Chapter Ninety-Two: Taking Charge of the Kitchen

The morning chill had condensed into tiny icicles, which hung on the newly woven bamboo fence in the courtyard, creating a beautiful, sparkling sight.

Just as the fire in the stove was getting strong and the broth in the pot was boiling, releasing a rich aroma, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

"Sister Xiaoming! Is Sister Xiaoming there?"

He carefully wiped his hands and lifted the curtain.

A boy, about half a teenager, was standing at the door. His nose was snotty from the cold, and his cheeks were flushed. He was Sun Xiaoman, the grandson of Elder Sun from the east end of the village.

"Xiaoman? Come in and warm yourself by the fire, it's freezing outside." Noticing his condition, she quickly called out to him.

Before entering the main room, Sun Xiaoman stamped her feet to remove the dirt from them: "Sister Xiaoming, it's so warm here at home. My grandfather asked me to pass on a message that the village is going to hold a thank-you banquet before the New Year. Grandma Zhao, my grandfather, and many uncles and aunts have all recommended you to be the head chef. My grandfather asked me to let you know."

She noticed that he was bending over to add firewood to the stove when he heard her voice. His hand trembled, and a piece of firewood fell halfway out of the stove. He quickly grabbed the edge of the firewood and stuffed it back in.

She stood up, her face full of astonishment: "What? You want me to cook? Xiaoman, did you hear me right? This... how can this be?"

"No mistake! Absolutely true!"

Sun Xiaoman shook her head vigorously, her face full of seriousness: "It's all been decided in front of the ancestral hall! Grandma Zhao was the first to stand up and recommend you! My grandfather also nodded!"

The news came so suddenly that Xiaozhi was momentarily stunned. Holding onto the edge of the stove, he felt his palms sweating.

Let her cook the whole village's feast?

This...this is simply unbelievable!

She usually only prepares soups, porridges, and braised dishes in her shop, and at most cooks a few simple meals. She has never managed a meal for more than a hundred people in the village, or a dozen large pots and dozens of dishes.

That spatula, if swung, would probably be heavier than a hoe; even her dad probably couldn't lift it!

Zhuohe Village suffered a great calamity; houses collapsed and fields were destroyed, but fortunately, everyone survived unharmed.

As the year draws to a close, someone suggested that we hold a banquet to pay respects to the river god and the local earth god, pray for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest in the coming year, and also to properly thank our neighbors for their help during and after the disaster.

Soon, several respected elders from the village, including Granny Zhao, Grandpa Sun, Li the Cripple's father, and several clan elders, gathered under the ancestral hall archway to discuss the matter while basking in the sun.

The first important thing in preparing a banquet is to select a head chef.

In previous years, this job was undoubtedly done by the strongest men in the village. No matter how good or bad your skills were, you had to be able to hold the wok and stir-fry the vegetables.

After all, cooking in large pots and stoves, with dozens of kilograms of vegetables and meat going into the pot, requires a lot of strength to handle. If you're not careful, the vegetables will burn and the meat will be undercooked. It's not a big deal for the cook to lose face, but it's a big deal to ruin the festive atmosphere.

But this year, Zhuohe Village has just emerged from the flood, and people are prone to seeking peace and stability, but also to seeking change.

"If you ask me, this year's banquet should be prepared by the Zhang family!"

Grandma Zhao was the first to stand up, using her cane. The Xiong and Zhang families, disregarding their own safety, helped her onto the oxcart when the flood came. She remembered this life-saving kindness.

"She took care of the porridge and meals for hundreds of people in the charity hall. Everything was done in an orderly manner without any mistakes! The vegetable porridge was cooked to be fragrant and thick, and the heat was just right. It was even better than the big pot dishes served at the banquet in previous years! She is capable of taking on the responsibility of cooking!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Elder Sun, whose hair and beard were all white and whose face was clear and handsome, stroked his beard.

“Sister Zhao is right. Our Yi’er is truly capable, kind-hearted, and reliable. When she married the Xiong boy, she was the one who helped prepare several of the main dishes for the wedding banquet. The taste was impeccable, and the presentation was also impressive. This first banquet after the disaster is all about family reunion, celebration, and paying respects to the gods and ancestors. I think it’s most appropriate for her to be in charge of the cooking!”

