Chapter 1559 - 1546: Where Does It Hurt?

Marcus Quinn simmered the marinade for an hour, then placed the purchased pig trotters in to cook for another two hours.

As they cooked, the whole room was filled with the enticing aroma, which wafted out through the window, prompting the neighbors to poke their heads out, grumbling about who was so inconsiderate to make something so fragrant at this hour, making it impossible to sleep and leaving them hungry.

Amy Tan hadn’t slept all night. She was online looking for piano teaching jobs and whether any upscale restaurants were hiring a pianist. As for working, she hadn’t considered it; she’s still living under the radar, though she could replace her documents, but for now, she didn’t want to reveal her identity.

After searching around, she didn’t find any suitable part-time jobs.

Just as she felt her stomach growling, she caught a whiff of the tempting aroma from the kitchen.

Marcus Quinn was in the kitchen the whole time. When Amy entered, she found him jotting down the marinade recipe. When the man wasn’t smiling, his expression was quite stern, and the scar between his eyebrows was a bit intimidating. Coupled with his usual stubble, he had a kind of unconventional masculine charm that left Amy a little stupefied. Then she saw him looking up, his dark eyes meeting hers.

"Why aren’t you asleep yet?" Amy was caught red-handed, and she stammered.

"Waiting for the pig trotters to be done." The man sniffed the aroma, decided it was just right, then got up, took a small plate, cut a small piece of pig trotter, sprinkled some osmanthus on it, and handed the chopsticks to Amy, gesturing for her to have a taste.

Even though Amy had eaten a lot in the evening, two to three hours had passed and she’d digested it. Smelling the domineering aroma of the pig trotters, she was instantly hungry again. The pig trotters in the dish had a beautiful hue, with no grease, and the scent of the dried osmanthus made her swallow her saliva. Under Marcus’s watchful eyes, she took a bite of the pig trotter.

The meat of the trotter was stewed to perfection, tender and not greasy, with a light herbal undertone. Amy had eaten plenty of pig trotters before, but never tasted anything like this. It was chewy, with the aroma of the meat wafting through her mouth. After finishing the whole piece, the osmanthus fragrance lingered, leaving a refreshing herbal aroma.

"How come these pig trotters are different from all the ones I’ve had before?" Amy’s eyes lit up after eating one piece of the pig trotter. It was so delicious, it blew the pork knuckle she bought in the evening out of the water. Unlike the greasy evening knuckle that was hard to digest, Marcus’s trotters left her mouth watering.

Amy stared at Marcus, puzzled. With cooking skills like his, even becoming a chef would be better than working as an electrician. Why did he choose such a tiring job?

Amy licked her lips, looking at Marcus eagerly, wanting more.

"No more eating tonight. I’ll save you some for tomorrow," the man said with a slight curve of his lips, though it wasn’t very noticeable.

His grandfather experienced turmoil in his youth and his health wasn’t great. Doctors advised him against eating rich foods, so he later turned to study traditional Chinese medicine, combining diet with herbal medicine. It satisfied his cravings while using the medicinal effects of herbs to cleanse the body of residual waste.

Marcus added ten kinds of herbs to his marinade. When simmering with meat, it not only enhanced the flavor but also nourished the body, cleansing it of residual waste.

He contemplated buying some ingredients to brew medicinal wine. Amy was weak and drinking medicinal wine and eating herbal meals could change her constitution.

"Brush your teeth and go to sleep," the man said after preparing the trotters. He turned off the fire and patted Amy on the head.

Amy was conquered by the overpowering taste of the pig trotters. Looking at Marcus now was like seeing a grand banquet. She nodded quickly to brush her teeth and then contemplated a serious problem—where to sleep tonight.

After brushing her teeth, Amy went to bed and saw the man turn off the lights and sleep on the sofa. Her anxious heart settled down.

So she had been overthinking it. Marcus was quite oblivious.

Early the next morning, before dawn, the man got up to reheat the pig trotters, placed them in a ceramic pot, washed the clothes by hand, and then made porridge before heading out with a toolbox and the ceramic pot.

As a man, Marcus of course wouldn’t sell pig trotters by the roadside. He thought it was too easy for people to remember his face that way, and who knows how long it would take to make any money. He thought about it overnight and decided that it was better to repair water and electricity, pick up odd jobs, and work as a part-time chef. The Fountain City was quite far from the Imperial City. Worst-case scenario, even if someone discovered his identity, he would just lose the peace he once had.

Marcus chose the top five dining hotels in Fountain City, then found the manager or person in charge to give them the pig trotters for free. Regular restaurants might find the pig trotters delicious but wouldn’t discern the craft that went into them, so Marcus went to Fountain City’s top dining hotels.