Chapter 22 (Part 2): The Culinary Tycoon

 

Yu Qingze said: “Let you try my cooking skills.”

Fu Bo was itching, “Can I take a look?”

Many craftsmen will not easily show the process of making things in front of others. Cooking is also a craft, and there are many unique secret recipes. Fu bo respects Yu Qingze when he asks this. If you’re not reading this on ho lol on ovels, there will be irrelevant sentences embedded throughout the chapter.

Yu Qingze nodded, “No problem.”

Fu Bo happily followed Yu Qingze into the kitchen.

Chang Le asked Chang Hao to accompany Mi Ge’er, and then also entered the kitchen.

How can the authentic apprentice not be by the master’s side!

Mi Ge’er and Fu Bo brought quite a few food items, including fish, chicken, pork and tofu. Yu Qingze saw them and felt their thoughtfulness.

Seeing tofu and fish, Yu Qingze immediately decided to make a fish head tofu soup. The rest of the fish will be used to make pickled fish. Just two days ago, he made pickled cabbage, now it’s just perfect.

He’d also make spicy chicken. The snails that Grandpa Chang picked up in the brook and ditch a few days ago should be free of mud and ready by now. He decided to make an additional dish – spicy snail with some green vegetables. Should be enough to entertain guests. Best reading experience on hololonovels.

Yu Qingze started to handle the fish neatly, descaled and cut open the fish, then cut off the fish head, marinated the fish head, and sliced ​​the fish body into fish fillets.

Chang Le started and cut the chicken thighs and breasts into small pieces according to Yu Qingze’s instructions, then marinated them a little, washed the sauerkraut and snails, and prepared various ingredients. These scars were all suffered to save him. In his twenty-two years of life, no one but his family would protect him like this.

In order for Chang Le to see the process of his cooking, Yu Qingze didn’t start cooking until all the ingredients were ready. Chang Le set the fire, and Yu Qingze only then began cooking, explaining to Chang Le at the same time.

Fu Bo followed Yu Qingze the whole time and didn’t speak, he just stared at Yu Qingze’s movements intently. He watched every process and every step attentively. Because he didn’t know what the finished product and taste would be like, he had to note down everything as much as possible.

When the spicy chicken was done, Fu bo couldn’t help gulping when he saw the fried chicken in the bright red dried chili peppers.

Yu Qingze handed a pair of chopsticks to Fu Bo, and said with a smile, “You can try it.”

Fu Bo had already wanted to try it. Hearing this, he happily took the chopsticks and put a piece of chicken in his mouth. Chang Le pursed his lips, ignored him, and continued to wipe carefully.

It was a little spicy at first, but after chewing the meat, the crispy and mellow taste filled the mouth, mixed with salty and spicy flavors. Fu bo felt that he had a feeling of satisfaction and hunger at the same time.

Spicy chicken with chili peppers
(credit: kitchensanctuary.com)

Satisfaction stems from the great happiness of having eaten something so delicious; hunger is from the urge to eat, wanting to eat, and just eating more and more.

Fu bo squinted and savored the chicken in his mouth carefully. While satisfied, he also deeply sighed: I have been a cook for decades, but I don’t even know how to make chicken in this way. What a pity.

Fortunately, now that he has tasted it and saw the process, he knew how to make it.

“Fu Bo, how is it?” Yu Qingze asked. In fact, looking at Fu Bo’s expression, he already knew the answer, but out of politeness, he still asked.

Fu Bo sighed and said, “Boss Yu’s craftsmanship is beyond the reach of this old man.”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Fu Bo is humble. The way of food is broad and profound. There are all kinds of combinations and practices, and there will always be unexpected results.”

Fu Bo agreed, nodded and said, “Boss Yu’s words are very true.”

Yu Qingze then fry the fish head, put it in a casserole, add the boiled water and ginger slices, transfer it to the small stove to cook, wait for the soup to boil, change the heat to a milky white, and then put the tofu in stirring gently, add some salt to taste, and then boil it for a few minutes.

