Old Shadows of the Republic (4)

After confirming all the ingredients, Jiang Weiguo took out two potatoes, a small piece of cured meat, and selected three relatively fresh green peppers. Jiang Feng guessed he was probably going to make shredded potatoes and stir-fried cured meat with green peppers.

At eleven years old, Jiang Weiguo's cooking skills were not yet as good as Jiang Feng's.

His knife skills were decent, likely from helping Jiang Chengde daily, but his heat control and seasoning were far inferior. Jiang Feng could tell the spicy shredded potatoes had too much salt, and since the potatoes weren't very fresh, the texture wouldn't be great.

As for the stir-fried cured meat with green peppers, it was even worse. The cured meat itself wasn't marinated well, and the green peppers were shriveled and dehydrated, their seeds dried out. The taste of the stir-fry could only be imagined.

Both of these dishes were simple home-style dishes, not difficult to stir-fry. Steward Wang had requested at least three dishes and one soup. Jiang Weiguo thought for a moment and then took out the only cabbage he had in the cabinet.

The outer leaves of the cabbage were all wilted. Jiang Weiguo had to peel off several layers before revealing the slightly moist inner leaves. Although not fresh, they were barely edible.

He peeled off a few leaves, cut them into sections, and stir-fried them plain.

The stir-fried Napa cabbage, lacking in presentation, was served.

Jiang Feng felt that if Lord Huang in first class didn't dislike fish, his dishes wouldn't be so ordinary and monotonous. There were plenty of fish on the boat. Jiang Feng saw at least two large barrels of fresh fish in the corner, still wriggling, very fresh.

The soup was Hu La Tang. Flour, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, cured meat, and the completely dehydrated cabbage leaves he had peeled off earlier were all chopped and thrown into the pot. Salt, chili powder, sesame oil, and soy sauce were added. Jiang Feng even saw Jiang Weiguo add a small handful of spices. It was a chaotic stew, and it was almost impossible to tell what ingredients were in it, but it smelled very fragrant. It was actually the best-performing dish among them.

The soup was thick and steaming. Jiang Weiguo went out to find Steward Wang but found no one outside. He remembered Steward Wang had said he needed help, so he went to the next room to find someone, turning to go next door.

The adjacent room was also a kitchen, slightly larger than the one Jiang Weiguo was in, possibly because it had two large pots. One pot was cooking gruel, and the other contained watery, low-rice congee. It was likely that the congee for the bottom-deck passengers' three meals a day came from this pot.

There were two people inside: a slightly plump auntie and a girl who looked somewhat similar to her, likely her daughter.

When the auntie saw Jiang Weiguo enter, she was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, smiling and asking, "You're the new cook Steward Wang hired, right? Wait a moment, my gruel isn't ready yet. If you need help, I'll come help you later."

Since fleeing their homes, this was the first time Jiang Weiguo had encountered such a friendly stranger. His tone unconsciously softened. "No, Auntie, I was wondering where Steward Wang is? My dishes are ready."

Upon hearing that she didn't need to help, the plump auntie smiled even more warmly. "Wait a moment, I'll go find Steward Wang for you."

A short while later, the plump auntie returned with Steward Wang, followed by two other people.

As the plump auntie passed the small kitchen, she peeked inside and asked Jiang Weiguo, "Little Jiang, what did you cook? It smells so good."

"Auntie Li, don't ask what you shouldn't," Steward Wang warned sternly. Auntie Li clearly wasn't afraid of him. She rolled her eyes and went back to cooking the gruel.

A large pot of gruel sat undisturbed for ten minutes. Jiang Feng guessed it was likely scorched at the bottom.

The two people who came with Steward Wang went to the small kitchen to get the dishes, while they went to Auntie Li's kitchen to get the food. Perhaps worried that Lord Huang would be angry with Jiang Weiguo if his cooking wasn't good, or for other reasons, Steward Wang asked Jiang Weiguo to accompany them.

The first-class cabin was on the third floor, and there were guards at the entrance. Steward Wang told Jiang Weiguo to wait at the door while he went in with the two people carrying the dishes. Jiang Feng curiously followed Steward Wang inside.