As soon as these two elderly people, who are highly respected in the village, spoke, the crowd immediately erupted into a flurry of discussion.

Many villagers who had benefited from the couple's kindness or tasted her cooking echoed her sentiments, their voices growing louder and louder.

"Grandma Zhao and Grandpa Sun are absolutely right. Yi-jie's cooking skills are impeccable!"

"That's right! During the disaster, Brother Zixiang protected our neighbors, and Madam Xiong helped with the food. Their families should take the lead in this feast!"

"Yes! Let her take charge of the cooking. We can rest assured. She's meticulous and honest; she definitely won't skimp on our meals!"

"The porridge at Shantang is so comforting, hundreds of people have praised it. We can definitely entrust our village's banquet to her!"

Of course, there were also a few elderly clan elders with conservative ideas, squatting in a corner of the ancestral hall steps, exchanging glances and muttering to themselves.

Being a head chef has always been a man's job!

With the stove smoldering and oil splattering everywhere, dozens of people watching over it, all showing their faces in public, how could a young wife be expected to do all this? What about the ancestral rules?

But seeing Granny Wang tapping the ground with her cane, seeing Grandpa Sun's authoritative manner, and hearing the enthusiastic approval of the villagers, he could only swallow his grumbling and remain silent, or cough a few times.

In this year following the disaster, people yearn for peace and happiness, and no one wants to bring bad luck at this juncture or contradict the elders.

Sure enough, the news reached Zhang Yili's ears through Sun Xiaoman: "This...how can this be allowed?"

She looked at Sun Xiaoman, then at Xiong Zixiang, who had walked out from the inner room upon hearing the commotion, her face full of trepidation: "I've never hosted such a large banquet before! This...this isn't proper, is it? There are so many capable people in the village..."

Xiong Zixiang leaned against the door frame, his tall figure almost blocking out the light at the doorway.

After hearing Sun Xiaoman's message, he looked at Xiaoyu's helpless expression and a hint of a smile flashed in the depths of his eyes.

He walked over, squatted down, and naturally took over the task of tending the stove from her hands: "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. You've managed to feed hundreds of people in the charity hall in an orderly manner. This feast in the village only has about a hundred people. How could it be difficult for you?"

She frantically waved her hands, her frostbitten cleft rubbing against the rough cuffs of her cotton-padded coat, causing her to hiss in pain: "That's not the same at all!"

Her voice was tinged with anxiety: "The charity hall is all about cooking porridge and vegetables, big pot meals! All we ask for is that it's cooked, hot, and filling. But a banquet is a completely different story. It involves frying, stir-frying, and braising, with more than a dozen dishes! Chicken, duck, fish, meat, both hot and cold, soup and stir-fry, and it all has to look impressive. The heat, the seasoning, the timing of serving... if any of these are off, it won't do! My cooking skills are only enough to support a small shop, how can I possibly shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"

The more she talked, the heavier the burden felt, making her heart race and her back break out in a cold sweat. All she could think about was how to refuse it.

Xiong Zixiang shook his head disapprovingly: "Why don't you try and see?"

“The elders have made the decisions about village affairs, and all the villagers and neighbors are watching. I don’t think I can refuse. Grandma Zhao and Elder Sun recommended you because they think highly of you and trust your abilities.”

He paused, his gaze falling on her face, which was slightly pale from anxiety, and his voice softened: "You tossed and turned all night last night, and this morning at breakfast you were telling me that you already had someone in mind, and that hiring her to help out at the shop was the best thing to do."

He took a step forward, the firelight from the stove illuminating half of his face.

“Isn’t this cooking job a perfect opportunity? Let her work alongside you and learn how to prepare a large banquet. After the banquet, the shop will have another skilled cook to help you out, saving you from having to do everything yourself and working yourself to the bone.”

Listening carefully to his words, the thoughts that had kept me tossing and turning yesterday came flooding back to me.

She did think about it all night and decided that hiring someone was the best option.

I can endure it myself, but which of Sister Zijuan and Sister Xiulan can endure it?

They were all older than her, and they all had families to support. Xiao Bao was still young and Xiao Nan was just starting her education, so they couldn't be separated from their parents.

She had considered her brother-in-law, Wang Tiezhu, who was in his prime and had plenty of strength. However, with the dock about to open to shipping, carrying heavy loads would definitely earn more money than running a small shop. So, she quickly put the idea aside.