Fish Head Tofu Soup
(Credit: Yummly.com)

While the fish head soup is boiling, Yu Qingze stir-fried the snails.

Today’s menu: savory and fragrant spicy chicken, spicy stir-fried snails, tender and appetizing pickled fish, delicious fish head tofu soup, and crisp green vegetables.

Fu Bo watched the whole process of making these dishes. He smelled the fragrance of each dish, which greatly stimulated his appetite.

Stir-fried Spicy River Snails
(credit: chinesecuisinefood.com)

Fish with Pickled Cabbage
(credit: foodmachinesale.com)

Vegetable Stir Fry
(credit: dinneratthezoo.com)

 

Like Fu Bo and Mi Ge’er, Chang Le and the others, this is the first time they have eaten these dishes.

The five ancient people who hadn’t eaten much variety of food were full of praise for these dishes, and they all had their faces flushed, their lips were so hot that they were so red, and their foreheads were sweating but they refused to stop.

Especially Mi Ge’er and Fu Bo, it was the first time for them to eat the dishes made by Yu Qingze. After cleaning around the chicken, he also carefully wiped Yu Qingze’s back again.

Yu Qingze looked at them and smiled with satisfaction. He was injured and couldn’t eat heavy food, but just eating green vegetables and tofu, he was also satisfied and in a good mood.

As a chef, the greatest sense of satisfaction and achievement is that the dishes you cook are praised by the diners, and the most obvious and intuitive manifestation of this praise is that the plates are all licked clean.

After eating, Mi Ge’er and Fu Bo were still reminiscing. Grandpa Chang accompanied the two of them to chat, Chang Hao helped Chang Le clean up the dishes and wash them.

At noon, the sun was shining brightly. Before Mi Ge’er and Fu Bo went back so quickly, Yu Qingze went to the kitchen to prepare fairy tofu.

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(T/N: 神仙豆腐 or fairy tofu is a specialty food of “green tofu” made from leaves in southwestern regions. Source: Wikipedia).

THICK AF!!!!!

 

He asked Chang Hao to boil a pot of water, and burned the cypress bark he picked up this morning.

Then put the ash into a wooden basin, mix it with water, stir the sediment evenly, and then pour out the upper layer of water for later use.

Then he took the fairy leaves picked in the morning, washed them and drained them, and started to make fairy tofu. Yu Qingze’s face was extremely helpless, but he didn’t know how to enjoy it in his heart.

Fairy tofu, which Yu Qingze learned from his master when he was an apprentice, is a special food introduced in their hotel. In fact, it is a very rustic and traditional way of eating in the countryside, but because modern people have begun to respect fresh and healthy food, it is especially popular in big cities.

Yu Qingze chopped the green leaves into a wooden basin, added an appropriate amount of boiling water, mashed the leaves into a paste with a spatula, filtered out the juice of the leaves with a cotton towel, added water and mashed the paste once, filtered, and then put the water on the upper layer of the cypress ash. Pour the leaf juice through a cotton cloth, then put the juice in a cool place and let it sit.

Mi Ge’er and Fu bo took a nap on the table. When Fu Bo got up, he asked Yu Qingze to discuss the practice of the dishes at noon.

Yu Qingze didn’t hide any secrets and told Fu Bo all the points that need to be paid attention to in those dishes.

The two talked for an hour. It was getting late, and it was time for Fu bo and Mi Ge’er to go back.

Before leaving, Yu Qingze taught Fu Bo two more ways to make healthy soup suitable for drinking in summer. When he finally left, he also packed a large bowl of jelly for them to take away. In addition, he cut a large piece of the fairy tofu that had solidified, put it in a big bowl, floated in cold water, and asked Mi Ge’er and Fu Bo to take it back.

“Slice this fairy tofu into thin slices, add minced ginger and garlic and chopped peppers, stir and eat.” By the way, he also told them how to prepare it.

