This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 248 The Class Monitor Who Can't Be Praised
No one is home at this time.

Sister Wanyin was still setting up her stall outside, and Fei Mo went out with her.

When Chen Shi'an got home, he put down his backpack and then took two bags, filling one with two pieces of cured meat and the other with two pieces of smoked meat.

I also gave Wanyin a call while I was at it.

Li Wanyin was busy at her stall, which was bustling at this time, but she had specially set a different ringtone for Chen Shi'an. As soon as she heard the ringtone, she immediately stopped what she was doing and answered the phone.

"Hey? What's wrong, Shi'an?"

"Is Sister Wanyin still running her stall?"

"Okay! You're out of school? I'll be home a little later, Shi'an, you don't need to wait for me for dinner."

"Has Sister Wanyin eaten yet?"

"Not yet... I guess I need to finish up first, I'll buy some fast food later."

"I'm going to the class monitor's house for dinner tonight. I'll be making preserved meat rice. If you're not in a hurry to eat it, Sister Wanyin, I'll bring you some when I get back."

"All right!"

"Then Sister Wanyin, please go ahead with your work."

"Okay, bye~"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shi'an thought for a moment, then went back to his room, took out a small wooden figurine, and put it in his school uniform pocket.

This is a wood carving I promised to give to the class monitor. Xiao Zhi and Sister Wanyin also have one.

Xiao Zhiliao's was given to her a long time ago, but the class monitor's was only recently finished because they've been quite busy lately. Chen Shi'an is also working slowly, and Wan Yin's is only just starting out.

The two girls were still waiting for him at the school gate, so Chen Shi'an didn't linger any longer. He left the residential area and rode his bike back to the school gate.

……

Upon seeing Chen Shi'an's figure appear in the distance, Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu breathed a sigh of relief and felt more at ease.

Although it took him less than ten minutes to go back and forth, the two girls found it unbearable to be alone during those few minutes of waiting. They didn't speak to each other and just kept checking the time.

Like two little birds in a nest, the two girls huddled together beside Chen Shi'an as soon as he returned.

"Taoist priest, why have you been gone for so long...!"

"It hasn't even been ten minutes yet."

Chen Shi'an handed one of the bags to Wen Zhixia: "Xiao Zhi, this is for you. Inside is a piece of cured meat and a piece of smoked meat. Aunt Lan is a good cook. Take this back to her and she'll know how to cook it."

"Mmm! The colors are so pretty!"

"Of course, I made it myself; you can't get it outside."

You might buy dozens of kilograms of meat, which seems like a lot, but after cooking, it's actually not much, since meat shrinks.

In addition, Fei Mo stole and ate some of it while he was on duty.

This fat cat...

I thought Chen Shi'an hadn't noticed, since the surveillance cameras were all on full display.

Chen Shi'an was truly amazed; how could anyone force themselves to eat something so salty...

The bus from the school to the city bus station runs every five minutes. After waiting for a short while, the bus arrived, and Wen Zhixia, carrying large and small bags, boarded it. She would first go to the city bus station and then transfer to a long-distance bus to the county town. It was only a little past five o'clock, and she estimated that she would get home close to seven o'clock.

Before she met Chen Shi'an, the girl still went back home every week, even though it took her more than an hour to get there each time.

Now look what's happened! If it weren't for her mom making her come back for soup, she'd dare not go home for a whole month...

……

"The squad leader's gone?"

"Um……"

With Wen Zhixia no longer by her side, Lin Mengqiu relaxed completely. She sat sideways on the back of Chen Shi'an's bicycle, and a cool little hand reached out to hold his waist demurely.

Once Chen Shi'an had driven her away from the bustling school gate, her little hand, warmed by his body heat, couldn't resist reaching forward a little more until she wrapped her arm around his waist.

The girl lowered her head slightly, her hair falling down to cover her flushed face. She pressed her head against Chen Shi'an's back, quietly not speaking or looking at the road, just listening to his heartbeat.

"Monitor."

"……Well?"

Do you have any glutinous rice at home?

"……do not know."

When she pressed against his warm back, Lin Mengqiu's breathing became long and deep. Looking at her knees, she asked again, "What do you want glutinous rice for?"

"When making cured pork rice, adding some glutinous rice can improve the texture."

"I don't know if we have any at home..."

"Hmm, it's alright. I'll just stop by the market to buy some things later. I can also buy some green beans, dried shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and green garlic... Next time I'll make some sausages, and adding some sausages to the rice will make it even tastier."

"~~~"

"Squad leader, would you like some?"

"Want to eat..."

Chen Shi'an has this kind of magic; just listening to him talk makes Lin Mengqiu want to eat.

Because she wanted to eat so much, Lin Mengqiu couldn't help but hug him even tighter.

……

The two went to the market together and bought the ingredients Chen Shi'an needed to make cured pork rice, and then went home together.

