Chapter Text
Zhu Li would have been perfectly content sipping her tea and watching the lush green trees bleed into each other outside the frosted windowpanes. One of the crewmates was playing a slender little pipe in the next car, and its frail tinkling song played lightly in her ears. It was rare for her to get free time, but the test run of the new tracks had been going so smoothly no one needed to run back and forth between engine and control cars, shouting orders only Zhu Li was fast enough to complete.
Also, no one on the damn train could cook, apparently, so meals had quickly become Zhu Li’s responsibility. She should have known, boarding a train with her boss, a child, several engineers, and a couple who had had a personal cook most of their lives.
Thankfully, her role in cooking for everyone meant the others were guilty enough to volunteer for jobs Zhu Li asked of them. Not Varrick, of course, but even he would relent after a firm nudge in the right direction. Kicking and screaming, but relenting nonetheless.
Her favorite example- grocery shopping. Every week or so they would stop in a town and Zhu Li would herd a small gaggle of young engineers and privates (and Bolin, whatever his job was) (probably emotional support and a sunny personality) to different shops and force them to carry groceries she picked out. It felt almost like agency, even if she were just the ringleader of a circus.
Besides, being a tiny nonbender of relatively low military rank, ordering around a bunch of baffled young men was sort of hilarious to her.
Kuvira also seemed to appreciate the sight, smirking at Zhu Li as she watched the parade of grocery shoppers. They would share a look of silent amusement before returning to their work.
They had just gone shopping that morning, and the dining car was stocked with fresh produce.
Including new tea blends, which Zhu Li was thoroughly enjoying.
Until she heard a quick, heavy thudding from the other car, and a slightly panicked Bolin came tumbling into the kitchen.
“Hey Zhu Li,” he drawled with clearly false calm. How on earth Varrick had turned him into an actor was a mystery to Zhu Li. “What’s up?”
“Have you done something wrong?”
His pinched smile fell.
“Where is it? Since you’re an earth bender it should be easy to hide, I’m sure I can create a sound alibi for you.”
“Wait, what do you think I did?”
“Nothing, Bolin, no one will know you did anything.”
The boy blinked. “Okaaayy… Can I help you make dinner?”
She flashed her gaze to the window. The sun was beginning to dip below the tree line, dying the sky blush.
“I suppose it is time, do you know how to cook?”
“Will that influence your answer?”
Zhu Li sighed. “Come, I’ll show you how to prepare vegetables.”
Bolin pumped his fist before bounding behind her. As she washed her hands at the sink she could hear the boy quietly counting.
“Thirty-one,”
“Thirty-two.”
“Your turn.” The boy spent exactly thirty-two seconds washing up.
She worked him through the basics of chopping onions, tomatoes, spinach, and cabbage.
“These we’ll cook in oil with masala, garlic, and ginger.” Zhu Li said, twisting on the stove. When she was a girl they had burned coal to cook, but the idea of Bolin trying to cook over an open fire with a hot metal stove made her hands sweat. Thank goodness for technology.
The onions began to pop and sizzle as Bolin gingerly swished them around the pan with a spatula. Meanwhile, Zhu Li began to prepare the cabbage and meatballs for soup. All the while she gave him precise instructions on how to prepare the dish, explaining the function of each ingredient and its quantity.
Bolin was awkward at first, but steady and a good listener. He seemed to grow delighted with little secrets, when Zhu Li showed him how to chop onions without crying, or letting him snack on the soft fried cheese that was for one of the dishes.
“That was actually really fun!” he said, nibbling on a steaming meatball she had given him in a small plate. “We got first dibs on all the food.”
Zhu Li smiled indulgently. “Cooking is a fundamental skill everyone should know. I’m glad you appreciate that.”
“Plus your cooking is so good,” he said with his mouth full.
“Thank you,” she smiled, “They’re authentic Earth Kingdom dishes. I learned from my aunt.”
The boy’s jaw slackened. “These dishes are Earth Kingdom?”
Zhu Li nodded. “The spinach dish is from the South, where Prince Wu is from. And the soup is from North-East, where Ba Sing Se is.”
“That’s where my family is from!” Bolin said excitedly, eyes wide. “So these dishes are part of my heritage?”
“They are,” Zhu Li smiled, “I’m sure your own family has a similar recipe. They very well could be the same, actually, my family is from Ba Sing Se as well.”
“That’s so cool!” Bolin said, dangling a long shred of cabbage into his mouth. “Do you think you could teach me more Earth Kingdom recipes?”
Zhu Li felt herself glow. “Of course, I’d be happy to.”
Bolin grinned widely. The car door slammed open.
“BOLIN!”
The boy jumped before ducking under the counter.
“I asked you to bend the- oh hey Zhu Li,” Varrick gulped. He clambered over the counter, peering at where Bolin was crouched. “I asked you to bend that thing we talked about and not tell a damn soul. Make it classy, feminine, elegant, and keep your mouth shut! Yet somehow you managed to blab to THREE of Kuvira’s engineers.”
“It just came up!” Bolin protested meekly, “I didn’t know it was a- thing with THAT meaning. I didn’t know that was an Earth Kingdom thing, how did you even know? Besides, the engineers came to that conclusion on their own.”
Varrick pinched the bridge of his nose, “I knew I should’ve just paid for a jeweler. ANYWAY, I’ll have you know that I’ve had a dickens of a time trying to work with those children thinking- what they think.”
“I’m sorry,” Bolin howled, “You know I’m bad at secrets!”
“Do I even want to know?” Zhu Li asked, arching an eyebrow.
“NO!” they both cried simultaneously.
“Okay then,” Zhu Li said, shoving a bowl of food into Varrick’s arms. “Go set the table, I’m going to tell everyone dinner’s ready.”
“I helped cook it,” Bolin said proudly.
“Is it edible?” Varrick asked, peering at the dish suspiciously. Zhu Li elbowed him.
“Bolin is a very helpful cook. He’s better than you.”
“I’ll have you know I am an expert at cooking otterseals.”
“Of course sir. Come along Bolin, let’s go tell the others food is ready before they get too hungry.”
“Yes ma’am!” he said in relief, springing up and trailing after her.
After a moment the boy leaned closer to her and whispered, “We’ll never have to actually eat an otterseal, right?”
“If all goes right in the world,” Zhu Li answered drily.