Adorable Food Goddess

Chapter 7 : Found A Treasure

Translator: YTJS_  Editor: Perriemix

Xia Chunyu could not stand to look at such a sloppy woman swinging around in front of him so he threw his book away, walked over, and dragged her up by the back of her collar.

“Go wash up by the well.”

Ye Jiayao was too tired to ridicule this man and his nasty behavior, so she just quietly turned towards the back of the small kitchen and headed for the well.

Ugh, so obedient? Xia Chunyu thought that she would erupt. After all, she had dared to throw a shoe at his face. Although she knew how to resign herself to adversity, knew how to fawn and flatter, eventually, her pride would not take any more hits.

Xia Chunyu felt very confused as he returned to the room to continue reading.

After a while, Song Qi and Peng Wu returned with four huge baskets containing two sacks of rice and flour. Ye Jiayao checked the condiments over and was happy to see that they also grabbed a wok, bowls, a ladle and a basin – even the cutting tools are a complete set. They also brought back a huge carp, pork ribs, slaughtered chicken, mutton leg and various types of vegetables. They brought enough to feed an army! Well, she supposed that was the nature of bandits – take everything and anything that they could carry.

Although she was exhausted, she made a promise to cook them dinner tonight so she would deliver. This would be the first legitimate meal she would be preparing ever since her arrival in the stockade. Ye Jiayao’s spirit livened as she prepared to show off her cooking skills.

Ye Jiayao grabbed the carp and threw it ruthlessly on the floor. After the fish had passed out from the blow, she started to remove the scales and innards, asking, “Song Qi, Peng Wu, where are you all from?”

“I am from Hebei province,” Peng Wu answered as he began to start the fire.

Song Qi, who was in charge of chopping the ribs, replied, “I am from Zhenjiang prefecture.”

“What about third-in-charge?”

Song Qi scratched his head. “I’m not sure where third-in-charge is from. He never really mentioned it.”

Alright then.  Judging from his accent, he should be from around Wu Yue, so making Huai Yang cuisine should be fine.

China’s culinary culture was profound and broad. It has developed its own particular system of distinct regional flavor and style after a long period of evolution. In the Tang and Song dynasties, it was more or less categorized into southern and northern food. Qing dynasty, on the other hand, has developed into four major cuisines; Cheng Chuan, Lu, Cantonese, and Huai Yang. It was then divided even more meticulously into eight major cuisines.

Although Ye Jiayao has studied all of the major cuisines, she was the best at Huai Yang cuisine because her father was a chef in a five-star hotel in the Suzhou prefecture. Huai Yang cuisine was particular on the choice of ingredients and meticulous in preparation. It required precise cutting skills, flavor excellence, and wonderful appearance. The heat was also closely controlled in the cooking process whether it be in stewing, brewing, roasting, or simple steaming.

Seeing sister-in-law’s experienced motions, Song Qi inquired, “Sister-in-law, where did you pick up your culinary skills?”

“At home… I mean, I learned from the kitchen lady at home.”

“You are a refined lady yet you have to learn this?”

Ye Jiayao raised her head slightly, looking up at the beam of the roof, her gaze complicated, as though she thought of some memories that she could not bear to recall. “Ayy… it’s a long story,” she replied with a sigh.