Chapter 4 (Part 2): The Culinary Tycoon

Threshing

“Wow, Big brother Yu, you’re amazing! You’ve already threshed so much!” Chang Hao exclaimed with delight as he saw the grains in the thresher.

Grandfather Chang also praised, “Well done, you’re a skilled hand!”

Chang Le brought over a water jug, poured a bowl of water for Grandfather Chang, and then poured another bowl for Yu Qingze. He also gave him a thumbs-up as a sign of praise.

After being showered with compliments from the entire family, Yu Qingze started feeling a bit embarrassed. A rare blush appeared on his handsome face as he waved his hand and said, “If you keep praising me like this, I might just float away. I’ll be able to pluck the clouds from the sky!”

Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became warm and joyful.

After resting for a while, they began threshing the rice.

As it approached noon and the time was about right, with enough rice to fill a bushel, they decided to take a break and go home to rest and have lunch before returning in the afternoon.

The sunlight was scorching, and after a busy morning, the work was still just as strenuous. The clothes of everyone involved were soaked through, and their hair was wet.

At this moment, Chang Hao envied Yu Qingze’s short hair. Not only was it easy to clean, but it also felt super cool!

They had been curious about Yu Qingze’s short hair before and asked him about it. Yu Qingze came up with an excuse, saying that before coming to the south, he followed a horse convoy to the northern region to purchase fur. He got infested with lice and couldn’t clean it properly, so he had to shave it all off.

The explanation seemed logical and reasonable.

So they believed him and comforted him, leaving Yu Qingze both crying and laughing.

Because of the heat, when Chang Le scooped the grains from the threshing bucket using a winnowing basket, Yu Qingze noticed a secret hidden behind Chang Le’s thick, long bangs.

The sweat moistened his forehead and caused Chang Le’s bangs to stick together, revealing a scar about four to five centimeters long. It extended from the middle of his left eyebrow all the way up to his forehead. Upon closer inspection, one could also see that the middle of his left eyebrow was interrupted, but it was partially covered by the longer eyebrow hairs, making it less noticeable.

Yu Qingze was taken aback. Such a long scar, and right below it was his eye. He didn’t know how Chang Le got injured, but he could imagine how dangerous it must have been at the time.

The scar actually looked quite old, with the color having faded. However, it still protruded slightly, making it somewhat sinister when observed. At first glance, such a long scar crawling across his fair skin appeared somewhat ferocious.

No wonder Chang Le wanted to keep his bangs thick and long.

It also explained why his uncle said he had an unfortunate appearance. He had truly suffered a disfigurement; otherwise, Chang Le would indeed be very good-looking.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Yu Qingze couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret for Chang Le. This scar on his face probably scared away many potential suitors.

Even though it had been less than 24 hours since he woke up, Chang Le had already left a good impression on Yu Qingze. Hardworking, gentle, kind, loving towards his family, and even gentle towards a stranger like Yu Qingze.

Such a good young man deserved to find happiness.

Perhaps Yu Qingze’s gaze was too focused because Chang Le noticed it. He turned his head in surprise and looked at Yu Qingze. After seeing the surprise and pity in his eyes, Chang Le paused for a moment, swiftly turned around, and with his back facing Yu Qingze, he reached up to tidy his bangs covering his forehead. Then, carrying the grains, he quickly walked away.

Yu Qingze: …Oops, I unintentionally made it awkward again. Thankfully, Grandpa Chang and Chang Hao didn’t notice.

On the way back, Chang Hao accompanied Yu Qingze as they slowly made their way. Grandpa Chang went ahead to cook, while Chang Le carried the grains home and went to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables. The division of labor was clear.

By the time Yu Qingze and Chang Hao arrived home, Chang Le had already finished picking the long beans and washed the hollow-heart vegetables, ready to start cooking.

Upon seeing this, Yu Qingze quickly said, “Brother Le, take a rest, I’ll cook.”

Chang Le, feeling a bit embarrassed, was afraid that his scar would scare Yu Qingze.

