After comforting her aunt, Xu Yanxia soon reached the subway entrance. She ended the call, took the subway back to her place.
Her brother hadn't returned from grocery shopping yet. She sent him a WeChat message saying she had found a job, then packed her clothes and headed back to the Lu residence.
The round trip took nearly three hours. Colleagues at the Lu mansion had already finished lunch and were resting.
"This is Xiao Xu, our new chef. Please make her feel welcome."
Housekeeper Zhang introduced her to everyone, taking her around from the main gate through the garden.
The two cleaning ladies greeted her warmly. "Xiao Xu, you really have some skills! The food you cooked was excellent!"
"That's right! That beef, that fish, and those shrimp were absolutely delicious! Even the stir-fried greens were perfect. So talented at such a young age!"
It seemed Housekeeper Zhang had shared her hiring assessment dishes as the staff meal.
Xu Yanxia quickly responded modestly, "You're too kind. It's really because the ingredients themselves are so good."
This was the truth. The Lu family was a top-tier wealthy household in Rong City, with finance and technology businesses ranking among the best in the country. The ingredients delivered to the house daily were naturally first-rate.
Cooking is simply about properly releasing the inherent flavors of the ingredients. The quality of a dish depends eighty percent or even more on the ingredients themselves.
Of course, what the cleaning ladies said was also true.
They had tasted the results of the past two days' interviews. Whether in flavor, presentation, or how well it went with rice, Xu Yanxia's dishes were superior. Otherwise, Housekeeper Zhang wouldn't have hired her immediately.
What was especially praiseworthy was that the young lady not only wasted no ingredients but was also exceptionally tidy. The kitchen she used hardly needed cleaning afterward.
A chef like that, not just Housekeeper Zhang, even they liked her!
Just as they were talking, Uncle Li, the driver, also returned from outside. Xu Yanxia quickly greeted him, "Uncle Li."
Uncle Li said with a smile, "I tried your cooking at lunch too. To be honest, your skills are even better than your brother's! By the way, how is your family doing these days?"
Xu Yanxia promptly updated Uncle Li on the situation.
Actually, their family and Uncle Li had a connection from the past.
Years ago, Uncle Li and a partner were hauling freight when their truck broke down in the middle of the night. They walked five or six kilometers to find their family's restaurant for help. Her grandfather, without a second thought, braved the rain to take Uncle Li to buy parts, then accompanied him back to the truck and didn't leave until he saw the vehicle repaired.
Uncle Li was a man of gratitude and loyalty. Since then, he made time to visit them every year. Now, knowing about their family's troubles, he had also helped think of many solutions, showing more concern than some relatives.
"It's good that the old gentleman is okay."
Uncle Li continued, "I've also notified my acquaintances who drive taxis and ride-hailing services locally. They'll let you know as soon as there's any news about your uncle."
"Thank you."
After greeting Uncle Li, Xu Yanxia first went to the dormitory to put away her luggage.
The Lu family's previous chef was male and lived in the small building near the main gate with the security guards, drivers, and gardeners.
Now, with Xu Yanxia, Housekeeper Zhang arranged for her to stay on the first floor of the main villa, sharing the dormitory area with herself and the two cleaning ladies.
The staff dormitory of a wealthy family was indeed extraordinary. A private room with air conditioning and an ensuite bathroom, the window overlooking lush mountain scenery—it was almost too comfortable.
These conditions were definitely much better than being a junior office worker in a skyscraper, exhausting herself daily squeezing onto the subway and sharing an apartment with others.
After changing into the Lu family's custom-tailored uniform, she headed toward the kitchen. Nearing the living room, she saw a Rolls-Royce drive through the main gate.
An elegant and beautiful noblewoman stepped out of the car. Xu Yanxia immediately recognized her—this was Madam Lu, a former singer.
She quickly followed Housekeeper Zhang to greet her—
"Madam is back. This is Xiao Xu, the new chef."
"Good afternoon, Madam."
Madam Lu, Shen Zhiping, turned her gaze toward her, a look of surprise appearing on her face. "So young? How old are you this year?"
Xu Yanxia hurriedly replied, "I'm twenty-two this year."
