stonecrandall Page 37
Page 37
Moreover, that kid has no one to rely on, no relatives or friends, and no connections, so he's not afraid of a bunch of poor relatives coming to freeload.
If you persuade him, he might even become a live-in son-in-law.
A son-in-law with both literary and martial talents!
Beautiful!
As for Gu Ran plotting to seize his fortune? As long as he makes a proper will and doesn't interfere in company affairs, like an ancient imperial son-in-law who isn't given real power, that's fine.
Actually, what makes Su's father happiest is that Su Xiaoqiang doesn't have to marry out of the family, doesn't have to worry about her in-laws' attitudes, and doesn't have to worry about the relationships between her sisters-in-law.
This makes me happier than anything else.
Mr. Su, being a businessman, has a face like a dog; his facial expressions change faster than the face-changing act in Sichuan opera.
He immediately suggested that the two young people should spend more time together, become friends, and go on dates. He also said that if Gu Ran was too lonely living alone, she could move into the Su family's villa.
As for letting Su Xiaoqiang stay overnight at Gu Ran's house... that's still not an option; she must go home to sleep at night.
Mr. Su was still a bit conservative; his daughter was only eighteen and hadn't gone to university yet.
Gu Ran, who was listening from the side, became confused as well. At first, Su's father's attitude was just like Huang Yaoshi's disdain for Guo Jing, making things difficult for him at every turn.
But suddenly, Su's father became like Guo Jing admiring Yang Guo, insisting on marrying his daughter to him.
In short, Gu Ran's meeting with the Su family father and daughter inexplicably turned into a meeting between lovers and their parents.
Moreover, it has gained the approval of parents.
He found it difficult to understand Su's father's mindset.
After being comforted by Raymond, Gu Ran began to accept Su Xiaoqiang in her heart.
Su Xiaoqiang, of course, had already secretly fallen for her.
She has made it very clear.
However, one more confession is missing.
Although Su Xiaoqiang always took the initiative when pursuing boys.
However, she still maintained her composure when it came to confessing her feelings.
She wanted Gu Ran to speak first.
But Gu Ran still didn't speak.
……
After driving back to the underground garage, Gu Ran parked the car in a random parking space near her apartment building.
He now has seven parking spaces.
His family originally bought two parking spaces, but now he only has one car, which is enough for him to park.
But Mr. Su felt there were too few parking spaces. What would happen if his daughter drove here by herself and there was nowhere to park?
Then, he went to the property management office and found the owners of five parking spaces nearby, and bought them with his own money.
There are three cars parked in these five parking spaces now, all driven by Su Xiaoqiang.
She drove herself there, but when she went back that night, she wanted Gu Ran to drive her home.
So, after a while, all of the Su family's cars ended up parked in the parking lot.
Rich people have so many quirks.
Back home, Su Xiaoqiang, carrying a bag of groceries from the supermarket, was about to head into the kitchen.
But Gu Ran stopped her.
“I’ll cook tonight.” He took the ingredients from Su Xiaoqiang’s hands.
"Oh..." No wonder Gu Ran picked out all the ingredients she needed to buy today herself.
Su Xiaoqiang was very happy. She didn't expect Gu Ran to be able to cook, and to cook for her.
She said, "Then I'll help you."
"No need," Gu Ran said, not letting her interfere. This young lady couldn't even wash vegetables properly. "Go sit in the living room and be a good girl."
"Mmm." Su Xiaoqiang sat obediently on the sofa in the living room.
The kitchen in the house is open-plan and connected to the living room. Su Xiaoqiang lay on the leather sofa, her delicate chin resting on the armrest, watching Gu Ran busy in the kitchen.
Today she wore a black floral dress, the hem of which fell just two inches above her knees. Her long, slender, white legs swayed back and forth, like when she was swimming, her insteps gently patting the soft sofa.
She seems to be immune to tanning; even though the sun was quite strong at the end of June, her skin remained fair and showed no signs of getting tanned.
"Gu Ran, what dishes are you going to make for me?" Su Xiaoqiang asked expectantly.
"Fish-flavored shredded pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried water spinach with garlic, and fish head tofu soup."
