“Wife , your cooking skills are getting better and better!” Brother Xu praised, the admiration in his eyes unmistakable.
He looked at his wife with pride brimming on his face.
Caught off guard by her husband’s gaze, Sister-in-law Xu’s cheeks flushed red.
“My little sister taught me,” she admitted shyly.
“Sister-in-law learns fast,” Xu Ying smiled, her tone sincere. “You picked it up in just one go.”
Compared to how long it took her when she first learned to cook, Sister-in-law Xu’s progress really was impressive.
“Little sister,” Second Brother Xu suddenly spoke up, “I’m heading to the county town tomorrow. I’ll take you with me.”
He had even taken a special leave just for this. Of course, that was partly because he wanted to see the Xu qiyue along the way.
Xu Ying nodded. “Alright, I’ll get up early tomorrow.”
Although the Gu family’s wedding banquet wasn’t an extravagant affair, the guests were all well-known locals. She had to be careful.
“Got it,” Brother Xu responded.
Xu’s mother, however, frowned slightly. She was worried about her daughter’s health—her period had arrived right on time, just to complicate things.
“Will you be alright tomorrow, my daughter?”
Xu Ying waved her hand. “I’m much better now. The medicine helped a lot.”
Xu’s mother could see the eagerness in her daughter’s eyes. She knew what this event meant to her, and so she simply nodded without saying more.
The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye.
Xu Ying woke up bright and early, ate two eggs for strength, and got ready.
Because Brother Xu was driving her to the county, even Mother Xu made an exception and boiled two eggs for him as well.
They set off at 7 a.m. and reached Gu Fuying’s house a little after 8.
“Yingying! You’re finally here. I haven’t seen you for a month. You must’ve missed me terribly!” Gu Fuying called out, rushing up and pulling her into a big hug.
Xu Ying returned the hug and laughed. “Let me head to the kitchen first. I want to check the ingredients.”
Gu Fuying didn’t hesitate and led her straight to the back.
The banquet was to be held on the first floor of their home. The Gu family had already arranged the tables and chairs. There were ten in total—two for relatives, two for close neighbors, and the rest for friends and colleagues.
Xu Ying entered the kitchen, quickly scanned the ingredients, and immediately began planning the dishes.
She recalled the mandarin duck chicken recipe she had recently unlocked—it seemed perfect for the occasion.
But before she could begin, a middle-aged man in his forties stepped in front of her and barked, “Where did you come from, little girl? Get out! We’re busy here. No time to play around.”
Before Xu Ying could reply, Gu Fuying jumped in.
“She’s the chef we hired. She’ll be preparing the main dishes today.”
The middle-aged man blinked in disbelief. Before arriving, the Gu family had mentioned that they’d hired another cook. He had assumed it would be a renowned professional.
And now, seeing that it was just a young girl—barely seventeen or eighteen—he couldn’t hide his disdain. How could the Gu family entrust such an important event to someone like her?
In his mind, Xu Ying looked like she came from a poor household. Her clothes were plain, clearly worn for convenience while cooking. It never crossed his mind that someone like her could be capable.
“Miss Gu,” he warned with a smirk, “you might want to reconsider. There are a lot of important people out there. If the food isn’t up to standard, it’ll be the Gu family’s name on the line. Today is your eldest brother’s big day. Don’t blame me if it turns into a joke.”
Clearly, he looked down on Xu Ying.
Gu Fuying’s eyes blazed with anger. She lifted her chin defiantly. “You haven’t even tasted her cooking. Don’t be so quick to judge. Just wait—once she’s done, you’ll be begging for more!”
The man scoffed but said no more. He wasn’t foolish enough to argue with the host’s family.
“Fuying, go ahead. You’ve got things to do,” Xu Ying said softly.
Fuying hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Still, she couldn’t help but shoot the man a warning glance. “If anyone dares to mess with you, tell me right away. I’ll let my parents deal with them.”
Xu Ying smiled calmly. “Don’t worry. I can handle myself.”
With that, Fuying finally left.
Once alone, Xu Ying rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
The middle-aged man turned away, silently tending to the cold dishes. He had no interest in further confrontation.
Xu Ying picked up the menu and began preparing ingredients for the mandarin duck chicken. She had barely finished preparing ten chickens when she was interrupted again.
“Little girl, what are you doing?” another cook questioned.
“Cooking,” Xu Ying answered calmly, her eyes steady.
“You’re what?!” the man looked baffled.
He seemed to echo the earlier cook’s exact disbelief. Xu Ying ignored him and went on working.
But the man, without shame, reached for the chicken she had just cleaned.
Xu Ying’s grip shot out like lightning. One hand clamped around his wrist, and the other held a kitchen knife as she stared him down, her voice cold:
“Uncle, what do you think you’re doing?”
The man froze at her expression. He stammered, “C-Can’t I use the chicken after it’s been prepared?”
He knew very well that Xu Ying had cleaned it. But in his eyes, she was just a girl—surely she wouldn’t dare to challenge him.
He had seriously miscalculated.
“Who said you could take it?” Xu Ying narrowed her eyes. “Do you think you can steal someone else’s work just like that?”
“I—I didn’t know!” the man muttered.
“Put it down.”
The man immediately obeyed, placing the chicken back and retreating like a scolded dog.
Across the kitchen, the cold dish cook burst into laughter at the scene.
“I warned you, didn’t I?” he teased. “Just because someone looks young doesn’t mean they’re easy to bully. There’s always someone better out there.”
The man who had just been put in his place snorted, “Don’t act like you weren’t skeptical too.”
The older man rubbed the bridge of his nose, a little embarrassed. “I mean, I was doubtful. No offense, but even if she’s some kind of prodigy, she still seems too young to lead a kitchen.”
He’d noticed earlier—Xu Ying’s hands were soft and fair, without a single callus. Anyone who spent years with knives and spatulas had rough, calloused hands. Hers looked like they had never done a day of heavy work.
“Well, who knows?” the man muttered bitterly, still stinging from his defeat.
Still, both men kept stealing glances at Xu Ying.
As they watched her movements—steady hands, elegant knife work—they both fell silent.
This knife skill wasn’t something that could be learned in a year or two.
What they didn’t know was that during the apocalypse, Xu Ying’s master had been extremely strict. Knife skills, cooking technique, taste—she had trained under conditions more intense than any chef’s school.
Inside her space, where time flowed differently, she had practiced the equivalent of years in just months.
Suddenly, the middle-aged man’s skepticism began to waver.
The other man smirked and said, “Wanna bet? I say she’s got good knife skills, but her cooking won’t be anywhere near mine.”
The older cook paused, reluctant to admit defeat.
But siding with his rival? Never.
“Fine,” he said at last. “I bet her cooking will be even better than yours.”
“Deal. If you lose, I’m taking your best bottle of wine.”
And so, with the challenge silently accepted, the true test of Xu Ying’s skills was about to begin.