Chapter 38: How About I Show You a Little Something?
Wen Yao was originally supposed to take Da Tou with her, but since Wen Ying was around—and she was practically a tomboy—there was no need to worry about someone watching him.
Bored, Wen Yao planned to visit Wen Di and see how she was doing with embroidery and cord-knotting. On her way past two old ladies, she overheard a conversation.
Apparently, her great-aunt was preparing for a wedding, but the chef had backed out last minute, and now they couldn’t find a replacement. The two old ladies were clearly worried.
Well, wasn’t this a coincidence? Kitchen work—she knew that stuff inside and out.
And this wasn’t a bad opportunity either. If she managed to pull this off, maybe it could become a new venture going forward.
Don’t underestimate rural banquets. There weren’t any modern regulations here banning extravagance or setting limits on celebrations. Even a baby’s one-month party would warrant a few tables, let alone a wedding or funeral—which had to be done big.
Those with money had their ways, and those without also made do. But everything ultimately revolved around one person—the head chef. If a chef’s cooking was good and they were well-known in the surrounding villages, they’d be in high demand.
On good days, it wasn’t uncommon to see families competing to hire the same chef. Wen Yao guessed that her great-aunt’s original chef had probably been snatched away halfway through.
The two old ladies were startled by Wen Yao’s sudden appearance.
“Good grief, you wretched girl! Trying to scare someone to death?” Luo-shi (Lao Tai) nearly slapped her on the spot, but as usual, her hand came down gently in the end.
Wen Yao, of course, treated the swat as nothing more than a tickle.
She dragged over a small stool and plopped herself down right between the two grannies, grinning cheekily. “Grandma, this is a happy occasion—don’t say things like that. Great-aunt, are you looking for a chef?”
Great-aunt Luo was the most surprised. Not just by how bold and lively Wen Yao was acting now—she remembered the girl from before, always following behind Liu-shi, quiet and reserved, bowing politely and disappearing without a sound.
This bubbly, confident version? She almost didn’t recognize her.
What surprised her even more was her sister’s attitude toward Wen Yao. She knew exactly how disappointed Luo-shi had been in the eldest branch. Even before the disappointment, she had been distant with the eldest’s kids, thinking Liu-shi looked down on her country ways and might not raise the children properly.
“Child’s talking to you. What are you spacing out for?” Luo-shi’s voice yanked Great-aunt Luo out of her thoughts.
She nodded quickly. “Yes, it’s your second cousin. He’s getting married. We’d already booked a chef, but with just a few days left, the guy suddenly says he can’t make it. Isn’t that just awful?”
Wen Yao perked up. “My second cousin?” Technically speaking, Great-aunt Luo wasn’t much younger than Luo-shi. Since Wen Xiuyi was the eldest son of the eldest son, even if Great-aunt Luo had married late, her son shouldn’t be getting married only now.
Especially since Third Uncle’s daughter Wen Di was already ten years old.
Great-aunt Luo let out a long sigh, looking somewhat sorrowful.
“Yes, your second cousin. I had him pretty late in life. He’s more than ten years younger than your father. When he was seventeen, conscription came around, and every household had to send one person. Your father had a family to support, and your second cousin hadn’t married yet. While we were still debating, he went off and enlisted on his own.”
“He was gone for five years—just got back last year. As soon as he did, we arranged a match for him. But now this mess…”
Wen Yao nodded in understanding. So that’s what happened—he’d been off serving in the military. No wonder he was marrying late.
If Wen Yao had merely wanted to try her luck before, now she was determined to help her great-aunt pull this off. No matter the era, soldiers were to be respected.
“Great-aunt, you should hire me,” Wen Yao said, patting her chest with confidence.
Great-aunt Luo blinked. “You?”
Luo-shi frowned immediately and glared at her. “Quit messing around.”
Wen Yao scooted forward on the stool and said earnestly, “Grandma, Great-aunt, I’m serious. You can’t find anyone right now anyway—why not let me try? Grandma, don’t you trust my cooking?”
“Well…” Luo-shi hesitated, remembering the countless dishes Wen Yao had cooked over the past month. They didn’t just taste amazing—they looked beautiful too.
Still, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy about letting a ten-year-old girl serve as head chef. Cooking at home was one thing, but handling a full banquet? If something went wrong, it could ruin someone’s big day.
Great-aunt Luo’s worldview was being turned upside down today. She’d thought her sister would outright reject the idea, but now she was seeing a trace of hesitation on Luo-shi’s face.
Hesitation? Was her sister actually considering it? That meant she thought there was a chance Wen Yao could pull it off?
“Sis, you really think this girl can do it?” Great-aunt Luo asked, determined to get to the bottom of this.
Luo-shi frowned again, glared at Wen Yao, then sighed. “This girl… she really did learn her cooking from her mother. And she’s good at it. But acting as the head chef? She’s too young. I’m afraid she’ll mess up the wedding.”
But Great-aunt Luo’s eyes lit up. “Wen Yao can really cook?”
“She’s great, Great-aunt! Why don’t I whip up a couple dishes to show you?” Wen Yao said confidently.
Luo-shi was practically knotting her brows at this point. Great-aunt Luo, seeing her sister so conflicted, gritted her teeth. “Sis, why don’t we just let her make two dishes and see for ourselves?”
At this point, any glimmer of hope was worth trying.
Luo-shi could only relent. “Fine, go on then. Everything’s in the kitchen. Tell your second and third aunts to help you. Make a couple dishes for your great-aunt to try.”
“Got it! Just wait!” Wen Yao jumped up and ran toward the kitchen.
Luo-shi shook her head. “That girl… ever since her mother left, she’s gone wild. She doesn’t act like a proper girl at all. All those rules her mother taught her? All gone.”
Great-aunt Luo chuckled. “But you like her this way, don’t you?”
Luo-shi paused, then huffed. “Who likes her? Just like her father, always making me mad.”
“Yes, yes, so angry,” Great-aunt Luo said with a smile, not bothering to call her out. Still, she was a bit worried—could Wen Yao really do it?
If she could, then this would solve a major headache for their family.
“As for her cooking, don’t worry about that,” Luo-shi said, trying to hide her pride. “Don’t know if she was a starving ghost in a past life or what, but she can turn a single head of cabbage into a masterpiece. Just wait and try her food.”
Though her mouth said one thing, her proud expression had already betrayed her heart.