Lin Mengqiu felt very comfortable spending time alone at home with Chen Shi'an, as her father had a dinner engagement and wasn't home today.

She took out his slippers and helped him carry the groceries he bought into the kitchen. Chen Shi'an went into the kitchen, and the girl squeezed in to help him.

Chen Shi'an first soaked some dried shiitake mushrooms and glutinous rice. Although fresh shiitake mushrooms could also be used, the taste would be much different.

Lin Mengqiu helped him prepare the green garlic, tearing off the dry and withered old leaves and rinsing them clean under the tap. Although the girl's movements were still a little clumsy, she had improved a lot compared to before.

Do you want me to cook rice?

"No need, we'll cook the rice in a pot later; it'll taste better than rice cooked in an electric rice cooker."

Chen Shi'an cut out an appropriate amount of cured pork. The freshly made cured pork still had a dark brown sheen on the surface and felt firm and moist to the touch. He first washed it with warm water to remove excess salt and soot, and then cut it into even thin slices.

He picked up a piece of cured pork and examined it under the light. It was a perfect three-line pork belly with the right ratio of fat to lean meat. The lean meat had a firm texture, while the fat was translucent.

Lin Mengqiu also reached out and picked up a piece to look at it, and even brought it to her nose to smell it.

"Don't eat it raw."

"...I didn't want to eat it."

"Does it smell good, squad leader?"

"fragrant."

Soon, Chen Shi'an had prepared all the ingredients. While the rice was soaking, he diced the carrots and the soaked shiitake mushrooms, and put the green peas into a bowl for later use.

Heat the wok, pour in a spoonful of oil, and turn the heat to low. Chen Shi'an put the cured pork in, and the sizzling sound immediately spread. The fat in the pork slowly seeped out, and the originally firm slices of meat gradually became transparent and curled. The aroma of the meat also became stronger, and even the air became thick and moist.

Add the green peas, diced garlic, diced carrots, and diced shiitake mushrooms, stir-fry a few times with a spatula, coat them with a layer of clear cured meat oil, and the aroma will be fully released.

Finally, drain the soaked rice and pour it into the pot. Turn the heat to medium and stir-fry quickly. The rice grains will turn shiny as soon as they touch the hot oil. Add a spoonful of light soy sauce for freshness, half a spoonful of oyster sauce for aroma, and a pinch of sugar to balance the saltiness of the cured meat...

Chen Shi'an kept stirring the rice with his spatula until every grain of rice was tinged with a light brown color and had absorbed the aroma of meat and soy sauce.

Once the rice was almost cooked, he spread the half-cooked rice grains evenly in the pot, added an appropriate amount of warm water, covered the pot, adjusted the heat of the stove, and let the rice and meat simmer slowly in the pot to release all the aroma.

Just looking at it made Lin Mengqiu's mouth water. She kept swallowing her saliva and felt her stomach getting really hungry.

"How long will it take..."

"No rush, cook slowly, too high a heat will easily burn the bottom."

"Then why did you put in so little water..."

"The ingredients will release water, and if there's too much water, the rice won't taste good. This is just right."

"How long will it take?" Lin Mengqiu couldn't help but ask again.

"Is the squad leader hungry?"

"……Um."

Chen Shi'an smiled and wiped his hands with a tissue: "Let's go see the class monitor's piano first. Didn't the class monitor want to play a piece for me? Once he's done, that'll be enough."

Lin Mengqiu calmed down and took him to see the piano in her home.

……

The piano cloth was lifted, and the glossy black grand piano appeared before Chen Shi'an's eyes.

Chen Shi'an touched it curiously and then pressed the piano keys.

This was the first time he had ever seen a piano in person, especially a grand piano like this. Ordinary families couldn't afford one, nor did they have the means to learn it.

Chen Shian's deepest understanding of the piano probably comes from the movie "The Legend of 1900" that he watched with Xiao Zhi. He still vividly remembers that wonderful piano duel.

Chen Shian has an absolute sense of pitch, understands music theory, and knows most traditional musical instruments, but he has never played the piano.

He pressed one key after another, and different keys produced different sounds.

Chen Shi'an listened intently, completely absorbed.

This thing is definitely worth its price; the sounds it makes are truly unique.

"Can you play?" Lin Mengqiu asked, looking at Chen Shi'an who seemed to be a good listener.

"No, it shouldn't be too difficult to learn."

"???"

"Did the class monitor learn piano when he was little?"

"Ah."

Have you learned any other musical instruments?

"Guitar."

"How are you all doing with your studies?"

“…I understand a little bit.”

Chen Shi'an blinked and exclaimed in surprise, "So amazing!"

"...Knowing a little is impressive?"

"Well, isn't that usually a humble way of saying it? My master used to teach me to only speak three-tenths of what I know, and to understand only a little is enough."

"So you know a little about it too?"

"I don't know anything about the piano."