My thoughts wandered around and finally landed on one person: Song Ru from the village.

She recalled that when she chatted with Song Ru later, Song Ru told her that when she worked as a kitchen helper at Fu Man Lou restaurant in town, the manager appreciated her quite a bit. He not only let her learn some cooking skills from the master chef, but also taught her some accounting and bookkeeping techniques.

Unfortunately, Fu Man Lou was also affected by the flood, and its business plummeted. Many people were laid off, so Song Ru had no choice but to return to the village. She made a living by doing odd jobs for the town's embroidery shop, spending her days threading needles by candlelight until her eyes were bloodshot.

Once the thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.

"Let's do it!" With a determined look, he ignored the simmering broth on the stove and hurriedly said to Xiong Zixiang and Sun Xiaoman, who were waiting for a reply, "I'll be right back!"

He wrapped his cotton-padded coat tighter, rushed out the door, and headed straight for Song Ru's house.

The courtyard gate was ajar. I carefully pushed it open and went in. I saw Song Ru sitting on a small stool under the eaves, her head down, intently embroidering a lotus pattern on a plain cotton cloth in the daylight. Her fingers were red from the cold.

"Sister Ru!" Xiao Xin called out.

Song Ru looked up when she heard the sound, and seeing that it was someone who had noticed her, a surprised smile immediately appeared on her face.

"Sister Xiaoli? What brings you here? Please have a seat!"

She hurriedly put down the embroidery frame in her hand and got up to pour water.

He waved his hand dismissively and got straight to the point: "Sister Ru, I have something urgent to discuss with you."

She told everyone about the village banquet that was being held, how the elders had recommended her to cook, and how she felt unsure but couldn't refuse.

Finally, she looked into Song Ru's eyes, her sincerity utterly evident: "I know you learned your craft at Fu Man Lou, you know about cooking, and you're good at accounting. I really can't handle this cooking job by myself, so I'd like to ask you for a hand, to be my helper. Firstly, it's to help me out in this emergency, and secondly..."

She paused, her voice becoming even more sincere: "After this banquet, the shop will be short of a trustworthy person. If you're willing, you don't need a trial period; you can come work at the shop directly, and we can discuss the wages!"

Song Ru was stunned after hearing this, and forgot to put down the sewing basket in her hand.

She looked at it carefully, her eyes slightly red.

It was Sister Xiao who was the first to comfort her and give her advice.

She had always deeply respected and valued her sister's friendship. Now, her sister was in charge of cooking for the village's grand banquet—what an honor! And she was even willing to let her learn from her, and later work in the shop? This was simply a golden opportunity that had fallen from the sky!

"Pay attention, Sister!"

Song Ru's voice was choked with sobs. She put down the basket and nodded vigorously, "I...I'm willing! It's my blessing to be able to learn from you and contribute to the village's banquet preparations! Don't worry, I will definitely do my best and never let you down!"

Looking closely at the light in her eyes, the weight that had been hanging over my heart finally lifted by half.

She took Song Ru's hand, a smile spreading across her face: "Okay! Then let's... give it a try together!"

Without further ado, she gave Song Ru a few instructions, telling her to get ready first, and then hurried home as fast as she could.

When she arrived home, Xiong Zixiang was chopping firewood in the yard, and Xiaoman was warming herself by the stove while watching the soup.

Without delay, he quickly drank a bowl of warm water and followed Sun Xiaoman, who was waiting nearby, towards the Sun family home.

Elder Sun's courtyard is more spacious and tidy than that of ordinary farmhouses.

Sun Xiaoman led the way into the main room, where Old Master Sun was sitting in a grand chair by the brazier, holding a brass hand warmer, and resting with his eyes closed.

"Grandpa Sun." Liu stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"I've noticed." Grandpa Sun nodded slightly. "Sit down, Xiaoman. Let me pour your sister a bowl of hot tea to warm her up."

"Grandpa, I am honored by your and Grandma Zhao's kindness in letting me take charge of the cooking, but... I have never been in such a big event before, and I am not confident. I came here today to ask you for a plan. How should this banquet be arranged? How many people are needed? How should the food be prepared? How should the table be arranged? I need a general plan so that I can make a plan."