Chapter 7

Listen! Can this even be called a kitchen? It’s more like a shed.

This is definitely the worst, dirtiest, and most rudimentary kitchen Li Qi has ever seen.

In the middle of the room, there was a large rectangular wooden table, on which were placed some bowls and chopsticks, a cutting board, a piece of pork on the cutting board, and some scattered bamboo shoots and garlic, among other ingredients. On the left side, against the wall, were two large brick stoves, one with a large iron pot on it, and the other seemingly unused for a long time. Next to the stoves was a small table, on which were various containers of different sizes and shapes, apparently for holding seasonings. Beside the small table was a large wooden bucket filled with water. At the back of the room, a small pile of chopped wood was stacked.

Li Qi had no interest in touring the place; he just wanted to get out of there quickly. He asked directly, "Hey, Liu Zi, what dishes do you have here?"

"Isn’t everything on the table? Can’t you see for yourself! Oh, right, there’s also a carp under the table." Wu Xiaoliu, holding a bundle of firewood, threw it in front of the stove and said impatiently.

"Uh...!"

Li Qi came to the table and looked. Apart from a piece of pork, there were only some bamboo shoots left. He broke out in a cold sweat and exclaimed, "Just this much food?" He picked up the piece of pork, which weighed about a pound, and sniffed it. Damn, at least it’s not spoiled.

"This is what we’re saving for ourselves," Wu Xiaoliu said irritably.

Shit! No way? Such a large inn, and this is all the food? This is too much.

Li Qi began to regret his impulsive decision to keep those two guests. However, regret is one thing; he wasn’t the type to back down at the first sign of trouble. While regretting, he was already thinking about what dishes he should make next.

Actually, Li Qi didn’t keep those two master and servant out of impulse. He just felt that since he had been eating and staying here for free for so many days, he should do something for them, to pay back a little at a time.

It must be said that Wu Xiaoliu was indeed a master at starting fires. In no time, he had the stove burning brightly.

Wu Xiaoliu stood up, wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve, and saw Li Qi still standing by the table, lost in thought. He became anxious and called out, "Young Master Li, Young Master Li."

Li Qi was slightly startled, turned around, and seeing the fire was ready, said, "Alright, you go out and entertain the guests first. I’ll bring the dishes up later."

Wu Xiaoliu gave Li Qi a suspicious glance, his face full of unease, and said, "Hurry up, and remember to call me if anything happens."

Li Qi, still thinking about what dishes to make, didn’t pay much attention and just nodded in response.

What a strange person.

Wu Xiaoliu scratched his head and walked out.

After leaving the kitchen, Wu Xiaoliu went upstairs and, seeing that the two guests had no further requests, returned to the counter.

After a while, Wu Xiaoliu, seeing no activity from the kitchen, became increasingly anxious. He paced back and forth in front of the door, muttering to himself, "Why isn’t it ready yet?"

After another half an incense stick’s time, Wu Xiaoliu, seeing that Li Qi still hadn’t come out, was filled with regret. He scratched his head hard and thought, "Why did I let him cook? What can a drunkard cook? If Uncle finds out, he’ll scold me to death. Ah, I’d better go check."

Wu Xiaoliu, the more he thought, the more scared he became. Just as he was about to go to the kitchen to investigate, he suddenly heard Wu Furong’s voice, "Liu Zi, Liu Zi."

What you fear will come to you.

Wu Xiaoliu was so scared that he shuddered all over. Turning his head, he saw Wu Furong coming in, looking travel-worn, and said in a panic, "Uncle, why are you back so soon?"

Wu Furong frowned and looked at him, surprised, "When else should I come back?"

Wu Xiaoliu was speechless for a moment. Seeing that only Wu Furong had come, he quickly changed the subject, "Hey? Where’s Master Zhou?"

"Master Zhou is still at the mansion. I came back first to take care of things," Wu Furong said, taking a sip of tea and instructing, "Liu Zi, close the door first."

Wu Xiaoliu was taken aback and quickly asked, "Uncle, what do you mean?"

Wu Furong nodded and said, "Yes, Madam has decided to sell the inn."

"Ah?"

Wu Xiaoliu’s eyes instantly dimmed, and he asked, "Has Madam found a buyer yet?"

Wu Furong shook his head and said, "Not yet, but we won’t do business for the next few days. There are no customers anyway. Close the door quickly."

"Oh!"

Wu Xiaoliu responded, suddenly remembering the two guests upstairs, and was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up," Wu Furong said angrily, seeing Wu Xiaoliu still standing there, lost in thought.

At this point, Wu Xiaoliu knew he couldn’t hide it anymore. He looked up at Wu Furong with a sad face and pointed upstairs, "Uncle, there are still two guests upstairs."

