Chapter 57: Departure, A New Journey!
Chapter 57 Departure, A New Journey!
"I was just going along with it. After all, the atmosphere was right. If you're going to watch the show, you have to be aware of what's going on. Otherwise, why would anyone watch the show for you?" Wang Sumo wandered around outside the Eight Treasures Restaurant and then went back to the kitchen, acting as if nothing had happened.
Zhao Tong: "..."
Zhao Tong found it both amusing and exasperating.
However, with a boss like Wang Sumo, Bazhenlou should certainly not be boring.
Wang Sumo returned to the kitchen and lifted the steamer lid to check the progress of steaming the mooncakes. They were still a little short of cooking time and needed to steam for a while longer before they could be taken out of the pot.
Wang Sumo put the lid back on the steamer, and then began to carefully and meticulously examine Zhao Tong from head to toe.
"Hmm, indeed, there's not a trace of the chubby apprentice," Wang Sumo sighed. "This marrow-cleansing technique is so powerful? His height, appearance, and even his personality have changed?"
Zhao Tong nodded calmly.
Just when everyone thought Wang Sumo would continue to sigh, she actually sighed softly, "It's quite unbelievable! But the gender doesn't seem to have changed, does it?"
After Wang Sumo finished speaking, she waited for his response with the joyful look of someone confirming their "sisterhood," just in case...
Zhao Tong was speechless: "..."
"This is marrow cleansing." Zhao Tong tried his best to control his temper.
Wang Sumo: (⊙o⊙)…
Just kidding, you're really angry~
However, she did think of something. "Hey, I guess the reason you kept traveling with Deyuan was because Deyuan had a bit of the Master's vibe? Or rather, because he had something in common with the Master. That's why you kept following Deyuan and taking him with you, because you got separated from the Master and you were making up for the regret of your childhood..."
After Wang Sumo finished speaking, Zhao Tong was stunned.
That's an admission, Wang Sumo sighed. "I knew it. Even if Deyuan wanted to help you, you wouldn't let him do it for no reason. If I were walking down the street and someone offered to help me, I'd definitely think they were crazy..."
Wang Sumo pointed to her temple, then changed the subject, "But if this person looks like my mother, or has a personality and mannerisms like my father, perhaps I would let him convert me. Doesn't it make sense if you think about it from this perspective?"
Zhao Tong: "..."
Zhao Tong had never been analyzed from this angle before, but she was right...
“That’s right, the old bald monk sometimes does resemble the master chef…” Zhao Tong admitted for the first time, then lowered his eyes.
Wang Sumo asked curiously, "How is it similar?"
Zhao Tong felt a warmth in his heart. "Nagging, unparalleled nagging."
Wang Sumo: (｀Д)!!
However, Wang Sumo seemed to understand.
Then he chuckled softly, "It seems so."
Zhao Tong suddenly frowned and said angrily, "He's much better with you guys around. Before, he could talk non-stop for a whole day."
Wang Sumo: "..."
Wang Sumo suddenly seemed to understand why Zhao Tong was always telling her to "shut up." Day after day, year after year, if someone keeps nagging you every day, and it's just the two of you traveling together, it really can drive a person crazy.
Wang Sumo suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Zhao Tong, wondering what he had been through all these years...
But Wang Sumo's focus was different. "If Deyuan keeps nagging and you don't want to listen, but he doesn't want to stop, would you silence him by pressing his acupoint?"
Wang Sumo didn't believe Zhao Tong would be such a patient person.
Zhao Tong glanced at her, frowned slightly, and said, "You underestimate him. He is Liu Henshui, one of the top masters on the leaderboard. Naturally, he knows how to shift acupoints. As long as he reacts quickly enough, he won't be able to hit his acupoints."
Wang Sumo: (⊙o⊙)…
At this point, Zhao Tong's anger flared up. "I've never been called on even once!"
Zhao Tong grew angrier the more he thought about it. "Do you know what the worst thing could be?"
