Zhou Yan couldn’t help but marvel at Master Zheng’s bizarre predicament. It was one thing to get roped into being a rural chef while attending a banquet, but for his rival to be his own master’s martial uncle?

What’s more, this martial uncle was a bit of a character, too. He’d clearly recognized his junior but didn’t say a word, letting him get away with calling him "Master Zheng" and treating him like a prep cook.

He’d finally found his chance to bring out his signature dish, determined to show this rural chef a thing or two.

Little did he know, the other guy had already perfected that same signature dish twenty years ago.

’What kind of mess was this?’

Zhou Yan, for one, thought it was all rather tragic.

Master Zheng was busy with the braised fish, and Zhou Yan had to start slicing the pig ears and head meat. The most idle person there was Master Xiao, who was just waiting for eleven o’clock to fire up the stoves, re-steam the steamed dishes for an hour, and then serve them to start the banquet.

Zhou Yan looked at Xiao Lei with a grin. "Master, this pig head meat needs to be sliced with uniform thickness to have the right bite. The village aunties’ Knife Skills are a bit lacking, but you were once the number one blade in the factory canteen. A task this important..."

"Trying to sweet-talk your master now, are you?" Xiao Lei stared at him, a smile on his face.

"I mean it," Zhou Yan said with an innocent look. He picked up a cleaver, grabbed a pig ear, and sighed. "Fine, fine, I’ll cut it myself. It’s only a few dozen plates, after all."

Zhou Yan’s cleaver fell with a SWISH-SWISH, and thin slices of pig ear immediately piled up on the cutting board—the kind so thin you could see light through them if you held one up.

The slices were soaked in braising liquid, giving them a glossy red color, with the white cartilage embedded within looking like a beautiful pattern.

Slicing pig ears this thinly required a high level of Knife Skills.

This was especially true for cold-dressed pig ears; the thinner the slice, the better it absorbed the flavor and the more exquisite the texture.

Pig head meat was a different story. It needed a bit of thickness so you could chew and release the rich, meaty aroma from the braising liquid. The key was uniform thickness.

’There really are good masters in this world.’

Xiao Lei watched Zhou Yan slice the pig ears for a moment, nodded, then went back to grab his own cleaver and started helping with the pig head meat.

"It’s so good to have a master," Zhou Yan said, turning to look at him, deeply moved.

"Just focus on your own cutting, and watch your fingers." Xiao Lei shot him a look and started slicing the pig head meat with a rapid SWISH-SWISH. Perfectly uniform slices fell onto the board—just the right thickness for pairing with drinks—at a speed much faster than Zhou Yan’s.

Mrs. Zhao, who had just picked up a cleaver to help, silently put it back down.

The old lady stood by with her hands behind her back, watching. She couldn’t help but nod in approval upon seeing Xiao Lei’s Knife Skills.

’No wonder Zhou Yan’s Knife Skills are so solid,’ she thought. ’This master of his is truly skilled. He’s a worthy apprentice of Master Kong.’

While the master and apprentice did the cutting, the aunties were in charge of arranging the meat on plates.

There wasn’t enough pig snout for its own dish, so it was plated with the head meat. With only a dozen or so slices per plate, they quickly filled an entire table.

A spoonful of seasoned chili powder was placed in a corner of each plate, so those who liked it spicy could dip the meat themselves.

After finishing the pig head meat, Xiao Lei took his cleaver and went back to direct the helpers in firing up the stoves and getting ready for service. Zhou Yan took the opportunity to slice the beef shank.

Meanwhile, Zheng Qiang had just finished frying all thirty fish and was now chopping the other ingredients. The golden-brown fried carp were laid out in a wooden bucket, their skins perfectly intact, without a single tear.

’His fundamentals really are solid,’ Zhou Yan thought. ’No wonder Master is teasing him.’

Zhou Yan craned his neck to get a good look, memorizing all the side ingredients.

Pickled greens, long beans, pickled chilis, processed ginger, bean paste... ’It looks a bit like the Huo Xiang Carp I make,’ he mused. ’It must be a sour and spicy flavor profile.’

Before, he had been too embarrassed to watch, because stealing another chef’s techniques was shameful.

But now it was different. This was a senior from his own lineage; it was only right that he should watch and learn.

Suddenly, the faint sound of gongs, drums, and suonas drifted in from outside, followed by someone shouting in pleasant surprise, "They’re here! They’ve brought the bride back!"

A long procession appeared on the village road. Zhou Hao, dressed in his army uniform, walked at the very front, pushing a bicycle. The bride, wearing a red top and red pants with a matching red hair ornament, sat on the bike, her smile as radiant as a blooming flower. The whole scene was incredibly festive.

