Millet Porridge Brewed with Love
When she woke up, Amu had already gone to work. On the dining table, there was steaming hot millet porridge and fried dough sticks, her favorite breakfast. They had been married for a year, and every morning, Amu would prepare breakfast for her before going to work. Actually, Amu didn’t know that there was a time when she didn’t drink millet porridge. However, she knew that making millet porridge was quite troublesome.
The millet needed to be washed clean first, then soaked in cold water. The soaked millet, along with the soaking water, should be brought to a boil over high heat, then simmered on low heat for about an hour, stirring in one direction with a spoon during the process. This way, the porridge would turn out fragrant and thick.
She knew the procedure for making porridge so well all because of Shen Wen. It was winter when she met Shen Wen, who loved drinking porridge. Shen Wen said he had a stomach ulcer and had tried many medicines to no avail. One of her friends was a doctor at Chongqing Edward Hospital. For Shen Wen’s sake, she specifically consulted her friend. The doctor patiently told her that millet, being one of the most drought-resistant plants, could dry dampness and remove dampness evil from the stomach, thus protecting and nourishing it.
She kept the doctor’s advice in mind. No matter how busy she was with work, she would always get up an hour early to make porridge for Shen Wen. When Shen Wen got up, the millet porridge was just ready. Shen Wen was very touched, and watching him eat the porridge bite by bite filled her heart with happiness.
She thought such days could last a lifetime, and that Shen Wen’s stomach ulcer would eventually get better with the nourishment of the millet porridge. But she never expected that when Shen Wen broke up with her, he would throw a sentence at her: “What else can you do besides making porridge?”
She was stunned in the wind, and the cool breeze of spring scattered the tears on her face and her faith in love. From that day on, she stopped making porridge and stopped drinking porridge.
Later, under her parents’ arrangement, she married Amu. Amu was honest and simple, unlike Shen Wen, who was smooth and hypocritical, as her mother described them. But she didn’t care; without love, all that was left was living life. To her, living with anyone was the same.
A pleasant ringtone interrupted her thoughts. She looked at the caller ID; it was Amu calling. “Are you awake? The millet porridge is on the table, remember to drink it while it’s hot.” Amu’s gentle voice came through the phone, giving her an inexplicable sense of peace. Amu treated her very well.
Whenever he was home, he never let her do any work in the kitchen. Knowing she loved millet porridge, he would prepare it every morning, ready for her when she woke up.
She remembered the morning after their wedding. When she woke up and found no one beside her, she was puzzled. She walked out and saw Amu standing in the kitchen, constantly stirring the rice cooker with a ladle. Waves of steam spread through the kitchen with his movements. The familiar smell brought a mist to her eyes, blurring her vision…
She picked up the bowl and took a sip of the fragrant millet porridge. Even the ordinary days were filled with a hint of fragrance!
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
