Chapter 63 - Two-in-One Sauce Pancake

Lin Chuntao handed it to her, then smiled and said, "When you roll out the dough, you can't roll it too thin."

Lin Chunhe responded, and the sauce on the stove was ready. Lin Chuntao quickly ladled it into a bowl for later use. She washed the pot and put it on the fire to dry the water stains, added a small amount of oil, removed the firewood, and put the pot aside.

They weren't skilled enough, so she had to make two more pancakes before putting them in the pan.

After getting started, Lin Chunhe muttered the steps she had just learned and began to work on it. It looked simple, but when she actually did it, she always felt unsure of what to do next.

After Lin Chuntao guided her through one exercise, she looked over excitedly. Lin Chuntao smiled and asked, "Want to continue?"

Lin Chunhe nodded.

Lin Chuntao said, "Then let's continue. I'll start firing after I've finished four."

Practice makes perfect when it comes to cooking. After making two dishes, Lin Chunhe became much more skilled. She was able to do the fourth one without Lin Chuntao saying a word.

Seeing this, Lin Chuntao started preparing to put the dough in the pan. Since she didn't have an oil brush, she simply shook the pan to coat the surface with oil. After that, she coated both sides of the dough with oil and placed it in the pan.

As she waited until she saw small bulges appear on the top of the dough and the color of the dough along the edges changed, Lin Chuntao estimated the time and quickly flipped it over with a spatula.

Looking at it from the other side, it's already golden brown and looks very crispy.

Lin Duo'er stood by the stove, frequently letting out exclamations of surprise. Lin Chunxing patted Lin Chunhe and laughed, "Third brother, you do it, I'll go check." With that, she ran off in a flash.

Seeing Lin Chunxing arrive, Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Please bring a small winnowing basket with you."

The small winnowing basket that Lin Chuntao mentioned was a little bigger than this flatbread. Aunt Guizhi and the others made this, which they usually used to hold cooked broad beans, edamame, or other food without broth. It was like a small plate, and Aunt Guizhi gave her several.

When Lin Chunxing brought it over, the pancakes in the pan were just cooked. She took them out, brushed both sides with thick sauce, cut them into several pieces, and let Lin Chunxing and the others eat them while she continued making them.

When it was freshly fried, it only smelled of flour, but once the sauce was brushed on, the taste was instantly different. Lin Duo'er kept licking her lips, and Lin Chuntao smiled as she watched.

"Duo'er, why aren't you going to get the chopsticks?" After Lin Chuntao finished speaking, she quickly withdrew her gaze from the pancake and ran to get the chopsticks. Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "You're like a little fool."

The chopsticks were brought over, and Lin Chunxing took them, picking up a piece to feed Lin Chuntao first. Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "You guys eat first, I'll do it myself in a bit."

Lin Chunxing was still holding her chopsticks, so she had no choice but to eat.

After feeding Lin Chuntao, Lin Chunxing prepared to feed Lin Chunhe a piece of food. As she picked up a piece, she noticed that Pei Ying had also picked up a piece and was standing next to her. Lin Chunxing felt her head buzzing. Had she taken over her brother-in-law's job?

He blinked, pretending not to know anything, and quickly went to the table to feed Lin Chunhe.

Lin Duo'er was completely won over after just one bite. The savory pancake was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a rich savory sauce flavor that combined with the aroma of wheat and meat. One bite and she was instantly captivated by its deliciousness.

Lin Chuntao took a bite and was very satisfied. She had been worried that using tomatoes directly without ketchup might not be flavorful enough, but it turned out to be just right!

Linlin and Chuntao made six pancakes at noon, and almost all of them were eaten. The whole family was stuffed, so they each took a chair and sat in the yard to bask in the sun. Pei Ying looked at the four sisters who were resting with their eyes closed. The medicine was working well, and the sisters all looked a little bit plumper lately.

He asked Lin Chuntao, "Are you going to see Doctor He again to take your pulse?"

Lin Chuntao slowly opened her eyes, calculated the time, and smiled, "It's time to go. I think we have five days' worth of medicine left. Let's finish it before we go."

Pei Ying said, "I feel that this medicine is working quite well, so keep taking it and don't stop."

Lin Chuntao nodded slightly.

Lin Duo'er listened to their conversation and said with a smile, "Since my sister makes delicious food for us every day, I feel like it's okay if we don't eat it."

