Chapter 716 Tan Shao
Here, Lou Xiao'e and Ran Qiuye looked at each other and understood each other tacitly. Then, they turned their attention to the child and continued to take good care of him.
Gu Nan followed Mrs. Lou all the way, and soon they came to a rather elegant house. Although the house was not luxurious, it exuded a simple charm. The steps in front of the door were polished smooth by the years, showing its historical heritage. Gu Nan followed Mrs. Lou and walked in slowly. Mrs. Lou whispered to Gu Nan as they walked: "Gu Nan, we will go in soon, don't rush to speak. This old man is straightforward, and his words may not be very tactful, so don't take it to heart."
Gu Nan nodded quickly and said respectfully, "Aunt, don't worry, I understand." After that, he followed Mrs. Lou into the house.
Gu Nan was secretly calculating in his heart. He was learning Tan's cuisine not only for cooking skills, but more for dealing with He Yuzhu. He thought that after he had learned it, he could openly accept Zhong Yi as his apprentice. By then, he would see what He Yuzhu had to say. He had originally thought of making trouble for He Yuzhu in the kitchen, but now it seemed that learning Tan's cuisine was a better opportunity. At least it would prevent He Yuzhu from cheating people by claiming to be the successor of Tan's cuisine.
As soon as Gu Nan walked into the house, a strong aroma of spices hit him. The smell was mellow and unique, and the aroma of various spices intertwined together to form an intoxicating atmosphere. Gu Nan couldn't help but sigh in his heart, he is worthy of being a great chef, even the house is filled with this fascinating smell all the time, as if every inch of air tells the charm of Tan's cuisine.
At this time, an old man slowly walked out from the inner room. This old man was Tan Shao, who was thin and kind, but his eyes showed his persistence and love for cooking. Tan Shao seemed to be born to inherit Tan's cuisine, and he dedicated his life to this unique culinary art. He looked at Lou Xiao'e's mother, with a flash of surprise in his eyes, and said, "Why are you here? Did you figure it out?"
It turned out that Tan Shao had always favored Lou Xiao'e's mother and thought she had great talent in cooking. He had hoped that she could learn Tan's cuisine from him many times. However, Lou Xiao'e's mother had always declined. Seeing her suddenly come today, Tan Shao naturally thought that she must have changed her mind and decided to learn Tan's cuisine.
Lou Xiao'e's mother smiled awkwardly, shook her head gently, and said to Tan Shao, "Uncle, look, I'm already this old, and I've already started a family. Even if I learn Tan's cuisine now, can I still go out and cook in public? This is really unrealistic."
Tan Shao frowned slightly, his eyes full of worry and persistence. He looked at Lou Xiao'e's mother and said, "So what if I'm a girl? Tan's cuisine is an exquisite craft, carrying the hard work of several generations of our Tan family. If it is cut off in my hands, how can I face my ancestors? This inheritance cannot be sloppy."
Lou Xiao'e's mother smiled, turned around and pointed at Gu Nan behind her, and said, "Uncle, don't worry, this is the apprentice I found for you. I see that he is very interested in Tan's cuisine and is a down-to-earth person. Maybe he can pass on Tan's cuisine well."
Tan Shao followed the direction of Lou Xiao'e's mother's finger and his eyes fell on Gu Nan. At first glance, Gu Nan was indeed a little old, and he couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. But the necessary tests were still necessary, after all, the inheritance of Tan's cuisine could not tolerate any carelessness.
He turned around, picked up a seasoning packet from the table beside him, and threw it to Gu Nan with a quick and decisive move. He said seriously, "Tell me what seasonings are in it. If you get one wrong, you'll pass."
Gu Nan took the seasoning packet steadily, put it under his nose and sniffed it gently, his focused expression seemed to capture every scent into his heart. Then, he slowly said the seasonings in it one by one: "Master Tan, there are star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns... I wonder if I got it right?"
Tan Shao narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Gu Nan closely, his expression was hard to read. After a moment, he nodded slowly and said, "Yes, that's all right. In that case, come to my place early tomorrow morning and participate in the apprenticeship ceremony then."
Gu Nan was delighted. He had known for a long time that learning this kind of traditional skills required a master-apprentice ceremony, so he nodded quickly and said respectfully, "Master, don't worry. I will definitely go all out to learn Tan's cuisine and will never let you down."
Tan Shao looked at Gu Nan, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Why did you suddenly think of learning Tan's cuisine?"
Gu Nan smiled, his eyes revealing sincerity and determination, and said: "Master, to be honest, I just can't bear to see such an excellent traditional skill of Tan's cuisine not being passed on, and future generations will never be able to taste authentic Tan's cuisine. I think such a good thing should be passed on so that more people can appreciate its charm."
After hearing what Gu Nan said, Tan Shao showed a look of satisfaction in his eyes and said, "Good boy, it's rare that you have such a heart. When you come over, Master will pass on all the inheritance of Tan's cuisine to you without reservation. However, I will also take a look at your cooking skills by then. I am a little tired today, so let's stop here for now."
Gu Nan quickly expressed his understanding and said, "Master, you have worked hard. You should have a good rest. I understand." After that, he left with Lou Xiao'e's mother.
On the way back, Lou Xiao'e's mother looked at Gu Nan and comforted him softly, "Gu Nan, don't be nervous when the time comes. Uncle looks strict, but he is actually very kind to others. As long as you study hard, there will be no problem."
Gu Nan was confident in his cooking skills. He smiled and said, "Aunt, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I have to take a day off tomorrow so I can devote myself to studying. When I finish, I'll have a way to deal with He Yuzhu."
Gu Nan returned to the Lou family, briefly spoke to Lou Bancheng, and then said goodbye and left. After all, he had done what he was supposed to do, and now it was up to Lou Bancheng to deal with the current situation.
When he got home, Ran Qiuye couldn't wait to greet him and asked, "Gu Nan, how is it going? Did that person agree to take you in?"
Gu Nan's face was filled with a confident smile, and he said, "It seems that you still don't trust me enough. Based on my ability, they will naturally accept me as their disciple. I will go to become their apprentice tomorrow."