The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 66: Pepper Lover

Chapter 66: Pepper Lover

With a glance at the bounty laid out before him, Xu Feng set his sights on crafting a memorable dinner. The men had clearly enjoyed lunch, and Si, San, and Erlang weren’t really picky eaters. They only needed a bit of meat to excite them.

It was more fun cooking for Xuan Yang and Xuan Jian. It was like a fun little challenge.

First, he turned his attention to the fresh sheep meat provided by Xuan Jian’s successful hunt. Xu Feng decided to prepare a simple and filling lamb stew.

It was no longer snowing, but a warm stew should still be well received, especially for Erlang who was working in the greenhouse.

Xu Feng skillfully marinated the meat with a blend of garlic, ginger, and aromatic spices while San got started on the sides after preparing the fire for cooking. When the fire was perfect, he then slowly simmered the marinated lamb meat to tender perfection.

The savory aroma quickly filled the kitchen, promising a delightful feast.

Meanwhile, the leftover chicken from the main kitchen would not go to waste in Xu Feng’s hands. He transformed it into a savory chicken stir-fry, sizzling the tender pieces in a hot wok with fermented vegetables.

There were so many fermented vegetables to last them quite a while. He would need to come up with creative ways to serve them and keep things fresh.

Xu Feng also added a spicy twist, including a bit of chili peppers to infuse a few of the dishes with a fiery kick that would surely please his guests. He didn’t want to scare them with spice but was craving the kick in the chilly weather.

Not one to let anything go to waste, Xu Feng repurposed the remaining brown rice from their lunch to craft a savory fried rice dish. He scrambled eggs, mixed them with the rice, and added a medley of fermented vegetables and seasonings.

The resulting fried rice was a fragrant delight, with a touch of smokiness from the well-seasoned wok and wood flame.

To balance out the flavors, San also prepared a few side dishes using the preserved vegetables and kimchi at their disposal. Xu Feng was surprised by her quick witted nature in the kitchen.

They’d only cooked together once at lunch, but she had memorized a few techniques he’d used and incorporated them into her side dishes. Although they were a bit lacking in the oil department, she had done an amazing job.

As Xu Feng tasked the preserved vegetable salad, he couldn’t help but give the blushing San a thumbs up as he hummed in approval.

"Hmm," came from the third person in the kitchen.

Xuan Yang was sitting to the side, but he’d quietly been watching the two flutter around the kitchen while enduring the savory smells.

Xu Feng was tempted to ignore the young master, but then he thought about the three deeds he’d just received, plus the money!

"Try some young master. Our San made a nice salad." He handed over a small plate with a generous amount of food over to Xuan Yang.

"And your dishes?"

It took a minute for Xu Feng to understand what Xuan Yang meant, but when he did, he hid his smile before answering. "We don’t want to ruin your appetite; dinner will be served soon."

They were just testing San’s side dishes. The greedy young master could have as much of the main dishes as he wanted in just a little while.

As the dinner preparations reached their mid point, the enticing aromas filled the air, drawing the attention of those in and outside the kitchen.

Xu Feng couldn’t help but smile, his newfound culinary skills bringing him a sense of pride. He was an okay cook in Dongmen, but now, he was like a world class chef in this mountain estate—maybe that was exaggerating a bit much.

It would still be a good meal to share.

When dinner was served by Si and San this time, Xu Feng held back from making any comments about the seating arrangements.

He understood that forcing everyone to sit together would only lead to discomfort for Si, San, and Erlang. After all, Xuan Yang was their young master, and such a change in the dining routine might prove to be too shocking for them.

Xu Feng had no desire to make them feel uneasy or give anyone indigestion. As far as he knew, medicine wasn’t the best here, and he didn’t want anyone to die by stomachache.

Besides, he kept reminding himself that this arrangement was temporary. Once they found an appropriate cook the following day, there would be no need for shared meals.

Xu Feng had an ever growing list of people they needed to recruit, including a cook, guards, and even someone to handle the laundry. The young girls had been shouldering the laundry responsibilities for the past few weeks, but they were too young to be doing such labor in the cold weather.

He didn’t want any tiny hands getting frost bite.

Running an estate, Xu Feng realized, was not easy or fun. One person just couldn’t manage everything alone, especially considering how spacious the property was.

As these thoughts flittered by in his head, the three men savored their meal in the private dining room. Xu Feng’s focus wasn’t on the food at all, he was living the saying, "More money, more problems".

It wasn’t until Xuan Jian dropped a question that Xu Feng was brought back to the present moment.

"What’s causing the sizzling sensation in this lamb stew?" Xuan Jian investigated, clearly relishing the spiciness of the dish.

Xu Feng couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement. It seemed he had found a kindred spirit, a fellow lover of spicy flavors. A pepper lover if you will.

Well, they didn’t love all the same peppers. Xuan Jian very obviously loved Xuan Yang’s pepper and Xu Feng understood that Xuan Yang’s pepper was evil.

Evil.

It was an evil pepper.