Chapter 16

（Once again, I've been pushed off the list. Comrades, please vote to bring me back!）

"Daybreak has arrived, the morning light is faint. The sky is overcast, take an umbrella when you go out..."

The next morning, the wake-up call with the weather forecast came as scheduled, predicting an overcast day with a possibility of rain. After eating a simple bowl of porridge, Chen Xiliang left home with an umbrella.

Before leaving, he left 100 coins for Chen Chen, to cover the meal expenses for his three younger brothers... The amount was clearly a bit excessive, but he was more concerned that the children might not have enough to eat.

Naturally, he didn't forget to instruct Chen Chen to watch over his younger brothers while they studied, and that he would check on their progress when he returned in the evening.

As soon as he left, Chen Ke asked his second brother, "Do you think we can get any of it back?" "I don't know..." Chen Chen was already used to his younger brother speaking like an adult: "What do you think?" "I guess we won't get much back." Chen Ke flipped through the book listlessly. "Three nuts and two dates?" Chen Chen was a bit stunned, and after a moment, he said, "I don't think so." "Why not? With Uncle's character, how could he possibly give us anything back?" Chen Ke pouted. "It's all bad debts... Oh, debts that can't be collected." "Not necessarily." Chen Chen tapped his head. "I don't know how much Father can get back, but I do know that if you can't recite the *Classic of Filial Piety*, you'll definitely get a beating!"

"Don't hit my head..." By noon, the sky had become even more overcast, but it still hadn't rained.

Chen Ke, who had been reading books all morning, stood up and stretched. "It's almost eleven... Uh, noon, right?" "About that," Chen Chen, who was also reading, looked up at Chen Ke. "Shall we go eat?" "Let's save it." Chen Ke rolled up his sleeves. "I'll cook."

"Can you cook?" If it weren't for the identical appearance, Chen Ke would have doubted whether this was his younger brother.

"Of course." Chen Ke gave him a look. "Do you want to learn a few tricks?"

"Uh... yes." Chen Chen nodded and got up. The two younger brothers also tried to get up but were stopped by their older brothers. "Stay and read your books!"

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After lunch, it finally started to rain, though it was light, the drizzle was quite annoying. As the sky grew dark, Chen Xiliang returned, dragging his tired body. Chen Chen went to meet him and saw his father's gloomy face. He didn't dare to ask, just took the umbrella and said, "Father, let's eat."

"Oh..." Chen Xiliang responded absentmindedly, then looked up in surprise. "Did you cook?"

"Chen Ke and I did." Chen Ke said honestly. "I helped, and Chen Ke did the cooking."

"You can cook?" Chen Xiliang looked at Chen Ke in surprise.

"Chen Ke cooked lunch today." Before Chen Ke could answer, Xiao Liulang chimed in. "He even roasted a chicken for us."

"Ah, you've worked hard, Chen Ke." Chen Xiliang felt a bit guilty. He remembered the shack behind the house, which had a stove, and assumed that his son, who was not yet ten, had learned to cook during those forty days. "But it's good, a poor man's child grows up fast..." Seeing his father's mistaken assumption, Chen Ke was happy not to correct him.

Chen Xiliang thought that even if Chen Ke could cook, his skills would certainly be inferior to his own. He was prepared to run to the toilet, but when the dishes were served, he saw the green, almost intact, and lustrous vegetables, and knew that he couldn't match them.

Chen Ke, a gourmet who was also skilled in cooking, had to make do with the kitchen from a thousand years ago... possibly the most rudimentary kitchen in the county. He used the ingredients bought the previous day to roughly stir-fry four vegetables and make a fish soup.

In his mind, vegetables were naturally stir-fried, as the seasonings were the simplest, just oil and salt. Chen Ke found a small can of vegetable oil and a small packet of salt from the items bought the previous day... and casually stir-fried four small dishes: cucumber, water bamboo, lettuce, and celery. He then carefully fried the two small fish, added water to make a fish soup, and finally added salt, scallions, and garlic, creating a simple yet fragrant fish soup.

Chen Chen, who was supposed to be helping, was actually just tending the fire. Seeing Chen Ke's fluid cooking skills, he was amazed. Watching him use oil and salt generously, he felt a bit pained but didn't say anything, as Chen Ke was too busy to notice.

Under the watchful eyes of his sons, Chen Xiliang picked up a piece of cucumber with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and immediately felt its crispness and tenderness, with a fresh, fragrant taste. He was so moved that he almost cried... This reminded him of the stir-fried dishes he had at a grand restaurant in the capital, when he was invited by wealthy classmates. Although they were not as good in every aspect, considering that they were made by a ten-year-old, it was clearly a miracle.

"Father, why are you crying?" Xiao Liulang asked curiously. "Is it not good?"

"Good, good, very good." Chen Xiliang wiped his eyes and smiled at his sons. "I didn't expect to taste the flavor of Bianliang... Father is a bit emotional."

