Chapter 77

Galeun and the Apprentice

If someone were to ask me where a chef's qualities are determined, I would unhesitatingly say it's innate talent.

There are various talents involved in cooking, such as delicate hand movements, the ability to sense temperature, keen eyesight, and memory. However, if I had to pick the most important talent, it would naturally be the ability to taste.

While a certain level of talent is needed for flashy knife skills or perfectly handling a wok, these are more in the realm of technique.

With basic manual dexterity, one can enter the world of cooking and, over time, reach a level of mastery in these technical areas.

However, there is something that no amount of effort can obtain, and that is the tongue.

A sensitive palate, to be precise.

After two years at a cooking school, graduates are divided into those who will continue to advanced courses. The test is just one thing.

Prepare ten soy sauces of different concentrations and match them in order of intensity.

Less than ten percent pass.

So, while it's possible to become a good chef through effort, becoming an excellent chef is in the realm of talent.

The basic foundation for perfectly reproducing the taste and seasoning of learned dishes is a sensitive palate, so having a sensitive tongue is a great blessing for someone learning to cook.

That's why Galeun couldn't help but be tempted.

The cooking I've done since my previous life has been individual dishes.

The more chefs there are, the more dishes can be prepared, and to serve a grand banquet like the Manhan Quanxi, skilled chefs are needed, even if not at my level. The unexpected Galeun showed talent?

It was unbearable.

Surprised, Galeun widened her eyes, her face turning bright red as she alternated her gaze between me and my wife, Zhuge Qing. When Zhuge Qing, looking pleased, nodded with a smile at the idea of me taking an apprentice, Galeun also nodded and replied.

"Thank you. I, I am willing."

Then, she got up from the table and, hesitantly, approached the table where my wife, Zhuge Qing, was sitting, bowing carefully.

It seemed she was trying to show respect to Zhuge Qing, who would be her shimo (師母, mother-in-law).

Everyone, including the warriors, my wife, the maids, and I, smiled at this. Then, Galeun, looking somewhat meek, said to Zhuge Qing.

"Thank you. I, I will do my best. Since I will be serving the same husband, I will fulfill my duties as a concubine."

Everyone's warm smiles froze.

My wife, Zhuge Qing, was also taken aback by Galeun's sudden words, blinking in confusion.

"Eh?"

"Huh?"

The maids also let out surprised sounds.

It seemed Galeun had mustered the courage to say this, but as the atmosphere turned cold due to people's reactions, she glanced around and then turned to look at me.

I facepalmed and approached Galeun.

"Galeun, it seems there's some misunderstanding?"

"Misunderstanding?"

Her gaze, trembling as if leaving an afterimage, scanned the surroundings.

I asked her again.

"What did I say just now?"

"You, you clearly said you wanted to form a family with me...?"

At Galeun's words, my wife and the maids, along with the warriors, tilted their heads, as if trying to recall their memories.

It seemed they were wondering if they had heard wrong.

Before another misunderstanding arose, I tried to correct Galeun's memory by repeating what I had said earlier.

"No, I think I said 'a school'?"

"Yes, so 'a school' or 'a family.' Isn't a school attached to a house? So they have the same meaning, right?"

"Ah... You thought that?"

'Strangely, it makes sense.'

My first apprentice seemed to need education in the Chinese language before cooking education.

"So, Galeun... That is..."

I was about to slowly explain to Galeun what she had misunderstood when my wife suddenly stood up and shouted.

"Lord, wait a moment. I will take her and explain. This is absolutely not a place with so many people!"

Thinking about it, if we revealed Galeun's misunderstanding in such a crowded place?

A lifetime of pillow kicks was a given, and she might even try to end her life in shock.

In the sensitivity of women in this era, it could lead to a terrible conclusion.

I quickly nodded and asked my wife.

"I, I didn't think that far. Please help!"

"Ah, I understand. I will try to calm Lord's first... 'Ahem'... I will do my best."

Zhuge Qing, with a determined look, immediately took two maids and Galeun outside.

Soon, screams came from beyond the side gate leading to the lodging.

"What?! Not a concubine but an apprentice?"

"Yes, that's right. Calm down. It's understandable to misunderstand. It's not common to hear about 'a school' unless you're a martial artist or a scholar..."

"Ugh... Aaaaaah!"

"Calm down. It's okay. It's a situation where anyone could misunderstand. I, I did too..."

"Miss, please stop her! Lord's first apprentice is jumping into the well!"

"I want to die! Let me die! Sob... Sob..."

In the courtyard of the lodging, a game of tag was unfolding amidst midnight screams.

How much time had passed? Everyone looked tired and ready to go to bed, but the commotion in the courtyard prevented them from moving towards the lodging.

Galeun's sobs and the soothing words of my wife and the maids continued.

"You, you should think about your siblings. How can you take your life over a little embarrassment...?"

"A little?! Ugh!"

"Be careful what you say!"

"I'm sorry, Miss."

The maids, who were worried about their sister, tried to go to the courtyard, but the servant stopped them and shook her head.

Indeed, her actions showed she wasn't a bad person, just someone with a strong sense of pride.

Amidst the sobs from outside and the silence inside the dining room, the servant, who had been watching the children, asked me.

"Lord, why is Galeun feeling nauseous? Since you're taking her as an apprentice, she doesn't seem to be sick. Is there something about her that you find particularly appealing?"

