55: Golden Egg Fried Rice

Lu Family Village, Lu Chuan's home.

"Is there any supper?"

"Is there any supper?"

"Is there any supper?"

He Jingrui circled Lu Chuan again and again, his face full of anticipation.

...No, I don't eat supper...

"Also, you don't need to say that three times, because it's not important at all!"

Lu Chuan, whose head was aching from the noise, once again wanted to slap himself.

Why did he bring this chatterbox home?!

"Is there really no supper?"

He Jingrui's eyes were wide, as if he couldn't understand why someone wouldn't eat supper.

Still not giving up, he continued to look at Lu Chuan with a pitiful expression.

"..."

Lu Chuan really wanted to curse, but having been raised by his grandmother, he truly couldn't utter any foul language.

In the end, he could only open the refrigerator resentfully, gather some ingredients, and then turn and walk into the kitchen.

"Wait!"

"Yay!"

Seeing that Lu Chuan was actually going to make him supper, He Jingrui excitedly made a V-sign with his fingers, then eagerly sat down at the dining table chair and waited obediently.

In the kitchen.

Lu Chuan piled the ingredients in his hands on the stove, then tied on an apron.

Late at night, he didn't want to bother with several dishes and a soup; he would just make a simple fried rice, enough to fill He Jingrui's stomach.

Standing at the sink, he carefully washed his hands, the spatula, and the cutting board, then began to process the ingredients one by one.

What Lu Chuan was making this time was a core branch of Yangzhou Fried Rice, Golden Egg Fried Rice.

The Tang Dynasty document "Shi Jing" describes it as "rice grains wrapped in egg yolk, like scattered gold flying," so in some places, it is also called "Crushed Gold Rice."

As a classic dish of the Huaiyang cuisine, Golden Egg Fried Rice has been loved by a wide range of diners for its characteristics of "golden and oily, with distinct grains," and thus has become one of the essential lessons for countless restaurant chefs.

But learning this dish is not difficult; the challenge lies in mastering it with precision and detail, achieving rice that is golden in color, with distinct grains and a rich aroma.

This is also why many diners at some roadside restaurants excitedly order a Golden Egg Fried Rice.

The result, however, is either so greasy it makes one want to vomit, or so salty it's hard to eat.

But more often, it's a plate of fried rice where the burnt yellow egg flowers and dry, hard rice are distinct, completely lacking the aesthetic beauty of "crushed gold."

However, the above failed cases are destined to be irrelevant to Lu Chuan, who possesses advanced chef skills.

"Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud..."

Accompanied by the rhythmic sound of chopping, the ingredients on the stove were processed one by one and placed into small bowls.

Then Lu Chuan took a rice spoon, broke up the clumps of leftover rice, ensuring every grain was dry and fluffy.

Afterward, he took three farm-fresh eggs, cracked them open with one hand, and set aside the egg whites for later use.

He whisked the egg yolks into a thick liquid, then poured them into the rice and stirred vigorously, ensuring every grain of rice was evenly coated with egg liquid.

Then he set it aside to rest for 5 minutes, allowing the egg liquid to adhere further to the rice grains.

After 5 minutes, he heated the wok, added cold oil, turned to low heat, poured in the rice coated with egg liquid, and began to stir-fry quickly with a spatula.

As time passed, the egg liquid on the outer layer of the rice grains gradually solidified, and the rice grains began to jump as the temperature of the wok increased.

Lu Chuan then picked up the reserved egg whites and added them to the wok in three batches, quickly stirring them into scrambled egg bits.

Suddenly, a burst of aroma surged from the wok, filling the entire kitchen and wafting outwards.

The next second, Lu Chuan heard the sound of swallowing and rumbling stomachs at the kitchen door, followed by excited low growls.

"It smells so good! This smell is too amazing!"

"Oh my god! I'm so happy!"

"With this aroma, I could eat a whole pot of plain white rice!"

Lu Chuan twitched the corner of his mouth, choosing to ignore the wailing He Jingrui behind him.

He lowered his head and continued to observe the degree of egg liquid solidification.

When he saw that the rice grains were uniformly golden yellow and the outer layer of egg liquid was in a semi-solidified state, he quickly turned up the heat, making the rice grains jump faster.

At the same time, he added diced carrots, diced mushrooms, ham, cured sausage, and shrimp, stir-frying them until they were cooked through.

Finally, relying on his intuition, he successively added salt, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce for seasoning, then sprinkled a small handful of chopped green onions and stir-fried evenly.

"It's ready to eat."

As soon as he finished speaking, he skillfully tossed the wok, and as the Golden Egg Fried Rice was tossed into the air, the spatula in his hand smoothly scooped it out and placed it onto a plate.

He Jingrui, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately came forward, taking the plate with a fawning expression, not forgetting to repeatedly express his thanks.

Lu Chuan watched He Jingrui, who was eagerly shoveling fried rice in the kitchen, and shook his head speechlessly.

"You eat; I'll go get your room ready."

He Jingrui was now completely conquered by the deliciousness on the plate, only able to respond with an unintelligible "Ah, oh, mm."

Lu Chuan shook his head again, watching He Jingrui, who had buried his head in the plate.

Normally, having one's cooking so appreciated should be a very happy thing.

But for some reason, looking at He Jingrui intently eating, Lu Chuan truly couldn't feel happy; only a profound weariness filled him.

He carried a brand new set of bedding to his parents' former room and spread it on the empty wooden bed.

Then, looking at the old decorations in the room, a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes.

But soon, he patted his cheeks, closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again, his face having returned to calm.

The deceased are gone; he was the last trace his parents left in this world.

If he lived well, his parents, if they had spirits in heaven, would surely feel comforted.

After a simple clean-up of the already tidy room, Lu Chuan returned to the kitchen, washed the pots, bowls, and utensils, and placed them in a well-ventilated area to dry.

Although such chores could be left to He Jingrui, Lu Chuan still felt that a chef's kitchen should be tidied by the chef himself.

Drying the water from his hands, Lu Chuan walked out of the kitchen, just in time to see He Jingrui with his eyes closed, a look of intoxication on his face, continuously sticking out his tongue and licking the plate.

"..."

He Jingrui seemed to sense something was wrong and suddenly opened his eyes.

Upon seeing Lu Chuan's incredulous and incomprehensible expression, he instantly froze.

Then, his dark face flushed crimson, and he began to gesticulate wildly and explain incoherently.

"No... there's a reason..."

"...It's too delicious... I'm not usually like this..."

"...I really don't have any special hobbies... I'm a normal person..."

"...My body is incredibly strong... How could my mind be sick..."

"...You have to believe me!"

Watching He Jingrui start doing planche push-ups, trying to prove that "physical health equals a healthy mind," Lu Chuan's expression became very complex.

Then, he finally couldn't resist, raised his hand, and slapped himself.

But the stinging pain on his face still couldn't mask the deep bitterness in his heart.

He could only look up at a 45-degree angle, preventing the tears from falling from the corners of his eyes.

He regretted it!

He shouldn't have!

How could he bring a guy who was a chatterbox on the surface, but actually mentally ill, into his home!