Before her rebirth, Meng Nianchu's marriage to Mu Junze was basically in name only. At that time, she knew nothing and just regarded it as a transaction. So most of the time, she lived alone. It was also during that period that she developed her cooking skills.
Bailing could cook because of her family background, but only ordinary home - cooked dishes. The taste was not extremely wonderful, but she was quite good at making desserts. As for Ju Zisheng, he was a jack - of - all - trades.
When Ju Zisheng took the fish out of the plastic bag, Meng Nianchu was very surprised. What a big fish these two had bought! It was a real fancy dish!
"This is the fish I bought with the movie star today. We bargained for it, so it was really cheap." Thanks to Ju Zisheng, Bailing was in a great mood. Her speech was much gentler than her cold attitude on the bus at the beginning. Although she was in her mid - twenties, she looked so cute that it was hard to tell her real age.
Meng Nianchu nodded. She always felt that there was something going on between Ju Zisheng and Bailing, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Just then, she needed to go outside to find the seasonings Zhu Zhu had brought back, so she left.
Bailing had just poured the egg liquid into the tart shells and put them in the oven. Seeing that no one had touched the fish on the chopping board, she was eager to have a try. She walked up to it, picked up the kitchen knife steadily, accurately and forcefully, and hit the fish's head with the back of the knife, knocking it out.
She also wanted to show off in front of Ju Zisheng. What if her pursuit of him was successful? She would have to be a virtuous and caring wife in the future. Hee - hee.
But she didn't expect that she had overestimated herself.
In fact, when Bailing just tried to make a slit on the side of the fish's belly, perhaps the blow just now hadn't been strong enough. The big carp suddenly flapped. There was a loud "snap" on the chopping board. Since this was Bailing's first time killing a fish, the slippery scales under her fingertips had already made her timid enough. This sudden movement made her drop the knife.
The noise was quite loud and attracted everyone's attention. Ju Zisheng was the closest to her and reacted the fastest. He stepped over immediately. Seeing Bailing covering her ears in fear and the fish with a slit on the chopping board, he frowned and asked, his tone inevitably a bit urgent, "Are you okay?"
Bailing, who had just recovered, saw Ju Zisheng's face. She shook her head blankly and said, "I'm okay. It's just... it just moved. I'm sure I knocked it out..."
Hearing the woman's tone, as if she was surprised, Ju Zisheng guessed that this was probably her first time killing a fish. So he sighed helplessly, paused for a moment and then ruffled Bailing's hair. He softened his tone and said, "You'd better go check on the desserts. I'll make sweet - and - sour fish cubes."
Sweet - and - sour fish? Bailing's eyes lit up. Whether Ju Zisheng was just showing off his acting skills for the sake of the show or not, at this moment, she believed it was real. It was!
Ju Zisheng was very skilled at killing the fish, cutting the vegetables and cooking. Bailing was so fascinated watching him that the admiration in her eyes couldn't be hidden at all. "You seem to cook for yourself quite often."
Ju Zisheng didn't look up. He lifted the cut fish cubes with the back of the knife and poured them into the pot. There were calluses on his fingers, not too thick or too thin, which didn't usually affect anything. "I used to live alone after work. I didn't want to eat take - out, so I just learned how to cook."
Bailing nodded and then changed the topic.
About an hour later, all the dishes were on the table. When Ju Zisheng and Meng Nianchu brought the sweet - and - sour fish cubes and braised spare ribs to the table, Wang Xiaolei, Bailing and the others' eyes lit up. As a comedian, Wang Xiaolei never hesitated to praise Meng Nianchu, especially after he had tasted the braised spare ribs.
"Wow! This is like divine food! With this food, I could eat ten bowls of rice!"
His bold tone and exaggerated expression made everyone laugh. Seeing this, Meng Rong quickly said, "Yes, my sister is really good at cooking. She often cooked at home before. And I'm also good at making milk tea."
"Really? Then you have to make us a cup of milk tea some time so that we can taste your skills."
Wang Xiaolei was a master at warming up the atmosphere, but what he said was just for the occasion, just to avoid making Meng Rong too embarrassed. Everyone had seen her attitude when she got on the bus in the morning. How could they not know what was going on?
Meng Nianchu just smiled and said nothing. Making milk tea? Meng Rong probably had never even peeled an apple in the Meng family. She wondered if Meng Rong had really lost her mind. Saying such things would only attract negative attention after the show was broadcast.
"Um! This sweet - and - sour fish, braised spare ribs and lettuce are really delicious!" Bailing took another bite of the fish cube and then nodded. She never let good food go to waste, and this meal was really delicious, at least much better than the food she had during other shows.
After half of the meal, the group relaxed as they joked and chatted. The atmosphere gradually became more lively. Zhu Zhu simply raised her glass filled with orange juice.
"Come on, let's toast to celebrate the upcoming opening of our restaurant!"
The sound of the glass cups clinking was very clear. After today, their life as restaurant owners would officially begin, and everything was going smoothly:
Wang Xiaolei was a comedian with lots of tricks up his sleeve. Zhu Zhu was a trainee with no airs. They took the initiative to promote the restaurant on the street. As for Meng Rong, because of her performance, she was positioned as a "refined goddess". She just needed to smile and take orders when customers came.
Thanks to the business and the need for cooperation, they had a lot of communication. Meng Nianchu was getting more and more familiar with the others. She couldn't figure out Ju Zisheng, so she kept a certain distance from him. They were just ordinary friends she had met during the show. Bailing's attitude towards her had changed a bit.
Well, this woman was not just a pretty face.
Except for Meng Rong, who sometimes deliberately stole the spotlight or made a big deal out of small things, everything was harmonious.
At noon on the third day.
After seeing off the last couple of customers, Zhu Zhu finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed on the sofa near the kitchen in the restaurant, spreading her arms wide. "I'm so tired."
"There are so many people today. It's neither Valentine's Day nor Qixi Festival." Even Bailing rarely complained. Ju Zisheng had just washed his hands in the sink. He let out a grunt in agreement and then poured several glasses of water and brought them to the table.
"Thank you." Meng Nianchu moved her wrists and neck, simply thanked him, picked up the glass, took a sip of water and sat for a while before she felt recovered.
The restaurant was spacious enough. Beyond the kitchen was their rest area, which was also open - plan. There was a music corner by the French windows with all kinds of musical instruments, although there were fewer large - sized ones. But there were a guitar and a piano.