Lin Chuntao chuckled upon hearing this; the little brat probably wished he could use all the money meant for medicine to buy meat and vegetables to cook.

Inside the Chai residence, Guo Jixiang waited anxiously in the courtyard. Actually, it wasn't that she was anxious, but rather that Chai Xingyu had already asked, indicating that he wanted to eat.

Guo Jixiang only said it would be soon, but she couldn't say exactly how long it would take. She was afraid that Chai Xingyu would get upset if he waited too long, and if he got angry and said he wouldn't eat anymore, that would make her feel bad.

Fortunately, Granny Shen and the others returned quickly, and Chai Xingyu was not angry.

Upon seeing the person return, Guo Jixiang hurriedly went to greet them, "Did you bring them back?"

Granny Shen said, "I brought it back. That lady cooked half a pot and had me bring it all. She also made half a pot of soup, saying that if it's not enough, I can buy some noodles, add some tomatoes and chives, and cook it up."

Guo Jixiang paused for a moment upon hearing this, "She's certainly thought things through."

Granny Shen said, "After all, she's a woman who runs a business."

Guo Jixiang smiled. In her eyes, Lin Chuntao and her group's business was nothing special. There were many such stalls in the county. Their attitude and ability to serve customers well were not important. This was just a means for them to make a living. They had no long-term vision. In addition, Lin Chuntao and her group were young, so she found it surprising.

But she didn't explain further to Granny Shen, and personally carried the pottery jar to Chai Xingyu's courtyard.

The door was open, and Chai Xingyu paced back and forth inside. He was already hungry. He had been waiting for so long and hadn't come back yet, so he might as well go out to eat by himself. If he had gone out to eat by himself, he would have eaten much earlier.

As he waited anxiously, familiar footsteps finally came from outside the courtyard. He rushed to the door, looked at the pottery jar in his mother's arms, and asked hurriedly, "Did you buy it?"

Guo Jixiang looked at Chai Xingyu's smile. The horrifying scar was still hideous, but he still smiled. His eyes were bright with expectation. Her nose suddenly felt sore, and she explained to Chai Xingyu, "Mother was a step too late. The shopkeeper had already closed up shop, so I asked the nanny to go to her house to make it on the spot. That's why I was a little late."

Chai Xingyu swallowed hard. After Guo Jixiang entered the house, he took the earthenware pot. Seeing that it was more than half full, enough for him to eat, he breathed a sigh of relief. The bowl he had that morning was far too little; it was mostly soup that filled him up. He felt full while eating, but got hungry again very quickly.

The servants behind him were carrying bowls and chopsticks, but Chai Xingyu thought they were too slow, so he served himself and told them to leave and not serve him anymore, leaving only Guo Jixiang in the room.

He ate the rice noodles with gusto, slurping down two bowls before his stomach felt a little better. She looked up and asked Guo Jixiang, "Mother, would you like some?"

Guo Jixiang shook her head: "Mother isn't hungry, you eat."

Chai Xingyu seemed not to hear him and said indifferently, "Mother, have some too, it's quite delicious." Watching him eat would make him constantly think about the scar on his face, and even if it was his own mother watching, he would feel uncomfortable.

Hearing him say that, Guo Jixiang nodded, and had someone bring over bowls and chopsticks. She also filled a small bowl, and the mother and daughter ate together.

Guo Jixiang had eaten breakfast, and at that time she was only thinking about what was in the sauce of the noodles, not how delicious it was. But now, listening to Chai Xingyu slurping the noodles, she felt that the soup noodles were more fragrant than ever before, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Chai Xingyu noticed his mother's tears falling into the bowl and said softly, "Mother, are you crying because you're eating too much?"

Guo Jixiang almost choked on her food when she heard this. She looked up at Chai Xingyu, tears streaming down her face, but a smile played on her lips. She nodded and said, "Yes, it's so delicious, it made me cry. This is the best thing I've eaten in years."

Chai Xingyu smiled and said, "Mother, you're a bit exaggerated."

Guo Jixiang was genuinely happy to see him joking.

"Mom, how did you find this noodle soup shop?"

Guo Jixiang said, "Your third uncle bought it and sent it over."

"Let me and my dad try the sauce?" Chai Xingyu said, continuing to slurp his noodles as if it were just a casual remark. Guo Jixiang looked at him and asked, "Don't you never care about the sauce factory?"

"You don't want me to care."

