Chapter 86: Stuffed Dates
It was more of a loud murmur than a gasp.
Bai Tang’s exclamation, “Why isn’t there any ginger in Miss Ji’s vinegar? Isn’t that too cold?” drew everyone’s attention to Ji Junxin’s vinegar dish.
Crab was considered a “cold” food in traditional Chinese medicine, so it was usually paired with ginger vinegar or alcohol to balance its coldness. Since they had work the next day, alcohol wasn’t an option, so everyone’s ginger vinegar dish had a generous amount of minced ginger, almost half the dish. Now, thanks to Bai Tang, they noticed that Ji Junxin’s dish was just pure black vinegar, without a single shred of ginger.
Ji Junxin was confused. “But my vinegar has a strong ginger flavor.” Then she looked at the other dishes, piled high with minced ginger, and shuddered. “You put so much ginger in your vinegar? Do you all like ginger that much?”
Although they didn’t dislike ginger, they didn’t particularly like it either. Everyone looked at Mi Hongdou.
“Speaking of which, being the only one in the kitchen today was a bit lonely,” Mi Hongdou said. She couldn’t tell them that because Ji Junxin hated ginger, she had minced a whole bowl of it just to create this ginger-infused vinegar. If she had to make a separate dish for everyone, she would have died from exhaustion. She hoped her subtle hint would be understood.
As soon as she finished, Ji Junxin said with an annoyed expression, “You were alone in the kitchen! Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have wasted my time playing mahjong!” Mi Hongdou was amused and touched. She had just been complaining about the tedious task of mincing ginger, and this idiot!
Ji Junxin didn’t understand the hidden meaning, but others did.
Jiang Lingling sensed Mi Hongdou’s complaint about their high expectations and quickly tried to appease her. “Xiaomi, you worked hard today, I’ll toast to you, to you.” She seriously picked up her glass of corn juice, walked over to Mi Hongdou, and clinked glasses with her. Jiang Lingling, however, was also unlucky. Getting closer to Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, she inadvertently saw the open crab shell in front of Ji Junxin, overflowing with glistening, orange roe. Crabs were indeed fat this season, but there were limits! Double the usual amount of roe, who was she kidding?
Being constantly bombarded with critical hits, Jiang Lingling’s heart was already numb from the pain… And that Bai Tang, so observant of the lack of ginger, couldn’t she see the double portion of crab roe! She would buy her a hundred pairs of glasses tomorrow!
How pitiful… Pan Xiang, seeing Jiang Lingling’s dejected expression after the toast, felt even more sympathetic. She decided to subtly probe later. If Jiang Lingling’s feelings for Mi Hongdou were influenced by her script, she would feel incredibly guilty and would find a way to make amends.
If Mi Hongdou knew that adding a little extra crab roe to Ji Junxin’s crab had caused so much misunderstanding, she… well, she would still do it!
Towards the end of the meal, Mi Hongdou finally brought up the prosthetic belly issue with Pan Xiang. Having enjoyed a free meal, Pan Xiang readily agreed to talk to Director Pan, but she couldn’t guarantee success. After all, she lacked experience in practical filming matters and couldn’t easily persuade the meticulous and experienced Director Pan.
“Then take that heavy prosthetic belly Mi Hongdou mentioned and have Director Pan try it on himself,” Jiang Lingling, always the one with the most devious ideas, suggested.
Pan Xiang shook her head repeatedly. “My grandpa is so old-fashioned, if I ask him to wear a prosthetic belly, he might throw both me and the belly out.”
Mi Hongdou, however, thought Jiang Lingling’s idea was quite good. Telling him how heavy and uncomfortable it was wouldn’t be as effective as having him experience it himself. “You can always coax an elder, especially since you’re his granddaughter. Just ask him to try it on privately, no one else will know, he won’t be embarrassed.” She thought for a moment. “Strike while the iron is hot. I made some stuffed dates this afternoon, take them tomorrow and coax him into trying on that five or six-month belly.”
Mi Hongdou’s words were met with silence. The diners, who had been lounging in their chairs, now sat up straight, their eyes shining as they looked at Mi Hongdou, like pets waiting to be fed, led by Ji Junxin, the expert in begging for food with her adorable, pitiful expressions.
“Of course, there’s some for you.” Mi Hongdou smiled reassuringly at Ji Junxin. She had made them for her, after all… silly girl…
Ji Junxin relaxed and leaned back in her chair.
The others sat up even straighter, trying to look pitiful and adorable. Jiang Lingling, the least patient, wanting to divert Mi Hongdou’s attention from Ji Junxin, shifted in her chair, making a scraping sound against the floor. Mi Hongdou looked at her.
“Of course, there’s enough for everyone…” Mi Hongdou smiled. She couldn’t just give dates to Ji Junxin and not the others…
Everyone relaxed again.
Jiang Lingling really was pitiful, always resorting to such clumsy tactics to get Mi Hongdou’s attention, Pan Xiang thought, deciding to be nicer to her and not argue with her anymore.
