Yan Cijin answered that they had eaten breakfast and would be grateful for lunch later, while Bai Li asked whether the kitchen had enough flour for the week. The cook began explaining that a delivery had arrived late, but it was not a serious problem. Bai Li listened, made a note to have the supply steward check the route, and then asked whether the cook's son had recovered from the fever he had caught the previous month.
The woman looked surprised that Bai Li remembered. She quickly assured her that the boy was well and had returned to helping with the deliveries. Yan Cijin asked whether he was still determined to become a martial artist, and the cook laughed, saying he was more interested in learning how to cook sweet cakes than in learning sword forms. Yan Cijin declared that this was an excellent ambition, and Bai Li added that Mount Hua could always use another person who understood the proper balance of sugar and tea.