Behind them was the groom’s party, carrying a dressing table, shouldering wooden chests, and holding wedding quilts. They were followed by the bride’s family and friends who had come for the banquet, forming a long, magnificent procession that snaked its way forward.

People chatting in the courtyard, helpers at the outdoor kitchen, and villagers from other houses all rushed out to the road in a flurry to watch the spectacle.

Welcoming the bride was the best kind of spectacle in this era.

The village children ran towards the procession, each one trying to outrun the others in their excitement.

A happy day when you could get candy just for saying a few auspicious words didn’t come around often.

CRACKLE-POP!

An 800-shot string of firecrackers at the entrance was lit. Everyone covered their ears, but they all had smiles on their faces.

As soon as the firecrackers finished, a group of little boys rushed forward to rummage through the debris, hoping to find a few duds.

"The Chen Family really does things right! Look at all that dowry."

"The Chen Family is wealthy. Their son works at the supply and marketing co-op, and the bride is a teacher at the town’s elementary school. Zhou Hao is a lucky man to marry such a good wife."

"Zhou Hao is no slouch either. I heard he’s a platoon leader now—an officer!"

The villagers chattered among themselves, some with envy, others with a hint of jealousy.

Zhou Yan watched with great interest. It was his first time seeing a wedding from this era. The bride wasn’t tall and was slightly plump, with a round face and an approachable smile. The red clothes made her look energetic and full of life.

You could tell the Chen Family was well-off; it wasn’t easy to raise someone to be chubby in this day and age. They were a good match for the Zhou Family.

The suona player was performing "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." The old master really had some skill; he played beautifully.

"Stop gawking. Hurry up with the cold-dressed chicken. The cold dishes have to go out first," the old lady said with a cough, pulling Zhou Yan back from his thoughts.

"You got it!"

Hearing this, Zhou Yan didn’t dare delay. He pulled a chicken from a basket and asked the old lady, "How should I chop it?"

"Watch." The old lady took the cleaver from him. First, she chopped off the neck with one blow. Then, with a slice and a tap, she split the chicken head in two. A few more CHOP-CHOPS, and the neck was cut into pieces along with the head.

With a flick of the cleaver, the legs and wings were off. She cut them into strips, then chopped them into coin-sized chunks, making sure nearly every piece had skin attached.

In no time at all, the plump rooster had been transformed into a basin full of chicken chunks in an enamel bowl.

"At an outdoor banquet, you have a lot of people. If you chop the chicken into smaller pieces, everyone can take a few, get a taste, and it helps them wash down a couple more glasses of liquor." The old lady took out a seasoning packet she had prepared at the restaurant earlier and began to mix the sauce.

She dissolved salt, MSG, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and white sugar in some ginger-garlic water, then added a spoonful of vinegar. She poured a quarter of this mixture over the chicken chunks and tossed them evenly with a spoon.

"For cold-dressed chicken to be flavorful, you season it first. The Sichuan peppercorn oil and red chili oil go in last. Otherwise, the oil seals the meat, and the flavor can’t penetrate. It just sits on the surface, like a dipping sauce, and it won’t be fragrant when you chew it." As she spoke, the old lady opened a jar of red chili oil. It had been resting for an hour, and the oil had become clear. She scooped out a ladleful and poured it over the chicken. The brilliant red color looked incredibly appetizing.

Four scoops for one basin of chicken.

The old lady held the enamel basin with one hand and a spoon in the other. She tossed the basin while stirring along the edge, making sure every piece of chicken was coated in glistening red oil and sesame seeds. It looked absolutely mouth-watering!

Once it was thoroughly mixed, she began plating immediately. One basin of chicken made eight plates. On the white plates, the chicken chunks were drenched in red oil and dotted with sesame seeds, looking vibrant and smelling fragrant.

She poured out all the remaining red oil and sauce from the basin, spooning it over the plated chicken. A small handful of chopped scallions was scattered on top, and the cold-dressed chicken was complete.

The whole sequence of actions was as smooth as flowing water, leaving Zhou Yan completely dumbstruck.

[An exceptionally good cold-dressed chicken]

A line of text flashed in Zhou Yan’s vision.

’Grandma’s still got it!’

’Seventy-five years old, the perfect age to take on the world!’

"Alright, your turn. Just follow my example," the old lady said, taking a step back to watch Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan didn’t hesitate. He pulled another chicken from the basket and began chopping it up, following the old lady’s method.

