Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Nan Shuyi was the one who wanted to invite Liu Dan as the head chef, so naturally he was the first to greet the Liu family.

"Grandpa Liu, Chef Liu."

"Hey, President Nan, you're here." Liu Dan introduced Nan Shuyi to Grandpa Liu: "This is the son of Nan Anru from Nanyuan Group."

"I know Nan Anru, I'm not senile. Kids, come, sit, sit, sit." He looked at Nan Shuyi, then at Jiang Yicen who was walking over, and paused for a few seconds. This face was too similar to someone he remembered. "You are..."

"He is my lover, his name is Jiang Yicen." In front of Grandpa Liu, Nan Shuyi didn't need to hide it like he did at the company. He thought it would be awkward, but once he said it, it surprisingly flowed smoothly, without any stutter or resistance.

"Grandpa, hello, just call me Yicen." Jiang Yicen placed the Shaoxing wine and star anise-flavored broad beans he had brought onto the stone table.

The fragrance of the star anise-flavored broad beans slowly wafted out from the oil paper.

Liu Tan's attention was caught by the aroma of the star anise-flavored broad beans, and his hand uncontrollably reached out.

He kept staring at Jiang Yicen's face: "Good lad, did you buy this?"

Jiang Yicen nodded: "I bought it. Can you eat it now?"

Liu Tan: "Of course I can. I know this shop you bought from; their star anise-flavored broad beans are always soft, not hard. I can eat them."

Liu Han, as the grandson, said: "Grandpa, you better not eat. These beans aren't soft enough for you."

Liu Tan did not like his family contradicting him: "How can I not eat the drinking food bought by the guest? This Shaoxing wine is also my favorite. Kids, stay here for lunch and have a couple of drinks with me." He then pointed at his sixty-something young son Liu Dan and grandson Liu Han: "You two unfilial son and grandson. The guest knows my preferences, but you don't."

With Liu Tan having the final say, Liu Dan dared not disobey his father. He took the scolding and let it be. What was more interesting was that Grandpa Liu actually had Liu Han personally cook the lunch. Liu Dan just wanted to keep an eye on his father so he wouldn't sneak a drink, but Liu Tan was sharp. Whenever Liu Dan showed any reluctance, he would guilt-trip his son.

Liu Tan: "I don't have many days left. What's wrong with asking you to cook me a meal? Every meal could be my last. After I die, I won't get to eat anymore."

Liu Dan: "Alright, alright, I'll cook for you, but you must not sneak a drink. The doctor said you have high blood pressure!"

Liu Tan: "Once you've cooked the meal, I'll have two drinks with the guest. At most two, won't exceed the doctor's limit."

Liu Dan had no choice but to go cook. His father was a picky eater and could tell if it was his own cooking. After all, his culinary skill far surpassed his son Liu Han's. He could only instruct Liu Han to keep an eye on the old man while accompanying the guests.

After Liu Dan left, everyone felt much more relaxed. Liu Tan grew more childish with age and was willing to chat about anything with Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi.

Liu Han told them that his grandfather liked to talk about the old days, specifically before Liberation. He was especially nostalgic.

Liu Tan glanced at Jiang Yicen several times, filled with confusion, but only thought the person looked similar. After drinking half a cup of tea and eating a few star anise-flavored broad beans, he still asked this young man.

Liu Tan: "Your surname is Jiang? And your name is Yicen?" This was too much of a coincidence.

Jiang Yicen: "Yes, Jiang as in the river, Yi as in memory, Cen..."

Liu Tan interrupted: "Cen from 'Distant peaks touch snowy mountains, the setting moon enters the wind forest'? Is that right?"

Jiang Yicen: "Yes, Grandpa, your memory is excellent."

Liu Tan: "Your father must have hoped you would be as steady as a mountain and have lofty aspirations. I'm just an old man with little schooling, but a friend I used to know told me this. He shared the same name as you."

Jiang Yicen nodded. He thought to himself, Liu Tan actually remembered.

Nan Shuyi looked at Jiang Yicen. He had never understood Jiang Yicen's name from this perspective, nor had he asked. Now hearing Grandpa Liu recite this poem, he found it unexpectedly poetic.

Could it be that when he was born, Jiang Gongming had such expectations for him?

No matter how much Nan Shuyi thought about it, he couldn't relate to the "father" of Jiang Yicen mentioned by Liu Tan. Then he reconsidered, the kid was so well-behaved; he must be humoring the old man. Jiang Gongming naming him that was just a coincidence.

Nan Shuyi thought it over. Jiang Yicen had still said something against his true feelings for him. His heart warmed slightly—it was for him.

Both Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi were willing to listen to Liu Tan's stories of the past. Even though he repeated himself, neither showed the slightest impatience. Especially after he mentioned that his master had the same name as Jiang Yicen, Nan Shuyi became even more curious.

