Chapter 49: Passing on the Culinary Arts

The Madam is really something else. It is almost the third watch of the night, pitch black without a single streetlamp in sight, and on top of that, we have to walk all the way back. It is no big deal for me, but Uncle Wu is getting up there in years. What would happen if he took a bad fall somewhere? I simply cannot accept this. Is the Qin Estate really so massive that it doesn't even have a single guest room? Talk about being stingy.

Emerging from the inner hall, Li Qi muttered complaints under his breath, deeply dissatisfied with Madam Qin.

Upon entering the front hall, he found only Uncle Wu and his nephew sitting there. Wu Xiaoliu looked as though he had just been thoroughly scolded by his uncle, keeping his head down with a rather gloomy expression.

"Uncle Wu!" Li Qi greeted with a cheerful chuckle.

Wu Xiaorong cast a side-long glance at Li Qi, let out a heavy huff, and turned his head away, though his eyes betrayed a hint of lingering curiosity.

Wu Xiaoliu instinctively opened his mouth to call out "Brother Li," but catching sight of his uncle's wrathful appearance, he swallowed the words back down and looked at Li Qi with a wronged expression.

Li Qi waved his hand at Wu Xiaoliu, signaling him to keep quiet, then stepped up to Wu Wuorong, cupped his fists, and said, "Uncle Wu, my behavior earlier was quite inappropriate. Please be the bigger man and forgive me."

"Hmph! I wouldn't dare! This old man doesn't deserve such an honor," Wu Wuorong replied coldly.

Undeterred by the cold reception, Li Qi smiled and asked, "Don't you even want to know what the Madam just said to me?"

Truth be told, Wu Wuorong was exceedingly curious, but his pride prevented him from lowering himself to ask Li Qi. He opened his mouth slightly, yet no words came out.

"Alas! What a pity, what a pity!" Li Qi suddenly sighed deeply, shaking his head.

Wu Xiaoliu blurted out, "What's a pity?"

The moment the words left his mouth, regret set in. He anxiously glanced sideways at Wu Wuorong, and seeing no sign of an impending explosion, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Li Qi smiled and said, "It's a pity that your uncle's days at the Drunken Immortal House probably won't last much longer."

A jolt of shock went through Wu Wuorong, and he angrily demanded, "What nonsense are you spouting again? And what exactly did you say to the Madam just now?"

Li Qi spread his hands and said, "I didn't say a word just now; the Madam did all the talking. She said that once the Drunken Immortal House reopens, she will personally step in to manage it. So I told Uncle Wu that in just a few years, you'll be able to follow Master Zhou's example and return home to enjoy your golden years in peace."

"Is that true?"

Delight surged through Wu Wuorong's heart, and he asked hastily. Leaving aside enjoying his golden years for a moment, if Madam Qin herself were willing to step forward and run the business of the Drunken Immortal House, it would be an absolute blessing for him.

Although his constitution remained relatively robust, he was, after all, advancing in years, and his ambitions frequently outstripped his physical capabilities. Furthermore, Madam Qin was the sole remaining heir of the Qin family. If she took charge, it would provide an immense release for Wu Wuorong, both mentally and physically. He would no longer have to worry about whether Madam Qin could hold things together on her own the moment he closed his eyes for good.

Li Qi chuckled and said, "Naturally. Would I dare deceive you? If you don't believe me, go inside and ask the Madam yourself. Furthermore, starting from right now, I am officially the senior master of the Drunken Immortal House."

What an unexpected twist of fate!

Wu Wuorong frowned at Li Qi, then suddenly burst into laughter. "This old man finally understands. So the reason you said all those things earlier was simply to compel the Madam to come out and manage the Drunken Immortal House."

Your reaction time is painfully slow!

Li Qi grinned slyly. "I only did it to lighten the burden on your shoulders, you know."

Clearly unconvinced by his tall tales, Wu Wuorong retorted unhappily, "If you would just stop terrifying this old man a few times, I'd burn incense in gratitude!"

"How could I ever do that?" Li Qi buttered him up with a smile.

He held a deep respect for Wu Wuorong, who had once saved his life. In his heart, Li Qi had long since regarded Wu Wuorong as family.

