Chapter Thirty-Three: Passing Down the Teachings (Second Update—Seeking Votes)

At four in the morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten and the little ones were still deep in their dreams, Yang Qing rose from bed. Today marked the first day the crew of "A Taste of Huaguo" would be filming in his shop, and he needed to get up early to prepare.

Treading softly to avoid making too much noise, he reached the top of the stairs and was surprised to see the lights on downstairs.

"Jin’er, when did you get up?" he asked, astonished, as he saw Tan Jin’er carefully mopping the floor, diligently cleaning.

"Qing—Qing-ge," she replied, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "I just got up too. I thought I'd clean up once more, just to be sure."

"Thank you for your hard work," Yang Qing said with a warm smile. "I’m going to get started on preparations. When you finish mopping, come to the kitchen. I’ll teach you how to make jianbing guozi."

"Ah!" Tan Jin’er froze, looking at him in disbelief. "You’re going to teach me how to make jianbing guozi?!"

"Yes, unless you don’t want to learn?"

Flustered, she waved her hands. "No, no, it’s not that—I, I…"

"Alright, it’s settled then," Yang Qing said with a chuckle, then walked lightly into the kitchen. Jin’er was truly a capable young woman.

…

"Making jianbing guozi is actually quite simple, but making it delicious is another matter entirely. First, we need to prep the ingredients—ham and lettuce. The ham, especially, needs to be diced into uniform little cubes like this…"

Yang Qing officially began instructing Tan Jin’er in the art of crafting delicious jianbing guozi. The knife flew deftly in his hands, producing rows of perfectly even ham cubes.

"Next is the batter. The pancake must be thin, but not so thin it tears. So, for this part, we have to…"

Yang Qing taught with great care, and Tan Jin’er learned with earnest focus. After half an hour, she was already able to make them herself. Though the taste still lagged behind Yang Qing’s, it was far better than average.

Ding!

A system notification sounded in his mind: Apprentice 1/2—Tan Jin’er, jianbing guozi proficiency 30%.

Wow!

Yang Qing was a bit surprised to see the proficiency level on his system panel. Even with the system’s bonus to comprehension, reaching 30% proficiency in just half an hour was remarkable.

He grinned to himself. Who would have thought Jin’er would turn out to be a budding little chef? Quite a windfall!

While Tan Jin’er was absorbed in making jianbing guozi, Yang Qing quietly slipped out of the kitchen and wandered over to "Little Bai’s Porridge Shop."

"Sis-in-law, are you getting ready to make porridge?"

"Oh! Qingzi, you gave me a fright!" Bai Mama patted her chest, then smiled at him. "Yes, I plan to make extra red bean porridge today. We ran out yesterday."

"Ha ha, yes, make a bit more."

Yang Qing looked at her and said, "Sis-in-law, how about I give it a try?"

"You?" Bai Mama looked at him, a little doubtful. "You know how?"

"Let me try," Yang Qing said, stepping forward to take the red beans from her. As he got to work, he explained each step in detail.

"Red beans are good for strengthening the spleen and kidneys, reducing swelling, and are mildly diuretic. They have a cooling property and a sweet taste, so they’re also great for beating the summer heat. Red bean porridge is an excellent breakfast, but to really bring out its benefits and flavor, before we start cooking, we need to…"

Yang Qing’s explanations were detailed, and he deliberately moved slowly, wanting Bai Mama to participate fully. As he hoped, she quickly fell in step with his rhythm, following along closely, notebook in hand, jotting down his instructions and actions with intense focus.

So, when Bai Zhijun arrived at the shop, driving his electric tricycle loaded with the day’s supplies, he was greeted by a strange sight: Yang Qing was in his porridge shop making porridge, and his wife was shadowing him, scribbling constantly in her notebook.

"What are you two doing?" Bai Zhijun asked, clearly puzzled.

"Oh, Bai Brother, you’re here," Yang Qing started to explain, but Bai Mama interrupted him.

"Go unload the goods! Don’t bother me and Qingzi!"

Bai Zhijun: (￣д￣;)ノ

So… what exactly are you two doing?

By five-thirty, Yang Qing was still teaching Bai Mama the secrets of delicious porridge when Tan Jin’er burst in, followed by Fang Du, Qin Xue, and an elderly man.

"Qing-ge, the TV crew from Yangcheng is here!" she announced, and Yang Qing spun around, breaking into an excited grin.

They’re finally here!

"Yang Qing, let me introduce you," Qin Xue said, taking the lead as the program’s liaison. "This is Director Wu, the chief director of our ‘A Taste of Huaguo’ program."

"Director Wu, nice to meet you. I’m Yang Qing. Thank you for coming so early," Yang Qing greeted him politely.

"Ha ha, you’re Yang? Don’t mention it! I’m almost retired, but they dragged me out for one last hurrah. Still, I think it’s worth it! Spreading the word about Huaguo cuisine and culture brings me joy!" Director Wu replied warmly, shaking Yang Qing’s hand without a hint of director’s airs. Then, noticing Bai Mama in the kitchen doorway, he asked, "And this is…?"

"Oh, my sister-in-law. I’m just helping out," Yang Qing replied with a candid smile.

"Oh, so you were…?"

"Making porridge!" Bai Mama exclaimed before Yang Qing could answer, her voice filled with excitement. "Qingzi is teaching me to make porridge—he’s amazing! Even better than me!"

At her words, everyone in the room turned to look at Yang Qing.

"You… you can make porridge too?" Qin Xue was genuinely astonished. She found Yang Qing more and more unfathomable. Every time she thought she understood all there was to him, he managed to surprise her yet again.

"Heh heh… just a little," Yang Qing replied with an embarrassed chuckle.

Qin Xue: …

As if I’d believe that!

"Oh, you can make porridge? Then may I try some later?" Director Wu asked, intrigued and full of anticipation.

"Of course," Yang Qing nodded. "Director Wu, you all probably haven’t had breakfast yet. How about I whip up a few jianbing guozi for everyone, and we can eat before we start filming?"

"Ha ha, I was waiting for you to say that!"

Ten minutes later, the little shop and its entrance were filled with over a dozen people, each holding a jianbing guozi and a cup of porridge. With every bite of the savory pancake and each sip of the steaming, fragrant porridge, they suddenly felt that getting up so early for the shoot was well worth it.

Inside the shop, Director Wu savored his jianbing guozi and porridge while chatting with Yang Qing and Qin Xue. As for Fang Du…

"Jin’er, do you have any more jianbing guozi?" he asked Tan Jin’er, his face full of hope.

She was taken aback. "You’ve already eaten three. Can you really eat more?"

"Definitely! I think yours taste even better than Brother Yang’s! No matter how many you make, I could eat them all!"

Tan Jin’er’s cheeks flushed red.

Yang Qing, Qin Xue, and Director Wu all turned their eyes on the two of them.

Qin Xue glanced at Fang Du, then at the blushing Tan Jin’er, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Ah, youth is wonderful," Director Wu said, smiling with a hint of nostalgia.

"Indeed," Yang Qing agreed. "Fang Du’s praise is high indeed. Jin’er will surely surpass me—she’s a talented young cook. Well done!"

At those words, all four turned to stare at him in unison.

Qin Xue’s gaze was strange, Tan Jin’er seemed lost in thought, and Fang Du looked utterly bewildered.

Director Wu could only laugh.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Yang Qing asked, genuinely puzzled.

Qin Xue replied, "No… you’re right!"

Fang Du: …

Right? Right my foot! Was that supposed to be encouragement for me?

I give up! Brother Yang, I finally understand why you remain so calm when several women compete for your attention—it’s because you’re completely oblivious!