Nan Shuyi: "Your master was also named Jiang?"

"Yes, my master was truly a good man. What a tragedy, dying so young. It's all the fault of those damned Japanese devils!" As soon as Liu Tan mentioned the devils, he became indignant, wishing he could pick up a kitchen knife and chop up a couple more.

Liu Han gently patted the old man's chest to soothe him: "Grandpa, don't get too worked up. We're in a time of peace now."

Liu Tan stood up excitedly: "I just hate it. If I hadn't listened to the young master, he might not have... cough, cough, cough..."

Liu Han quickly supported the old man.

Jiang Yicen watched from the side, his mind in turmoil, he couldn't help recalling what had happened.

Back then, he had all the employees evacuate the hotel, gave them some money, and told them to go wherever they wanted, preferably to a safe place he had arranged for them. For those who didn't know what to do, he arranged for them to go to safe places.

Too bad, he had arranged for everyone, but he himself was killed by Japanese bullets.

Liu Tan drank some tea to settle down. Seeing how worked up he got whenever the past was mentioned, they dropped the subject.

Lunch was cooked by Liu Dan. This time, Liu Dan didn't deliberately make things difficult for Nan Shuyi. He just asked if the food was to their liking.

Nan Shuyi: "Chef Liu's skill goes without saying."

Liu Tan disagreed: "Not really, the execution is still lacking. Don't praise him, or he'll get swelled-headed over a little fame. Liu Dan, I didn't teach you that way." Whether because his mind was a bit fuzzy, he said to Jiang Yicen, "Master Jiang, you judge—is the cooking still not up to par?"

Jiang Yicen smiled: "Are you sure you want my opinion?"

Liu Dan actually didn't want to be judged by a young man, but since his father had spoken, he couldn't very well refuse. After all, he was a famous chef, and the boss had come to invite him.

He said modestly: "Today's meal is just simple fare." He thought Nan Shuyi's partner wouldn't be able to tell good from bad. He knew the Jiang family, but they weren't in the catering industry and had no such heritage.

Liu Dan had made five dishes and one soup today. The flavors were relatively light, incorporating the essence of spring, including spring vegetables, river fish, and wild greens. He also specially made the most iconic spring rice of Ningzhou, which was also the most colorful dish of the day.

This dish contained cured meat, carrots, pumpkin cubes, green beans, wild vegetables, and rice.

Jiang Yicen took a bite of the spring rice and said: "Grandpa, you should try this spring rice. It's light on oil and salt. The rice is steamed to a perfect soft-sticky consistency. One more drop of water would make it too mushy, one less drop would make it too dry. It's perfect for you, you can have an extra bowl."

Liu Dan had initially thought Jiang Yicen was just catering to his father, but after hearing this, his eyes lit up. This young man actually knew that this dish was specially prepared for the old man. His father had been lacking appetite lately, finding everything too bland and tasteless.

As the saying goes, an elderly family member is a treasure. The old man was once the pillar of the family. As a son, he was filial and had been trying to get the old man to eat more. Today he thought of making spring rice. He stir-fried the cured meat to bring out the fragrance, letting the rice absorb the pork oil aroma, then added colorful spring greens like wild vegetables. This not only provided vitamins and dietary fiber but also added color to the rice, making it more appetizing—the savory aroma of meat without being greasy.

Liu Tan upon hearing: "Really? Let me try. Haven't had spring rice in a long time. It's okay, but bland." He was always stricter with his own son.

Maybe because of old age and confusion: "Sixth Master, do these dishes suit your palate? Have more. I'll make you a meal you like another time."

Jiang Yicen had no discomfort with this address. In the past, Liu Tan had always called him Sixth Master.

He replied: "Sure, when you have time."

Everyone else thought Jiang Yicen was just humoring the old man, but little did they know that every word of it was true.

Liu Tan happily ate: "Great, I can cook for Sixth Master again." He didn't forget to instruct his son and grandson: "When I'm gone, you must also cook for the young master and be his head chef. The young master is the kindest of men. He will never mistreat you."

Given Liu Tan's advanced age, when he was almost done eating, he actually dozed off. Liu Dan called a caregiver to take the old man back to his room to rest.

After the meal, Liu Dan took Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi to the reception room, personally brewed tea for them using his own homemade tea leaves.

Jiang Yicen took a sip: "It has a hint of osmanthus."

Liu Dan: "Mr. Jiang, do you also know about tea?"

Jiang Yicen put down the cup: "Just the basics."

Since they were in the reception room, business was sure to come up. Last time, Nan Shuyi hadn’t even passed the first test, but today he not only passed the first test, but even exceeded expectations, gaining far more than he had imagined.

He took out the recipe Jiang Yicen had given him, though he had it printed out, while he put the original aside.

Liu Dan was surprised: "This is..."

Jiang Yicen: "This is a small portion of the other half of the recipe your grandfather left behind."

