After familiarizing herself with the basic layout of the kitchen, Lin Xiangxiu began planning what to cook while checking what ingredients were available in the house.
First, she noted that scallions, ginger, and garlic were all available, and various seasonings were prepared and brand new, though covered in grease stains. It seemed the previous housekeeper hadn’t cleaned thoroughly.
Lin Xiangxiu searched the kitchen for a long time but couldn’t find any ingredients. She wondered, “If this household intends to cook, they must have bought groceries. Where are they?”
It wasn’t until Lin Xiangxiu lifted the lid of the pot that she understood—the ingredients were in the pot, still raw. A plucked chicken lay peacefully in the soup pot, submerged in water. When she stirred it slightly, two slices of ginger floated up.
Lin Xiangxiu fell silent.
“Hey, is this chicken not prepared yet? Why was it put in the pot without being chopped? Was it meant for White Cut Chicken?” Lu Xiaoxia peeked from behind, her face full of confusion.
But when Lin Xiangxiu took the chicken out of the pot, Lu Xiaoxia also fell silent.
The chicken had only been plucked and bled—its innards were still intact, and the claws hadn’t been trimmed. Did the housekeeper who was just fired intend to serve this to Lu Xingzhi?
Did she think people returning from abroad were like savages who enjoyed eating raw meat and drinking blood?
Lin Xiangxiu swiftly picked up a kitchen knife and sharpened it against the edge of a bowl. Once the blade was sharp, she deftly gutted the chicken, removing the innards in one smooth, uninterrupted motion.
She chuckled and said to Lu Xiaoxia beside her, “Now I understand why Mr. Lu found the food unpalatable. The chicken wasn’t even gutted, and the tail wasn’t removed—how could anyone eat it? If I’m not mistaken, that housekeeper planned to boil it all in one pot and serve it directly.”
“How could anyone eat that? It would stink! Was she insane?” Lu Xiaoxia didn’t know how to cook, but the mere thought of that pot of chicken made her nauseous.
“Was this housekeeper recommended by you?” Lin Xiangxiu asked calmly while handling the chicken innards. “Why didn’t you check her background before hiring? This kind of careless cooking and sloppy cleaning couldn’t have started just recently.”
Lu Xiaoxia gritted her teeth in anger. “I did check. When I was looking for a housekeeper for my brother, the whole family knew about it. Her daughter-in-law approached me herself, praising her like she was a flower, saying she was skilled at everything and cooked exceptionally well. That’s why I recommended her.”
Lin Xiangxiu burst out laughing. “Sis, you were definitely scammed.”
“If she were really that good, her family would cherish her and never let her work as a housekeeper. Her daughter-in-law probably wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible and praised her blindly.”
“Thinking about it now, that makes sense. How unethical!” Lu Xiaoxia angrily tossed the rag in her hand and sighed helplessly. “I guess it’s my fault for not vetting her properly. I introduced such a character to Xingzhi and made him suffer.”
As she spoke, her attention was drawn to Lin Xiangxiu’s movements, and she couldn’t help but praise, “You work so quickly! You’ve already prepared the chicken in such a short time. Your skills must be excellent.”
“I’m straightforward and don’t like lying. If I say my cooking is good, it really is good.” When it came to culinary skills and cooking, Lin Xiangxiu accepted the praise without a hint of embarrassment, carrying herself with ease.
She had a natural talent for cooking since childhood. Country children mature early, and it wasn’t unheard of for six- or seven-year-olds to stand on stools cooking for the whole family, but none could match her culinary skills.
Initially, her adoptive mother only had her cook during busy farming seasons, but after discovering her unique flair for flavors, she eventually put her in charge of the kitchen entirely.
Even someone as picky as Lin Shuping would bring a jar of her homemade meat sauce back to school every time he returned home during high school.
Pah! That scoundrel Lin Shuping didn’t deserve to eat her cooking at all.
When it came to culinary arts, Lin Xiangxiu possessed innate confidence—not only because her dishes were delicious, but because she had an instinct for serving exactly what her diners craved at the right moment.
Seeing Lin Xiangxiu return the processed chicken directly to the pot, Lu Xiaoxia looked puzzled and cautiously asked, “Xiao Lin, though I don’t know how to cook, whenever I’ve eaten out, chicken is always served chopped. Are you making White Cut Chicken?”
Lin Xiangxiu had planned this carefully. Smiling, she explained to Lu Xiaoxia, “I originally intended to make Braised Chicken Pieces, but it’s only a little past eight in the morning—not even nine yet. Eating something so heavy this early would be hard on Mr. Lu’s stomach. So I’ve decided to simmer chicken broth instead and prepare a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup. Wouldn’t it be comforting to enjoy warm noodles with some broth?”
“Earlier I noticed flour in the cabinet and a piece of pork in the refrigerator. I thought I’d make some Meat Pie to go with it, so it won’t be too bland.”
“Xiaoxia-jie, what do you think of this plan? Does Mr. Lu have any dietary restrictions or particular preferences?”
Just hearing the description made Lu Xiaoxia’s mouth water. She swallowed and collected herself before replying, “I haven’t heard of any restrictions, but his tastes seem quite Western—he prefers raw and cold foods with very light seasoning.”
“In the over a year since he returned, I’ve mostly seen him eat eggs and bread. Other than those, it’s just coffee.”
Though uncertain herself, Lu Xiaoxia shared her observations with Lin Xiangxiu.
While unfamiliar with coffee, Lin Xiangxiu now had a clear plan in mind.
She placed the whole chicken in a soup pot, gave it an initial blanching, then added seasonings and let it simmer over low heat.
The chicken wasn’t large—it would be thoroughly cooked in about twenty minutes. While it simmered, Lin Xiangxiu swiftly kneaded dough. By the time the dough had rested, the chicken was done. She reserved the broth, seasoning it with salt, and removed the chicken to cool.
In this compact kitchen of just a few square meters, Lin Xiangxiu worked with impeccable organization. Lu Xiaoxia had initially intended to help but soon found she couldn’t intervene—every step was perfectly orchestrated.
For instance, while the chicken cooled, Lin Xiangxiu had already prepared the Meat Pies. She wrapped generous meat fillings in dough of ideal thickness, slapping them into the pan. Soon, the aroma of wheat and pork filled the air. She fried them one after another—two per batch—and as each hot, fragrant pie came out of the pan, the irresistible scent permeated the entire house.
The aroma of the Meat Pies was already overwhelming, but Lin Xiangxiu wasn’t finished yet.
She figured since this was a job application—and for such a high salary—she ought to showcase her signature skills.
She took out a piece of kneaded dough, pressed a rolling pin onto it, and with a few swift strokes and a final cut, the dough had transformed into evenly thin hand-pulled noodles.
Lu Xiaoxia and Lu Xingzhi, standing outside, watched in mesmerized fascination.