The assistant chef grew uneasy. “This cactus and those sweet potato leaves… do you think the soldiers will actually like them?”
“This…” The head chef paused, pen in hand, looking at her with some doubt.
Su Jinhui wasn’t worried at all. “You just make sure you remember how to prepare them. Making the dishes delicious is my job.”
“Alright!” The head chef agreed enthusiastically.
The blood-boosting soup was easy enough to make, but the other dish was more complicated.
The cactus required tender stems, which needed to be peeled and sliced. The jellyfish heads had to be marinated in vinegar to prevent spoilage. Only when the two were combined and drizzled with the secret garlic sauce was the dish complete.
By the end of the morning, she had only taught the head chef two of the dishes: the seaweed and oyster blood-boosting soup and the cactus jellyfish salad.
Fearing that the patients might not like the dishes, they decided to give the soup and salad to people coming to get their meals for free, so they could taste them and provide feedback.
After all, the dishes were adapted by Su Jinhui to local tastes, and whether the locals would accept them needed to be tested.
Lunch was still specially delivered to Yan Li’an, while she stayed behind in the kitchen.
Although it was nominally a military hospital, anyone with proper documents, including a referral letter proving identity, could be treated there. Even fishermen could receive care.
For urgent cases, there was a green channel: treatment first, paperwork later. The system was very humane, truly embodying the idea of military and civilians being one family.
So the cafeteria was filled with men, women, and children, both military and civilian. Su Jinhui selected people of different backgrounds and ages to interview, asking their opinions on the free dishes.
Without exception, all the feedback was positive!
Su Jinhui finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the remaining two dishes could also be taught to the head chef through the normal process.
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. “You all look down on me! Why do they get soup and dishes, and I get nothing? I don’t care! If I don’t get the same as them today, I’m not leaving!”
Following the voice, she saw a middle-aged woman in ragged clothes leaning over the meal counter, pointing her finger at the server and shouting.
The server couldn’t take such insults lightly and fired back, “You came late, who’s to blame? This is free food, first come first served. Why make a scene here on public property, old shrew?”
“Who are you calling an old shrew! Huh? Just some lousy food server, thinking you’re someone important? Come out here if you dare!”
As the conflict escalated, Su Jinhui quickly strode over. “Alright, stop! Don’t make a fool of yourselves.”
“Who dares make a fool of me? I’m not afraid! But you, who are you? Are you in cahoots with this lousy server?” The woman glared at her suspiciously.
No one recognized Su Jinhui, but she had been in the kitchen most of the time lately, and the server naturally knew her.
She immediately spoke up, “Don’t talk nonsense! He’s military family, not someone you can slander.”
“I knew it! You’re all in cahoots. I bet you’re just pretending to be friendly, but you treat ordinary people like criminals, all talk, no action, so hypocritical!” The woman continued ranting, getting increasingly rude.
Su Jinhui understood immediately. The woman was just upset at not getting a free dish and was staging a scene. But escalating it to a military-versus-civilian conflict would be ugly.
“Sister, the referral letter isn’t to keep you out—it’s to prevent troublemakers! Besides, ordinary civilians pay twenty percent less than military families for treatment and medication. That’s a government subsidy. What’s there to complain about?” Su Jinhui raised her voice, not just to address the woman, but so everyone around could hear.
The woman snorted. “Your words sound nice, but I can’t even get a bite of food. What’s the point?”
“See, it’s just about a dish and a bowl of soup. Let’s deal with the matter at hand, no need to escalate it to military-versus-civilian issues. Here, take my portion—does that settle it?” Su Jinhui didn’t want to make things difficult; as long as the woman took the food and left, all would be well.
Realizing Su Jinhui was reasonable, the woman grudgingly took the food, shot the server a glare, and stomped off arrogantly.
Sticking to her principle of being thoroughly kind, Su Jinhui even spent her own money to buy ingredients to make steamed eggs for the cafeteria staff. They were all extremely grateful.
By evening, Su Jinhui brought the grouper glutinous rice porridge and steamed egg with sweet potato leaves and seahorse back to the ward.
As soon as she entered, Yan Li’an noticed the exhaustion on her face.
Before he could ask, she said, “The head chef said I can use the kitchen anytime from now on, and I don’t have to pay!”
“Huh?” Yan Li’an raised an eyebrow and took her hand, as if checking something. “Did you help them with work?”
“Yes and no. They recognized my cooking skills, so I taught them a few medicinal dishes. The response was good.” Su Jinhui raised her face proudly, though her hands continued arranging his meal.
Medicinal dishes?
Yan Li’an realized that her recent meals were not only personally prepared by her, but each dish was medicinal—no wonder he had been recovering so quickly.
“Jinhui, thank you,” he said sincerely.
She had not only saved his life but also cared for him wholeheartedly. How could he not feel touched?
For the next few days, Su Jinhui stayed in the kitchen helping, leaving Yan Li’an alone in the empty ward.
The medicinal dishes officially went on sale, and everyone would come to get them, often selling out as soon as they were served.
The cafeteria opened at 11 a.m., but many people lined up outside as early as 9, hoping to get the dishes. Not only were they delicious, but they also aided in recovery, making them highly sought after.
The queue outside became a striking scene.
Under Su Jinhui’s management, the kitchen staff worked efficiently, and their cooking skills had largely improved.
Meanwhile, Yan Li’an was arranging his discharge, and Su Jinhui chose this moment to step back.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, she specifically instructed the head chef not to tell anyone the dishes were made by her, and he happily agreed.
When they were discharged, the two tacitly agreed to return quietly.
“Are you sure you can walk on your own? Do you want me to support you?” Su Jinhui held a bag in one hand and his arm in the other.
The next second, Yan Li’an staggered two steps and nearly fell.