The Heartbeat at the Tip of the Tongue

The judges looked at the portion of soup and lowered their heads to smell it, like they were trying to discern what kind of spices were used in the soup.

Gourmets magazine editor Winston was the youngest among the three judges.

He looked like he was very gentle, a high nose bridge, deep blue eyes, and he graciously smiled at Lin Ke Song.

Winston took up Lin Ke Songs registration papers and had a look and said: Youre from china?

Uh Yes

Dont be nervous, we are not bad people, its only that we are a little too serious towards food. Winston took a spoon and stirred Lin Ke Songs soup, introduce this soup to us then.

Lin Ke Song coughed slightly and said: My English is not good, so I would like to invite my friend to use English to explain it to the three judges.

Winston nodded his head, they unanimously looked at Song Yi Ran.

Song Yi Ran used sleek English to explain: this is called red soup, it is a soup from a minority group, made with tomatoes and eggs, combined with dozens of spices boiled together. The technique used is not simply to boil the food, but you need to add different ingredients at different times, once the ingredients are added in the wrong order, the taste will change. This kind of soup, is only made in every family by the mother when her daughter is married. So normally, every female will only get to drink it once in their life. Because this minority groups culture is on a decline, the soups recipe is also being lost gradually. And my friend happens to belong to this tribe, the soup recipe was passed from her grandmother to her mother and finally into her hands.

This is such a good teammate ah! While saying these words, his face didnt change and his heart did not skip a beat!

Song Yi Ran shouldnt study finance, he is an elite of advertising ah! The fact that the advertising industry does not have an elite like him is such a huge loss!

In a rush, all the judges suddenly had a huge interest in the soup placed before them! David the food association chairman even slightly licked his upper lips.

Eat ba eat ba eat ba! I guarantee you will have the experience of your life!

Then let us have a taste of this soup ba.

The judges scooped up the soup, slowly sending it into their mouths, with expressions that looked like they were expecting to taste something that was out of this world.

First it was gourmet connoisseur Luke who spat out the soup with a blast.

What is this! Do you want to ruin our tongues!

Good thing Song Yi Ran had prepared beforehand, and thought that he should stand to one side, or he would be shot by the soup.

And the David the food association chairman had lowered his head and cough with vigour, his whole face was red.

Oh my god ah! This soup is a total disaster! Give me waterhurry give me water!

But Winston, he slowly swallowed the soup, and unhurriedly picked up his cup and drank a mouth of water.

Very unique taste and texture. I can imagine why mothers would give their daughters this kind of soup before they are married. If you can even swallow this kind of soup, what kind of hardships will you not be able to tolerate?

The chairman of the food association David who had already drunk a whole cup of water exhaled: I hope the women over there will only marry once!

Luke used a stern almost tone to say to Lin Ke Song: do you know of all the dishes I have ever tasted in my life, this red soup is the best in which category? - the best in the worst category!

Winston picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth, and said the last cutting comment: Ms Lin, this red soup has no culinary technique to speak of, but only throwing a bunch of ingredients together. Food should let people feel joy, but your soup brought me to hell. I sincerely hope, that on this earth, apart from the three of us, there will not be a fourth person to taste this kind of food.

Lin Ke Song thought in her heart, even if she were to make another round of this soup the standard will never be able to reach this ah. Because she definitely had no thread of remembrance or knowledge of what ingredients she had put in.

Goodbye. Winston made a please leave hand movement.

Lin Ke Song and Song Yi Ran swiftly left the competition compounds, she was still afraid that if she didnt walk away fast enough, the judges would have an inspiration and get her to drink all three bowls of soup!

Just as they exited, Lin Ke Song laughed till her stomach was about to burst.

Wey, did you see that? Did you see that Davids face? I was afraid he had high blood pressure ah!

Song Yi Ran put his hands in his pocket, looked at her posture of her holding her stomach and laughing, Didnt you say you didnt want to play? Looking at you now seems like youre quite into it. When Winston commented, you looked like you were almost going to cry.

That was because I was trying to endure my laughter okay!

Then you dont think you are not as serious as the other participants anymore? Song Yi Ran asked.

Dont think so anymore. Lin Ke Song shook her head.

Oh, why?

Eating should be a very simple thing. They keep carrying a judging mood to eat food that others have prepared seriously, isnt this a kind of disrespect? After having my soup from hell, I wonder if theyd still be able to taste other flavours?

Song Yi Ran chuckled, held onto Lin Ke Songs collar and went off.

After today, Lin Ke Song will properly start working at her uncles Lins restaurant.

In the past, Lin Ke Song had heard that operating a restaurant is a very tough thing to do. You are supposed to open at around 11 in the day, but the kitchen staff have to start preparations at 4, 5 in the early morning.

