Two hours later, Liu Jianan stretched himself with a sound of “Ka La La”.
Yuan Zhou also stopped sculpting and took a deep breath. He intended to prepare the ingredients for the lunch.
“Time passed so quickly when I was looking at Boss Yuan sculpt.” Seeing Yuan Zhou finish sculpting, Liu Jianan said with a smile.
When he smiled, he appeared to give off a gentle feeling. After all, he was still young.
“Um.” After Yuan Zhou raised his head and took a look at Liu Jianan, he answered indifferently.
“This guy is surprisingly still here? He has really good patience.” If Liu Jianan didn’t talk to him, Yuan Zhou would have neglected this person.
It could be proved that Liu Jianan had truly observed Yuan Zhou carefully.
If one had sufficient patience to watch, the sculpting process of Yuan Zhou was fairly beautiful.
The miraculous kitchen knife in his hand was dancing in the air like a silver light. As soon as it lightly touched the radishes, the ordinary outer skin was immediately removed. After that, the radishes turned into various beautiful work of art.
That’s right. They were undoubtedly a work of art. Yuan Zhou’s sculptures were both excellent in body and spirit. Of course, they were a work of art.
With a sound of “Ta Ta Ta”, Liu Jianan followed Yuan Zhou’s footsteps and prepared to go inside.
At that time, Yuan Zhou suddenly turned around and looked at Liu Jianan, not saying a single word.
“Oh. I’m going to take the number ticket and eat lunch later.” Liu Jianan understood Yuan Zhou’s meaning instantly and then he immediately turned and said.
Seeing Liu Jianan understand him, Yuan Zhou turned back and continued to enter the restaurant.
“System, you really helped me in the nick of time yesterday.” Yuan Zhou muttered inwardly.
The system didn’t make any sound, but Yuan Zhou didn’t really care about that, either. It was good as long as he expressed his gratitude to it.
The help mentioned by Yuan Zhou was naturally due to Jiang Changxi creating difficulties for him. This woman had been trying to embarrass Yuan Zhou with dishes from the 100 Styles of Rice Cuisines since the very start. Therefore, Yuan Zhou wasn’t surprised at all with that.
Yuan Zhou knew Wu Rice, but he didn’t know the specific cooking method. In his memory, it was a kind of food popular in the south of Yangtze River. Those local women went up the hills to pick up a kind of leaf during the fourth month of each lunar year to make the Wu Rice.
Having heard the introductions from the system, however, Yuan Zhou also looked up some information and found that this dish was fairly complicated.
First of all, this dish of Wu Rice had a certain historical background. Besides that, it had a special festival on 8th of the fourth lunar month. It was a folk festival among the people of Han Nationality from several places. On that day, almost all of them ate this dish.
In XN County, however, people of Miao, Yao and Dong Nationalities also regarded Apr. 4th of each lunar year as the Wu Rice Festival in order to commemorate or mourn their ancestors. Therefore, Yuan Zhou couldn’t figure out what was it about.
“Forget it. I don’t need to care. I’d better just concentrate on cooking.” Yuan Zhou got rid of the strange thoughts.
The cooking method of the Wu Rice was actually very easy, but Jiang Changxi was quite sure that she would win. Actually, it originally wasn’t the problem of the cooking method, but was the problem of the season and region.
That’s right. The vaccinium bracteatum to make the Wu Rice only grew in the hilly areas. Generally, it grew in the warm climate and acidic land; it was drought-enduring, cold-resistant, and able to grow in the poor land. It grew on the hillsides, at the roadside or in the bushes. The problem was, Sichuan Province was mostly flatland and even the topographical condition wasn’t appropriate.
Therefore, Jiang Changxi had really done her homework. She found there weren’t such plants in Chengdu. Secondly and also most importantly, the tender leaves of the vaccinium bracteatum required by the dish Wu Rice were only available around those several days in April of each lunar year.
The considerations about the growing environment and time were the major reasons why Jiang Changxi was so sure that she would win. She had never heard that the vaccinium bracteatum could sprout in December.
