Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Her confidence made the people across from her somewhat doubtful, but mostly disbelieving, they sneered, "Hmph, after cooking for a few years, you're strutting around to lecture us!"

"That's right!"

In the canteen that served meals to over a thousand people, aside from apprentices, there were six head chefs. Although some had been forced off the battlefield, they had still cooked for many years. They would not tolerate being talked down to.

The man leading the group was called Fang Guogang, known as Old Fang. His temper was naturally fiery, and seeing this skinny young girl disturbing them while they cooked, he felt quite displeased.

"Fine, we're about to cook now. If you have what it takes, let's have a competition."

The Military District's canteen usually provided decent meals, but in winter, vegetables were scarce, and even game was hard to come by. Cooking in winter was the most challenging.

They were aware of the soldiers' complaints, but with such limited ingredients, they did well just to make something edible.

Back when he was on the battlefield, he ate tree roots! And yet, he survived. Old Fang thought disdainfully.

Xu Yuqing remained calm, though she was physically exhausted. She knew that in this battle, she had to win.

"What ingredients do we have tonight?"

"Ingredients, huh? Just potatoes, cabbage, and eggplants." Old Fang sneered.

Xu Yuqing frowned. "What about meat?"

Upon hearing Xu Yuqing's question, the men laughed in unison. "Young lady, we gave you some vegetables to play with, and now you want meat? Meat is so expensive, how could we let you waste it!"

Their words implied disbelief.

Xu Yuqing's temper flared. "Fine, I'll cook vegetarian dishes, but if my vegetarian dishes win, you all will have to listen to me from now on!"

Old Fang burst out laughing. Now, he admired the girl's audacity. She certainly had guts. "Alright then."

With that said, Xu Yuqing didn't waste any more time with them. She pulled Little Zheng along to fetch the ingredients.

"Sister-in-law, you'll definitely win!" Little Zheng confidently declared, looking at Xu Yuqing with admiration. Though the man across from him was his master since joining the military, after eating one bowl of Xu Yuqing's dumpling soup, Little Zheng was thoroughly convinced.

Initially, he had been quite disappointed upon hearing that the daycare center wouldn't be open today.

But he never expected Sister-in-law to come to the canteen! Thinking about how he'd soon get to eat Sister-in-law's cooking, Little Zheng was filled with anticipation.

Xu Yuqing smiled, full of spirit. "I will definitely win."

During the short walk, Xu Yuqing had already decided what she wanted to make: using the least amount of ingredients to create the most delicious dish. This theme seemed difficult, but for Xu Yuqing, it came naturally.

She planned to make a savory braised eggplant dish, perfect for rice. As for the potatoes, stir-fried potato shreds were common, but potato shred pancakes might be something new.

Having an idea, Xu Yuqing hurriedly gathered the necessary ingredients and piled them into the basket on Little Zheng's back.

"Let's go!"

"Sure thing, Sister-in-law! What are you planning to make?"

Xu Yuqing didn't answer directly, instead smiling. "You'll see soon enough. It'll be great with rice."

After washing the eggplants, she left Little Zheng to cut them into chunks. Meanwhile, Xu Yuqing started peeling and slicing the potatoes.

Before cutting the potato shreds, it was essential to wash them thoroughly. After slicing, they weren't washed again, as the starch needed to be retained.

The vast kitchen was divided into two areas. The people on Old Fang's side glanced curiously at Xu Yuqing, who was cutting potato shreds. They shook their heads amusedly, thinking this girl couldn't be foolish enough to believe no one had ever eaten potato shreds before. This dish was something the soldiers had grown tired of.

Following Xu Yuqing's instructions, Little Zheng quickly chopped a large basin of eggplants, salting them and letting them soak in water. Then, he immediately rushed over to help Xu Yuqing.

The tricky part of making potato shred pancakes was slicing the potato shreds, which was tedious. However, both of them were experienced, working swiftly and gracefully with their knives.

Potato shreds oxidize quickly, so Xu Yuqing had to work fast. Seeing only a few potatoes left in the basin, she grabbed a large onion, chopped it finely, and added it to the basin. She then mixed in flour, pepper, salt, and two eggs.

When she took the two eggs, she received a glare from Old Fang. His hand stopped flipping the food in the wok as he looked at Xu Yuqing in surprise. What was this person doing! How could she add flour to potato shreds? How would she fry them later!

Old Fang wanted to rush over and snatch the ingredients back to cook himself, but he held back. Just this once, he would let this girl see her own capabilities.

Thinking this, he lowered his head and focused on stir-frying the chicken with mushrooms in the pot.

The others continued steaming buns or boiling soup, but their attention was drawn to Xu Yuqing's movements.

However, Xu Yuqing paid them no mind. Holding a large spoon, she carefully mixed the potato shreds. Little Zheng was tending to the fire, and Xu Yuqing instructed him to heat the pan thoroughly. Though he didn't understand why, Little Zheng remembered Xu Yuqing's excellent culinary skills and obediently followed her instructions.

The reason for heating the pan thoroughly was to fry the potato shred pancakes using the least amount of oil possible.

Therefore, she had to turn this iron pan into a non-stick pan.

Xu Yuqing moved quickly. When the pan began smoking, she swiftly poured a ladle of oil around the edges. With her other hand, she dumped the potato shred mixture in, quickly flattening it with a spatula.

The hot pan caused the potato shreds to sizzle upon contact, producing a pleasant sound, accompanied by a faint aroma.

Pressing the mound into a thin layer that nearly covered the bottom of the pan, Xu Yuqing signaled to Little Xu to lower the flame, then started working on the eggplants.

