When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 85: Chapter 49: The 1950s’ Wife of Chaff (49)

Zhu Yun was taken aback by them for a moment before saying, ”A good cook is practically half a doctor, able to use food as medicine. Eating until you’re completely stuffed isn’t healthy, but it takes a lot of self-control to eat until you’re only seventy percent full and resist the temptation of delicious food. That’s why we have such a heavy responsibility.”

She didn’t try to hide anything, taking out a few sheets of paper and having them passed around.

These were the answers from her questioning of Chu Shenyu the previous night.

Rather than just letting everyone eat their fill, it was better to guide them toward eating well and eating healthy, so they would subconsciously focus on quality over quantity.

There were many methods. For instance, baked flatbreads were very satiating. Travelers used to buy this type of dry food for their journeys. You could add sesame seeds or fillings. Freshly baked, they were aromatic and crisp, and when paired with soup or congee, they were quite filling.

In the summer, they could start with some sour plum soup or mung bean soup before a meal. It would dispel most of the body’s sweltering heat and greatly increase one’s appetite. In reality, the liquid would take up space in the stomach, making seventy percent full feel like a hundred percent. In the winter, they could start with chicken soup or bone broth, which was also a way to nourish the body.

Furthermore, the staple foods shouldn’t be too refined. Things like multi-grain rice or three-grain flour steamed buns, as long as they were made deliciously and with variety, she believed no one would complain too much.

Of course, soy products, popcorn, and potatoes were also quite filling.

With a few little tricks at every meal, she could achieve the desired effect.

This was what Zhu Yun planned to train them on! They would learn how to make the employees and their families feel full, get proper nutrition, and stay healthy, all while saving thirty percent of the daily rations.

After the short meeting, everyone returned to their posts.

This time, Zhu Yun volunteered to do the cooking herself.

Smiling, Sister-in-law Qian quickly made way for her, while Xu Xiaohui at the side also got ready to assist.

Zhu Yun put extra care into her cooking this time. She made a potato and pork rib stew, adding some delightfully chewy pieces of flatbread. The bread soaked up the softness of the potatoes and the rich flavor of the meat, making every bite exceptionally delicious.

There was braised pork belly with quail eggs, chicken and noodle stew, and dry-fried green beans. The rice was steamed in a wooden bucket, its grains glistening, distinct, and wonderfully chewy.

The soup was a tomato and egg drop soup, sprinkled with some of her homemade chicken bouillon, making it savory and aromatic.

The moment people saw she was cooking, they swarmed over to get in line, each of them looking like they wanted to carry away half a platter.

Zhu Yun good-naturedly cooked pot after pot for a solid three hours, but the line of family members and children at the service window didn’t seem to get any shorter.

Suddenly, a young man slipped into the back and whispered a few words in her ear.

Smiling, Zhu Yun put down her ladle, gave a few instructions to Sister-in-law Qian, and then left with the young man.

She had only taken a few steps when she saw Director Wang hurrying toward her.

”Director Yun, we have a problem,” Director Wang said, the few hairs on his head plastered messily to his scalp with sweat. He lowered his voice. ”An old woman ate so much she passed out. They just took her to the factory clinic.”

Zhu Yun nodded. ”I heard something about it. Let’s go take a look.”

Since there were no phones, it was often inconvenient for Zhu Yun to run errands or send messages, so she had made it a habit to keep one or two apprentices with her at all times.

The factory clinic wasn’t far, but it still took the group about ten minutes to get there by bicycle.

The scene at the clinic was startling. It wasn’t just one old woman who had overeaten; the gastroenterology department was full of people. A long line of patients sat on a wooden bench against the wall, all of them uncomfortably rubbing their stomachs. Some had eaten so much they had to lean against the wall just to walk.

Zhu Yun’s eyebrows twitched as she took in the scene. ’Was it really worth it?’

She did, however, spot a familiar face.

Old Mrs. Wang was sitting alone on a bench, her face scrunched up and her eyes narrowed in discomfort.

She shot a look at her young apprentice. ”Lou Ziyang, go ask that old woman in the fifth chair what happened to her.” Then she added, ”She’s Wang Xianbing’s mother.”

The young apprentice was sharp; he understood what his master wanted with a single glance. He grinned. ”Consider it done!”

His eyes darted about for a moment, and he fumbled in his back pocket before hurrying in her direction. He didn’t stop as he passed Old Mrs. Wang; his hand just ”happened” to brush against the money sticking out of his pocket.

The small wad of cash had some weight to it and fell directly in front of her.

Old Mrs. Wang’s eyes widened. Ignoring her churning stomach, she instinctively bent over and scooped up the money. When she saw people looking, she grimaced and called out weakly, ”Young man, you dropped your money!”

With that, she made a show of chasing after him.

However, the young man actually turned back. He patted his back pocket, rushed back to her, and snatched the money from her hand. ”Thank you, ma’am! I just borrowed this money to pay for my family member’s discharge from the hospital.”