Chapter 38: Shall I Show You a Few Tricks?

Wen Yao was originally supposed to be looking after Big Head, but with Wen Ying around—a tomboy like her—there was no worry that Big Head would be unattended. Bored, Wen Yao had been planning to find Wen Di for some fun, perhaps watch her embroider or weave knots. As she passed by two elderly women, she overheard their conversation.

Her great-aunt’s family was preparing for a wedding, but at the last moment the cook had refused to work, and now they couldn’t find a replacement. The two old ladies were in a state of distress.

What a coincidence! Wen Yao was well-versed in kitchen work. Moreover, this was an opportunity; if she could pull this off, she might have a future in this line of work.

Don’t underestimate the rural custom of hosting banquets. Nowadays, there was none of the later prohibitions against extravagance. Back then, except for weddings and funerals, no other occasions warranted such feasting. But at this time, even a child’s first-month celebration required several tables—the bigger the wedding or funeral, the grander the affair.

The wealthy had their ways, and the poor had theirs, but it all came down to one person—the head cook. If the chef was skilled and renowned for miles around, they would be in high demand. On auspicious days, it wasn’t unusual for families to fight over the best cook. Wen Yao guessed that her great-aunt’s family’s chef had likely been poached by another family at the last minute.

The two old ladies were startled by Wen Yao’s sudden appearance.

“My goodness, you little imp, are you trying to scare someone to death?” Madam Luo almost wanted to smack the girl, but as always, her hand would lift heavily and fall gently.

Wen Yao just took it as a playful scratch, never taking offense.

She simply fetched a small stool and sat herself down between the two old ladies, grinning, “Grandma, such words are unlucky on a festive day. Great-aunt, are you looking for a chef?”

Little Madam Luo was most surprised. Not only by Wen Yao’s boldness and out-of-the-ordinary behavior—after all, she had seen Wen Yao before, always clinging quietly to Liu, eyes downcast, timid as a mouse, only showing her face for a greeting before disappearing. Now, this lively demeanor almost made her unrecognizable.

What surprised her even more was Madam Luo’s attitude toward Wen Yao. She knew well how disappointed her elder sister was in the main branch of the family. Even before that disappointment, she’d always kept the children at arm’s length, because Liu had looked down on country folk, fearing they’d be a bad influence.

“The child’s asking you a question—why are you lost in thought?” Madam Luo’s voice pulled Little Madam Luo back to the present.

She nodded, “Yes, your second cousin is getting married. We had a chef lined up, but with only a few days left, he says he can’t make it. Isn’t that just awful?”

Wen Yao suddenly grew curious. “My second cousin?” By rights, Little Madam Luo wasn’t much younger than Madam Luo, and Wen Xiuyi was the eldest in the family. Even if her great-aunt married late, the second cousin shouldn’t be marrying so late.

After all, even Wen Di, her third uncle’s daughter, was already ten years old.

Little Madam Luo sighed deeply, her face tinged with sorrow.

“Yes, your second cousin. I had him quite late—he’s more than ten years younger than your eldest cousin. When he was seventeen, there was a draft—every household had to send someone. Your eldest cousin had a family to care for, and your second cousin was still unmarried. While we were still debating, he went off and enlisted in secret. That was five years ago. He only returned last year, so as soon as he was back, we arranged a marriage for him. And now, this trouble crops up.”

Wen Yao nodded in understanding. So that was the story—he’d been off serving as a soldier. No wonder he was marrying so late. If before she had only been interested in trying, now she felt it was her duty to help her great-aunt. Men in uniform, in any era, deserved respect and care.

“Great-aunt, let me do it,” Wen Yao volunteered, patting her chest.

Little Madam Luo was taken aback. “You?”

Madam Luo frowned and shot her a glare. “Don’t add to the chaos.”

Wen Yao leaned forward, her expression earnest. “Grandma, Great-aunt, I’m serious. You haven’t found anyone else, so why not let me try? Grandma, don’t you trust my cooking?”

“Well…” Madam Luo thought of Wen Yao’s culinary skills over the past month—almost magical transformations of simple ingredients. The same dishes, when made by her, weren’t just delicious, but also beautiful to behold.

But to have a ten-year-old girl as the head cook? It seemed unreliable. Cooking at home was one thing, but if she ruined the wedding banquet, it would be a stain on the family’s reputation for a lifetime.

Little Madam Luo’s worldview was being challenged. She’d expected her sister to immediately refuse, but there was actually a flicker of hesitation in Madam Luo’s expression.

Hesitation? Her sister was actually considering it? That meant she thought Wen Yao might be up to the task.

“Sister, can this child really do it?” Little Madam Luo pressed for the truth.

Madam Luo frowned slightly, shot Wen Yao another glare, then sighed, “The girl did learn good kitchen skills from her mother. But as head cook, she’s still too young. I fear she might ruin the whole affair.”

Little Madam Luo’s eyes lit up. “Yao Yao can really cook?”

“She can, and it’s delicious! Great-aunt, how about I show you?” Wen Yao said confidently.

Madam Luo’s brows nearly twisted themselves into a knot. Seeing her sister’s shifting expression, Little Madam Luo gritted her teeth, “Sister, why not let Yao Yao cook a couple of dishes for me to try?”

Whatever happened, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Seeing her own sister relent, Madam Luo could only acquiesce. “Go on, then. Everything you need is in the kitchen. Have your second and third aunts assist you. Make a couple of dishes for your great-aunt to taste.”

“Alright, just wait and see!” Wen Yao leapt up and dashed to the kitchen.

Watching her so carelessly, Madam Luo could hardly bear to look. “I don’t know if that child was too stifled by her mother before. Since her mother left, she’s been running wild, nothing ladylike about her at all. All those rules her mother taught her, she’s thrown them to the wind,” she grumbled.

Little Madam Luo laughed along, “But sister, you do like her as she is now, don’t you?”

Madam Luo was taken aback, then snorted, “Like her? She’s just like her father—always making me angry.”

“Yes, yes, always making you angry.” Little Madam Luo smiled, not exposing her, though she couldn’t help but worry whether Wen Yao would really manage it.

If she could, it would truly solve a major problem for their family.

“As far as cooking goes, you don’t have to worry. This girl—who knows if she was a starving ghost in a previous life—can make wonders out of even a cabbage. Just wait and taste her handiwork.”

Though Madam Luo spoke with disdain, her slightly proud expression betrayed her true feelings.