Chapter 130: Showing Some Skills
Gao Wenyin and Feng Nanxi hurried back, intending to help Zhang Fei.
However, their return unexpectedly interrupted Zhang Fei’s work.
In any event, since the madam had returned, Xu Zun and his daughter also went back home.
After all, the lawsuit wasn’t urgent.
After seeing them off, Zhang Fei went to the backyard and discovered that Gao Wenyin wasn’t there. Upon inquiry, he learned that she had changed clothes and went to the kitchen to work.
Zhang Fei then headed to the kitchen, where he saw Gao Wenyin in a gray outfit with an apron, her sleeves slightly rolled up, bent over the stove, washing a stew pot. Two strands of her hair fell onto her forehead, gently swaying.
She seemed busy but had a vacant look in her eyes.
“Husband?”
Gao Wenyin suddenly noticed Zhang Fei standing at the door, so startled that she nearly dropped the spoon in her hand.
Zhang Fei walked in, “Didn’t I tell you to rest for a bit?” Gao Wenyin shook her head, “I’m not very tired.”
“If you’re not tired, why did you put sugar instead of salt?” Zhang Fei pointed to a bowl of steamed fish in the steamer.
“Oh no!”
Gao Wenyin hurried forward and tasted it with chopsticks, looking puzzled, “It’s not sweet!”
Zhang Fei frowned, “That’s impossible. I clearly saw you add a lot of sugar.”
Gao Wenyin said, “If you don’t believe me, taste it yourself. I used salt, not sugar.”
“Really? Let me try.”
Zhang Fei picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a bit of the fish, and chewed it carefully, “Huh? It really is salty.”
He then looked at Gao Wenyin in surprise, “How many tears did you shed, wife, to dilute all that sugar?”
“…?”
Gao Wenyin realized she was being teased, glared at Zhang Fei resentfully, and covered the steamer.
“Help me out, wife!”
Zhang Fei suddenly rolled up his sleeves.
Gao Wenyin was surprised, “Husband, are you going to cook?”
Zhang Fei nodded, “My grandfather once told me that food made by someone in a bad mood wouldn’t taste good.”
Gao Wenyin felt guilty. She seemed busy, but her mind wasn’t on the task, “I’m sorry. I…”
“No need to apologize, wife.”
Zhang Fei smiled, “I understand your pain because not long ago, I also lost all my loved ones.”
As he spoke, he took an apron and tied it around his waist.
One had to admit, even this simple action carried a certain flair.
“Ah?”
Gao Wenyin looked at Zhang Fei in surprise.
Zhang Fei asked, “Didn’t you know?”
Gao Wenyin nodded and then quickly shook her head, “I… I think I heard Li Si mention it once, but…”
Zhang Fei smiled, “But you didn’t expect me to say it so directly and casually.”
Gao Wenyin nodded lightly.
She preferred to keep bad news to herself and share only good news with others.
Zhang Fei sighed, “To be honest, I was in pain for several months and even had thoughts of ending my life.”
Gao Wenyin was astonished, “Really?”
Zhang Fei nodded, “But thinking about the time I spent with my parents, they always wanted me to live healthily and happily. Whenever I was sick or unhappy, they felt sad.
So I thought, if my parents could see how I was back then, they would be heartbroken. And those who cared about me would also be so sad. From that moment on, I decided to live healthily and happily.
Even though we parted suddenly, I know that this is what they would have wanted.”
After speaking, he looked at Gao Wenyin, who stood by the kitchen table with her eyes downcast, seemingly listening and thinking.
He didn’t say more and started busying himself.
After a while, Xiaotao came into the kitchen and saw Zhang Fei wearing an apron, which shocked her.
“Ah! Brother San, what are you doing?”
This also startled Gao Wenyin, who instinctively wiped her eyes and lightly sniffed.
Fortunately, Xiaotao’s attention was all on Zhang Fei and didn’t notice her.
Zhang Fei smiled, “I’m cooking for you all today. Go find some pots. If we don’t have any at home, go ask the Xu family. Also, see if we have sesame sauce. If not, buy some.”
This era already had the original version of the modern hot pot. Zhang Fei had eaten it once or twice and found it lacking since they hadn’t yet mastered the broth technique.
“Brother San, can you really cook?”
Xiaotao was still in disbelief.
Zhang Fei had joked about cooking for them someday, but no one took it seriously. People who held pens rarely picked up a spatula.
Zhang Fei smiled, “You’ll know soon enough. Go on.”
“Okay!”
Xiaotao hurried off.
“Wife, help me slice the lamb as thin as possible, about this size.”
Zhang Fei gestured with his hands.
“Okay.”
