Chapter 193: Hands-on Lesson

Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Hands-on Lesson

"Are you serious?"

To Jiang Fan’s surprise, Li Muwan looked up at him.

There was even a hint of anticipation on her face.

"Uh... I am. But I’m curious, why the sudden interest in learning to cook?"

Jiang Fan scratched his head, but still agreed.

"I just want to learn. I spent all morning at it, but this... this is all I have to show for it."

Li Muwan fought back tears, continually dabbing at the corners of her eyes.

’Why does a powerful career woman like you feel the need to learn how to cook, anyway?’

Shaking his head, Jiang Fan sighed.

"I’ll teach you whenever you’re free."

"I’m free today. I want to learn now."

Li Muwan cut him off before he could finish.

"Today? Right now?"

Jiang Fan’s whole face scrunched up.

"Yes, right now. I want to learn. You’re not going to back out of your promise, are you?"

Li Muwan’s spirits seemed to droop again.

"All right, clean this up. Throw it all in the trash. I’ll take you to the market to get groceries."

"I’ll give you a hands-on lesson today."

’I don’t think I have anything else going on today,’ he thought. ’Since I promised, I might as well teach her.’

’Besides, it’s just a few simple, home-cooked dishes.’

"Okay."

Li Muwan quickly composed herself. Her tears had vanished before she even realized it.

She dumped the food into the kitchen trash can as quickly as she could.

She even threw the plate in.

"Hey, why’d you throw the plate in? What a waste!"

Jiang Fan hurried over, fished the plate out of the trash, and washed it in the sink.

"Uh..."

"Plates cost money, you know? Besides, this one is perfectly fine. How can you just throw it away? Clearly, you’ve never had to manage a household budget."

After chiding her for a moment, Jiang Fan placed the clean plate in the dish sterilizer nearby.

What surprised him most today was that Li Muwan didn’t argue back. She just stood to the side with her head lowered.

"Go wash your face and hands. We’re going to the market."

"We’re not going to a supermarket today. I want you to experience the hustle and bustle of a real street market."

Again, she didn’t argue. Li Muwan obediently washed her face, tidied herself up, and went to wait by the door.

"Holy crap... Hey, if you have a problem with something, just say it. Acting like this... it’s kind of freaking me out."

Jiang Fan said, watching her cautiously.

"I’m fine. Aren’t we going to the market?"

Li Muwan shook her head.

"Ahem, alright then... let’s go."

The two of them walked side-by-side, crossing two small alleys and a main road before arriving at the nearest street market.

Though not very large, this market wasn’t dirty and chaotic like many others.

On the contrary, it was well-organized. The lower level sold vegetables, spices, and fruit, while the upper level was for meat.

Even the floors were clean.

"What do you feel like eating?"

Jiang Fan asked, turning to her.

"That depends on what you’re going to teach me to make."

Just then, she noticed something a little odd about the way Jiang Fan was looking at her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"It’s nothing, nothing."

Jiang Fan quickly shook his head, looking away with a guilty conscience.

He had just realized that in her simple loungewear and a high ponytail, Li Muwan possessed a rare, intellectual sort of beauty.

Tinged with a hint of gentleness.

It was a complete departure from her usual aura.

’This is a third side to her, different from her usual self and the way she is when she drinks.’

’If I were to marry her, wouldn’t that be three times the fun?’

’That’s why I was just staring like an idiot.’

"Uh, I actually don’t know how to make that many things. Just the usual stuff."

"How about today we make some Sour and Spicy Shredded Potatoes, Hand-Torn Cabbage, Stir-fried Pork with Peppers, and a Seaweed Egg Drop Soup?"

"Three dishes and a soup. That should be perfect."

Jiang Fan said, looking away, but it was clear he was still seeking her opinion.

"Okay."

Seeing her nod, Jiang Fan led her deeper into the market.

"These are scallions, these are garlic sprouts, and this is a head of garlic."

"Sautéing them first to bring out the aroma makes stir-fries taste much better."

"Excuse me, can I get a bag? I’m getting a couple of potatoes."

Jiang Fan called out enthusiastically.

"You’ve got a good eye, young man. My potatoes are the freshest around."

"Go on, pick whichever you like. See anything else you need?"

The shopkeeper was quite cheerful, handing Jiang Fan a bag with a smile.

"Do you know him well?"

Li Muwan whispered next to him.

"Not at all."

Jiang Fan replied, his head down as he sifted through the potatoes.

"Then why do you act like you know each other so well?"

Li Muwan was thoroughly puzzled.

"You can’t be mad at someone who’s smiling at you. That’s especially true for people trying to run a business."

"Let me tell you, when you’re picking potatoes, you want ones that are round, feel heavy for their size, and have a yellowish hue."

"Only those kinds of potatoes taste good. The ones with cracks or cuts will have big black spots inside when you cut them open at home."

"You can’t eat those parts."

Jiang Fan picked out two as he spoke, then had Li Muwan pick one herself.

After paying, he said a quick goodbye to the shopkeeper and headed deeper into the market.

"For the Hand-Torn Cabbage, you also want to pick one that’s a bit heavier. That means it has more moisture and is fresher."

Jiang Fan picked one out and handed it to the vendor.

"You can just stir-fry the cabbage plain, but it’s much more fragrant and tasty if you add some garlic and Thai chilies."

"These are the Thai chilies. They’re extremely spicy, so don’t use too much. And this is the garlic, which you’ll need to mince."

In that moment, Jiang Fan was the very picture of a patient teacher, explaining everything to her.

Li Muwan kept nodding along, committing every piece of information to memory.

"Sir, could you weigh these three for me?"

"That’ll be 18.30. Just give me 18."

The vendor handed over the items, and Jiang Fan held up his phone to show the payment QR code.

"So all that’s left is the Stir-fried Pork with Peppers, right?"

"Right. Let’s get the peppers from this stall over here. They look a little better."

Jiang Fan quickened his pace, getting a few steps ahead of Li Muwan. Unexpectedly, she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Slow down, I can’t quite keep up."

Stunned for a moment, Jiang Fan didn’t pull away.

Arriving at the stall, he let go of Li Muwan’s hand and picked up a long, twisted chili. "This is a spiral chili, the perfect partner for stir-fried pork."

"It’s not overly spicy, but it’s very fragrant and full-flavored."

"From now on, just remember to buy this kind of chili whenever you make stir-fried pork."

"Oh, okay."

Li Muwan nodded, her eyes practically sparkling.

She’d never been exposed to any of this before. Now, she felt like she was discovering even more of Jiang Fan’s admirable qualities.

"What about the meat? How do you pick the meat?"