Chapter 25 Lotus Root Soup with Rice
Lu Linchuan woke up.
He gazed quietly at Huang Yifei not far away, his usually sharp eyes now incredibly soft.
Seeing that his mother was safe and sound, his tense shoulders finally relaxed, but he inexplicably lowered his head, as if trying to hide himself in the shadows.
The boy who had just panicked and acted recklessly was now as quiet as a child who had done something wrong.
"My grandma says lotus root soup with rice is the best," Su Yingxue said, carrying a bowl of glistening white rice, the grains so plump they almost translucent. "Would you like a bowl?"
She scooped up a spoonful of the light brown lotus root soup and slowly poured it over the rice. The nine-hole lotus root was cut into pieces of varying sizes, its pale pink cross-sections soaking up the essence of the soup, perfectly blending with the savory aroma of the pork ribs. The snow-white Wuchang rice floated gently in the amber-colored soup, like tiny boats.
Lu Linchuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. This time, he did not refuse.
He carefully scooped up a small spoonful and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, as if confirming that this was not a dream.
Then, as if he had suddenly flipped a switch, he started eating voraciously. He finished off more than half the bowl in one go.
"I...want to eat more." Lu Linchuan's voice was a little hoarse, and when he looked up at Huang Yifei, his eyes sparkled with childlike anticipation.
"Hey! Plenty!" Huang Yifei quickly turned and went to the kitchen, her steps much lighter than usual. "Mom cooked a big pot!" A little while later, she came back with a large bowl of steaming lotus root soup and a big bowl of rice.
This time, Lu Linchuan ate even faster. He wolfed down his food in two bites at a time, which made Huang Yifei feel both sorry for him and gratified.
Halfway through his meal, he suddenly stopped, looked up at Su Yingxue, and gave her a rare, shy smile: "Thank you."
Su Yingxue was neatly stacking the used bowls when she heard this, and simply waved her hand, saying, "What are you thanking me for?"
Lu Linchuan didn't reply, but his gaze fell on her: "I really want to eat your braised prawns... and baby bok choy."
"Pfft—" Su Yingxue almost burst out laughing. Looking at Lu Linchuan's eager yet embarrassed expression, she deliberately put on a stern face. "No, no, you've only just recovered. The shrimp is too greasy, and you already ate two bowls of rice. If you eat any more, you'll really throw up."
Huang Yifei quietly gave Su Yingxue a thumbs-up, her eyes full of approval. Su Yingxue blinked and returned the smile knowingly.
Lu Linchuan keenly noticed their interaction, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. Clearly, he had already guessed that this was all Su Yingxue's "scheme."
Su Yingxue, ever perceptive, immediately noticed the young master's change in mood. She smiled and leaned closer, lowering her voice, "Next time I'll make you braised pork, stir-fried snow peas, and tomato, enoki mushroom, and tofu soup."
Lu Linchuan's eyes lit up instantly, his earlier annoyance vanishing in a flash: "I want more meat! Tomatoes...tomatoes without the skin."
"Alright, alright, whatever you say." Su Yingxue readily agreed, but in her heart she was already thinking about the system notification that had just been issued. Anyway, she wouldn't be able to cook many more meals, so it would be a good time to hand over the work.
Su Yingxue's lips unconsciously curled up, and she caught a glimpse of the system notification popping up on the screen out of the corner of her eye:
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the task of treating Lu Linchuan's anorexia.]
[Special Reward: 20,000 RMB in cash has been issued]
[Bonus Reward: Random Snack Recipe x1 (to be obtained through a later lottery)]
She gave a soft hum and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table. She thought to herself, "Now we can discuss the arrangements for the next task."
"You're resigning?" Director Ye Lu, who was engrossed in checking the script, suddenly looked up when he heard this. He was still holding a pen in his hand and almost drew a line on the script.
During this time, he was planning to have Su Yingxue add more home-style dishes to the menu, but unexpectedly she suddenly said she wanted to leave.
“Director,” Su Yingxue explained with a smile, “you’re about to head to Hengdian for a studio shoot. I’ve finished my work here, and… my grandmother is still in the hospital, and I want to go back and see her.”
"Sigh..." Director Ye Lu opened his mouth, a strange sense of loss welling up inside him. He had initially thought that Su Yingxue had only come to cook for a few days on a whim and would then run away.
Unexpectedly, she became the crew's "savior." Not only was she an excellent cook, but she also frequently helped the props team improve their props, and even occasionally conjured up a table of "prop dishes," which was a great help.
She even helped him revise the script several times. Thanks to her, the popularity of "The Banquet in Chang'an" remained high. He also felt that this play could become his representative work.
"You..." Director Ye Lu hesitated, finally managing to stammer out, "Alright then, go to the finance department and collect your salary."
Su Yingxue nodded. As she walked out of the director's office, she glanced back at the closed door, silently saying goodbye. Although this period had been busy, it had also been filled with warmth.
When Su Yingxue received her salary, she stared at the bank transfer notification and was stunned: "A full 20,000?"
"Was this sent to the wrong person? It's only been a month? Isn't it 200 a day? It should be 6000." She went to the accountant, Xiao Li, with a puzzled look.
Xiao Li smiled and shook his head: "It wasn't a mistake, Sister Su. You've worked hard. Director Ye specifically instructed that you get a raise."
Su Yingxue suddenly realized, then winked playfully, "Then I'll get Director Ye extra meat tomorrow."
Huang Yifei had a lot of work to do and left early in the morning, taking his son Lu Linchuan with him. Lu Linchuan clearly didn't want to go, but Huang Yifei said he had promised Lu Linchuan to compose music for the Chang'an Banquet. He couldn't forget that. Only then did Lu Linchuan reluctantly leave.
Before leaving, I packed up a huge portion of the dishes that Su Yingxue had prepared in advance, as well as a large box of beef dumplings.
Su Yingxue had just put her bank card into her wallet when her phone vibrated. She picked it up casually and saw a bank transfer notification: "[Your account ending in 100,000.00 yuan was transferred from Huang Yifei on [date]]."
"One hundred thousand?!" She nearly dropped her phone and quickly checked the message to confirm. A string of zeros made her rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
The phone rang almost simultaneously, displaying the words "Aunt Huang" on the screen. Su Yingxue took a deep breath and pressed the answer button.
"Xiao Su," Huang Yifei's voice was filled with undisguised joy, "I heard you're leaving? I want to thank you properly. This 100,000 yuan is a small token of my appreciation."
Su Yingxue glanced subconsciously at her simple suitcase and said softly, "Aunt Huang, I can't accept so much. The treatment for Lu Linchuan was originally prepared by you yourself..."
“Xiao Su,” Huang Yifei gently interrupted her, “you must accept this money; it’s your reward for all your hard work these past few days. As for Xiao Lu… I know how much effort you’ve put into him.”
A slight rustling of papers came from the other end of the phone. Su Yingxue knew that Huang Yifei must be holding a script or schedule. This workaholic actress rarely relaxed, even during her rest time.
"Furthermore," Huang Yifei continued, her voice carrying a hint of the earnestness Su Yingxue knew, "would you consider coming to my house as a private chef long-term? You can name your salary and decide the workload. Xiao Lu... needs your care."
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