The first-class cabin was very large, comparable to a presidential suite in later generations. Lord Huang's servants and family were all inside. He was sitting on a sofa reading a book, and his wife was sewing a button beside him.

"County Magistrate Huang, the ship's original cook fell ill and died. Today, we have a new one. I don't know if the dishes will suit your taste," Steward Wang said respectfully.

Jiang Feng couldn't help but observe this official. He had initially thought Steward Wang's mention of him being an "official" was just a term of respect, but he hadn't expected him to actually be an official. The fact that even a county magistrate would abandon his post and flee to Shanghai indicated how severe the disaster in the north must have been.

County Magistrate Huang looked to be in his fifties, slightly portly, and had a beard. He barely glanced up at Steward Wang when he spoke. "He died, so he died. The food he made wasn't good either. Useless."

"You are correct," Steward Wang replied with a fawning smile and retreated to a corner, knowing when to be tactful.

The maid beside the wife began to serve the dishes. Despite the simple environment, with only three dishes and one soup, and only one maid, the presentation was quite grand. One might have thought they were royalty from somewhere.

Lord Huang tasted the stir-fried cabbage first. He didn't say anything, but his expression indicated he wasn't very satisfied. Next, he tasted the shredded potatoes.

"Not bad, much better than the last one," Lord Huang said.

Lord Huang was clearly pleased with the shredded potatoes. His wife, however, had a lighter palate. After eating only a few bites of cabbage and a few mouthfuls of rice, she declared she was full and stopped eating.

Perhaps because of the shredded potatoes, or perhaps because he had a large appetite to begin with, Lord Huang ate three bowls of rice before stopping, signaling the maid with his eyes to ladle him some soup.

The maid was clever. She ladled a small half-bowl of soup for him and placed it steadily in front of him.

Lord Huang took a sip.

"Where did you find this cook?" Lord Huang asked, putting down his bowl.

"A helper from Tai Feng Lou," Steward Wang replied.

"A joke. A helper from Tai Feng Lou would come here to be your cook," Lord Huang chuckled, his expression showing emotion for the first time.

Seeing Lord Huang smile, Steward Wang smiled even more exaggeratedly, but his voice was quieter. "My lord truly has discerning eyes. He's just a child of about ten years old. He probably just did some odd jobs at Tai Feng Lou and claims to be a helper there. Does Lord Huang find him satisfactory?"

"How many more days until we reach Magic City?" Lord Huang asked.

"Five days, at most five days."

"He'll do. His skills are good. Reward him," Lord Huang said, raising his hand. The maid handed Steward Wang two silver dollars.

This was considered a considerable sum of money.

Steward Wang beamed with joy, showering praise. "Lord Huang, you are truly kind and generous. I thank you on behalf of that boy. That boy must have accumulated much merit in his past life to have this opportunity to cook for you today. It is his honor to cook for you, and now he has received your reward. His ancestors must be truly blessed."

Lord Huang found Steward Wang noisy and told him to leave.

Steward Wang tucked the silver dollars into his inner garment.

Jiang Weiguo was still standing at the door. It was already autumn, and he was wearing only a single layer of clothing. After being exposed to the wind on the river for nearly half an hour, Jiang Weiguo's hands and feet were becoming numb. Seeing Steward Wang emerge, he hurried to meet him.

"Your dishes were well-made. Lord Huang is rewarding you," Steward Wang said, tossing him three copper coins.

Jiang Weiguo quickly caught them.

Having pocketed two silver dollars from Jiang Weiguo, Steward Wang was in a good mood, and even found Jiang Weiguo more agreeable. "You can go eat in Auntie Li's kitchen later. Eat as much gruel as you want. I'll add one more white flour steamed bun for you, making it four. You can stay in the kitchen during the day. Don't worry about your things being stolen when you go back at night; I'll handle it for you."

"Thank you, Steward Wang," Jiang Weiguo said quickly. In reality, with his build, the emaciated weaklings in the ship's cabins might not even be able to overpower him.

Seeing his sensible response, Steward Wang nodded with satisfaction and left.

Jiang Weiguo quickly walked towards the kitchen.