Chapter 156: Recognition (2)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The handwriting on the booklet had long become blurry, but if it was his own handwriting, it would not be difficult to recognize.
Chef Bao paused when he flipped to the first page.
Everyone looked at him nervously. Just before he took out this booklet, the Yu family members didn’t say anything, but in their hearts, they were all certain that Yu Shaoqing was the long-lost son of Chef Bao. However, the moment they really handed the token to Chef Bao, everyone’s hearts suddenly started beating wildly.
Uncle and Aunt were sweating profusely.
Yu Feng didn’t even dare to breathe loudly. Even Yu Song, who usually liked to be mischievous, stayed obediently.!!
Little Bruiser and Little Zhenzhen didn’t know what had happened, but the adults’ reaction was so serious that they actually obediently shut their mouths.
Yu Wan held Madam Jiang’s hand tightly.
How long Chef Bao looked at the booklet was how long the mother and daughter’s gazes stayed on him.
In the room, no one dared to make a sound. It was only when Little Bruiser’s nose itched and he sneezed that Chef Bao came back to his senses and gently closed the incomplete book.
Uncle’s mouth was dry as he asked, “How… is it? Is it what you placed in the swaddling back then?”
Naturally, the booklet was not put in by Chef Bao himself. Uncle asked this because he was so nervous that he was incoherent. Last night, Yu Wan had found out the entire story of Chef Bao’s son’s disappearance. Back then, when Old Mrs. Bao’s mother fell ill, the doctor said that she might not be able to make it. The family brought their infant son to see Old Mrs. Bao’s mother for the last time. Unexpectedly, after they arrived, Old Mrs. Bao’s mother’s illness recovered.
Old Mrs. Bao’s mother asked her daughter and grandson to stay for a few more days, while Chef Bao left first because of business.
When Old Mrs. Bao and her son returned to the Bao family’s house, they encountered a flood on the way. The flood washed over a section of the bridge, luckily, the guards knew how to swim and save Old Mrs. Bao and her son up. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. The mother and son encountered robbers. In a panic, Old Mrs. Bao fell and fainted. When she woke up, her son and luggage were gone.
And the priceless medicinal cuisine recipe was in the lost luggage.
It was not surprising that someone took the silver and left behind the medicinal cuisine recipe.
“Where… did your father pick up your third brother?” Chef Bao asked Uncle.
Uncle said, “It’s in Willow Town.”
Willow Town was south of the Capital, a hundred miles away. When Old Master Yu was working in Willow Town, he passed by a ravine and saw a child by the road.
Uncle asked uneasily, “Is my third brother your son?”
Chef Bao closed his eyes and held back the emotions rolling in his chest. After a while, he finally gave an answer.
“…Yes!”
The hearts of the Yu family members that were in their throats finally calmed down. Immediately after, everyone was overjoyed. Their third brother was not abandoned by his family. They had found their third brother’s family, and it was a father who doted on him so much…
Uncle’s eyes turned red.
Aunt also turned around and secretly wiped her tears.
Yu Wan looked at Chef Bao in surprise.
When Aunt saw Yu Wan’s dazed look, she smiled through her tears and pulled her over. “What are you waiting for? Quickly call Grandpa!”
Little Bruiser looked at them in confusion. What was wrong with adults? They were crying and laughing!
“And you!” Aunt patted Little Bruiser’s shoulder. “Hurry up and call him Grandpa!”
“I did!” Little Bruiser said in confusion.
The child was still young, and Aunt did not know how to explain it to him. She could only say anxiously, “Call him that again!”
“Oh.” Little Bruiser looked at Chef Bao obediently and called him “Grandpa”.
Chef Bao raised his thin hand and touched his little face. He choked and said, “…What’s your name?”
Little Bruiser puffed out his chest and said, “Bruiser!”
“Good, good!” Chef Bao stroked his face kindly, and tears gradually appeared in his eyes.
“This is Ah Wan!” Aunt introduced excitedly.
Chef Bao’s gaze landed on Yu Wan.
Yu Wan smiled. “Grandpa.”
Chef Bao’s eyes reddened.
Aunt pulled Madam Jiang over again. “This is Third Brother’s wife, Little Jiang!”
Chef Bao’s gaze landed on a face similar to Yu Wan’s.
Aunt hurriedly said, “Little Jiang is from the city. She’s sensible and capable, and her personality is impeccable. It’s Third Brother’s blessing to be able to marry her!”
Chef Bao choked and nodded. “Good… good!”
“Aiyo.” Aunt turned around and wiped her tears. “Unfortunately, Third Brother isn’t back. When he comes back, our family will be reunited!”
“He went to war…” Chef Bao said in a daze.
Yu Wan had mentioned this when she compared herself to Chef Bao.
After recovering, Uncle said, “Third Brother is blessed by the heavens. He will definitely return safely!”