"Uh..." Chen Ke was a bit confused. It was just a few simple stir-fried vegetables... and the oil temperature wasn't high, so the color, taste, and texture were quite ordinary. Why did his father react as if he had eaten a 'heart-wrenching meal'?

Could this be the legendary 'parents are so happy when their children cook'? But it didn't seem like that. Chen Xiliang seemed to be moved by the dishes... Thinking back to the morning, the three brothers had also praised the food, saying they had never tasted anything so delicious. He felt there must be a reason.

Delving into his deep memories, he was surprised to find that in Chen Ke's ten years of life, he had never eaten a stir-fried dish. In Chen Ke's memory, cooking meant boiling, as he only knew how to boil and stew...

His guess was almost right. Stir-frying was not an ancient cooking method. Before the Six Dynasties, the basic cooking methods were similar to those in medieval Europe. It wasn't until the Song Dynasty that stir-frying appeared, and in the Northern Song, it was considered a unique skill, known only to top chefs. In other words, anyone who could stir-fry was the best chef, cherished by the grand restaurants and nobles in Bianliang... After the Southern Migration, it gradually spread to the common people.

The highest realm of Song Dynasty cuisine was the 'five elements of color, aroma, taste, shape, and name.' Any dish that met these five criteria could be called a famous dish.

Among all cooking methods, only stir-frying could easily achieve the first four elements, and with the first four, there would naturally be countless poets vying to name the fifth.

So, the skill of stir-frying, like all top-tier techniques, was strictly passed down from father to son, known only to the chef families in the capital. Perhaps there were a few in Chengdu, but in a small place like Qingcheng County, it was impossible.

Therefore, the ideal profession for a modern person in the Song Dynasty would be a chef...

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After being moved for a long time, Chen Xiliang wiped his tears and asked Chen Ke, "How did you learn to stir-fry?"

"Uh..." Chen Ke thought, 'Why wouldn't I know how to?' But he still looked puzzled and said, "I don't know, I just knew how to do it."

"It seems there really is such a thing as self-taught..." Chen Xiliang couldn't help but marvel, but he didn't say the next part: 'Could my son be destined to be a chef?'

After dinner, it was dark. Chen Xiliang couldn't find the oil can and asked, "Who saw the oil can?"

"It's in the kitchen." Chen Chen said, running to get a clay pot. Chen Xiliang looked inside and asked, "Why is it missing a piece?"

"I used it for cooking..." Chen Ke hadn't expected that vegetable oil in the Song Dynasty was also used as lamp oil and felt a bit uneasy. "Is it expensive?"

"One hundred coins per pound, seventy coins per can, enough for five days, which is quite cheap." Actually, it could last for eight days, but Chen Ke's cooking used up three days' worth in one go. Although he was pained by the amount of oil used in one meal, Chen Xiliang didn't show it. In his view, a child taking the initiative to do housework was a sign of responsibility. In a broader sense, if one couldn't clean a room, how could they clean the world? So, he only encouraged and didn't discourage.

Chen Xiliang poured the lamp oil into the oil lamp and lit the wick with the embers from the stove, creating a warm, orange glow in the room. He sat by the lamp and began checking the children's homework.

He started with the youngest, Xiao Liulang, whose textbook was *Miscellaneous Characters*, a primer for children to learn to read and write. Unlike the *Three-Character Classic* and *Thousand Character Text* used in later Song and Ming dynasties, which instilled Confucian values from the start, the Song people used *Hundred Surnames* and *Miscellaneous Characters*. This was because, while the ultimate goal of education was the imperial exams, most children had no chance of passing. Therefore, it was more practical to teach them useful knowledge while they learned to read.

*Miscellaneous Characters* was such a book, starting with: "In the world, farmers are the most important. To keep a daily account, one must first learn *Miscellaneous Characters*." It then covered agriculture, daily life, marriage, business, and mathematics, incorporating commonly used words and phrases. Children learned to read while receiving basic education.

Chen Xiliang jumbled the characters Xiao Liulang needed to learn and wrote them down. Xiao Liulang was very smart and recognized them all without much effort, earning praise from his father. However, his father also announced that the number of characters to learn the next day would double... Xiao Liulang's joy quickly turned to disappointment.

Next was Wu Lang's homework. This child had a perpetually gloomy face, which started when he began reading. He seemed to have a grudge against books, having been struggling with the *Thousand Character Text* since before the New Year and still couldn't recite it properly.

Fortunately, Chen Xiliang understood his situation and only wanted him to learn more characters and understand the principles. He was also worried that pushing too hard would make him hate studying, so he didn't get impatient. Instead, he gently encouraged him to keep working hard and try again the next day.

Finally, it was Chen Ke's turn. His textbook was... the *Classic of Filial Piety*.

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After repeatedly verifying the information, I'm sorry, the evening update won't be late...

I've been pushed off the list again. Comrades, please vote to bring me back! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !