After settling in, Xiao Hu, Xiao Ruan, and I went to the inn where Yang Sisi was staying. On the way, we chatted as we walked. I told Xiao Hu and Xiao Ruan that Yang Sisi had received guidance from a master, and her cooking skills were as reliable as housing prices in China. So, we should buy the house without hesitation and eat Yang Sisi's cooking without worry.
Xiao Hu and Xiao Ruan were incredibly excited.
Midway through, we stopped at a convenience store and bought a bottle of liquor and two packs of cigarettes; men, after all, rarely get to eat a "good" meal, so of course we need some cigarettes and alcohol to liven things up.
...
About ten minutes later, we arrived at the guesthouse where Yang Sisi was staying. I peeked in from the doorway and saw Yang Sisi wearing an apron, busy in the kitchen... As soon as I saw the kitchen was filled with smoke, I knew she hadn't turned on the range hood. This is even more terrifying than bad cooking skills—a complete lack of common sense... Who knows if she can even tell the difference between sugar and salt, vinegar and soy sauce.
I said to Xiao Ruan and Xiao Hu, "See the smoke in the kitchen? This is a kind of fancy cooking, just like flair bartending. You've all seen those special effects where they light the liquor on fire, right?... It's the same technique."
"Wow, that's really high-class!"
I nodded and let Xiao Hu and Xiao Ruan sit in the inn's lounge area to rest for a while, while I went to the kitchen to face Yang Sisi, who was busy and flustered.
Standing behind her, I said in a sarcastic tone, "Wow, you even need special effects to cook... Is this a kitchen or a misty forest?... Can't you just turn on the range hood?"
Yang Sisi turned to look at me, her eyes filled with tears. Without a doubt, she had wiped her eyes with her hands that had just been cutting onions.
I exclaimed again, "This is eye-opening! Not only do you have special effects, but you also have emotional expression... Seeing your eyes brimming with tears, I knew tonight's dish wouldn't be so simple... But what flavor is it—sweet, sour, bitter, or spicy?!"
Yang Sisi raised a kitchen knife at me, tears streaming down her face, and said through gritted teeth, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll cut out your tongue and use it as a snack with your drinks!"
"I'm just complimenting you... Seriously, can you tell which jar is sugar and which is salt?"
As I spoke, I turned on the range hood and set it to the highest setting. The kitchen finally felt a bit cleaner... Before, I couldn't even see where the oil can was, and that's no exaggeration.
But I didn't look down on Yang Sisi's carefree personality because of this. The fact that she insisted on cooking me a meal in such an environment was already impeccable.
Yang Sisi looked at me, then replied with great confidence, "Do you think I'm one of those naive and innocent heroines in TV dramas? I've been prepared... Look, I've labeled each jar, so there's no chance of making a mistake."
"That's alright, at least you did something that showed you were careful... As long as you don't put the wrong amount of salt and sugar, it shouldn't taste too bad."
"Can you please stop nagging and ruining my mood?... Get out of here!"
"Okay, remember to turn on the range hood next time, or you'll choke to death inside."
Yang Sisi didn't want to talk to me, so she tapped the edge of the iron pot with a spoon, signaling me to hurry up and roll it.
...
Back in the inn's lounge area, Xiao Hu, holding a recipe book, said to me, "Brother Mi, did your friend leave this recipe here?...Isn't she a master chef? Why would she need a recipe book?"
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'The sea of learning is boundless'? ... There is no end to learning, not only in cooking, but also in our food delivery business... If you two could be more dedicated, you'd definitely break 100 orders tomorrow."
Xiao Ruan then chimed in, "These recipes are all common home-style dishes, there's nothing to study, right?"
I was starting to feel overwhelmed, but I still forced myself to say, "The essence of cooking lies in returning to simplicity... Let's take fried rice as an example. It sounds simple, right? Anyone can make it, but it's not. First of all, being able to fry the rice so that each grain is separate is not an easy task. Not only does the rice have to be separate, but the egg also has to be fried evenly and stick to the rice grains... If you can't do these two things, no matter how famous the chef is, you're ruining your own reputation... So your thinking is wrong. You can't think you're invincible just because you have a sharp knife in your hand, because the blade will eventually become dull. You need to know how to use a knife, but you also need to know how to sharpen it to be a true master of the knife... Do you understand?"
Xiao Ruan and Xiao Hu seemed to be thinking about something, then nodded emphatically and said to me, "That makes sense."
I also think it makes a lot of sense, and I couldn't help but think about it again.
...
After waiting for about twenty minutes, Yang Sisi finally finished preparing all the dishes. Xiao Hu and Xiao Ruan helped serve the dishes, and it was only at this point that they had a chance to meet Yang Sisi.
While Yang Sisi went to get the cup, the two of them started talking nonsense to me again, especially Xiao Hu, who said to me in a low voice, "Brother Mi, since the girl who went to see you at noon today is your ex-girlfriend, then the one who cooked must be your current girlfriend, right?"
"Can you tell me how you came up with that connection?"
Xiao Hu shifted his posture and analyzed very seriously: "Your ex-girlfriend was so beautiful, so when you find another girlfriend, she definitely won't be bad... The one who cooks is also pretty... Seriously, I deliver takeout every day, I see all kinds of people, but it's rare to see someone prettier than her... She's genuinely beautiful, and her personality is great too, unlike some women who take advantage of their looks and ignore people!"
I glanced back at Yang Sisi, then stroked my chin and replied, "Logically, it seems to make sense..."
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