Other than Little Zhenzhen and Little Bruiser who didn’t know what was going on, the rest of the people were overjoyed. Aunt had killed a chicken, and it wasn’t a pheasant raised by her family. She wanted to kill them, but who knew that the moment she entered the chicken coop, she found the two pheasants lying on the ground half dead.
She did not know what was wrong with them. They were still alive and kicking just now, but now, they seemed to have contracted chicken plague.
Aunt did not dare to kill chickens with chicken plague, so she went to Aunt Luo’s house next door and bought an old hen.
Yu Feng went to town to buy a few pounds of high-grade rib meat. Yu Feng went to the stream at the back of the mountain to catch two fat carps. Yu Wan dug a few spring bamboo shoots in the backyard.
It was Uncle who cooked. Although it was like showing off in front of an expert when cooking in front of Chef Bao, he couldn’t let him cook personally, right?
Uncle cooked a pot of stewed chicken with bamboo shoots, a plate of steamed ginger carp, a bowl of braised pork with rock sugar, and a jar of braised pork trotters and lotus roots. A rich fragrance wafted out of the kitchen.
After the New Year, the Yu family’s dining table had not been so sumptuous for a long time.
Uncle mixed a plate of bean sprout and stir-fried a leek egg and pea.
In order to show her filial piety, Yu Wan also personally cooked. She made winter melon meatball soup.
It had been a long time since Chef Bao had such a lively meal. In the past, he still had his wife at the dining table in the mornings. After his wife passed away, he was left alone.
Chef Bao looked at the food on the table and didn’t eat for a long time.
Yu Wan picked up a piece of pork belly with rock sugar for him. “My uncle is best at making braised meat. This plate of pork belly is braised first before cooking. It’s not greasy at all. Try it.”
The pork belly was stewed till it was soft. The skin was like gelatin, soft and bouncy. The taste of the rock sugar and braised meat was fat but not greasy, sweet but not greasy. However, what was truly unforgettable was not the texture of the dish itself, but the taste of home.
Chef Bao wanted to cry.
“Try my cooking too!” Yu Wan picked up a piece of winter melon and a meatball for him.
Chef Bao decisively tasted it. After tasting it, he wanted to cry even more.
Damn it… Why did it taste so bad!
… .
After they became familiar with each other, Yu Song became complacent again. He spoke nonsense, causing Aunt to beat him up again. Yu Song covered his head and ran around. Aunt grabbed a broom and chased after him. The courtyard was in chaos!
The chickens that had caught the “chicken plague” flapped its wings and watched the commotion.
“Cluck cluck—”
“Cluck cluck—”
Aunt felt that something was wrong as she fought. She suddenly turned around. “Eh? The chickens are well?”
The two chickens rolled their eyes and fell to the ground half-dead.
Aunt was speechless.
The sky was dark. Uncle invited Chef Bao to stay at their house for a while. Coincidentally, after the Guo family moved away, the room was empty. “… It used to be Third Brother’s room. After they moved to their new house, the room was empty. Don’t mind it. Stay here tonight.”
It was his son’s house. As his father, Chef Bao should want to stay there.
Sure enough, after hearing his uncle’s words, Chef Bao stopped in his tracks. He looked at the room Uncle pointed at with a complicated expression.
“Grandpa, just stay here!” Little Bruiser pulled his hand. Aunt had asked Little Bruiser to get closer to this grandfather. Little Bruiser was an obedient child and had been sticking to his grandfather all afternoon.
“Stay here.” Little Zhenzhen was Brother Bruiser’s little tail.
Chef Bao looked at the two cute children and his eyes couldn’t help but soften.
“Grandpa…”
Before the words “Grandpa is leaving. I’ll come and see you another day” could be said, the village bell rang. A deep and ancient sound came from the village entrance. Chef Bao’s expression froze and he subconsciously looked towards the door. He saw many villagers running over in panic.
“What happened? It’s so late. Who rang the bell?”
Aunt, who was cleaning up the kitchen, walked out in surprise.
An ominous feeling welled up in the hearts of the Yu Family members. It was not a small matter for the village to ring the bell.
“Aiya! Damn it!” Aunt Bai’s scream came from the village entrance.
“I’ll go take a look!” Yu Wan said as she put down her broom.
“I’ll go!” Yu Feng said.
Yu Song was a step ahead of his brother. He rushed out like lightning, but after taking a few steps, he returned with a pale face. He closed the door and bolted it.
Yu Feng, who was about to go and take a look, was stopped by him. Yu Feng frowned and said, “What happened?”
Yu Song composed himself and said, “A… a large group of people came!”
“Ouch—” It was Aunt Zhang’s exclamation.
“What are you doing! Let go of me!” It was Cui Hua’s struggle.
“Wahhh—”
There were also the cries of the children in the village. There were so many of them that it was impossible to tell who was who.
