Chapter 78 Mo An and Lu Lu become disciples

Dinner was prepared by Mo An: three dishes and a soup, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried bok choy, stewed pork with eggplant, and a fish soup.

"Xiao An's cooking skills are getting better and better," Ji Hefeng praised.

Mo An blushed slightly at the praise, her smile shy, "I learned it all from my older sister."

Ji Hefeng praised again, "You've learned well."

Mo An's face flushed. "Brother-in-law, eat more."

"Xiao An, would you like to improve your cooking skills?" Ji Hefeng asked with a smile, but his eyes held a calculation that the two children couldn't see.

The naive Mo An nodded repeatedly, "I do."

Ji Hefeng: "Then I'll find you a mentor."

Mo An's eyes lit up. "Who is it?"

"Uncle Wang from the cafeteria," Ji Hefeng coaxed patiently, "The school building collapsed, so you won't be going to school for a while. But you can't just sit around doing nothing during this time. It would be such a waste to waste your time. While you're still young, learn some skills so you'll have more options for making a living later. What do you think?"

"That's naturally good." Even the head chef of their production brigade lived a more comfortable life than the average person. Every year when the brigade slaughtered a pig, any family in the village who hired the chef for a wedding or funeral would receive a red envelope, meat, and vegetables. Moreover, Uncle Wang's cooking skills were praised throughout the entire camp, which showed how excellent they were.

"But master chefs usually don't take on apprentices easily." After all, it's a skill for survival. Mo An was already calculating his savings, wondering if he could afford the tuition.

“He will accept you,” Ji Hefeng said confidently.

"Then I will definitely study hard," Mo An promised, almost as if he were raising his hand to swear an oath.

“I want to learn too.” Lu Lu looked at Ji Hefeng. “Once I’ve mastered it, I’ll cook for my mom every day.”

Ji Hefeng: "........Okay, you should learn too."

This made it impossible for him to refuse.

After dinner, Ji Hefeng was going to take Mo An and Lu Lu to become disciples.

"Brother-in-law, aren't we bringing a gift for the apprenticeship ceremony?" Mo An clutched the money in his pocket, worried that he wouldn't have enough. His brother-in-law, on the other hand, was going to leave empty-handed.

"What does Xiao An think we should bring?" He himself had nothing. He was going to save all the rewards from this mission for his wife.

"Let's bring a rabbit," Mo An said, though he wasn't entirely sure.

"Bring eggs," Lu Lu added.

Ji Hefeng thought about it carefully, "Then let's bring two rabbits. And some fruits and vegetables grown at home. The cafeteria is short of vegetables lately, so Uncle Wang should like them."

Upon hearing this, Mo An immediately caught two of the fattest rabbits, tied their legs together, and then took a basket to collect the melons and vegetables that Molly had picked. He only stopped when the basket was full.

Ji Hefeng frowned. "So much food? Is there any food left at home?"

"Yes, it should last for two weeks without any problem." Seeing so many green vegetables at home, Mo An knew that his sister must have picked all the vegetables from the garden.

If the rain continues, their family might run out of vegetables.

Ji Hefeng wasn't worried about that. "Two weeks should be enough. By then, the floodwaters will recede, the roads will be repaired, and the canteen and supply and marketing cooperative will resume their services."

Uncle Wang looked somewhat surprised when he saw Ji Hefeng and the other two outside the door.

"You're back?" he asked.

"I'm back." Ji Hefeng walked into the dormitory. "The town was flooded. The floodwaters at my aunt's place are up to her thighs."

"Your aunt lives on the second floor," Uncle Wang reminded him.

"Oh, then there's no need to worry," Ji Hefeng said. "However, with the water level rising, it might become very difficult to go out later. I also don't know if Auntie's family has enough food or coal."

Uncle Wang: "......."

It's not normal for the young master to suddenly show concern for his wife.

Ji Hefeng: "I will be participating in disaster relief work tomorrow. Do you have anything to give to your aunt?"

"I ate in the cafeteria; there's nothing in the dorm." Uncle Wang glanced at the things Mo An and Lu Lu were holding. The rabbit was plump, and the melons and vegetables were clearly of high quality. Uncle Wang became even more certain of his guess. "You don't come here unless you need something. What brings you here today?"

"I'm sending you two apprentices." Ji Hefeng smiled innocently and pushed Mo An and Lu Lu forward. "They brought their own apprenticeship gifts."

Uncle Wang: "......."

He wanted to refuse.

Ji Hefeng didn't give him time to think. "My wife is exhausted today and is sleeping soundly at home. These two kids may be a little slow, but they are well-behaved and obedient, so you can use them as you please. Once they learn one or two signature dishes from you, my wife will have an easier time."

Upon hearing that Molly had collapsed from exhaustion, Uncle Wang's expression changed. "How did you get so tired?"

“The teaching building was flooded, and she went down to save people.” Ji Hefeng sighed. “You know, I’m not usually home, and there are only two young children at home. If my wife has a headache or fever, who else can we rely on if not the two children?”

Uncle Wang fell into deep thought, feeling that the young master's words made some sense. "Let me make this clear from the start: if you want to learn from me, I will be very strict."

"Of course, strict teachers produce outstanding students. Don't be polite to them, just do what they're supposed to do." Ji Hefeng himself was strict with himself when he was still a young master, and went to university before he was 15 years old. The hardships he endured during that time are self-evident.

Mo An and Lu Lu: "..."

