Chapter 6 of 100

Chapter 6

12 min read3,110 words

In the previous life, Cheng Xiaoyu could also be considered a foodie who wasn't picky. He could enjoy street stall stir-fries cooked with gutter oil as long as they tasted good, and he would save up for a while to experience a three-star Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong. He had also eaten his way through the small, shabby restaurants in the provincial capital with friends and given them reasonable and fair ratings.

He was also a skilled cook. Sometimes he would cook at home for his own entertainment, but his efficiency was abnormally low. When friends came over for a small gathering, he would start preparing at four o'clock, start cooking at six, and generally, the last dish would be served around eight. By then, he would often be the only one eating, as his friends would have already had their fill while he was cooking.

The Su family's villa was neither the fresh and unrestrained style of a traditional Jiangnan garden nor the solemn and dignified style of European nobility. It was a pioneering product of a combination of modern and simplified European styles. There was no doubt that this style was the result of Zhou Peipei's efforts.

The first floor of the villa extensively used elegant white marble for the exterior walls. This rare stone was mined from Greek quarries with limited annual production. The second and third floors used a large amount of metal and glass. The shape of the house was roughly a horizontal "工" (gong) character. The main entrance was on the left side of the "工" character, and to the left of the entrance was a garage with six parking spaces. In front of the "工" character was a small artificial waterfall with a few palm trees planted beside it. In front of the main structure, a row of snow-white jade pillars stood between the first and second floors, instantly giving the entire elegant building a majestic aura. On the other side of the "工" character was a square swimming pool, with a platform in the middle covered with outdoor wooden boards, a laurel tree planted, and a sofa and coffee table placed there. The total area of the villa was certainly more than 1,000 square meters, with just the indoor area being over 1,000 square meters. More extravagantly, the butler, servants, and driver did not live here but in a nearby European-style small villa of about 500 square meters.

At this moment, Cheng Xiaoyu was sitting in the dining room with Aunt Zhou, watching the French chef Jean Verre France stand beside a specially made steak cart, talking eloquently.

Verre wore a tall mushroom-shaped chef's hat, which in France symbolized the height of culinary skills. His Chinese was heavily accented with French, but it was still fluent, clearly indicating that he was not the first time to showcase his skills for the Chinese elite.

"This is a piece of ribeye from the sixth to eighth ribs, the best part of a cow. Since it's Kobe beef, it has already been aged for 28 days in a temperature and humidity-controlled cold storage. These 28 days have made the meat more tender and flavorful. So, we only need to take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for two to three hours. To suit the taste of the Chinese, this piece of meat has already been marinated with my special seasoning." Then Verre picked up a frying pan and heated it.

"Most chefs will tell you to cook the steak on medium heat, flipping it every two to four minutes. But I prefer high heat." As the pan started to smoke, Verre gently placed a small piece of butter in it. "Butter is better for cooking steak than olive oil. It makes the steak more fragrant and the color more appealing." Once the butter was evenly spread, Verre used wooden tongs to pick up the Kobe beef from the tray and carefully placed it in the pan, sprinkling a little sea salt on the surface. Cheng Xiaoyu, not far away, could hear the beautiful sizzling sound and see the oil bubbles rise onto the marbled pink Kobe beef, making him involuntarily swallow his saliva.

"We wait for the steak to develop a golden-brown crust, which will trigger the magical Maillard reaction. Ha, a doctor who doesn't want to be a chemist is definitely not a good chef." Verre displayed his French humor at the right moment.

"The Maillard reaction, specifically for steak, is the interaction between proteins and sugars, producing the meat's aroma." He took a deep breath, looking intoxicated.

"I will flip the steak every 20 seconds or so to let the fragrant fat penetrate the entire steak. So, beautiful lady, how well-done would you like it?" Verre skillfully flipped the beef with wooden tongs while engaging in conversation.

Aunt Zhou, clearly used to such scenes, replied indifferently, "Medium-well."

Verre tilted his head and asked, "And how well-done would our adorable young master like it?"

Cheng Xiaoyu replied, "I'll have it well-done."

While talking, Verre continued to flip the beef rhythmically and occasionally inserted a metal probe thermometer into the center of the beef to check the temperature. "Generally, medium-well is around 60 degrees, and well-done is around 65 degrees." After saying this, Verre took the steak out of the pan, placed it on a silver plate, and covered it. He then signaled his assistant to push the cart away and bowed slightly, saying, "Beautiful lady and noble young master, please wait a moment, and you will be able to enjoy the delicious Kobe steak. The best time to taste the steak is not immediately after cooking. Please allow me to step back and complete this perfect gift from heaven."

Aunt Zhou nodded and said, "We will wait here to taste your excellent skills." Then the French chef with the tall hat bowed and left the dining room. The subsequent steps were likely his closely guarded secrets.