This braised eggplant dish was another specialty of Assistant Grandma, which Xu Yuqing had learned. However, due to its unappealing appearance on camera, she hadn't filmed it. But this dish, once tasted, revealed its true excellence.

Xu Yuqing chose to make this dish because she had just discovered soybean paste among the seasonings.

Indeed, in the northern region, soybean paste was indispensable.

Draining the eggplants, she heated the pan thoroughly once again, adding cold oil to the hot pan. She then fried the eggplants, which absorbed more oil than the potato shreds. For the sake of flavor, she drizzled two scoops of oil this time.

As the eggplants went into the pan, it was time to flip the potato shreds. Flipping potato shreds required skill. With a modern non-stick pan, simply tossing it would suffice, but with this large iron pan, it was impossible for Xu Yuqing, given her arm strength.

Thus, she relied on the spatula.

Borrowing a spatula from the opposite side, Xu Yuqing simultaneously flipped both pans. With a toss, the potato pancakes described a graceful arc in the air before landing steadily back into the pan.

This move was stunningly beautiful; the potato pancakes remained intact without a single crack. Moreover, after flipping them over, their aroma burst forth, leaving Old Fang and the others watching with a mixture of surprise and complex emotions.

"This..." If anything, this method saved time, as the thin pancakes cooked quickly.

And they smelled heavenly!

Old Fang glanced at the large pot in front of him and suddenly found it unappealing, his appetite waning.

But this was meat!

How could it be inferior to potato pancakes?

Xu Yuqing didn't notice their thoughts; her focus was entirely on the two pans before her.

Without adding starch, the eggplants wouldn't crisp up but would instead absorb oil and soften gradually. Xu Yuqing flipped all the eggplants, then began preparing the sauce.

Stewed eggplant was known for its speed, simplicity, and rich flavor, making it perfect for accompanying rice.

The assistant's grandmother often recounted how, during lean times when there was no meat, they would stew eggplant, treating it like meat, and serve it with congee.

It sounded bittersweet, yet the old woman's face was filled with contentment and happiness. The younger Xu Yuqing hadn't understood this sentiment.

But now, looking at Little Zheng and the group of people across from her, she realized that their initial resistance stemmed from a concern that she might waste food.

Once they confirmed that Xu Yuqing knew how to cook, their attitude changed significantly—a unique atmosphere of the era.

Despite hardship and fatigue, they didn't complain, instead showing a full-on spirit.

Diluting soybean paste with water, adding soy sauce, pepper, and sugar to enhance the freshness, Xu Yuqing prepared the sauce. Meanwhile, the potato pancake was ready to be removed from the pan. Without a large enough plate, she used two spatulas to transfer it onto the cutting board that Little Zheng had fetched. The board wasn't big, so Xu Yuqing deftly folded the potato pancake in half.

"Sis, you're amazing!"

Little Zheng couldn't help but exclaim. This move was too impressive. Her wrists were slender, yet she handled the task with the grace of a dancer, effortlessly.

However, Xu Yuqing didn't have time to respond. Managing two pots required her full attention. She hurriedly brought over the large basin of raw potato shreds, poured oil into the pan, and added the potato shreds.

Watching her, Little Zheng felt eager to try. It looked like fun. "Sis, can I help you?"

Huh? Xu Yuqing looked at the spatula in her hand. It was fine; potato pancakes were suitable for both adults and children, and the daycare could also prepare this dish.

She handed the spatula over. "When you flatten it, start from the center and press outwards. Be sure to maintain even thickness. Otherwise, some parts will cook faster than others."

Following Xu Yuqing's instructions, Little Zheng began pressing down nervously. Before he could press more than twice, a man named Huang Zhi from the opposite side stepped forward. "Ah! Didn't you hear the girl say to start from the middle? You're pressing it crooked!"

With that, he snatched the spatula from Little Zheng's hands and started flattening the pancake himself.

This action broke the awkward atmosphere that had initially permeated the kitchen, and everyone became lively.

"Hey, Old Huang, you can't do it either. Let me give it a go!"

"Move aside, I've just started. Wait for me to make it look nice and neat."

Old Fang also approached. "Young lady, what's your surname?"

Xu Yuqing retracted her gaze and smiled at Old Fang. "I'm Xu Yuqing. Just call me Little Xu."

Her demeanor was pleasant, almost making Old Fang feel uncomfortable. "Cough, cough, what dish are you making?"

"Stewed eggplant. After frying the eggplant, add minced garlic to the pan to release its fragrance. Then pour in the sauce made primarily from soybean paste, cover the pan, and let it simmer until the sauce thickens."

It sounded simple, Old Fang thought. He had always stewed eggplant with potatoes but never considered adding soybean paste.

The meat on Old Fang's side was still simmering and didn't require much attention, so he began watching Xu Yuqing's movements intently.

With no need to fuss over the potato pancakes, Xu Yuqing focused on the eggplant pan. Following the sequence she had described, she casually smashed the peeled garlic cloves and added them to the pan to release their aroma. Garlic and eggplant were a match made in heaven, and the moment the scent emerged, Xu Yuqing swiftly poured in the sauce.

Sizzle~

A pleasant sound echoed, and Xu Yuqing mercilessly covered the pan with its lid.

"Just like that?" Old Fang asked incredulously. Could it really be that simple!?

Xu Yuqing nodded affirmatively. "Yes, whether it's a large pot or a small one, each has its own cooking method. Eggplant is simple, but the resulting flavor is rich and fragrant, making it perfect for cooking in large quantities."

Old Fang's face stiffened. He had been lectured by a young girl, and the belated realization of his embarrassment caused his cheeks to flush red. "You do have some skills."

Drawn in by the aroma, Old Fang conceded. "What are you going to cook tomorrow?"