Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

Runye rolled her eyes at Li Xiangqian.

"If you don't do it, I'll take it downstairs to Aunt Liu."

"Calm down, calm down."

Li Xiangqian hurriedly picked up the cloth bag.

"I'll go get it right away."

After saying that, he picked up the things and walked towards the kitchen.

"Simmering chicken soup takes at least two hours. Are you just going to sit there doing nothing?"

Li Xiangqian paused for a moment before speaking.

Runye didn't move.

"Come and help."

After Li Xiangqian finished speaking, he went into the kitchen.

Runye sat on the rattan chair for two seconds before getting up and slowly moving to the kitchen doorway.

Li Xiangqian was squatting by the stove, rummaging through the earthenware pot where he had stewed chicken last time, and checking the cracks on the pot.

"Hmm, it's still usable."

Li Xiangqian took out the earthenware jar and patted off the dust.

"Come here. Wash this jar clean."

"Should I wash?"

"What else can we do? Rinse it a few more times."

Runye took the earthenware pot, turned on the tap, and water gushed down.

Li Xiangqian placed the whole chicken on the cutting board, gutted it, and cut it into pieces.

"We need to rush in from inside too." Li Xiangqian said without even looking up.

Runye pursed her lips, tilted the earthenware jar over, and let the water pour into it.

Rinse it several times.

"The mouth of the jar also needs to be rinsed. Dust easily gets trapped in the crevices of earthenware jars."

Runye angrily turned the earthenware jar around and poured water over its mouth.

"You're so particular."

"Is this what you call being particular? This is just the basics." Li Xiangqian moved the chopped chicken pieces aside. "Then wipe the stove down."

"Does the stove also need to be wiped?"

"Otherwise, the steam from the chicken soup will make it smell oily."

Runye rolled her eyes, took a rag from the sink, wrung it out, and wiped the stove a couple of times.

"Keep trying." Li Xiangqian glanced at it. "You haven't even wiped the dust off."

Runye hesitated for a moment, then grabbed a rag and scrubbed the stovetop hard.

"That's right."

Runye didn't say anything, and threw the rag over the edge of the sink.

"Wash the red dates and goji berries. No need to scrub, just rinse with water."

"understood."

Runye brought over the red dates and goji berries from the table.

"Don't steep goji berries for too long. Just a quick soak is enough. Steeping them for too long will cause them to lose their flavor."

"oh."

"Should the pits be removed from the red dates?"

"Need not."

Runye breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought she was going to have to remove the kernel.

"But it will require two cuts."

"What?"

"Make two cuts on the red dates. This will help bring out their sweetness when cooked."

"...Why are you being so particular?"

Runye picked up the kitchen knife and clumsily made cuts on the red dates.

The first cut went astray, and the jujube was cut in half.

Runye glanced at Li Xiangqian subconsciously.

Li Xiangqian had his back to her, mixing ginger in the chicken pieces, and didn't turn around.

Runye quickly stuffed the chopped red date into the paper package and hid it at the bottom.

Next one.

This time she learned her lesson and only pressed the tip of the knife down half an inch.

"Hmm, not bad."

Li Xiangqian turned around at some point and looked at the few red dates he had just marked.

Runye glared at him and continued slicing the jujubes.

After cutting halfway through, Li Xiangqian spoke again.

"Boil water. Fill the earthenware pot with about half a pot of water, then put the pot in the cold water."

"My name is written on my hand."

"Can you still move your feet if you have your name drawn on your hand?"

Runye remained still and continued to stab the red dates with the knife.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it."

Li Xiangqian walked over, took the earthenware jar from Runye's hand, filled it with water, and placed it on the stove.

"Now you start the fire."

"I'm still peeling red dates!"

"Start the fire first. We'll add the red dates later. It takes time for the fire to get going."

Runye put the knife on the chopping board, squatted down in front of the stove, and pulled a piece of firewood from the pile.

"Start a fire."

"I can!"

Runye took a box of matches from beside the stove and struck one with a snap.

A small flame shot up from the match head and was brought close to the firewood. The firewood didn't light immediately, so Runye bent down, pursed her lips, and blew on it.

