Entering the Zhang Family as Kitchen Assistant

Emily Lee was overjoyed and immediately turned to run outside.

When Emily Lee came running back to the fields, panting, and saw Ryan King still waiting for her, her heart was filled with sweetness.

"Ryan!" Emily Lee rushed over, eager. "Quick, go call Cherry Miller to my house! My mom said she's willing to take Cherry Miller to the Zhang Family to try out as a kitchen helper!"

Ryan King was excited, but his face showed surprise. "A kitchen helper? At the Zhang Family?"

"Yes." Emily Lee nodded vigorously. "The Zhang Family has been looking for a good kitchen helper for a while now. They want someone skilled. None of the village chiefs have found a match yet, so they're helping keep an eye out. If anyone suitable pops up, they'll introduce them. Cherry Miller's pastries are so delicious—she'll be perfect for the job!"

It's really like someone bringing you a pillow when you're sleepy.

They'd just been talking about sneaking into the Zhang Family, and now the opportunity had arrived.

Ryan King immediately looked moved. "Emily, you're really too good to me."

Emily Lee's cheeks turned even redder, and she said shyly, "I'm happy to do something for you, Ryan."

Ryan King went back right away to tell Cherry Miller the news.

Cherry Miller looked at Ryan King with a meaningful smile. "Using your looks to get things done, huh? Impressive!"

Ryan King chuckled. "I never promised anything—she just imagined it herself."

Yina Yin said, "You better be careful. Don't let that sweet girl cling to you when it's time for us to leave."

"Haha, no way, I know what I'm doing. I've never openly said anything." Ryan King replied, "If I don't make the first move, I'm not responsible."

"Ugh, jerk." Cherry Miller and Yina Yin both scoffed at him.

That's what they said, anyway.

But when it was time to act, Cherry Miller didn't hesitate at all.

The next day, the village chief's wife came to call Cherry Miller to town. Cherry changed into a new outfit and brought along a set of expensive knives that Yuan Shisan had bought from outside. Then she headed to town with her.

"Once you're at the Zhang Family, speak less and work more," the village chief's wife warned Cherry Miller. "Don't go poking your nose into things. The last cook was fired for being too chatty. You know, only the Zhang Family in Six Saints Town pays so well—one thousand yuan a month! Save up for three years and you could build a whole three-room brick house!"

Cherry Miller's eyes flashed, and she chuckled to herself.

It looked like the village chief's wife had her eye on Ryan King too—she was clearly hoping to help her future son-in-law out.

"Yes, I've remembered everything. Thank you for the reminder, Auntie," Cherry Miller replied, putting on a shy expression.

Soon, they arrived at town and stood at the Zhang Family's gate.

There were already people waiting at the gate, obviously all here to apply for the cook position.

Cherry Miller counted—there were about seven or eight people.

Looks like the competition was pretty fierce.

Cherry Miller was secretly glad she'd studied cooking before. Otherwise, she might not have had a chance today.

"Is everyone here?" A middle-aged man who looked like the head housekeeper stroked his goatee and glanced around. "The Zhang Family is the most charitable household in town. Since you were all recommended by your village chiefs to try out, you should cherish this opportunity. If you do your job well, not only will you get paid generously, but the masters sometimes give extra rewards. Just a little from their fingertips is enough to feed your families for a year."

"Yes, thank you, Head Housekeeper."

"Got it, Head Housekeeper."

"Thank you for the advice, Head Housekeeper."

...

There were plenty of voices echoing agreement all around.

Cherry Miller nodded along with the others, making sure not to stand out.

"Come on in," the head housekeeper waved, then turned and walked inside.

Cherry Miller followed the others through the Zhang Family's main gate.

She quickly looked around—it was a classic five-section courtyard, with side wings on both sides.

The buildings were made from local materials—blue stone and white lime.

The overall style was simple and unadorned.

In terms of aesthetics, it was nowhere near the Yin Family, and couldn't compare to the Yun Family's elegance.

You could say it was livable, but not exactly pretty.

"Everyone, come with me," the head housekeeper waved, leading the group to the left side courtyard.

Cherry Miller watched from a distance as a row of rooms bustled with steam and people coming and going.

Clearly, this was the kitchen.

Cherry Miller sniffed the air and figured they'd just steamed a batch of buns.

So even for the Zhang Family in Six Saints Town, life wasn't all that extravagant.

Makes sense, really.

It's not like the outside world here with fancy kitchen gadgets and conveniences. Western pastries and desserts are out of the question—being able to fill your stomach is good enough.

"You all go and try making a dish. If the masters like it, you'll be hired," the head housekeeper said, pointing to several big stoves.

The women rolled up their sleeves and began picking out vegetables and seasonings, ready to show off their skills.

Cherry Miller wasn't in a rush. She let the others pick first, then calmly grabbed a few greens from the basket and scooped a fish from the big vat.

She planned to make poached fish and sautéed eggplant, potato, and peppers today.

There were eight stove burners in the kitchen.

Two of them were steaming buns, sending up clouds of steam.

So only six burners were available.

And there were nine women here to try out for the cook job today.

That meant three people had to wait for someone else to finish before they could start cooking.

So the other cooks were running around, prepping quickly, afraid they'd miss out on a burner.

Cherry Miller, on the other hand, was calm and collected from start to finish, never in a hurry.

If you thought she was slow, you'd be wrong.

She may have looked calm, but her hands were anything but slow.

Her knife worked like magic—swift and precise. In just moments, all the ingredients were prepped.

While the others were still busy chopping and dicing, Cherry Miller was already carrying her prepped ingredients to the stove, relaxed and unhurried.

The cooks who'd fought over vegetables saw Cherry Miller already starting to cook and broke out in a sweat, getting even more flustered.

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Someone was watching from a distance, surprised by how quick Cherry Miller was for her age. "Who are those people?" he asked.

"To answer you, Young Master Eric, they're cooks here to try out for the job today," someone replied. "They're all recommended by the nearby villages."

"And that one?" Eric Zhang pointed at Cherry Miller.

"Yes, her too."

Eric Zhang's interest was piqued. "I had no idea there was such a pretty young lady hidden away in these mountains."

Since Cherry Miller was posing as Yina Yin's wife, her outfit was that of a married woman.

A green and yellow handkerchief tied her hair back, and a peachwood hairpin held her bun neat and tidy.

Her fitted cotton jacket matched the color and material, paired with a black apron—both elegant and practical.

Even though Cherry Miller's clothes were plain, her air of quiet nobility was impossible to hide.

So, even in the middle of a messy crowd, Eric Zhang spotted her at a glance.

"Bring me the dishes she makes later," Eric Zhang instructed.

"Yes, Young Master Eric."

Satisfied, Eric Zhang turned and left.

Cherry Miller had no idea she'd caught Eric Zhang's eye—she was still hard at work cooking.

The poached fish and sautéed eggplant, potato, and peppers were soon ready.