Chef Hua
Chapter 133: Episode 90: Playing the Gentleman - Part 2

Chapter 133: Episode 90: Playing the Gentleman - Part 2

"You recognize them, but do you know how to cook them to make them taste the best?" Hua Xiaomai, who had just become a "teacher," was very patient, smilingly looking at her, "Frying, stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming, and cooking with fermented rice, each method brings out a very different flavor. If the technique does not match the natural taste of the vegetable, it will only make it hard to swallow. Take this cabbage, for instance..."

She decisively plucked a leaf and handed it to Luo Yuejiao: "This is very common, cheap, and delicious, found on every household’s dining table. Taste it and tell me what it tastes like, then think about the best way to cook cabbage."

In the village, most farmers didn’t pay much attention to sophistication, and eating raw vegetables was commonplace for them. Luo Yuejiao indeed took the leaf, put it in her mouth, and chewed carefully, then frowned and said, "It does have a crisp and refreshing taste, but it’s too bland. As for this cabbage, I like it best when it’s dressed with vinegar..."

Hua Xiaomai immediately thought of the plain mixed vegetables she had eaten earlier, felt a churning in her stomach, and quickly raised her hand to stop her: "Don’t mention that ’vinegar’ word to me..."

Luo Yuejiao probably knew that she had suffered in the morning, apologetically stuck out her tongue, and curved her lips in a smile.

"...The flavor of cabbage is light, and dressing it with vinegar can make it taste sour and appetizing, but if you boil or steam it, it only becomes blander, right?" Hua Xiaomai calmed down and finally suppressed the feeling of nausea, then continued, "Take green beans, for instance, they are delicious simply stir-fried with a little oil. If you stew or braise them, you waste their fresh fragrance."

Having looked at some vegetables, Hua Xiaomai then took Luo Yuejiao into the yard, pointing to her own sauces, explaining them to her. Luo Yuejiao didn’t care whether she could understand, or how much she could understand; she just nodded vigorously while taking mental notes, obviously willing to work hard.

The first day of lessons took up most of the day; as evening approached, Luo Yuejiao went home for dinner, and then immediately ran over to Jing Family’s little courtyard to accompany Hua Xiaomai to set up the stall.

Mrs. Hua took off her burden, seemingly overjoyed, and with great enthusiasm, she sent the two out of the house, pressing them not to overwork themselves. After watching them walk away, she happily returned inside to throw her arms around Jing Taihe’s neck; they tumbled together in the hall without any restraint.

Meanwhile, Hua Xiaomai and Luo Yuejiao arrived at the riverside, quickly set up the stall, and immediately, many people flocked over.

What had happened by the river yesterday was witnessed by many and by the next morning had spread to every corner of Fire Knife Village. From octogenarians to toddlers just learning to speak, there wasn’t a person who didn’t know that Hua Xiaomai had been wronged by Guan Rong.

No matter what their intentions were, they all came to Hua Xiaomai’s stall to inquire. Talking too much can make one hungry, so they ended up ordering a bowl of noodles. As a result, the business that day turned out to be even better than the day before.

Hua Xiaomai was quick, and bowls of noodles were continuously served. Luo Yuejiao squatted behind the stall, silently and vigorously washing dishes. Whenever she saw someone finish their meal and leave, she didn’t wait for Hua Xiaomai’s instructions but immediately jumped up to clean and wipe the table, busy as a bee. Seeing this, Hua Xiaomai, although admiring her diligence, also felt a bit sorry for her and asked her to take a break.

Unexpectedly, Luo Yuejiao shook her head: "I know I’m not smart, Sister Xiaomai. You teaching me to cook must be very hard. You’re tired from working all day and still have to run the stall at night, how hard it must be! Before leaving the house, my sister-in-law told me, since I’m here to help you at the stall, I have to be willing to put in the effort. Otherwise, if you get annoyed and don’t want to teach me anymore, what will I do?"

"You also need to rest, spinning around like a top; people will think I’m overworking you. Besides, when you’re too tired, mistakes happen. If you break my bowl, I’m the one who’s unlucky," Hua Xiaomai had to persuade her laboriously for a long time before she finally managed to push her down to sit on a stool. She even found time to cook her a bowl of noodles.

...

From that day on, Hua Xiaomai’s days, already hardly idle, became even busier.

She taught Luo Yuejiao cooking during the day and pushed her cart out to set up her stall at night. Every night when she lay in bed, she felt as though her arms and legs were no longer her own, aching incessantly.

Fortunately, Luo Yuejiao was a simple and honest girl. Although there were times when their interactions were comically exasperating, on the whole, it was still a pleasant experience, at least, it didn’t make her too upset.

One afternoon, Hua Xiaomai was in the kitchen, watching Luo Yuejiao cut tofu. The girl was earnest, chopping with too much force, almost cutting herself several times, which scared Hua Xiaomai out of her wits, forcing her to put on her "teacher" hat and scold her harshly. Luo Yuejiao, being good-natured, didn’t dare to utter a word in the face of her anger—only hung her head in a show of shame. Just as they were talking, a man’s voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Is this the Jing family’s place?"

At that time, the Second Mrs. Hua had gone to visit someone in the village, so Hua Xiaomai hurried out to see. There was a young man, about twenty years old and dressed like a family servant, standing at the door, pushing a handcart, lifting his garment to fan himself.

"Can I help you?" Hua Xiaomai saw the man whom she didn’t recognize and stepped forward with a smile.

The man looked her up and down, and with an open throat said, "This is the Jing’s place, right? I’m not mistaken? Are you the girl from the Hua family? Look, here are your chilis."

Hua Xiaomai turned her head and saw indeed several pots of chili on the handcart, robust and tenderly green, very pleasing to the eye.

She immediately brightened up, thanking him profusely, "Ah, young man, you must be from Old Master Zhao’s house, right? It’s really kind of you to deliver these chilis to me. Actually, if you’d sent word, I could have come to pick them up myself."

"Sending you a message would still require making the trip, and the chilis aren’t heavy. I figured I’d just push them over," the servant waved his hand and said, "Oh right, my master also asked me to pass on a message to you." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)