Border Cook

"How did you know that?" Lu was stunned, and even recalled Lou Shanzi's appearance just now.

He was a young man, who looked to be only one or two years older than Xia Mingyue. He had a cute round face and looked very energetic. His clothes were clean, so he must be a capable person.

To be honest, if it weren't for what happened last time, just based on his appearance, Lu wouldn't have thought that Lou Shanzi was someone who liked to cook.

"There is a smell of spices and cooking fumes on the body. It should not be from the kitchen of Chenghuang Temple. Instead, it seems that it has been soaked into the skin from working in the kitchen for a long time."

Xia Mingyue said, "When he raised his hand just now, there were calluses on the palm and base of his right hand, but there were also many tiny wounds on his left hand. It looked like they were caused by cutting vegetables frequently."

"I usually just help in the kitchen cutting vegetables. At my age, I can't touch the pot or the spoon. I guess it's because I'm excluded by the chef. It's naturally difficult for me to learn real skills in the future."

Xia Mingyue has worked in the kitchen for a long time in modern society, and is very familiar with many of the twists and turns in the kitchen, so she can naturally see it clearly.

Lu understood, and then sighed, "This Lou Shanzi seems to have a good personality and is not stupid. It would be a pity if he has no future at all."

"Just now I just said it's not easy, but it's not impossible." Xia Mingyue smiled, "Sister-in-law said that Lou Shanzi has a warm personality, looks good, and is smart. He will definitely find ways to solve the difficulties in the future. It all depends on one's luck."

“That’s true.”

Lu fully agreed with this.

Everything is subject to fate.

Many times, it depends on fate...

Take herself for example, she has a good life.

Otherwise, how could I have such a good brother and sister-in-law?
Xia Mingyue and Lu walked back chatting and laughing, while Lou Shanzi went to the kitchen.

"Where have you been? Why have you put so much effort into it?" Chef Lai brought the mashed tofu to the oil pan and called Lou Shanzi, "But you're back just in time. Fry these tofu balls. Remember to get the heat right."

"Okay." After Lou Shanzi agreed, he hurriedly got busy, but he did not forget to answer Chef Lai's question, "I just went out to get spinach, and saw Madam Xia from a distance, so I went to say hello."

Lady Xia?
Chef Lai paused and said, "The one who made tofu meatball soup here last time, and everyone said it was delicious. His cooking skills are better than mine."

"That's right." Lou Shanzi smiled, "I just saw him, so I went to say hello. It's also a way to show my face so that Madam Xia will remember me. This way, if there is anything in the future, it will be easier to talk to her."

"I don't quite understand what you're saying." Chef Lai was surprised. "Could it be that you will be able to ask Madam Xia for help in the future?"

"It's not difficult, it will definitely be possible." Lou Shanzi said confidently, "To be honest, Brother Lai, I have been staying at Yueran Restaurant for a while. Although I can't touch the pots and spoons, I have tasted the dishes made by several chefs there. Although the taste is good, I always feel that it is still a little lacking."

"The food at the food stalls run by Madam Xia is different. Although they are all ordinary meals and snacks, the taste is just right and impeccable. I always feel that Madam Xia will definitely achieve great things in the future."

"Maybe, we can open a restaurant bigger than Yueran Restaurant!"

When Lou Shanzi said this, his tone was very excited.

Chef Lai frowned when he heard this.

Silly Shanzi!
As expected, I am still young and don’t understand many things.

Not to mention that cooking is not an easy task, and it is even more difficult to make it delicious. For many people, it is considered very good if they can serve one dish in their entire life.

The fact that Lady Xia could cook several kinds of food only showed that she was very experienced and capable in cooking these home-cooked meals. However, the dishes in restaurants were very different from those in food stalls, and ordinary women might not be able to cook the taste of restaurant dishes.

Even if Madam Xia is really capable and can cook some delicious dishes, is it that easy to open a restaurant?

Whether there are customers supporting you is one thing, but whether you can outperform your peers is another.

The owner of Ren Yueran Restaurant is no ordinary person. How can he be compared to an ordinary woman like Madam Xia?

Shanzi is young and has little experience, so he thinks things are too simple, which is why he thinks Madam Xia has such ability.

Chef Lai opened his mouth to refute Lou Shanzi's words, and wanted to explain to him the difficulties of doing business, but when he saw his face full of excitement and his eyes shining, the words turned around and he chose to swallow them.

What are you doing...

It's not easy for a person to have a dream.

And many times, thoughts are what keep people alive.

Chef Lai was also aware of how coldly Lou Shanzi had been treated and how busy he had been at Yueran Restaurant during this period.

Now this idea of ​​Lou Shanzi is probably what supports him to get through the difficult life in the kitchen.

After thinking for a while, Chef Lai relaxed his frown and laughed, "Then you have to learn cooking skills now, otherwise when Madam Xia really opens a restaurant, your cooking skills will not be acceptable to her, and I'm afraid she won't want you in the kitchen."

"Brother Lai, rest assured. I will definitely study hard."

Lou Shanzi nodded heavily in agreement, smiling with his eyes curved.

Chef Lai also curled his lips and said nothing else. He just urged Lou Shanzi to scoop out the big pot of tofu balls.

After lunch, Xia Mingyue began to prepare dinner.

Since the masters were not at home, Xia Mingyue and Mrs. Lu planned to get together at night to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The standard mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival have been made and are now placed in the well to keep them cool so that they will taste good in the evening.

In Jinqiu County, another standard item for the Mid-Autumn Festival is dumplings.

The dumplings I made this time are filled with six fresh ingredients.

Chop the fat and lean front shoulder meat into stuffing, dice fresh leeks, chop the soaked mushrooms into cubes, dice the black fungus, chop the tender fried eggs, and finally add the peeled river shrimp.

The six fillings are added with rice wine, soy sauce, chopped green onion and ginger, salt, and a sufficient amount of sesame oil.

In order to make the filling fresh and juicy, Xia Mingyue added some bone soup which was used to cook various skewers on weekdays, and stirred it thoroughly into the six-fresh filling until the filling in the bowl was sticky and juicy.

Xia Mingyue finished preparing the stuffing and left the remaining processes of kneading the dough and making dumplings to Jiang Zhuguo and Lu, while she started to prepare other food.

Considering that dumplings are the highlight of the evening, Xia Mingyue specially prepared several spicy and delicious Sichuan dishes that can be eaten with rice.

Sichuan cuisine is one of the four major cuisines, famous for its unique spicy flavor and rich cooking techniques. Sichuan cuisine uses a wide range of ingredients, has a variety of seasonings, and has a variety of dishes. It is both mellow and rich, and has a strong local flavor. (End of this chapter)