“Those bastards from Apricot Flower Village are here again?” Aunt was so angry that she cursed.
“I don’t know…” Yu Song said.
Soon, Yu Wan heard the sound of horse hooves. It was not one horse, but a group. This was definitely not the bully of Apricot Flower Village. No matter how capable Apricot Flower Village was, they did not have the money to buy so many horses.
Yu Wan took her brother and sister’s hands. “Mom, Uncle, Aunt, bring Bruiser, Zhenzhen, and Grandpa into the house first. Don’t come out later.”
It was too late. The door had already been kicked open.
Two fat and strong men rushed in with machetes in their hands. They hacked around in the courtyard. Looking at their clothes and the sound of horse hooves, Yu Wan seriously suspected that they had encountered the rumored bandits.
Horse bandits were much harder to deal with than bandits. When bandits robbed, horse bandits would kill.
“Let go of my son! Let go of him!” It was Cui Hua crying.
Little Bruiser clenched his fists tightly.
Yu Wan held his hand and quietly pressed it down.
Yu Song quietly grabbed the shovel beside him. Yu Wan gave him a look, indicating that he shouldn’t act rashly. Two bandits were easy to kill, but there was still a group outside. They could not alert the enemy first and needed to wait for an opportunity to attack, so Yu Song retracted his hand hatefully.
“You guys, come here!” One of the bearded bandits waved his saber and chased the Yu family out of the old residence.
The other tall bandit stayed behind. It seemed like he was going to plunder the old residence.
As soon as the Yu Family members left the residence, they saw more than ten horse bandits carrying large sabers searching through the various households. Yu Song secretly broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, they did not make a move just now. Otherwise, they would at least be skinned alive if so many horse bandits rushed in.
There were also more than ten bandits at the village entrance. Other than Widow Liu’s paralyzed mother-in-law, all the villagers were chased to the village entrance.
When the bandits first entered the village, the hunter tried to resist, but he was beaten up by the bandits. Cui Hua was also kicked. Stone pounced over to save his mother, but was also kicked away by the bandits.
When the villagers saw how ferocious the horse bandits were, they did not dare to struggle anymore.
Widow Liu’s seven-year-old daughter cried in fear. The bandits told her to shut up, but she couldn’t. She cried even harder. One of the bandits walked over fiercely and raised his leg to kick Widow Liu’s daughter.
Widow Liu quickly turned around and protected her daughter in her arms. However, the pain she imagined did not come. Widow Liu heard a suppressed groan. It was Wang Mazi who stepped forward and took a few kicks for her and her daughter.
Widow Liu’s eyes turned red.
Not long after, the Yu family was pushed into the crowd.
Uncle said apologetically to Chef Bao, “I’m sorry for implicating you. If I had known earlier, I would have let you leave earlier.”
Chef Bao didn’t say anything. He just stared indifferently at the bandits sweeping through the village.
The bandits were discussing what to do with the villagers.
“Kill the men and sell the women!”
“What about the children?”
“Sell it too!”
“Big Brother, look at that child.”
The bandits noticed Little Bruiser at the back of the crowd. This child was really dazzling. He had a clean face and unbelievably beautiful facial features. His eyes were big and bright, and there was a hint of anger in them.
The bandit leader’s eyes lit up. “Keep him and he’ll be a bandit in the future!”
“Big Brother, look at that woman!” This bandit was originally pointing at Madam Jiang, but the bandit leader accidentally saw Yu Wan.
The bandit leader walked towards Yu Wan. At this moment, the tall bandit from the Yu family came out with a bowl of fragrant braised meat. “Big Brother! There’s meat!”
This was left over from the rock sugar pork belly. It wasn’t braised and only had the taste of brine, but it was enough to make one drool.
The bandit leader bit into a piece of braised meat. “Damn! It’s so delicious! Is there any more?”
“Yes, yes!” The tall bandit ran back to the Yu Family’s old residence and brought over all the leftovers from the cupboard. The dishes were a little cold, but the taste was indescribably good. The bandit leader had lived for half his life and had never eaten such delicious food. He even forgot to look for Yu Wan. He called his brothers over and swept away the leftovers from the Yu Family.
The bandits had a large appetite, so these few dishes were not enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.
The bandit leader looked at the villagers and asked, “Who cooked?”
Uncle took a step forward.
“I made it.” Chef Bao walked out calmly.
Yu Wan and her family were stunned.
Uncle: “Chef…”
Chef Bao interrupted Uncle. “There are still some ingredients at home. As long as you don’t hurt my family, I’ll cook for you now. I guarantee that it’ll be even better than what I made just now.”
It will be even more delicious than the previous one? What kind of divine taste was that!
The bandits’ stomachs growled.
“Which ones are your family?” The bandit leader asked.
Chef Bao pointed out the Yu Family members one by one.
