Chapter Thirty-One: Jiang Yun Prepares a Meal

Everyone hurriedly turned to look. Huang Kang was sitting on the ground, clutching his right ankle.

“Mr. Huang, what happened?” Jiang Yun rushed over to Huang Kang’s side.

The others gathered around as well.

“It’s nothing, I just twisted my ankle.”

Jiang Yun rolled up his pant leg for a look. “You need to see a doctor right away.”

Huang Kang’s right ankle was already swollen, a large lump shining on it.

“Director, call a doctor now!” He Ling shouted.

The director panicked. “All the medical staff are at the Mushroom House. Let’s get back there first!”

Jiang Yun and He Ling lifted Huang Kang onto the electric tricycle, Jiang Yun took the wheel, and they sped off toward the Mushroom House.

By the time they arrived, the medical team was already prepared; the director had called ahead.

After a quick spray for the injury, the doctors insisted on carrying Huang Kang down the mountain to the hospital.

“No, I can’t go! I still have to cook!” Huang Kang struggled to sit up on the stretcher.

“Old Huang, now’s hardly the time to worry about that!” He Ling said from the side.

“If I don’t cook, the show can’t go on!”

“Mr. He, Mr. Huang…” Jiang Yun interrupted.

Both Huang Kang and He Ling turned to look at Jiang Yun.

“I can cook,” Jiang Yun said.

Huang Kang was momentarily taken aback. “Jiang Yun, you can cook?”

Jiang Yun nodded confidently. Of course, I’m a man skilled in the culinary arts.

Huang Kang was skeptical, but Jiang Yun knew time was pressing. “Don’t worry, Mr. Huang. Let me handle the meal!”

In the end, it was He Ling who made the decision, persuading Huang Kang, who reluctantly agreed to let Jiang Yun cook.

They carried Huang Kang on the stretcher to the fork in the road, where the ambulance was already waiting.

The ambulance carried Huang Kang away.

Everyone else returned to the Mushroom House.

Jiang Yun began to prepare the meal.

“Jiang Yun, can you really cook?” Yue Yun came over to him.

Jiang Yun hesitated for a moment, surprised that Yue Yun was speaking to him. He’d thought the two of them wouldn’t say a word to each other for the rest of the shoot.

But now, Yue Yun was the first to break the ice.

Since the other had spoken, Jiang Yun didn’t want to seem petty.

“I really can cook.”

He Ling entered the kitchen. “Jiang Yun, need a hand?”

“No, Mr. He, please go and rest,” Jiang Yun replied politely.

“All right, then we’ll just look forward to your dishes!” He Ling and Yue Yun left the kitchen.

Jiang Yun set to work. He chopped the eggplant, gave it a quick fry, cut the potatoes, sliced the green peppers.

He heated oil in the pan, tossed in the peppers first, then the potatoes, and finally the eggplant. He seasoned it with chicken essence, salt, dark and light soy sauce.

A classic stir-fried three-vegetable dish was soon ready.

Jiang Yun then trimmed the roots from the oyster mushrooms, washed them, and cleaned some baby greens.

He heated oil in the pan, threw in some Sichuan peppercorns, and sautéed scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Then he added the oyster mushrooms and baby greens, seasoning them to taste. A plate of stir-fried mushrooms with greens was done.

Jiang Yun prepared six dishes and a soup.

“It’s ready!” he called out from the kitchen.

The other four came in to help carry the food to the table.

The dishes were set out—all looked, smelled, and tasted wonderful. The four couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

“Jiang Yun, your dishes look amazing!” Yue Yun exclaimed.

“Everyone, dig in!” Having reconciled with Yue Yun, Jiang Yun’s mood lifted, and he flashed a sunny smile.

The five of them sat down, filled their bowls with rice, and began to eat.

“Mmm—this three-vegetable stir-fry is incredible!” Ouyang Na mumbled with her mouth full of rice.

“These mushrooms are delicious, especially with the numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper!”

Ouyang Na kept chattering the whole time, praising how good everything was.

The other four smiled without comment.

“Ring ring ring!”

“I’ll get it, I’ll get it!” Ouyang Na dashed over to the phone.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Huang!”

“So, how’s Jiang Yun’s cooking?” Huang Kang’s voice came through the line.

“Let me tell you, Jiang Yun’s food is absolutely delicious!” Ouyang Na replied enthusiastically.

He Ling came over, gesturing for the phone.

He Ling took it. “Hello, Jiang Yun’s cooking is even better than yours! I had three whole bowls of rice.”

“That puts my mind at ease!” Huang Kang said gratefully from the other end.

In the afternoon, everyone went back out to plant trees.

With one person missing, the novelty of the task faded, and enthusiasm waned.

They only managed to plant sixty trees.

“Be careful, everyone. Don’t twist your ankle like Huang Kang,” He Ling reminded them.

“Finally, we can head back for dinner!” Ouyang Na bounced along. “Jiang Yun’s cooking is so good, I miss it the moment I skip a meal.”

“It’s just a pity we’ll only be eating vegetarian again this afternoon!” Yue Yun remarked.

At five o’clock, they returned to the Mushroom House.

Jiang Yun started preparing dinner, this time with some variety: blistered green peppers, cold cucumber salad, shredded bitter melon with white fungus…

After dinner, and another phone call with Huang Kang, evening had almost fallen.

“It’s time for a game!” someone suggested.

“Are we playing the Horses game again?” Ouyang Na asked.

He Ling shook his head. “You’ve already figured out the trick to that one. Let’s try something new.”

“What game?” Guan Tong asked curiously.

“It’s called Catch the Duck!” He Ling announced.

“Listen up, I’ll explain the rules!” He Ling said. “Everyone, pay attention…”

After hearing the rules, the four nodded in understanding.

He Ling sat to the right of Jiang Yun, who was to the right of Guan Tong, then came Ouyang Na and Yue Yun in order.

The game began, and the five of them clapped their hands in rhythm.

He Ling: “Catch the duck, catch the duck, how many ducks?”

Jiang Yun: “Catch one duck!”

Guan Tong: “Caught it!”

“Quack!”

Guan Tong: “Catch the duck, catch the duck, how many ducks?”

Ouyang Na: “Catch five ducks!”

Yue Yun: “Didn’t catch them!”

He Ling: “Caught them!”

“Quack quack quack, quack quack!”

They played the game late into the night before finally going to bed. With tonight over, the show would finish recording the next day, and they would all head home.

Jiang Yun washed up quickly and returned to his room.

“Knock knock knock!”

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Yue Yun!”

Jiang Yun was surprised and opened the door.

“Were you asleep?” Yue Yun stepped inside.

“Not yet, I was just about to go to bed.” Jiang Yun poured a cup of tea and handed it to Yue Yun.

“Thank you!”

The two made small talk at first. When Jiang Yun noticed Yue Yun hadn’t gotten to the point, he decided not to press.

“Sigh…”

Yue Yun let out a sigh. “Jiang Yun, I want to apologize for what happened today.”

Thanks to his keen sense of logic, Jiang Yun could tell Yue Yun was finally getting to the heart of the matter. The apology was just an opening; what came next was the real reason for this visit.

“It’s all right. I owe you an apology too—I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly,” Jiang Yun replied.

Yue Yun smiled. “So, we’re reconciled?”

“Weren’t we already?”

They both laughed and exchanged friendly pats on the shoulder.

What Jiang Yun didn’t know was that Yue Yun’s actions were all according to the script. Still, Yue Yun did have something to discuss with Jiang Yun.

“The reason I came to see you tonight is…”