The Prime Minister’s Little Wife

Chapter 68: Celery

As soon as Xu Zhizhi opened her eyes, she saw Xiao Jingheng sitting by her bedside, startling her so much that she bolted upright.

With a creak, the bed made a loud noise due to her sudden movement.

“Sister, what’s wrong?” Xiaowu poked his head out from behind Xiao Jingheng.

Xu Zhizhi patted her chest and said, “It’s nothing. The bed is just too old. It creaks when I sit up.”

She had thought Xiao Jingheng had come into her room alone while she was asleep, intending to do something! If she had known her younger brother was also there, she wouldn’t have been so agitated! She almost shook the bed apart!

“Awake?” a deep voice asked.

Xiao Jingheng had come to the old house. Father Xu and Mother Xu had already washed up and were preparing to go to the new house to work. They asked Xiaowu to accompany his brother-in-law while waiting for Xu Zhizhi to wake up.

After sitting in the main room and waiting for them to leave, Xiao Jingheng brought Xiaowu into Xu Zhizhi’s room.

He watched the girl sleeping peacefully on the bed, curled up in her warm quilt like a quiet, well-behaved kitten, lost in a sweet dream. Her adorable smile left a deep impression on him.

Such a charming and well-behaved girl made him reluctant to disturb her. He hoped she could sleep a little longer, so she could wake up to a beautiful day.

He was so captivated that, without realizing it, he walked to the bed and sat down. Unexpectedly, the movement of him sitting startled the dreamer!

“Mm, you two go out first. I’ll change and come out.”

“Sister, Brother-in-law told our cousins that the three of us won’t be going over for breakfast. I made porridge,” Xiaowu said as he walked out of the room.

He wanted to eat the century egg and lean meat porridge from yesterday morning, so he had gotten up early to start cooking.

Xiao Jingheng was even more willing to eat Xu Zhizhi’s cooking, so he had no objections.

After changing and washing up, Xu Zhizhi saw that the porridge wasn’t ready yet, so she decided to make dumplings.

She asked Xiaowu to go to the new house to fetch some pork. While she kneaded the dough and let it rest, she pulled a bunch of celery from her space and began washing it.

When she looked up, she saw Xiao Jingheng leaning against the kitchen door. She hadn’t noticed him earlier!

Xu Zhizhi was startled, but thankfully, he didn’t ask any questions. Men weren’t usually that observant, so she calmly continued washing the celery.

Xiao Jingheng had already taken note of everything in the kitchen. There had been no celery earlier…

Yesterday, he had seen Xu Zhizhi take out a bunch of unknown greens from somewhere and wash them. He thought he might not have seen clearly, so today he paid closer attention.

Xiao Jingheng originally didn’t know what certain vegetables looked like, but he could remember whether he had eaten them or not.

He was born in Luocheng, the largest and most prosperous capital of the Great Sheng Dynasty, but he had never eaten or even seen the fish balls from yesterday.

The greens from yesterday were especially delicious, and he had never eaten them before either. Xiao Jingheng had read many books, and he searched his memory but couldn’t recall the greens from yesterday. However, the celery his little wife had just taken out was something he had read about.

There was a passage in one of the books: “Celery is cool and sweet in nature. It clears the stomach, dispels heat, expels wind, and benefits the mouth, teeth, throat, head, and eyes. It treats conditions like abnormal uterine bleeding, vaginal discharge, and urinary disorders. The white and tender ones are the best. Do not overcook. Wild celery is inferior in taste but similar in nature.”

At the time, he thought it was a medicinal herb. But his little wife was clearly using it as a vegetable.

He thought about it and asked, “Can celery be used as a vegetable?”

Xu Zhizhi was stunned.

Xiao Jingheng found her dumbfounded expression quite amusing and pointed at the celery she was washing.

Xu Zhizhi finally realized that celery was called “medicine celery” in ancient times.

[Oh my god! That scared me to death!]

Xiao Jingheng even knew about celery! She had thought he was the type who never lifted a finger in the kitchen and wouldn’t recognize celery, so she could have made up some story to get away with it…

Now, she knew she had to explain it clearly and thoroughly.

She smiled gently and said, “Celery is a type of wild vegetable from the mountains behind us. It’s not usually eaten on its own but is often used as an ingredient to stir-fry with pork or beef, which makes it very delicious. I’m planning to use it to make pork and celery dumplings. Celery stir-fried alone tastes bitter, but it’s very good for the body. It can lower blood pressure. For those who suffer from insomnia due to irritability, eating celery regularly can help control blood pressure…”

Xiao Jingheng watched as his little wife spoke eloquently and fluently, her explanation aligning closely with what he had read in the books. However, she explained it in more detail and made it easier to understand.

“Hehe…”

As he listened and watched, he felt a sense of joy and couldn’t help but laugh.

Xu Zhizhi was running out of words, regretting not studying harder in her past life, when she heard his laughter. She didn’t know what he was laughing at, but…

His laughter was so beautiful!

Xiao Jingheng was already extremely handsome, one in a million. Now that he was smiling, it was like a breath of fresh spring air.

There’s a saying that goes, “Looking at a handsome man can ease tension and emotions.” Xu Zhizhi stared at Xiao Jingheng with wide eyes.

This was the first time Xiao Jingheng had been stared at so directly by Xu Zhizhi. He felt flustered, and his cheeks turned slightly red.

Xu Zhizhi, mesmerized, also smiled foolishly and said, “You look so good when you smile.”

Xiao Jingheng, who had been feeling a bit embarrassed, felt his mood lighten. At least he had a good appearance that could charm his little wife~~

“Sister, I’ve brought the pork. Cousin Chunhua asked what delicious food you’re making for us,” Xiaowu said excitedly as he ran back.

“We’re making pork and celery dumplings.”

Xu Zhizhi took the pork, washed it clean, and began chopping it into mince.

Xiao Jingheng, who initially didn’t know how to mince meat, watched as his little wife chopped it with a rhythmic *thud-thud*. He quickly took the knife and said, “Let me do it.”

Xu Zhizhi handed the laborious task to him and went to roll out the dumpling wrappers. She worked deftly, and after Xiao Jingheng finished mincing the meat, he went to learn how to roll the wrappers.

Xu Zhizhi chopped the celery, along with some scallions and ginger, and mixed them with the minced meat. She called Xiaowu to wash his hands and learn how to wrap the dumplings.

She poured water into the pot and waited for it to boil so she could cook the dumplings.

Xiaowu learned quickly and wrapped the dumplings quite skillfully.

Xiao Jingheng thought it looked simple and took one to wrap. He pinched it but kept tearing the wrapper.

He said with some frustration, “I watched you do it the same way. What’s the difference?”

“Pinch it more gently,” Xu Zhizhi said with a smile.

Xiao Jingheng tried to be gentler, but the dumplings he made were not only ugly but also had too little filling. If he added more filling, he couldn’t seal them properly.

He refused to believe he couldn’t master this. He continued wrapping.

Then, he saw several crooked, shriveled dumplings. He couldn’t even bear to look at them himself and finally stopped.

When the dumplings in the pot floated to the surface, Xu Zhizhi scooped out a large bowl and told him to eat first.

Xiaowu had a small bowl, and Xu Zhizhi had one as well. They brought them to the table in the main room and were about to eat when Xu Daniu returned.

Xu Zhizhi quickly went back to the kitchen to cook another bowl.

The rich aroma of pork mixed with the unique fragrance of celery made this the most delicious dumplings Xiao Jingheng had ever eaten.

(End of Chapter)