The bandit leader’s face turned green. The child he had taken a fancy to was from his family, and the two beautiful women in the village were actually from his family too. How could he be a happy bandit?
“Boss, eat your fill first before…” The confidant at the side made a naughty smile.
The bandit leader understood and smiled at Chef Bao. “Okay, I promise not to hurt them, but if the food you cook doesn’t satisfy me, I won’t stand on ceremony.”
Wasn’t it all up to him whether he was satisfied or not? When the time came, he would sell what he needed to sell, kill what he needed to kill, and kidnap what he needed to take away!
“Please bring me my knife set,” Chef Bao said calmly.
The bandit leader gave him a strange look. Chef Bao pointed at the carriage that the bandits had taken for themselves. The coachman had already been knocked unconscious by the bandits and was lying on the ground.
The leader of the bandits grunted.
Chef Bao walked towards the carriage.
“Wait!” The bandit leader stopped him with his machete and said to his trusted aide, a one-eyed bandit, “Go get it!”
The one-eyed bandit jumped onto the carriage and threw down a heavy bag. “This?”
“Yes.” Chef Bao picked up the bag. “There’s a mechanism under the car seat. There’s some wine and ingredients inside. Take them down.”
When the bandits heard that there was wine, they were tempted. No wonder they couldn’t find everything. It turned out that they were hiding in the mechanism.
The one-eyed bandit carried down the wine jar and the ingredients in the carriage. The ingredients were given to Chef Bao and the wine jar was given to the bandit leader.
The bandit leader opened the wine jar, and a strong fragrance of wine assaulted his nose. The bandit leader felt like he was about to get drunk with just a sniff. The bandit leader resisted the urge to drink it all in one gulp and asked Chef Bao, “Is there only one jar?”
Chef Bao said, “There’s only one jar.”
The bandit leader smacked his lips. How good would it be to have a few more jars of such fragrant wine?
“I need someone to help me.” Chef Bao called Yu Wan out.
On the way to the Yu Family’s old residence, Yu Wan whispered to him, “I won’t leave you behind.”
Chef Bao said, “Who told you to slip away?”
Yu Wan said, “You really plan to cook!”
In this situation, shouldn’t one of them escape first to get reinforcements to clean up the bandits?
What Yu Wan thought of, the bandit leader also thought of it. He was worried that the old man would play tricks or let her go. He sent a few bandits to keep an eye on him. From washing vegetables to chopping vegetables to cooking, every step was closely monitored by the bandits.
Chef Bao quickly finished stir-frying the dishes, but there were only three pitiful bowls.
The bandit in the central room said, “How is this enough to eat?”
Chef Bao said seriously, “Don’t you have sheep? Actually, what I’m good at is the All Mutton Banquet.”
Before coming to Lotus Flower Village, the bandits had already plundered other villages. Among the spoils of war were a few fat goats.
How could the bandit leader be willing to take out his spoils of war? However, after tasting the green pepper stir-fried corn kernels, chives fried eggs, and boiled cabbage made by Chef Bao, the bandit leader did not hesitate to let someone drag the goat out and slaughter them.
If a few vegetarian dishes could be made so well, the All Lamb Banquet… Damn! What kind of divine taste was that!
Yu Wan went to deal with the lamb.
“I’ll do it,” Chef Bao said.
Yu Wan glanced at him and handed him the knife before obediently moving to the side.
In terms of culinary skills, Yu Wan was inferior to him, but in terms of knife skills, Yu Wan would never admit defeat. Moreover, he was old and might not be able to do such hard work. Just as this thought flashed through her mind, Yu Wan was stunned by the scene in front of her.
Chef Bao slashed down with his knife. Before anyone could see clearly, the sheep skin was peeled off completely. The internal organs of the sheep were also cut off and placed into different basins. The sheep intestines were also cleaned at an extremely fast speed.
Yu Wan had never seen such clean and efficient knife skills. The bloody thing made her feel pleasant to the eye.
Instead of saying that Yu Wan was here to help, it was more like she was here to watch. Chef Bao had done everything, and she didn’t even need to wash the vegetables. More importantly, Chef Bao was old, but he didn’t look tired at all after doing so much heavy work. His expression was extremely calm from beginning to end.
Yu Wan felt that what he made was not a dish, but art.
Chef Bao made two whole roasted lamb, a large pot of braised mutton, a large pot of fish and mutton, and a large spicy mutton spine hotpot. The lamb’s stomach, liver, and hooves were made into a cold platter. The lamb’s intestines were filled with blood and steamed into sections of blood intestines. The lamb’s heart, lungs, and radishes were made into a pot of stew. The fragrance of the mutton filled the entire village.
It wouldn’t be called mutton if it wasn’t rancid, but how to make the rancid smell just right was a skill.
The bandits had never known that mutton could smell so good. They could not wait to try the full lamb banquet that the old man made.