Cookery

After having some excellent dinner dishes, the next morning Vivian seemed very excited.

“Look. Your classmate is on the morning paper,” my wife yelled, pointing at a column of that famous fruit.

“What’s that all about?” I said.

“He’s talking about cookery and stress management.” Vivian finished in a tone of admiration.

I returned a polite smile and said no more; a scene of my recent conversation in the private clinic came through my mind.

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The patient was a lady in her late 20s, who always came with her mother. (Given the severity of her previous illness, I considered that entirely appropriate.) After the usual routine and serious medical advice, she said, “Doctor, should I have crowding of my teeth (箍牙)?”

Her mother chuckled – but said nothing. I was slightly surprised, “Why? They looked perfectly fine to me.”

“Certainly not,” my patient insisted, “The two front teeth are a little too bulging.”

“Hardly, I think they look cute,” I smiled, “Who cares about that little protrusion?”

“Exactly! Nobody cares! Doctor, you know, I have no boyfriend." She said, smiling in a funny way.

I sat back and considered for a moment. She may not be the prettiest girl I ever met but is certainly fair and charming. She has a master degree and a decent job - working in some government department as an Executive Officer or something like that. In fact, there is no short of chance for her to meet and make friend with some young man.

At the end, I smiled back and said, "Young man may not pay that much attention to the appearance of a girl."

"You think so!? That's certainly not true." She frowned her face.

I really found I was acting as a father, "Alas, young men with good quality do not, but they are more interested in the character and other internal quality of a girl. Well, let's say, for example, can you cook ?"

Her mother laughed - so much so the ceiling of my consultation room almost fell off.

"Is boiling a kettle of water part of cookery?"

PS. I shall leave it to your imagination who asked that final question.