"Add scallion segments and ginger slices 'to taste'? What the hell does 'to taste' even mean?" Shen Yibin was frustrated. 'Damn it, this cookbook is so unreliable. It's crystal clear about the amount of skin-on pork belly and Sichuan peppercorns, but gets all vague when it comes to the scallions and ginger.'
'Might as well give it a try.' Shen Yibin washed and peeled a large scallion, cutting it into segments roughly the length shown in the cookbook. He then took out some ginger and sliced it. While he was busy with this, Hah'Er dragged a stool over from the side, HUFF, HUFF, climbed up, and sat on it, watching his every move without blinking.
"Hey, Hah'Er, how much is 'to taste' anyway? Is this enough?" Shen Yibin was just messing around as he picked up five or six slices of ginger to ask.
"Nnngh... Nnngh..." He hadn't actually expected a response, but the little guy actually shook its head. Not only that, it reached out a paw to nudge more ginger slices from the cutting board into his hand.
'Holy crap, don't tell me you know how to cook?' Shen Yibin was completely stunned. Seeing him frozen for a good while, and with the water for the pork belly starting to BUBBLE BUBBLE, Hah'Er couldn't help but let out a couple more grunts. It propped its two front paws on the stovetop, desperately reaching for the small pile of ginger slices on the cutting board.
"Don't move, don't move! The knife is right there!" Shen Yibin quickly picked it up and set it back down on the stool. 'If this little guy gets cut by the kitchen knife, I wouldn't even dare take it to a vet!'
The scare from Hah'Er finally snapped Shen Yibin out of his stupor. He tentatively picked up another four or five slices of ginger. "How about adding this much? Is that enough?" he asked.
"Nnngh... Nnngh..." Hah'Er shook its head again, then held out its left paw and used a finger from its right paw to make a "sweeping away" motion in its palm.
"Oh? You mean it's too much?" Shen Yibin understood. He took out a few ginger slices and put them back, continuing until only seven or eight slices remained. Only then did Hah'Er finally nod.
"So how many scallion segments should I add?" 'You're the one eating it anyway, so I'll just do what you say.' Shen Yibin couldn't be bothered to look at the cookbook anymore. He just asked Hah'Er directly. With its help, he quickly determined the right amounts of scallion and cooking wine.
"Alright, we'll check back in half an hour. Once it's boiled, we'll slice it and stir-fry it. I'm going to make some rice first. You can go back to watching your movie!" 'Wait a minute, why does this plot feel so familiar? Hah'Er's behavior is a bit like that rat from *Ratatouille*! If its paws were actually suited for holding a knife and flipping a wok, I bet it could probably cook for itself.'
'Then again, pandas have a very keen sense of smell. They usually communicate with each other through sounds and scents, so it seems plausible that this little guy could figure out the right combination of ingredients to make a good meal. But I heard that pandas have a peculiar sense of taste and can't perceive the umami flavor of meat. So why on earth is this one so fond of twice-cooked pork?'
On his way to and from the store, Shen Yibin had looked up a lot of information about pandas, so he had a basic understanding of these things. In the end, he could only chalk it up to pandas from the 22nd century being different from the ones today.
The rice was ready in the rice cooker, but the meat still needed some time to simmer. Shen Yibin went back to the bedroom, lay down next to Hah'Er, and started browsing the internet on his phone. He wanted to see just how far those photos of his had spread.
'Crap, this is spreading scarily fast.' A quick search revealed that photos of the little guy were all over Weibo, forums, and Tieba. Some people were even using the picture as their profile avatar.
"Huh, this is weird. Based on my years of experience looking at internet celebs on Weibo, I can't spot a single trace of Photoshop in this picture. Don't tell me this is a real photo?" A comment from a veteran user made Shen Yibin jump. 'Damn it, do you have to be so sharp-eyed?! Can your body even handle looking at internet celebs all day? Go chug a juice box to recover and stop obsessing over these photos, will you?'
'And this one, why are you so familiar with the entertainment industry? You even managed to dig up the fact that no company has filmed a movie involving a panda in recent years? Are you afraid I won't get exposed fast enough or something?'
"Nnngh! Nnngh!" Just as his head was starting to throb from all this bad news, Hah'Er hugged his leg again and started dragging him toward the kitchen. This time, Shen Yibin didn't even need to ask; he knew the meat was just about done.
He poked it gently with a chopstick. The meat was pierced through completely, with no bloody liquid flowing out. It was time to turn off the heat, take it out of the pot, and slice it. However, the next step was a real test of his knife skills. The meat had to be sliced very thinly, and each slice needed to include the skin, the fat, and the lean meat. Only then could the slices be stir-fried into the curled shape commonly known as "oil lamp cups."
Shen Yibin, of course, had no such skill. The slices he cut were more than twice as thick as the ones from the takeout place. He laughed awkwardly. "Haha, my skills are still a bit lacking. Don't judge, alright? I'll practice hard and try to improve."
"Nnngh..." Hah'Er was at it again. It slid off the stool, HUFFED and PUFFED its way over to the refrigerator, and stood on its tiptoes, trying to reach the door to the upper refrigerated compartment. When it saw Shen Yibin looking over, it pointed a paw at the meat on the cutting board, then pointed to the fridge.
"You mean I should chill it for a bit first?"
"Mhm!"
'Alright, you're the boss!' Shen Yibin put the meat in the refrigerator and closed the door. He then squatted in front of the fridge, having a staring contest with Hah'Er. After about five minutes, Hah'Er climbed up onto his shoulders using his knee as a foothold and was about to open the fridge door. Shen Yibin quickly pulled it back down. He knew it was time.
Sure enough, after being chilled for a bit, the block of meat became slightly firmer and was much easier to slice than before. Shen Yibin barely managed to match the quality of the takeout from lunch. 'Damn it, you even know this trick? I'm the type who wouldn't help an old lady cross the street, but for you... I admit defeat.'
The meat, ginger, scallions, and garlic were sliced. He heated the wok, added a touch of oil, and stir-fried the chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, and ginger until fragrant. Next, he added the pork slices, stir-frying them until they turned translucent and their edges began to curl. He pushed the meat to one side of the wok and added the Pip County Broad Bean Paste—which Hah'Er had, of course, reminded him to mince finely beforehand. He fried the paste until its red oil rendered out. Following Hah'Er's guidance, he added the right amount of soy sauce for color and tossed everything together. To finish, he threw in the green garlic and seasoned it with a splash of cooking wine and a pinch of sugar.
"Mmmph..." Under Hah'Er's guidance, Shen Yibin finally completed the task. He turned off the stove, took a deep breath, and said, "I gotta say, it really does smell amazing! Now I just wonder if it tastes any good!"
He turned around, only to see Hah'Er already wearing the bib he had just bought for it. It was leaning over the dining table, chopsticks in hand, staring eagerly in his direction.
He quickly dished the food onto a plate, served up two bowls of rice, and sat down across from Hah'Er. "Hah'Er, give it a try. How does it taste? Is it to your liking?"