Chapter 205: Wu Hai’s Persistence
“A new rule,” Yuan Zhou gave the same answer to every customer who asked about that.
“Ok. But remember the three days that you have promised me?” Wu Hai came here to urge Yuan Zhou to teach him cooking again.
“Yes. It’s available today,” thinking of Wu Hai’s distinct way of making dishes, Yuan Zhou agreed reluctantly with a headache.
“Last time, the time was too short. So it shouldn’t count,” Wu Hai was fairly considerate to himself.
“No problem. We are to start formally today. Have you gotten all the ingredients prepared?” Yuan Zhou agreed with a nod.
“The dishes are Chicken with Green Pepper and Watermelon Fruit Mix this time,” Wu Hai was a little persistent concerning the unfinished dishes of the previous time.
“Is there any simpler ingredients? These two dishes are too difficult for a beginner,” Yuan Zhou said bluntly.
“What about the dish of Sliced Boiled Pork with Garlic Sauce?” To a carnivorous animal like Wu Hai, simplicity meant simple meat.
“What I mean is the vegetable dish,” Yuan Zhou supported the forehead.
“Then you might as well go to check by yourself.” After saying that, Wu Hai led the way ahead of Yuan Zhou.
“Ok,” Yuan Zhou walked slowly following Wu Hai.
With a sound of “Ka La”, Wu Hai unlocked the door with the key. Then, Zheng Jiawei, who was inside, stood up and greeted Yuan Zhou.
“Xiaohai, you are back. Hi, Boss Yuan,” Zheng Jiawei went up and carefully looked at Wu Hai up and down and then he said happily.
“Don’t urge me to paint. I will learn to cook today,” Wu Hai directly blocked Zheng Jiawei’s next utterance.
“Are you going to cook again? Xiao Hai, everyone has his own talents. Indeed, Boss Yuan is a head chef. But that doesn’t mean you can cook well. You are actually good at painting,” when Zheng Jiawei heard Wu Hai intend to cook, he didn’t walk away immediately this time, but began to persuade him not to do that.
It was really not easy for Zheng Jiawei, who had been always obeying Wu Hai’s word.
“What the hell do you know? Cooking is also a kind of art. As long as it’s an art, I must master it,” Wu Hai refuted unhappily.
Standing behind him, Yuan Zhou couldn’t help having a toothache when he heard Wu Hai say that cooking was an art. He was deeply impressed by the Rainbow Beef Briskets that he had cooked last time.
“Yes, it’s also an art. But what about your art show?” Zheng Jiawei pointed at the calendar, on which some characters of “Less than 10 days left before the art show commences” were clearly written.
“Learning to cook can also help me to get inspiration for painting,” Wu Hai said indifferently.
“Fine. I’m staying today to accompany you,” Zheng Jiawei let out a sigh and said.
“As you please,” after Wu Hai said that, he entered the kitchen ahead of others.
“Sorry, Boss Yuan. We have to bother you again. Can I stay?” Zheng Jiawei said with great courtesy and was also considerate in doing things.
“Never mind. Let me first go inside and have a look,” Yuan Zhou didn’t really care about that.
“Thank you, Boss Yuan. You are really a nice person,” while speaking, Zheng Jiawei also entered the kitchen and prepared to help.
He might not be able to help with anything else except taking the coloring materials out.
Yuan Zhou went up to the fridge and checked the ingredients inside. They were very fresh and appeared to be good in quality. Used by Wu Hai to cook, however, the ingredients seemed to be a reckless waste of God’s good gifts.
“Let’s do this. Let me teach you to cook the Shiitake Mushroom Green Vegetables today,” Yuan Zhou eventually found a simpler dish.
Actually, he would prefer to say it was good just to make a boiled egg. He didn’t believe that Wu Hai could still make rainbow colors on such a dish. Considering that he had learned the picture composition and color matching from Wu Hai, however, he decided to teach him earnestly.
“Can’t you teach me to cook meat dishes?” Wu Hai looked at the various meats in the fridge and asked unwillingly.
“You’d better learn the vegetable dishes to start with,” Yuan Zhou said primly.
“Why don’t you teach to cook the Egg Fried Rice?” Wu Hai suddenly recalled the God Tier Egg Fried Rice cooked by Yuan Zhou. In his opinion, eggs were also considered to be meat.
“No. It’s too difficult for you to master it in three days,” Yuan Zhou was never roundabout when he talked with Wu Hai.
“I feel the dish of Shiitake Mushroom Green Vegetables is really good,” Zheng Jiawei interrupted, but with a bad expression on his face though. It seemed that he thought of something.
