novelhk Chapter 123 Cooking
Chapter 123 Cooking
After seeing off the neighbors, Gu Lin and his two companions carried eggs and fresh meat into their home.
As they walked, Zhao's sister-in-law said to Gu Lin incredulously, "If Bai Lang hadn't told us when he came to deliver the thank-you and congratulatory gifts, we really wouldn't have known that Zheng Hao had won first place in the provincial examination."
As Zhao's sister-in-law spoke, her eyes involuntarily drifted towards Zheng Hao.
Goodness, how does this head even grow?
Thinking of the scene of the yamen runners coming to deliver the good news, Gu Lin smiled and said, "I found out before you, sister-in-law."
Holding a handful of eggs, Sister Zhao felt that today was truly a good day.
She said, "Zheng Hao getting first place in the provincial examination is a great joy. Bai and the others sent many congratulatory gifts. Let's make some red eggs to give back to them, and add a bit more joy to the occasion."
Hearing what Sister Zhao said, Gu Lin's eyes showed curiosity.
He asked, "Aren't red eggs only given out by the family after the baby has turned one month old?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao's brow twitched, and he turned to look at Sister Zhao.
Sister Zhao shook her head at the two of them and explained, "We don't have such a rule here. Apart from giving out red eggs when a child is one month old or when moving to a new house, if the host family is kind and generous, they can also give out red eggs to the neighbors when there are other happy events in the family."
Now Gu Lin understood.
However, he did not make a decision on his own, since this matter was related to Zheng Hao.
He looked at Zheng Hao and asked, "Xiao Hao, what do you think?"
Zheng Hao said, "When we moved to the prefectural city, we were too busy to give out red eggs to our neighbors. Let's make up for it this time."
Sister-in-law Zhao clapped her hands: "I think it's a good idea."
However, it depends on Gu Lin's opinion.
They both looked at each other. The young man had no objection. He nodded and said, "In that case, let's not be stingy. In addition to the red eggs, let's add some braised meat. Let's not let down our neighbors' kindness."
The gifts of thanks and congratulations from Bai Lang and the others were quite generous. Gu Lin originally didn't want to accept them because he was worried that they would feel burdened.
Now that they've decided to add red eggs and some braised meat, Gu Lin felt a little better as he thought about it.
Zhao's wife nodded repeatedly after hearing Gu Lin's words: "Perfect. I bought a lot of pork belly this morning. Combined with the fresh meat they delivered, it's enough to make a big pot of braised meat."
As soon as Sister-in-law Zhao finished speaking, Gu Lin couldn't help but look up at Zheng Hao. Then, he blinked and said to Sister-in-law Zhao, "Sister-in-law, don't be in a hurry. Let Xiao Hao have the kitchen first. He's going to cook a big meal for us today."
"what?!"
Unexpectedly, after hearing Gu Lin's words, Zhao's wife was not pleasantly surprised. On the contrary, she seemed to be frightened and almost dropped the eggs in her arms.
She looked up at Gu Lin, her eyes filled with disbelief, and asked again, "You mean Zheng Hao is going to personally go into the kitchen?"
Seeing the disbelief on Zhao's face, Gu Lin nodded his head up and down.
Seeing Gu Lin's reaction, Zhao's wife seemed to be choked and unable to speak. She then turned her gaze to Zheng Hao.
Zheng Hao's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was gentle: "Usually, Auntie and Uncle Gu do the cooking. Today, Auntie and Uncle Gu will rest in the main hall for a while, and I will call you after I finish cooking."
"No, no!" Zhao's mind was in turmoil, but she still said, "How can you go down into the kitchen?"
Zheng Hao's status is no longer what it used to be; now he is a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, a veritable reincarnation of the God of Literature.
How could Sister Zhao possibly let the other person into the filthy kitchen?
She quickly turned to Gu Lin and said, "You should try to persuade Zheng Hao."
How to persuade?
Gu Lin raised his hand and touched his nose; he had encouraged the other person to cook.
As soon as Zhao's sister-in-law saw his reaction, she knew roughly what had happened. Although she knew that he could be a bit eccentric at times, she was still taken aback by his behavior.
She hesitated, saying, "If other families have a scholar who has passed the imperial examination, they would treat him like royalty. But you, Zheng Haocheng is a top scholar, and you're making him cook."
Gu Lin felt slightly guilty, and his eyes darted around.
Zheng Hao said to Zhao's wife, "It's just a meal. I hope Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu won't complain about how bad my cooking is."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin immediately put on a sincere smile.
He looked at Zheng Hao, raised his hand and patted his chest, saying, "Don't worry, I'll definitely be there to support you!"
If the other party had truly never cooked before, Gu Lin certainly wouldn't make things difficult for them. However, having eaten Zheng Hao's late-night snacks for several years, Gu Lin had a lot of confidence in the other party's cooking skills.
