Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 50: The Best Chicken Curry in the World!

Chapter 49

The Best Chicken Curry in the World!

The plump child stood pouting in the kitchen, only realizing upon entering that the house was out of ginger.

How could chicken and rice be delicious without ginger!

The round figure sighed before asking her grandmother to instruct the two young men on how to clean the chickens, emphasizing not to discard the innards. She’d return to guide them further, suggesting they clean only two chickens since there were only four adults and three children.

She also reminded her grandmother to blanch the thorny vegetables to be eaten as a side with the chicken curry. She decided not to include them in the curry because she wanted to make another type of chicken curry she had made a long time ago – a deliciously spicy Xiaolin special recipe.

Once she had delegated the tasks, the chubby figure walked out towards the stream, followed by the Ling brothers. Without ginger, she lost her appetite for the chicken and rice dish. Maybe next time then.

Xiaolin pulled up whole galangal plants, cleaning them in the stream with Ling Hai’s help, while Ling Han watched the water sparkle.

"Next, we need lemongrass. Brother Hai, could you help pull these out for me, please?" She pointed at a clump of lemongrass, still lush and alive despite the snow.

Once they had what they needed, the trio headed back home. Upon arrival, they saw the young men plucking the chickens enthusiastically. Xiaolin told the Ling brothers to play with Xiao Zhong while she asked her grandmother to wash and dice the lemongrass.

"What are you planning to make, huh?"

"I’m going to make the best chicken curry in the world!"

She was now able to handle some spice and wanted to enjoy a zesty, slightly spicy chicken curry. Back in her original world, she had once grabbed peppercorns, lemongrass, galangal, chilies, garlic, and shallots to grind with shrimp paste and salt to make a delicious chicken curry that was surprisingly good.

Her grandmother was tasked with grinding the curry paste because if Xiaolin did it herself, they might only eat by tomorrow morning. Once she got the curry paste, she went out to supervise the young men, ensuring they cleaned the innards thoroughly, rinsed multiple times for cleanliness without any smell, and also instructed them to chop the chicken into proper-sized pieces.

"What’s next, child?" Grandma Zhang turned to ask her granddaughter, curiously looking at the herbs her granddaughter had prepared for grinding.

"Start by heating a little oil, once it’s hot, add the curry paste to fry, Grandma," she directed. Her recipe was similar to poached chicken but opted for frying instead. She thought the curry paste would add a delightful aroma without being too complicated or time-consuming.

"Ah-choo!!"

"Oops! Hehe," a sneeze from outside made the plump child cover her mouth, giggling quietly.

Climbing onto a chair to peer into the wok, she saw that the curry paste was well-fried and aromatic, then instructed her grandmother to add the chicken to fry next, seasoning it with fish sauce and a bit of tamarind paste for sourness. Ideally, she would have added young tamarind leaves for a better taste, but they were out. Another missing ingredient was shrimp paste, which would have enhanced the aroma; even a small spoonful would make a big difference!

"Do we need to add water?"

"No need, Grandma. Just cover the cover with the lit. The water will come out of the chicken itself. It won’t be much, but this way, it’ll be delicious."

After instructing her grandmother, Xiaolin jumped down from the chair and went to the kitchen cabinet to search for dried kaffir lime leaves and dried basil leaves, washing them to remove any dust.

The delicious aroma began to fill the air after about twenty minutes. Xiaolin asked her grandmother to open the lid. The hot air and the fragrant smell of the chicken curry wafted out, reaching outside where the four eagerly waiting gluttons’ stomachs began to growl.

The plump child asked Zhang Ruo to scoop some curry for her to taste. The familiar flavor made the chubby girl jump with joy, though she wished it could be a bit spicier to be perfect.

"Put the kaffir lime and basil leaves in and just fry them until they’re done," she handed a small bowl containing the leaves to her grandmother.

Zhang Ruo took the bowl and added the contents to the curry, stirring until everything was well combined before serving it in a large bowl. She swallowed hard, her saliva nearly choking her. Normally, she wasn’t as voracious as her husband, but today, her granddaughter’s chicken curry made her stomach sing.

"Uncle, it’s readyyy!"

Before her words fully faded, Tianchen and Liu Haoa rushed in, grabbing the bowl of curry and a pot of rice, disappearing as quickly as they arrived. Xiaolin could only watch with wide eyes, sighing before turning to prepare small bowls and chopsticks instead.

"I’ll go get your mother first."

"Sure,"

Xiaolin stepped out of the kitchen and saw the two Ling brothers waiting. She gave a small smile, appreciating that they hadn’t turned into greedy zombies like her uncles. They even offered to help carry the bowls, spoons, and chopsticks.

Xiaolin chose to eat outside at the back of the house, wanting her mother to spend some time outdoors too. Her mother had been resting all day, only getting up now and then. Worried her mother might become too idle, Xiaolin decided to change the location for their lunch.

