By The Will of the Gods

The Chef

Kunlun Mountain

With a recipe pinned to the wall, Si Yin and Liang followed the instructions very very carefully.  They had been preparing breakfast for almost two hours and the time to eat had past twenty minutes ago, but the pot of porridge had yet to boil and it wasn't until Mo Yuan eventually entered the kitchen to see what was going on that he realized why.

Standing in the doorway, Mo Yuan took one look at the girl and the mess on the bench and suddenly his mind was thrown back forty thousand years.  That was how long she had been with him, but it was also how long she had been banned from the kitchen.  Until now.

Not only had Chang Shan awoken with a severe stomach ache, but he was in no fit state to cook for anyone having been sent back to bed with pain relief and a mild sedative.  Sticks were then drawn to see who would do the honours of cooking, because not one of them wanted the job.  Not because most weren't proficient at putting a simple meal together, but they were all afraid of Second Seniors wrath should they burn down the kitchen or break a single place or dish, something that would surely demand lightening bolt punishment 

But she had drawn one of two short straws, while Liang drew the other, which wasn't a bad combination, because it would mean the kitchen wouldn't burn down with him there, but Mo Yuan could not help but drag up the memory of her much smaller frame standing at the stove adding all manner of flavourings to the large pot of soup, only to end up making everyone ill and burning her gown and legs having stood too close to the flames.  Even Mo Yuan was sent to bed early that night having come down with a severe belly ache because she insisted that coriander and basil when boiled together before adding it to the soup, would not only bring out the flavour of all other ingredients, but would enhance the dish.

Only she had added far too much basil which can cause stomach ache.  Of course such a malady would never have happened, had Chang Shan not also fallen ill that day which also saw her drawing the short stick.  But the reaction she got when he was given a mouthful of her soup, soon saw him leaving his sick bed in a rage which had Mo Yuan literally saving both of their lives.

And like everyone else, there was a lot of grumbling and tension among her brothers who also never forgot that day.  But to see how overly careful she was trying to be, while having used what looked to be several pots and utensils all at once just to cook a pot of porridge, had him then looking at Liang.   Sitting to the side and looking utterly fed up, Mo Yuan made his way in to enquire as to why he was sitting while Seventeen was doing all the work.

"Shifu, I have tried to help on numerous occasion, but Si Yin won't let me near the pot, and whenever I try to get close, he hits me with the wooden spoon." Liang informed him with a raise of his hand to show him the bruise on his wrist where he had been hurt.

"Shifu, I upset Chang Shan yesterday, I just wanted to make up for it by cooking breakfast by myself." she answered him with a brilliant smile, only the moment he looked into the pot his chuckle soon had her blushing.  Not only was the porridge a clumpy uncooked mess, but her fire had gone out having insisted that it did not need to be roaring to cook a mere pot of porridge.

With a small flick of his finger, the fire was instantly relit, which she did not notice, because she was too busy scowling at Liang.  Then tipping in a little more water from the jug she had prepared in case she needed more, he then watched over he shoulder as the clumpy mess, began to slowly break apart and form what was meant to be porridge.  Only the minute she reached across the bench to pick up the curry which she was intending to add a little flavor, Mo Yuan swiftly took it off her.

"There is no need to add flavouring Seventeen, it is porridge and meant to be plain.  You have fresh cream to add and of course raw sugar to sweeten it if you wish." Mo Yuan stated firmly as the rest of the spices were magically returned to the high shelves where they belonged.