Wang Sumo quickly shook her head!
She's the most professional when it comes to watching the excitement!
Zhao Tong originally wanted to slam his hand on the table, but suddenly realized that if he did, the Eight Treasures Pavilion would most likely fall apart! At the critical moment, Zhao Tong moved his hand slightly and slammed it onto the chopping board with a "smack".
The cutting board cracked open with a "snap," perfectly matching the current anger. "That guy wasn't actually acupunctured, but he pretended to be because he wanted to play, and he kept doing it for three days. I couldn't undo it no matter what I did, and I was worried that he might have been injured before, or that his meridians were disordered or something. Finally, we went to the doctor, who took out a big box of needles to give him acupuncture, and he let out a 'whoosh'!"
Even through a cracked cutting board, Wang Sumo could feel Zhao Tong's anger.
As luck would have it, there happened to be a cutting board there.
Otherwise, the Eight Treasures Pavilion would have fallen apart today because Deyuan was acupunctured...
Zhao Tong was still fuming. "That old bald monk!"
Wang Sumo was immersed in the sadness of the cracked cutting board. She had spent a long time choosing this cutting board before she found one that was both pleasing to the eye and easy to use!
While the lifespan of a cutting board is indeed limited, only a chef knows how important a good, handy cutting board is to a chef!
Wang Sumo said in a serious tone, "When we get to Shanhe Town, I'll buy two cutting boards and deduct it from your monthly pay!"
Zhao Tong: ? ? ?
“I remember, two ebony cutting boards,” Wang Sumo emphasized.
Zhao Tong didn't mind the money, but he did mind the number and needed to understand, "Why are there two?"
As Wang Sumo tossed the cracked cutting board into a nearby trash can, she said seriously, "Of course you need two. What if you decide to buy one someday and then sell it? Where are you going to buy another one in the middle of nowhere? Are you going to stop operating just because you don't have a cutting board?"
Zhao Tong frowned. Not having a sign meant he couldn't butcher fish, chickens, or ducks, nor could he work as a sous chef.
This won't do!
Zhao Tong said in a deep voice, "I'll buy you twenty!"
Zhao Tong's idea was—enough is enough.
Wang Sumo was thinking—So he's gotten addicted to chopping and is planning to chop twenty of them first?
In short, when Bai Cen and Old Master Qu returned from "blasting" the mountain, steamed mooncakes and fruit tea were already laid out on the octagonal table in the small courtyard on the first floor of the Bazhenlou restaurant. Both of them were panting and starving, and their eyes lit up when they saw the steamed mooncakes on the octagonal table.
"This is a mooncake?" Bai Cen's hand was only halfway out when Wang Sumo slapped it away with chopsticks.
"Sigh!" Bai Cen sighed subconsciously, "You're not even allowed to steal food with your hands?"
Wang Sumo laughed and said, "Do you want to hear what you have to say?"
Bai Cen: "..."
Bai Cen thought back carefully for a moment, then looked apologetic, "It's mainly because I wasn't fully awake this morning when the old man forced me to do morning exercises! I was being very responsible! I led the old man to a place further away for morning exercises, otherwise he might have accidentally destroyed the Bazhenlou restaurant..."
Wang Sumo was annoyed. "That's enough. You can shut up now."
She didn't need to hear any of the subsequent ideas.
Bai Cen scratched his head and laughed, "Okay, boss, I'll go wash my hands now!"
They seize the opportunity to make a quick getaway.
Wang Sumo only had time to let out a light scoff before he stepped back and said seriously, "I'll take the old man to wash his hands too."
Then they made a quick getaway again.
Wang Sumo found it both amusing and exasperating.
Once everyone was seated, Old Master He was indeed the most surprised, asking, "This is a mooncake?"
Mooncakes became popular a few years ago, and have suddenly become increasingly popular in recent years. Master He has always lived in Qingyun Manor, where the expenses are both strict and extravagant. The manor lord and the steward treat everyone equally, so Master He is actually unfamiliar with things like mooncakes.
