Chapter 27: Chen Shao's Culinary Skills

  "Wow, wow, wow! So handsome! So stylish!" The exclamations came out of the kitchen one after another.

  The kitchen was already packed with people, all of whom were chefs and waiters' assistants, except for Chen Dad, Chen Ning, and Park Ji-yeon.

  After Chen Shao went into the kitchen and told his dad that he wanted to borrow the kitchen to cook for his mom, Chen's dad stayed by his side wanting to guide him; after all, in his memory, he had never seen his son enter the kitchen, even when they were at home, washing dishes was always done by his mom, so when he heard that he wanted to cook, he didn't say anything, just stayed there fearing that he might get hurt or not know how to use the kitchen utensils.

  But now it seems completely unnecessary and a bit of a pointless move.

  Watching his son cut vegetables with that knife work, watching him stir-fry with that skilled technique and most astonishingly, that carving skill; as a chef, if he can master just one of these three skills, he'll be able to make a good living in the culinary world; but if all three are concentrated in one person, it's simply unbelievable; haven't you seen how everyone in the kitchen is staring at Chen Shao with a "monster" gaze as he cooks?

  "Dad, when did little brother's cooking skills become so amazing? Did you secretly teach him?" Chen Ning asked her old man while watching Chen Shao's dazzling movements.

  "If I had his skills, would I still be running just one store? I have no idea how this little brat learned it. I've only seen such techniques on TV, and I didn't think someone so heaven-defying existed, let alone my own son." Chen Dad was also shocked as he stared at his son.

  "Just by looking at these dishes, I can tell they're delicious. I have to try one; my saliva is almost overflowing from my mouth." Chen Ning's eyes were now fixed on the food; she didn't care about the people around her and walked straight up, picking up chopsticks to eat.

  Chen's dad and Zhiyan are also similar; as soon as they walk up to the table with chopsticks in hand, they start eating.

  "Wow, wow, wow; I won't say anything else, I don't even know how to describe it, in short, it's delicious, little brother from now on you're in charge of sister's meals, I'll move to your place in a couple of days" Chen Ning was really unable to extricate herself now.

  "Son, you get back home right now! Your mom keeps telling me she can't see you all day. We have a place for you to live at home, why are you running out and living elsewhere, wasting money? You've got three days, get back here immediately, did you hear that?" Chen Dad shamelessly used his own wife to make his point.

  "Azexi, can I stay with you for a long time? Anyway, my family doesn't want me anymore; from now on, I'll live with you," Zhiyan said.

  When Chen Shao heard these words, he didn't know what to say. One by one, they had thicker skin than the other; no one knew whether this was good or bad luck.

  "Alright, just try a little for now, aren't you going to eat dinner later? I'll definitely make more tonight. Hurry up and go do some work to digest it, or else I'm afraid you won't be able to eat much; and you guys, the dishes ordered by the guests outside have been ready for a long time, hurry up and go work! In the future, if I have time, I'll come over to settle the bill with you." Chen Shao instructed the staff, also saying that he would come over to settle the bill with them in the future.

  Chen's father and sister Zhiyan thought about it, now that they had eaten a bit and were slightly full, if they didn't do some work to digest, they wouldn't be able to eat much of the delicious food later; so they immediately went out to find something to do, even little Zhiyan went out to find something to do.

  Chen Shao saw that everyone had left, and it was time to make those few dishes. He took out several sweet potatoes, red radishes, and tomatoes, among other gourds. After taking them out, he started carving, first using a large sweet potato to carve miniature versions of Xiao Xian and Yun'er. Then, he used a white radish to carve a frog sergeant. After finishing these carvings, he took out various gourds to continue carving, including an alligator and a dinosaur. Finally, he carved two more miniature versions of Xiao Xian and Yun'er, placing them together so that they looked like the two were holding hands on their way home from school. After completing all this, Chen Shao put these carvings in a pot to steam (I don't know if it would actually work or not; it's just fictional, so let's just exaggerate). Once done, he took them out and added seasonings, thus completing the few dishes.