I missed. I blew another puff.

"Be gentle," Li Xiangqian said from the side.

"I blew very softly."

"Be gentler."

Runye pouted and carefully blew on it.

Finally, one end of the firewood licked the flame.

"It will grow stronger with the wind," Li Xiangqian said.

Runye then saw that the small flame had indeed slowly grown, climbing up the firewood with a crackling sound.

Runye's eyes twitched slightly.

She put another piece of firewood into the stove.

"Don't stuff it in too much." Li Xiangqian said without turning his head. "Keep it on low. If you stuff it in too much, the heat will turn up and the chicken soup will become mushy."

Runye withdrew her hand.

"How many should we put in?"

"Just enough to add a little to that fire at the bottom."

Runye obediently pulled out a stick, held it in his hand, and waited for the firewood underneath to burn less before stuffing it back in.

"Bring the chicken pieces over," Li Xiangqian called out. "The water's almost boiling, put them in the pot."

Runye got up and took the enamel bowl containing the chicken pieces over.

Li Xiangqian took the pot and placed the chicken pieces one by one into the earthenware jar. Runye watched as the chicken pieces sank into the water, and small bubbles immediately began to rise to the surface, followed by a layer of grayish-white foam.

"Skip the foam." Li Xiangqian took a small spoon out of the drawer and handed it to Runye.

"What do you mean, 'I'm leaving'?"

Runye took the spoon and moved closer to the earthenware pot.

"Slant it a bit. Skim it close to the surface of the water, don't poke it into the water."

Runye followed the instructions and indeed the slicing was smoother.

"Yes. That's it."

Runye glanced at him twice but didn't say anything.

With a stiff wrist, she carefully skimmed each spoonful, afraid of missing a drop.

Li Xiangqian peeled scallions on the side, and then chopped them into scallion flowers.

"That's about it." Li Xiangqian glanced at the earthenware jar. "Add ginger slices, red dates, and goji berries to the jar."

"The red dates haven't been cut yet."

"Forget it, just throw the unfinished ones in."

"Didn't you just say you wanted to row?"

"It'll have to do."

"You..."

"Hurry up and get down, the water's boiling."

Runye dumped the half-cut red dates into the earthenware jar. The rotten red date that had been secretly hidden under the paper package also rolled in. Li Xiangqian glanced at it but didn't say anything.

Ginger slices and goji berries were then added to the jar in turn.

Li Xiangqian put the lid on the earthenware jar and turned the fire in the stove down.

"Low heat. Two hours. Do not lift the lid during the process."

Runye responded with an "oh".

"It'll leak air as soon as you peel it off," Li Xiangqian added. "The smell will all escape."

"understood."

The two people squatted in front of the stove, looking at the earthenware pot.

Wisps of white steam rose from the rim of the earthenware pot's lid. At first, the flavor was faint, with only a hint of ginger. Gradually, the sweetness of red dates mingled in, followed by the slightly astringent sweetness of goji berries, and finally the umami of the chicken soup itself.

The flavors develop layer by layer.

Runye sniffed.

"Clatter".

A soft sound.

Runye paused for a moment, then looked up at the small window in the kitchen.

Another sound.

"Pat. Pat."

It's raining.

The leaves open.

Li Xiangqian looked up and glanced out the window.

A few raindrops had already fallen onto the windowpane. Then the rain intensified, pattering against the window, and a fine breeze carried the raindrops in through the cracks.

The chicken soup in the earthenware pot simmered and bubbled, releasing a sweet aroma of red dates and goji berries.

Runye stood up, walked to the window, and reached out to close it.

He reached out halfway, then paused.

A gust of wind blew in through the cracks in the window, carrying the coolness of the rain and the steam rising from the earthenware pot, brushing against her face.

She closed the window halfway, leaving a crack.

Li Xiangqian squatted in front of the stove without turning around.

"Why leave a gap?"

"stuffy."

Runye said.

"oh."

Li Xiang went to put another piece of firewood into the stove.

The rain outside the kitchen was getting heavier.