#so i have faith that he'll eventually get decent at cooking

[deepestbluesky]

a little fic for the day 4 prompt (cooking) of the DZZS Lunar New Year mini prompt fest! i was going to wait until the 25th in my timezone but then i got impatient ten minutes after writing it and decided to post it now. it’s the 25th in like half the world, good enough for me. (author’s notes under the cut at the end)

Chengling stared at the food with determination. Wen-shu had showed him this. He could do it! He repeated the steps to himself, like when shifu taught him a new skill.

First, peeling the lotus root. Alright! It didn't look good, not like the smooth roots Wen-shu had showed him, but it was peeled!

Next he had to cut the roots. He nicked his finger twice, but no blood got on the roots, so it was okay.

Oh, rice! Should he start the rice, or peel lotus seeds… Chengling thought, and decided he should peel the seeds. It would take a long time, and he didn’t want to overcook the rice.

Much later, Chengling set aside his bowl of seeds. His fingernails felt like they were peeling off too, but the seeds were ready. Just the rice now!

Wen-shu had shown him how to make rice repeatedly, and he remembered all the steps. Chengling knew he needed to add the seeds and roots when it started boiling. How boiling was that? Once the bubbles started popping up, he dumped the lotus parts in. Now to cover the pot.

And not get distracted! That was important. He settled in to wait.

Finally, Chengling took a deep breath and lifted the lid. It seemed alright... 

---

That night, shifu ate two servings, and Wen-shu smiled and told him he’d done well. If this was how it felt to make your family food they enjoyed, no wonder Wen-shu was happy to cook for them.

so when i started this, i was just going to fudge what he was making for like 30s and then i realized that was a bad idea, so i did some googling about ancient recipes that we actually know! and most of the results were greek and roman [eyeroll emoji] but i did eventually find this page of someone making recipes from old chinese texts. this particular food is meant to be “Yujing fan 玉井飯, jade-well rice” (all the way at the bottom of the page lol) because a lot of the others were too simple for what i wanted or i was too clueless to be able to describe the cooking process. i realize that fresh lotus seeds especially would be not super easy to come by, but pretend that this is TYK verse and they’re staying for a few months near somewhere that has lotuses growing and it’s the right season for it.

[sidehugsnsideblogs]

FCSU #94 Home

Evangeline was stressed. Though she'd always lived in large households, deep down she was a loner. There were very few people she felt truly comfortable with and none of them were here. She thought of where to go next. She could go back to her father, but that would likely mean remarriage and being on that damn show. She was done being a wife, she just wanted to be left alone.

As they were driving through town one day AJ pointed out a small house. "That's Becca-Dawn's place. She lives out here too." Vangie was shocked. "What?" She hadn't seen her sisterwife since the raid. Her stomach knotted just thinking about it. Even then Vangie had been doubting her faith. She did what she needed to keep herself and her girls safe, or at least tried to. She remembered the hurt in Becca-Dawn's eyes when they'd last spoke. Vangie was quiet for the rest of the day.

That evening she decided to go for a jog, despite the fact that a storm had kicked up. She started off running towards the shoreline. She loved living near the beach, the smell of salt in the air. She really did like Brindleton Bay with it's white picket fences, coastal weather and mountains in the east. "I could stay here," she thought. "Raise my girls, go to the beach on weekends, maybe adopt a dog or cat." She envisioned herself and her daughters in a small home, content and thriving.

But how was she going to afford a house big enough for three? She knew she'd have to get a job eventually, but what skills did she have? She'd quit school after being married. She was a decent cook but how many places were looking for someone who pretty much only made salads for the last decade. Maybe if she got her high school diploma she could do some sort of training? Lost in her thoughts she ran through the rain past the beach, up a hill, to a familiar cabin. Maybe this is where she'd wanted to go the whole time.

Becca-Dawn was startled by a knock on her door. She was just getting ready for bed. Shushing Peanut, who was barking her face off, she opened the door to find Evangeline Culton. "May I come in?" She asked quietly. She was soaked to the skin and thinner than ever. Becca worried about the nutrition the cult members were getting. What was she doing here? Becca stepped aside to let her in. "It's you." Is all she could manage to say. "Here, you can come in, you should dry off before you get ill. The bathroom is on the right."

Evangeline looked around. The home was inviting and decorated with bright colours and art. It was so different from an FCSU home. Once she'd cleaned up a bit the two sat on a small, whicker couch to catch up. She told Becca-Dawn how LeRoyce had taken over, how he was secretly Royce's son and how he'd abducted his half-sisters to marry. Becca's eyes grew wide with fear. Those girls were her nieces and stepdaughters. "He had us living in the back of a truck. No heat and now it's Winter!" I'm so scared for them Becca." She wept.

Becca-Dawn listened as she told her how she'd been kicked out of the truck and abandoned on the roadside. She explained how AJ had gotten the police involved and had missing persons reports filed for the girls. "Wells that's good, at least." Becca said quietly "Don't worry, you'll get them back. Out here mothers, not cult leaders, have rights. He'll go to jail for this, just like his daddy." "Then who'll lead the church?" Vangie asked. Becca-Dawn looked surprised. "You are actually out, right? Like you're not a part of the church anymore. That means you don't have to worry about a Priesthood Headship. Once you get those girls you're free."

"I've been thinking about that." Vangie admitted. Starting over here, getting the kids into school, finding a job. I don't think I can go back to back, even to my father's or Emma's groups. I don't think I can make myself believe in Polygamy or Prophet's again, not after everything that's happened." "That's good!" Becca cheered, "That's a good start. You don't have to figure out the answers tonight. It's late, you should be sleeping. You can sleep here tonight if you want." Vangie nodded and Becca-Dawn gave her a hug. "It's going to be okay. You will be okay."

Becca-Dawn brought Vangie breakfast in bed the next morning. It was FCSU-style fruit salad but with a tangy syrup/topping added. It was delicious. "Hey, I let my sister know you're here." She said. Evangeline smiled. She was struck by just how calm and peaceful everything felt. Gone was the heavy fear and anxiety that hung over everyone's head in the FCSU. Gone was the chaos and impermanence of Allie-Jayne's house. She felt like they were back in the tiny San Myshuno apartment and no time had passed.

"I'm going into town to buy some stuff, wanna come?" Becca asked enthusiastically. "I was thinking I could put some drywall up and block off the other side of the loft to make another bedroom. For you, if you'd like..You don't have to make a decision now, though. We have all the time in the world." Evangeline cut off her friend's rambling. "Yes, I would love to be your roommate." She smiled. A genuine smile, for the first time since she'd been kicked out of the church.