Although he now knew Li Qi had not intentionally insulted Madam Qin, the mere memory of those earlier remarks still made Wu Wuorong feel a lingering sense of apprehension. He advised, "Young Master Li, I know you meant well, but what you said to the Madam earlier was truly going a bit too far."

"I know, but I had no other choice. If I hadn't spoken that way, do you really think the Madam would have agreed to me?" Li Qi rolled his eyes.

What he said was not entirely unreasonable.

Wu Wuorong nodded, then added, "Still, you should have given me a heads-up beforehand!"

Li Qi replied with mild annoyance, "Uncle Wu, if I had told you beforehand, would those words ever have had a chance to be spoken?"

Rendered utterly speechless by this logic, Wu Wuorong fell silent.

At that moment, Wu Xiaoliu leaned in close with a cheeky grin and asked, "Brother Li, Uncle, what are you two talking about?"

When did this little punk sneak over?

Before Wu Wuorong could speak, Li Qi shot Wu Xiaoliu a glare and snapped, "Go on, shoo! What would a little brat like you understand? You need to hurry up and focus on practicing your culinary skills. Otherwise—hmph, you know the consequences."

"No, please!"

Wu Xiaoliu shook his head violently, wearing a wronged expression once again. "I want to practice, but you haven't taught us any cooking yet!"

Hey! The kid actually had the nerve to talk back!

Then again... it was true that he hadn't really taught them anything substantial yet.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Li Qi refused to lose face and argued instead, "Didn't I teach you how to sweep and clean? And don't I always have you cutting cucumbers? Those are all foundational skills. If you can't even master those, don't bother learning anything else in the future."

"Oh!" Wu Xiaoliu lowered his head in compliance.

"This rascal loves to think he's clever. You'll need to keep a close eye on him from now on," Wu Wuorong said, glaring at Wu Xiaoliu before turning back to Li Qi.

Li Qi nodded. "Uncle Wu is right. It seems my discipline hasn't been strict enough in the past!"

Hearing this playful banter between the two of them, Wu Xiaoliu broke out in a cold sweat, thinking to himself that if the two of them ever teamed up, he would be doomed. He needed to hurry back and plot a strategy with Da Zhu and Xiao Zhu.

In truth, even without Wu Xiaoliu prompting him, Li Qi had already planned to use this period to properly drill them in their culinary training, as time was genuinely running short.

However, learning to cook was not something accomplished overnight. Much like mastering martial arts, it required prolonged practice to achieve any real progress. Li Qi intended to use this phase to teach them fundamental skills first—such as knife work, washing and purchasing ingredients, and developing an understanding of foodstuffs.

If he still had to handle all these preparations personally once the Drunken Immortal House officially reopened, he would be worked to death.

As for seasoning and cooking techniques, Li Qi planned to teach those later, when he prepared meals himself.

Early the next morning, Li Qi first had the Zhu brothers fry tofu at the entrance while he instructed Wu Xiaoliu in the kitchen. Naturally, the very first lesson was sharpening knives.

Never underestimate the art of sharpening a knife. Back in the day, Li Qi had spent a full three years sharpening blades under his father's instruction. If a chef didn't even know how to sharpen a knife, could he truly be called a chef?

Once you have spent years grinding blades, you naturally develop the ability to discern what constitutes a truly fine knife.

When Wu Xiaoliu initially heard that Li Qi was going to teach him culinary arts, he was beyond thrilled. But upon hearing that the first task was sharpening knives, his overflowing enthusiasm instantly evaporated.

Li Qi did not bother offering any explanations. In matters like this, being told by others was useless; one had to experience it for oneself.

Once the Zhu brothers finished their morning chores, Li Qi called them over to join Wu Xiaoliu in knife sharpening, imparting all his sharpening techniques and personal experiences to them without reservation.

Next, Li Qi introduced various knife-work techniques, such as slicing, chopping, and mincing, along with skills for shaping ingredients into desired forms like threads, segments, cubes, and blocks.

Even just mastering these basics would keep them busy for several months.

Whenever they practiced, Li Qi constantly hovered nearby, urging them not to slack off and to practice with utmost diligence.

