Chapter 1638: The Master

The master and apprentice were secretly shedding tears when Lu Chuan came in again and asked:

"What dishes do you two want for noon? It's hot now; I'll go to Song's house and get some."

"Wait until the evening when it's not so sunny, and I'll take you to the mountain vegetable fields and fruit forests to take a look. It's already been agreed in advance; whatever vegetables you need, you two can just go and pick them."

Go pick them yourself?!

Master Chai's spirit lifted! He looked at his watch: it was only ten-thirty!

"What time do you usually eat lunch? Is it convenient to go see now?"

Lu Chuan:...

He looked at the bright sun outside: "It's 38° today..."

The two had driven all the way here and hadn't sat down to rest for a while. But he saw that young Master Zhou was also full of excitement:

"It's okay, I'm not afraid of the sun; just give me a hat."

Go to the field and pick them yourself?

Hehe, isn't that like a mouse falling into a rice jar!

The master and apprentice excitedly took the two sun hats handed over by Lu Chuan and rushed out the door.

"Which way?"

Lu Chuan couldn't laugh or cry: "You two sit in the room first; I'll go to Song's house and borrow a tricycle; this is more convenient for going up the mountain."

Master Chai said "Oh" again: "Together, together, let me recognize the place too; I have to go see Master Song when I have time in the afternoon."

His spirited appearance was worthy of someone who could stir-fry in the back kitchen for several hours in a row.

Lu Chuan laughed and led the two to Song Tan's house.

He heard Lu Jing shouting from behind: "Xiao Chuan, ask when Tan Tan's glutinous rice will be harvested? There's no wheat kernels for milk tea now; I want to rub some glutinous rice balls."

Master Chai's eyebrows jumped, and he looked at his apprentice; both were calculating how to consume the milk this afternoon.

Lu Chuan thought for a while:

"The ones harvested last time are still tender; it's estimated that it will take a while."

After all, glutinous rice is planted only once a year, unlike early rice which is intended to be planted for a second season, so the maturity period is naturally much longer.

Lu Jing sighed: "Then forget it, let's keep the milk for making ice cream. It's summer, we still have to make some fruit tea and the like... I'll go check online."

The homestay is five or six minutes' walk from Song Tan's house, and everyone walked under the shade of trees on both sides.

It was hot, but walking, they felt it was okay.

Master Chai was triumphant: "We face the stove, so our heat resistance is naturally stronger."

No matter how giving the kitchen air conditioner is, the big fire in front of you is hot. Especially stir-frying, you can't make good things with a gentle fire; you have to use a fierce fire.

By the time they arrived at Song Tan's house, Master Chai had already remembered—

This road is easy to recognize; out of the homestay, walk along the main road, see the bamboo forest, and turn into the fork inside.

Lu Chuan went to borrow the tricycle, and Master Chai and Xiao Zhou arrived at the kitchen and exchanged greetings with Master Song—

This is truly a solid skill for farm dishes! Master Chai was one thing, but his young apprentice Xiao Zhou was waiting to learn, so this opportunity must not be missed!

Thinking about it, he felt regretful again.

It was just that the old Song family didn't need so many chefs now, and couldn't afford high wages.

Otherwise, like Master Jiang on the mountain, receiving a salary, simply making employee meals, sleeping early and getting up early to nourish the body, and being able to cook for himself and eat those ingredients from the old Song family... how beautiful that would be!

But unfortunately, everyone has a family, and now is the age of struggle. The high wages at Chang Le Ju are really impossible to lose, so they can only try their best to grasp this opportunity.

Having stayed in the village for half a year, Lu Chuan's tricycle skills were already proficient, and now he stuffed two small stools into the car bucket and sat on the driver's seat with his long legs raised.

"Two masters, let's go."

Master Chai and Xiao Zhou got into the car bucket nimbly, holding the railing and sitting on the stools, looking at the tricycle driving steadily on the mountain road, and couldn't help but sigh:

"The road here is quite well built."

Lu Chuan also smiled: "Song's farm provides many jobs here, and it's also supported by the government; this road was built only last year."

As for how fast the approval was, how fast the progress was, and how fast the road was opened... there's no need to mention it.

And Master Chai looked at the lush green land on both sides and the patches of fruit forests, and was full of yearning: "That's a peach tree, right? Oh my, the peaches are about to ripen."

"Is that a row of green onions just planted? Oh! It's hot, and the green onions are growing quite well!"

