Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
If he had been 70% certain that he could make it to Recommended Man, now he was 90% sure that he would make it. After studying with Master Yun for half a year, he was even 70% sure to make it to the final shortlist. If he continued) he would definitely make it to Advanced Scholar too. He was feeling different now.
"Thanks! But for you, we would not have visited him the other day…"
Shao Yunduan was feeling very emotional and grateful. Had it not been for Qiao Xuan's curiosity, they would not have insisted on going there, since everything sounded so ridiculous at that time, no one would have assumed that it was for real.
Moreover, that elderly man was very capable!
Qiao Xuan smiled brightly as she turned to look at him with sparkling eyes. "I was curious and led you there, but it is you who are capable enough that Master Yun took you in! We are now heading towards the bright end of a tunnel, and we are going to make Zhao Guanghua and his followers so annoyed!"
In fact, Qiao Xuan behaved that day not entirely because she was simply curious. She just felt that some real talents tended to have weird tempers and acted differently from ordinary people.
She felt that a visit would not hurt.
Thankfully that visit turned out to be worth the while.
Shao Yunduan smiled. "Still, I need to thank you. No wonder, Mom calls you a lucky star!"
Qiao Xuan smiled too but she was feeling quite shy…
Shao Yunduan added. "Master Yun says that he is willing to teach me but he can't take me in as a disciple now."
That meant that he did not think Shao Yunduan was qualified enough to
His words made Qiao Xuan feel motivated. She countered and said, "But you are so good that Master Yun is still so particular about you? Just work hard, Darling. He will accept you someday!"
Shao Yunduan smiled and nodded. "Okay!'
That was what he was thinking too.
Qiao Xuan asked Shao Yunduan if Master Yun liked the presents.
Shao Yunduan smiled. "He loved them, especially salted duck eggs, dried radishes, smoked meat and sausages. Actually, he liked all of them! At noon, the servants steamed salted duck eggs and fried smoked meat with dried radish and garlic sprouts."
Qiao Xuan was happy. "Next time, you can bring some delicious food with you, a few things each time, okay?"
Shao Yunduan nodded with a smile.
Those were not precious, but filled with his sincerity.
Qiao Xuan was very glad, so she wanted to celebrate a little and cooked a few dishes.
A dish of fried winter bamboo shoots with smoked meat, and a dish of steamed mandarin fish with smoked meat.
She cut moderately thick bamboo shoots and stir-fried them with smoked meat. The winter bamboo shoots absorbed the excess oil from the bacon. The fresh fragrance of the bamboo shoots and the salty fragrance of the smoked meat complemented each other perfectly. She put them on a plate and garnished them with some green chives. The fragrance was tangy, the oil was shiny and attractive, and it looked wonderful.
Qiao Xuan's food was always so interesting, even though they were just the same dishes all over.
Sliced smoked meat was neatly arranged in a circle around mandarin fish crossed with a knife. After steaming, the snow-white fish meat and the bright red and translucent smoked meat slices were mixed in half and half to contrast with each other. The steaming heat carried the fragrance into the air, making people salivate.
Qiao Xuan suggested that she was going to make claypot rice for lunch the next day.
They had a few stoves and claypots at home. She had them made when they were processing smoked meat.
They should definitely eat claypot rice with smoked meat!