The Chef's Immortal

Chapters One and Two

CHAPTER ONE

As she turns the deadbolt, she can't help but sigh, "Alone at last." The hustle and bustle of the restaurant is music to her ears during the day, but when she gets an idea, silence is the best medicine. She spent years designing the core menu and recipes for Jia Mingzhu, but there are still so many of her ideas that have yet to make a debut. The one thing she wasn't expecting when she came home was the difficulty she would have in finding her ingredients. Therefore, a special few of her recipes still needed adjustments. And whether it was shipping ingredients from overseas, or finding them at particular markets, Lanying was determined to create her specialties for her customers.

The joy she felt here in her kitchen, figuring things out, is something she never dreamt she'd find. So much of her life was consumed by anger and guilt that there'd been no room for joy.  Her happiest moments spent with Bohai were tainted with the guilt of not having her biological brother there. For as long as she could remember, she asked herself why? Why did I survive? Why me? Why am I here? She still hadn't found the answer to that question, but she did find a reprieve.

That reprieve helped her survive until now.  While traveling across America, the best part of her day was seeing the smile on a customer's face when they took a bite of her food. It's like she's passing on moments for them. She didn't get very many moments growing up. There was only her and Bohai. And, needless to say, two orphans didn't have the opportunity to make many memories. In school, it was basically the same. There was too much to learn and too little time. So being able to help families and friends create those moments together was exhilarating.

As she put the finishing touches on her new dish, her phone rings. It's Bohai.

"Hey there!"

"Are you still cooking?"

"Nope, just finished. I'll head home as soon as I wipe down the kitchen."

"Sounds good. The kids got home okay. And, hey, make sure you bring me a few bites of your new dish, got it!"

"Got it, see you in a few."

"Yep."

She was anxious to take a bite of her new creation but decided to pack it all in and wait to taste it with Bohai. He'd been her trusty taste tester for twenty years! She wipes down the kitchen, packs her knives, and heads out the door, dish in hand. She locked the deadbolt and headed across the street to the park. Bohai hated for her to walk through the park at night but the scenery is just too beautiful to pass up. With the peach blossom trees in the winter and the lotus flowers in the summer, it's always a welcome sight and smell.

She used to dream of a peach tree forest as far as the eye could see. The trees in the forest were much larger than the trees in the park.  At least double the size.  And high up on the upper branches were peaches of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Almost as if every peach were grown for a different purpose. She would run along the trunks of the trees and dance. There was no anger and no guilt, only freedom and the joy of dancing to a song only she could hear. There was a tinkling noise occasionally.  As though the peaches would giggle every now and then. But she always had to wake up eventually.

She walks down a small lane lined with peach blossom trees and slows to take in the sight. The small, pinkish-white flowers are swaying to the breeze, dancing to nature's tune. The cool breeze turns into a gust, and she pulls her toboggan further down over her ears. Short hair works well in the kitchen but not so much on a cold Hohhot winter's night. Her heavy, slip-proof boots make thudding noises on the gravel. Just ahead the lake comes into view at the end of the lane. It's a clear night and the moon can be seen reflected in the ripples upon the lake. Lanying is mesmerized. Before she reached the end of the lane, she took out her phone and snapped a picture of the lake beyond the peach blossoms.