"There are many bees over there... oh right, are you keeping bees? There are many things that can be done with honey..."

Walking all the way, he could stir-fry two dishes in his heart looking at everything.

They hadn't arrived yet, and he was already happy.

Until the tricycle stopped at the door of the factory, Lu Chuan explained simply:

"Master Jiang is cooking here now, and usually picks vegetables in this area. But because they are planted scattered, you two can come to the mountain to turn around when you have time, and just pick whatever you like."

"My friends basically aren't picky eaters; I'll tell you what they have taboos about when we arrive."

"The mountain road is far; if you can ride a tricycle, leave one for you to drive. If you can't, I'll go get an electric scooter."

"Good, good, good..."

Master Chai could only perfunctorily answer him.

At this moment, looking at the full garden of vegetables, he couldn't wait to shout to Xiao Zhou: "Go, let's go in and see!"

Xiao Zhou hurriedly followed, and after a while, saw Lu Chuan hand over a basket, he hurried to take it, and chased after him.

Passing the cucumber field, he paused, hesitated for a moment, reached out and twisted a cucumber and got in.

Lu Chuan:...

Since it was agreed, it was naturally for the chef to eat as he pleased; there was really no need to be so sneaky.

There were too many vegetables to choose from in the mountain, but today, one was to test his skills, and the other was to refer to the host's taste.

Master Chai didn't show off any complicated dishes, but chose a plain four dishes and one soup.

Tomato scrambled eggs, bitter melon stir-fried with meat, cowpea minced meat, green pepper twice-cooked pork.

Seeing that the locals loved eating water spinach, she made a last-minute decision to add a water spinach and tofu soup.

Among them, the vegetables were picked in Song Tan's vegetable garden, and the tofu was specially bought at Zhang Zhang Hongshener's tofu shop.

As for the meat, Lu Chuan promised to get it from the old Song family.

If it weren't for the fact that it was too late to make big dishes, Master Chai really wished he could lead a pig back directly.

Xiao Zhou had followed Master Chai for many years, and seeing this dish, he knew his idea—

Home-style is home-style, and testing skills is really testing skills.

Like great chefs like them, it's impossible for their cooking not to be delicious; it just depends on whether it suits the host's heart.

For example: Does tomato scrambled eggs put more sugar or no sugar? Does realm tofu soup need starch or not? Does cowpea minced meat like to add seasoning powder or bean paste, or stir-fry directly? What is the heat of green pepper twice-cooked pork...

Boss Lu said that his friends' tastes are more northern, children don't eat many sweet dishes, and the elderly like lighter ones...

But everyone's definition of their own taste is different.

Some places' lightness refers to not liking to put seasoning powder, but chili, green onion, ginger, garlic, etc., are not missing at all.

Some people's lightness is only putting oil and salt, and the amount is very small.

Some people say they don't eat sweet, but they can't stop eating cola chicken wings and sweet and sour pork...

It's hard to satisfy everyone, but as a qualified chef, he has to try his best to adjust the taste of these dishes to what everyone likes, and strive to have dishes that everyone particularly likes every time he cooks.

Although he was only a chef in the countryside for half a month, Master Chai was conscientious and tried his best to maximize his impression score.

——Come again next time if there is a chance!

Of course, when apprentice Xiao Zhou was chattering and washing vegetables, he asked:

"Master, you think so much, but the ingredients are so good, everyone can eat the freshness and sweetness even if they are scalded with boiling water, right? How can you be picky about the taste?"

Master Chai's action of heating the pot paused.

A moment later, he "hummed":

"What do you know? There are people who are picky about dragon liver and phoenix marrow; this is our basic skill!"

Like when their Chang Le Ju opened a restaurant in the early years, if there were many dishes left at a table, the boss would go to ask for opinions, and then take the back kitchen to taste them!

Basic skill is basic skill!

Xiao Zhou was an obedient student and didn't refute. At this moment, he just unscrewed the jar, took a bean paste from it, put it in his mouth and chewed it slightly, and then tasted the flavor...

It's the same as the one sent to the shop!

"I heard that these soybeans are not the best; Master, you say, if Boss Song sun-dries bean paste with his own soybeans this year, can I buy a jar myself?"

Not to mention anything else, mixing noodles after work, or boiling some sauce to eat with rice for the children, he would be such a good father!

His wife's takeout coupons, even if she wanted to spend them, she couldn't!

Master Chai also came over and pinched one to taste, and then said depressedly:

"If you want to buy, I want to buy too."

