Chapter 99: Wonderful Food Reform

Ye Shuyi asked, are the second uncle of the Chen family and Chen Nanfeng on good terms?

Butler Xue frowned.

Why?

Because he knew that his second uncle was the one who hated the young master the most, but he cared about the young master like a smiling tiger every day.

This time, he even wanted to use poisonous ginseng to kill the lady and the young master!

"No need to look. I will investigate it thoroughly and ask you when necessary. Sorry to trouble you, Miss Ye." Butler Xue decided to immediately investigate the doctor who recommended the lady.

How could this be such a coincidence?

"No trouble." Ye Shuyi said.

After she finished speaking, Butler Xue went back.

Ye Shuyi put this matter behind her for the time being.

Last time, Hong Shiqiong gave her the ancient book about the properties of food. She finished reading it and took notes.

Today, she wants Hong Shiqiong to test her memory results before starting the next step of learning.

"Okay, then let me test you." Hong Shiqiong took the ancient book. "What are the properties of licorice?"

"It is sweet and warm, and harmonizes all medicines. Roasted licorice warms the middle, while raw licorice clears away heat. In other words, licorice is sweet and mild in nature, suitable for most people. It can adjust the bias of many medicinal materials and make the prescription milder. Licorice fried with honey can warm the spleen and stomach, while licorice that has not been fried with honey can clear away heat and detoxify." Ye Shuyi answered fluently.

After listening to this, Hong Shiqiong nodded and said, "Let's talk about Bai Shao!"

"White peony root is sour and cold, can astringe and nourish, and can relieve abdominal pain. It should not be used by people with weak constitutions or coldness." This means that white peony root tastes sour and has a cold nature. It can clear away heat and purge fire, astringe qi and blood, nourish blood and soften the body. It can treat damp-heat diarrhea and liver depression and abdominal pain. It should not be used by people with weak constitutions or coldness."

Hong Shiqiong asked about a few more medicines and found that Ye Shuyi remembered them very well and had some unique insights of her own.

"Not bad. Next I can teach you how to make and mix tea." Hong Shiqiong said approvingly.

"OK!"

Hong Shiqiong put down the ancient book and led Ye Shuyi to the place where tea was made.

The Four Seasons Peace Herbal Tea Shop is not small and has a small stove where Hong Shiqiong usually cooks herbal tea with firewood.

Next to it is a large open mahogany storage cabinet filled with various Chinese medicinal herbs.

"When making herbal tea, it is important to adapt to the season and the person. It needs to clear away heat and reduce internal heat while also taking into account taste and physical condition. As for tools, casseroles and ceramic pots are recommended, as they have good effects and good heat preservation properties. But, have you seen that copper pot?" Hong Shiqiong pointed.

"I see." Ye Shuyi said.

"Well, running a herbal tea shop requires making a lot of herbal tea every day, so I use a large copper pot to boil it, and the medicinal effect is more stable," Hong Shiqiong introduced.

"I see."

"Okay. After washing the herbs, soak them in cold water for twenty minutes. Then, boil them over high heat and cook with the lid open. Afterwards, simmer over low heat. The simmering time varies for different herbs, usually between fifteen and thirty minutes. If it's a more volatile herb like mint or chrysanthemum, put it in the pot three minutes before turning off the heat. Finally, filter out the tea residue and leave the clear tea." Hong Shiqiong explained in detail, gesturing with her hands as she spoke.

Ye Shuyi asked at the right moment: "Why do you have to open the lid when cooking?"

She always covers the soup when she makes it, so that the soup can be richer and more nutritious.

"Because some volatile herbs, like chrysanthemum, won't evaporate as quickly if the lid is on, and their effectiveness won't be as good. Once you gain experience, you'll be able to observe the state of the herbal tea in the copper pot, smell it, and then turn off the heat to prevent excess evaporation."

"With the lid closed, the bitterness in the herbal tea will settle, making people frown when drinking it, and it can also have some side effects, such as a cold effect. If the lid is opened, the bitterness will dissipate, and it may even have a sweet aftertaste."

There are so many details involved that I can’t finish talking about them all in a short time.

"Does that mean the lid should be kept closed?"

"No, if the fire is too strong, the lid will open and the cold will not go away; if the fire is too weak, the lid will close and the medicine will not penetrate. Remember this secret."

Ye Shuyi felt dizzy. Learning cannot be rushed and needs to be learned slowly.

She also followed Hong Shiqiong in practical training.

They didn't leave until a guest found the kitchen.

It turned out that there were already a lot of people queuing outside to buy tea.

Ye Shuyi asked Sister Qiong to go and do her work first and she would continue teaching her another day.

She can learn something by helping out.

After a while, the waiter from Xiangjiang Kitchen came in and said someone was looking for Ye Shuyi.

"Who is it?"

"He said his last name was Jiao and he was a chef at Miaoshi," said the waiter Xiaolin.

Your surname is Jiao, and you are a delicious chef?

As soon as Ye Shuyi thought about it, a person appeared in her mind.

A gentle, fair-skinned man, very delicate.

"It's him! Please come back quickly and we'll treat him well in the private room on the second floor. I'll be there soon." Ye Shuyi said hello to Sister Qiong and left in a hurry.

This is an old friend who hit it off with her right away!

That day she and He Yue went to Miao Shi for dinner. The food there was expensive and the portions were small.

Ye Shuyi was originally wondering about the price, but once she tasted the food, she immediately understood.

That was really delicious.

This was the first time she wanted to meet the chef because of a certain food she was eating.

That's how she and Jiao Yu met.

The two people met, got along very well and talked a lot.

She soon arrived at the private room. Jiao Yu was not wearing the white chef's uniform like the first time they met. Instead, he was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and black distressed jeans, which made his skin look whiter and more delicate, but not effeminate.

"Jiao Yu, how come you have time to come and see me?" Ye Shuyi smiled and sat down opposite.

She was wondering when they could meet again, but she didn't expect it to be so soon.

"Ms. Ye, actually, I came here today for one reason, one is because I feel that we have a connection and I wanted to meet and talk with you. The other reason is that I have other things and I might want to ask you for help." Jiao Yu was also smiling, but there was an inexplicable bitterness in his face.

Seeing him like this, Ye Shuyi said nervously, "What's the matter? Did someone bully you? Who is it? I'll find a way to help you vent your anger!"

"Also, just call me Ye Shuyi."

Miss Ye, how strange it is.

"Okay, Shuyi." Jiao Yu omitted the last name and only called the last two characters.

"No one bullied me, it's just that I'm not a chef at Miao Shi anymore."

He worked at Miao Shi for two years and resigned today.

"Why?" Ye Shuyi was very surprised. She was doing well in her job, so why did she want to leave? Was it because the salary was not suitable, or was there something wrong with the people there?

Logically speaking, Jiao Yu is the gold medal chef of Miaoshi, and the restaurant will not let him leave easily.

Unless Jiao Yu is very determined.

The man knew she would ask, so he briefly explained the matter.

It was indeed he who took the initiative to resign.

Miao Shi's business was always booming, ranking among the top three restaurants on Hong Kong Island. Later, due to the popularity of Yip Kee Gourmet and Xiangjiang Kitchen, business declined slightly. But compared to other restaurants, it was still quite good.

The owner of Miao Shi was very unhappy with the fluctuations in sales in the past few months and decided to make some changes.

How to rectify it?

It is not about improving service attitude to satisfy customers, nor is it about introducing new dishes to attract customers, nor is it about spending huge sums of money to hire good chefs to secure customer base.