Hearing the young man's words, Zheng Hao's face, which was as calm as a still pond, showed a slight ripple.
He lowered his eyes slightly and looked at the young man in front of him, saying, "Then please save some room, Uncle Gu, and don't let the snacks fill you up."
Gu Lin readily agreed: "I'll keep them all. I'll definitely save my stomach for the food you make."
Looking at the two people in front of her, Sister Zhao saw that the person who asked someone to cook acted as if it were perfectly normal, while the person who was asked to cook accepted it well and didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
The more Zhao's sister-in-law looked, the less she understood. She felt that she should stay out of the young people's business.
After bringing the gifts of thanks and congratulations into the house, Zheng Hao went to the kitchen to cook.
Although Gu Lin encouraged Zheng Hao to cook, he was the kind of person who liked to tease others verbally. Since Zheng Hao was going to cook, he couldn't really let him do everything by himself.
He told Zhao's wife to wait in the main hall while he went to help in the kitchen, but Zheng Hao stopped him and told him to go back to the main hall.
Zheng Hao looked at the young man in front of him, dressed in light and clean clothes with a fair and round face, and said with his eyes slightly lowered, "I am enough for the kitchen. Uncle Gu, go back to the main hall and wait with your aunt for a while, and the food will be ready."
Gu Lin didn't leave: "You've never prepared meals for the whole family before. Washing and chopping vegetables is no easy task. I'll help you, but you should cook the proper dishes yourself."
Zheng Hao shook his head slightly, not giving an inch: "Since I said I would cook for Uncle Gu, then I should be in charge of everything from start to finish."
Seeing the determined and serious look on the boy's face, Gu Lin knew he couldn't change the other's mind.
Seeing the other person standing in front of him, blocking his way into the kitchen, he had no choice but to say, "Then I'll stay in the main hall. If there's anything you don't understand, just call out and I'll hear you."
Zheng Hao nodded: "Uncle Gu, go back."
Seeing that the other party showed no sign of backing down, Gu Lin had no choice but to walk back to the lobby.
Zheng Hao turned and went into the kitchen, tied on Uncle Gu's apron, and began to cook.
Lobby.
Half an hour passed. Although he was initially a little worried about the situation in the kitchen, Gu Lin gradually started chatting with Sister Zhao as Zheng Hao hadn't called him.
Gu Lin only came to his senses when he smelled a fresh, spicy aroma.
Sister-in-law Zhao also smelled it, her face full of surprise and novelty: "You know what, just by smelling it, this meal looks quite appetizing."
The curtain hanging in front of the gate was lifted, and a tall figure stepped in.
Zheng Hao walked over to Gu Lin and Zhao's wife and said in a gentle tone, "Uncle Gu and Aunt Zhao, it's time to eat."
Gu Lin and Zhao's wife got up and headed to the dining area in the main hall. As they approached, they saw a round table laden with food. Looking around, they noticed that the dishes on the table were not simple to make, such as stir-fried vegetables with garlic sprouts.
On the round table sits a sweet and sour squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, tender and juicy braised lamb chops, fresh and sweet river shrimp stir-fried with cabbage, and nourishing angelica chicken soup...
Sister Zhao approached the round table and exclaimed, "This meal is quite delicious!"
Originally, she thought she would be grateful if Zheng Hao could cook the cabbage, but to her surprise, it was completely unexpected.
Seeing Zhao's extremely surprised expression and hearing her praise Zheng Hao, Gu Lin puffed out his chest slightly as if he himself had been praised, and said confidently, "Of course, our top three scholars and top scholar either don't do it, or everything is a piece of cake for him."
Hearing Uncle Gu's unreserved praise, even though Zheng Hao was a steady and composed person who was not easily disturbed by external things, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
He called softly, "Uncle Gu..."
"Ok?"
Gu Lin had already sat down and picked up his chopsticks to start eating when he heard Zheng Hao call him. Gu Lin turned around and looked at the boy with a slightly bewildered expression.
Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly and looked at the young man who had been staring at the food on the table with bright eyes, but now looked at him with a bewildered expression. Zheng Hao's embarrassment disappeared.
He changed the subject, looked at Gu Lin, and said in a gentle tone, "Uncle Gu, how does my lamb chops taste?"
Gu Lin picked up a piece of lamb chop and placed it in Zheng Hao's bowl. Zheng Hao's gaze paused as he watched Gu Lin's actions.
As Gu Lin picked up the next lamb chop, he said, "You're the star of the show today, and you even cooked for us yourself, so naturally you should be the first to enjoy the meal."
In the past, entertainment was scarce in Xiahe Village and the county town, so Zheng Hao did not know what the protagonist Gu Shu was referring to, and could only guess based on Gu Shu's words and actions.
However, after arriving in the prefectural city, he found that brothels and pleasure houses were everywhere. Many students from the prefectural school went to the pleasure houses to show their support. Zheng Hao had also been there once, so he understood what the protagonist meant.
