Chapter 377 - 196: Yay! I can hug it to sleep every day

Chapter 377: Chapter 196: Yay! I can hug it to sleep every day

"You’re right. We’re all family here." Qian Siyuan nodded in deep agreement. He turned to Wang, who was standing nearby, and said, "Wang, see Master Xiao and Master Zhou out. Have the driver take them back to Suji."

"Yes, President Qian." Wang acknowledged, then escorted Xiao Lei and Zhou Yan to the car.

"Phew—"

Once in the car, the master and apprentice both let out a long sigh at the same time.

The two exchanged a glance and both started laughing.

"Master, you’re a genius. If we’d taken the money yesterday, we’d have to squat by the door and eat the next time the Kong Sect gets together," Zhou Yan said with a laugh.

Xiao Lei laughed as well. "Master Zhou, you’re not so ordinary yourself. You managed to bring up Linjiang Shanshi in such a roundabout way. If he had missed this opportunity, he might never have found it in his entire life."

"It just goes to show, it was fate that he should find it," Zhou Yan said with a touch of emotion. "Ms. Kong Simin must have wanted to return to her homeland. Perhaps she was guiding him, too."

Xiao Lei sighed wistfully. "I knew that name sounded familiar. Now I remember. My Master used to talk about her when he was drunk. He’d say his older sister was the kindest person in the world to him. She used to help out in the back kitchen and would sometimes secretly help him chop vegetables, which saved him from a lot of tongue-lashings from their old man. Every time he brought her up, he would tear up, full of sorrow and regret.

I never dared to ask more. I just assumed his sister had died young. I never imagined she was abducted. It’s a good thing she met kind people and went to the United States to live a comfortable life for decades. She managed to avoid the most difficult times here.

If my Master knew about this, he’d be overjoyed. He’d definitely have an extra drink or two today."

"Master, do you know about Snowflake Chicken Porridge?" Zhou Yan asked, changing the subject.

"I do. I saw Mr. Zhang make it once when I was training at Rongyuan Garden. He was making it for some officials. It was mounded on the plate, and it really did look like a pile of pure white ’snowflakes.’ It was beautiful, but I never got to taste it," Xiao Lei said.

"They say Snowflake Chicken Porridge used to be a signature dish at Le Ming Restaurant. It was the Luo Family’s heirloom recipe. Back when the Luo we know was still just a boy, his old man drank himself to death. Young Luo’s skills weren’t up to par, so he couldn’t carry on the tradition. The Luo Family Cuisine legacy was broken, and Le Ming Restaurant never served Snowflake Chicken Porridge again.

For the past two years, Arhat has been wanting to train at Rongyuan Garden just to learn Snowflake Chicken Porridge. What he doesn’t realize is that even if he attends the training, he won’t necessarily learn the real secrets. Even if they offer the class, they play favorites. They don’t have the energy to ensure every single student masters the skill.

A craft like this isn’t something you can learn in a few short months of training. His old man taught him for years, and he still didn’t manage to learn it."

Xiao Lei glanced at Zhou Yan. "Why are you asking about this? Don’t tell me you want to learn this dish too? Let me tell you, I don’t know how to make it, and neither does your Grandmaster."

Zhou Yan chuckled. "No, not really. I just saw this dish in that textbook a while ago and thought it was really interesting. I was thinking of trying to replicate it sometime, so I just wanted to ask you about it."

Xiao Lei sat bolt upright and looked at him. "You made it?"

"Not yet," Zhou Yan said with a laugh. "I tried a couple of times, but it still feels like something’s missing. The texture needs some tweaking, and the flavor has to be adjusted."

"You kid, you really have the guts to try anything as long as you have a recipe!" Xiao Lei rubbed his hands together. "I’ve got several old cookbooks and textbooks. Why don’t you go ahead and replicate Pottery Pork, Niutou Fang, Immortal Duck... and then teach me?"

"Master, are you making a wish to a genie or something?" Zhou Yan rolled his eyes at him.

’He was just giving his master a heads-up, so he wouldn’t have to invent another excuse the next time he successfully made Snowflake Chicken Porridge.’

"You really think you can pull off Snowflake Chicken Porridge?" Xiao Lei looked at him seriously. "The Luo Family has the recipe. Luo has been trying for years, but the version he makes only looks the part. The flavor isn’t right at all."

"Although Luo never officially became your Grandmaster’s disciple, he was, in reality, the first apprentice your Grandmaster ever taught. It was the death of Luo’s old man that spurred your Grandmaster. It made him determined to abandon the tradition of only passing skills within the family. He started holding classes and accepting many apprentices, which is how the four of us brothers came to be.

Luo deeply respects your Grandmaster. He visits every New Year and holiday and gets along great with us brothers. Just last month, he came to Suji to drink with me. He hugged me and cried, saying he was useless, that he’d let the Luo Family’s craft die out, and that when he died, he wouldn’t be able to face his old man.

If you really manage to learn Snowflake Chicken Porridge, you don’t have to teach me. Just give Luo a few pointers.

That’s just how people are. They don’t study hard when they have the chance. Once they miss it, they’re stuck on it for the rest of their lives."

Zhou Yan saw the deep pain and concern for his brother in his master’s eyes. It made him think of the young boy who had burst into the office, his voice trembling and full of tears, saying, "Mr. Kong, my... my old man is gone!"

The young Luo of yesteryear was now an old man, just as his own father had gone from being a young man to an old one in the kitchens of Le Ming Restaurant.

"Alright. If I learn it, I’ll definitely teach him," Zhou Yan said with a nod and a smile.

’This Snowflake Chicken Porridge recipe dropped from the Luo family anyway, so what’s the harm in teaching it to him?’

’Back then, Grandmaster was willing to share all the Kong Sect’s recipes to hold classes for the public. If he himself was unwilling to part with a single dish like Snowflake Chicken Porridge, then he wouldn’t be worthy of being a disciple of the Kong Sect.’

’But it was just like his master said: mastering a dish wasn’t something you could achieve with just a few pointers.’

’Luo’s own father couldn’t even teach him how to make Snowflake Chicken Porridge. Even with his guidance, there would surely be setbacks, and truly mastering it would be even harder.’

Xiao Lei nodded. "It’s enough that you have the heart. The recipe for this dish isn’t rare, but very few chefs can actually make it well."