"Master He, please have one."
Bai Cen was the most perceptive person there; as a handyman who also ran errands, he certainly had that kind of insight.
Wang Sumo also tacitly handed one to the old man and Deyuan and put it on a plate, saying, "I tried steamed mooncakes once before. This is a recipe given by Master Deyuan. This is my first time making them. I don't know how they taste or feel. But we're all family here, and there are no outsiders. So there's no need to worry about ruining the reputation of Bazhenlou. If there's anything you don't like, don't hesitate to tell us."
This was the first time Wang Sumo had made steamed mooncakes, and he really wasn't sure how it would turn out.
Master He was the first to try it, and with a gentle smile in his eyes, he said softly, "It's sweet and delicious, but not cloying. The crust is soft, while the filling is crisp and chewy. It's very good!"
Wang Sumo looked at him with her chin on her hand. Who would have thought that just half a month ago, Master He was listless all day long and had no appetite?
The stomach is strongly linked to a person's emotions.
A person's emotions can strongly influence whether their stomach hurts or not, whether it's a spasm, or a sharp, throbbing pain, discomfort, or loss of appetite.
But a person with a healthy stomach is often more optimistic and happy.
Seeing the current state of Master He, Wang Sumo smiled.
"Amitabha, thank you for making this steamed mooncake, Benefactor Wang. I will remember it," Deyuan said gently.
Wang Sumo said gently, "Actually, I only cooked and wrapped the filling today. The ingredients were bought by Brother Zhao in Shanhe Town last night. He was afraid that if he went too late this morning, he wouldn't be able to buy these things and wouldn't be able to let you and Master He have some before you leave."
Wang Sumo habitually crossed his arms and casually placed them on the octagonal table, smiling, "Everyone is happy. It was worth making this special trip last night, and it's also a token of my appreciation today."
At this point, Wang Sumo changed the subject, "You don't know, but someone not only has excellent knife skills, but also an amazing kneading ability. It feels like Bazhenlou has suddenly acquired a super sous chef!"
The "super sous chef" feels like someone has put a pot on his head!
Accepting the call is not an option, nor is refusing it.
Zhao Tong sighed inwardly; he was simply not used to having the role of sous chef in front of so many people…
"Huh? This dough is so soft, did you make it?" Old Master He asked in surprise.
Zhao Tong nodded. "Yes."
The old man was also impressed. "Why did you join the Rakshasa Alliance?"
Zhao Tong: "..."
The old man's words struck a chord with him. Zhao Tong forced a sincere smile, but he still couldn't bring himself to say thank you to He Laozhuang.
Let's not say anything for now; silence is golden.
Zhao Tong was still happy, and Deyuan said it was delicious.
So, when Bai Cen leaned closer, he whispered to Wang Sumo, "Is this sous chef who came this time really that good?"
Wang Sumo leaned closer, "It seems we'll have to keep posting job advertisements at Bazhenlou. Look, first they hired a skilled guard and a handyman, then a skilled sous chef. It looks like a skilled accountant will be arriving soon. Should I write a notice to post in Shanhe Town, announcing that Bazhenlou will offer takeout service starting today, limited to one order per day!"
Bai Cen asked in surprise, "The food box isn't here yet, is it?"
Wang Sumo's eyes crinkled into two crescent moons with laughter. "Didn't we have one yesterday? Let's engrave the Bazhenlou logo on it first and see how it goes. If it's good, we can find someone to customize it later."
Bai Cen sighed inwardly, now he believed it all—Wang Sumo only took a liking to the food box because he was interested in the delivery business!
Only one order is allowed per day because she only has one food box left!
Bai Cen had a headache.
*
After seeing off Deyuan and Master He, Bazhenlou set off for Shanhe Town again, beginning a new journey.
[Author's Note]
So sleepy, my eyes are already closed.
See you tomorrow
——————
Continue with the red envelopes, sleepy
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