Chapter 243: The Xiao Family Has A Beginner Chef
Translator: CatatoPatch Editor: Vermillion
The atmosphere inside the small store immediately became somewhat weird.
Xiao Xiaolong widened his eyes and glared at Bu Fang while panting with rage with his fair skin turning red, which looked almost the same as a ripe honey peach, incomparably captivating… This little sissy looked even more attractive than a woman.
Bu Fang had also widened his eyes and was speechless momentarily. He have not imagined that Xiao Xiaolong’s talent would unexpectedly be so gifted and was not any inferior to the bustling Yu Fu in the kitchen.
Xiao Yanyu’s talent was also pretty good, but compared to Xiao Xiaolong, she was still somewhat inferior. This was simply too overwhelming.
“Owner Bu… What are you trying to say? Are you looking down on me, Xiao Xiaolong?” Xiaolong said in grievance.
Xiao Yanyu, who was at the side, helplessly watched everything unfold. She felt that the situation was very comical and could no longer hold in her laughter. She covered her mouth and started giggling.
Ouyang Xiaoyi also started giggling incessantly.
Bu Fang became a little awkward as he coughed lightly and said: “No… I did not have any intention of looking down on you. Aren’t you a gifted talent from the Imperial Capital? I assumed you would be a lot busier…”
“My sister is also a great talent within the Imperial Capital…why weren’t you concerned whether or not she would be busy?” Xiao Xiaolong curled his lip. The excuse Owner Bu used was really too lousy.
“Isn’t your sister going to the Southern City? Why aren’t you following her?” Asked a puzzled Bu Fang.
“The Xiao Family ancestor grounds is in the Southern City. At that time, our father had followed Emperor Changfeng for his expedition. Ultimately, he decided to start afresh here. However, the Xiao Family in Southern City is still very reputable to the locals. We also aren’t sure what have happened, but for the past few days, the elders in the Xiao Family had asked one of us to return back and my dad had asked my sister to do so,” Xiao Xiaolong said truthfully.
Xiao Yanyu nodded her head in acknowledgement. Within her beautiful pupils were traces of regret as she gazed at Bu Fang. Xiao Yanyu would loved to learn from Bu Fang if circumstances allowed it.
“Alright, then… Later on, when you return home, cook a serving of Egg-Fried Rice and bring it over for me to taste tomorrow. If you are able to meet my expectations, the second apprentice position will be yours.” Bu Fang said nonchalantly to Xiao Xiaolong.
“Second?”
“Oh… Let me introduce you to another person. The first apprentice I had accepted is a serpent-woman, Yu Fu.” Bu Fang introduced. Subsequently, he turned around to face the kitchen and shouted Yu Fu’s name.
Yu Fu was taken aback. She stopped whatever she was doing as she swayed her tail and came out of the kitchen. She stood behind Bu Fang charmingly.
Yu Fu was a little bashful as she placed her hands in front of her waist. She slightly bowed at Xiao Xiaolong and Xiao Yanyu.
Yu Fu was not as pretty as Xiao Yanyu and Ni Yan, but when compared to a ordinary female, she was still very charming.
Xiao Xiaolong was someone who was very sociable and soon became familiar with Yu Fu. He ordered a few dishes and after finishing his meal, he returned back to his Xiao Mansion hurriedly.
Bu Fang looked at Xiao Xiaolong’s leaving silhouette and the corner of his mouth was raised slightly. “I have finally managed to find my second apprentice.”
This kind of words could only be said when Bu Fang have finally managed to complete the assignment given to him by the system. However, he might perhaps still have to wait till the system approved Xiao Xiaolong. Only when Xiao Xiaolong possessed a kitchen table like Yu Fu’s would the mission be counted as accomplished.
Bu Fang stood up from his chair and stretched. Thereafter, he walked into the kitchen, “Yu Fu, I am going to teach you the recipe of Red Braised Meat today. For our Red Braised Meat, you will have to pay extra attention to the control of the true energy within the meat.”
The kitchen was buzzing with activity the moment Bu Fang started cooking. Xiaoyi was at the little store recording all the diners’ order enthusiastically.
…
Imperial Capital, Xiao Mansion.
Ji Ru’Er and Xiao Meng strolled in the Xiao Mansion garden with the flower fragrance accompanying them. There were jokes and laughter within their conversation, pervading the atmosphere with their slight happiness.
“Madam, you should keep Yanyu and Xiaolong company. Tomorrow, Yanyu is going to leave for Southern City. It might be very hard for you to see her again for the next 6 months.” Xiao Meng pulled Ji Ru’Er fragrant shoulder toward him and said gently. The strongest person in the Imperial Capital would usually possess a sonorous voice. It was hard to see him speaking in such a gentle voice.
“Would anything happen to Yanyu after returning to the Southern City? How about asking little Yue to tag along?” Ji Ru’Er said.
“It’s fine. It’s just that something trifling had happen in the Xiao Family. Yanyu is very intelligent and she knows how to act appropriately. She should be able to solve it very easily.” Xiao Meng smiled faintly. He had extreme faith in Xiao Yanyu’s capability.
Recently, Xiao Yue had been busy with trying to break through and it would not be appropriate to disturb him. If Xiao Yue were to successfully break through, he would become a Battle-Saint. By then, there would be two Battle-Saints overseeing his Xiao family and their position would become as steady as a boulder.
Ji Ru’Er smiled gently. She was originally an extremely gentle woman.
“Just now when little Xiaolong returned home, he went straight into the kitchen. Since when was he so fond of the kitchen?”
Xiao Meng was taken aback and his face immediately stopped smiling, “Atrocious! Is he so bored now that he has to start creating trouble in the kitchen? This ignorant and incompetent scoundrel! If only he was half as good as Yanyu, there would be no longer a need for me to worry about him.”