Chen Shi'an chuckled and urged, "Then class monitor, quickly play me a piece, the one we played together, 'My Deskmate'."

"..."

Lin Mengqiu then sat down on the piano bench.

You know what, the piano really is a powerful tool for enhancing a person's temperament.

The overhead light fell obliquely on her, gilding the ends of her hair with a warm gold. She sat on one-third of the piano bench, her back straight but not stiff, her legs together and slightly tilted to one side. Before her fingertips touched the keys, her hands rested lightly on her knees. Her fingers were long and slender, and her nails were neatly trimmed with a healthy pinkish-white hue.

Chen Shi'an's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but praise, "This piano really suits the class monitor's temperament."

Lin Mengqiu: "..."

"Start your performance, class monitor."

"..."

Seeing that Lin Mengqiu still didn't make a move, Chen Shi'an started clapping.

The girl rolled her eyes at him, then, her pretty face slightly flushed, raised her arm.

As she raised her hand, the lines of her arm flowed smoothly like clouds, her wrist slightly raised but not tense, falling naturally as if with rhythm. The moment her fingertips touched the piano keys, her gaze softened, her eyes, which had been looking straight ahead, gently lowered and fell on the black and white piano keys...

It must be said that Lin Mengqiu's skills in these "forms" and "demeanor" are impeccable, to the point that Chen Shi'an even thought that the class monitor was a piano master.

Chen Shi'an was stunned when a few slightly awkward notes floated out.

Although he had never heard the piano sheet music for "My Deskmate" and could not play the piano, but... class monitor, are these notes a little off?

You really know a little bit?!
Taking advantage of Chen Shi'an's lack of knowledge about the piano, Lin Mengqiu gritted her teeth and played the piece of music that she had been unfamiliar with for a long time.

Although many notes were played incorrectly and the rhythm was not very smooth, the piece was still played about 70-80% of the way through, which is quite good for most people.

After the music ended, Lin Mengqiu remained silent, her face flushed, and gracefully withdrew her arm, placing it lightly on her knee.

[Slap slap slap—]
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the side. Chen Shi'an wanted to clap his hands until they were raw, and praised:
"The squad leader plays quite well. His knowledge is much better than I imagined."

"~~~"

Lin Mengqiu's face turned even redder, feeling somewhat embarrassed and uncomfortable from his praise.

"……real?"

"Of course, I didn't expect the class monitor to be able to play so well after not playing for so long. With more practice, he should be even better."

"...I...I'm actually not very good at playing."

"It sounds beautiful. I even want the class monitor to teach me how to play the piano."

"~~~~~~~~"

The girl playing "My Deskmate" was overwhelmed by her deskmate's praise. She turned her head away and remained silent until her body trembled so much she could no longer hold back. Finally, she turned back, revealing a shy and embarrassed smile.
"You're just praising people indiscriminately; they're not that good..."

After saying that, she stood up and, as she walked past Chen Shi'an, she blushed and slapped him.

Actually, she has a really beautiful smile, like a white camellia blooming in a field in early spring.

Chen Shi'an withdrew his gaze and, taking advantage of the moment she turned around, secretly placed the wooden figurine from his pocket onto her piano before walking into the kitchen with her.

……

The cured pork rice in the pot is almost cooked.

The moment Chen Shi'an lifted the pot lid, a rich, irresistible aroma wafted out, instantly filling the entire kitchen.

Sprinkle a handful of bright green garlic cloves on top, and Chen Shi'an takes a spatula and gently stirs it from the bottom of the pot, letting the fresh aroma of garlic cloves blend into every grain of rice.

Lin Mengqiu had been waiting impatiently for a long time, holding two bowls in her hands. Finally, when Chen Shi'an reached out to her, she eagerly handed over the bowls.

Chen Shian deftly ladled a bowlful into a white porcelain bowl. The glistening rice grains were coated with the oil from the cured meat, and green beans, diced carrots, and diced shiitake mushrooms were hidden inside. Just looking at it made one's mouth water.

"Squad leader, you eat first."

"..."

Lin Mengqiu didn't say anything because she was already engrossed in eating.

Instead of finding a chair to sit on, she stood next to him, picked up a spoon, and couldn't resist eating.

One bite, and the rice is soft, sticky, and chewy; the cured pork is savory and not greasy. She, who never eats fatty meat, finds the fatty part of this cured pork even tastier than the lean part. The flavors of all the ingredients perfectly complement each other, spreading across her tongue, and even the crispy rice at the bottom of the bowl has a caramelized aroma...

"~~~~~~~~!"

What could be more blissful than enjoying a bowl of rich and fragrant cured pork rice on such a cold winter day?

"How's it going? Is it delicious?"

"Um……"

Lin Mengqiu couldn't help but eat one bite after another until the bowl was empty.

The two had just sat down on the chairs outside when the girl stood up again with her empty bowl.

"Is the squad leader full?"

"...I'll go get another bowl."

(End of this chapter)