  "These few dishes seem to be not enough, especially these ones, one person can finish them all. Should we make a few more, or else it'll be a fight later." Looking at the five dishes in front of me, they still seem a bit insufficient.

  Chen Shao was busy in the kitchen when Xiao Xian and Yun'er arrived; they found Chen Ning to ask where Chen Shao was, but Chen Ning was afraid that if they went in, they would see the dishes and steal food, so he muttered that Chen Shao had temporarily gone out and wasn't in the store. Zhiyan, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh secretly.

  Seeing Zhiyan smile beside her, Chen Ning felt embarrassed, but for the sake of those delicious dishes, she could only warn her not to say it out loud.

  "Who is this girl? Do you know her, Little Ning?" Yun'er asked after seeing the exchange of glances between the two.

  "Oh, her name is Park Ji-yeon, she was brought by Soo-young and I just met her too; but this little girl is quite clever." Chen Ning quickly explained when he heard Yoon-ah's question, now it would be best if they could divert their attention.

  "Oh, did oppa bring her? I didn't know oppa knew other girls too" Xian looked at the girl in front of him and suddenly felt a sense of crisis; but honest and obedient as she was, she didn't reject her either; instead, she thought this girl was just like her own sister Yoon-ah, both having a carefree personality.

  "Oh, I've only met Ah Ze Xi twice; the first time was when he came back to the country and we bumped into each other at a few gatherings, and the second time was just now on the street" Ji Yan explained to the three of them how she knew Chen Shao; while Yu Nian beside her had already laughed so hard she was crying.

  "Is that Xiao Xiao Zi Ah Ze Xi? Haha, Zhi Yan you're really too talented; I can already imagine what his expression was like at the time." Yun Er said with admiration while laughing non-stop.

  "Are you the girlfriend Ah Ze Xi was talking about?" Ji Yan asked Yoon-ah who was laughing loudly.

  "No, it's the one next to me, her name is Xu Zhuoxian, born in 91; my name is Lin Yuner, and that Azexi you mentioned was born on the same year, month and day as me; nice to meet you"

  "Oh, I'm Park Ji-yeon, born in '93. You're all older than me, so I'll just call you sisters?"

  "Alright then, from now on we'll just call each other sisters."

  "You're oppa's friend is our friend"

  Just as the girls were chatting, their mothers also came over; Chen Ning took everyone to the private room on the second floor; then went to the kitchen to see how Chen Shao's dishes were doing, ready to serve.

  "Little brother, are you ready? Mom, Auntie, Xiaoxian and the others have all arrived."

  "Just done, only one soup is left. You go ahead and have these dishes served first, I'll wait here until this dish is ready before going up." Chen Shao said to Chen Ning without turning his head back, because this soup was the most troublesome, so he had to watch it personally.

  "Alright, I'm looking forward to your good performance, I'll go first." Chen Ning heard his brother's words and didn't say much more, directly ordering the dishes to be served.

  Everyone in the private room still hasn't seen Chen Shao, and they find it strange; just as they were about to ask, Chen Ning led the waiter over with a tray. "Little Ning, where's your brother? Didn't your dad say he had already arrived earlier? How come we haven't seen him yet, where did he go?" Chen's mom asked her daughter

  When I heard my mom's words, I thought about it and told them, "My brother is waiting for the soup in the kitchen. All the dishes we're having at dinner tonight were made by him. You must be surprised, right? Actually, I was also very surprised when I talked to Dad earlier, but after tasting the dishes my brother stir-fried, I was even more surprised; the flavor is simply worlds apart from Dad's... of course, Dad's is the earth... haha!" Chen Dad heard his daughter's words and didn't refute them. After all, he had tried it himself and couldn't compare.

  "Really, hurry up and open the lid to take a look; you've made me want to try it too. In the past, my son didn't even enter the kitchen, but now that he's back from abroad, his cooking skills are actually better than his father's?" Chen's mother exclaimed excitedly; the people beside her were thinking the same thing, and their relationships with each other were very good, they also understood the children well.

  "Hey, haven't started yet?" Chen Shao walked into the private room with a pot of soup and said when he saw that everyone hadn't started eating.

