Chapter 11 Travel
Xu Qing only felt that his restless body and mind were gently soothed, and his eagerness for quick success and instant benefits became soft and comfortable. At this moment, the whole world seemed to be stripped of a layer of gauze, becoming vivid and clear.

The birds singing outside the house are clear and melodious, the breeze brings the fragrance of soil and grass leaves, and the red bricks and green tiles on the roof are shining in the sunlight, which is particularly eye-catching.

The streets are filled with the sound of hawkers, each loud and clear, revealing the spirit of life. Every household lights up the smoke and the heat rises, beginning a day of hard work.

Children play and laugh carefreely, looking at everything in the world with innocent curiosity. Even an ordinary stone seems so novel and interesting to them.

The sky was blue, the earth was thick, and the white clouds were drifting farther and farther away with the wind. The world suddenly became vast and boundless, no longer confined to this small kitchen, no longer just the knife in his hand and the ingredients under the knife, as if someone gently held his hand, led him out of the narrow gatehouse, and stepped into a wider world, to see things he had never seen before, to experience a life he had never experienced before.

Master Abei's thoughts were continuously conveyed to his heart through food, soft and warm, just like the breeze in early spring, or like the rising sun gently shining on the earth.

Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. This way of conveying one's feelings through taste was truly mysterious. One taste was worth a thousand words.

Words stay in the ears, but are difficult to reach the heart.

However, the feelings conveyed through food transcend the constraints of words and flow directly into the heart, allowing people to deeply appreciate the chef's intentions from the inside out.

Is this what a top chef does?

No, even among the top chefs, few can do this.

Xu Qing believes that once he has honed his skills to maturity, he will be able to join the ranks of top chefs effortlessly.

However, the method of conveying one's feelings through food is so mysterious that it can be said to be close to the Tao, and it is not a realm that can be achieved simply by honing skills.

In this way, Master Abe told him that skills are not everything in cooking. If one is too obsessed with skills, it will be counterproductive and he will lose the opportunity to move to a higher level.

While honing your skills, don't forget life itself.

Only a chef who understands the true meaning of life can make dishes that touch people's hearts.

Xu Qing stood up, clasped his fists and bowed to Master Abei, saying, "Master Abei, I understand."

Master Abei smiled and said, "It just so happens that the neighboring town is holding a celebration. Ah Qing, you, Ke Ling, and Ah Mao should go to the town to have some fun. There will be dragon and lion dances, jugglers, and you can also eat the secret specialties of various restaurants on this day. It's going to be very lively!"

Master Abei thought that Ah Qing was at a age when she loved to play and make noises. It would be too depressing for her to stay in the kitchen all the time to learn skills. Ke Ling and Ah Mao were not much older than Ah Qing, so they should have more fun playing together.

Moreover, due to the busy work of Ju Xialou before, and the remaining rest time he had to teach Shaoan, Master Abei had no time to take Ke Ling and A Mao out to play, and even had very little time to take care of them.

Fortunately, both children are very sensible and never complain. When Ke Ling was older, she went to the store to help serve dishes and clean. A Mao was young and could not do these chores. When he was bored, he liked to lie in the kitchen and watch everyone cook.

But the more sensible the two children became, the more Master Abei felt that he owed them.

It just so happens that a person of the same age has come over, and the three of us can have fun together.

Moreover, Xu Qing has a calm and steady personality, which makes people feel at ease. He has also traveled a long distance from his hometown to study in Juxialou, so Master Abei feels more at ease letting the three children go out for fun together.

Hearing Master Abei say this, Xu Qing suddenly felt embarrassed.

It’s okay to go out and play by yourself, but it’s too troublesome to take care of children!

But seeing Master Abei's expectant expression and the sparkling eyes of the two children beside him, Xu Qing really couldn't say no and could only nod and agree.

Just consider it as my way of repaying Master Abe's kindness in teaching me.

Ugh……

Master Abei noticed Xu Qing's depression and comforted him, "Ah Qing, Ke Ling and A Mao are both very well-behaved and sensible children. They won't cause you any trouble." "The same goes for you two, Ke Ling and A Mao. When you go out, you must listen to A Qing in everything and you are not allowed to run around. Do you understand?"

"Got it." The two siblings nodded obediently.

Xu Qing and the other two set out immediately after breakfast. They first took a villager's ox cart to a nearby village, and then walked for a distance.

Although the distance is not far, it still takes half an hour to walk.

After walking for just over ten minutes, Xu Qing already felt his scalp tingling.

Before leaving, Master Abei told Xu Qing that the two siblings were very sensible and obedient and would not cause him any trouble.

Yes, he was quite obedient in front of Master Abe, but he changed immediately when he came out, instantly becoming a wild dog on the loose, a naughty monkey in Mount Emei, a little devil that had come into contact with the seal, running around happily, and disappearing if you couldn't catch him at a glance.

Fortunately, although the two of them were having fun, they knew their limits and did not cause any big trouble. At most, they attracted a swarm of hornets, forcing Xu Qing to flee for his life with them.

"Ah Qing, look at this fruit, it's so red, it must be very sweet!"

Liu Keling and Liu Maoxing, brother and sister, jumped out from the bushes happily, each holding a handful of bright red fruits, showing them off to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing sighed and said, "This is..."

Before he could finish, Liu Maoxing took a bite first. The sour taste made his face wrinkled like a bun, and snot, tears and saliva flowed all over his face.

“…wild hawthorn.”

"Listen to what I have to say before you speak!"

Xu Qing's blood pressure suddenly rose.

Fortunately, this is a non-toxic fruit, otherwise it would be terrible!

Now he finally understood why his parents in his previous life were so angry when helping their children with their homework.

It really makes one angry!
"If you do that again, I'll send you two home immediately!"

"understood……"

Seeing Xu Qing getting angry, the two men lowered their eyebrows and looked at each other, responding listlessly.

Xu Qing took a deep breath, calmed himself, and walked forward.

The two siblings were afraid of making Xu Qing angry, so they dared not run around anymore. The rest of the journey was uneventful, and they arrived at their destination smoothly.

As you approach the town, the aroma carried by the wind goes straight into your nose, making you drool.

Xu Qing straightened his face and said to the two of them, "When we enter the town, stay close to me and don't run around. There will be a lot of people during the celebration and it's easy to get separated."

The two siblings nodded seriously. They knew what was important and understood that the town was different from the wild and it was not a place where they could have fun as they pleased.

"Very well, let's go."

(End of this chapter)