Chef at the University Canteen-Chapter 354 - 243: Can You Really Bring Back Peach Blossoms?
Time is like the balance in a bank account, always diminishing without you noticing, and when you realize it, it’s almost depleted.
Doesn’t even leave you a chance to regret it.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, a week quickly passes by, and it’s another weekend at the Seventh Dining Hall.
This time, Lu Shuwu plans to take a break on Saturday. As he makes dumplings, he says to Jiang Yu excitedly:
"This Saturday, I plan to go to the peach blossom festival in the countryside with my little sister. She wants to take some photos to use as materials.
They say a lot of beautiful girls go to this peach blossom festival. Who knows if I might run into my ’peach blossom’, hehe...
Oh right, boss, do you want me to bring you anything from there?"
Jiang Yu sips tea while glancing at him, asking in return:
"What can you bring back?"
In the past week or so, he has taught Du Guangning how to make nearly half the dishes on the Seventh Dining Hall’s "recommended menu". The daily workload is visibly decreasing, so even with consecutive workdays, he doesn’t feel too tired.
They say people are inherently lazy; once they have free time, they don’t want to get busy again. But for Jiang Yu, he still prefers to stay a bit busy for a more fulfilling life.
After all, he’s still young, with a long road ahead. If he stops moving now, the thought of living a life with a clear endpoint is terrifying.
The future is unknown, which is what makes people eager to explore.
Because of this, Jiang Yu has been thinking about making some changes.
Of course, these changes should ideally not take up too much of his time.
Otherwise, he’d just be stepping out of the "predicament" at the Seventh Dining Hall into a new "cage". What would be the point of painstakingly teaching Du Guangning to cook?
"How would I know what I can bring back? That’s why I’m asking if you need anything!"
Lu Shuwu looked speechless, turned to glance at Jiang Yu, and said,
"I think that place is part of the Meiling Mountain Range. Maybe I could look for some wild vegetables? Or like last time, bring back some fresh bamboo shoots?"
"Forget it, dealing with those is too troublesome."
Jiang Yu shook his head, noticing that Lu Shuwu seemed reluctant. He couldn’t help but laugh, saying,
"If you really want to bring something, bring me back some peach blossoms."
"Bring you peach blossoms..."
Lu Shuwu was instantly dumbfounded, looking like a confused goose.
I said I wanted to find peach blossoms, and you want me to bring you a peach blossom?
This... is that even possible?!
"What’s with that expression?"
Jiang Yu frowned, then realized, shaking his head with some exasperation,
"The peach blossom I’m talking about is the real peach blossom that grows on trees, not the one you’re thinking of!"
"Re-real peach blossom!"
Lu Shuwu was momentarily stunned before letting out a sigh of relief.
He thought his boss was longing for spring and wanted him to bring back a "peach blossom". How could he have such a skill?
But thinking about it, his boss is about to graduate from college with both career and reputation. Longing for spring seems quite normal.
Hmm, maybe he could ask his sister if she knows any suitable female classmates. If he could introduce his boss to a girlfriend, wouldn’t that be a great achievement?
Maybe his boss, in appreciation, might teach him more dishes!
As he was pondering this, his boss’s voice interrupted his thoughts:
"Of course, really peach blossoms! Tomorrow, you should head over there early, preferably before nine o’clock. Ask around if they sell peach blossoms, and if they do, pick some more to bring back."
"Buy peach blossoms? What for?"
"To make Peach Blossom Sauce, and perhaps some peach blossom cakes."
"Gulp!"
As Jiang Yu mentioned this, Lu Shuwu seemed to catch a whiff of a faint, sweet floral fragrance, and his mouth started watering uncontrollably, making him swallow his saliva.
Though he isn’t fond of sweets, based on prior experiences, he knows that anything his boss makes is definitely delicious!
Thinking of this, his face immediately lit up with joy as he eagerly responded,
"Don’t worry, boss. Even if they don’t sell, I’ll find a way to bring it back!"
"..."
Jiang Yu turned to look at him, speechless.
It’s just a bit of peach blossom, is it really worth this much?
Early the next morning, Lu Shuwu drove off with his sister, Lu Shuyao, to attend the Peach Blossom Festival. Meanwhile, Jiang Yu personally took charge of the kitchen on the first floor of Seventh Dining Hall.
The breakfast at the student cafeteria on the first floor hadn’t changed much recently. The buns were still the same, and so was the porridge.
There wasn’t much change in the variety of hot braised dishes either. After all, no matter how hot the weather is, it doesn’t get too warm in the morning, and hot braised dishes always feel cleaner and more hygienic than cold ones. Therefore, Lu Shuwu didn’t consider replacing them.
As for spring rolls and white sugar cakes, being fried foods, they are a bit greasy, and with the appetite already diminishing in hot weather, fewer people are willing to eat them.
"Starting tomorrow, let’s take spring rolls and white sugar cakes off the menu."
Jiang Yu called over Ma Guoqiang, who had just arrived at the cafeteria, to discuss this with him,
