Chapter 2: Greatest Hobbies: Cooking and Stockpiling

After rushing home, Wen Nuan Nuan first cleaned the shrimp, abalone, and squid, then washed and dried all the ingredients.

She cooked the rice for the shaomai, kneaded the dough, and while waiting for it to ferment, she took out the food processor to prepare fillings for the buns, dumplings, and wontons.

Braised Pork Steamed Buns, Fresh Shrimp, Corn, and Carrot Dumplings, and Fresh Meat Wonton.

Once the dumplings, wontons, and shaomai were wrapped, they went straight into the refrigerator’s freezer section.

After wrapping the buns, there was still some dough left, so she made seven Steamed Buns. After letting them rise a second time, she steamed them, let them cool, and then placed them in the freezer section.

When she wanted to eat them, she could simply take them out and steam them—they would be just as fluffy and soft as freshly made. This was a trick she had learned through repeated practice.

Considering that meat dishes took more time, Nuan Nuan decided to prepare a few in advance and store them in the refrigerator’s fresh-keeping section. She could take them to work or simply reheat them after getting home, then pair them with a stir-fried vegetable dish. It would be delicious, time-saving, and effortless.

Absolutely perfect—couldn’t be better!

With quick and nimble hands, she prepared Braised Pork with Small Abalone, Beer Duck, Red-Braised Pork Trotters, Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, and Stir-Fried Young Chicken. As each dish cooled, she packed it into sealed glass containers with lids, neatly arranging them one by one in the refrigerator’s fresh-keeping section.

She also made some Meatballs, Lotus Root Balls, and Radish Balls, frying each batch until golden and crispy before draining and letting them cool.

At the same time, she reorganized the refrigerator.

She took out all the existing ingredients and started fresh.

On the top shelf of the fresh-keeping section, she used Kraft Paper Bags to neatly and compactly store sorted, washed, and dried vegetables, categorized by type.

The second shelf was left empty for now, reserved for the fruits she planned to buy later.

The third shelf held coarse grains and staples like corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, potatoes, red beans, mung beans, millet, flour, and noodles. Nuan Nuan also placed about two pounds of Northeast Rice in a Food Container on this shelf, ensuring she wouldn’t need to buy rice later.

The fourth shelf was for chili sauce, chopped chili sauce, soybean paste, pickled mustard tuber, dried tofu, and packaged soft tofu and firm tofu. She also prepared a small bottle of scallion oil made with scallions, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce—perfect for making delicious Scallion Oil Noodles. She also added a small bottle of salt and a small bottle of rapeseed oil.

The fifth and final shelf of the fresh-keeping section was reserved for the cooked meat dishes. Seeing there was still some space left, she added a small jar of osmanthus sugar and a small bottle of green plum wine she had brewed back in April.

The door compartments of the refrigerator were used to store eggs, salted duck eggs, and century eggs.

The freezer section also had five shelves.

The first shelf was for pork.

She had used two pounds of pork belly for the braised pork, leaving three pounds left. Two pig’s trotters were used, with two remaining. There was also one and a half pounds of spare ribs left, along with one pound of pork hind leg meat sliced into strips.

The second shelf held a local old hen, the remaining fresh shrimp and abalone, and four pounds of braised beef.

The third shelf was for the buns, dumplings, wontons, steamed buns, and shaomai.

The fourth shelf held water-milled rice cakes and glutinous rice cakes.

The fifth shelf stored the cured meat, sausages, salted fish, and various fried meatballs her grandmother had personally made and given her.

Both the fourth and fifth shelves still had plenty of space.

Nuan Nuan still needed to go to the supermarket to buy milk, fruits, and other items. She would see what she had missed and fill the gaps later.

She was determined to organize the refrigerator with ultimate efficiency, leaving no corner unused and no space wasted—maximizing every resource to the fullest!

After cleaning up the kitchen waste and taking it out to throw away, Nuan Nuan headed straight to the largest supermarket near her neighborhood.

Pushing a shopping cart, she went on a focused and determined shopping spree!

