Chapter 103: The Contest (I)

Lin You had had the same thought. When he arrived at regimental headquarters that day, Jiang Weiguo and the others had already cornered him to ask when he would hold a banquet. When Xia Yan spoke up like that, he didn’t think twice. “All right. I’ll do whatever you want. Invite Aunt Wang and the others, and they can come lend a hand.”

“Good. Figure out everyone you want to invite on your side, so I can make arrangements.”

Lin You made a rough estimate. It would probably be the brigade commander, Jiang Weiguo, and a few battalion commanders, and then he would bring a few company commanders from his own unit. With their spouses, it would amount to two tables, at most three.

After a moment, he said, “Then tomorrow I’ll go down and buy half a pig from Director Sun, and also bring back some beef and lamb.”

“Must you go down again? Won’t that tire you out?” Xia Yan was worried. Lin You had only just recovered, and he had come down from the mountain yesterday. Going down again tomorrow seemed too much.

At her concern, his heart warmed. “It’s fine. I’m taking a vehicle, not running down the mountain. In the early days when I joined the unit, I was coming up and down every few days, just like that.”

Hearing him, Xia Yan relaxed.

When the two little ones came home that evening and heard that Xia Yan would go to school to become a teacher, they were beyond happy.

“Mom, then can I stop doing my Chinese homework?” Lin Hongzhuo asked, cautious.

“What do you think?”

Xia Yan tapped his forehead lightly with a finger. “I’m very strict, you know. If you don’t do your homework, I’ll make you copy it again and again.”

“Do you still want to skip it?” she asked.

He covered his mouth immediately and shook his head hard. He definitely did not want to be punished.

Early the next morning, Lin You borrowed a vehicle from camp. Xia Yan assumed he would take her straight to buy groceries, but to her surprise he first took her into the town and straight to the department store.

“We came for groceries, didn’t we? Why here?”

“It’s for the wedding,” he said. “I’ll buy a few new sets of clothes for you and the children. These days, a proper wedding is expected to be done properly. Last time I bought you a watch; this time the unit got us a bicycle. We still need a sewing machine and a radio, so let’s buy everything together this time.”

Xia Yan shook her head as he spoke. “Most of my clothes are new, and I even have red ones. If you’re buying, do it for the children. As for the sewing machine… I’m not good at needlework, so it would be wasted.”

“The radio is a good idea. I can listen to the daily news. I’ve wanted one for a long time.”

Listening to her, Lin You did not insist. They went to the radio counter, and Xia Yan chose one that was not too expensive—after all, in these days if it could tune in, that was enough.

By the time they finished, the two had picked out new outfits for the three children and then returned to town.

On their way there, they had already counted, and it looked like three tables in total.

Xia Yan did not want to make anything complicated. She would cook simple home dishes; the children’s table could have a lighter spread.

By current standards, six dishes and one soup for each table would do. She quickly planned the menu. Her aim was clear—she had bought chicken, duck, fish, and meat already.

When men gather, they must have liquor, and a few cold starters would be enough.

By the time everything was bought, mealtime had arrived. Lin You took them to the state-run restaurant and ordered several dishes.

While the children were eating, little Lin Wuanwan kept saying, “This dish isn’t as good as sister’s cooking,” and her loud voice quickly bothered the restaurant’s female manager.

“Little girl,” the manager barked, “what do you know about food? With your airs, you might not have even eaten in a proper restaurant.”

“What did you say? Apologize!” Xia Yan snapped.

How could she let this pass while Wuanwan was being spoken to that way?

“Apologize? She keeps shouting and complaining all the time, then says our food is bad. Two tables came in just moments ago and left as soon as they heard her. I didn’t ask them for compensation, so don’t think you’re getting off lucky.”

The manager crossed her arms and sneered.

“The child is just saying what she heard. If a dish is bad, isn’t it fair to say so? Take this braised three-delicacy dish for example—those meatballs have fallen apart. And the seasoning?”

Xia Yan pointed to the dish before her. “Look at this.”

Just earlier a waiter had already run into the back kitchen and told the cook, “Chef Zhang, please come out. Someone says your food tastes bad.”

The large, muscular man working there set down his huge iron ladle, clearly displeased. “Who is stirring up trouble in my kitchen?”

Chef Zhang, so the cook was called, went to the front carrying the ladle and happened to hear Xia Yan’s criticism of his braised three-delicacies.

“Don’t get such a tone, little girl. You dare say there’s something wrong with my braised three-delicacies?”

“And if your dish isn’t good, why not let her say it?”

The dish itself was not terrible—it was within standard. Only among the dishes, the heat on that braised three-delicacies was not quite right. But Lin Wuanwan had been scolded, and of course she had to seize on a flaw and fire back.

“I, Zhang Chunshan,” the cook said, “have been cooking for years, and this is the first time someone has ever said my food was flawed!”

He stopped within a few paces of Xia Yan. Lin You quickly stepped between them, sensing a fight might erupt.

“Looks like this is headed to blows already,” said Xia Yan at once. “Chef Zhang sounds very confident. Why don’t you put your skills to the test?”

Xia Yan mostly saw him because he was a huge man. Even though Lin You had a reputation as the toughest man in the unit, she wondered what would happen if things got physical.

“Fine,” Zhang Chunshan said with a laugh. “I’ve lived in this town for years, and this is the first time someone asked to compete in cooking against me. If you lose, you’ll come here and chop vegetables in my kitchen for a month.”

Xia Yan did not blink. She lightly pushed Lin You aside, looked up at Zhang Chunshan—big as a black ape—and said, “And if I win?”

“Then I’ll acknowledge you as my master.”

In one breath Xia Yan thought, this is exactly right. If she takes him as a pupil, she won’t need to cook at her own banquet.

“Fine then. Many people heard this. You are not allowed to back out!”

Suddenly the whole state-run restaurant buzzed, and news of the cook-off spread fast. People poured in.

In the kitchen, Xia Yan had already tied on her apron. The two of them stood facing each other. Lin Wuanwan cheered from the side.

Zhang Chunshan placed both hands on the counter. “If you say my braised three-delicacies are not authentic, then we’ll contest that very dish.”

Xia Yan kept her composure, hands folded before her chest. “All right. But who’ll judge? Better have someone respected to judge, otherwise you might later complain someone else doesn’t understand cooking.”

Zhang Chunshan looked around and seemed to be at a loss.

“I’ll do it.”
A voice from the back of the crowd said it—a deep, old voice. A long-bearded elderly man was helped forward.

Zhang Chunshan saw him and hurried over. “Master Qian, what brings you here?”