Chapter 23: The Stench Over Bianjing

Chapter 23: Stinking Up Bianjing

Early the next morning, Li Qi called Wu Xiaoliu into the kitchen.

Although Wu Xiaoliu did not know exactly what had transpired at the Qin estate the day before, he knew that sticking with Li Qi was the right move. He wore a flattering smile and asked, "Brother Li, you called me here—are you going to teach me how to cook?"

"That’s right," Li Qi nodded.

"Really?" Wu Xiaoliu exclaimed, his face beaming with joy. "What dish are you planning to teach me today?"

Li Qi shook his head. "No rush for that. Tell me, do you know what the most basic requirement for a chef is?"

Wu Xiaoliu thought seriously for a moment before answering, "Culinary skill?"

Li Qi shook his head.

"Natural talent?" Wu Xiaoliu offered again.

Li Qi still shook his head.

Wu Xiaoliu frowned. "Is it knife skills?"

"Knife skills? You think we're filming a martial arts movie?" Li Qi glared at him. "The most basic requirement for a chef is hygiene."

"Hygiene?" Wu Xiaoliu looked puzzled.

Li Qi explained, "Simply put, 'hygiene' means being clean and sanitary."

"Oh, I understand that," Wu Xiaoliu nodded quickly.

"You must remember, as a chef, no matter what you do, you must place 'hygiene' above all else. We are responsible for every guest who comes here to dine. The most basic requirement for any customer is health. If someone eats at our Drunken Immortal Pavilion and ends up vomiting or having diarrhea, who would dare come here to eat again? You must keep this firmly in mind."

As he spoke, Li Qi suddenly lashed out, slapping away the hand Wu Xiaoliu was using to scratch his head. He said sternly, "Are you treating my words like wind in your ears? I’m telling you to be hygienic, and you’re there scratching your head in the kitchen! Do you know that dandruff is a chef’s greatest taboo? If I catch you scratching your head, picking your nose, or digging in your ears in this kitchen again, you can go back to being a waiter."

"Don't do that, Brother Li! I won't ever do it again, please don't send me back to being a waiter!" Terrified, Wu Xiaoliu trembled and begged for mercy.

"That depends on your performance," Li Qi huffed with a straight face. He knew Wu Xiaoliu was the type who responded only to a firm hand; if he didn't scare him, he wouldn't take anything to heart.

Li Qi then proceeded to detail the kitchen hygiene code. Wu Xiaoliu felt his head spinning; the "hygiene" Li Qi spoke of seemed to have never existed in his life. Going days without a bath or a day without washing his hands was perfectly normal to him.

Seeing Wu Xiaoliu’s dejected expression, Li Qi knew it was unrealistic to expect him to change overnight; he would have to supervise him closely. He continued, "So, do you know what to do now?"

Wu Xiaoliu nodded, then shook his head.

Li Qi glared coldly and pointed at the kitchen. "Do you think our kitchen currently meets the hygiene standards I just mentioned?"

Wu Xiaoliu looked around and shook his head.

Li Qi nodded. "Good. I’ll give you one day. I want this place spotless. Scrub the tables and the stoves, wash all the bowls and chopsticks. My requirement is simple: 'immaculate.' Also, throw out all those sticks, hoes, and things we don't need. This is a kitchen, not a junk room."

Wu Xiaoliu felt like he was on the verge of a breakdown. With a mournful face, he groaned, "Brother Li, that—that’s way too much work."

"Too much?" Li Qi smiled slightly, patting him on the shoulder. "It feels like a lot the first time, but you’ll get used to it. From now on, your first task every day will be to clean the kitchen. Consider it a mandatory course."

Wu Xiaoliu’s legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the floor.

Just then, Wu Furong’s voice echoed from outside: "Young Master Li! Young Master Li!"

*Sweat!* I haven't even officially taken over the Drunken Immortal Pavilion yet, and the old man has already changed how he addresses me? That changed fast. Li Qi shook his head with a wry smile and called out, "Uncle Wu, I’m in the kitchen!"

A moment later, Wu Furong rushed in. Seeing Li Qi looking so relaxed, he asked anxiously, "Young Master Li, what are you doing here?"

Li Qi laughed. "Oh, I’m teaching Xiaoliu how to be a real chef."

"What?"

Wu Furong froze, then slapped his thigh. "Oh, Young Master Li, what time do you think it is? How can you have time for such trifles? Have you forgotten the promise you made to the Madam?"

"Uncle, what promise?" Wu Xiaoliu asked, leaning in with curiosity.

"Go, go, go, get back to your work," Li Qi waved at Wu Xiaoliu, then gestured for Wu Furong to follow. "Uncle Wu, let's talk inside."