Chai Xingyu spoke calmly, and Guo Jixiang was somewhat confused about what he meant. Was he prepared to accept it? Or did he have some other ideas?

The original Chai Xingyu was just playful and unambitious, with a good temper. But since the incident, he has been frequently angry, which made Guo Jixiang cautious when talking to him about it, afraid of upsetting him. She could only wait for his next words.

After a long while, Chai Xingyu must have been almost full, because he scooped two spoonfuls of soup into his bowl.

"That's wonderful. To be able to make such a delicious sauce and even think of using it to make soup noodles, the shopkeeper must be very clever and love good food."

Guo Jixiang continued, "The person who made this noodle soup is a teenage girl. She's quite thoughtful. Your nanny went with you, and I only asked her to make two bowls. She made half a pot of this and also gave us half a pot of soup, saying that if we wanted to eat it in the evening, we could cook it ourselves."

Chai Xingyu said, "With thousands of people, there will be thousands of flavors."

Guo Jixiang didn't respond to him. Seeing her like this, Chai Xingyu felt that he had wasted his breath, so he sighed and picked up the bowl to drink the soup.

Chai Xingyu's attitude is exactly the same as it was before the incident.

Guo Jixiang wanted to improve her relationship with Chai Xingyu, and he had even brought it up himself; she didn't want things to stay cold like this.

"Yu'er, you might as well tell your mother what you're thinking." After Guo Jixiang finished speaking, Chai Xingyu put down his bowl, drank the soup clean, took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and after a long while, he looked up at Guo Jixiang.

"I remember that soy sauce maker whose family was destroyed. Even if you eventually got the recipe, what good would it do? Our Chai family just can't make the exact same taste as his. Imitations will always be imitations. There are a thousand different soy sauce makers in the world, and a thousand different flavors. Do you think our Chai family can bring all a thousand different flavors to our soy sauce factory?"

Guo Jixiang thought of the past, and her expression turned sour.

"The incident involving that man was caused by your third uncle's excessive actions, which is definitely not what your father and I wanted to see."

Chai Xingyu stared intently at Guo Jixiang, "But my father is the head of the family. He didn't do it himself, so does that mean our Chai family isn't to blame?"

"The reason why my third uncle acted so recklessly was because my father indulged him. You are all too arrogant."

Faced with her son's accusations, Guo Jixiang wanted to preach. She wanted to tell Chai Xingyu that businessmen pursue profits, and it's always been a matter of life or death!

She had already said these kinds of profound truths to Chai Xingyu many times before, and he was the least willing to listen to them, so he swallowed his words back.

Looking at Guo Jixiang's expression, Chai Xingyu said quietly, "The reason my face has become like this is all retribution; it's what you owe me."

One sentence made Guo Jixiang's eyes widen.

"What did you say?"

Chai Xingyu remained silent. Guo Jixiang stood up abruptly and asked in a deep voice, "Yu'er, explain yourself clearly. Do you know who harmed you?"

Chai Xingyu slowly stood up and met Guo Jixiang's eyes: "Mother, no one harmed me, this is fate!"

Guo Jixiang didn't believe it. She shook her head and said calmly, "They'll find out eventually!"

Upon hearing this, Chai Xingyu chuckled softly and lowered his head.

"Mother still doesn't understand her son's feelings."

Guo Jixiang took a deep breath. She wanted her son to be healthy, ambitious, and intelligent. She wanted him to be of one mind with them and continue the family's sauce business. She wanted a son as decisive and ruthless as she and her husband.

But Chai Xingyu was not like her; he was neither like her nor like her husband.

He always liked those ethereal things, things that sounded impractical and useless, so she rarely listened. Due to the disagreement between mother and son, they rarely had heart-to-heart talks. She had heard Chai Xingyu say many times, "You don't understand! You don't understand at all!" But never before had he said so casually, "Mother still doesn't understand me."

It seemed filled with disappointment, like a thorn pricking her heart.

After a long silence, she finally asked, "In Yu'er's opinion, how can we ensure the continuation of the sauce shop and the enduring strength of our Chai family?"

Chai Xingyu said, "The inheritance will not be broken. If it is not in our Chai family, it will be in the Li or Wang family. Our Chai family will not stand firm. Dynasties will rise and fall, let alone a family?"

Guo Jixiang was so angry she almost fainted. She took a deep breath and controlled her tone: "Yu'er, you should rest well. If you want to eat again tonight, send someone over to tell your mother."

