceptable as long as it was healthy.
Mi Li carefully observed the state of the folded-ear. The head was round, the eyes were clear, the fur was soft, the claws were neat, and the feces looked normal.
“Don’t worry, young lady, my pets have been vaccinated. There is also an identification certificate indicating the parents’ breeds, birthplace and health status.”
The boss handed a copy of the information to Mi Li, its contents detailed and showing no problems.
After repeated inspection, Mi Li finally bought this folded-ear as well as many pet supplies, and in the end asked the pet shop owner to help ship her purchases home.
“Little guy, starting from today, this is your home.” Mi Li released the folded-ear cat from the cage, letting it familiarize itself with the surroundings.
The little folded ear looked left and right, examining the area curiously.
Mi Li helped set up its cat bed, food bowl, litter box, and other items. When she turned her head to look, she saw it standing by her side, looking around quizzically.
Mi Li smiled slightly and reached out her hand to rub its head.
“I’ll give you a name.” Mi Li nodded her chin, and muttered, “Is ‘Little Bai’ or ‘Chenchen’ better?”
She never thought why she had to use Xi Baichen’s name.
“Well, your godfather’s name is ‘Old Bai,’ so you can be ‘Little Bai.'” Mi Li put her hands together and decided happily. (Xi Baichen: Why am I the godfather, did I agree?)
Past 11am, after feeding Little Bai and herself, Mi Li went to sleep again.
The folded-ear cat watched her silently for a while, then cautiously jumped onto the bed and curled up on the pillow, falling asleep quietly.
This crossing seemed to be a lot more laborious than before. Her consciousness was floating and wandering for a long time. When she regained her senses, the surrounding environment gradually became clear, and a familiar scenery appeared in her vision.
Xi Baichen brought the two little dumplings back home, opened the iron door, and let them enter first.
While closing the door and preparing to follow, a soft voice suddenly entered his ear.
[ Old Bai, good afternoon. ]
Xi Baichen looked up, suddenly facing a bright black pair of eyes.
[ That’s right, it’s me. ]
He saw a gray-white cat lying on a fence that was more than two meters high. It had a round head, round eyes, and a pair of ears hanging on either side of its face. Its whole body was soft and fluffy, and the long whiskers were swaying slightly in the wind.
“Why have you…” Become a cat?
Xi Baichen looked up and stared at her with a dazed expression. In the past, Little Mi would only possess inanimate objects. This was the first time that she appeared in the form of an animal.
[ What’s so surprising? I’ve said before that you would never guess what I will become from second to second. ] In fact, Mi Li herself was shocked. She actually possessed the folded-ear cat she bought today and crossed over with it. Before that, she had never thought living things could be brought along. She then thought of the package she sent from another world. It seemed that nothing was impossible.
Xi Baichen stared at her intently without saying a word.
[ Okay, let’s talk about it after we enter the house. ] Mi Li got up and walked to the front with graceful cat steps. She was about to very elegantly jump down from the top of the wall, but when she noticed the height between her and the ground, she was immediately dissuaded.
[ Old Bai, give me a hand. ] Mi Li waved her paw, motioning for Old Bai to pick her up.
Xi Baichen raised his arm, ready to catch and carry her.
Mi Li leapt lightly, stepping onto his hand and rushing into his embrace.
The soft paw swept across the palm of his palm and hooked into his clothes. She clung to his chest like white on paper.
Xi Baichen raised his hand, gently supporting the kitten’s rear end.
[ Where are you putting your hand? Take care that I don’t sue you for sexual harassment. ] Mi Li’s tail swept once and wrapped itself around his wrist.
Xi Baichen coldly released her, leaving her to hang precariously from his chest.
Mi Li struggled up, leaving a few tears in Xi Baichen’s shirt, then finally successfully climbed onto his shoulders.
Crouching on his broad shoulders, her vision suddenly widened. This was the legendary “standing on the shoulders of giants!”
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