"What?"

Wu Furong exclaimed, immediately lowering his voice, "You’re being foolish. Master Zhou isn’t here. What can you serve the guests?"

"It’s all because of that Young Master Li. He insisted on keeping those two guests," Wu Xiaoliu quickly shifted the blame to Li Qi.

"Li Qi?" Wu Furong asked, surprised.

"Who else? If you don’t believe me, he’s in the kitchen right now. You can ask him yourself," Wu Xiaoliu said irritably.

Wu Furong, with a suspicious look, glanced at Wu Xiaoliu and said, "You stay here. I’ll go check the kitchen."

At that moment, a burst of fragrance suddenly came from the back room.

"Wow! What is that? It smells so good!" Wu Xiaoliu exclaimed.

Wu Furong also stopped, sniffing hard and frowning, "Could it be...?"

Before he could finish, Li Qi came out of the back room with three bowls of dishes. Seeing Wu Furong standing in the hall, he said, "Oh, Uncle Wu, you’re back!"

Wu Furong nodded woodenly, quickly stepping forward and glancing at the three dishes Li Qi was holding. He drew a sharp breath. He had never seen these dishes before and asked in disbelief, "Did you make these?"

Li Qi nodded and smiled awkwardly, "I saw that Master Zhou wasn’t here, so I took the initiative to keep the two guests. I hope you won’t blame me."

"Wow! Young Master Li, you really can cook!" Wu Xiaoliu, who had recovered, walked up to Li Qi, looking at the three fragrant dishes and exclaimed excitedly.

What kind of talk is this!

Li Qi rolled his eyes and ignored him, turning to Wu Furong, "Uncle Wu, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take the dishes to the guests." Although Li Qi had learned to cook from a young age, this was the first time he had served dishes, and he found it quite interesting.

"Oh! Go ahead then," Wu Furong nodded quickly, still in a daze.

"Brother Li, let me do this menial task," Wu Xiaoliu, now excited, changed his address to Li Qi and took the tray from him.

Li Qi smiled, and the two of them went upstairs together.

When they arrived upstairs, they saw the purple-robed young master sitting at a table by the window, his gaze wandering outside. The servant stood respectfully beside him, and the two were chatting, showing no signs of impatience.

After Wu Xiaoliu set the dishes down, he smiled and said, "Guests, please enjoy your meal."

The purple-robed young master looked at the three dishes on the table with surprise. A plate of golden pork slices, a plate of carp with no broth, and a plate of crystal-clear bamboo shoots. He exclaimed, "Wow? These dishes are so strange." He then turned to Li Qi and asked, "Young man, did you make these three dishes?"

Li Qi nodded and said, "I apologize for any inconvenience."

The purple-robed young master looked at the three dishes again, still puzzled, and asked Li Qi awkwardly, "May I ask, young man, what are the names of these dishes?"

"Of course!"

Li Qi first pointed to the plate of pork slices, "This is Twice-Cooked Pork." Then he pointed to the bamboo shoots, "This is Braised Bamboo Shoots." Finally, he pointed to the carp, "This is Pan-Fried Carp."

"Twice-Cooked Pork? Braised Bamboo Shoots? Pan-Fried Carp?"

The purple-robed young master repeated the names softly, closed his white paper fan, and smiled, "Interesting, very interesting." He eagerly signaled to his servant.

The servant immediately picked up the chopsticks and took a small portion from each dish, placing them in a bowl and setting it in front of the purple-robed young master, "Young Master, please enjoy your meal."

The purple-robed young master placed his white paper fan on the table, picked up the chopsticks, and put a piece of bamboo shoot in his mouth. After chewing, his eyes lit up, and he praised, "Crisp and sweet, very good, very good." He then picked up a piece of Twice-Cooked Pork and put it in his mouth, looking entranced, "Tender and not greasy, soft and not mushy, delicious. I never thought such a simple piece of pork could be so delicious. Impressive, very impressive!"

In the Northern Song Dynasty, mutton and beef were the most popular, and wealthy families generally did not eat pork. Su Dongpo once said, "Pork is as cheap as dirt, the rich won’t eat it, and the poor don’t know how to cook it." This shows how low the status of pork was at the time.

Wu Xiaoliu, hearing the purple-robed young master’s praise, was so excited that his eyes sparkled, and his face was full of joy. Others might have thought these dishes were his own work.

Li Qi, however, remained relatively calm about the praise. It’s no wonder, as he was used to living amidst constant praise.

The purple-robed young master picked up a small piece of fish from the bowl, chewed it, and before he could even swallow, he exclaimed, "Pan-Fried Carp, excellent! As the name suggests, the fish’s flavor and freshness are sealed inside, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and delicious. Wonderful, truly wonderful!"