"Jiao" is a term used to refer to actors in the Peking Opera, but in ancient times, actors were considered to be among the lowest of the low.
If anyone else had addressed Zheng Hao as "horn," Zheng Hao would have thought they were mocking or insulting him. But Uncle Gu definitely didn't mean it that way, because he could feel that Uncle Gu was genuinely praising him from the inside out.
Zheng Hao lowered his head slightly, took a bite of the tender and juicy lamb chop, and immediately, the juices of the lamb chop filled his entire mouth.
Gu Lin was also munching on a lamb chop. He not only ate the lamb chop but also commented, "It tastes just as good as the lamb chops you grilled for your late-night snack. They're both delicious."
Seeing the young man reluctant to look up as he ate, Zheng Hao's expression showed a hint of indulgence: "If Uncle Gu likes it, that's good."
Zhao's wife and brother, who were standing nearby, nodded in agreement as they ate. After swallowing a bite of mutton, Zhao's wife looked up at Zheng Hao and said, "I never expected you to have such skills, young Zheng. It's all thanks to Uncle Gu's training."
Gu Lin was focused on eating his lamb chops, but that didn't stop him from hearing what Zhao's wife was saying.
Gu Lin raised his head and said feigned anger, "What you're saying, sister-in-law, makes it sound like I'm always exploiting Xiao Hao."
Sister Zhao shook her head and chuckled, "You two are just like that line from the opera, Zhou Yu... beating Huang Gai, one is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit. I think you two are a perfect match!"
That might not be quite accurate.
Watching Zheng Hao cool the soup and hand it to Gu Lin, Zhao Saozi thought, Huang Gai was at least a little better, he only let Zhou Yu hit him. If it were Zheng Hao, and Lin Ge'er hit him, Zheng Hao might even worry that the other party would hurt his hand, and help Lin Ge'er find other things to hit him with.
Thinking of this, Sister Zhao looked at the scene of fatherly love and filial piety across from her and realized that she was overthinking things again.
Zheng Hao had witnessed Lin Ge'er's filial piety and respect for years, and she had never allowed Lin Ge'er to scold her once, so how could she possibly tolerate being beaten by Lin Ge'er?
After discussing it with Zheng Hao, Gu Lin quickly started arranging the celebration banquet. Despite Zheng Hao's hard work in achieving the top score in the provincial examination, the celebration banquet was the slowest among all the classmates.
He and Zheng Hao discussed it and decided to hold the celebration banquet at Haoyunlou Restaurant. At the same time, Gu Lin suggested that the celebration banquet be held in a grand manner.
He said to Zheng Hao, "Afterwards, you will go to the capital to participate in the provincial and imperial examinations. Regardless of the outcome, it is not appropriate to hold a grand celebration banquet. This may be the only time you will have the provincial examination."
"To avoid regrets later, let's have a big celebration."
Zheng Hao didn't care about these rituals, but seeing how Uncle Gu was thinking of him, Zheng Hao felt that these rituals had their reasons for existing.
Zheng Hao said, "Then let's hold a grand celebration."
Gu Lin kept his word and agreed to use Good Luck Building as the venue for the celebration banquet.
The day before the celebration banquet, Gu Lin asked Lin Xiaoyao to inform all the diners that Haoyunlou would not be open the next day. Some of the less informed diners did not understand at first and thought that Haoyunlou was becoming too big and started to put on airs. They were about to complain.
His friend, who was standing next to him, grabbed him and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Don't make things unpleasant for Boss Gu on his special day!"
Upon hearing this, the diners looked puzzled: "A good day?"
Considering Mr. Gu's age, the diner asked, "But Mr. Gu is getting married, and we haven't heard anything about it!"
Hearing this, the friend said helplessly, "Who said Boss Gu is getting married?"
He continued, "It's someone else's nephew, Zheng, who passed the provincial examination and won first place, becoming the top scholar in the provincial examination. Boss Gu specially cleared the venue to hold a celebration banquet for Zheng at Haoyunlou Restaurant!"
"No wonder the entire Lucky Building is covered with red ribbons."
After hearing his friend's explanation, the diner belatedly realized what had happened.
Then, he couldn't help but gasp: "Now, those gentlemen who want to marry Boss Gu have even less of a chance."
"you do not say!"
My friend said, “His nephew is already a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination). Considering his age, even if he fails the metropolitan examination next year, given his talent, he will pass the metropolitan and palace examinations in just a few years. At that time, other Juren will naturally seek him out.”
“How can those gentlemen and young masters compare to a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, except for their wealth? You must know that a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations is qualified to be appointed to an official position.”
The former represents wealth, the latter power; even a fool would know which to choose.
"It's true what they say, different people have different fates!"
The diners spoke with envy, it was unclear whether they were referring to Zheng Jieyuan or Gu Lin, whose value had risen even further.