By the time Hui Ning and Zhang Ruo came out, those waiting outside were nearly drooling, their eyes fixed on the steaming and fragrant bowl of chicken curry.

"What’s this delicious smell? What are you cooking?" Hui Ning walked out, followed by Zhang Ruo, who was helping her since her daughter had been sleepy all day and sometimes nearly stumbled because of it.

"It’s chicken curry, Mother. Try it; it’s a bit sour, you might like it," the plump child made room for her mother, handing her a bowl of rice, spoon, and chopsticks she had prepared to her grandmother.

Sitting down, Hui Ning looked at the young men and boy waiting with eyes practically glued to the curry bowl, making her laugh.

"Alright, let’s eat before you all drool all over the floor," Zhang Ruo teased, serving chicken pieces to her granddaughter and daughter.

The voracious group finally began to eat. Though the curry was a bit spicy, it was delicious. The Ling brothers ate vigorously, especially enjoying the curry poured over rice, closing their eyes in contentment.

"Why did you add so little water? Look, it’s almost gone," Tianchen asked his niece, enjoying scooping the curry over his rice like Ling Hai and Ling Han, but noticing there was barely any curry left.

"If you add too much water, it won’t taste as good, Uncle," the plump child, cheeks full of rice, explained. She liked it too, but adding too much water made it not spicy enough and diluted the flavor. This way was just perfect.

"Is that so," Tianchen sighed, looking down at his almost dry chicken curry bowl, regretting the scarcity of curry.

"It’s like we just boiled the chicken to eat the curry," Hui Ning turned to her mother.

"That seems to be the case. Look, hardly anyone is eating the chicken," Zhang Ruo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Normally, these little gluttons cared more about the curry.

"The chicken is delicious too," Ling Hai said as he took a bite of chicken to demonstrate, especially enjoying the soft chicken skin with the curry.

"I agree with A’Hai. It’s just that the curry tastes better, hmm," Liu Hao, having just cleaned his plate, looked up to join in.

"There’s still some left in the kitchen. I’ll go get some more curry for everyone then," she offered.

"Great!!" All the gluttonous humans shouted in unison, including Ling Han who usually doesn’t speak much.

Eventually, the remaining three chickens were also plucked and used to make more chicken curry because everyone wanted to take some home. Zhang Ruo had to prepare it before dividing it into small pots for Liu Hao and the Ling brothers to take one each, including one for Tianchen and Xiaolin to bring to the Shi family.

The two nephews carrying fragrant pots of curry walked into the village. Xiaolin, looking around, thought that the prepared land would probably be planted with sweet potatoes.

Arriving at the old fence, Tianchen shouted to the people inside. Xiaolin, clutching her uncle’s shirt tightly, hadn’t seen her great-grandmother and great-grandfather Shu since that last visit. She felt embarrassed remembering how she cried uncontrollably in front of them.

The tall Shi Luo walked out of the house as Xiaolin looked up at him with a pout. He resembled her father from her original world so much that it was uncanny, almost as if they were the same person. Seeing him made her want to start crying all over again.

Shi Luo, seeing the plump child looking like she was about to burst into tears, didn’t know how to react. But after standing for a moment without seeing her cry as he expected, he smiled.

"What is it, Tianchen, Little Xiaolin?" he asked.

"We caught several chickens in the forest, and Xiaolin and Aunt made some really delicious curry. So, we brought some over for you," Tianchen handed over the pot of curry to Shi Luo, who took it and opened it to look inside.

"This smells amazing, thank you so much. Come inside, I’m just preparing the land for the sweet potatoes."

"I can help, I’ve been quite idle for a while," the young man, feeling lazy for not having worked for some time, expressed his willingness to exert some effort.

"Really? How?"

"I’m happy to, I feel like I’m starting to get out of shape."

"Alright then, come on in," Shi Luo replied with a smile, glancing at the quiet, plump child, wondering if she would start crying upon seeing her grandmother.

Xiaolin, trying her best not to whimper, followed Tianchen closely, gripping the hem of his shirt.

Shi Luo suggested the two nephews go around to the back of the house while he took the pot of curry inside. Xiaolin saw the old lady clearing weeds from the soil her husband had dug up. Hearing someone approach, she turned around.

"Is that you, A’Chen, Xiaolin?" Zhang Ren smiled, got up to wash her hands, preparing to greet the plump child who might rush into her arms.

The old lady turned back to see the little girl standing there with a pout, eyes fixed on her. Zhang Ren waved her over with a gentle smile when she saw her great-granddaughter hold back her tears.

The plump child walked over and hugged the old lady’s waist, took a deep breath, and clung to her. Zhang Ren then took the plump child to sit down at the back porch, wrapping her arms around the pale little one.

Tianchen, seeing his niece wasn’t crying, grabbed a hoe and started digging vigorously, feeling tired quickly from the lack of recent physical activity. The vigorous digging caught Shu An’s attention from a distance.

"What has gotten into this child, being so grumpy all of a sudden?" the old man thought to himself, scratching his head.