Wu Hai, nevertheless, muttered at the side, “The yellow color of the Egg Fried Rice is so bright. It’s better to add some warm yellow coloring materials inside.”
The words were easily captured by Yuan Zhou, who was perceptive, without missing any single word. He sighed with relief inwardly and felt rather fortunate for not having chosen the Egg Fried Rice.
That had absolutely nothing to do with cooking. How did he manage to think of that idea?
“You deal with the ingredients first,” Yuan Zhou felt Wu Hai was quite professional in processing the ingredients.
“Ok,” Wu Hai took the vegetables and shiitake mushroom and started the cleaning work.
In the sound of flowing water of “Hua Hua”, Wu Hai drew out some painting brushes from nowhere and began to wash the vegetables with them.
The flat brush was used to clean the fold on the inside of the shiitake mushroom while the other one to brush the root of the vegetables.
Yuan Zhou indicated that he needed to quiet down for a while. Wu Hai undoubtedly appeared quite normal last time when he washed the beef, but why did he look more severe this time?
“Is he always like that?” Yuan Zhou suddenly talked to Zheng Jiawei.
“Yes, Xiaohai is always cooking dishes like that. He believes it’s a part of the art and he must complete it by the means of art,” Zheng Jiawei had a better tolerance.
“Have you ever tasted his dishes?” Yuan Zhou was quite curious about that.
“Yes. But the consequence was that I went to hospital to wash the stomach. Xiaohai likes using the dyestuff to cook dishes, saying it’s beautiful. As for the taste, he was nevertheless very picky,” speaking of that experience, Zheng Jiawei still had a lingering fear.
“I got it,” Yuan Zhou nodded solemnly. At that time, Wu Hai had gone to the procedure of cutting the vegetables.
“What do you intend to do next?” Yuan Zhou asked Wu Hai.
“The green color of the vegetables doesn’t go well with the dark brown of the shiitake mushroom. I want to soak it with light green dyestuff and dye the vegetables before stir-frying,” Wu Hai said without turning his head.
Yuan Zhou really felt lucky inwardly that he had asked that beforehand. He then suddenly stopped Wu Hai, “The two colors don’t match for now, but they’ll match perfectly after stir-frying.”
“No. We can’t be careless on the matter of color match. Only if the two colors match well now could they match better after cooking,” Wu Hai refused Yuan Zhou squarely and then muttered.
“Suddenly I feel sympathetic for Wu Hai’s pans. God knows what messy things it eats frequently,” Yuan Zhou really couldn’t help grumbling.
“It doesn’t matter. Just change a new one,” Zheng Jiawei stayed quite calm this time. He didn’t make the orchid shaped finger, but just clenched the emetic drug in his hand.
After Yuan Zhou talked with Wu Hai for quite a while, Wu Hai still insisted on his opinion, believing the vegetables could only be cooked after the colors were well matched.
“Wu Hai, the dyestuff is really not eatable,” Yuan Zhou felt what he had uttered in the morning was even more than that of one ordinary day.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m using the best dyestuff,” Wu Hai answered carelessly.
“No matter how good it is, it’s still the dyestuff and isn’t eatable,” Yuan Zhou emphasized.
“On the color match and specific layout, you learn from me,” Wu Hai took a look at Yuan Zhou contemptuously.
“But I’m the chef,” Yuan Zhou crossed his arms against his chest and said affirmatively.
“You still learn that from me,” Wu Hai believed persistently that he was right.
“You switch to cooking Quick Stir-fried Vegetables now,” Yuan Zhou said that abruptly.
“Then what shall we do with the shiitake mushroom?” With the subject suddenly diverted, Wu Hai asked blankly.
“Just disregard it. You cook the vegetables only,” Yuan Zhou said with an affirmative tone.
Having abandoned the other dish, Wu Hai became more normal. Without the comparison, there was no necessity of color matching. Yuan Zhou managed to get rid of the threat of the vegetables being dyed.
Concerning cooking the dish with a painting brush, Yuan Zhou indicated that it was unnecessary to amend it but some essential skills, nevertheless, needed to be told.
“Heat the oil in the cold pan. You must make sure to put all the vegetables into the pan at the same time evenly. You can quicken the speed of your hand movement. That way, it will also have a beautiful composition even if the vegetables are stirred in disorder,” Yuan Zhou explained in a way that was accepted by Wu Hai, making him awfully satisfied.
The method with which Yuan Zhou taught was probably the individualized teaching. It didn’t matter that Wu Hai liked using the painting brush for cooking. Without different vegetables, there was no color match and no harm, either. The worst consequence was merely that the dish wasn’t well cooked. However, it wouldn’t be fatal at all to eat it. Isn’t it true…