"You taste the tofu sold in this village again."

They have a dish called 【Stir-fried realm with Qianzhang Tofu】 locally, Qianzhang Tofu is dried tofu, also called Baiye or directly called Qianzhang, in short, it is that thing.

Choose the kind of tender dried tofu, the fresh one with slightly higher water content, stir-fried with realm, it has a unique fragrance, and the locals love it very much.

If outsiders are not used to it, they won't touch it at all, the same principle as stir-fried beef with coriander.

But Master Chai prefers tender tofu, also called water tofu, for the realm tofu soup to be made at noon.

Bought a small piece of square, cut it into dices at will with a knife, and just scald it in the soup!

Now eating it empty, it has a unique bean fragrance and refreshing feeling.

It's cool in the mouth, very fresh and tender.

He sighed:

"The tofu in this village is also ground so well, why is our boss reluctant to pack it all?"

Every time he brings back just a little bit, and tender tofu is easy to break, and the quantity is especially small.

In short, this is good, that is good, wishing he could stir-fry 10 or 8 more dishes.

"Is 4 dishes and 1 soup for 4 people too little?"

Xiao Zhou was a bit hesitant.

Don't look at the fact that it's already 11 o'clock, but the rice here is cooked, and the master and apprentice's actions of preparing and stir-frying are fast, and they don't delay time at all.

Master Chai shook his head: "Boss Lu explained that his mother is losing weight and only eats one bowl. At noon, we have traveled far and are tired, so 4 dishes and 1 soup is enough, don't make too much, and play well when there are many people in the evening."

Looking at the environment, and listening to people's meaning, this boss is quite kind.

No wonder at Chang Le Ju, the boss emphasized that it is a good place, not losing at all.

Thinking about this, it is fortunate that the master and apprentice are competitive!

The master and apprentice looked at each other and couldn't help but be happy.

Until lunch—

"So delicious."

Lu Jing, who is losing weight, praised the bitter melon stir-fried with braised meat:

"I said Tan Tan's braised meat is super delicious!"

The key is that I have been eating Master Qi's skills, and now that I have changed to a great chef, it is even fresher.

The big pieces of meat are fished out and cut into small pieces, bitter melon is blanched and then stir-fried in the pot, with a faint bitter taste, combined with this rich meat fragrance, the fragrance of pork lard bursts out enthusiastically...

Obviously, it has nothing to do with the word 【light】 in the conventional sense.

Lu Jing then pressed another bowl of rice.

Master Xiao Zhou's eyelids jumped.

He cooked more rice, but just now the master had already added a bowl, and he himself, the second bowl was almost bottomed out, and he still wanted to eat the third bowl...

Look at the four dishes and one soup on the table again.

They made it by adding a little more to the regular amount of the hotel. Theoretically, it was definitely enough for 4 people. But unexpectedly, now that no one had put down the bowl, the dishes were almost bottomed out.

Master Chai also reflected: "Let's make double the amount in the evening. If there are leftovers, do we eat leftovers?"

If we eat, let's arrange a midnight snack; if we don't eat, are these dishes collected to feed pigs or what?

Lu Chuan basically didn't eat leftovers before, partly from health considerations, and partly because he didn't like it.

But now...

"You arrange it; if some dishes are not good to heat, leave them to feed pigs. If some dishes are better to heat, then leave them directly."

As for double the amount, it is estimated that there is no problem at all.

He just added:

"After eating, I will take you to the village clinic to recognize the way. When you have shoulder and neck pain, it is free to go there for massage and moxibustion."

He will arrange it.

"Prepare some big hawthorn pills here, as well as digestion tea and heat-clearing tea bags."

Friends come with their families, old and young, don't let them get stuffed here first.

After a pause, Lu Chuan added:

"Let's make double the amount tonight. If the digestion ability is poor, let's make less tomorrow."

Eating less and eating more, preparing more snacks, is better than getting stuffed in one meal.

The two masters nodded and wrote it down.

But hearing that the village clinic can also have massage and moxibustion, they couldn't help but be happy:

"Can the clinic have this enjoyment? We have this muscle, does the doctor have strength?"

As a chef, standing there stir-frying every day, not to mention the doctor in the village clinic, even if you go to a blind massage shop, you can make people scream, and pressing on their hard and thick meat, you might have to sweat all over.

If you don't have strength, you can't press it!

Lu Chuan looked at the two and said:

"The two masters will know after trying."