Chai Xingyu nodded, and as Guo Jixiang was leaving, he said, "Mother, please bring Sanbao and the others back to me. I haven't seen them in a long time, and I miss them a bit."

Guo Jixiang: "...Okay."

Those servants were all Chai Xingyu's childhood playmates. They spent their days eating, drinking, playing with cats and dogs. After the incident, Guo Jixiang even wanted to sell them off, but Granny Shen persuaded her several times, saying that if Chai Xingyu couldn't find them when he wanted to, wouldn't that only increase his unhappiness? That's why they were kept.

Sure enough, he started looking for it as soon as he felt a little better!

Guo Jixiang was furious at his discouraging words and went to confront Chai Songchuan.

Chai Songchuan was also angered. The couple stared at each other, both disappointed.

"That good-for-nothing son! He'll squander this family fortune!" Chai Songchuan said angrily. Guo Jixiang, however, was reluctant to belittle her son like that and chimed in, "Squander it? That shouldn't be the case."

Upon hearing his wife's words, Chai Songchuan laughed: "No, madam, you still have hope for him?"

Guo Jixiang looked away, and Chai Song said, "Why don't we find him a wife who can manage the household?"

Speaking of the housekeeper's wife, Chai Xingyu used to have one, but the engagement was called off, and her whole family moved away. I heard they're getting engaged again. Given his situation, it's not that they're saying it'll be easy for him to find someone of equal social standing.

Guo Jixiang remained silent, and Chai Songchuan understood what his wife was thinking.

"If we can't find someone from a similar social class, we can find someone from a lower social class, and we can even teach them."

Guo Jixiang's mind flashed with Lin Chuntao's face. She pondered for a moment and said, "Now that you mention it, I do think of someone, but let me find out more about them."

"You just mentioned someone like that?!" Chai Songchuan was stunned and immediately asked, "Who is it?"

Seeing her husband's expression, Guo Jixiang smiled and said, "Just cook the rice noodle soup, my dear wife."

Chai Songchuan frowned, and Guo Jixiang said, "Why are you frowning? If this lady isn't lying, she made this sauce herself. She knows how to make sauce! She can even put this sauce into the soup noodles. It shows that this girl isn't stubborn and can think things through. I gave her some silver to make two bowls, and she made half a pot for Granny Chen and also cooked a soup. She's very thoughtful. I just don't know if she's engaged yet. We need to find out."

Upon hearing this, Chai Songchuan laughed and said, "Are you sure this girl won't be a perfect match for your son? In business, what else is there to talk about if not making money? She's also a very honest person; I don't think it'll work."

Guo Jixiang: "...This can all be taught."

Chai Song said, "Then you should inquire about it. We can't count on our son."

The next day at 3:45 AM.

After picking all the mushrooms indicated by the system arrow, Lin Chuntao had collected a basketful of chicken oil mushrooms and a bamboo basketful. Seeing that the sky was getting bluer and it was almost dawn, she knew she still needed to help Lin Chunxing, so she started to head down the mountain to the county town.

Lin Chunxing arrived in the county town before dawn. Neither Lin Duo'er nor Lin Chunhe came today. She was alone. After moving the stove rack out, she first went to the noodle shop to get thirty catties of noodles. After returning, she arranged the vegetables and meat sauce on the rack one by one and started to boil water.

It was still dark at this time, and apart from the neighbors opening their doors and the shop assistants talking, the market was still very quiet.

After boiling the water, she took a small stool and sat down. Thinking that all the preparations were done, she was a little bored and was intently watching the sparks in the pottery stove jump one by one.

"Can I cook the noodles now?"

Hearing the voice, Lin Chunxing looked up and Chai Xingyu's terrifying face came into her view. She screamed in fright and tumbled off the stool, landing sprawled on her feet.

Sanbao followed behind Chai Xingyu, somewhat angrily saying, "Is my young master that scary? Wife, you've gone too far!"

Chai Xingyu glanced at Sanbao and said in a deep voice, "What are you talking about? If you don't scare people, why would I come out to eat noodles before dawn?"

Sanbao silently shut his mouth, and Chai Xingyu looked at Lin Chunxing and asked, "Wife, are you alright? I'm so sorry!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Chunxing braced herself on the ground to get up. Pei Ying, who was in the backyard, heard the scream and thought something had happened, so she rushed out quickly.

