Chapter Nineteen: The Battle of the Three Mountains

As Zhao Haikun spoke, beads of sweat covered my forehead.

Compared to the “torment” I endured after falling into Zhao Shuihe’s hands, unraveling the Bai Shi Gu (White Food Gu) seemed like a trivial matter.

That “Water Lotus” was born with thorns; if I rashly went to beg her, I was bound to end up riddled with scratches!

At that moment, I wanted to retreat. At the very least, I felt I should try to smooth things over with her first before asking about breaking the Gu.

...But people often find that what they fear most inevitably comes to pass. When luck runs foul, even a sip of cold water can catch in your teeth.

Moreover, this year was particularly unlucky for me...

Just as I was gripped by fear, caught between advance and retreat, Zhao Shuihe suddenly darted out from behind me like a magician’s trick.

Her sudden appearance swiftly extinguished my last glimmers of hope and luck.

It was clear she had overheard everything in secret, and so she wore a look of supreme confidence.

Right away, she pressed close to my face, pointed at my nose, and said, “So you planted the Bai Shi Gu, huh? The Bai Shi Gu from Guizhou! Ha ha, ha ha ha!”

The little girl laughed arrogantly and casually, as if in her eyes I were not a person but... a cooked hen ready to be stewed.

Zhao Shuihe’s abrupt arrival and her startled, brash manner shocked the three of us, filling us with despair.

She... had finally found my “weak spot.”

In her prideful laughter, she said bluntly, “Feeling especially hungry, aren’t you? Wanting to eat everything you see? Is there a voice inside your stomach talking to you? Want to live? I can save you!”

This time, it was my turn to be astonished.

She actually knew about this Gu, just as Zhao Haikun had said. And... she could even cure it?

At that moment, I admitted defeat. I couldn’t afford to act stubborn—even if not for myself, then for Xian Hongye and Wang Hou, I had to yield.

So, forcing down my unwillingness, I smiled weakly at Zhao Shuihe and asked, “Can... you help us break the Gu?”

Zhao Shuihe rolled her eyes and said, “That depends on whether this lady is in a good mood! If you treat me well, of course I’ll help.”

Her words, ambiguously delivered, carried a tone akin to a sovereign commanding his vassals.

Naturally, this did not surprise me.

Under a roof, who doesn’t bow their head? Even if not for myself, I had to consider others.

Therefore, I forced a smile and asked, “Then how do you reckon you’ll be... in a good mood?”

“That’s simple!” Zhao Shuihe composed herself and pointed to her feet. “Kneel down and kowtow three times to your great-grandma! If you don’t want to kowtow, then bark like a dog! If you don’t want to bark like a dog, then just go die...”

Each word she spat out was a shout, each sentence a wail—a completely irrational venting of her earlier frustration, not the slightest serious. She was just a little girl throwing a tantrum.

Though I knew I shouldn’t stoop to her level, I couldn’t help but fume inside.

Who raised this ill-mannered child? Doesn’t anyone discipline her?

Faced with Zhao Shuihe’s outburst, I refused to indulge her. Instead, I retorted, “Mind your own business!” and turned away.

A gentleman may be killed, but not humiliated. Even if humiliated, no one can make me bark like a dog!

Zhao Shuihe, having been mocked again, was naturally displeased and about to continue her tantrum when Zhao Haikun on the side stopped her with a sharp rebuke.

My senior uncle Zhao Haikun’s face darkened as he said, “This is a mourning hall! Can you two stop fooling around?”

His words, evenly reprimanding both of us, silenced the room. Especially Zhao Shuihe, who reined in her arrogance and excitement.

She fully understood this was a solemn place, not for childish antics—just that she couldn’t control her own willfulness.

Once quiet returned, Zhao Shuihe glared at me, still fuming.

Her flushed cheeks, set against her pale face, made her look like a water lotus bud about to bloom.

But I had no leisure to admire such delicate beauty because at that moment, the infamous nephew Lei Wangcai emerged.

Seeing his expression, I immediately realized that Lei Ren had probably prepared the soul-summoning meal and was about to perform the “Five Sons Moving Mountains” ritual.

Sure enough, after Lei Wangcai entered the mourning hall, he announced like a ringmaster, “The ‘Three Mountains Duel’ is ready! My uncle asked me to remind everyone, during the ‘Death Divination,’ please keep quiet and control your livestock. Startling the deceased’s soul would be bad!”

We understood that Lei Ren had nearly finished his preparations.

The main event was about to begin.

In the silence, Zhao Shuihe and I temporarily abandoned our quarrel; everyone held their breath in anticipation of Lei Ren’s appearance.

All were intensely curious about the “Three Mountains Duel” that could supposedly “divine death.”

After a short wait, Lei Ren shouted theatrically, “Soul, come forth!”

Then he emerged from the kitchen beside the mourning hall, holding three bowls in one hand—each bowl containing the “main dish” for the death divination: the rice gruel known as “Three Mountains Duel.”

Lei Ren’s dramatic entrance, especially his skillful grip on all three bowls with one hand, immediately impressed all the cooks present.

Everyone murmured in unison, “Lei Ren... truly has great skill. The way he carries those bowls is the authentic ‘Skyward Hand’ technique from the Wuling Temple in Guangdong!”

Some might wonder if a cook’s skill and heritage can really be judged by how they carry bowls. Is there really such nuance in this basic skill?

Indeed there is, and it’s quite profound.

I can confidently say yes—you can tell a cook’s background and experience by this.

And Lei Ren’s method of presenting the “Three Mountains Duel” made me deeply admire him.

Here, I must once again salute Lei Ren. Though his character leaves much to be desired, his culinary skills in this “Five Ridges Temple” kitchen are unquestionably formidable!

The “Skyward Hand” is a technique used by kitchen helpers in restaurants.

We often see on TV that when big restaurants are packed, chefs and waiters use “fancy” serving methods to speed up delivery.

These “fancy” methods involve carrying two or three, even seven or eight dishes at once, using shoulders and hands, sometimes balancing plates on their heads, serving customers like a dance.

Such techniques have many benefits: delivering many dishes at once speeds service, pleases the eye, and showcases the chef’s dexterity and skill.

Nowadays, this fancy serving has become a must-have skill in major restaurants for attracting customers and training staff.

The “Skyward Hand” is one of the earliest forms of this fancy serving style—the “ancestor,” so to speak.

It is said the “Skyward Hand” was invented by a waiter surnamed Qin working in Guangzhou during the late Qing dynasty. After mastering this skill, he became famous and was nicknamed “Qin Thousand Hands.”

His fame was such that many patrons didn’t come to his eatery just for the food—they came to watch his extraordinary plate-carrying performance.

Qin Thousand Hands thus achieved master status through this unique skill.

Truly, human talent can make one stand out.

At this moment, Lei Ren’s one-handed presentation of the “Three Mountains Duel” was precisely the dominant, most traditional Qin-style “Skyward Hand” of the Five Ridges Temple!