ARLQLCC chapter 43

What Su Ji planned to teach them was three simple, very rice-friendly dishes: tomato stir-fried eggs, mapo tofu, and mixed sauce dried tofu.¹Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) is a famous dish from Sichuan province, China, known for its spicy, numbing, and flavorful sauce made with tofu, fermented broad bean and chili paste (doubanjiang), fermented black beans (douchi), and minced meat, traditionally beef or pork.

If these dishes were served, those wolf-and-tiger-like disciples would definitely be smashing down at least three bowls of rice apiece.

Seeing several disciples around him already preparing paper and brushes to take notes on the spot, Su Ji smiled and said, “No need to write it down in detail. I have a recording stone. The entire process this morning will be recorded, and you can all watch it together later.”

Qu Ming said emotionally, “Chef Su, you’re really so thoughtful!”

Su Ji comforted them, “What Chef Lin never taught you before, I will try my best to teach you. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me. Then let’s start today’s lesson with the first dish.”

As he spoke, he picked up two large, brightly colored tomatoes from the prepared ingredient basket, then peeled and cut them into pieces in one smooth motion.

The apprentice disciples all looked on with shining eyes, exclaiming, “What amazing knife skills!”

The cut tomatoes were placed on a plate for later use. Su Ji then took four eggs, cracked them into a large bowl, and scooped in an appropriate amount of salt.

He said, “Before beating the eggs, you can add a bit of salt for seasoning. Be careful not to add too much, or the egg mixture will end up too salty.”

The disciples responded, “Yes! We’ve remembered it!”

Su Ji chuckled. Holding the bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, he quickly whisked the eggs until smooth. The pan was already heated, so he poured in the eggs, stir-fried them until set, then scooped them out and set them aside on a plate.

Scallions prepared in advance were added to the pan to release fragrance, followed by tomatoes, sugar, tomato sauce, light soy sauce, and a small amount of salt. As the ingredients hit the pan, a “sizzle” sounded.

A pan of bright red ingredients was stir-fried, releasing a rich aroma. The tomatoes gradually softened and released juice in the pan.

Qu Ming watched intently from the side and tentatively asked, “Can we add the eggs now?”

Su Ji turned to look at him. Seeing him stand up nervously, Su Ji couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. Once the tomatoes have softened and released juice, you can add the eggs and continue stir-frying.”

Seeing that he wasn’t scolded for interrupting, Qu Ming let out a breath of relief. Then he thought, this was Chef Su—not that fake-authority fat bastard Chef Lin. He would never hit or scold them at will.

Thinking of this, he felt a wave of happiness wrap around him, and he watched even more carefully.

The eggs became coated in sauce as they were stir-fried. The kitchen was filled with the aroma, and the apprentice disciples stared in fascination, unable to stop swallowing their saliva.

In the past, when they followed Chef Lin’s methods, they only felt that the dishes came out ugly and unappetizing. But those dishes were also their own meals, and every time they ate them, it was torture.

It wasn’t until Chef Su set up a stall last time, and they secretly changed clothes to queue up and buy food, that they finally understood what truly delicious food tasted like.

Compared to Chef Su’s cooking, what Chef Lin taught them was not even as good as pig feed.

Chef Su came early to teach them personally—he was practically a living Bodhisattva.

Chef Lin, on the other hand, not only refused to demonstrate but simply threw them a half-baked cookbook and told them to learn on their own. If they cooked badly, he would publicly humiliate them in front of the other kitchen servants. Many apprentice disciples couldn’t take it anymore and requested transfers.

Those who stayed were truly people who wanted to learn a skill, hoping that Chef Lin, as head chef, would eventually show them something real. But that hope gradually turned into despair through daily beatings and scolding.

Only after Chef Lin was expelled and Chef Su took over did they finally feel that persistence had meaning.

A group of young men looked at the bright red tomato stir-fried eggs in the pan, both moved and hungry.

The dish was plated into a full serving. Su Ji carried it to the long table behind him and said, “Alright everyone, the first dish is done! Come and try it!”

As soon as he said this, everyone froze.

Seeing that they didn’t move, Su Ji found it strange. “Why aren’t you eating? I heard your stomachs growling earlier. Didn’t you skip breakfast and wait here?”

Qu Ming didn’t expect him to notice that and scratched his head awkwardly. “Chef Su… you even noticed that.”

Su Ji teased, “Of course, I’ve got sharp ears. Is there still leftover steamed buns in the dining hall? This is also great to eat with buns.”

Qu Ming’s eyes lit up immediately. “Yes!”

The surrounding disciples immediately scattered and ran to fetch steamed buns.

When they returned, each of them was holding a white bun, their eyes even brighter than when Su Ji first arrived.

Su Ji laughed and stepped out of the crowd. “Go ahead and eat. You have to remember this taste. Later when you cook, aim for this level.”

So tasting the dish was also part of teaching.

Everyone raised their buns. “Yes! Thank you Chef Su! Let’s eat!”

The moment the words fell, they lined up neatly in two rows and took turns picking from the plate.

Although it was a simple home-style dish, it was perfectly balanced in color, aroma, and taste. The eggs were tender, and the tomatoes had softened into sauce mixed with juice. When poured over the buns, even the dry buns became delicious enough to finish in a few bites.

Everyone ate until their mouths were oily, taking turns with chopsticks. In no time, the large plate of tomato stir-fried eggs was completely emptied.

