When Xu Yanxia stepped into the Lu family's kitchen, the previous applicant had only just left. The air still held the lingering warmth of braised lamb chops and cheese-baked prawns.
If it weren't for the sudden trouble at home and her urgent need for a high-paying, stable job, she would never have imagined applying for a chef position in a wealthy household.
After all, in her previous life, she had been an imperial chef, cooking in the palace all day, and she was a bit tired of that life.
Still, the top-tier wealthy family in Rong City was truly extraordinary.
Never mind how impressive the garden and mansion outside were; the kitchen alone, with its Poggenpohl cabinets embedded with various high-end smart appliances, must have cost at least a million to renovate. From the window, she could see the garden lawn and the distant sea.
"Please prepare a few dishes using the ingredients currently available in the refrigerator."
The one interviewing her was the Lu family's housekeeper, Aunt Zhang. In her fifties, she was slender, wore thin-framed glasses, and looked like a stern teacher.
"Try to keep the time within an hour."
"Alright."
Xu Yanxia stepped forward and opened the refrigerator.
On the left were fish, prawns, and meats; on the right were various selected, pre-washed organic vegetables. It was still morning, so the produce, delivered not long ago, was very fresh and would be quick to prepare.
She quickly planned a menu in her mind and got to work immediately.
Outside the door, two cleaning ladies passing by chatted while working—
"The last one was already quite young, but this one looks even younger, like a recent university graduate."
"These days, even university graduates are applying to be chefs? Tsk tsk, the girl looks quite delicate and refined, but who knows if her cooking is any good. Aunt Zhang isn't easy to fool."
Aunt Zhang was indeed not easy to fool.
The previous chef had left due to a sudden illness, forcing the Lu family to recruit a new one. In just two days, over ten applicants had come—Chinese and Western styles, men and women, even some who had worked at well-known restaurants. This young woman in front of her was the youngest by far.
The question was whether she could meet Aunt Zhang's standards.
An hour later, Xu Yanxia presented her results.
"The dishes are ready. Please have a taste."
Steamed grouper, prawns in tomato sauce, stir-fried beef chuck with scallions, crispy stir-fried Shanghai greens, and a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup.
Aunt Zhang lowered her gaze to the four dishes and one soup arranged on the table. To be honest, if she hadn't just watched with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed this young girl could be so deft.
Her preparation was methodical, her wok-tossing and stir-frying were highly skilled, and even the final plating was very professional.
"Which university did you graduate from again?"
Aunt Zhang asked, picking up her chopsticks.
"I graduated from Hua Nong University,"
Xu Yanxia said, "but my family has always run a restaurant. I learned the craft from them since I was little."
Aunt Zhang remembered now.
This girl was recommended by Old Li, the driver. He said her family ran a well-regarded restaurant in the countryside, that she had helped in the kitchen since childhood and cooked very well, and that she was also a top student from Hua Nong University.
Her family had recently run into some trouble, so she needed to find a job quickly to stabilize things.
Having tasted each of the dishes, Aunt Zhang put down her chopsticks and asked her, "Old Li told you about the salary and schedule, right?"
Xu Yanxia nodded, "Uncle Li told me."
Aunt Zhang also nodded, "If you have no objections, you can start work today."
Start today?
Xu Yanxia was a bit surprised. "Alright, but I need to go prepare a few things."
—The Lu family's chef was required to live in. With one day off per week, she needed to go back and get some clothes and other belongings.
Aunt Zhang was quite accommodating. "That's fine, as long as it doesn't delay dinner."
The Lu family villa was located halfway up the mountain. It took nearly twenty minutes to walk from the main gate to the nearest subway station at the foot of the hill.
Once outside the gate, Xu Yanxia quickly video-called home. After a few rings, her grandmother's face appeared on the screen.
She was very glad she had taught her grandmother how to use a smartphone before leaving home this time. She hurriedly asked, "How have you and Grandpa been these past couple of days?"
