Chef Hua
Chapter 258: Episode 153 Taking Apprentices_2

Chapter 258: Episode 153 Taking Apprentices_2

"Hua Xiaosan, what are you still considering? Just keep this girl here!"

Hua Erniang, not knowing when she had emerged from the east room, cradled her barely noticeable belly in her arms and leaned on the doorframe, addressing Zhou Yunyun, "Your father is worthless, don’t be afraid of him. From now on, you need not depend on him. With your own abilities, you can still live a good life. Once you have some money, don’t give a single cent to that deadbeat father!"

Hua Xiaomai turned to look at her and helplessly shook her head.

She knew in her heart that her second sister saw their own past shadows in Zhou Yunyun and empathized deeply, which instantly softened her heart like dough. She wasn’t heartless and was willing to lend a hand to those in need, but with Zhou Yunyun’s situation and temperament, how could one help her for a lifetime?

After contemplating for a moment, she waved at Zhou Yunyun and called her over. "Come here."

The frail and petite girl bit her lower lip and slowly walked over to her.

Without a word, Hua Xiaomai grabbed her arm, rolled up her sleeve, and sure enough, her arm was covered with bruises in deep purple and brown, old injuries on top of new ones, enough to make one involuntarily gasp in shock.

Luo Yuejiao’s lips downturned slightly and her nose also reddened a bit, flashing Hua Xiaomai a "See what I mean?" expression. Hua Xiaomai ignored her and directly led Zhou Yunyun into the kitchen, scooped several types of sauce from the sauce jar, and placed them before her.

"Taste these and then tell me what the flavors of these sauces are and what they might be made from."

Zhou Yunyun looked at her pitifully, rubbed her hands under her shirt hem for a while, carefully picked up the chopsticks, and dabbed a bit from the mustard sauce before putting it in her mouth, instantly being overwhelmed by its heat until her eyes watered.

"This is..." she sneaked a glance at Hua Xiaomai, "This sauce is both spicy and pungent. Is it made from mustard seeds?"

Hua Xiaomai slightly nodded her head, about to push another small dish toward her, but then heard her suddenly say, "No... not right, it should be made from pickled mustard seeds, at least two or three years old, otherwise, otherwise the flavor wouldn’t be this strong..."

Hmm? Hua Xiaomai almost imperceptibly lifted her brow, her lips curving upward, "Try the second one."

Zhou Yunyun then stretched her chopsticks toward the dish containing Plum Sauce, tasted it, and frowned, "This one is very sour, it has an underripe green plum taste."

Hua Xiaomai openly smiled, "Continue."

After that, the girl tasted another soy-based sauce and soy sauce, even distinguishing the subtle taste of tender peach leaves in the fairy sauce, and finally, she dipped a little sesame sauce, smacked her chopstick tips and a small smile appeared on her cheeks, "This one is easiest to guess, it’s made from sesame, we also have it at home, but the aroma is much less than this."

She finally looked up into Hua Xiaomai’s eyes, though her gaze was still flickering, "Sister, am I right?"

Hua Xiaomai did not confirm or deny; instead, she casually picked up a pumpkin and handed it to her, "Can you use a knife? First peel off the skin, then slice it into shreds."

Zhou Yunyun also roughly understood that this was a test of whether she had any talent; she obediently took the pumpkin, meticulously peeled it and scooped out the seeds, carefully cutting it into fine shreds. Her speed was slow, and the pumpkin shreds were uneven, but what was rare was her agile and brisk movements; the heavy kitchen knife in her hand seemed effortless, as if it took no strength at all.

To be a chef, one must have a sensitive tongue, able to easily discern the subtle differences among similarly tasting ingredients. From this perspective, Zhou Yunyun was undoubtedly qualified. As for Hua Xiaomai asking her to cut the pumpkin, it was not to test her knife skills but to see her wrist strength. After all, knife skills depend entirely on painstaking practice, and a skinny girl with hardly any flesh on her body, who could not even lift a knife, basically had no hope of making a living in the culinary industry.

Whether Zhou Yunyun could become a good chef or not, no one knew, but at least now it seemed that she was qualified to be an apprentice.

Hua Ermother stood outside the kitchen, already getting impatient. She forcefully slapped the wall and snapped, "Hua Xiaomai, has your brain been pecked by our chickens? This Yun’er girl is really good seedling, and if you miss out on her, you’ll regret it!"

If it weren’t for the baby inside her, she would have literally jumped up and down.

Luo Yuejiao also nodded repeatedly, "Yes, Xiaomai sister, I also think Yun’er is very suitable, you..."

Hua Xiaomai turned back to look at them, without answering, and spoke to Zhou Yunyun on her own, "You want to be my apprentice, purely because you dare not defy your father’s wishes, right?"

Zhou Yunyun glanced at her quickly, nodded, then shook her head, "I, I dare not disobey my father’s words, but I really want to learn a skill for myself..."

"Your father says, once you have completed your training, you’ll go home to support him? Have you ever thought about how to handle your own lifelong matters?" Hua Xiaomai added.

"My father said..." Zhou Yunyun hesitated for a moment, realizing Hua Xiaomai held no good feelings for her father, hurriedly changed her words, "I know, sister, you are about to get married, and you are just a year older than me; isn’t it the same for you to learn cooking and not neglect getting married? My parents don’t have a son, I am the eldest, supporting my family is a must..."

Hua Xiaomai shook her head, with a slight curl of her lip, "Our situations aren’t quite the same, although I am only a bit older than you, I already have these culinary skills. You? To become a master it will take at least three to five years. Calculate for yourself, how old will you be by then? Even if you plan to marry into a family by then, you would still need some property, wouldn’t you need to earn for a few more years? Have you carefully considered these things?"

Something flickered in Zhou Yunyun’s eyes, then she lowered her head and stopped speaking.

"Go back and tell your father, I don’t think you are suitable, I don’t want to take you as an apprentice." Hua Xiaomai stared at her for a while, then waved her hand, "If he’s dissatisfied, let him come to me himself."

(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)