Gu Ran announced the names of the dishes, then focused intently on slicing a piece of pork shoulder with a knife.
He is very serious when cooking, and his movements when cutting ingredients are meticulous.
Su Xiaoqiang thought to herself, "Men who are serious about their work are really handsome."
After cutting and marinating the meat, he started frying the fish head, preparing to make soup first.
To ensure that all the dishes are hot when everyone sits down to eat, the order and timing of cooking are crucial.
So Gu Ran's first dish was soup. Stewing soup takes time, and soup has a high specific heat capacity, so it can stay warm for a long time after it's cooked.
After frying the fish head in oil until fragrant, Gu Ran added hot water to the pot and then transferred it to a clay pot to simmer.
After that, Gu Ran went to prepare the other side dishes.
Cut carrots, winter bamboo shoots, pickled bamboo shoots, black fungus... these are the side dishes for Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce).
Then chop the tomatoes, beat the eggs, and wash the water spinach.
Everything was done with ease.
Compared to Su Xiaoqiang's chaotic state in the kitchen a couple of days ago, she felt like a monkey running around aimlessly.
She suddenly understood why Gu Ran wouldn't let her cook anymore.
"Was the food I made the other day particularly awful?" Su Xiaoqiang couldn't keep anything to herself and had to ask.
"Yes," Gu Ran answered honestly.
That day, she was frying steak, but she used a non-stick pan...
Chapter 40 clarifies the relationship between the two.
Generally, a cast iron pan is used to pan-fry steak.
Because the heat from a cast iron pan doesn't dissipate easily, it allows the steak to undergo a Maillard reaction quickly when it's being seared.
Non-stick pans typically have aluminum bottoms, which conduct heat quickly and dissipate heat quickly.
It's not that you can't fry steak in a non-stick pan, but Su Xiaoqiang was frying it over high heat, didn't know how to watch the fire, was afraid of getting oil splattered, and wouldn't let Gu Ran help.
In the end, what she fried was just a lump of charcoal.
Why only make one serving?
The pot was damaged after frying a lump of charcoal.
Gu Ran did try a bite that day. It was bitter, really like charcoal. The sauce was also unpalatable, cloyingly sweet and salty.
Su Xiaoqiang said she wanted to try some too, but Gu Ran refused.
He turned around and threw the steak into the trash can, then took her downstairs to eat Lao Tou Le (a type of noodle dish).
Therefore, she had no idea how bad her cooking actually tasted.
In fact, Su Xiaoqiang knew that the things she made were most likely inedible.
But she saw that Gu Ran still took a bite, and then forbade her to eat any more, fearing that it would cause her problems.
She was deeply moved.
……
About an hour later, a steaming bowl of three dishes and a soup was laid out on the table.
Gu Ran took off her apron and sat down at the dining table opposite Su Xiaoqiang.
"Try it." Gu Ran handed her the chopsticks.
Su Xiaoqiang picked up a piece of shredded pork with garlic sauce and took a bite.
"Mmm, delicious!" Su Xiaoqiang praised, "It's just like the one my housekeeper makes, but not as sour or as sweet. I like this flavor!"
"The soup was delicious too."
"Tomato and egg stir-fry without sugar is fantastic! My dad always puts sugar in everything he cooks, and we have to cater to his tastes at home. I've been annoyed by that for a long time."
Su Xiaoqiang's family doesn't eat fancy meals every day; most of the time, they mainly eat home-cooked dishes.
She really enjoyed the fish soup Gu Ran made; it was rich and delicious.
Su Xiaoqiang's hair was loose, with a few strands almost floating into the bowl.
Gu Ran reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, saying to her:
"Eat slowly."
Su Xiaoqiang was a little shy. She held the soup bowl, lowered her head, and took a small sip.
"How come you're such a good cook?"
In her opinion, Gu Ran was also a rich young master.
It's hard to imagine him cooking for himself.
"I learned it when I had nothing else to do," Gu Ran said casually.
Cooking was a skill he possessed in his past life.
Su Xiaoqiang ate two bowls of rice and drank two bowls of soup, then covered her mouth contentedly and carefully let out a burp.
She suddenly felt that the way the two of them were interacting was like that of a newlywed couple.