Shi Luo, coming out from the house, smiled at the sight of Xiaolin clinging to his mother, then went to help his father with the digging, suggesting he take a break.

Xiaolin, after hugging the old lady for a while, felt sleepy and lay down on Zhang Ren’s lap, falling asleep. When she woke up, the sky was already turning orange.

The plump child, still feeling sleepy, requested to ride on Tianchen’s back home instead. Her round face nestled against the young uncle’s shoulder, they bid farewell to the two members of the Shi family and walked back home.

Approaching their house, the two nephews heard Zhang Ruo’s loud complaints and exchanged puzzled looks before entering the house.

"I thought you went to help your son-in-law with his work. Turns out you were just getting drunk!" Zhang Ruo stood with her hands on her hips, scolding her husband sitting flushed-faced on the floor of the hallway, with Tianrong standing off to one side, looking embarrassed.

"Just a little sip, what’s the harm in that?"

"This old man!"

"Grandma" the plump figure hopped off Tianchen’s back and ran to hug her grandmother, who warmly received her.

"What’s up, child? Did you go off causing mischief, hmm?"

"I was keeping Uncle company while he worked and helping Great-grandma, but have you been drinking again, grandpa?" the plump child turned to look at Hui Song, who was leaning against the wall, wrinkling her nose at the smell of alcohol.

"Well, yes. Old enough to be in the grave, yet still not knowing any better."

"I don’t mind you drinking, grandpa, but if you become a drunkard, I won’t love you anymore!" The little mouth pouted as she turned away and strutted off to her room.

Hui Song, eyes wide, hurried to follow his granddaughter but was caught by his wife and dragged out to the backyard. Arguing with his wife was bearable, but if his granddaughter was mad at him, he knew he’d be utterly devastated!

Bang! Crash!

"Aaagh!"

The sounds of commotion and Hui Song’s distressed cry made the two Tian siblings look at each other with goosebumps. Tianrong was glad his wife was gentle, not hot-tempered, and he wasn’t a drinker, otherwise, he might end up like his father-in-law.

Tianchen, deep down, resolved that if he couldn’t find a wife as graceful as his sister-in-law and as good at cooking as his niece, he wouldn’t marry at all and would happily live out his days as the plump niece’s devoted uncle!

As evening came, the Tian family gathered for a delicious dinner, contrasting with Hui Song’s experience. Although the food was tasty, he couldn’t enjoy it fully due to several cuts in his mouth and the spiciness of the curry, forcing him to eat carefully while watching Tianrong and Tianchen devour their food as if they hadn’t eaten in days.

Xiaolin squinted at her grandfather who was eating rice with a wince from the spiciness. Seeing him look her way, she proudly lifted her chin, showing off her double chin, and opened her mouth wide to chew on the chicken meat her mother fed her.

Hui Song, feeling ignored by his granddaughter, felt so heartbroken he almost cried, thinking of ways to win back her affection.

"That’s right, this morning before heading into town, I asked Uncle Zhong to hire your aunt-in-law. She agreed to work at the restaurant along with Aunt Tian and Aunt Lei," Tianrong mentioned to his daughter upon remembering.

"And what about the food? Who’s going to carry it?" She asked.

"I haven’t found anyone yet. I’ll look into it when I have some free time," he replied.

The plump child nodded vigorously, her eyes on the soft chicken skin in the curry. Hui Song, seeing this, quickly picked up the chicken skin for his granddaughter until the bowl was nearly empty.

Xiaolin blinked her eyes, looking at the chicken skin in her bowl of rice. Appreciating her grandfather’s effort, she ate it deliciously.

"Nom nom nom, yummy yummy!"

"What language is that?" Tianchen asked his niece.

"Hehe, it’s Xiaolin’s language. Uncle, you’d better eat quickly, or you won’t be able to catch up with dad,”she teased.

"Big brother! I’ve already claimed the chicken butt!" Tianchen was startled to see his brother grabbing the prized piece right in front of him.

Tianrong, seeing his younger brother glaring, slowly chewed on the chicken butt and even raised his eyebrows tauntingly.

"Why are you two fighting over this when there are so many chickens?" Zhang Ruo sighed. These men could really be such a headache. She glanced at her husband sitting across, his head swollen from the fight.

"Uncle, shall we sell grilled squid together? I’m so bored at home," the plump child suggested to her young uncle in a pleading tone.

"Your uncle has to study," Hui Song told his daughter.

"Can’t he study in the afternoon? He can come home after, and I’ll return with dad."

"How could that be? Your father is at the construction site; it’s dangerous," Zhang Ruo interjected, disagreeing.

The plump child pouted but then eagerly ate the chicken meat her mother fed her, bored of just staying at home. The vegetables weren’t ready to be harvested and sold, and the shop was still under construction.

Sigh, she wished to grow up already so she could do more things. As she pondered, she continued to nibble on the chicken leg.

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