Fu bo was very curious about this green tofu. Unfortunately, he didn’t see it when Yu Qingze was making it. After changing the medicine, Chang Le gestured with Yu Qingze with a very serious expression.

Mi Ge’er asked Yu Qingze again, “Boss Yu, when will your food stall be set up again?”

Yu Qingze wondered: “I can’t help it, my injury is not yet fully healed, and I have to wait for two days.”

Chang Hao interjected: “Brother Yu, if we go again, I don’t know if we will encounter bad luck.”

Yu Qingze rubbed Chang Hao’s head wildly and gave a compliment to the young Chang Hao in his heart, but he said helplessly, “I can’t do anything about it, so I have to admit that I’m unlucky.”

Mi Ge’er and Fu Bo looked at each other, Mi Ge’er comforted: “There is always a way.”

After a pause, Mi Ge’er asked again, “Boss Yu, do you want to cook in Cai’s mansion?”

Yu Qingze’s eyes widened slightly, showing a look of surprise, and asked, “Me?”

Mi Ge’er nodded and said, “Our master family appreciates your cooking skills. If you are willing, our great master welcomes you to cook in Cai’s house.” This is another purpose of Mi Ge’er and Fu Bo today.

Yu Qingze thought about it for a while, and then replied solemnly, “Thank you very much for your appreciation, but I still want to do some small business by myself and be with my family.”

When talking about his family, Yu Qingze glanced at the two Chang brothers with gentle eyes.

Mi Ge’er fought for a while, and said, “Will you think about it again?”

 

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “Thank you so much but I’m really sorry.”

Hearing this, Mi Ge’er knew that he couldn’t be persuaded anymore, so he stopped talking, and went home with Fu Bo.

 

***

 

Cai Mansion, dinner time. Under the dim light, there were two men, one big and one small, one made serious gestures, the other looked at it seriously.

Master Cai looked at a large pot of fish and a plate of green food on the table, and asked, “What kind of food is this? Did Fu Bo learn new recipes?”

While serving seafood porridge for the second young master, Mi Ge’er replied, “Master, this fish is called pickled cabbage fish, it is very appetizing, Fu Bo learned it from Boss Yu today. The green one over there is called fairy tofu, it’s very cool. It is given by Boss Yu. Please try some. Guaranteed to be as delicious as the jelly you ate before!”

“Oh? Fu Bo learned it from Boss Yu? Then I have to try it.” Master Cai picked up his chopsticks and ate a piece of fish, nodded while eating, and said, “Not bad, husband, Wei’er, you guys too. Try it.”

As he said that, he gave his husband and grandson a piece of fish each, watched them eat it, and asked, “How is it?”

After Cai Furen ate it, he nodded and said, “Yes, very tender.”

Cai Yunwei, the second young master of the Cai family, also nodded and said that the taste was good. Then, he tasted the fairy tofu. After eating it, an appetizing fragrance lingered in his mouth, it was cool, and the taste was also very good.

The Cai family were full of smiles during dinner tonight.

After the meal, Master Cai asked Mi Ge’er if Yu Qingze agreed to be a cook at home.

Mi Ge’er shook his head and said, “He didn’t agree, saying that he still likes to do a little business by himself, but his small business can’t go on anymore.”

 

When the old Master Cai heard the words, he asked, “Why can’t he continue? Didn’t you say that his business was very good?”

Mi Ge’er told Master Cai the troubles Yu Qingze and his family had encountered recently at the food stall. He felt warm in his heart and felt that the scene in front of him made him feel so warm and moved.

Master Cai frowned and asked, “They can’t open the food stall?”

Mi Ge’er replied: “No, they rely on the food stall to make a living, how can they continue to live if they don’t open it. It is said that Boss Yu will resume the food stall business in two days, but if he encounters some ghosts and snakes again, he won’t be able to continue. I don’t know what he’d do then.”

Old Master Cai’s face darkened when he heard the words. He looked at the baby grandson whose face was getting rosy next to him, thought about it, and said, “When they open the stall, tell me, and I will go to their food stall personally to buy food.”

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