To answer her question and clear up the misunderstanding, I explained Galeun's condition.

It was early summer, and Sichuan, with its subtropical climate, had quite high daytime temperatures.

Similar to the mid-summer temperatures in Korea from my previous life.

Moreover, since Sichuan is a basin, the temperature is slightly higher than the surrounding areas, so food management is crucial. Even in my previous life, where refrigerators and air conditioning were well-developed, certain dishes were not commonly served in mid-summer restaurants or side dish shops.

This is because the ingredients spoil easily.

We had a delicious dish of morning stir-fried bamboo shoots, but by lunchtime, they could easily spoil.

Of course, the bamboo shoots the warrior brought were not spoiled.

To be precise, they were in a Schrödinger's bamboo shoot state.

Fresh yet spoiled?

In a state where they might start to soften or spoil.

If cooked and eaten immediately, no special issues would be noticed, but if left for half a day after cooking, problems could arise. Galeun felt nauseous because she sensed the spoilage in this subtle state.

One might think her tongue is too sensitive, but I had seen a documentary where some people, due to their extremely sensitive palates, couldn't eat vegetables that had even slightly spoiled. When tested, it was confirmed that their tongues were indeed that sensitive.

Every talent has two sides.

A person who can read a criminal's mind and predict their actions can become an excellent detective if they elevate their talent, but if they fall, they could become an excellent criminal.

For Galeun, it would be tough, but she was at a crossroads: would she elevate her talent to become an excellent chef, or would she fall and become a picky eater? Meeting me, her future was very intriguing.

"Because her tongue is more sensitive than others, that's why."

"If that's the case, doesn't she have a very excellent aptitude for cooking?"

Indeed, the servant, who seemed sincere about cooking, immediately thought of teaching her upon hearing about her sensitive tongue.

"I didn't know that and ended up scolding the child too much out of pride."

"Perhaps if it had been a bit hotter, by evening, the green beans would have spoiled, and Galeun's words would have made sense. Since she made a mistake, I hope there's no lingering resentment between us."

"That's what I'm saying. I'm grateful that you forgave me for treating Lord's people so carelessly."

With that, the incident was somewhat resolved. After a while, the bodyguards started dozing off at the table.

The children also couldn't help but fall asleep at the table. As I yawned, waiting for Galeun to calm down, one of the maids ran over and called me.

"Lord, please come quickly!"

"How did she calm down?"

"Yes, I managed to stop her somehow."

"Good. I see. But why me?"

"You'll understand when you see."

Following the maid, I entered the guest room where my wife and I were staying. Galeun was sitting in a chair, her head half-bent, with a dead look in her eyes, staring blankly at the floor. Her face was marked with dried tears, and her eyes were swollen like a carp's.

When she saw me enter the room, she started to squeeze out tears again.

"Sniff..."

I don't know how my wife calmed her, but somehow she had. Still, seeing her cry again, I was at a loss. My wife, who was sitting on the bed, invited me to sit beside her.

"Lord, sit here. Your first apprentice will perform the nine bows."

'The nine bows?'

The atmosphere was a bit tense, but receiving the nine bows from an apprentice is natural.

As I sat beside my wife, she said to Galeun.

"Galeun? You should perform the nine bows to your master."

Galeun moved like a zombie, slowly walking to us and performing a deep bow.

The nine bows are not nine actual bows. The term comes from the Zhou Dynasty's ritual book, Zhou Guan, which became part of the classics and included nine methods of bowing.

These include jishou (稽首), dunshou (顿首), kongshou (空首), zhenkong (振动), jibai (吉拜), xiongbai (凶拜), jibai (奇拜), baobai (褒拜), and subai (肅拜). The bow for a master is jishou (稽首), which means touching the head to the ground.

Galeun's forehead slowly touched the ground, and my wife nodded in acknowledgment of the respectful gesture. However, Galeun couldn't get up and started trembling.

It seemed she was crying again.

Thus, my first apprentice was born amidst tears.

A lifetime of pillow kicks and all.

***

To prevent any unforeseen incidents, Galeun was decided to sleep with the maids for a while.

Of course, warriors were also stationed by the well.

Thanks to this, we revised our plan to immediately depart for the Tang family and decided to stay at the inn until Galeun could compose herself.

Subsequently, Galeun would travel with us, and out of my wife's consideration, her two younger sisters would be taken care of by the Zhuge family, learning martial arts or studies as they wished.

Of course, I also taught the servant the recipe for Wu Xiang Zhang Rou and asked Tian Daibai, the leader of the food service team, to find someone to help.

Of course, excluding Baduk.

On the third night, after everything at the inn was settled, I quietly slipped into bed next to my wife, who had already fallen asleep, but she suddenly opened her eyes and asked me.

"Lord, are you hiding something from me?"

"Eh? Hiding something?"

"Yes..."

'What could it be?'

No matter how much I thought, I couldn't think of anything I was hiding. It was a strange situation.

I wondered if another misunderstanding had arisen, so I answered in a gentle voice.

"How could I hide anything from my wife? Absolutely not."

Then, my wife suddenly sat up and, pulling out a club as thick as a person's arm from under the blanket, which had her handprint on it, she thrust it at me and asked.

"Is this nothing?!"

'What does this mean?'