Gao Wenyin saw that Zhang Fei was serious and was a bit dazed.
Could he really cook?
Zhang Fei filled a large pot with water, placed it on the stove, and quickly cleaned two large pork bones, blanching them for three minutes before rinsing them clean.
Gao Wenyin kept stealing glances at Zhang Fei as she sliced the lamb, noticing his skillful movements that didn’t resemble an amateur.
Zhang Fei suddenly said, “Be careful when slicing, don’t cut yourself.”
“Oh!”
Gao Wenyin was startled by his sudden remark and ended up cutting her finger, immediately putting down the knife.
Zhang Fei turned his head, “Are you okay?”
Gao Wenyin looked at her finger, saw it was just a scratch with no bleeding, and shook her head, “Thank you for your concern, husband. I’m fine.”
“That’s good!”
Saying that, Zhang Fei continued to prepare the now-plucked chicken.
Gao Wenyin suddenly called, “Husband.”
Zhang Fei turned back, looking puzzled.
Gao Wenyin nodded slightly and said, “Thank you.”
Zhang Fei was taken aback and then smiled, “That’s much nicer than hearing ‘sorry’.”
With that, he went back to handling the chicken.
Gao Wenyin, feeling a bit embarrassed, glanced at Zhang Fei. The light returned to her previously vacant eyes, and she resumed slicing the lamb, even more thinly than before.
…
While the two masters of the house were busy in the kitchen, the servants lounged in the courtyard, basking in the sun and chatting.
Feng Nanxi asked Li Si, “Li Si, are you sure there’s no trouble at Benefactor’s shop?”
In their view, being targeted by the Three Financial Bureaus meant either death or disaster. They thought it might be because Zhang Fei had helped them with their lawsuit, thereby offending the court. So they felt guilty and uneasy.
“Don’t worry, Brother Feng. This little problem is nothing for Brother San.”
Li Si said confidently.
He remembered how he used to be terrified by the smallest issues but had grown a lot through various experiences, including visiting the White Crystal Inn, going to the Kaifeng Prefectural Office, being beaten, and being kidnapped.
Feng Nanxi nodded slightly.
“Do you smell that?”
Niu Beiqing suddenly sniffed, “What is that wonderful smell?”
Feng Nanxi also seemed to catch the scent, “What is that aroma?”
At that moment, a clear voice rang out, “You’re in for a treat today. Brother San is cooking.”
Gao Wenyin and Xiaotao emerged from the backyard.
Niu Beiqing was shocked, “Benefactor can cook?”
He looked at Li Si.
Li Si was also puzzled, “I didn’t know either.”
Gao Wenyin smiled and said, “Brother Feng, Brother Niu, come help Xiaotao move the table outside. The weather is nice; let’s eat in the courtyard.”
“Okay!”
Niu Beiqing instinctively responded and walked over, but stopped after a few steps, staring blankly at Gao Wenyin.
Feng Nanxi was also surprised, looking at Gao Wenyin.
Xiaotao called out, “What are you standing there for? Come help! And you, Li Si, planning to slack off again?”
Li Si quickly swallowed the candy in his mouth, “Coming! I’ve never slacked off.”
Niu Beiqing whispered to Feng Nanxi, “Brother, did you notice anything different about Sister-in-law?”
Feng Nanxi replied, “If even you noticed, how could I not? It seems our Benefactor’s eloquence isn’t limited to the courtroom.”
…
They quickly brought out a long table and a square table.
Xiaotao placed three hot pots on the table and filled them with creamy broth.
Niu Beiqing lit the charcoal underneath, and a gentle crackling sound filled the air.
Gao Wenyin and Li Si arranged plates of lamb, vegetables, and tofu on the table.
“Wow! It smells amazing!”
Xu Zhiqian walked in.
Gao Wenyin greeted her, “Miss Xu, have you not eaten yet? Join us.”
Xu Zhiqian glanced at Gao Wenyin, sensing something was different but couldn’t pinpoint what, “Did your husband really cook this?”
When Xiaotao had borrowed the hot pots from their house, she accidentally let it slip, and Xu Zhiqian, curious, came over to see for herself.
“Invite your father to join us.”
Zhang Fei walked out from the back.
Xu Zhiqian asked, “Zhang San, you can cook?”
Zhang Fei scoffed, “Name one thing I can’t do.”
“Write essays.”
“Ahem! Just invite your father over,” Zhang Fei’s face fell.
Xu Zhiqian chuckled. She really wanted to try Zhang Fei’s cooking, so she quickly went to get her father.
Xu Zun usually didn’t like eating at others’ homes, but Zhang Fei wasn’t just anyone. Their families often ate together, and hearing that Zhang Fei himself had cooked, he had to come and see.
