Remember More

Chapter 31

REMEMBER MORE

CHAPTER 31

John didn't know how to cook. In fact, he sucked big time. The last time he had to cook for himself was way back in his college days and it sucked big time then too. He always got his friends or Rob to do it for him and then compensated for it by helping Rob with his homework. It worked out well.

Yan was not a big cook either. Though she knew what she liked to eat and her taste buds worked, which actually made things quite a bit worse. She never could make it herself while she always knew when someone else made it wrong.

Zhang wasn't bothered. He was just wondering anyway. After he cleaned himself up, he got right to work. The other two watched. And stayed out of his way. John helped with the heavy lifting.

First, the old man turned on the stove and brought back to a boil the soup base he had started to prepare earlier that morning from scratch, with spices and pig bones and other things with complicated Chinese names that John and Yan had never even heard of before. It smelled good, though.

While that was simmering in a pot, he placed an old wok next to it and began to heat that up. In it, he stir-fried some meat he had been marinating since last night. John looked over his shoulder but couldn't tell exactly what kind of meat it was. He shrugged. Could've been beef.

By the time that was done, the well water that Zhang had poured into another vat had come to a boil. He teased out a handled sieve and a package from off a shelf nearby. Retrieving a pair of extra long chopsticks from a drawer, he ripped open the package and began to make the three of them noodles with the water in the vat.

The Chinese pasta was done in seconds. He set each serving into a bowl. He poured the soup base over it. Then the satay beef on top. A dash of chopped green onions, last of all.

Zhang had the other two sit down by the kitchen table. He placed the bowls of noodles in front of them and the aroma of it and beef and satay filled the house.

John closed his eyes, breathed it in and his nostrils were like supercharger intake valves.

Yan chuckled and slapped him on the arm. "Sir…!"

John didn't reply. He dove right in. He finished it off. Then his second bowl. And then it was well into his third bowl before he came up for air again. He talked with his mouth full. "…do you have anymore?"

Zhang shook his head and headed back for the cupboards. He spun around and held up a package. "Last batch, okay?"

Still slurping, John nodded. "It's really good, you know?"

Zhang shook his head as he faced the stove again. "You do know what you're eating? I mean the meat?"

John sat up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Uh…it wasn't beef?"

Zhang tossed his head back. He laughed. "Beef? How're you going to get beef all the way out here?"

"The…supermarket?"

Zhang turned around. "They were earthworms." He waved his hand about. "Well…a related species."

John glanced over at Yan. He swallowed hard.

She smiled. "Come on! You've had escargot before! Same sort of stuff…!"

John chewed on this. He nodded. "Well…"

Zhang stepped over to John. He put down another bowl of noodles with more satay worms in front of him. "You did say you wanted more?"

John frowned at the steaming bowl in front of him. He looked over at Yan. He shrugged. "It's good!" He dove in again.