  "Aren't you still waiting for me?"

  "Alright, open it and see how it tastes?" Chen Shao said as he nodded to the waiter beside him to open it.

  "Wow, OMO; who is this?"

  "Xiao Xian? Yun Er?"

  "Are there alligators? Dinosaurs? Look at Xiaoxian, your favorite frog sergeant." As dish after dish was opened, exclamations of surprise were constantly being made.

  "Wow, Xiao Xiao, are you carving art? The two mini people on top, are they me and Xiao Xian? So cute!" Yun'er's current mood could be described as completely exaggerated now;

  It's not just her, everyone in the private room was, even the waiter was shocked when he saw these dishes when he opened the lid.

  "Son, did you really do this?" Although Chen's father had tried before and was mentally prepared, he was still shocked once again.

  "It's really you, little brother! I thought the previous dishes were already amazing, but I didn't expect you to turn carving art into a dish too! These are things I've only seen in the anime 'Chinese Little Master'! I didn't think it was possible in real life!" Chen Ning was now speechless.

  "Oppa, is that miniature person reading a book me? It looks like it. And is the one with the big smile and mouth Yoon-ah unnie? If those two are us, then the two holding hands must be me and Yoon-ah onni, right?" Little Soo-young was completely absorbed in the several miniature people on the table because to her, these two little people looked like herself and Yoon-ah.

  "That's right, you're all correct. These little miniatures are carved from large red potatoes because the kitchen didn't have suitable materials, so I had to use these as substitutes. How do you like them? As for the crocodile, it goes without saying who it is. And as for the dinosaur, it's for Zhīyǎn, this dinosaur sister of yours." Chen Shao introduced each one to the girls.

  "Hey, Xiao Xiao you're so annoying; why is Xiao Xian the frog sergeant and I'm the crocodile?" Yun'er complained, although she said that with her mouth, but her hands didn't stop, now she's holding her phone taking pictures of the dishes on the table, because in her eyes tonight's dishes are too beautiful, must be taken down and collected.

  "Hehe, if you don't like it, I'll eat it myself later, you just don't have to eat it." Chen Shao didn't stop Yun'er either, whatever she wanted was fine.

  "No way, you're eating something else tonight. Those are carved for you and you can't eat any of them." He immediately put down his phone and rushed to Chen Shao's front to stop her, fearing that if he was a step late, they would really be eaten.

  "Haha, you two are still so mischievous even at your age. Hurry up and sit down to eat; I didn't expect Chen Shao's cooking skills to be so good, Lin uncle isn't here this time, it seems he will regret it" Lin mom organized the two of them after their fight and still remembered to praise Chen Shao

  "Yes, your father-in-law will probably regret it too. Fortunately, your mother-in-law came over tonight, otherwise who knows how capable my son-in-law is?" Now Xu's mom has a different view of Chen Shao; she doesn't have any opposing opinions about her daughter's early love affair, and instead feels happy for her daughter in her heart.

  "Hehe, Auntie is praising me. If you want to eat it in the future, just tell me and I'll come to Dad's store to make some for you when I'm free."

  "That's not necessary, we've eaten too much and might get addicted to it. Later when you all go out, there won't be time for this either. So, next time when you come back home, just make some then, no need to bring any back for me."

  "Mom, anyway I'll be managing my younger brother's career in the future, so I might as well move over and live with him now. Plus, it's closer to Dad's place here, and when I'm free, I can come over and help out too." Chen Ning said after looking at the dishes on the table and thinking for a moment.

  "You, just say you want to go to your brother's place for a meal, why make up so many excuses? Never mind, you're all grown up now and should have your own freedom. If you want to move out, then move out, just come back to visit me later. And you too, son, you must come back often, got it?" Chen's mom was quite open-minded about this, her children had grown up and had their own thoughts, they could do what they wanted without always asking for the family's opinion.

  "We will, we'll come home to see you every week from now on," said the two siblings in unison.

  "Let's eat, otherwise it will get cold and won't taste good."

  Everyone had a great time at this dinner party, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.