"We're both fine. With me taking care of your grandpa, you still worry?"
Grandma chuckled and turned the screen to the side. Xu Yanxia saw her grandfather watering plants in their rented apartment, looking up with a smile to greet her. "Don't worry about me. I can eat two bowls of rice in one sitting now! How are you and your brother doing?"
Xu Yanxia felt relieved. "We're doing well too. The stall has started to turn a profit, and I found a job today."
—She also had an older brother, two years her senior, named Xu Zhanpeng. When she was just a hundred days old, their father died in an accident. After that, their mother left home and never returned.
All these years, their grandparents had raised the siblings by running a small restaurant at the village entrance. Her brother wasn't academically gifted, but he was hardworking. He learned cooking from their grandfather from a young age and started manning the wok early on.
Having experienced the dark feudal dynasty in her past life, she felt fortunate to be in this new society and wanted to study hard. She finally managed to get into Hua Nong University, a prestigious school in Rong City.
Four years flew by. The small restaurant had gained a good reputation in the area, and she was about to graduate. Just when it seemed the elderly couple could finally enjoy their lives, their hometown underwent redevelopment.
Their hometown couldn't compare to Rong City; it wouldn't make them overnight millionaires. But the village house plus the small restaurant were exchanged for a decent sum of compensation money. The family discussed buying a bigger house and finding a suitable place to reopen the restaurant.
Who could have known that just when it was time to pay for the new house, her usually honest and simple-minded uncle (her aunt's husband) ran off with the compensation money.
Grandpa was so angry he fainted on the spot and was rushed to the hospital. She didn't even attend her graduation ceremony and hurried back home immediately.
Fortunately, heaven showed mercy. As Grandpa gradually turned the corner and recovered, she and her brother finally had the energy to consider the next steps.
As soon as they discovered that scoundrel uncle had run off, they reported it to the police. The local police station traced him first to Rong City, then found he had left the country from there. So, the siblings came to Rong City together. They set up a stall selling teppanyaki in the night market to earn money while waiting for that scoundrel uncle to return.
—After all, the court had already frozen his accounts, so it was likely he wouldn't be able to enjoy his freedom abroad for long.
Although the stall income was decent for now, the space was limited and too susceptible to unpredictable factors. To have a backup plan, she left the stall for her brother to manage and went out to find a stable job herself.
"What kind of job did you find?"
Grandma asked from the other side of the screen, "Is it a proper one?"
Xu Yanxia told a white lie. "It's at a Fortune 500 company, an office job. Very proper, don't worry."
Grandma nodded. "That's good. It's never as comfortable as home when you're outside. Take good care of yourself."
Xu Yanxia smiled and said she would. She saw Grandma turn the phone to the side. "Your aunt happens to be here. She wants to talk to you."
Next, the screen showed the weary face of her aunt, Xu Xuemei.
"Xia, it's all my fault, making you and Peng suffer... Is there any news about that good-for-nothing?"
This "good-for-nothing" naturally referred to that scoundrel uncle of hers.
Xu Yanxia paused, then told her the truth. "He went to Thailand with a female streamer and hasn't come back yet. But we've already applied to freeze his accounts, so he'll probably be back in a few days."
"That good-for-nothing scoundrel!"
Her aunt, Xu Xuemei, eyes reddening, said through gritted teeth, "I'll divorce him the moment he gets back!"
As if there was any other choice.
Xu Yanxia sighed quietly to herself.
Back in the day, her aunt had been considered the belle of the surrounding villages, with suitors lined up all the way to the next town. Yet, after all her picking and choosing, she had settled on a man of average looks and modest means, saying he seemed reliable for a stable life. Who could have predicted it would end like this?
It just goes to show, men can't stand up to tests.
Since both the ugly and the handsome ones can turn out to be scum, she might as well have picked a handsome one back then—at least he'd have been pleasant to look at.