Housekeeper Zhang added from the side, "Xiao Xu was introduced by Old Li. She just graduated from Huazhong Agricultural University this year. I've seen her skills; they're quite good."
It was clear Madam Lu trusted Housekeeper Zhang greatly. She nodded immediately, saying, "If you've seen it, that's fine. I'm going to rest for a bit now. I played mahjong at the Lai's for two hours today; my back is stiff from exhaustion."
With that, she started heading toward the third-floor bedroom but stopped after a few steps. "Oh, right. Jingming just called saying he's working overtime. I'll be home alone tonight, so just make a little less for dinner."
Madam Lu had two sons and one daughter. She was referring to her eldest son, Lu Jingming, the current CEO of the Lu Group.
Xu Yanxia quickly nodded, "Understood."
...
Herb-crusted French lamb chops, stir-fried Chinese yam slices, black sesame and walnut paste, and fragrant braised mixed grain rice.
As the clock approached six, the dinner Xu Yanxia had meticulously prepared was ready, dish by dish.
Madam Lu focused on maintaining her health. This combination was not only delicious but also nutritionally balanced. The only question was whether it would suit her taste.
Xu Yanxia was just setting the dishes on the table when she saw Madam Lu, fully dressed again, come downstairs. She said to Housekeeper Zhang, "Qin came over from Hong Kong and insisted on meeting me. I won't be eating at home tonight."
With that, she got into the waiting Rolls-Royce at the door and left.
Xu Yanxia, still holding the plate of herb-crusted lamb chops, "..."
So all this effort was for nothing?
She could only look at Housekeeper Zhang. "Then the dishes that are ready..."
Housekeeper Zhang gave her a helpless smile. "Just leave them in the kitchen. We'll eat them ourselves."
Xu Yanxia, "Alright."
It must be said, working at the Lu family was quite blissful. Living in a top-tier mansion, eating top-tier ingredients—how could that not count as winning at life?
After having dinner with her colleagues, Xu Yanxia unsurprisingly received another wave of praise.
After cleaning the kitchen, Xu Yanxia went to ask Housekeeper Zhang, "Auntie, should I prepare late-night snacks for Madam and CEO Lu?"
The Lu family had five members. Chairman Lu Zhenbang was on a business trip abroad. Their daughter, Lu Jingxi, had debuted in the music industry and was currently in a career ascent phase, so she rarely stayed at home. The youngest son, Lu Jingyao, was a sophomore at Nan University, a prestigious school in Rong City, and only came home on weekends.
So, for the past two days, only Madam Lu and her eldest son were home for meals.
"No need,"
Housekeeper Zhang said. "Except for the Third Young Master, no one else has the habit of eating late-night snacks. He's not home today either. You can go rest after you finish tidying up."
"Alright."
Xu Yanxia returned to her dormitory, took a shower, chatted for a while with a few classmates in a WeChat group, and then went to sleep.
She set her alarm and woke up promptly at six the next morning to prepare breakfast.
Madam Lu was a disciplined beauty. Although she hadn't returned home until ten o'clock last night, she still insisted on getting up early for exercise this morning.
At eight o'clock, after finishing her yoga, she took a shower, changed, and came to the dining table just as the breakfast Xu Yanxia had prepared was being served.
Longan and red date congee, shrimp wontons, tuna and vegetable salad, and tender chicken breast sandwiches.
No one had eaten at home last night, but surely someone would this morning. Xu Yanxia had not slacked off in the slightest.
A sumptuous breakfast was a delightful way to start the day. Mrs. Lu tasted a wonton and immediately gave a thumbs-up to Xu Yanxia, who was serving the dishes. "You really have a knack for this, Xiao Xu. These wontons are wonderfully fresh."
"I'm glad you like them."
Xu Yanxia smiled. As her words fell, she saw a tall, slender figure quickly descend the stairs.
The impeccably tailored dark suit accentuated his excellent proportions. His features were handsomely chiseled, and his bearing was comparable to that of a male model.
Mrs. Lu waved at him. "Jingming, you came down just in time. Come and try this; today's breakfast is excellent!"