The two went to Li Qi’s room. Li Qi poured a cup of tea for Wu Furong and sat on the edge of the bed, smiling faintly. "Uncle Wu, don't worry. Everything is under my control. Someone will come to deliver money to me soon."

"Someone is bringing you money? Who?" Wu Furong asked, intrigued.

"You’ll know when the time comes. If I say it now, it’ll ruin the plan," Li Qi said mysteriously.

Wu Furong was skeptical. "Really?"

Li Qi put on an innocent, trustworthy smile. "Of course. When would I ever lie to you?"

*You’ve lied plenty,* Wu Furong thought, casting a suspicious glance at him.

Li Qi chuckled sheepishly. "Right, when you go back later, please don't tell the Madam the truth. Just say I went out on business... hey, don't look at me like that! I just don't want the Madam to worry."

In truth, Li Qi had calculated yesterday that Madam Qin would definitely send Wu Furong to gather intelligence.

Wu Furong’s face reddened, and he nodded. "Just please, don't let the Madam down."

Li Qi smiled and nodded.

***

In the blink of an eye, four days passed. During this time, Li Qi either stayed in the kitchen with Wu Xiaoliu or hid in his room. Wu Furong had run to the shop twice, but left disappointed each time. Eventually, he simply moved back into the shop, following Li Qi around every day. Li Qi paid him no mind, going about his business as usual.

One evening, a stout, honest-looking man drove a donkey cart covered in white cloth to the back gate of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. He tied the donkey to a tree and knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal Wu Xiaoliu. "Huh? Aren't you Uncle Zhang from the mill on East Street? Are you looking for my uncle?"

Uncle Zhang waved his hand. "No, no, I’m looking for Young Master Li."

"Is that you, Uncle Zhang?"

At that moment, Li Qi and Wu Furong walked out. Upon seeing Li Qi, Uncle Zhang hurried forward. "Young Master Li, I’ve delivered the goods you wanted."

"Sorry to trouble you, Uncle Zhang." Li Qi cupped his hands, walked over to the cart, and lifted the cloth. Beneath it sat four wooden crates, each filled with five-centimeter square pieces of firm tofu.

"Young Master Li, there are forty pounds of tofu here in total. I counted them—five hundred and forty-six pieces. Everything is exactly as you ordered. Does this work?" Uncle Zhang asked with an honest smile.

Li Qi nodded, picked up a piece at random, tore off a small sliver, and chewed it carefully.

"Excellent. This is exactly what I wanted."

Li Qi nodded in satisfaction, took a dozen copper coins from his robe, and handed them to Uncle Zhang. "Uncle, thank you so much."

Uncle Zhang quickly waved him off. "Young Master Li, I can't accept this. You’ve already paid in full. No, no, I can't take this."

Li Qi loved dealing with such honest folk. He firmly pressed the coins into the man's hand and said, "Just take it. I’ll need your help for the next few days."

Unable to refuse, Uncle Zhang accepted the coins. Together, they carried the four crates into the wine cellar of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

After Uncle Zhang left, Wu Furong noticed four large earthen jars in the cellar that hadn't been there before. He asked Wu Xiaoliu, "Xiaoliu, who moved these four jars in?"

"I did," Li Qi said.

"You?" Wu Furong was stunned. "Young Master Li, what is inside these?"

"You'll know in a moment."

Li Qi smiled, reached over, and pulled the lid off one of the jars. A pungent, acidic stench instantly filled the air. Wu Furong quickly covered his nose and exclaimed, "This smell... isn't this..."

"Heh, you guessed it. This is the leftover brine from pickled amaranth stems," Li Qi said with a grin. He turned to Wu Xiaoliu. "Xiaoliu, there are some white cloths in the cabinet in my room. Go get them for me."

Wu Xiaoliu responded and dashed off. Moments later, he returned with the cloths. "Brother Li, here they are."

Li Qi nodded. "Good. Wrap the tofu in these cloths and place them all into the jars."

"What?" Wu Furong gasped, staring at Li Qi in disbelief.

Seeing Wu Furong’s shocked expression, Wu Xiaoliu laughed. "Uncle, you don't even know—a few days ago, Brother Li poured several jars of fine wine into these. These crates of tofu are nothing in comparison."

"Too much talking from you! Get to work," Li Qi scolded with a smile.

Wu Xiaoliu chuckled and crouched down to begin the work.

Pouring wine into stinking water? Wu Furong had never heard of such a thing. He took a sharp breath and asked, "Young Master Li, what exactly are you planning?"

Li Qi curled his lips into a smile. "I’m planning to give this city a surprise—I’m going to stink up all of Bianjing."