Chapter 85

Chapter 85

"Grandpa, you can't get out of bed!"

Just as Jiang Yicen and Liu Dan pushed open the door to the hospital room, they heard Liu Dan's son, Liu Han, trying to persuade Liu Tan to stay in bed, trying to keep him from getting out of bed.

He saw that Liu Tan's face was flushed, his spirits unusually high, and he had already gotten out of bed.

"I'm perfectly fine, there's no need for me to be hospitalized. You're all making a big deal out of nothing. I want to go home."

Jiang Yicen asked, "What's going on?"

Liu Tan was especially delighted to see Jiang Yicen: "Sixth Master, why have you come too? These no-good kids of mine must have been talking nonsense to you."

Sixth Master?

Jiang Yicen was caught off guard. It had been a long time since anyone had called him that.

Liu Tan seemed lucid, but in reality, his memory was a bit jumbled, though he was quite spirited.

Seeing that the old man insisted on going home, Liu Dan sent his son to ask the doctor at the office. Before long, his son returned.

He whispered to Liu Dan, "The doctor said he can go home. From here on, it depends on the old man's own wishes."

Everyone roughly understood what the doctor meant. Liu Tan thought his persistence had won over his son and grandson, and cheerfully had them pack him up to go home.

After returning to the Liu residence, Liu Tan called out excitedly to Liu Dan: "Since Sixth Master went through all the trouble of coming here, I'm going to make him his favorites tomorrow—Beggar's Chicken, home-cooked braised fish, salted pork with bamboo shoots, and West Lake water shield soup. Let me think more... You don't know, Sixth Master's got a nose like a bloodhound. Add even a pinch too much ginger, and he'll smell it."

Liu Dan figured the old man was just talking to himself, so he played along with a few words. He knew who the Sixth Master was—the young master of the house his dad used to work for. Unfortunately, he had died young in battle. His dad had probably mistaken Jiang Yicen for the Sixth Master from back then.

Liu Dan said to Jiang Yicen, "Please cut him some slack. At his age, he gets a little confused and doesn't always recognize folks."

Jiang Yicen shook his head. "No worries."

Liu Tan paced with his hands clasped behind his back, scowling at Liu Dan: "You little punk, go get the ingredients ready right now. We gotta kill the chicken at dawn, and here you are still chatting. The young master has had a long day—hurry up and get a room ready for him to wash up and rest." He added with meticulous detail, "The young master's gotta have silk pajamas, a bowl of bird's nest before bed, imported toothpaste for his mouth. Oh, and don't forget the lambskin slippers. And also..."

He just kept rambling to himself. Liu Dan didn't know whether to pay attention or not. Just as he was feeling uncomfortable, he looked at Jiang Yicen and noticed that Master Jiang was listening carefully, with a smile on his face. Somehow, he felt like Master Jiang was looking at the old man the way an adult looks at a kid.

Jiang Yicen sensed Liu Dan's gaze and said, "An elder in the house is a treasure. Old folks are just like kids."

Liu Dan: "You've got a point there. Well, I'll go prepare the silk pajamas. My dad will check later, and if he finds out I didn't follow his instructions, he'll chew me out."

Jiang Yicen was slightly surprised. "There's no need for that..."

He hadn't expected Liu Tan to be this thorough about it. Though, of course, without his persistence and attention to detail, he might never have made it as a state banquet chef.

Since he'd come for Liu Tan's sake anyway, he went along with them.

Liu Dan went off to prepare the silk pajamas and bird's nest, while Liu Tan busied himself in the kitchen, running his grandson Liu Han ragged. He was going to whip up a grand feast for the young master, and tomorrow he'd make sure the young master got a proper meal before heading back to Lincheng.

After making sure he had all the ingredients he needed, Liu Tan went to check on Liu Dan again, asking whether he had prepared dinner for the Sixth Master, whether the bird's nest for bedtime had been cleaned properly. The Sixth Master was classy—the bedding and pajamas absolutely had to be silk.

Liu Dan was genuinely scared of his dad. He steered the old man away from the guest room: "I've got everything ready. The silk bedding's all set, the pajamas are laid out on the bed, and even the toothpaste and toothbrush are brand new."

Only then did Liu Tan seem satisfied. "That's more like it."

But he didn't return to his room. Instead, he dragged Jiang Yicen toward the kitchen: "Sixth Master, where's the missus? Why didn't she come with you?"

Jiang Yicen was highly amused and laughed: "She's on her way. She'll be here in a couple of hours."

Liu Tan beamed with joy: "That's great! I never thought I'd live to see the young master get married. Too bad I didn't get to be the head chef at your wedding."

Jiang Yicen smiled: "That's fine. It's not like I'll be the one eating at the wedding anyway. You can just whip up something simple for me whenever you feel like it."