“Oh my god, I used to randomly add seasonings and the food came out terrible. This one only needs simple seasoning and it’s already this good!”

“It’s so delicious I’m crying. I’ve never eaten anything this good in my life!”

“Compared to Chef Su’s food, what we used to make was basically trash!”

“Can I really make something this good too?!”

“The buns were already plain and cold, but with this dish it became amazing—I feel like I could eat ten more!”

Su Ji had heard plenty of praise for his cooking before, but this kind of overlapping, chaotic praise still made him a little embarrassed.

Not to mention the way they all looked at him—so passionate, even more reverent than before.

Chu Zhaoye, standing beside him, felt sour. He walked up behind him and said slowly, “Chef Su… you’re amazing.”

Su Ji was very familiar with his mood. He turned around and looked at his dark, gloomy expression. “Who annoyed you this time?”

The teasing tone only made Chu Zhaoye even more depressed. If he were still a cat, Su Ji would have been the first to comfort him by holding his paw. But now he didn’t even get that.

Could it be that Su Ji only comforts him when he’s cute?

He didn’t speak, but Su Ji could clearly feel that he was radiating a “please comfort me” aura.

Ever since Chu Zhaoye turned human, every time Su Ji wanted to pat his head he had to stand on tiptoe. So now, suppressing that thought, he simply reached out and scratched his chin instead.

The ticklish sensation made Chu Zhaoye pause. His chin felt itchy, and so did his heart. He grabbed Su Ji’s wrist. “What are you doing?”

Su Ji ignored him and scratched him again. “What’s wrong? Now that your strength is back, I can’t even touch you anymore?”

Hearing this, Chu Zhaoye suddenly brightened. He grabbed Su Ji’s hand and pressed it against his own chest. “Touch. Anywhere you want.”

Su Ji’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Chu Zhaoye nodded. “Really.”

“Then bend down.”

As an obedient cat, when the owner tells you to bend down, you naturally bend down.

After he bent down, their faces were at the same level. This height was just right. Su Ji raised his hand and happily patted his dark hair.

It felt smooth—just like when he was still a kitten.

Looks like whether in human form or cat form, Chu Zhaoye’s fur was always just as silky.

Feeling satisfied, Su Ji said with a smile, “I used to want to pat your head but couldn’t reach it. Now I can.”

Chu Zhaoye liked his touch very much. Whether as a cat or now, he had a strong possessive and dependent attachment to Su Ji. He had originally thought that after turning human, Su Ji would lose the desire to pat his head—but it turned out he just couldn’t reach.

Thinking about how Su Ji had once hesitated whether to stand on tiptoe just to touch him, Chu Zhaoye couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Too cute.

His mood brightened completely, and he coaxed softly, “Next time you want to touch me, just tell me.”

For the cat, bending down for his master was only natural.

…

In the end, the plate of tomato stir-fried eggs was completely wiped clean, not even the sauce left behind. The group of young disciples stood awkwardly, waiting for Su Ji to speak.

Looking at the clean plate that looked like it had been washed, Su Ji thought they must have been starving.

Still, not wasting food was a good virtue.

Because Yunxian Sect’s meals had been terrible for months, there had been a lot of leftovers every meal. He didn’t even want to think about how many spirit ingredients had been wasted.

He looked up at their expectant faces and asked softly, “Did you all remember the steps for that dish just now?”

Some nodded, saying they remembered. Others shook their heads, saying they missed a few steps.

The cooking method, heat control, and seasoning amounts all affected the final taste. Although tomato stir-fried eggs wasn’t complicated, for these disciples learning properly for the first time, it was difficult to remember everything after just one demonstration.

Su Ji took out the recording stone he had prepared earlier and tossed it into the air. It began recording from the moment he started prepared the ingredients. The image was clear and the sound crisp, and it could even split into multiple smaller projections, landing in front of each stove so every disciple could see the steps just by looking up.

Ordinary recording stones couldn’t do this. This one was a gift from Chu Zhaoye.

There were many useful gadgets he didn’t use himself. When he heard earlier that Su Ji was thinking about improving teaching efficiency, he immediately thought of this tool.

And it had proven useful indeed.

The recording stone captured every moment of Su Ji cooking. Chu Zhaoye felt a bit itchy in his hands and wanted one for himself.

So he poked Su Ji’s lower back, making him flinch and turn around in confusion.

Chu Zhaoye coughed. “Make another copy of it. Give me one too.”

Su Ji looked puzzled. “You want to learn cooking too?”

Chu Zhaoye said confidently, “Yeah. I think I’ve got talent for it.”

“Oh~” Su Ji nodded, then handed him a copy of the recording stone projection. “If you’ve got talent, don’t waste it. There’s an empty stove over there—you can go cook with them.”

Chu Zhaoye: “Wait—huh?”

Su Ji handed him a spatula from the tool table. “Go on. I’ll test you later.”

Chu Zhaoye: “……”

Standing in front of the stove with a spatula in hand, Chu Zhaoye deeply regretted his earlier boast.

Author’s Note:

Su Ji: Don’t just talk—go cook one.

Chu Zhaoye: QAQ

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  Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) is a famous dish from Sichuan province, China, known for its spicy, numbing, and flavorful sauce made with tofu, fermented broad bean and chili paste (doubanjiang), fermented black beans (douchi), and minced meat, traditionally beef or pork.