Chapter 85: Chapter 44: No Need to Stand on Ceremony with Me
Xiaopang came over carrying a black bag, which seemed to have a leg of lamb inside. It was said that someone in town had slaughtered a sheep that was free-ranging on the mountain and gifted it to Mrs. Chen.
Xiaopang had just returned home, and when Mrs. Chen heard that He Kao was also back, she asked Xiaopang to bring it over. After opening the bag, Old Qian frowned and said, "What leg of lamb is this?"
Xiaopang waved his hand and said, "Oh, don’t say that. It is a leg of lamb! He Kao’s cooking skills are excellent. Stewing lamb leg in a clay pot, and then cooking some vegetables and vermicelli in the broth after eating the meat makes my mouth water just thinking about it."
Qian Guran: "Xiao Kao can cook too?"
Xiaopang: "Of course, otherwise, why would I bring an uncooked leg of lamb here?"
He Kao quickly explained: "When I was little, the adults at home were busy, so I often helped out with cooking. I learned all my skills from my grandpa... As for this leg, it’s best to cut and marinate it with skin on, but today’s a bit rushed to get it ready."
Xiaopang smacked his lips and said, "How come it’s rushed? We have a holiday tomorrow, and we don’t have to hurry. Just take your time cooking, even if it means eating late at night."
He Kao: "It won’t be that late, but it’ll be around nine o’clock. And we’re missing some ingredients at home."
Although he still didn’t know how He Kao’s cooking skills were or what the dish would taste like, just listening to their conversation made Old Qian’s mouth water.
He took out his phone and said, "Buying things is convenient now. Tell me what you need, and I can place an order. They’ll deliver in half an hour."
Xiaopang: "What’s the need for half an hour? I’ll go out and buy it, and if I can’t find it, I’ll go home and get it. Ten minutes tops."
Xiaopang went to buy ingredients, and He Kao finally found a moment to ask Old Qian, "What did Elder Lin send me?"
Qian Guran seemed to deliberately keep him in suspense: "Three types of auxiliary cultivation elixirs, with a whole bunch of precautions. Ten minutes won’t be enough to explain it all... let’s wait until we finish eating and Xiaopang leaves."
Actually, Xiaopang returned in less than five minutes, not only bringing various seasonings but also buying various side ingredients. He Kao had no choice but to take off his jacket, roll up his sleeves, and start cooking, having the other two help out.
While preparing the ingredients, He Kao said, "This is actually a winter dish; it feels more appropriate when there’s a bit of snowfall, and you cook it in a clay pot. It’s only late September now, too early for that."
Xiaopang: "Eating in autumn is also eating. It’s not like they slaughter sheep on the mountain every day. Besides, today is President Qian’s promotion day, so we have to make a good meal to flatter him... They say when you’ve eaten someone’s food, it’s hard to criticize them later."
Xiaopang never seemed to treat the boss as an authority figure, so Qian Guran could only laugh and say: "It’s just a deputy general manager position of a subsidiary, not that big a deal!"
Xiaopang: "Why isn’t it a big deal? Your annual salary should be over a million, right, after taxes... If you think about it, technically, Old Qian, you should be treating us."
Huang Xiaopang wasn’t really sure how much the department deputy general manager earned specifically each year; he was just guessing and actually guessed a bit low. Qian Guran didn’t explain, just promised to treat next time.
As for this time, they decided first to try He Kao’s cooking... And practice proved that He Kao’s skills were indeed good, and more importantly, the ingredients were excellent.
They didn’t start eating until after nine. Originally, they planned to set the table in the courtyard but decided to eat indoors with the doors closed, mainly for fear the aroma would drift too far and attract the neighbors.
This was certainly not just any leg of lamb; the skin and meat had a natural aroma. Especially after a little marinating for flavor, cooking it with bone and skin yielded the best taste. Anyone experienced would know by the smell that it was musk deer meat.
Known as musk deer colloquially, its scientific name is forest musk deer, a protected animal. Nowadays, it can be farmed, but it’s quite timid and picky about its environment, making it hard to raise.
Over the past decade or so, ecological restoration in the vicinity has been quite good, and news of wild boars running down from the mountains to damage farmland is common. Animals like forest musk deer and muntjac occasionally appear in the northern mountains, and bamboo partridges and wild rabbits are even more common.
Today, it happened that someone caught one and delivered a leg to Mrs. Chen at the tax office, which Xiaopang then brought over.
It’s something they can only eat but not talk about, as it is illegal to do so. With the three of them eating behind closed doors, not only did the taste linger in their mouths, but there was also a faint thrill of breaking a taboo.
He Kao took two bottles of wine from the cabinet, and as they ate, sweat started to trickle, yet they didn’t stop. Fortunately, He Kao had saved a big bowl ahead of time for Xiaopang to take home; otherwise, Mrs. Chen wouldn’t have gotten any.
In the end, they also boiled some greens and vermicelli, cleaning out the broth. Satisfied, they moved the table and chairs to the rooftop to drink tea and cool off, feeling a bit of the heat.
Old Qian jokingly patted his belly and said, "Xiaopang, I never realized you were so good at flattering the boss. This leg of lamb did the trick, the boss is very pleased!"
Huang Xiaopang: "That’s because you don’t understand me. I have many skills. Once you become the company’s president, you’ll see even more!"
Old Qian turned his head, pointing into the distance: "Why is there a ferris wheel over there?"
Huang Xiaopang: "Are your eyes that good?"
Old Qian: "I saw it during the day and was wondering why it wasn’t spinning."
A few kilometers north of Pugang Town, at the base of the mountain, is an abandoned amusement project called Qi Yuan Joy Valley, where a huge ferris wheel stands, alongside other facilities like a roller coaster and pirate ship.
It began construction fifteen years ago, and its first phase opened twelve years ago. My aunt even took He Kao and He Shan there to play, and it was bustling with visitors. All in all, He Kao had a great time.
Later on, Joy Valley expanded with a second phase, becoming larger and more complete in facilities. After it opened, even more visitors came, some even traveling specifically with their kids from afar.