Liu Tan's face lit up at Jiang Yicen's coaxing, the wrinkles on his face deepening with his smile: "Alright then. You wait for me tomorrow—I'll prepare a feast worthy of a state banquet. No, even more lavish than a state banquet! Oh, and I also have some fruit wine I brewed myself. You'll love it. We'll have a good drink tomorrow."

Jiang Yicen played along: "That sounds wonderful. It's been so many years—this time, we'll drink until we're both completely soused."

Liu Tan took his hand and suddenly his eyes reddened: "Young master, I regret not going with you to that restaurant that day. Otherwise, those Japanese devils wouldn't have been able to harm a single hair on your head. Thank goodness you're still alive, and I get to see you again!"

Jiang Yicen said, "It's fate. Heaven has been kind to me."

Seeing his father rambling on to Jiang Yicen, Liu Dan tried to persuade him to rest first: "Dad, Master Jiang came all the way from Lincheng to see you, and he hasn't had dinner yet. Why don't we let him eat something first, and then rest?"

Liu Tan nodded: "Yes, yes. Young master, eating too much at night is hard to digest. Let me make you a bowl of fresh chicken noodle soup—easy on the stomach."

Jiang Yicen saw that he had just come from the hospital and was about to fuss over him, so he firmly pressed him down and commanded, "You sit here and keep me company. Let Liu Dan cook for me. Save your energy for tomorrow's state-banquet-level lunch."

Hearing the young master's orders, Liu Tan relented, but still meticulously instructed Liu Dan on how to make the chicken noodle soup properly—how soft the egg should be for the young master, not too hard but not too runny either; the greens should be blanched until they turn bright green; the chicken broth should be rich and free of any gamey smell.

Liu Dan thought to himself, even when cooking for national leaders back in the day, he'd never been this meticulous: "Alright, Dad, I've got it."

Liu Dan had been personally trained by Liu Tan, and Jiang Yicen had helped their family considerably, so he naturally wouldn't be negligent—especially since they'd troubled him to come all the way here today.

Though it was just a bowl of noodles, the preparation was extremely refined.

Liu Dan turned and headed into the kitchen, with Liu Tan still calling out instructions behind him. However, Master Jiang found a way to keep him from worrying too much about the noodles.

Jiang Yicen's tone grew slightly firmer: "Tell me how you became a state banquet chef. I've missed so many years."

"Alright. After I learned that you'd been killed by those Japanese devils, I decided to avenge you. We didn't know how to do anything else—all we had was this skill with cooking. Through Uncle Yuan's introduction, my father and I joined the army. Thanks to Uncle Yuan's connections, we got into the logistics unit. We survived the war, though there were several close calls—we nearly died under artillery fire more than once. Our unit was poor, so my father and I did everything we could to make the most ordinary ingredients taste extraordinary, so the leaders could eat well and the soldiers could eat well."

"Later, when we won the war, my father and I were promoted to be the leaders' personal chefs, and eventually we became full-time state banquet chefs. I studied under him, step by step rising to head chef, inheriting his legacy. In my spare time, I also serve as a technical consultant for some well-known restaurant chains. Sometimes I give lectures and classes at culinary schools. That's about the sum of my life."

"When my father was on his deathbed, he told me that looking back, he realized he never got to cook that final meal for the master and the young masters—never got to send them off with full stomachs on their journey. He said the master and madam would surely blame him in the underworld for being an unqualified chef, and that when he arrived in the netherworld, they would never hire him as their cook again."

Jiang Yicen comforted him: "That won't happen. Father and Mother would never think that way. Every summer, their favorite thing was the iced mung bean sweet soup Chef Liu made. One taste of it could brighten their entire day."

Liu Han had been waiting nearby the whole time, pouring tea for Jiang Yicen and Liu Tan while listening to their conversation. He couldn't help but admire this Master Jiang—no matter what nonsense his grandfather spouted, he could seamlessly go along with it. And their conversation seemed so natural, as if the two of them had known each other before.

The chicken noodle soup was finally ready.

Liu Dan brought out four bowls of noodles, thinking one for each person.

But just as Liu Dan and Liu Han were about to help Liu Tan sit down, Liu Tan stood beside Jiang Yicen instead.

Liu Dan and Liu Han didn't know whether to stand or sit, unsure what the old man was up to.

Jiang Yicen went along with Liu Tan without saying much.

Liu Dan whispered to Jiang Yicen: "Please forgive him. Just humor the old man—he's mistaken you for his old employer."

Liu Tan handed Jiang Yicen a pair of chopsticks with his withered hands, showing him great respect.

"Sixth Master, please taste the noodles my unfilial son has made."

