Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 142.1

This answer genuinely surprised Seventh Granduncle:

“Are the locust flowers and bamboo shoots also from your land?”

Wu Lan, feeling extremely proud, replied, “Yes, we have a few black locust trees on the back mountain, and there are plenty of bamboo shoots in the grove!”

Seventh Granduncle was only surprised for a moment before he quickly accepted it.

It wasn’t unusual to find unique local produce in the mountains. Back when he was a chef, traveling all over the country, he once visited a village where the fish were incredibly fresh and delicious!

These days, people would be willing to pay thousands of yuan per pound for that kind of fish.

Unfortunately, a factory was later built in that village, polluting the river and making the fish disappear.

Feeling a sense of anticipation, Seventh Granduncle casually strolled into the kitchen and took a look around:

“With so many people to feed, are you really just using this little stove?”

The village kitchen was quite spacious. Against one wall was a traditional firewood stove with two large pots on either side and a warm water stove in the middle.

On the other side, there was a cement counter with a gas stove on top, connected to a gas cylinder underneath with a long hose, which made cooking more convenient.

However, from a chef’s perspective, the large iron pot that Song Tan was carefully unloading outside—meticulously wrapped by Seventh Granduncle himself—was far superior to the two large pots on the firewood stove.

Back in the day, when hosting a village banquet, the stove had to be built on the spot with yellow mud. Nowadays, it was easier; many people just set up an iron barrel.

But no matter what, the cooking equipment had to be big!

Now, as Seventh Granduncle entered this kitchen, he felt there wasn’t enough room to properly show his skills.

Wu Lan, however, wasn’t embarrassed:

“Uncle, you know we hadn’t planned on hosting so many people all at once. We’ve been busy lately, so we have to make do for now.”

Seventh Granduncle glanced outside at the two curious women peeking in, then raised his voice slightly:

“Niece-in-law, since Tan Tan is paying me a salary to be the head chef, I have to set some requirements—this kitchen is too small, it cramps my style.”

“We can make do for now, but if you want to do this long-term, you’ll have to find a place in the yard to build a shed and set up two more stoves.”

This was a fairly simple request.

If this were any five-star restaurant, the entire kitchen would be under Seventh Granduncle’s command.

But here… he only had control over two stoves.

Wu Lan instinctively looked around the yard.

To be honest, even a big yard had gradually shrunk ever since her daughter returned.

They needed space to prepare vegetables, build a doghouse, and allow vehicles to come in and out for loading and unloading…

But feeding people was a serious matter. Whenever she thought about her child’s future, she nodded without hesitation:

“Don’t worry, as soon as this busy period is over, we’ll sort it out.”

After all, it was their own land, and building a shed was no big deal—they could always expand if needed.

Her straightforwardness and lack of complaints earned her a +2 in satisfaction from Seventh Granduncle.

Given that…

“How many people for lunch? Have you washed the rice yet? Let me handle it.”

“Huh?” Wu Lan was stunned. “Aren’t you going to rest for a while?”

Seventh Granduncle couldn’t help but glance at her and think to himself, ‘I’ve been resting in the city for years. Now that I’ve found such great ingredients, do you expect me to let you waste them with your cooking skills?’

Without another word, he went into the kitchen and called out, “Quick, Song Tan, bring my seasonings in!”

“And be careful with my jar of bean paste—Niece-in-law, have you boiled the pork you bought? If it’s ready, bring it over for me to slice. I’ll stir-fry it with onions and bean paste for lunch! I saw you bought plenty of onions.”

And why not? Onions are cheap!

“And these bamboo shoots, hurry up and peel them! Don’t throw away the tender outer shoots. I’ll dice them up and stir-fry them with chili peppers and garlic as a side dish—it’s perfect with rice.”

“Oh, and we’re short on time now, so don’t bother keeping the tougher outer layers of the bamboo shoots. Just throw them away. Otherwise, with that crowd gobbling down their food, they might swallow it whole without chewing properly, which could be a problem.”

The older outer layers of bamboo shoots are fibrous, with tough, sharp edges. They have a unique flavor compared to the tender shoots but are harder to digest.

They are not suitable for a fast-eating situation like this one.

Once Seventh Granduncle took charge, his stance with the spatula was like wielding an imperial seal—whatever he said to stir-fry, would be stir-fried.

Wu Lan was momentarily stunned, then raised her voice:

“Qiao Qiao! Qiao Qiao! Come and help your Seventh Granduncle!”

Although apprentices these days didn’t need to wait on their masters like in the old days, the enthusiasm still had to be shown, right?

Wu Lan was very eager.

Seventh Granduncle remembered the crybaby sitting in the car and lost some of his momentum: “Forget it, forget it, let him rest for now; he had a tough morning.”

Didn’t he just?

That kid! He had been bawling in the car, crying his heart out. Even after wiping away his tears, he was still sniffling and sobbing.

In a kitchen this small, adding another person would only get in the way.

“We’re almost at lunchtime; we can’t afford any chaos. Let that silly kid rest.”

Seventh Granduncle was being very considerate.

However, Wu Lan misunderstood his words, not knowing the backstory. She was secretly delighted:

‘Is Qiao Qiao really that likable? They’ve only met once, and Seventh Granduncle is already fond of him—ah, this master was well worth it!’

The two exchanged a glance, both feeling very pleased.