chsdbacks Chapter 513 He Daqing Wants to Have a Cooking Competition with Qin Jingru
Chapter 513 He Daqing Wants to Have a Cooking Competition with Qin Jingru
Qin Huairu cried for a long time, and no amount of comforting from Wang Mazi could help. It wasn't until it was almost time for her to go to work that Qin Huairu managed to hold back her tears, wiped them away, and went to the fitter's workshop with Wang Mazi.
However, Wang Mazi still gave Qin Huairu the last three yuan he had, which made Qin Huairu feel the warmth that Sha Zhu had for her.
With so many things happening in her family, she is increasingly appreciating how good Sha Zhu has been to her.
Unfortunately, Sha Zhu has completely given up on her and now treats her like a stranger. There will never be another Sha Zhu in this world.
Bang Geng had been missing for so long, and she had almost cried all her tears, but life had to go on.
She still has Xiaodang, and with the black market grain prices so high, if she doesn't pull herself together, how will she support Xiaodang?
She now only hopes that the kidnappers will keep their word and not harm Bang Geng, and that Bang Geng has only been sold to a remote mountain village. If that's the case, Bang Geng might have a chance to come back one day.
......
It was five o'clock in the afternoon.
Wang Feng returned from Ninth Master's place. He had just arrived back at No. 95 courtyard when he saw He Daqing riding his bicycle back as well.
"Uncle He, you bought a bicycle?" Wang Feng asked in surprise.
He Daqing waved his hand and laughed, "I didn't have a bicycle ticket, so I bought a second-hand one. It's more convenient to have a bicycle, isn't it?"
Wang Feng saw that He Daqing's bicycle was at least 80% new, much newer than the one he was currently riding, but he didn't feel like comparing them.
The bicycle he's riding now belongs to the factory's purchasing department and is considered public property. He still has a bicycle voucher, which Li Huaide awarded him before, but he hasn't bought a new one yet.
Anyway, as long as I have a bike to ride, there's no need to change it. It's always better to keep a low profile.
"Uncle He, how much did you pay for this bicycle?" Wang Feng asked with a smile.
He Daqing laughed heartily, looking smug: "160 yuan, how about that, pretty good deal, right?"
Wang Feng nodded: "A brand new Flying Pigeon bicycle costs 180 yuan, and you also need a bicycle voucher. Your bicycle is about 80 or 90% new, and it's only 160 yuan, which is quite a bargain."
The two pushed their bicycles into courtyard number 95, chatting as they walked, looking like coworkers leaving get off work together in a peaceful manner.
He Daqing suddenly turned his head and looked at Wang Feng, saying, "Wang Feng, could you do Uncle He a small favor?"
Wang Feng was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Uncle He, just tell me, I'll help if I can."
He Daqing grinned and said, "It's nothing much. I just heard from my husband Yushui that your wife, Qin Jingru, is an excellent cook, even better than Shazhu. I'm quite curious, so in a few days I'll buy a chicken and try your wife's cooking. Can you satisfy Uncle He's curiosity?"
Wang Feng looked at He Daqing and was speechless. Jingru had squeezed Shazhu out of the job of preparing the banquet. He was obviously dissatisfied and wanted to confirm whether Jingru's cooking skills were really that good.
However, Wang Feng didn't care. He might as well give it a try. Even if He Daqing himself stepped up, it would be useless, let alone Sha Zhu.
It's no exaggeration to say that with Qin Jingru's current culinary skills, even if her master, Wu Jing, a national banquet chef, came, he would at most be on par with Qin Jingru, or even slightly inferior. As for chefs like He Daqing, who don't even reach the level of a national banquet chef, no matter how many came, they wouldn't be enough for Qin Jingru to beat.
Since He Daqing wanted to humiliate himself, why wouldn't he grant his wish? However, he came up with an even more amusing idea.
Thinking of this, Wang Feng smiled and said, "Uncle He, Jingru's cooking skills are just so-so. I heard that Uncle He started learning cooking from a young age and is one of the few top chefs in Beijing. His signature dish, 'Zao Liu San Bai,' is famous throughout Beijing. To be honest, I would also like to try Uncle He's specialty dishes."
After a pause, Wang Feng continued, "Uncle He, how about this? My wife has recently learned how to make this dish, 'Stewed Three Whites.' This Sunday, I'll prepare the ingredients, and we'll each pay half the cost. You can consider it as giving Jingru, this junior, some pointers. What do you think?"
Wang Feng either won't compete at all, or he'll compete with He Daqing's best dish, letting Jingru use He Daqing's best dish to completely defeat him and make him question his existence.
When He Daqing heard that Wang Feng wanted to compete with him in his signature dish, "Zao Liu San Bai," he was both annoyed and amused.
However, remembering what Minister Ma had said before, that Qin Jingru's cooking skills were no worse than his senior brother Wu Jing's, he began to take it seriously, after all, Minister Ma would never lie to him.
He was simply unwilling to accept it; he would never feel at ease until he witnessed it with his own eyes.
"Okay, Wang Feng, it's settled then. You prepare the ingredients on Sunday, and your wife and I will each make a dish of 'Stewed Three Whites'. It's hard to say who will give instructions to whom; your wife might even give me some pointers."
He Daqing wasn't presumptuous and didn't ask for other dishes, but he was confident that he could make braised three whites.
Wang Feng nodded and smiled, "Alright, Uncle He, then I'll be looking forward to eating your signature dishes."
The two walked and laughed, but each had their own agenda.
As they entered the front yard, Yan Fugui, who was watering the flowers, hurried over and said to He Daqing with an envious look:
"Old He, you really bought a bicycle? Ruihua told me you bought a bicycle before, and I didn't quite believe it at first."
Yan Fugui stroked the handlebars of the bicycle as if it were a beloved toy. He had originally planned to buy a second-hand bicycle this year, but who knew that some despicable thief would rob his house of everything? Now he could only look on with envy.
"Old He, how much is this bicycle of yours?" Yan Fugui asked curiously.
He Daqing smiled indifferently: "Old Yan, it's just a second-hand bicycle, only 160 yuan."
Upon hearing this, Yan Fugui was very envious, and then grinned.
"Old He, we just got a big new purchase at home, how about we have a couple of tables set up to celebrate?"
He Daqing said speechlessly, "Old Yan, what are you talking about? I'll prepare two tables of food, you do the math. Let's not even talk about how much meat costs ten yuan a pound on the black market right now. Even if we prepare two tables of food without any other dishes, just cornbread, you do the math. Do you know how much cornmeal I bought today costs per pound?"
He Daqing made a five gesture with his left hand and a one gesture with his right hand.
"A full 1.5 yuan per jin (500g). In this kind of year, who can easily afford to set up two tables? Setting up two tables would probably cost more than I bought a bicycle, right?"
After saying that, He Daqing didn't bother to say anything more to Yan Fugui and pushed his bicycle away.
"Hey, Lao He, let's not set it up now. Just remember it and set it up when there's a chance later!"