A whole chicken was quickly chopped into a basin of chunks. The old lady had already prepared the sauce. Zhou Yan poured a third of it into the basin and, mimicking her technique, began tossing and stirring.

He wasn’t used to it at first, but once he got the rhythm and technique down, he discovered that this method kept the chicken from falling apart and mixed the sauce more thoroughly.

He added the red chili oil, and the color instantly became vibrant.

A light went on in Zhou Yan’s eyes. ’So that’s how it works!’

The old lady was truly a great teacher. Her lessons were always simple and direct, free from rigid rules, and full of practical, street-smart wisdom.

[A good cold-dressed chicken]

As Zhou Yan plated the dish, the panel gave its sharp critique.

Zhou Yan: ?

’Where’s the "exceptionally"?’

’The chicken was boiled in the same pot, with the same red oil and seasoning, and I even used the same mixing technique! How can there be two different ratings?’

Zhou Yan was indignant, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Good, that’s how you mix it." The old lady nodded with a smile, quite satisfied with Zhou Yan’s technique.

"Grandma! Grandma! The newlyweds are serving tea, they’re asking you to take the seat of honor!" Zhou Jie ran out, frantic. His eyes landed on the cold-dressed chicken, braised pig ears, and braised pig head meat on the table, and he couldn’t help but gulp. "Zhou Yan, did you make this?" he asked, amazed.

"That’s right, I did," Zhou Yan nodded.

"Amazing!" Zhou Jie exclaimed.

"Let’s go." The old lady straightened her clothes and walked toward the courtyard gate with her hands behind her back.

Zhou Jie quickly hurried after her.

Zhou Yan followed the same procedure, chopping up the remaining two chickens, mixing them, and plating them.

The cold-dressed chicken had to marinate to be delicious. Having been mixed now, its flavor would be at its peak when the banquet began.

With that, the four cold dishes Zhou Yan was responsible for were all finished. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Mrs. Zhao, standing nearby, looked at the more than one hundred servings of cold dishes piled on the table and also let out a sigh of relief.

She had been more nervous than Zhou Yan himself while he was cooking. If he messed up on an occasion like this, it would be hard to explain. Thankfully, Zhou Yan was reliable. The cold-dressed chicken and the braised dishes looked incredibly presentable; anyone who passed by couldn’t help but take a second look.

At eleven-thirty, guests began to arrive. After registering their red envelopes at the entrance, the host family showed them to their seats.

A plate of melon seeds was placed on each table. The guests started cracking seeds and setting up their Dragon Gate Formation, and the open ground immediately grew lively.

Xiao Lei stood guard over stacks of steaming baskets, from which hot steam rose and the aroma of meat wafted.

Zheng Qiang had already instructed people to heat up three large woks and was beginning to prepare the braised fish.

Most of the guests today were friends and relatives of the two families, but a separate table was set up in the courtyard to host leaders from the county and the town.

The Zhou Family had two plaques for first-class military merit, so leaders often came to visit and pay their respects. Over time, they had all become familiar with each other.

Now that Zhou Weiguo was a member of the township party committee and Zhou Hao was a platoon leader, their futures looked bright, whether they stayed in the military or were demobilized, thanks to their family background.

Therefore, when the invitations were sent, the leaders all made time to attend the banquet today.

The old lady sat in the seat of honor, with Zhou Weiguo beside her as host. They were joined by Sun Yan, the Deputy Director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Huang Chen, the Deputy Town Mayor, and four other civil servants from the town.

Once seated, everyone first greeted the old lady.

In her youth, the old lady had become the widow of a martyr. She raised five sons on her own. Her youngest son, Zhou Weiguo, was seriously injured on the battlefield and had to retire from the army. She also had two grandsons who had enlisted.

It was no exaggeration to call them a family of loyal patriots.

Everyone respected her, admiring how a single woman could raise such accomplished sons and grandsons.

After a few pleasantries, the atmosphere became quite harmonious.

"I see there are three chefs at this outdoor banquet today. Quite the grand affair," Sun Yan said with a smile.

"Indeed. They look quite professional, not like typical rural chefs," Huang Chen added with a nod.

The old lady smiled and explained, "Originally, there was only one rural chef, but he suddenly had an emergency yesterday and couldn’t make it. So we had to ask two master chefs to come at the last minute. The one making the cold dishes is my youngest grandson, Zhou Yan. He was also roped in to help save the day."

"Serving the food!"

Just as she spoke, a helper came in with a tray and served the first four cold dishes.

Everyone fixed their gaze on the dishes, and their eyes lit up!