Ji Ru’Er covered her mouth and giggled. The two of them immediately left the garden and advanced toward the kitchen.
The moment they stepped into the kitchen, they could smell the egg fragrance that was drifting out from the kitchen.
The both of them glanced at each other with amazement in their eyes.
“Dad, Mom! You have come at the right time. Try out the Egg-Fried Rice that I cooked. It turns out that my culinary skill is actually quite good! Why did I not discover this in the past!” Xiao Xiaolong was very excited as his face was flushed red due to his excitement.
Xiao Meng frowned and swept at Xiao Xiaolong a strict glance. He harrumphed, causing the complacent Xiao Xiaolong to shrink his neck.
Xiao Meng’s gaze fell onto the Egg-Fried Rice which was placed on the table. The steam and aroma from the Egg-Fried Rice drifted out of its white porcelain home. The grains within mixed ever so perfectly with the yellow yolk of the eggs and even began to take on their golden hue. Despite that, the flower-like scrambled eggs maintained a distinct separation from the fluffy white rice within.
Just looking at its appearance…it looked pretty decent.
Xiao Meng was slightly flabbergasted. This scoundrel actually possessed such gifted culinary skills?
Xiao Meng’s face reddened as he opened his mouth and ate the Egg-Fried Rice. His eyebrow pricked up. The taste of the dish was unexpectedly decent! Even though the disparity of it was very huge when compared to Owner Bu’s Egg-Fried Rice, with his understanding of Xiao Xiaolong, he would have never expected this no-good son of his to ever possess such skills. It was simply too inconceivable. Could it be that Owned Bu had possessed him?
“How is it? The taste is quite decent, isn’t it? I am going to become Owner Bu’s apprentice tomorrow. He asked me to cook a portion of Egg-Fried Rice for him to taste. Dad, Mom. You have tasted it… Do you think I would meet his expectation?” Xiao Xiaolong said complacently.
“Owner Bu is accepting disciples?” Xiao Meng looked at Xiao Xiaolong suspiciously. He felt that this was the crucial point of the matter.
“Not disciples… Chef Apprentices!” Xiao Xiaolong corrected.
Xiao Meng nodded his head. He rubbed his chin and started to contemplate. Bu Fang and his Fang Fang’s little store status in the Imperial Capital had long differed from when he just started. In the Imperial Capital, countless eyes were observing and watching attentively this small store because it was truly too intimidating.
“Owner Bu accepting disciples… This is indeed quite a good opportunity for you. You must definitely cherish it.” Xiao Meng raised his head and said to Xiao Xiaolong seriously.
Xiao Xiaolong rolled his eyes. I have already said that he is accepting apprentices… not disciples.
“Sure. Then Dad and Mom are not going to disturb you any longer. You have to practice diligently and grasp that rare opportunity to be taken in by Owner Bu as his new chef apprentice. If you are able to learn some culinary skills from Owner Bu, then all the food in our Xiao family would be prepared by you in the future!”
Xiao Meng and Ji Ru’Er smiled jovially and left the kitchen, leaving behind the stupefied Xiao Xiaolong…
The next day, Xiao Xiaolong sent Xiao Yanyu off before turning around and returning back to the Xiao Mansion. He cooked a portion of Egg-Fried Rice and placed it into a lunchbox before heading out to look for Bu Fang.
After Bu Fang had tasted his Egg-Fried Rice, without exception, he entered his criticizing mode and criticized Xiao Xiaolong’s Egg-Fried Rice to the point of making one feel that everything about it was wrong, so much so that Xiao Xiaolong started to wonder about the meaning of his life.
Ultimately however, Bu Fang still accepted him. After all, this was the first time Xiao Xiaolong had cooked Egg-Fried Rice. It was already not easy for him to be able to reach this kind of standard. And Bu Fang could not possibly expect too much from him.
This caused Xiao Xiaolong’s heart to suffer another blow. Truly, he must have a strong heart to talk to Owner Bu regarding any matter.
Once the opening hours ended, Bu Fang got Xiao Xiaolong to stay behind.
“Come, follow me into the kitchen,” Bu Fang said.
Xiao Xiaolong was taken aback. He followed Bu Fang into the kitchen curiously. Inside the kitchen, Yu Fu was concentrating all her attention in cooking a portion of fragrant Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs. This caused Xiao Xiaolong to be amazed by her actions.
Or perhaps, it might just be that everything in the kitchen filled Xiao Xiaolong with amazement. This kitchen was totally different from the kitchen he had at his Xiao Mansion; it was as if he had entered a unfamiliar world.
Everything here was all unheard of to Xiao Xiaolong.
Bu Fang cooked a served of Egg-Fried Rice with practised ease. Subsequently, he took out three portions of ingredients and placed them on the cooking bench. Bu Fang got Xiao Xiaolong to start practicing in the exact same way he taught Yu Fu. Just like then, it was simple and rough.
After the guidance, Bu Fang returned to his room to sleep.
The kitchen was still brightly lit with Xiao Xiaolong staring at everything that was prepared in front of him. Under the enthusiastic Yu Fu’s assistance, Xiao Xiaolong haphazardly started working on the first portion of Egg-Fried Rice.
…
The next day, Bu Fang opened up his eyes and got off his bed. After he had finished washing up, he went to the kitchen. There he found another cooking bench resting quietly in the corner of his kitchen. Bu Fang leaned against the kitchen door frame and patted on Whitey’s big belly with a smile on his lips.
The system voice reverberated in his ears in a strict and timely manner, “My host, congratulations on completing the adhoc mission: Within a month’s time, find two Chef Apprentices. The mission reward has been released.”
