Time always passes so quickly; another day went by without realizing it.
Waking up, Liu Ming smelled the aroma of porridge.
Liu Ming moved his body but couldn't get up.
His gaze shifted downwards, and an unidentified object was lying on him. Pulling back the blanket, he saw it was Tohru.
"Hey, wake up, Tohru, wake up! How did you end up in my room? Don't you have your own room?" Liu Ming shook her vigorously.
Tohru opened her hazy, sleepy eyes, saw Liu Ming close by, and smiled sweetly, "Good morning, Xiao Ming."
"How did you end up in my room?" Liu Ming asked with a wry smile.
"Ah, how did I end up in Xiao Ming's room? Never mind, it doesn't matter. Anyway, I've long planned to dedicate everything to Xiao Ming," Tohru tilted her head, preparing to go back to sleep.
"Alright, stop sleeping. Megumi is already up making breakfast."
The two of them took over half an hour to wash up.
Going down to the first floor, Tadokoro Megumi was concentrating on cooking porridge.
"Good morning, Megumi," Liu Ming said.
"Good morning, Shifu," Tadokoro Megumi still had faint dark circles under her eyes.
It seemed she hadn't slept well last night.
But thinking about it, it made sense. After experiencing so much yesterday, and then sleeping in the house of a man she had known for less than a day, it was quite a shock for a conservative girl like her, even if he was her Shifu.
Liu Ming inhaled the scent wafting in the air and then said, "Are you making vegetable porridge?"
"Shifu is amazing; you can guess just by the smell. Because last night's dinner was all greasy food, I wanted to cook some porridge this morning to cleanse the bowels and nourish the stomach, to regulate the body," Tadokoro Megumi said nervously.
"That's a very good idea. You understand how to think for the customer and always pay attention to their health. This is very important; you must remember it firmly," Liu Ming praised.
"I will always keep that in mind, Shifu," Tadokoro Megumi nodded solemnly.
"Here's the key to the small door on the first floor; take it. I'm going out to buy some things today and don't know when I'll be back. If you come back first, just take care of yourself," Liu Ming took a key and handed it to Tadokoro Megumi.
"Okay," Tadokoro Megumi reached out and took it.
"Xiao Ming, what about me? What about mine?" Tohru quickly jumped out, asking with an expectant look.
"You have one too," Liu Ming had no choice but to find another key and hand it to the excited Tohru.
"Master, the porridge is ready. I'll serve it to you now," Tadokoro Megumi asked, her voice slightly nervous.
"Megumi, I want some too! I'm hungry," Tohru ran into the kitchen.
Since Tadokoro Megumi was now Liu Ming's apprentice, she didn't have much animosity towards Tadokoro Megumi. In fact, she even had a good impression of Tadokoro Megumi, as she was working towards becoming his wife.
"What a fragrant smell," Tohru came to the counter, looking at the large pot of porridge, and couldn't help but swallow.
"I'll serve it to you now." Seeing her food so popular, Tadokoro Megumi's nervous heart calmed down quite a bit.
She took a large bowl, filled it to the brim, and handed it to Tohru.
Tohru didn't taste it immediately but instead gave the bowl of porridge to Liu Ming.
"Thank you," Liu Ming took the bowl.
Soon, all three of them had a bowl of vegetable porridge in their hands.
The green lettuce, red carrots, and white rice intertwined, forming a beautiful picture.
"I'll dig in," the three of them said before they began to eat.
"What a sweet and refreshing porridge. It's soft and glutinous in the mouth, cooked thoroughly without any residue. The crispness of the lettuce, the sweetness of the carrots, and the softness of the white rice. It flows down the throat into the stomach like a ball of light, warming the heart."
"What wonderful porridge," Liu Ming praised, nodding slightly.
Before Tadokoro Megumi could be happy, he changed his tone, "But there are still significant flaws."
"Please guide me, Master," Tadokoro Megumi's expression changed, and then she said seriously.
"Undoubtedly, your technique for cooking porridge, your skills, and your choice and combination of ingredients are all fine. The problem lies in your mood when cooking the porridge: nervousness, anxiety, and a lack of confidence.
I told you last night that cooking can reflect the chef's mood at the time. Indeed, ordinary people cannot distinguish these. However, if you want to stand at the pinnacle of chefs, you must overcome these problems.
As the saying goes, if you make dessert while crying, even if it's made, it will be bitter."
"From this bowl of porridge, it's clear that your talent is not bad. But you get nervous too easily, and you lack confidence in what you do. These shortcomings are really too serious."
"Compared to your cooking skills, you should first overcome these problems now," Liu Ming said sternly.
Tadokoro Megumi, of course, knew her problems, but she couldn't help it. These emotions came and went, and she couldn't stop them.
"You don't have to worry too much. Since I am your Master, I will definitely help you overcome these problems. You just need to honestly accept the arrangements."
"Thank you, Master," Tadokoro Megumi's expression relaxed, and she said happily.