Chapter 32
Elizabeth had just wrapped up tutoring a young boy when two more kids came over for help. She answered their questions with patience. The other instructors were doing great too. The village kids, eager to learn, took their studies seriously. Of course, there were some funny moments, mostly thanks to Raymond.
Two hours later, the kids left the yard one by one. Not long after, they came back, each carrying some meat, veggies, and fruits their families had prepared. They handed them to Elizabeth and her crew. Holding a jar of sauce given by the boy's grandmother, Elizabeth grinned and said, "How about we use this sauce to cook fish tonight?"
Raymond and the others nodded excitedly. "Sounds good!" Elizabeth headed to the kitchen to prep the fish. The two guys offered to help but were pretty clumsy. Elizabeth didn't mind. Once they finished cleaning the fish and Nancy washed it, Elizabeth took over, slicing the fish with skill. The fillets fell in thin, even slices.
Ronald was impressed. "Elizabeth, your knife skills are amazing." Raymond picked up a few slices to check them out. "You're really good!" Nancy looked at Elizabeth with admiration. "Your knife skills are definitely chef-level." Elizabeth smiled at them. "I had some special training before."
She started cooking the fish, with the others helping out. The two fish from the villagers were pretty big, so after talking it over, Elizabeth decided to use the sauce from the boy's grandmother for both. Just then, Eugene and his group came back from their work outside. As they got closer to the yard, they were greeted by a mouth-watering aroma.
Lisa couldn't resist the mouth-watering smell. "What did the other group cook?" she asked. She'd only had a sandwich for breakfast, and lunch was pretty mediocre, so she was starving now.
Brenda, catching the aroma, felt uneasy. She knew it had to be Elizabeth cooking. "I’m not sure," she replied. Then, trying to be considerate, she asked, "What do you want for dinner? I can cook."
With the delicious smell still in her nose, Lisa blurted out, "Whatever they’re making."
Brenda's smile wavered but quickly returned. "Alright, I’ll go check it out. If I can make it, I will," she said warmly. "And if I can’t, I’ll ask the production team for a cooking video to learn from."
Lisa forced a smile. "Thanks for the effort." Eugene, recognizing the aroma as Elizabeth’s cooking, felt a twinge of jealousy. Hearing their conversation, he turned to Brenda with anticipation. "Dinner’s in your hands."
Brenda smiled sweetly at him. "No problem, leave it to me."
[Do you think Brenda can make the fish?]
[Maybe, she can follow a video tutorial, right?]
[I mean, can she replicate Elizabeth’s flavor?]
[That might be tough; Elizabeth’s fish looks amazing even through the screen.]
[I agree, I wanted to lick the screen while she was cooking.]
[Elizabeth’s culinary skills are top-notch; you can tell by her knife work and technique.]
[It’ll be hard for Brenda to match that level.]
[How do you know Brenda can’t do it?]
[Exactly, our Brenda is just as good as Elizabeth.]
[Brenda took cooking lessons before coming on this show.]
[Don't underestimate her.]
[Sure, Brenda is great, but her brother is still in the bathroom with a stomachache.]
[Brenda's fans fell silent.]
Kevin and Brenda's fans were momentarily speechless. Meanwhile, Eugene and his group walked in, only to find Raymond and the others sitting in the yard, devouring fish. Elizabeth ate slowly, while the other three seemed unable to stop.
Nancy, with a look of satisfaction, said, "This fish is so delicious." Raymond looked up, "This is the best fish I've ever had." He gave Elizabeth a thumbs up, "Better than what chefs make." Ronald also praised, "I usually don't like fish, but I can't stop eating this." They hadn't expected Elizabeth to be such a good cook. Elizabeth smiled, "I'm glad you like it."
[You can tell the fish is exceptional if even Raymond, known for his discerning palate, can't look up from his meal.]
[Raymond really doesn't like fish, but this time he's digging in and has had several bowls.]
[Nancy is eating without any concern for her image, focused on the fish in her bowl.]
[I'm getting hungry just watching; I'm going to make some instant noodles to eat while watching them.]
Seeing Raymond and the others enjoying their meal so much, Lisa felt even hungrier. She turned and asked, "They're eating fish, Brenda, can you make it?" Although she had little hope for Brenda's cooking skills, she really wanted to have some fish right now. Brenda nodded. "I just happened to learn how to cook fish. But we don't have fish or sauce; we'll need to buy some from the villagers." Today, they were paid directly for their work, forty dollars each.
Eugene said, "I'll go buy it." He also wanted to have fish, as it smelled delicious.
Soon, the two bowls of fish on the table were completely devoured by the four of them.
Raymond and Ronald even soaked bread in the fish soup.
Raymond leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stomach. "I can't remember the last time I ate this much."
Ronald laughed, "I rarely eat until I'm full."
Nancy nodded vigorously. "Me too." She looked at Elizabeth and asked, "Elizabeth, what are we eating tomorrow?" Elizabeth smiled, "Whatever you want, I'll make it for you tomorrow."
Nancy hugged Elizabeth's arm, "Oh, Elizabeth, you're the best!" Raymond smiled, "Elizabeth spoils us." Ronald laughed, "I'm so glad to be in the same group as Elizabeth." Especially compared to Kevin, who was still dealing with a stomachache, he was grateful not to be in that group. Raymond added meaningfully, "So happiness is born of contrast."
At that moment, Eugene returned with the fish and sauce, just in time to hear their conversation. He looked at Elizabeth deeply, filled with jealousy. How could she spoil Raymond so much? If it weren't for the live broadcast, he would have dragged Elizabeth to the kitchen to cook just for him. While Eugene was lost in thought, Brenda came out of the kitchen. "Eugene, you're back." She glanced at Elizabeth in the yard, then quickly walked over to take the fish and vegetables from Eugene's hands. "You went to buy fish because we wanted it; how kind you are!" She did this deliberately to annoy Elizabeth, to show that whatever she liked, Eugene could provide, while Elizabeth, as his girlfriend, was nothing. Unfortunately, Elizabeth didn't even glance her way. Brenda felt a bit disappointed, guessing that Elizabeth was just pretending to be calm.
[Elizabeth is so cool, not even giving Brenda the time of day.]
[Brenda's trying too hard; it's kind of sad.]
[Eugene should just admit he misses Elizabeth's cooking.]
[Raymond and Ronald are living their best lives right now.]
[Nancy hugging Elizabeth was so cute!]
[Elizabeth's group is so lucky; they get to eat her amazing food every day.]
[Brenda's jealousy is showing, and it's not a good look.]
[Elizabeth's confidence is on another level; she doesn't need to stoop to Brenda's level.]
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
