Having Had My Bride Stolen, I Just Want to Live Peacefully - Chapter 13

I think I’m a little tired before cooking, but the real show is just around the corner.

Of course, I’m going to make meat and potatoes today.

It’s a revenge attempt after I failed last time.

“Today, even brother-in-law, who is a beginner in cooking, can arrange the recipe.”

“Ah, that’s a relief.”

“You can cook a little bit more difficult and other dishes from there.”

After experiencing successful experiences, it’s the basics of education to gradually challenge difficult things.

My mother-in-law seems to know that.

Nene-chan read out the recipe and I followed the instructions.

“But it’s really cute, isn’t it?”

“Huh!? … What’s the matter!?”

“No, I thought the characters in the recipe and the characters written on it were cute.”

“Ah, that sort of thing.”

Nene-chan fanned her face with the recipe she had in her hand.

Before the meal, she had the recipe lightly shown, but the handwriting was round and the annotation was easy to see as if the characters were talking.

This recipe is to be given after cooking. I’m thankful.

I thought back to when we picked out a bento, but mother-in-law seemed to like cute characters.

“I’m sorry, it didn’t matter. Let’s get on with it.”

“Okay, I’ll cut the vegetables first. Carrots are skinned, potatoes are skinned, and they’re both roughly cut.”

“Yes.”

“That’s a good answer, brother-in-law.”

Nene-chan smiles.

She teaches me how to use honorifics, but I think it’s interesting.

“It’s vegetables, but you have to make them bite-sized. That way, the heat will be evenly cooked and it will be easy to eat without stress when you put it in your mouth.”

“I see.”

She even considers the people who’ll be eating when deciding how to prepare the food.

Even if it’s bite-size, my bite is big, so let’s match it with Nene-chan.

With that in mind, I looked at Nene-chan’s mouth.

Her lips are plump and red, and her mouth is not that big because she has a small face.

“What are you looking at, brother-in-law?”

“I’m looking at Nene-chan’s mouth.”

“What!”

Nene-chan was embarrassed as she hid her mouth.

“I was going to fit the bite-size into Nene-chan. I can’t see if you hide it.”

“Ugh… If that’s the case.”

Nene-chan took her eyes off and took her hand away.

“Hmm, I think this size would be just right. Thank you.”

I’m making this, so I want people who eat it to think it’s delicious.

“Next is the onion, peeled it, cut it in half, and then combed.”

“It’s bite-size, too.”

I also looked at Nene-chan’s mouth and cut it while checking the size.

Now we’re done cutting all the vegetables.

“…I-I’ll cut the meat into five centimeters wide pieces, so you don’t have to look at my mouth?”

“All right.”

“Next, put water, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and granulated stock in the frying pan.”

“Don’t we have to grill vegetables and meat? And in a frying pan instead of a pot?”

I ask questions because they are different from the previously failed method of making them.

“Yes, this time it’s a recipe that you can make deliciously without having to cook it in a frying pan.”

I don’t know if there’s such a thing.

It’s good that it’s less laborious and delicious.

“It’s easy if you don’t mind if it’s granulated.”

“It’s hard to remove the broth. Granules are good enough, and it’s important to keep cooking every day.”

Indeed, I thought so. Let’s get into the habit of cooking first.

It’s a waste to stop cooking because the hurdles are too difficult.

“From there, add the ingredients and heat them over medium heat to blend in with the broth.”

“Ah, it’s easy to spread the meat without hardening it. The last time I baked it, it soon caught fire and it felt like a little lump.”

Nene-chan nodded as if she sympathized with me.

“Then we’ll put the lid on it. It can prevent the boil from falling apart, and the moisture in the broth won’t evaporate too quickly.”

“I used to burn it because the broth was low. I see, that’s what I should’ve done. But…”

I have just a lid, but I don’t have a lid that’s a little smaller than a frying pan at home.

“It’s all right, kitchen paper is fine. And by doing so they will absorb the ash.”

“It’s convenient to have a lid and get rid of the ash.”

“Yes, it’s handy. Then boil for 25 to 30 minutes. Then it’s almost done.”

When I had finished boiling, I took out the kitchen paper and found proper meat, which was preserved in the shape of vegetables and not burnt, and not lumped with meat.

“After that, if you turn off the heat and let the broth soak in, it’s done.”

“Oh, I’m impressed.”

“Hehe. You’re exaggerating, brother-in-law.”

“I’m not exaggerating. My previous failure was quite a shock. I’m glad I got it back.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. I’m happy, too.”

Nene-chan had a big smile on her face.

◇◆◇

“”Thank you for the meal.””

There was white rice, meat and potatoes, and tamagoyaki in front of us.

“You’re doing a good job of grilling eggs.”

“Isn’t it?”

While we were imbued with the taste, I made another dish.

This was the only dish I could cook.

I felt lonely with just meat and potatoes, and I made it because I wanted to show off a little.

“Yes, this tamagoyaki is delicious!”

“I’m glad. I was a little nervous because it was my first time to have someone eat it.”

“Eh, did I eat brother-in-law’s first meal?”

“I wonder if that’s going to happen.”

I was confident to some extent, but I didn’t have a chance to serve it.

“Your first time… Can I eat it all?”　

“Go ahead.”

As if her eyes had changed color, Nene-chan was eating a tamagoyaki in her mouth.

I wonder if she liked it so much, or if she really liked tamagoyaki.

I have no problem with just meat and potatoes.

Today’s main dishes are meat and potatoes.

“Oh, it’s delicious. I don’t think I made it myself!”

It was a huge difference from the previous one.

“This is delicious, too. Well done, brother-in-law.”

Pat pat.

I feel a gentle touch on my head.

“Um, Nene-chan?”

“I-I’m sorry. Um… You didn’t want younger people to do this, did you?”

Nene-chan crouches at me with tearful eyes.

“Um, I don’t hate it. I was just embarrassed.”

“Really?”

“It’s true, so don’t worry.”

The chances of being praised as an adult are decreasing year by year.

Of course, if you can’t do it, you’ll get in trouble. That becomes normal.

So I was rather happy, let alone disliked it.

Let’s not say such a thing.

“”Thank you for the meal.””

“I enjoyed cooking.”

I tell her how I feel.

It was fun to do something with someone.

“Yes. Let’s cook like this again, okay?”

“Huh?”

“Because you only memorized one thing, right?”

“I can make tamagoyaki too.”

“Those two rotations are tough. Besides, I’m worried about your nutritional balance… That’s probably what your mom would say.”

I thought there would be no problem if I appealed that I could cook other dishes, but that didn’t happen.

Just knowing how to make meat and potatoes and tamagoyaki wasn’t enough.

“Next time, let’s have mackerel stewed in miso! You like it, right?”

“Ah, I love it.”

Mackerel stewed in miso is second only to meat and potatoes.

I was a little excited when I thought about it.

“…”

“NeNe-chan? What’s the matter?”

I called out to Nene-chan, who had frozen for some reason.

“N-nothing! Let’s see. When I’m free… How about this day?”

“All right. I’m free, so I’ll go with Nene-chan.”

This was the successful completion of my cooking lessons, and our next appointment had been decided.