Something feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

“I agreed to let you work in the kitchen, but others will inevitably have their own thoughts. I’ll use the food you brought today to cook a meal for the canteen staff tomorrow and ask them to make an exception,” Uncle Wang said.

Ji Hefeng raised his eyebrows. "You're so thoughtful."

Uncle Wang suddenly frowned, "The apprenticeship gift cannot be omitted. Tomorrow, you will send twenty catties of cornmeal to your aunt, made from the corn your wife grows. Your aunt likes to eat the corn your wife grows."

Not only his wife likes it, but his whole family does.

Ji Hefeng didn't answer directly, and looked at Mo An, "Do you have any at home?"

“Yes,” Mo An said, then thought for a moment, “there are also soybeans and black beans.”

Ji Hefeng thought that once the flood subsided, he could help his wife plant another crop, so he wasn't stingy and generously said, "Alright, in addition to twenty catties of cornmeal, I'll also give you two catties each of soybeans and black beans. I'll deliver them to Auntie tomorrow. When we get to town, I'll also give Auntie a handcart full of coal and carry it upstairs for her."

Uncle Wang was finally satisfied. He turned around and went back to his dormitory to bring out a small stone mill. "I had it made. You can use it to grind soybeans for soy milk or to make tofu."

"You're so thoughtful. I thank you on behalf of my wife." Ji Hefeng knew without guessing that this was a gift from Uncle Wang to Molly. Tsk tsk, his wife is really lovable.

"If she doesn't know how, I'll teach these two kids so they can go back and make it for your wife." The cafeteria makes its own tofu, so he figured he could make Mapo Tofu for lunch tomorrow. That was the decision.

Mo An and Lu Lu: "..."

It feels like I've been tricked.

Molly slept until noon the next day, and she probably wouldn't have woken up if she hadn't been hungry.

The rain was still falling outside, but it had lessened considerably.

She looked at her clean clothes and touched her neat hair, a look of confusion crossing her face. Who washed her clothes?

Thinking of Ji Hefeng, whom she had seen yesterday, she vaguely had an answer in her heart.

Molly was numb, her face was frozen, and a blush rose on her porcelain-white cheeks.

In her past life, she had seen plenty of naked corpses. People died, and their clothes were stolen. Back then, there was no taboo against not wearing clothes for the dead; having anything to wear was a blessing, and people weren't picky. She had also seen plenty of men and women, when aroused, immediately strip and have sex...

She thought that after seeing it so many times, she would get used to it and wouldn't mind anymore.

But when it's my turn—

The thought of Ji Hefeng's hands rubbing various parts of her body made her so ashamed that she wished she could disappear into a crack.

Molly covered herself with the blanket, giving up the struggle and letting herself suffocate.

"Sister, are you awake?" Mo An whispered at the door.

Molly pulled back the covers. "You're awake."

"It's good that you're awake. You slept for a long time." Mo An breathed a sigh of relief. "I brought back food from the cafeteria. Get up and wash up quickly, and I'll set the table. Lunch at the cafeteria is two dishes and a soup: Mapo Tofu, Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes, and Seaweed Soup. There's no meat. I'll also fry a few eggs."

Molly nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, Xiao An."

“Mom, I’ve worked hard too. I also went to do some chores.” Lu Lu squeezed in front of Molly’s bed. “I washed vegetables and peeled potatoes today. I didn’t slack off.”

Molly looked puzzled. "Where are you going to work?"

"The cafeteria... We've taken Grandpa Wang as our master, and from now on we'll have to get up at six in the morning to help out in the cafeteria, preparing three meals a day." Lu Lu felt that working in the cafeteria was a bit tough, but he could endure it in order to learn cooking skills.

Molly: "......."

She woke up to find that both her children had a master?

Over lunch, Molly learned the whole story of how they became apprentices from Mo An and Lu Lu.

Her feelings were mixed. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. And such a great opportunity is something most people can't get. If I can't join the army in the future, I can apply to be a cook, or at worst, I can go back to our brigade and be the head chef. That would be great too," Mo An said with a smile. He cherished this opportunity. Moreover, he could tell that Uncle Wang had put his heart into teaching them.

Although Mo An was young, he had heard many stories of people in the village who wanted to learn a trade. They pulled strings, begged people, paid apprenticeship gifts and tuition, only to find that the teacher refused to teach them anything real, and they ended up not even learning the basics. It was a waste of money and time, and they were treated like free laborers by their masters—it was truly miserable.

Molly hadn't expected Mo An to think so far ahead. Perhaps because he was living under someone else's roof, the child always tended to think things through. This wasn't a bad thing. If there was a skill that could put Mo An at ease, then let him learn it.

Molly could tell that Mo An wasn't forcing her, so she said, "Study hard and come back to teach your sister."

“Mom, I can teach you too,” Lu Lu said, not wanting to be left behind.

Molly pinched his little cheek. "Okay, you two can teach him."

After lunch, Molly went back to her room to sleep. Mo An and Lu Lu had gotten up early in the morning, so they also needed to catch up on their sleep.

“Sister, Uncle Wang is treating the cafeteria staff to dinner tonight. Xiao Lu and I are also eating there. Uncle Wang said he’ll set aside an extra portion for you, and I’ll bring it back to you first,” Mo An said.

"We caught two rabbits and also brought a basket of vegetables to Uncle Wang," Lu Lu added.

Molly naturally had no objection. "There are still fish in the tank. You can bring two more over this afternoon."