Jiang Yicen did indeed feel somewhat at home. In the old days, Chef Liu had also liked to stand beside him while he ate, because his critiques always gave him new ideas, and the dish would be improved afterward. His family had jokingly called him "the golden tongue" and "the little gourmand."

"Alright. You sit down and taste them too. Let's judge them together."

Liu Tan, as expected, obediently sat across from him. "You two wait on the young master while he eats. When I'm gone, you must take good care of him."

"Understood, Father."

"Yes, Grandfather. I will seriously study culinary arts and carry on the Liu family's culinary legacy."

At this point, Liu Dan and Liu Han would accept playing the role of kitchen helpers or servants—whatever the old man wanted, as long as he was content.

Under their watchful eyes, Jiang Yicen began eating the noodles and giving his serious review.

"The broth is rich and flavorful. This is from an old hen raised for three hundred days, right?"

Liu Dan had initially thought this was just humoring his dad, but he hadn't expected the young master to actually critique the dish—and even pick out the broth's ingredients by taste.

"Yes, that's right."

"The broth has red dates in it, making it a bit too sweet, which masks the chicken's natural sweetness."

Liu Tan also took a sip of the broth. "Indeed, it is. The young master's palate is way more refined."

Jiang Yicen smiled, however. "But once the noodles go in, the salt in them balances out the sweetness. You wouldn't catch it unless you really paid attention."

Liu Tan nodded. "That's true."

Liu Dan tasted his own portion, and Liu Han followed suit.

Liu Han whispered to his dad, "It really is, Dad."

Liu Dan nodded. He knew the young master had a sharp palate, but he hadn't expected it to be even sharper than he'd imagined. How did his dad know all this so well?

Liu Tan continued, "Young master, want to keep going?"

Liu Han: "There's still more?"

Jiang Yicen chuckled. "If we don't eat soon, the noodles will get sticky."

Liu Tan: "Oh, right. Let's eat, let's eat."

Once the noodles were done and the review was over, Liu Dan thought about escorting Liu Tan to his room to rest. But Liu Tan, ever since returning from the hospital, had been unusually animated, keeping Jiang Yicen talking nonstop. One second he'd be talking about childhood memories, the next he'd be scolding Liu Dan for his lack of skill, for bringing shame to the Liu family name, and for not keeping his own apprentice in line.

When Nan Shuyi arrived at the Liu residence, he saw Liu Tan gripping Jiang Yicen's hand and sobbing, "Young master, when I'm gone, if they don't do well, please don't be too hard on them. For my sake, go easy on them."

Jiang Yicen said patiently, "There are laws now, and our company has its own rules. We don't just punish people for no reason. Liu Dan is doing an excellent job. He's the head chef, and our restaurants are now all over the country. We get huge crowds every day—there's always a line at mealtimes. He hasn't let the Liu family name down."

Liu Tan: "That's good to hear. Young master, I..."

His voice trailed off, and he leaned back in his chair and dozed off.

Liu Han escorted the old man back to his room.

Only then did Liu Dan and Jiang Yicen notice Nan Shuyi standing in the doorway.

Jiang Yicen's eyes softened at the sight of him. "You're here?" After a whole evening of chatting with Liu Tan, he was feeling pretty drained.

Liu Dan rose to his feet. "President Nan, I'm really sorry to have you come all this way for our family's business."

Nan Shuyi: "It's the least I could do. The old man deserves it."

Liu Dan glanced at the time—it was nearly ten in the evening.

"I'll need to keep an eye on my dad tonight, so I might not be able to look after you properly. Let me take you to your room first."

"Fine."

As long as Liu Dan wasn't arguing with Nan Shuyi, they stayed cordial and polite with each other—after all, Nan Shuyi was his boss.

Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi returned to their room.

As soon as they entered, they saw the set of pure silk bedding and the silk pajamas laid out on the bed.

Nan Shuyi remarked, "They even laid out pajamas for you. Liu Tan really does treat you like his old master from back in the day."

Jiang Yicen nodded. "I spent the whole evening with him, and he called me 'young master' all night. If he's still calling me that tomorrow, you might want to get used to it now."

Nan Shuyi pulled out Jiang Yicen's change of clothes from his own bag. "I'm not his old master. What do I need to get used to?"

Jiang Yicen took his hand and gave it a gentle swing, teasing him. "Get used to being the young madam."

Nan Shuyi pushed him onto the bed, bracing his hands on either side of Jiang Yicen's shoulders, and looked down at him.

"Then tonight, your mistress will take good care of you, my lord?"

Jiang Yicen gazed straight at him and said in a low voice, "Hold me, mistress."

Nan Shuyi heard the sadness in his voice and lay down beside him. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Yicen wrapped his arms around Nan Shuyi's neck and buried his face in the crook of his neck without a word.

He'd talked about so many family things with Liu Tan tonight. The happier the memories of his family, the more they hurt now.