In the past, many people would be frightened when they saw the scar on his forehead. Children of the same age would mock him, calling him an ugly monster. That’s why he kept his bangs long, to cover the scar. It had been more than ten years.

However, seeing that Yu Qingze’s expression seemed unaffected, he felt a slight relief and gratefully glanced at him.

Then, he quickly made gestures in response to Yu Qingze’s words, while Chang Hao translated beside him.

The message was that Yu Qingze was a guest, and breakfast was already prepared by Chang Le, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to let him cook lunch as well. Although Yu Qingze’s cooking was delicious, it didn’t align with their way of treating guests.

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Cooking is my hobby, it’s the only thing I’m good at. I’m just freeloading here, and if you don’t let me do some work, I’d feel too embarrassed to stay.”

Chang Le was initially going to refuse, but Yu Qingze played his trump card. “Look, Grandpa and Xiao Hao both really enjoy eating my food. Let me show off a bit.”

Grandpa and his little brother were Chang Le’s weak spots. Once they were brought up, he had no choice. Who asked him to be bad at cooking? After hesitating for a moment, he nodded and silently went to start the fire.

Chang Hao saw his brother looking a bit dejected and quickly said, “Brother, I really love the food you cook!”

Upon hearing this, Chang Le patted his brother’s shoulder with a deep expression.

If you hadn’t tasted the food Yu Qingze cooked, if you hadn’t been so eager to lick the bowl clean with sweet potato stalks in the morning, then maybe I would believe you.

Yu Qingze quickly washed his face and hands, then began cooking.

Even though it was just ordinary beans and hollowhearted vegetables, lacking other ingredients, the taste of the dishes cooked by the master chef was fundamentally different from what an ordinary person could make.

If it were Chang Le cooking, he would simply boil the beans in water.

But Yu Qingze stir-fried them. Without ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn, or dried chili peppers, and considering the need to save oil, he still managed to stir-fry them. Although it didn’t have the authentic flavor of dry-fried beans, it was far superior to boiled beans. It was like the difference between a toad and a frog prince.

Chang Le followed Yu Qingze’s instructions while tending to the fire, sneakily glancing up at his actions, striving to memorize the cooking process and the desired heat.

Improving his cooking skills, step one: learning from others!

Yu Qingze hadn’t noticed Chang Le secretly observing him. He was solely focused on cooking. It could be said that he was used to being watched while cooking. He had taught a few apprentices before, so being observed while cooking was a common occurrence.

He cooked quickly, and soon the meal was on the table. Chang Le’s family of three graciously praised the food as they finished every dish.

After a tiring morning, they ate and took a short rest, enjoying the coolness. Chang Hao opened the back door of the main hall, dragged out two bamboo mats, spread them on the floor, and invited Yu Qingze to join them for a nap.

The summer sun was scorching, especially at noon, making it unsuitable for outdoor work. Everyone was accustomed to taking a short nap after lunch, resting their bodies before resuming work after noon.

The three men lay on the bamboo mats in the main hall, enjoying the breeze. The floor was pleasantly cool. Yu Qingze, who had a restless night’s sleep and had worked all morning, fell asleep. Chang Le went to the creek to wash clothes and returned to the kitchen, laying a grass mat on the floor near the water tank, enjoying the coolness.

By the time half of the afternoon had passed (around 2-3 PM), Chang Le woke up and went to the fields with a winnowing basket.

Grandpa Chang also woke up and went to the kitchen to chop pig fodder and boil pig feed. Chang Le didn’t want him to go to the fields during the hottest time of the day, fearing he might suffer from heatstroke. So he insisted that his grandfather wait until the afternoon (3 PM) before going out, and each day he would cook the pig feed in advance.

Yu Qingze and Chang Hao overslept a bit. When they arrived at the fields with Grandpa Chang, they found a large crowd gathered around the path leading to their fields, and Chang Le was surrounded in the middle. It seemed like something had happened, with people arguing and making a fuss.

Chang Hao and Grandpa Chang rushed over when they saw the commotion.

Yu Qingze was momentarily stunned, but ignoring his sprained ankle, he hastened his steps, alternating between quick strides and hops, and hurriedly joined them.

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