This was because knife skills directly influenced four crucial elements of any dish: color, aroma, taste, and presentation. They were akin to the foundation of a tall building; if the foundation was not properly laid, no matter how magnificent and grand the structure built upon it might be, it would remain nothing more than a dangerous, unstable hazard.

Among the three apprentices, Wu Xiaoliu possessed the highest natural talent, but he lacked the steadfast diligence of the Zhu brothers. Consequently, after a few days of practice, their skill levels were roughly on par with one another.

In reality, the kitchen could only be considered a chef's second battlefield. The primary battlefield was the vegetable market.

Purchasing ingredients was itself an art form. Knowing how to select the highest quality and most suitable materials from a chaotic array of produce was vital for any chef.

One fine day, Li Qi led his three apprentices to the pork stall of Butcher Xiong on Horse Carriage Street.

"What kind of meat is this?" Li Qi pointed to a cut of lean meat resting on the chopping board.

"Pork," Wu Xiaoliu and the other two replied in unison.

Rolling his eyes, Li Qi said, "This is hind leg meat." He sighed, then continued, "This cut is thick yet tender and smooth. How should it be prepared?"

Wu Xiaoliu chuckled. "Good meat tastes great no matter how you cook it."

The Zhu brothers nodded along in agreement.

"So you haven't the slightest clue, then."

Casting a disapproving look at them, Li Qi explained, "It can be shredded, sliced, braised, stewed, or sauced." With that, he picked up the cut of meat and handed it to Wu Xiaoliu. "How much do you think this weighs?"

Wu Xiaoliu took the pork, weighed it in his hands a few times, and guessed, "A little over a catty, I suppose." Then he passed it to the Zhu brothers.

Chen Xiaozhu tested its weight and said, "I don't think it even reaches a full catty."

"I say it's a catty and a half."

"What catty and a half? It's just over a catty. It's one catty and two liang."

Sighing in disappointment, Li Qi shook his head, took the meat back, and handed it to Butcher Xiong. "Uncle, I'll take this piece."

Butcher Xiong placed it on the scale, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes as he exclaimed, "Young man, you certainly have a sharp eye! Exactly one catty and two liang."

Giving a polite smile, Li Qi turned back to his three apprentices. "To be a chef, handling ingredients is a fundamental skill. You must have a clear sense of weights and measures in your mind. Imagine if you were asked to cook two identical dishes later on, but one used a catty of meat while the other used half a catty. When you serve that to the guests, wouldn't we be cursed out? And what about when you grab seasonings? How do you grab them? How much do you take? Am I supposed to hire an extra hand just to stand beside you with a scale? Remember, from now on, you must pay close attention to details like this whenever you buy anything. Do you understand?"

"Understood."

Instructing them to carry the meat, Li Qi led them to an old fisherman selling fish by the roadside. Pointing to a large woven creel containing eight or nine carp, Li Qi commanded, "The three of you, pick out the three freshest fish from in there."

Hearing this, all three squatted down to inspect the catch.

After a moment of careful examination, each of them proudly selected the fish they believed to be the freshest.

Li Qi swept his gaze over their choices and discovered that the fish in their hands were larger than the last. He was so exasperated he nearly choked, and burst out angrily, "You think you're panning for gold? You assume bigger is always better? Look at the fish you've chosen! Either their eyes have sunken in, or their scales have lost their luster. At a glance, anyone can tell they aren't fresh. You lot are far too kind, leaving all the worst ones for yourselves and handing the good ones off to everyone else!"

Stunned by the scolding, the three stood in silence with their heads bowed.

Afterward, Li Qi marched the trio through the bustling market several times over. Whenever they encountered commonly used ingredients or seasonings, he tirelessly explained their flavor profiles, potential culinary applications, and their health benefits and drawbacks. Occasionally, he would even tell them historical anecdotes about the food to keep their interest alive.

Although Wu Xiaoliu and the other two started with poor foundations, they were diligent and hardworking, never hesitating to ask questions whenever they encountered something they didn't understand.

Li Qi, in turn, explained things to them patiently, repeating himself as many times as necessary until every single one of them grasped the concept fully.