Chapter 36: Do You Feel Like I’ve Grown Taller?

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Do You Feel Like I’ve Grown Taller?

*Lo mein* is essentially just mixed noodles; different regions merely have their own names for it. The general idea remains the same: drain boiled noodles, mix them with a sauce, and add some toppings.

Since there happened to be a piece of chicken breast left in the fridge, Chen Jingle decided to make cold noodles with shredded chicken. He had learned the recipe from a rather eccentric national banquet chef’s video, which claimed this particular noodle dish was perfect for summer. He didn’t want to cook too much food in the afternoon since leftovers would just go to waste. A simple noodle dish made it much easier to control the portion size.

With mixed noodles, you naturally use whatever you have and add whatever you like. For instance, Chen Jingle liked cucumbers, so he tossed in some shredded cucumber. He also enjoyed cilantro, so he added a handful of cilantro leaves and stems. A sprinkle of fried peanuts would work, too.

Of course, the one absolutely indispensable ingredient was meat.

"You have to load up on the meat when eating noodles; that’s the only way to make it truly savory!"

It wasn’t like he was running a ramen shop where a single slab of beef had to last half a year. When cooking for himself at home, more meat was a must!

Vegetarian noodles?

EWW!

Regardless, Chen Jingle would never eat that!

Cold noodles with shredded chicken naturally required chicken. High-quality chicken was the icing on the cake, but standard chicken breast or thigh meat would do just fine. It all depended on what a household had available. Taking the lazy route, Chen Jingle opted for chicken breast—the very cut that some fitness enthusiasts claimed tasted "worse than shit." In truth, chicken breast could be quite delicious if prepped correctly; eating it dry was obviously going to be awful.

He wondered, "Why on earth do people eat plain boiled chicken breast and boiled broccoli?"

He just couldn’t understand it.

Chen Jingle was extremely picky about his food. He preferred cooking ingredients in ways that maximized their flavor, rather than settling for just making them edible. As the saying goes, good food is the cheapest source of happiness. Back when he lived in an urban village where rent was only five hundred yuan a month, he still did his best to keep himself full, well-fed, and happy. Otherwise, where would he find the motivation to work?

Next came the crucial part: the mixing sauce. A sufficient variety of sauces and seasonings was needed to create a complex flavor profile, ensuring the dish tasted delicious. Sesame paste, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, ground Sichuan peppercorn, Sichuan peppercorn oil, chili oil, sesame oil, and so on.

In some regions, people liked to add sugar. However, Chen Jingle felt that adding sugar made the flavor too weird, turning it into some bizarre-tasting noodle dish. For staples, savory and fragrant flavors suited him much better. The goal for the sauce was simply to make it so appetizing that anyone who saw it would exclaim from the bottom of their soul, "This would make even an old slipper taste good!"

He used thick noodles. Once boiled, he fished them out and immediately plunged them into an ice-water bath. This left the noodles cooked on the outside but with a slight, firm white core on the inside. The residual heat would then cook them all the way through. Noodles prepared this way had an absolutely superb texture.

He scooped out the boiled chicken breast, soaked it in cold water, and shredded it. Those who weren’t afraid of the heat could just shred it right away. Once shredded, he spread the chicken over the cold noodles, poured the prepared sauce on top, and tossed everything evenly before finally adding the shredded cucumber.

And with that, a refreshing, mouthwatering bowl of cold noodles with shredded chicken was complete!

"Time for some dessert."

Many of the ingredients Chen Jingle had ordered online had arrived, so he planned to make Mango Pomelo Sago today. The recipe for Mango Pomelo Sago had evolved into various distinct styles over time; the versions sold in traditional dessert shops, teahouses, and modern bubble tea stores were all quite different.

Overall, though, they were largely the same, primarily consisting of mango, sago pearls, coconut milk, and pomelo. Some upscale restaurants would even add a base layer of glutinous rice, purple rice, or ice cream. Did that make it taste better? He wasn’t sure, but it definitely made it more expensive.

Chen Jingle tailored the dessert entirely to his own taste. He used authentic Yeshu brand coconut milk instead of a reconstituted coconut cream mix. After boiling the sago, he scooped the pearls out and mixed them right in, then tossed in two mini cream popsicles to boost the milky aroma. Finally, he poured in the pomelo, diced mango, and diced dragon fruit.