When I came out, I saw Lin Chunxing getting up, and the overturned stool.

"Chunxing? What's wrong?"

Lin Chunxing turned to Pei Ying and shook her head: "Brother-in-law, I'm fine, I just accidentally fell."

Pei Ying looked at Chai Xingyu and Sanbao, still somewhat uneasy, and walked directly to the stall: "Would you two like some soup noodles?"

Chai Xingyu said, "Yes, I'm sorry, I accidentally startled this lady."

Pei Ying looked at his face; it was indeed terrifying. Lin Chunxing, standing beside him, said, "It's not your fault, young man. I wasn't paying attention and scared myself."

As the two were talking, Sanbao stared intently at Pei Ying with an excited look in his eyes. Pei Ying frowned slightly, feeling that the man looked familiar. After thinking for a long time, he remembered that this was the servant who had run over when the horse was startled that day.

"Young...Young Master, this older brother is the one who saved you that day!"

Chai Xingyu looked up at Pei Ying, swallowed hard, and for a moment didn't know how to speak. Pei Ying spoke first, "It's you guys?"

As he spoke, he looked Chai Xingyu over. His limbs were intact, with only minor superficial injuries. He had thought he was going to die that day.

"You've recovered quite well."

This was the first time Chai Xingyu had heard someone say that he had recovered quite well, and that the person who saved his life was also his savior. He cupped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you for saving my life, brother. I heard from Sanbao that if you hadn't cut the reins in time and subdued the horse, I would have lost my life!"

Pei Ying said, "It's no trouble at all."

Chai Xingyu looked at Lin Chunxing, then at Pei Ying. He hadn't expected such a coincidence! He had left in a hurry today and hadn't brought anything worthwhile. Facing his savior, a simple "thank you" seemed a bit too inadequate.

You will be very grateful!

"May I ask how you are addressed, elder brother? My name is Chai Xingyu."

"Pei Ying!"

"Brother Pei, do you work at the butcher shop?"

"Yes, slaughter the pig."

"I've been looking for you, brother, but I've been recovering from my injuries at home. I'm so glad to meet you today. Would you do me the honor of having lunch with me?"

Pei Ying said, "It was nothing, young man, you don't need to worry about it. You guys cook the noodles, I'll go and get back to work."

Pei Ying said she was busy, so Chai Xingyu didn't want to keep talking to her and could only nod. Then he asked Lin Chunxing to help cook the rice noodles.

"Shopkeeper, please cook five bowls for us."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chunxing looked up at him again. Crimson scars crisscrossed her face, only her eyes and mouth were intact. Fortunately, the man's eyes were kind, otherwise it would have been really frightening.

Chai Xingyu asked, "If you can finish it, how much is five bowls?"

"Fifty coins."

After Lin Chunxing finished speaking, Sanbao took out the money and handed it over. After Lin Chunxing accepted the money, she said, "Please wait a moment. Please sit down next to me."

Chai Xingyu nodded. He originally wanted to ask about Pei Ying, but remembering that Lin Chunxing had been so frightened that she had fallen, he had no choice but to sit down with Sanbao.

Sanbao was very excited to meet Pei Ying today.

Pei Ying was not only Chai Xingyu's savior, but also his savior. If Chai Xingyu were gone, he would be dead too!

"Young master, should we tell Madam that she has met her savior?"

Upon hearing this, Chai Xingyu slowly raised his eyes and glanced at him, asking indifferently, "What did I say?"

Sanbao chuckled. Chai Xingyu thought of his parents at home who were still thinking about other people's sauce recipe. If he were to steal someone else's recipe, Pei Ying would definitely regret saving him!

Chai Xingyu would never do such a thing.

The soup in the pot had already boiled, and its rich aroma was carried around by the wind. Sanbao sniffed, and Chai Xingyu, seeing his little action, laughed and said, "Doesn't it smell delicious?"

Sanbao nodded with a silly grin, while Chai Xingyu said, "The Chai family's sauce factory can't make such fragrant sauce."

Guo Jixiang and her friends always wanted this recipe or that recipe. In reality, many times, the best dishes that chefs make are not based on any recipe, but rather on a whim or a bit of random experimentation, which can produce culinary delights.

Aside from the one passed down from their ancestors, none of their improvements over the years have surpassed it.

In fact, Chai Xingyu believes that cooking requires a more spontaneous approach, but unfortunately, the Chai family doesn't think so.