Cheng Xiaoyu was amazed by this meal. Even without the Kobe beef, the table was not filled with a full Manchu-Han banquet, but it was still a feast with a wide variety of dishes. Bird's nest chicken soup, sea cucumber with pig's tendon, fresh clams with shredded radish, carp tongue with bear paw, rice wine with gorilla lip, Wensi tofu soup, turtle meat slices soup, premium soup bowls, egg whites, goose gizzard soup, pickled steamed shad, and fake spotted fish liver were all arranged on the round table.

Cheng Xiaoyu, who had never seen such a grand spread, hurriedly said to Aunt Zhou, "Aunt Zhou, there are too many dishes!"

Aunt Zhou picked up a piece of bear paw and put it in Cheng Xiaoyu's bowl, saying, "Eat as much as you want. Bear paw is a rare delicacy, and I rarely get to eat it. Today is your birthday, your first birthday in China. Aunt Zhou can't let you down. Even if you don't live well, you must eat well. Your father may not say it, but he cares. The Kobe beef was prepared by Qiao San at his request. He thought you liked Western food."

Cheng Xiaoyu was silent, almost on the verge of tears. He thought of many things, the noodles his mother cooked in his previous life, and the braised pork his mother cooked in this life. His eyes reddened, and he could only lower his head to hide his weakness, not wanting anyone to see his inner vulnerability. Zhou Peipei, being so astute, guessed half of his thoughts and remained silent.

After a hasty meal, the butler Qiao San had the staff clear the dining room, and the leftovers were served to the servants. For the Filipino servants who had never seen such luxury, these dishes were a feast they could brag about for a lifetime.

Cheng Xiaoyu and Aunt Zhou left the dining room, with Cheng Xiaoyu slightly trailing behind. As they passed Su Yuxi's music room, Aunt Zhou turned and said, "You can't skip your piano practice just because you're upset with your father. The college entrance exam is next year. Although you will definitely get into college, you need to practice the piano to get into the Shanghai Theatre Academy. If you want to study piano or composition, you will be under Professor Li Yunling, who is known for being strict and hard to please. You said you would take your studies seriously, so I'll see how you perform. You don't need to worry about your academic scores; a little lower is fine, but you need to work hard for the arts exam."

Cheng Xiaoyu looked at Su Yuxi's transparent glass music room, which housed a white Steinway concert grand piano. Steinway pianos are already expensive, and a white one is even rarer. The piano's body was adorned with crystal-like Heliconia petals hanging from elegant silver branches, reflecting a rainbow of colors, as if warning others to stay away.

Cheng Xiaoyu thought of his sister, who was as unattainable as Mount Everest, with a cold and aloof personality almost identical to Su Changhe's. She was reserved, cold, and proud, polite to everyone on the surface but maintaining an unbridgeable distance. Suddenly, Cheng Xiaoyu missed the second-hand Yamaha U5 he had left in San Francisco, a birthday gift from his mother Cheng Qiuci when he was eight. That old piano had accompanied him through his long youth, and he was familiar with every loose key and shallow scratch.

Aunt Zhou, as if reading Cheng Xiaoyu's complex gaze, smiled and said, "If you want to practice, go ahead. I'll talk to Yuxi tonight. She has to go to the company to practice singing and dancing after school, so she doesn't have much time to practice the piano."

Cheng Xiaoyu thought for a moment, not wanting to face Su Yuxi's cold gaze. He disliked the awkward feeling of being a guest in someone else's home and said, "Aunt Zhou, don't trouble yourself! I love the piano, and we music students often don't like others touching our instruments. It's fine occasionally, but not regularly. So, don't ask Yuxi. Our school has a music room, and I can rent one to practice."

Aunt Zhou pondered and said, "Your father doesn't want you to stay at school, so don't mention practicing there. I'll convert the billiard room near the garage into a music room for you! It's not as spacious and bright as Yuxi's, but don't mind that!" Cheng Xiaoyu was a bit conflicted, subconsciously desiring it but feeling the cost was too high, which didn't align with his frugal mindset.

Aunt Zhou, without waiting for his response, patted his shoulder and said, "It's settled! The billiard room has never been used. You can design your music room yourself, and I'll have Qiao San clear it out later."

Cheng Xiaoyu, unaccustomed to Aunt Zhou's decisiveness, hurriedly said, "Aunt Zhou, don't rush. Let me think about it."

Aunt Zhou was not bothered, "I have the final say. When you have any requirements, just tell Qiao San. I have to go back to school this afternoon. Your sister will probably be back around 6 PM. If you're bored, you can use her piano, but be mindful of the time. If she catches you, I can't save you!"

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