SSSS!

In the dead of summer, eating cold noodles followed by Mango Pomelo Sago was an explosive kind of satisfaction!

Chen Qiyun popped her head in that afternoon to take a peek. Seeing Chen Jingle at home, she asked excitedly, "Chen Jingle, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

"What did you just call me?" Chen Jingle cast a sidelong glance at the Little Douding.

"Brother Le." Chen Qiyun instantly switched to a beaming smile, bowing and scraping. "Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue! I’m sorry, Brother Le. I was wrong just now, and I apologize. Brother Le will forever be the only sun in my heart!"

At the same time, she silently comforted herself, "There’s no shame in begging for a meal."

Chen Jingle sneered coldly and remained silent.

"Brother Le, what are we eating tonight?" Chen Qiyun looked around, playing dumb.

"I’m eating meat. You can eat fart."

Chen Qiyun put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot. "Ugh, I already said I was wrong! How do you still have the nerve to hold a grudge?" She thought, "That detestable Chen Jingle only has this much skill—bullying kids!"

"I just do!" he retorted.

"So what exactly are we eating tonight?"

"Cold noodles with shredded chicken."

"Can noodles actually make you full?" Chen Qiyun asked in confusion.

Hmm, this mindset seemed quite prevalent in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. People generally felt that noodles weren’t filling enough to stave off hunger and that only rice could do the job.

Chen Jingle pondered for a couple of seconds. "Then just eat more."

"OH."

Operating on the assumption that whatever Chen Jingle cooked probably wouldn’t taste bad, Chen Qiyun followed her usual routine: she ran home first to casually choke down a bowl of whatever they had, then hurried back over to continue eating.

"Whoa, it turns out noodles can actually be made this delicious!" Taking her very first bite of the cold noodles with shredded chicken, Chen Qiyun couldn’t help but marvel.

"What did you expect?"

"I always thought noodles tasted bad, except for instant noodles."

"Can instant noodles even be called delicious?"

"Of course! At the very least, they smell and taste savory." Chen Qiyun nodded repeatedly. "When Grandpa and Grandma cook noodles, they just use a tiny bit of salt for seasoning. When my mom cooks them, she likes to add sugar. Plus, they always use either dried fine noodles or egg noodles, neither of which are the types I like."

Chen Jingle remained noncommittal. "Wash the dishes when you’re done. There’s a portion of Mango Pomelo Sago on the table."

Hearing this, Chen Qiyun’s eyes lit up. "Brother Le, you really are my actual biological brother!"

"Cut it out. I don’t care to have a sister like you."

"Wow, those words are so hurtful!"

"..."

[What a good baby! Dinner task successfully completed. Reward: Height +0.1 cm. Current height: 174 cm.]

As soon as dinnertime ended, he instantly received the system prompt.

OH HO!

Chen Jingle’s spirits lifted. He was finally 1.74 meters tall. The rewards from the previous few classes had either been acne removal or scar removal. It was finally the height attribute’s turn again. Thrilled, he subconsciously stood up, stomped his feet, spun in a circle, and then asked Chen Qiyun, "Do you feel like I’ve gotten taller?"

Chen Qiyun looked up at him with a blank expression. "At your age... can you even still grow taller?"

Chen Jingle: "..."

Whatever, there was no point in arguing with a fool!

Even though he had only grown 0.1 centimeters, it was still a massive leap forward. Given time, he would definitely grow to two meters tall, and then he could take down one Chen Qiyun with every punch!

Beside him, Chen Qiyun suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck and warily looked around. However, the topic of growing taller had piqued her interest. After all, she was just a Little Douding. While she didn’t usually pay much attention to it, feeling a head shorter every time she stood next to her classmates wasn’t a pleasant experience.

She couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Le, do you think I can still grow taller?"

Chen Jingle gave her a brief look. "If you eat more meat, eggs, and dairy, jump rope more often at home, and go to bed before ten o’clock every night, it’s definitely still possible."

"OH."

Chen Qiyun pursed her lips. Out of those few requirements, she was only willing to eat more meat. She refused to eat eggs, she wouldn’t drink milk, and exercising would practically cost her her life. Add in the fact that she secretly played on her phone under the covers at night...

She was totally doomed!!