Good thing, uncle did not have any plans to get Lin Ke Song to help out in the kitchen, but want her to handle the cashier. The cashier originally had two people taking shifts. One on the weekdays, the other on the weekends, who also happen to be Lin Xiao Xues younger cousin brother (T/N: on the mothers side). The lady who was in charge of the cashier in the weekdays had a daughter who was pregnant and so wanted a leave for a period of time, and Lin Ke Song took over her shifts.

Cashiering looks like just accepting money and putting it into the money box, and the cashiering machine will even automatically calculate the amount of change for the customer, based on logic it is a very simple job, but in actual fact, it is a job that make your arms and feet very busy.

Good thing the cashier at the restaurant is not like the cashier at the bank, otherwise with a job that is like flowing waters, Lin Ke Song can imagine how burnout she will be.

So Lin Ke Song while fighting and struggling with the old version of the cashiering machine and cash and POS, she finished her first day of work.

She really feels sleepy, dizzy with a blurry vision, that feeling was like doing three high school exams in a day.

After a hurried shower, Lin Ke Song crawled in to the bed, and was about to pull the blanket when there was a knock on the door.

Uncle? Lin Ke Song kneaded her eyes, cant be that she did some wrong cashiering right?

Its me Claire.

Lin Ke Song suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to clear her hairs after using the bathroom, Lin Xiao Xue cant be angry again right?

She hurriedly put on her slippers and opened the door.

Xiao Xue, you want to use the bathroom right, let me go clear the hairs on the floor.

Oh. That this weekend my friends and I are organising a barbeque party. You can bring your friend along.

Lin Ke Song stopped in her tracks. From the time she was here till now, her cousin has always been distantly cold, why would she suddenly to invite her to a barbeque party?

If it were in the country, Lin Ke Songs mind would work quickly, but in front of Lin Xiao Xue, she reacts in three seconds. Lin Xiao Xues main point isnt her cousin, but her cousins friend.

Lin Ke Song sighed in her heart. This was most probably because of Song Yi Ran. As expected, having good looks is different, when the car sees you they pick you up, when the flowers see you they bloom for you, when Lin Xiao Xue saw him, she flipped open for him ah.

Even though the goddess is interested, but the King Xiang must have no dreams. No matter how Lin Xiao Xue is, she is also family, she cant let Song Yi Ran scourge her.

Weekend, is it? I have to mind the cashier at the restaurant during the weekends too ah.

You can come after you knock off. Lin Xiao Xue eyes carried a hint of hope.

And Lin Ke Song purposely put on an awkward expression and said: Xiao Xue, after Ive knocked off, its already 11pm. Itd be so late already, your barbeque party should be already over too right?

Whatever! after saying, Lin Xiao Xue closed the door and entered the house. She was angry, but Lin Ke Song had an established reason, there was no way to find fault.

Lin Ke Song exhaled.

A week later, Lin Ke Song swiftly adjusted to the cashiering job, even when it was the peak hours, she could handle it and not find it chaotic.

Occasionally when the back kitchen was busy they couldnt handle it, Lin Ke Song would go over to help out, but as long as she doesnt help, its good, once she starts helping, she was totally made use of like she was a male.

Ke Song, come! Help bring these bags of rice in!

Ke Song, come over and look, why doesnt this bulb light up anymore?

Ke Song, the vegetable washing is clogged, come over and help unblock it!

While Lin Xiao Xue carried her bag and walked out, she saw her perspire till her whole back was wet and couldnt help smirking.

Didnt my dad invite you here just to look after these people and collect money? Why did you let them order you around?

Lin Ke Song froze in her spot, Lin Xiao Xue already carried her bag and walked past her.

But if she were to really just sit at the cashier and collect money, while watching the others get busy, she wouldnt have a sound conscious ah.

But the one who should have a louder conscious is Song Yi Ran that crazy nut.

Every afternoon, as long as there are no classes, 4.30pm sharp and he would be sitting in the restaurant.

Lin Ke Song, pour me a glass of water. And with the likes of a young master, using his finger to tap on the table.

Cant you see me minding the cashier?

Cant you see that youre the only one whos free?

On average, he would only order some light food. Even though this chap has lots of money, he doesnt have a bad habit of wasting, ordering however much can be consumed. At 7pm plus, when the restaurant was experiencing the peak flow of customers, Lin Ke Song would purposely walk to him and knock his table: hey, give a table up!

Im not done eating.

This chap had only a mouthful of porridge left, and was on his tablet using the restaurants Wi-Fi.

But the weirdest thing was, this chap only spent around 5USD and hogged a whole table, but neither the waiters nor her uncle had any intention to chase him away, her uncle even wanted to thank him, by letting him eat for free when he came the next time.

Why ah? Lin Ke Song could not understand at all.

A/N: Song Yi Ran, the advertisement world welcomes you!