However, she didn’t know that Yuan Zhou had the support of the system. So the difficulties in her eyes weren’t a problem to Yuan Zhou.
“Hmm. The leaves are fairly tender and fresh.” Yuan Zhou put on the gloves and chopped up the tender leaves of the vaccinium bracteatum.
The leaves of the vaccinium bracteatum provided by the system were extraordinarily uniform. They were the freshest leaves that had just sprouted on the following day and even carried some dew. The leaves were fresh, tender and quite fragrant.
Generally speaking, they had to be soaked in water for a whole night, around 10 hours or so, but Yuan Zhou didn’t need that long. The time now was actually best suited to cook the dish of Wu Rice.
In the restaurant, Yuan Zhou’s kitchen knife emitted a continuous succession of sound while outside, Liu Jianan just took his number ticket and didn’t try to get in the restaurant.
It wasn’t early, thus more people gathered to line up and prepare to take the number ticket for the meal.
Hence, Liu Jianan started to maintain order voluntarily.
“You, come here. Please stand here. You must line up first if you want to take the number ticket.” Liu Jianan said to one that had barely arrived.
“No. We can only take the number ticket five minutes before the business starts. I’ll line up later.” The young girl stopped by him shook her head and said.
“If you don’t line up now, you definitely can’t eat it later.” Liu Jianan didn’t really say pleasant words, but he said that with a polite manner.
“How can you say that way? Who says I won’t line up? I told you I will do that later. Don’t poke your nose into others’ business. Who are you?” The young girl glared at Liu Jianan discontentedly.
“By the way, I have never seen you before. Are you a newcomer that maintains order?” Before Liu Jianan answered her, the girl looked at him warily and asked.
“No. I’m just a volunteer.” Liu Jianan immediately shook her head.
“A volunteer? This place isn’t a welfare club. Why are you volunteering?” The girl was still very suspicious.
“He’s indeed a volunteer.” At that time, Zhou Jia went up and helped Liu Jianan out of the embarrassment.
“Okay.” The girl didn’t believe him until she saw Zhou Jia. Without saying anything, the girl then went up to line up.
“Thank you.” Liu Jianan immediately thanked Zhou Jia.
“You are welcome.” Zhou Jia shook her head and then went to maintain the order, making preparations for the lunch.
Not long after that, the lunchtime commenced. People crowded around each other. Liu Jianan dared not speak casually, but just helped Zhou Jia.
Zhou Jia merely said something and he repeated it like a voice recorder.
“Everybody, please go in for your meals as per your number ticket.” Zhou Jia’s clear and melodious voice sounded.
“Everybody, please go in for your meals as per your number ticket.” Subsequently, Liu Jianan’s voice followed.
It was busiest only at the start. As soon as they got in the restaurant, Zhou Jia began to take orders. Under the condition that she didn’t notice, Liu Jianan also joined.
He helped to take orders and even carry plates. He was diligent, but he also made mistakes.
“Young man, you brought me the wrong dishes. This is the small mustache’s watermelon juice, not mine.” The grandpa said gently.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” When Liu Jianan apologized, Zhou Jia had taken the remedial measures.
Then, Liu Jianan worked more carefully. Though he still made some mistakes, customers in the restaurant had basically know that this person was improving his image.
Nonetheless, Zhou Jia felt it both annoying and amusing at the same time.
“Sir, you aren’t the employee here. And it’s going to be your turn to eat. Why don’t you go to line up?” Zhou Jia said to Liu Jianan courteously.
“Oh, okay.” Liu Jianan was fairly obedient. Once Zhou Jia said that to him, he followed her instructions.
After he busied himself for a little while, he was really tired although he didn’t do much work.
“This young man really knows to behave appropriately.” Master Cheng complimented.
Nevertheless, Zhou Jia looked at Master Cheng with a speechless expression. She didn’t actually feel that way.
“Don’t you think so? He hasn’t said a single word to Master Yuan from the moment he arrived till now today, though he is asking for Yuan Zhou’s help.” Master Cheng said smilingly.
“So it is.” Zhou Jia suddenly realized that.
But that still couldn’t deny the fact that he was causing more chaos than help…