Chapter 219: Do Not Eat Out of Season
Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Do Not Eat Out of Season
Nan Zhi lowered her gaze, scanning the message. Her expression remained largely unchanged.
Having been pushed into stardom for over a month, Nan Zhi had gradually grown accustomed to the entertainment industry’s atmosphere.
As a public figure, one’s words and actions were easily magnified—either taken out of context or overanalyzed.
If she wanted to avoid criticism, the best way was to keep her head down and follow the rules.
As the saying goes—the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; do nothing, and you’ll make no mistakes.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t Nan Zhi’s style.
So, before she had even suggested the idea to Teacher Zhang, she had anticipated that she would likely face some doubt.
It was just that the backlash seemed more intense than she had imagined.
’Even the production team, which rarely interferes with filming, is getting this worked up? They actually broke their own rules to send me a message mid-shoot?’
Nan Zhi thought for a moment, then made a point of asking Teacher Zhang:
"What are the children’s specific thoughts? Getting their opinions will help us adjust the direction of the course."
Teacher Zhang didn’t overthink it and simply relayed a few of the students’ answers—
One student said she wanted to take the cooking class because she saw how tired her grandpa was from cooking every day and wanted to help share the load;
Another student said that although he could cook, his food wasn’t very good, so he hoped to learn from the teacher;
Another said she thought learning to cook would be very useful, and she could make a surprise meal for her parents when they came back for vacation;
And yet another student said he didn’t have any big reasons—he just thought a cooking class sounded fun, and getting to cook at school would be twice as fun;
...
These genuine and varied answers were the perfect way to silence the critics.
The doubtful comments in the live chat gradually subsided.
Aside from two or three persistent nitpickers online, everywhere else went quiet.
The public’s attention was quickly captured by the next hot-button issue.
Nan Zhi guessed the matter had blown over, as the production team didn’t send any more messages.
She flipped her phone face down and continued her conversation with Teacher Zhang.
Throughout the whole process, Teacher Zhang didn’t notice a thing.
That afternoon, Nan Zhi taught a class and received a warm welcome.
Nan Zhi was quite pleased.
She didn’t let the new course cause her to neglect her duties as an English teacher. She remained diligent, doing her utmost to pass on her knowledge to the children.
At the same time, she put a great deal of effort into the new course. After a full day of researching and careful planning, she finally finalized the lesson content.
「The following day.」
Teacher Zhang scheduled the cooking class for the fourth period in the morning.
This was because she had heard from Nan Zhi that the course would involve a lot of taste-testing.
After all that eating, the students probably wouldn’t want lunch.
So, scheduling it too early wouldn’t work, and scheduling it too late wouldn’t work either. The fourth period in the morning was just right.
Early that morning, after the teachers and students had arrived, Teacher Zhang eagerly sought out Nan Zhi to ask about her lesson preparations.
Although the two of them had discussed the general curriculum, the specific content of the lesson was still up to Nan Zhi, the teacher in charge.
So, before the class began, not even Teacher Zhang knew what exactly would be taught.
’Slicing vegetables? Simmering soup? Wok tossing?’
Teacher Zhang was very curious about this, and the others were no exception.
In the office, the other teachers crowded over to join her.
Old Wu Teacher: "Teacher Nan, I want to hear too."
Teacher Xiao Lin: "Give us a little spoiler."
Qi Pei’er: "Tell me! I promise I won’t tell anyone else!"
Stared at by four pairs of eager eyes, Nan Zhi couldn’t help but laugh.
She gathered her things and stood up.
"You’ll all find out in a little while."
The cooking class was for all fifty-odd students in the entire school.
With so many students, Nan Zhi couldn’t possibly maintain order on her own. Teacher Zhang and the others would be coming to help, so they would naturally get to hear the lesson.
Since Nan Zhi insisted on keeping them in suspense, everyone—from Teacher Zhang and Qi Pei’er, to Xu Lin and the rest of the crew behind the cameras, and even the curious viewers behind their screens—could only wait patiently.
They counted the seconds as they ticked by.
Finally!
It was time for the fourth period!
Following Nan Zhi’s instructions, the teachers led the students from the three classes out of their classrooms and into the cafeteria.
It had plenty of tables and chairs, and the kitchen was just through a door, making it easy to get anything they needed. It was the most suitable classroom for a cooking course.
Over fifty students plus the teachers might not sound like a lot, but when they all swarmed into the cafeteria, it still felt a bit crowded.
Fortunately, Nan Zhi had prepared in advance, rearranging the tables into a circular formation with a small open space in the middle.
This open space was where Nan Zhi would stand.
She stood there now, a cool and composed figure. Only after watching the students take their seats did she begin to speak, unhurriedly:
"I wonder if any of you have heard of the concept ’eating with the seasons.’ It comes from the *Analects of Confucius*, in the Chapter *Xiang Dang*. The passage reads: ’When fasting, one must alter one’s food; when at home, one must change one’s seat. Do not tire of finely milled rice, nor of finely minced meat. Do not eat food that has gone sour or spoiled, fish that has gone bad or meat that is tainted. Do not eat what is discolored. Do not eat what has a bad smell. Do not eat what is undercooked. Do not eat out of season. Do not eat what is improperly cut. Do not eat without the proper sauce.’ Some say this just means Confucius was too picky. But this was actually a fundamental requirement of the ancient diet—to adapt one’s food to the time of year and nourish one’s body in tune with the seasons. The sun rises and the moon sets, day gives way to night. Life sprouts in spring, grows in summer, is harvested in autumn, and is stored in winter. Heaven and Earth accomplish all things by doing nothing—this is the realm of the ’Dao’."
This opening, quoting from the classics, was a masterful stroke that instantly captured everyone’s attention!
’A lot of people were surprised. Isn’t this supposed to be a cooking class? Why is she suddenly talking about the "Dao"?’
They were curious yet bewildered, and could only listen on patiently.
Just then, Nan Zhi asked a question:
"So, do any of you know about the Twenty-Four Solar Terms?"
Many of the children eagerly raised their hands.
Nan Zhi’s gaze swept across the room.
She saw Nan Yi, who had been placed in the front row because she was so short. She was sitting perfectly straight, but her hands, resting on her knees, were clenched into tight fists. She was probably annoyed with herself for not being able to answer her mother’s question.
Nan Zhi smiled discreetly. Her gaze didn’t linger and quickly moved on.
In the end, she called on a girl in the second row.
The girl didn’t disappoint. She was articulate, fluently reciting all the solar terms from "Start of Spring" all the way to "Major Cold."
Nan Zhi nodded in satisfaction.
"An excellent answer. The Twenty-Four Solar Terms are a product of our ancestors’ wisdom, and aligning our diet with them is an extension of that wisdom. For example, spring corresponds to the element of Wood. It’s a time of renewal when yang energy rises, which is associated with the liver. So, you should eat more seasonal green vegetables, like spring chives. Eating more pungent foods and fewer sour ones helps soothe and nourish the liver, and regulate its qi. Then there’s summer, which corresponds to Fire. Your diet should be light to nourish the heart. Autumn corresponds to Metal, so your diet should focus on moisturizing dryness. You should eat more cooling, moist, sweet, and sour foods to replenish your lung qi. And winter corresponds to Water, so your diet should focus on warm, nourishing foods—eating more nutrient-rich things to boost your qi and blood."