"Would you like some freshly simmered fish congee as well?"
-- This congee was actually made earlier for Lu Jingyao and his friends. There were two bowls left, and if he had come any later, she would have thrown it out.
After all, it was already past ten at night, and wealthy families don't eat overnight food.
Lu Jingming nodded, "Yes, please."
As he spoke, he glanced around the kitchen as if looking for something.
Xu Yanxia wondered, was he looking for the teppanyaki from earlier?
It had already been completely devoured by those young men...
"Shall I make you a few more dishes?" she offered.
He gave an affirmative hum, "Nothing too troublesome."
Xu Yanxia smiled, "It won't be. They'll be ready quickly."
With that, she first served the fish congee and brought it to the table in the dining room.
Lu Jingming followed and sat down, immediately catching a whiff of fragrance that made his hunger even more pronounced.
Ahem. He didn't usually have the habit of eating late-night snacks, and he had eaten on the plane tonight. After coming upstairs and taking a shower, he had planned to continue reading some documents. Who knew the aroma of the teppanyaki would drift up the stairs to the second floor, making him feel a bit hungry.
Unable to focus on the documents, he simply came down for a bite.
The congee was no longer scalding hot, just right for eating. He took a taste, and his tongue was instantly enveloped by the fragrance.
It was the aroma of rice porridge, enhanced by the freshness of fish. The rice grains were soft and glutinous with a slight chewiness, while the fish was sliced very thin and had absolutely no bones, giving it a pleasant texture.
The flavor was savory and fresh, with an added hint of richness, different from any congee he had tasted before.
Just as he was savoring it, another "sizzle" sounded from the kitchen not far away, like hot oil being poured over something. Immediately after, another wave of fragrance wafted over.
As the aroma drew nearer, Xu Yanxia placed three plates in front of him.
"Shredded cabbage heart salad, marinated crab with roe, drunken chicken. Are these alright?"
Lu Jingming was somewhat surprised, "These were made just now?"
He had been sitting for less than ten minutes, and she had managed to prepare three dishes so quickly?
Xu Yanxia said, "The drunken chicken and marinated crab were prepared by me during the day. The cabbage heart was just tossed together. I hope they suit your taste?"
-- Actually, the chicken and crab were leftover ingredients from yesterday. Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, she had processed them today.
So that was it.
Lu Jingming began to taste.
The drunken chicken had springy skin and tender meat. It was savory and fresh with a subtle sweetness from the wine aroma, very palatable.
The marinated crab was even better. The crab meat was firm, the roe rich and plump. Not only was there no fishy smell at all, but the umami flavor was also more pronounced than in other preparations.
As for that cold shredded cabbage heart salad, its flavor was complex. Lu Jingming couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's in this?"
"A little sesame paste and Sichuan pepper oil. It's a northern Chinese style,"
Xu Yanxia observed his expression, "How do you find it?"
As a chef, feedback from diners was extremely important.
Although Housekeeper Zhang said during her onboarding yesterday that this Mr. Lu had no particular preferences regarding taste, she still needed to pay attention.
Lu Jingming gave an approving hum, "Good. I've had this dish in Beijing before, but the flavor was too heavy. Your version tastes better."
That was good.
Xu Yanxia's judgment was correct.
In the Lu family, only the Chairman, Lu Zhenbang, was a native of northern China. Mrs. Lu and the children all grew up in the south, so their tastes were bound to be lighter.
But as a side note, this Mr. Lu was truly good-looking. Now changed from his suit into loungewear, his aura had shifted from the aloof, domineering CEO of the daytime to another style altogether.
His freshly washed hair was fluffy and soft, making him look like a top-tier idol from the entertainment industry.
Mrs. Lu's genes were indeed excellent.
With all three dishes passing muster, Xu Yanxia prepared to return to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.
But then the other party asked her, "Are you the new chef?"
She nodded, "Yes, my name is Xu Yanxia. You can call me Xiao Xu."
Lu Jingming asked again, "Where are you from?"
Although he didn't pay much attention to food, he knew drunken chicken was a Jiangnan dish, yet this marinated crab was a style from the northern coast. Surprisingly, she made both very authentically, which piqued his curiosity.
Xu Yanxia replied, "I'm from Qingcheng. I went to university in Rongshi."
Lu Jingming nodded, then suddenly remembered something, "By the way, where was the sandwich from this morning bought?"
Sandwich?
Xu Yanxia was momentarily taken aback, "The one brought to you this morning? I made it."
"You made it?"
A look of surprise appeared on Lu Jingming's face as he raised his beautiful eyes to look at her.
Xu Yanxia didn't quite understand his expression and tentatively asked, "Was it not good?"
"Not at all,"
Lu Jingming wanted to say that although he hadn't tasted it, based on the reaction of his foodie assistant Wen Jiajun, that sandwich must have been exceptionally delicious.
He even complained about the airplane food on the way back and kept talking about the morning sandwich.
But before he could say more, his mother, Mrs. Shen Zhiping, suddenly made a glittering entrance into the living room. Spotting him from afar, she exclaimed with astonishment.
"What wind is blowing today? The busy man is actually sitting at home having a meal?"
"Mrs. Lu, you're back."
Xu Yanxia nearby hurriedly greeted Mrs. Lu.
Lu Jingming cleared his throat, "Got back from the flight hungry, just having a quick bite. Where did you go today?"
"Your Uncle Zhou and Aunt Meihui held a charity auction. I went to lend some support,"
Mrs. Lu said, then turned to bid farewell to the assistant who drove her back, Wu Huina, "Xiao Wu, you've worked hard today. Take a good rest tomorrow and the day after."
This assistant looked about the same age as Xu Yanxia, dressed and made up very exquisitely.
She nodded, also greeted Lu Jingming, and then left.
Mrs. Lu walked over to the dining table and asked Lu Jingming, "So, is home-cooked food still better?"
Lu Jingming gave an affirmative hum.
Xu Yanxia quickly asked, "Would Mrs. Lu like to have some as well?"
"No need, I'm very full from dinner tonight."
Mrs. Lu smiled, "Old Lu will be back tomorrow evening. Make a few more dishes then."
"Alright."
Xu Yanxia nodded, then heard Mrs. Lu ask her, "Is Jingyao back?"
"He's back."
As soon as Xu Yanxia finished speaking, a head popped out from the second-floor staircase. Lu Jingyao, holding his phone while playing a game, called out, "Mommy, I'm home! Ate dinner, took a shower."
Mrs. Lu said, "Good that you're home. Your father is coming back tomorrow. We'll have dinner together in the evening. No one is allowed to run off."
The two brothers, upstairs and downstairs, agreed in unison.
Lu Jingyao added, "Oh, right, Mommy, I want to host a party at home next weekend. Chu Hao, Lu Tong, and the others are coming for a barbecue."
"That's fine,"
Mrs. Lu continued, "Just don't make too much of a mess. Next week, your father and I are going to Europe. Jingming, you can host the young ones for us then."
In Mrs. Lu's eyes, the twenty-year-old third son was still a child, and his friends were all "young ones" too.
But the twenty-seven-year-old eldest son was an adult, capable of acting as the head of the household in her absence.
The eldest son, Lu Jingming, accepted this responsibility without hesitation with an acknowledging hum.
Mother, Mrs. Shen, then asked the third son, "By the way, are they all boys coming? Any girls? You should take this chance to learn how to interact more with girls. Don't end up like your brother, still single at his advanced age."
Lu Jingming, "???"
Where did this 'advanced age' come from? He was only twenty-seven!
But before he could defend himself, Mrs. Shen had already gracefully gone upstairs.
