Chapter 1485 - 576: Jade Sculpture Master: Oh No, I Was Actually CPU’d by a Chubby Cat! [Subscription Request]

Chapter 1485: Chapter 576: Jade Sculpture Master: Oh No, I Was Actually CPU’d by a Chubby Cat! [Subscription Request]

Eating spring pancakes is an old tradition in Beijing.

On the day of the beginning of spring, some spring pancakes are steamed, and then some spring vegetables are rolled up and eaten, along with radish. This is what Beijing folks call "biting spring," which means eating spring into your mouth to avoid spring fatigue.

Of course, this is just a lovely wish.

Don’t talk about eating radishes on the beginning of spring, even if you eat radishes every day, spring fatigue will still exist.

As the weather warms up, it’s easy to feel tired. This is a natural growth pattern for the human body, and radishes can’t cure it.

Lin Xu saw that Deng Lison and Dundun were getting along quite happily, and even took it for a stroll around the studio, which put his mind at ease. He then went to the kitchen with the housekeeper auntie.

The outside of the kitchen looked quite unremarkable, just like the usual blue brick houses often seen in Beijing’s courtyard houses.

But once inside, it turned out to be a completely modern kitchen.

In the middle was a central island and a fairly large sink, with smoke exhaust machines and stoves on either side, fully equipped with all sorts of kitchen utensils, not only Chinese ones but also those specifically for Western cooking.

"Mr. Deng is rather particular about his food, so I usually find ways to adjust meals to increase his appetite as much as possible."

This auntie is the family nanny, and every week she takes advantage, while Deng Lison is busy in the studio, of bringing in people from the housekeeping company to clean.

She trims the flowers, plants, and trees in the courtyard, and wipes down the furniture and various furnishings inside the house.

Things that need repairs are repaired, and things that need replacing are replaced.

Though called a nanny, she acts more like a house manager.

Lin Xu said:

"If we’re having spring pancakes today, what ingredients do we have?"

"Yes, every morning someone delivers organic vegetables. Today, it’s Chinese toon, chives, and spinach. Which does Mr. Lin need? If it’s not enough, I’ll have more sent over."

Tsk, organic vegetables, just by hearing the name you know these aren’t found in the market.

The ingredients for spring pancakes aren’t particular; they’re generally some stewed meat, smoked meat, or sauced meat paired with stir-fried mixed vegetables, and the style of the vegetables is quite free.

Since there are vegetables at home, Lin Xu said:

"I’ll have some stewed meat sent from my store; making it fresh will take too long, and what’s sold on the street isn’t as good quality as my store’s."

He took out his phone to call the driver to issue instructions, then began to prepare.

Actually preparing was quite simple; it was still early, so what can be prepared is soaking some vermicelli, an essential ingredient for the mixed vegetables.

The so-called mixed vegetables are dishes served with spring pancakes, usually eaten on the first day of spring.

Stir the meat shreds, chives, spinach, and vermicelli together, then cover them with a freshly made egg pancake. This combined dish is called mixed vegetables.

The definition of mixed vegetables is to welcome spring, eaten rolled up in spring pancakes. This dish, served with various stewed and sauced meats and smeared with a little sweet Mei sauce, is quite a treat and delicious when rolled up.

Lin Xu soaked the vermicelli in cold water and turned his attention to that small bundle of Chinese toon.

Generally, Chinese toon isn’t used in mixed vegetables, but this ingredient can be coated in batter and deep-fried. Fried Chinese toon is crispy outside and tender inside, known as fried Chinese toon fish.

Treating the Chinese toon as crispy little fried fish and rolling them in the pancake gives a great taste.

While he was preparing lunch in the kitchen, a sociable cat was sitting beside a white jade ornament, striking a pose for a photo, and Cai Sen was holding his Suha camera, snapping several shots in a row.

After taking the photos, he found them not perfect enough and hurriedly switched to a fixed-focus lens, set up a few light supplements, and took another couple of shots until he was somewhat satisfied.

Deng Lison looked at his enthusiasm and couldn’t help but say:

"How come you weren’t so attentive when taking pictures of my jade just now?"

"You’re just keeping a record for storage, not seeking details, so what’s the use of taking such good photos? It’s better to photograph cats, see how cute Dundun is."

While talking, Dundun jumped down from the table and rubbed its head against Deng Lison, causing this jade sculpture master to swallow back the words he originally intended to say.

Cats are so cute; taking good photos of them indeed pays off.

Previously, he only thought cats were cute and never actually touched them.

For example, when visiting the Imperial Palace, he often saw some small cats, like those named Papa and Ruyi by netizens, but although they might carry some cat food scent, he never dared to get close.

Moreover, the Imperial Palace has many people, even in the heritage restoration office, leaving few chances to be alone with cats.

After interacting with Dundun, he thought it might be nice to adopt a kitten in the future, as when cats in the Imperial Palace are about to give birth, they would cheekily go to the office for food, drink, and a nursery.

At first, people were a bit flustered when a pregnant cat wandered in, but now there’s a basic procedure in place.

Prepare a meal with meat and goat milk for the cat to feast on, to gather strength for giving birth, and at the same time set up a disposable maternity tent with padding inside.

The so-called maternity tent is just an opaque tent, not big, but it gives the mother cat a strong sense of security, much more hygienic than giving birth under the bed or in a corner.

Place the maternity tent in a relatively quiet warehouse, with some broth inside so the cat can replenish energy whenever needed.

After eating and drinking satisfactorily, the mother cat will automatically crawl inside to give birth.

Normally, this process doesn’t require human intervention, but Deng Lison’s parents usually call a veterinarian. If there’s a difficult birth, the vet will help.

Once the mother cat gives birth to the kittens, she will automatically lick the mucus off their bodies and eat the placenta, which is her main source of strength during birth.