Liu Dan: "How did you come by it?"

Jiang Yicen smiled: "My surname is Jiang, perhaps my ancestors had some connection with the Jiang family? I stumbled upon the recipe, and I was hoping Master Liu could lend us a hand."

As a renowned chef, Liu Dan thought his peak moments had already passed and he had no further desires, but as a chef, encountering a new recipe always sparked his urge to try it.

Nan Shuyi thought this was something he should have said, but now it was Jiang Yicen making the request. He was asking Liu Dan for his own reasons, but Jiang Yicen was purely asking for his sake. His heart ached and swelled—how could this kid be so good?

Liu Dan didn’t agree immediately but looked at the recipe in his hands; his excitement was evident.

He said honestly, "When my father wakes up and sees this recipe, he will be overjoyed."

Jiang Yicen: "Consider this a gift from us to you; it originally belongs to the Liu family heritage."

However, as members of the Jiang family, they were businessmen at heart, and the remaining half of the recipe couldn’t be given away for free. Liu Dan surely understood that.

Liu Dan suppressed his excitement: "Mr. Jiang, President Nan, I will give it serious thought and give you both an answer in three days."

With their goal achieved, it was best for Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi not to linger at the Liu residence.

The Liu family lived in an old house, surrounded by many other old homes, lined up in an impressive row.

Nan Shuyi asked him: "Do you want to walk around nearby, or head back to Lincheng?"

Having come to Ningzhou for a rare visit, Jiang Yicen felt many buried memories surface.

He asked: "Brother Shuyi, can you come with me somewhere?"

Nan Shuyi, hands in his pockets: "Where to?"

Jiang Yicen: "I want to walk along Gushan Road."

"Gushan Road?" Nan Shuyi searched for Gushan Road, finding on the map that there was quite a popular attraction there, "Are you thinking of visiting the Yun family’s former residence?"

Jiang Yicen, however, didn’t know that the place he wanted to go had become a tourist attraction. The idea of the Yun family home being a tourist spot felt so foreign.

Had the Jiang family shop become state property? Was even the Yun ancestral home gone?

"Has the Yun ancestral home also become a tourist spot?"

Nan Shuyi found his question a bit odd but didn’t dwell on it: "Mm, that’s what it says."

Since Jiang Yicen had asked, Nan Shuyi looked up the situation of the Yun ancestral home.

"The descendants of the Yun family all went to Hong Kong during the war. Later, it was opened to the public with an entrance fee. It’s probably a private attraction, not state-run."

"I see. Then let’s go take a look." Jiang Yicen felt slightly relieved.

The two walked from the Liu family’s place along the street toward Gushan Road. The street was a scene from a water town from Jiang Yicen’s memory. Though much had changed, the basic elements—the stone-paved roads, the ancient stone bridges, the white walls and black tiles, the green bricks and small tiles, the traditional stepped gable walls—every ancient building exuded an old-world air, transporting him back in time.

But Jiang Yicen knew this was no longer the Ningzhou of eighty-eight years ago.

Nan Shuyi noticed him observing carefully, occasionally taking photos with his phone, and patiently accompanied him. Along the way, he bought some snacks and a few cups of lemonade, each only a few yuan.

When Nan Shuyi scanned the QR code to order, he asked repeatedly: "Are you sure you want to drink Mixue Bingcheng?"

Jiang Yicen: "Is it no good? My colleagues always order cups of it, so it must be good, right?"

Nan Shuyi: "It’s not that."

He didn’t expect Jiang Yicen to be so down-to-earth.

The area was scenic and crowded, and it happened to be the weekend.

While Nan Shuyi was queuing up to collect the lemonade, he was unexpectedly recognized by a few young people.

"Nan Shuyi! You’re Nan Shuyi, right!"

"Nan Shuyi drinks Mixue Bingcheng too!"

Someone held up their phone, snapping pictures of him: "Damn, guys, guys! Nan Shuyi and I are drinking the same lemonade!"

Seeing this, Jiang Yicen was a bit stunned; he hadn’t realized just how well-known Nan Shuyi was.

Nan Shuyi grabbed the unopened drinks and called out to Jiang Yicen: "Let’s go, before they catch up."

But many people had actually never seen Nan Shuyi in person, and the young man’s voice was loud enough to be heard for blocks around.

Nan Shuyi said irritably: "Let’s find a place to hide first." It was annoying to get recognized when he rarely went out.

Jiang Yicen smiled: "Don’t worry, I’ve got an idea."

This time, Jiang Yicen grabbed his sleeve and tugged him into a narrow alley.

Nan Shuyi didn’t even see the alley clearly before Jiang Yicen pushed him through a half-open old door.

The people chasing them stood at the alley entrance, looking around: "Where’d they go? They just vanished."

The alley had only two back doors to the Yun ancestral home, both shut, and they weren’t open to the public anyway.