MAC’60s Chapter 51.2

Xu Shuang prepared two baskets, one filled with various mountain vegetables and mushrooms to be delivered to Chen Dong, with two fish at the bottom. The other contained several rabbits, some wild goods, and two jars of meat sauce made by Xu Shuang herself.

The two of them first went to thank Yao Huijuan.

Yao Huijuan’s health had improved slightly, and she was able to sit in the living room and speak for a while.

Although she had already heard the story from her cousin Yao Ming, hearing Wang Ying recount the events again, Yao Huijuan still placed a hand on her chest and sighed: “What kind of relatives are these? Worse than strangers.”

They had schemed against a young girl who had lost both her parents, wanting to chew her up completely.

Could such people really be called family?

Wang Ying said, “Now that they’ve been sent away, I don’t want anything more to do with them.”

Yao Huijuan replied, “It’s deserved. If there were no consequences, that would truly make one lose hope.”

The two of them chatted for a while and soon became more familiar.

Wang Ying once again thanked Yao Huijuan for her help, and Yao Huijuan held her hand and said, “I feel a connection with you, no need to thank me. When you go to the city, come visit me. I’ve now retired due to illness and am at home with the children.”

Wang Ying nodded. She had received a great favor from Yao Huijuan, so she naturally planned to stay in touch in the future.

She also had some good medicinal herbs in her hand. If nothing else, she could bring Yao Huijuan some spiritual spring water from time to time.

Although it couldn’t cure diseases, it could strengthen the body.

After leaving Yao Huijuan’s house, the two of them went to Chen Dong’s place.

As soon as Chen Dong saw Xu Shuang, he mysteriously pulled him aside.

“Disciple, I’ve got news on the matter you asked about.”

Chen Dong was particularly proud. “I asked a few people and finally found the right person. You should prepare yourself this year, and by July, you can take the second-level certification exam.”

Xu Shuang flashed a brief smile on his face, which was an unexpected delight.

Chen Dong continued, “I know your skills, and the second-level certification will be no problem. Just make sure to practice the basics well, don’t get carried away showing off, and forget the fundamentals.”

Wang Ying overheard and was even more excited than Xu Shuang. “Really? We can take the second-level exam this year?”

It wasn’t surprising that she was excited. It was not easy to obtain a certification these days.

There were requirements such as work experience, recommendations, and the need for a clean background.

Xu Shuang’s situation was that he didn’t have enough work experience, lacked recommendations, and had a few small flaws in his background.

Wang Ying was afraid he might not even be able to sign up for the exam and his culinary skills might not be able to develop properly.

Chen Dong was very experienced in this area: “What’s the big deal? Our trade relies on skills. If your skills are solid, other things can be more flexible.”

Chen Dong said this, but in reality, he had put in a lot of effort and used up many connections to make this happen.

Xu Shuang was fully aware of this and immediately took out a package.

When Chen Dong saw it, his eyes lit up.

“Thorn buds!”

Chen Dong was very picky when it came to food, especially fresh goods, and these thorn buds were his favorite.

Seeing what his disciple had brought, Chen Dong excitedly rubbed his hands together.

This time, he couldn’t cook them in a restaurant. He secretly hid the herbs, planning to take them home and enjoy them slowly.

With the assurance that he could take the certification exam this year, Xu Shuang felt much lighter on his bike.

Recently, Wang Ying had been worrying about the few hundred yuan he spent on wild ginseng, which had sparked a strong desire in him.

He wanted to improve his rank quickly and earn a higher salary.

It was said that the highest-ranking chefs could earn seventy to eighty yuan a month, or even over a hundred.

Xu Shuang set a small goal for himself: he would level up quickly and stop Wang Ying from worrying about money.

The two of them sold the medicinal herbs and then headed back to the village. When they reached the town, Wang Ying caught sight of a familiar face.

Jiang Lei was pressing his face against the window of a restaurant, looking to buy a chicken leg.

“Hey, hey, hey, the one over there! I want that one! Not the one over here, the one next to it is too small…”

Jiang Lei had promised Bai Ling that he would buy a chicken leg for her.

He had been working hard in the fields these past few days, and even a strong man like Jiang Lei was exhausted. Bai Ling had fainted three times in the fields.

Whenever he thought of it, he felt a pang of heartache and couldn’t resist coming to buy something good to nourish her.

Wang Ying and Xu Shuang parked their bikes outside the restaurant and entered in front of Jiang Lei.

After a busy morning, Xu Shuang made Wang Ying a bowl of pork chop noodles.

The pork chops were tenderized with a knife, marinated, and then dipped in egg wash and starch. They were cooked slowly in a pan on low heat. In another pan, ginger, garlic, and scallions were sautéed, then boiling water and spices were added. The cooked pork chops were placed in the broth, seasoned, and most importantly, a spoonful of sugar was added. The mixture was simmered on low heat until the sauce thickened.

The pork chop was then placed over the noodles, with a couple of small pieces of vegetables on the side.

The aroma of the pork chop was overpowering, and the smell made passersby stop and sniff.

Wang Ying picked up her chopsticks and started eating. The pork chop was rich and tender, the noodles were firm and smooth, and the broth was savory and sweet. The pork chop was especially tender and delicious.

Wang Ying ate with great enjoyment, and the smell of the food made others in the restaurant crave it.

In no time, several people entered the restaurant, specifically asking for the same pork chop noodles that Wang Ying was eating.

Before Xu Shuang started cooking, he had emphasized, “This noodle is a bit sweet.”

In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the cuisine often used more sugar, and Xu Shuang had made it this way specifically for Wang Ying.

The people who entered were all dressed in work clothes and, upon hearing the sweetness of the dish, eagerly said, “Doesn’t matter the taste, just give me a bowl.”

When hunger strikes and you smell such a delicious meat aroma, who could resist?

Xu Shuang had originally planned to cook just for his wife, but now, he was forced to make a large batch to meet the demand. So he decided to introduce it as a new dish in the restaurant.

Xie Yuejin, who had been standing nearby, was nearly red with envy.

When Xu Shuang was cooking the pork chop, he had been dismissive, thinking it was a simple recipe that anyone could do. Who knew that such a simple bowl of pork chop noodles, with the addition of a spoonful of sugar, would become so popular? Locals were used to salty flavors, so who would buy into a sweet noodle dish?

But somehow, Xu Shuang’s pork chop noodles sold out by the evening, and the next day, people were still coming in asking for them.

Xie Yuejin had no choice but to admit that Xu Shuang really did have the skills.

People with skills can do whatever they want!

After finishing her bowl of pork chop noodles, Wang Ying paid and took an extra order to pack for Xu Lao Tai to try.

It had been a while since they had pork at home, and it was making her a little hungry.

Wang Ying grabbed the packed meal and was heading home when, just as she reached the village entrance, someone came to inform her.

“Wang Lingling is back!”