Preserved Plum Candy, Dried Tangerine Peel Candy, White Rabbit Creamy Candy, biscuits, candied fruits, chocolate, Hand-Grabbed Pancakes…

Oranges, tangerines, apples, pears, pomegranates, loquats, peaches, longans, kiwis…

Oh right, I also need to buy honey, passion fruit, and lemons to make lemon-passion fruit honey water when I get back—sour and sweet, it’s appetizing and good for the skin.

Pure milk and Red Date and Yellow Peach Yogurt are must-haves. Green tea, black tea, and Pu’er Tea are also her favorites. Goji Berry and Ginseng Slices are always kept on hand…

On the way home, not minding the exhaustion, she went to buy her favorite Peach Crisps, Seaweed and Pork Floss Rolls, and other small snacks and desserts.

By the time she finished, it was already eleven at night. Wen Nuan Nuan finally filled the refrigerator to the brim and, feeling satisfied, collapsed onto the bed, utterly exhausted.

Everything was ready. She’d start eating tomorrow and wait until the morning after to open the refrigerator and check.

Actually, thinking about it, why did she push herself so hard? Why did she have to stuff the refrigerator full today, leaving no gaps at all?

She could have just eaten what was left today and left the refrigerator empty to see if it would automatically refill itself tomorrow.

Sure, she’d have fewer ingredients, but for her, wouldn’t it just mean filling the refrigerator a few days later? She could eat whatever was in the refrigerator these few days and occasionally order takeout—it wouldn’t cost much more.

At least she wouldn’t be as exhausted as she was today.

It’s not like the refrigerator was going anywhere.

Lying in bed, Wen Nuan Nuan was speechless at her own delayed realization. To distract herself, she took out her phone, opened the Xihongshi Free Novel Website, found the novel she often read, “The Prime Minister’s Overwhelming Power,” and happily started reading.

But after a day full of surprises and exhaustion, Wen Nuan Nuan was simply too tired. Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and under the soft glow of the phone screen, they slowly closed against her will.

Accompanied by the faint light of her phone, she fell into a deep sleep.

Wen Nuan Nuan was woken up by hunger.

Her stomach felt completely empty, growling so fiercely she felt like she could eat anything.

Her Braised Pork with Small Abalone.

Her Stir-Fried Young Chicken.

Her Braised Pig’s Trotters.

Her Beer Duck…

Thinking of the refrigerator packed with food, Wen Nuan Nuan swallowed, only to taste a strong bitterness that made her frown. She quickly struggled to open her incredibly heavy eyelids.

This shouldn’t be happening. Although she had been busy and tired yesterday, she shouldn’t feel so weak that even opening her eyes was a struggle.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw three skinny, malnourished boys—like bean sprouts—wearing ill-fitting, short clothes, looking at her with concern.

The oldest of them was holding a bowl of soup in one hand and a spoon in the other.

Seeing her wake up, the three boys visibly relaxed at the same time, their voices filled with joy and relief as they asked, “Sister-in-law, are you feeling better?”

Wen Nuan Nuan’s mind went completely blank!

What was going on?

After graduating from college, she had worked diligently and hadn’t even been in a relationship, let alone married. How could she be called “sister-in-law”?

And these three skinny, malnourished boys who looked like they’d be blown over by a gust of wind—were there still places this poor in the 21st century?

No, wait. These three boys had their hair tied up in traditional styles. Even though they wore extremely ill-fitting, tattered, and short clothes, it was clear these were definitely not modern outfits!

What was happening?

Wen Nuan Nuan was utterly bewildered. Could someone please tell her what was going on?

Could it be… she had traveled through time?

Wuwuwu, please don’t let it happen—her cozy two-bedroom apartment, her phone, computer, games, her clothes, bags, shoes, jewelry, and the delicious food she had just stuffed into the refrigerator yesterday… She couldn’t bear to part with it all.

Refrigerator?

Just as the word flashed through Wen Nuan Nuan’s mind, her refrigerator appeared upright right before her eyes!

Close enough to open the door with a single reach!

Heavens!

Gasping in shock, Wen Nuan Nuan stared in disbelief at the refrigerator before her, identical in appearance to the one in her home!