The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

The excitement from the outdoor barbecue last night lingered until the next morning.

In the back kitchen, everyone looked a bit groggy and listless.

Having gone home in the early hours, they had barely closed their eyes in bed before it was time to get up and prepare for work.

The helpers were hoarse as they worked, nodding off as they went.

Zhao Meng himself was feeling a bit dizzy and was just about to pull out some money to treat everyone to a coffee to perk up, when he saw Fu Yu enter the kitchen looking bright and energetic.

”I’ll handle breakfast today! You all just wait to enjoy it!”

Fu Yu cheerfully announced from in front of the kitchen counter.

The crowd’s reaction was lukewarm.

Having stuffed themselves with barbecue last night, they were still not quite sober from the beer, and had no appetite at all.

Zhao Meng, thinking to himself about the perks of youth, waved his hand: ”No need to fuss, just make some simple soup.”

Fu Yu, full of enthusiasm, replied, ”That won’t do! This morning, I’ll show you my skills! Ever heard of medicinal cooking?”

Zhao Meng: ”!”

Fu Yu went to the cold storage, brought out some chopped minced meat, mixed it with the right amount of cornstarch, and put it back in the fridge for later use.

He then took out some soaked glutinous rice and barley.

He put both types of rice into a pot with the right amount of water.

Once it boiled, he turned the heat down to let it simmer.

During this time, Fu Yu quickly made a dish of cold seaweed salad.

He washed enough seaweed, cut it into thin strips, and put it in the pot to boil for half an hour.

With both pots occupied, Fu Yu went over and picked out two white radishes.

He cleaned the white radishes, peeled off the old skin, sliced them into thin strips, and plated them.

He added some salt, sesame oil, MSG, and other seasonings, and mixed it all up.

Zhao Meng frowned as he watched: ”We have ready-to-eat pickled radishes in storage. You’re making this way too complicated!”

Fu Yu retorted: ”Fresh radishes aren’t the same as pickled ones! Let me tell you, radishes contain a lot of fiber, various vitamins, trace elements, and double-stranded RNA. The fiber promotes gastrointestinal motility and prevents constipation. The RNA induces the production of interferon in the body, enhancing immunity. This dish needs to be eaten fresh!”

Zhao Meng: ”...”

Fu Yu stirred the seaweed in the pot with chopsticks: ”And the seaweed here contains iodine, alginic acid, and laminin, which can prevent thyroid enlargement, cretinism, and bone diseases like rickets. Modern medicine suggests that eating seaweed can boost the activity of mononuclear phagocytes, enhancing immunity and anti-radiation ability.”

Zhao Meng: ”...”

Fu Yu summarized: ”For someone like you, weak and often sick, these two dishes are just right. It’s food therapy. Medicine is three parts poison; it’s best to find remedies through diet rather than drugs.”

Zhao Meng almost laughed out of frustration and kicked at Fu Yu: ”You’re the one who’s weak and sickly! I’ve got tendonitis! What does that have to do with being weak?”

Fu Yu quickly dodged, jokingly retorting: ”Look, now you’re getting upset! I’m doing this for your own good! With a strong constitution, you’ll have a better standing in your family! Haven’t you heard? A man’s position in the family depends on physical stamina!”

Zhao Meng glared at Fu Yu, grumbling, ”Even work can’t keep you quiet!”

Grinning, Fu Yu chopped some lotus root, took out the minced meat from the fridge, and added it all into the porridge pot to cook.

The seaweed was almost ready, so he took it out to cool.

Fu Yu, in high spirits, simmered the fresh lotus root porridge.

The experience of smoothly completing his medicinal cooking lesson made him feel as if a long time had passed in the blink of an eye.

Even though time seemed to stand still during those practical classes, he knew he had gone through a long period of learning.

Complex and lengthy knowledge about medicinal ingredients and the contraindications in their combination.

Fu Yu felt like he had spent at least a year in those practical classes.

But when he finished his studies and left, it had only taken an instant, making him feel as if he were in a different world.

The seaweed had cooled and was placed on a plate.

He added salt, prepped minced garlic, sesame oil, vinegar, MSG, and other seasonings, and mixed them well.

With the two cold dishes prepared, the rice porridge had been cooked a while longer until the grains were soft and mushy. Only then did he add in julienned ginger to cook for a few more minutes.

Finally, he added chopped cucumber and seasoned with salt before turning off the heat.

Zhang Jinyu stood by, having no chance to intervene.

”I’ve got it all under control, no rush,” Fu Yu said with a smile. ”Besides, the lotus root needs to be chopped right before cooking to keep its color fresh, or else it would darken if prepped too early.”

Zhang Jinyu was aware of this little trick, as in the kitchen, lotus root was always cut as needed rather than pre-prepped.

Fu Yu busied himself, serving each person in the back kitchen a steaming bowl of fresh lotus root porridge.

Some had no appetite at all and didn’t want to eat, so Fu Yu coaxed them, ”Take a sip; skipping breakfast isn’t good for your stomach. Plus, this lotus root porridge is medicinal cooking – great for food therapy and nourishment, ideal for easing a lack of appetite and dryness.”

So everyone had to cooperate and drink the porridge.

Unexpectedly, the porridge was indeed very well-made, with a thick rice soup that went down smoothly, paired with the crispy cold dishes, it really whetted the appetite.

The back kitchen was lively with breakfast when a server from the front walked in.

”Chef Zhao! You have a local express delivery, scheduled for last night, but we were closed then, so it was delivered this morning.”

Zhao Meng, surprised, took the package and glanced at the address.

When he saw the sender’s name, he couldn’t help but shake his head in resignation.

Zhao Meng said to the server, ”Thanks, next time just call when a delivery comes.”

The server nodded with a smile and turned away.

Zhao Meng casually tore it open and found two bottles of liquor inside.

They sold this liquor at the shop; one bottle cost over 900 yuan wholesale, so two bottles were two thousand yuan.

Fu Yu didn’t see the delivery note, so he didn’t know who sent it to Zhao Meng.

If he had seen Pang Bowen’s signature, he would’ve guessed that it was because when ordering a cake yesterday, Boss Pang figured out for whom the celebration was intended.

Pang Bowen was the sole supplier from Qianlima Sweets.

Their long-standing partnership was stable.

Pang Bowen mostly dealt with the chefs in the back.

He was a sharp guy, warm and polite, always sending treats to the servers and order takers whenever new products launched to win them over.

Having enjoyed free treats, the front staff naturally put more effort into recommending desserts to customers.

And in the back kitchen, Zhao Meng and Gu Yunwu weren’t fond of sweets.

So during festivals, he would send small gifts.

These were usually items worth a hundred or so yuan, not too expensive, making it easy for recipients to accept without pressure.

But Zhao Meng was too straightforward, always refusing to accept them.

Pang Bowen, after many failed attempts, thought of using the local courier service.

To put a stop to Zhao Meng’s refusals, he even prepped the courier with what to say, ensuring the package would arrive first thing in the morning.

However, this gift was unusually expensive, partly because Zhao Meng had never accepted anything before, and Pang Bowen respected him all the more for it.

On the other hand, Pang Bowen had a genuine admiration for Zhao Meng, hoping to befriend him.

Friendships deepen through reciprocation, and Pang Bowen understood this well.