Xu Zun and his daughter sat at the square table with Zhang Fei and Gao Wenyin, while Niu Beiqing and the others sat at the long table in front.
Because of Zhang Fei’s personality, there wasn’t a strict hierarchy between master and servant in the Zhang household.
Xiaotao, who hadn’t been at the Zhang house for long, was already very comfortable. When Zhang Fei was home, she would sit in the courtyard eating snacks.
While Zhang Fei was excellent at managing people and making money, he couldn’t bring himself to enforce strict hierarchies at home. He found it awkward and it was not the kind of home he wanted.
“Mmm… Smells amazing!”
Sitting at the table, looking at the creamy broth in the hot pot, Xu Zhiqian, who usually wasn’t picky about food, couldn’t stop salivating.
This broth was unlike any she had tasted before!
Xu Zun, though not a foodie, had tasted many delicacies as a high-ranking official. He asked Zhang Fei, “Did you really make this?”
Zhang Fei replied, “I learned some cooking from my grandfather when I was young.”
Xu Zhiqian asked, “Was your grandfather a chef?”
Zhang Fei hesitated, “You could say that.”
His grandfather used to be a cook. He later taught Zhang Fei his best soup-making skills, fearing that Zhang Fei wouldn’t get proper nutrition while studying and working away from home. He thought that if Zhang Fei could cook, he wouldn’t have to eat unhealthy food outside all the time.
But Zhang Fei still often ate out; young people rarely cooked at home.
Zhang Fei first picked up a piece of lamb, dipped it in the broth for about twenty seconds, then took it out, saying, “Cook it for about this long, then dip it in the sauce. You can also use pickles to enhance the flavor.”
The hot pot of this era and the modern day hot pot were different in some ways, so he demonstrated.
He naturally placed the piece of lamb in Gao Wenyin’s bowl.
Gao Wenyin still seemed reserved, blushing as she quietly said, “Thank you, husband.”
“Qian’er, let’s try Zhang San’s cooking.”
“You first, Father.”
Xu Zun picked up his chopsticks, following Zhang Fei’s example. He dipped a piece of lamb in the broth, then in sesame sauce, blew on it, and put it in his mouth. After just a few chews, he tasted the perfect blend of fat and lean, with no trace of gaminess. The broth’s savory flavor and the lamb’s tender texture, combined with the sesame sauce, delighted his taste buds and gave a sense of immense satisfaction.
“Excellent! Excellent!”
Xu Zun nodded in approval before even swallowing.
Xu Zhiqian, surprised by her father’s praise, eagerly tried a piece. After dipping and tasting it, her eyes lit up.
Before she could compliment it, Niu Beiqing at the other table exclaimed, “Benefactor’s lamb is truly delicious! I’ve never had anything so good.”
Feng Nanxi quietly scolded, “Speak softly, you fool.”
Li Si took advantage of their conversation to eat fervently.
Xiaotao, holding a small bowl, looked disappointed. Brother San’s cooking was better than hers?
Zhang Fei asked Gao Wenyin, “How do you like it, wife?”
Gao Wenyin nodded, “It’s… very good.”
She was full of surprise.
Not only could he cook, but he was also this good at it.
“If you like it, eat more. Good health is a family’s blessing.”
With that, Zhang Fei raised his cup to Xu Zun and sincerely said, “Thank you for all your help these days. If not for you, there wouldn’t be the Zhang Fei of today. I can’t repay your great kindness enough, so I offer you this toast.”
Xu Zun laughed, “One meal won’t be enough!”
Zhang Fei smiled, “My cooking is always at your service.”
After they drank, Zhang Fei turned to Xu Zhiqian, “Miss Xu… you should drink less.”
He just had to mention it.
Xu Zhiqian, already holding her cup, glared at him, “I won’t drink with you.” She turned to Gao Wenyin, “Madam Zhang, a toast to you.”
“No, no!” Gao Wenyin quickly stood up and raised her cup to Xu Zhiqian, “I should toast you, Miss Xu. Your kindness to me is unforgettable.”
After they drank, Feng Nanxi and Niu Beiqing also came over with their cups to thank Zhang Fei and Xu Zhiqian for saving their lives.
As for Long Shan, he didn’t join the table, staying in the stable with the horses.
The wine loosened everyone’s tongues.
They talked about the Shi family’s situation and the shop.
After opening up, there was less awkwardness.
Zhang Fei and Xu Zun’s affable personality helped Gao Wenyin relax, and she even chatted quietly with Xu Zhiqian during the meal.
…
The warm spring sun bathed the courtyard as they enjoyed delicious lamb hot pot, drank good wine, and talked about life.
It was indeed one of life’s great pleasures.