Mi Hongdou had made the stuffed dates as a snack while preparing dinner, mainly for Ji Junxin, whose period was approaching.
She had initially planned to make red date sponge cake and red dates stuffed with glutinous rice, a recently popular dessert. Both were easy to make. The sponge cake just required adding more red dates. The stuffed dates were slightly more complicated, involving stuffing pitted dates with glutinous rice paste and then boiling them.
But Mi Hongdou discovered… there was no glutinous rice flour in the kitchen! It was surprising for a restaurant kitchen. She searched again, couldn’t find any, but found several jars of seemingly good quality dried fruits… She tried some, and they were indeed as good as they looked. So, red date sponge cake and glutinous rice stuffed dates became dried fruit and nut stuffed dates.
These were even easier to make than the glutinous rice version. Just wash and pit the dates, stuff them with dried fruits or nuts like walnuts and peanuts, bake them to remove some moisture, and they were done. Before dinner, Mi Hongdou had baked a large plate of stuffed dates and left them to cool in the kitchen. They would be crispy and fragrant when cooled.
So, after lounging for a bit to aid digestion, they eagerly followed Mi Hongdou to the kitchen to get their share. The kitchen was now busy, it seemed the restaurant was open for business. Mi Hongdou was a little surprised, but thinking about Jiang Lingling’s achievements in her previous life, she figured that a restaurant was probably a minor matter for her, and this quick turnaround was normal. Jiang Lingling must have asserted her authority this afternoon. Now, the chefs were all working diligently, as if suddenly energized. The kitchen was bustling with activity, but thankfully, no one touched her dates.
Jiang Lingling’s attention, however, wasn’t on the busy chefs, but on the seemingly small plate of dates.
Mi Hongdou took out some clean plastic bags, packed one for each person, and another for Director Pan. The remaining… small pile was quickly gone after everyone took two.
“Delicious!” Ji Junxin, always straightforward with food, popped a peanut-stuffed date into her mouth. The rich aroma of dates, the sweet, caramelized surface from baking, combined with the roasted fragrance, as sweet as candy, but much more delicious. And the texture, no longer soft and chewy, but crispy like dried fruit, the crunch of the peanut inside, it was incredibly delicious! Fragrant, crispy, and sweet, this kind of snack was Ji Junxin’s favorite!
After finishing one, she looked at the other date in her hand, also peanut-stuffed. Jiang Lingling had eaten one with a green filling earlier, which looked delicious. Ji Junxin was conflicted, should she trade for a different flavor, or finish this delicious peanut-stuffed date and then open her bag? As she was thinking, two more dates appeared on the tissue paper in front of her.
“I’m full,” Mi Hongdou said, rubbing her stomach with a pained expression.
“Miss Mi, do you have a stomachache? There’s medicine in the car, should we go out to eat, or should I bring it in?” Bai Tang, the ever-attentive assistant, her loyalty to Mi Hongdou having increased after tasting her cooking, asked.
The newcomer was a bit clueless… The assistant pulled Bai Tang’s sleeve. “Let’s go get the car.”
Bai Tang said to Mi Hongdou, her face full of concern, “I’ll go get the car, Miss Mi, come out quickly, there’s hot water in the thermos, it’s convenient for taking medicine!”
The assistant, her face dark, dragged the clueless Bai Tang away. If she continued like this, she would probably be fired soon. As a fellow assistant, only she could save her…
Bai Tang, who had just narrowly escaped unemployment, was dragged away by the assistant. Mi Hongdou breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if she should criticize her assistant for being too attentive or praise her own acting skills.
Facing Ji Junxin’s concerned gaze, Mi Hongdou quickly said, before she could speak, “I’m just full, my stomach doesn’t hurt.”
“Then let’s take a walk later.” Seeing Mi Hongdou’s normal expression, Ji Junxin was relieved and finally had the chance to examine the two dates in her hand. One with a green filling, like the one Jiang Lingling had earlier, and one with a red filling! Ji Junxin eagerly ate the green one. The crispy, sweet date was stuffed with sweet and sour kiwi fruit paste, slightly firm from baking, but chewy and fragrant. The red one was strawberry-stuffed, similar in texture to the kiwi, but with a different flavor. Both the dried fruit and fruit fillings were delicious… Ji Junxin popped the last peanut-stuffed date into her mouth, licked her lips, and thought that if she weren’t so full from dinner, she wouldn’t be able to save these for later.
Ji Junxin’s satisfaction was Mi Hongdou’s greatest happiness.
Overall, it had been a good dinner, not just because of the food. Jiang Lingling had finished her script discussion with Pan Xiang, and Mi Hongdou had successfully persuaded Pan Xiang to talk to Director Pan about the prosthetic belly. They had eaten and accomplished their goals, quite efficient.
Ji Junxin hoped that the dinner in her stomach would digest quickly, so she could have some more dates. But by bedtime, she was still full. She thought that even if she was full, she could still find room for a few dates. But as soon as she reached for the bag, Mi Hongdou, already in bed, as if she had a sixth sense, suddenly said, “Do you remember those little hawthorn pills?” Ji Junxin blushed and rushed to the bathroom to brush her teeth… Mi Hongdou, after becoming close to her, was really annoying! She used to pretend not to know what those pills were for, and now she was using it to tease her! Could they still be friends!
