Chapter 74 Mountain
Chapter 74 Mountain
Qin Huai lifted the door curtain, lowered his body, and entered the small restaurant.
As soon as he entered the room, he suddenly felt enlightened. It was not as cramped as Qin Huai had imagined, but rather a different world.
Right in front of you is a bright open kitchen. Not only are the roast geese hanging on two rows of iron hooks shiny with oil, but the fresh vegetables piled in the basket on the side are also green and juicy.
A white-haired old man was sitting behind a big stove burning firewood. When he saw Qin Huai coming in, he raised his eyes slightly and greeted him.
"Go to the second floor, the food will be served soon."
After saying that, he ignored Qin Huai and continued to do the chores in the kitchen.
Qin Huai saw that the old man's movements were steady and powerful. He did not stop at all while turning the stove. Every move seemed to be natural. He was also startled.
"That kid is in for a treat tonight. Master, you are busy, so I will go up first."
Qin Huai walked through the corridor and just as he was about to go up the stairs, he saw a few brightly colored and energetic groupers in the water tank next to him. He stopped and thought for a moment, then leaned back and asked,
"Master, I'm afraid Uncle Li and his friends are not used to eating Northeastern cuisine. How about steaming some fish for them?"
"Don't worry, he's a regular customer of mine, and I know his taste."
As the old man answered, he lifted the lid of the pot and tasted the saltiness.
"Go ahead. Today's dish is guaranteed to be delicious."
"Okay~"
Qin Huai didn't force it. He went up the stairs in three or two steps and entered the private room on the second floor.
"Xiao Qin, have you seen the master chef in the kitchen? How is his cooking skill?"
"I am a young generation with limited experience. Apart from feeling that this old man has decades of experience, I can't see anything else."
Li Yutang looked at Qin Huai in surprise, raised his teacup and took a sip.
"How did you know that? When I first saw him, I thought he was just an old cook who had fled."
"That old senior gave me a feeling very similar to my master. Although he tried hard to hide it, that 'divine' aura couldn't fool people like us."
While Qin Huai was explaining to Li Yutang, he turned his attention to the information feedback he had just obtained.
Name: Ding Lianshan (Li Cunyi)
Status: Kanto ghost, ???
Expertise: Cooking 69%, ???
Threat Level: Black
Note: Lucky winged insect, he has no ill will towards you.
Qin Huai thought about the old man's pure black light without a trace of other colors. Although he still had a smile on his face, he did not dare to relax in his heart.
He really didn't expect to meet a martial arts master in a small restaurant, but he thought this should be Li Yutang's arrangement.
"I originally wanted to give you a surprise, but I didn't expect you to guess it first.
But don't worry, let's eat first, and we'll talk about anything after we finish eating."
Before he could finish his words, the old man flashed in carrying a huge wooden plate.
"Come, serve the food."
Sweet and sour pork, three fresh vegetables, pickled cabbage and pork, stewed chicken with hazel mushrooms
Although they are all home-cooked dishes, their color, aroma and taste are so tempting.
Even Qin Huai, who was used to eating the cooking of famous chefs, couldn't help but feel hungry when he smelled the rich aroma of the food.
Seeing the old man sit down and start eating, Qin Huai and Li Chongguang were no longer reserved.
For a moment, the only sounds on the dining table were the clinking of dishes and chopsticks and the swallowing of saliva.
"To be honest, if Yutang hadn't paid for it today, the food wouldn't be this good."
The old man put down his chopsticks and spoke with some reminiscence.
"As I get older, I don't have many thoughts. I just want to eat an authentic Northeastern dish from my hometown.
When we arrived in Kowloon, the climate and soil were very poor, and the mountain products from my hometown were nowhere to be found, so we had to make do with what we had on a daily basis.
Now, for today's meal, all the ingredients are good stuff I got from all over the place. I asked someone to bring the hazel mushrooms and sauerkraut from my hometown, and even the pork is from a local pig I slaughtered today.
Isn't it too much to do this?"
As he spoke, the old man's eyes fell on Qin Huai, as if waiting for an answer.
Qin Huai nodded. Seeing that the three of them were staring at him and Li Yutang was silent, he had no choice but to take over the conversation. "It goes without saying that the old senior has decades of experience. It is said that a person of high standard should do a high-level job. The old senior must have another dish that he hasn't served yet, right?"
"Since you have guessed it, come downstairs with me and lend me a hand."
The old man looked at Qin Huai, curled his lips, said something, turned around and went downstairs.
In front of the big stove, the fire was burning brightly, and the dancing flames illuminated the old man's face in varying degrees of light and shadow.
"Wow~"
When the lid of the pot was opened, boiling steam rose. The old man leaned sideways in the rising white mist and scooped a spoonful of soup from the pot with a small spoon, seemingly slowly but actually quickly.
Looking at Qin Huai standing aside, the old man turned the handle of the spoon in his hand, pinched the middle of the spoon with two fingers, and handed it to Qin Huai.
"Here, let's taste the saltiness."
Qin Huai looked at the small spoon between the old man's fingers, which was not moving at all and was as steady as a rock. After thinking for a moment, he was about to lean forward and take it with one hand.
But when Qin Huai caught a glimpse of the old man's half-smile, his face became serious and he slowly withdrew his half-extended hand.
Qin Huai took a deep breath, stretched out his hands, and walked sideways to the old man.
First, hold the old man's wrist with your right hand, and then respectfully take the small spoon between the old man's fingers with your left hand.
"I have indeed found a good disciple. It is not a waste of my time to cook this table of dishes today!"
The old man held his chin, and there seemed to be deep meaning in his words.
Qin Huai took a spoonful and tasted it, and it tasted delicious, but he was still a little unsure.
"Senior, is this snake soup?"
It's no wonder Qin Huai was confused. After all, it was agreed that the dishes tonight would all be Northeastern cuisine. So why did the old man spend so much effort to make this snake soup?
"Last year, the Yi Si Year, was the year you became famous in China.
And I also left Northeast China that year.”
The old man looked at the snake soup bubbling in the pot and said slowly,
"With your skills, what could possibly allow you to... come to Kowloon to do business?"
Although Qin Huai said it politely, the old man still understood what Qin Huai meant and smiled self-deprecatingly.
"What's the use of being good at kung fu? Everyone has weaknesses. Let alone me, even your master, the famous Master Li, has weaknesses, right?"
Qin Huai was about to retort, but then he thought of his master's wife and his master's newborn son, so he had to remain silent.
“I never regret doing great things, but if they bring harm to loved ones and friends, and bring disaster to my family, I really can’t live with it.
So after weighing the pros and cons, I had no choice but to leave the Northeast and become a cook in Kowloon."
The old man was somewhat helpless. He added firewood to the stove while staring at Qin Huai and said,
"Let's not talk about me, this old man, let's talk about you. Young man, have you succeeded in practicing Qi?"
Qin Huai knew that his little skill in cultivating Qi could not hide from the great master's sharp eyes, so he simply nodded.
"I had a sudden realization after receiving guidance from Senior Hongsheng some time ago, and then I naturally passed the Qi training barrier. Now I have just passed the fourth level of training."
"Four Practices?! You're not even thirty yet, are you?"
The old man suddenly widened his eyes, looked at Qin Huai's face, and said in surprise.
Seeing Qin Huai nod, the old man also murmured,
"No wonder, no wonder Yutang asked you to come over tonight."
Immediately, the old man looked down at the stove that was burning brightly, then looked up at Qin Huai.
"Boy, how much you can learn today depends on your ability. Don't blame me for not teaching you!"
(End of this chapter)