After brushing her teeth, Ji Junxin returned, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed. But Mi Hongdou was right, she couldn’t even argue, so she just lingered by the bed for a moment, then climbed in. The warm hot water bottles in her bed soothed her frustration. She touched her slightly flushed cheeks, suddenly feeling confused… what was wrong with her? Why was she so angry at Mi Hongdou’s teasing? Mi Hongdou was her good friend, wasn’t it normal for friends to know each other’s embarrassing secrets and tease each other? Why was she so angry? Ji Junxin couldn’t understand… did she dislike Mi Hongdou? Impossible! She immediately dismissed the thought. She didn’t know why she was so easily angered, but she knew she didn’t dislike Mi Hongdou at all, on the contrary, she liked her very much.
Why did she get angry when teased by Mi Hongdou, someone she liked? Had she become less tolerant? Ji Junxin tossed and turned in bed, unable to understand. If it were other things, she wouldn’t care, there were many things she didn’t understand. But this was different. She realized that recently, she often got annoyed by Mi Hongdou’s casual jokes. She had almost retorted earlier… This wasn’t good! If she and Mi Hongdou had a fight over a joke, she would definitely regret it later!
Ji Junxin tossed and turned, feeling like she wouldn’t be able to sleep without figuring this out.
What should one do when they had something they couldn’t understand? Ask for help, of course!
Ji Junxin turned over, facing Mi Hongdou’s bed, and was about to speak. But before a single syllable escaped her lips, she stopped.
Was she stupid! After what had just happened, if she asked, Mi Hongdou would immediately know what she was referring to! Ji Junxin didn’t want Mi Hongdou to know about her emotional outbursts and immediately removed her from the list of potential advisors.
Ji Junxin didn’t have many friends. Mi Hongdou was out, so the next one was naturally Qiao Rubai.
As Ji Junxin picked up her phone and started typing a message to Qiao Rubai, perhaps even she didn’t realize that in her heart, Mi Hongdou was now more important than Qiao Rubai…
On a cold winter night, what was the best thing to do?
Sleep, of course!
After receiving Ji Junxin’s call that morning, Qiao Rubai had immediately summoned Shen Zhu and Xiao Zhang back to Jiang City, transferring them away from Ji Junxin. They had returned to Qiong Yu at noon, but Qiao Rubai hadn’t seen them, just having them stay at the company for the afternoon. Firstly, she was busy and didn’t have time to deal with it properly. Secondly, although Ji Junxin hadn’t said much on the phone, Qiao Rubai instinctively felt that something was off and she needed time to investigate Shen Zhu. As long as the two assistants weren’t with Ji Junxin, dealing with them would be easy, she wasn’t in a hurry.
After a day of work, and a meeting with the private investigator, Qiao Rubai, exhausted, went home, showered, and fell into bed.
The most cruel thing you could do to a tired person was to wake them up with a phone call or a message.
Qiao Rubai, thus cruelly awakened, fumbled for her phone, thinking that if it was a spam message, she would find the sender and destroy them.
Finally finding her phone, turning it on, and after her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw that the sender was Ji Junxin, and half her sleepiness vanished.
Although they were childhood friends, Ji Junxin and Qiao Rubai rarely texted. Firstly, they were too busy… and secondly, they were truly too busy. Texts were usually for important matters.
With the strangely behaving Shen Zhu this morning, and now a late-night text from Ji Junxin, Qiao Rubai was worried. Had something happened?
She nervously opened the message, read it once, twice, thrice, then put down her phone, confused. Was she… dreaming?
[I need to ask you something. It’s about a friend. Let’s call her A. She has a friend, let’s call her B. A and B are good friends, they share the same values and get along well, both in life and at work. But recently, A has been acting strangely. Specifically, when B jokes with her, A gets angry easily. The jokes are like, “You overate and had to take medicine last time, are you going to need it again?” or “Who ate that whole plate of radish meatballs?” … A knows B is joking, but she still gets angry, even cries. Why do you think A is acting like this?] Sender: Ji Junxin.
If seeing Ji Junxin’s name had dispelled half her sleepiness, then reading the message completely banished it!
Ji Junxin, someone is going to die of laughter from your message, do you know that! Qiao Rubai put down her phone, not wanting to reply at all… A, B… how many friends did Ji Junxin even have? After all that A and B nonsense, it was obviously about Ji Junxin herself… So, in this world, whenever someone talked about their “friend’s” problems, it was always about their own problems! And that B… poor B… Qiao Rubai felt a pang of sympathy for Mi Hongdou. Just from those two sentences, she could tell how difficult Mi Hongdou’s life was. And Ji Junxin’s foodie nature seemed to have developed rapidly in this life. Could it be because she had sent her the little chef a few years earlier?
Leave a Reply